Bang! Bang!
A thunderous sound echoed through the cavernous 11th floor, as Draco tested the durability of his new weapon against a 'Hard Armored' adversary.
This monstrous armadillo-like creature stood at an imposing 1.5 meters tall, its body covered in overlapping plates of hardened armor on its head, back, and tail.
This denizen of the upper floors was renowned for its exceptional defensive capabilities, making it a daunting challenge for most level 1 adventurers.
However, the beast also possessed several fatal weaknesses - its poor eyesight and soft underbelly.
Despite these vulnerabilities, the Hard Armored was no simple foe.
It could curl into an almost impenetrable ball, its armored shell shielding its vulnerable belly, and then unleash its crushing weight and speed, capable of pulverizing bones with its mass and momentum.
Draco's purpose here went beyond merely testing his new weapon.
He sought to gather valuable intelligence on the monsters of the 11th and 12th floors, crucial information that would aid his familia members in forming strategies when they began to farm these regions.
While he had initially been reluctant to waste his time on these upper levels, he had decided that the opportunity was too valuable to pass up, especially as it lay directly on his path to the 13th floor and beyond.
After an hour of intense combat and rigorous testing, Draco soon found himself standing at the threshold of the 13th floor, also known as the first line of the famed 'Cave Labyrinth'.
This marked a significant transition, as the environment and challenges presented a stark contrast to the relatively straightforward upper floors.
A faint hint of frustration crossed his features as he realized that his search for an infant dragon had been in vain on the 12th floor.
However, he quickly dismissed the thought, unwilling to squander any more time or energy on such a frivolous pursuit.
The 13th to 17th floors, collectively known as the 'Cave Labyrinth,' were known for their complex and treacherous nature.
The moment Draco stepped onto the 13th floor, the landscape transformed dramatically.
The once flat and circular maze gave way to a labyrinthine network of intertwining upper and lower tunnels, all carved into solid bedrock - a tightly consolidated, hard-as-stone material.
The lighting grew dimmer, the air grew moist, and the presence of random vertical holes and unstable ground leading deeper into the deeper floors became increasingly common.
Monsters spawned at a much faster rate, making even solo exploration a harrowing endeavor for all but the most experienced level 2 and above adventurers.
While the individual strength of the monsters on the 13th and 14th floors did not differ significantly from those of the upper levels, their sheer volume and the deadliness of their natural weapons more than compensated for any lack of raw power.
Draco, however, was unfazed by the prospect of facing these obstacles, as he was strong enough to handle it.
He planned to do some light warm ups to sharpen his instincts while also farming for valuable experience, or 'excelia,' on the 13th and 14th floors before delving deeper into the 15th floor and beyond, where the true monsters that could aid in his level-up aspirations awaited.
It was on the 15th to 17th floors, that Draco's true test would begin.
Here, individually categorized level 2 monsters emerged, each one a hard adversary capable of posing a significant threat even to seasoned level 2 adventurers.
Draco, however, was undaunted, for he had a trump card up his sleeve – the "Rageful Ascension" skill.
This potent ability, while fraught with risks, was precisely what Draco needed to confront the challenges that lay ahead.
Draco knew he had to master it, for he was well aware that there would come a time when he would have no choice but to utilize it.
In the past, Draco had attempted to master the power of this skill, with a some success in freely controlling the stage one and two transformations.
But, with the addition of Bahamut's falna which made him stronger.
This had somehow slightly altered its nature, making it both stronger and more unpredictable.
This left Draco uncertain about the extent of his experience in wielding this enhanced version of the skill.
..................…
After about 2-3 hours of farming monsters on the 13th and 14th floors, Draco suddenly began feeling spasms of pain all around his body.
"Aaaaaah!" Draco screamed, clutching his chest in pain as he struggled to breathe.
Huff! Huff!
With labored breaths, he tried killing the few monsters around him, but he soon came to the realization that with each one he killed, the pain intensified.
Somehow, he managed to clear all the monsters around him, and the pain began receding.
After a few minutes, the pain was completely gone, but Draco was left feeling a weird sense of fullness.
It was strange because his belly wasn't filled with food - it was something hard for him to describe in words.
"What is happening to me?" Draco muttered in concern, but there was no one around to answer his question.
He contemplated returning to the surface to ask Bahamut, but soon a theory formed in his mind.
"Is my vessel perhaps full," Draco questioned, as this made a lot of sense.
Thinking back, he remembered that whenever he updated his status sheet, Bahamut always asked if he was feeling any pain.
The pain he was feeling was a warning from his body, telling him that he had hit a limit.
'Does this mean that I now only need the high-quality excelia to break the limit and level up, or do I not need high-quality excelia?' Draco pondered seriously.
It was a difficult dilemma that he now faced.
The pain from absorbing any more excelia was too much and too distracting during combat.
This could potentially cost him his life if he remained stubborn and farmed anymore. But for some reason, Draco found himself elevated.
'This could also potentially mean that if I can overcome the pain and absorb more excelia, then I could potentially go past my limit,' he pondered.
'No, don't do anything stupid Draco. You are the captain of a familia' Draco immediately scolded himself.
"But I can't just leave after making it down here for nothing, perhaps it's time go test that skill" he muttered.
With his decision made, Draco picked up all the magic stones from the slain monsters and began his descent into the 15th floor.
Upon entering the 15th floor, Draco didn't waste any time activating his 'Rageful Ascension' skill.
The trigger for the skill was simply thinking of a memory that would enrage him.
The reason the skill was difficult to control was that once the flame of rage was lit, any additional negative emotions were basically more fuel for the fire.
The scary part was that it was very easy to add fuel bit difficult to put it out, and when the embers of his rage burned at a certain intensity, his body underwent a second transformation, then a third and beyond.
He hadn't ever gotten past the 3rd transformation, but it was a transformation, if possible, he never wanted to experience again.
The boost from the first transformation was enough and very much controllable.
He had to surrender 30% of his reason for a 50% boost to all stats for an hour, which was more than enough for him to survive on the 15th floor and beyond.
As soon as the skill was activated, the first stage transformation immediately began.
Draco's body began to morph and change, his elven features slowly giving way to a more draconic appearance.
His skin grew tough and scaly, with a deep, dark hue that shimmered in the dim light of the dungeon.
His fingers and toes elongated, the nails sharpening into razor-sharp claws and talons, his face elongated forward and sharp rows of teeth grew, becoming fangs capable of tearing through flesh with ease.
The transformation continued, his body growing in size and mass, the muscles rippling beneath his scales as he felt a surge of power coursing through him.
His silver hair parted, and his magnificent horns became thicker, more pronounced and elongated.
His back arced as his spine elongated further, making his tail longer, firm and whip like.
As the transformation reached its climax, Draco felt a surge of energy coursing through his veins.
His senses were heightened, his reflexes were sharper, his mind capacity expanded and he could feel the power thrumming within him.
Even better, though surprising, the weird feeling of fullness that he had been experiencing earlier disappeared.
Flexing his clawed hands, Draco couldn't help but let out a mighty roar that echoed through the floor, the sound of his voice a mixture of his original voice and draconic tones.
He was ready to go on a rampage, his body and mind united in a single, unstoppable force.