"Two months have passed since I first set foot in this dungeon, or perhaps even longer. Are you even listening, you Crystal bastard?"
Nestled among the towering pine trees, a man found solace beneath the Sherman tree, its majestic height reaching for the heavens. His muscular build was evident, with his arms, chest, and abdomen showcasing his strength.
His hair, a wild mess of black strands, fell unevenly around his shoulders, and a beard trailed down to his chest. He was clad in a tattered red shirt and black shorts, his feet bare against the earth.
The man looked... wait, who exactly is he?
"I am Arlo, you imbecile," Arlo retorted, his voice echoing through the forest.
It appeared that Arlo had transformed from a lean figure with a scruffy beard into a full-fledged caveman.
As part of his daily ritual, he conversed with the Crystal egg nestled within his stomach, despite its dormant state. Quite the eccentric, isn't he?
"Over these two months, I've conquered both the Easy and Medium modes from the Difficulty option:
[Noobie
Easy
Medium
Hard
Impossible]
It was a grueling process, battling the same foes repeatedly, and to make matters worse, the difficulty escalated with each victory.
For the past two months, my sole focus has been on honing my body and mastering the use of this sword and shield.
I've uncovered several features in the system window. In the real world, a name title prompt hovers over everything I gaze upon, but within the dungeon, it only appears when I inflict damage. I've learned to control these title prompts. If a prompt doesn't appear when I look at something, all I need to do is think,
'Show me the name.'
Whether it's an object or a living being, the name will manifest.
I've also gained insight into the Player Level attributes."
Arlo's Current Level after conquering Easy, Medium mode:
[Player Current Level – 4 (51 Exp to Level 5)]
[Hp: 20/100
Skill Points: 30
Exp Points: 51 (Level 4)
Defense: 20/100
Strength: 25/100
Endurance: 15/100
Agility: 17/100
Intelligence: 30/100
Dexterity: 16/100
Luck: 7/100]
Arlo continued, "I've realized that each attribute increases based on how I complete a quest. During the Noobie difficulty mode, I primarily fought monsters using a shield and parried attacks with a sword, resulting in an increase in Defense, Endurance, and Strength. Eventually, I began to utilize other attributes as well. It was initially challenging to constantly strategize on how to enhance my attributes, but skill points and health only increase during each level up.
The one major aspect I haven't deciphered is how these attributes function. In the video games I used to play, my health bar would gradually deplete when I was hit, and I used Agility and Defense to fend off and attack enemies. But in this System Ascent, even in dire situations, every attribute remains constant. Why? What's the purpose of this anyway?
Hold on... activating weapons uses attributes, right? Does that mean they're only used for this?
I haven't pondered over anything this intensely in a long time. I'm undertaking all this tedious work because of this Crystal egg."
In a fit of frustration, Arlo punched his stomach with full force.
"OWWW!"
He had completely forgotten that he was hitting his own stomach, and he writhed in pain.
After a few minutes, he finally decided to tackle the hard difficulty, hoping that the Crystal Egg would be satiated.
Upon reaching The Den Of Supreme Lion, he couldn't help but grin at the sight of 10 Stone Lions. They seemed vastly different from those in Noobie mode.
Their eyes glowed with a fiercer purple hue, their stone bodies gleamed, and a single tiny crack line was visible at their necks.
Initially, there had been nearly 50 Stone Lions; Arlo had defeated all but ten. It seems he doesn't fear them; he views them more like his livestock. Methodically slaying them, he had evolved into a peculiar and ruthless individual.
As soon as the Stone Lions spotted him, they charged towards him. He swiftly activated his shield by clenching his left fist.
A blue window prompted:
[Shield: Protector of Yedlin Clan Activated]
[Period: 120 minutes]
[Weakness: Durability of the top of the shield is increased tremendously, but constant impact at the top will break the shield. Weakness will decrease upon Player Level increment.]
[Consumed:
Endurance 5 per use
Defense 10 per use
SP: 10 per use]
The Stone Lions charged at him, relentlessly smashing against the shield. Arlo observed their movements, his eyes sharp.
Suddenly, he noticed a Stone Lion approaching from behind. As it neared, he deactivated his shield. As it swung its claw at him, Arlo blocked it effortlessly. As he saw other Stone Lions pounce towards him, he reactivated the shield.
As the other Stone Lions crashed and stumbled, one Stone Lion found itself trapped within.
Arlo grinned, "Let the hunt begin."
During the two months, Arlo had discovered that he could use his shield to trap beings within. While fishing, not out of necessity, but for the thrill of it, he used his shield to keep the crocodile at bay. During those fishing trips, he noticed that fish that entered during shield activation couldn't escape, as they were trapped within.
The trapped Stone Lion continued to swing its claw at Arlo. He kept blocking, as if waiting for something.
Arlo had anticipated this. Suddenly, the Stone Lion retreated and leaped high, aiming to attack from behind, realizing that Arlo was continually blocking its attacks. But Arlo was prepared for this precise moment.
As the Stone Lion leaped, Arlo immediately jumped after it and used his shield to shove the lion. Unable to react in mid-air, the lion was vulnerable. Arlo stabbed straight through its neck, turning it into dust.
[Defeated Common Class Stone Lion]
As soon as he stabbed the Stone Lion with his sword, a prompt appeared:
[Sword: Slayer of Yedlin Clan]
[Activated: One time per day, increases based on player level]
[Weakness: The curse has been lifted, so the sword won't devour the wielder upon activation. Though its sharpness is not as sharp as when it was first made, it is still nearly perfect.]
[Consumed:
Endurance: 10 per use
Strength: 10 per use
Dexterity: 15 per use
Hp: Nil per use
Skill Point: 12]
The sight of their fallen comrade made the other Stone Lions hesitate, but Arlo grinned, eager for the battle to continue. He deactivated the shield and extended his hand, beckoning them to attack.
Grrrrrrrrrr…
Enraged, the Stone Lions growled and lunged towards him.
[End of Chapter]