[ Consider this an Investment. - Lion's Pride ] it said. Suddenly experience flooded his body, he could feel his core expanding. It broke through the fourth stage, then fifth, sixth, all the way to the tenth stage of basic. A realm never before seen in this world.
The man knelt down in the ground and held his chest in pain. He had suddenly broken through many stages all within five seconds. This however was not the end. She could feel it breaking through, to the intermediate tier, the gap between the newbies and the starters.
His core swelled up and then it burst into the intermediate tier. His body started to exude a black goo that smelled terrible. But he could feel his body really increase in power.
Like really increase in power.
[ Learned Skill, Lion's duel.
When you fight against someone of equal or higher strength, your own strength increases. ]
And he wasn't the only one for this to happen, all around the world, Alexander helped people develop a core and helped expand it to the intermediate tier. And he would give them a low tier skill.
Why would he do this? Well, to make it seem like celestials were watching over them and making this seem even more like a novel, and if this gets out, more people are likely to go to the dungeon.
This was an investment as well, the people, they are advancing into the dungeon at a slow rate, China has barely made any progress and America wasn't doing much better.
They recently tried and failed to launch a military campaign on the dungeon, but their guns didn't work, and if they are in the military instead of being a hero, chances are, their quirks are not very strong, in the end, they had to be saved by one of the parties already in the dungeon.
This might disway people from coming into the dungeon, so he just needs to give them another reason to go there. And that is celestials, if they can give power, they can take it away. It is easy to accept power, but hard to leave it behind. So they will listen to the words of the celestials and go to the dungeon if asked to.
Alexander could not stop himself from grinning. He was sure that many more people would enter the dungeon, and with that, there is a chance of guilds appearing.
They are more common in novels with gates happening, but there are a few with dungeons that have guilds. He wished for guilds, no good reason, just want to have guilds appearing.
"Surround the monster!" A man shouted. The large group with him surrounded the large monster, or more accurately, the floor boss, an infant dragon.
The dragon took a deep breath.
"Retreat, set up the barriers!" The man shouted.
The people started to retreat, those with barrier quirks set up the barrier while some people used some items and helped developed the barrier.
The infant dragon used his breath and blew at the barrier. The fire slammed into the barrier, some of the heat made it through but it was almost completely fine.
"Attack the wings!" The leader shouted. The other used their quirks or drew their bows and shot the wings. Piercing them.
The infant dragon charged forward. It was ready to slam into the barrier and break it.
"Dodge the slam!" The leader shouted. The people moved to the side and dodged the attack.
"Now! Attack the sides!" He shouted, he charged forward and using his skill, Gale Fist along side his equipment ability, he punched the infant dragon. A small shockwave occurred and pushed the infant dragon to the side. Where the other members used their quirks and weapons to attack the monster. Small chips appeared on the scales of the dragon, but some moderately large cuts also appeared.
The leader and the others starts to use their auras and enchant their attacks. The leader punched the dragon, sending it a few feet away. The swordsmen used their swords and cut into its flesh, the arrows pierced its scales, and the hammers helped crush its defenses. But it still retaliated.
"Ballista!" The leader shouted, everyone retreated. A ballista came from the grass field and pointed towards the dragon. The operators aimed at the dragon and released the bolt. The bolt flew into the dragon. It pierced its scales and hide, and deep into the muscles.
It cried out in pain, it skirmished around. Using this opportunity the others started to attack the dragon after restraining its movements. Each strike slightly damaged the already downed dragon, which started to stiffen as the poison at the tip of the bolt started to take place.
The leader then infused all of his aura into a single strike and struck bolt in the dragon's chest. Pushing it even deeper in, it broke the ribs and it struck the heart.
It died, turning into light that entered the bodies of the party.
"We, we did it."
"We killed the boss!"
"Long live Captain Alex!"
The people started to chant the name Alex. And he could only smile. They knew what was going to happen now, the reward.
A large chest descended to the ground. The honor of opening the chests have always been given to Alex, who had led them to victory.
The items within were a large sword. Enchanted to deal even more damage towards dragons.
A bracelet that created a force field around the user.
A helmet that allowed the user to use the lowest form of dragon's dominance.
Some pills and potions, and a bunch of dungeon points. The people celebrated the victory. They had their share of pills, potions, and dungeon points. They would spend it on better items and some replacement for their equipments.
After the rewards were given a portal appeared, something that never happened before. It looked just like the portal to the dungeon. So they carefully wandered into it.
Dizziness filled their minds before they made it to the other side. They were in a mountain range, chill began to fall upon them. The ones with fire quirks quickly used their quirks and started to warm the area up.
"This is the next floor." Alex said, looking around. As he did a message appeared.
[ Congratulations, the first humans stepped into the second floor, please choose your class.
Commander: Someone who leads his people to victory. Those that choose this class will gain the skill, Command and an increase to perception.
Brawler: Someone who fights with his fist. Those that choose this class will learn, Heavy strike and a small increase to all physical stats.
Adventurer: The point of the spear that expels darkness, those that enter and explore the dungeon. Those that choose this class will learn, Sixth Sense, and will gain an increase to all stats. ] the message showed. Similar things appeared before everyone.
Alex chose the Commander class, he was always a commander. So this suited his profession quite well. The other choose classes that assists that quirks and jobs, and some more unusual classes appeared as well, from alchemists, smith, carpenters, and more.
"Let's go back first, we need to get proper equipment for this expedition." Alex said, he crushed a stone and the others did so too, leaving the dungeon and entering the exchange floor.
The people started to buy other things that might be useful in the next expedition. Warm clothes, magic items, and the like. Alex was just wandering the area, looking for something.
He then saw an alleyway, and someone in it. Before him was a pile of items that looked, odd, and weird. But had an evil feeling to them.
"I wouldn't go to him if I were you." One of the venders said.
"What, why?" Alex asked the vender.
"He is a black market vender, the things he sells are not guaranteed to work. You could buy a fake magic item, and even if they were real, most of the are cursed items."
"Cursed items?"
"Yes, they are often stronger than normal items, but they come with a downside. Some might drain your vitality, others could cause madness, or even death to the user." The vender said, before he ignored him and started to sell his products to someone who came to him.
Alex has been in the dungeon for a long time, and he felt something that said he should go there. So he started to walk to the vender.
He sat in front of the products and started to scan them. Many of the items with him were normal items, unechanted, some were normal enchanted items, and some were cursed item. To test the vender he started to talk.
"Which item would you describe as your most valuable item?" He asked.
"Kiki, are you sure you want to know?" The vender asked.
"Yes." He answered.
"Very well, I would consider this my highest value merchandise. The Cavern Parasite. Although they are called parasites, this is only under certain circumstances, if you manage to tame it, you can experience the sweet honey it can produce." The vender said. Holding a jar with a small parasite in it. It was filled with a purple liquid that seems to keep the worm unconscious.
'What? I can scan it.' He thought to himself, an item he couldn't scan had never appeared before, but he had this gut feeling so he decided to buy it.
"How much for it?" He asked.
"Three thousand three hundred." This made his eyes widen in shock, none of the other things costed anywhere near this much, even the highest item he ever heard of was only a thousand points, even then, he already decided to buy the item.
"Very well, I will buy it." he saw as almost all of his points were depleted.
"How do I use this?"
"Open the jar and take the parasite out, place it near the body, the warmth of the body will awaken it, it will quickly enter the body, once it enters, you will need to tame it." The vender said creepily as he started to disappear into air.
"I hope this is the right decision." He said to himself. The others had already bought what they wanted and was waiting at the exit for him.
He hid his item and greeted the others.
"Let's leave for the next few days." He said, the others had already anticipated this and after a farewell they left the dungeon and started to drive or walk home. Alex had entered his home and he opened the jar, he stuck his hand into the jar, the liquid was cold and almost caused him to pull out. He grabbed the worm and placed it into his arms. The warms woke up the worm and it entered his body.
Then, pain filled his mind.