One katana later, I’m practically skipping away from the dungeon, fully intending never to see it again.
Not that I’d vote to destroy it or anything. I just got what I came for. And don’t get me wrong, it was fun at first. But the novelty of the place kinda wore out around the tenth runthrough or so. Even still, I wish it well. If such an expression can be applied to something as impersonal as a dungeon.
Unless… Can dungeons think? Actually, are dungeon cores a thing? If they are, what happens when they’re destroyed? Or the monsters for that matter? And what does that say about me?
Somehow, even the thought of maybe being an actual genocidal murderer can’t weigh me down thanks to the kind of euphoric lightness that only comes from a long, tedious boss grind finally dropping its thing.
After all that work, I almost wanna kill myself to save the hours of running back to town. Then I could forego any more exertion and just skip to indulging in a good, long rest. But XP debt aside, all that’d really do is flush six hours down the toilet I don’t have to use anymore, when I can easily make it back in two. Not that I’m willing to wait even that long to cash in.
So my first stop from the dungeon is, of course, the nearest rest area. Unlike the other, it features a refreshing amenity in that it hasn’t been co-opted by bandits. Just a pristine little oasis in the middle of a meadow with another floating tablet of a vending machine next to a disappointingly uncushioned bench.
The moment I step in range, I’m inundated with over a days-worth of grinding notifications.
Cushion or no, I plop down on the bench to scan my way through.
[ ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED - MONSTER HUNTER: YOU KILLED 8 MONSTERS ALONE, IN A ROW, WITHOUT DYING — REWARD: UPON KILLING YOUR TARGETED MONSTER, AUTOMATICALLY TARGET THE NEAREST MONSTER AWARE OF YOUR PRESENCE — XP: 32 ]
[ ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED - DUNGEON BOSS HUNTER: YOU KILLED A DUNGEON BOSS ALONE — REWARD: TARGETING A DUNGEON BOSS NOW DISPLAYS ITS HEALTH BAR — XP: 32 ]
[ ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED - DUNGEON SWEEPER: YOU PERSONALLY KILLED EVERY MONSTER IN A DUNGEON INSTANCE — REWARD: YOUR DUNGEON MINIMAP FILLS IN AT 2 TIMES THE STANDARD RADIUS — XP: 32 ]
[ ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED - DUNGEON VOTER: YOU VOTED TO PRESERVE OR DESTROY A DUNGEON — REWARD: YOU MAY NOW SEE THE CURRENT VOTE TOTALS FOR ANY DUNGEON YOU HAVE CLEARED — XP: 32 ]
[ ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED - DUNGEON FLIP-FLOPPER: YOU VOTED TO BOTH PRESERVE AND DESTROY THE SAME DUNGEON — REWARD: YOU MAY NOW RE-VOTE FOR 1 MINUTE AFTER VOTING, OR UNTIL YOU RE-ENTER THE SAME DUNGEON — XP: 32 ]
[ LEVEL UP! — LEVEL: +1=3 — SKILL POINTS: 2 — S.T.A.T. POINTS: STRENGTH=1 - TENACITY=1 - APTITUDE=1 - TILT=1 — NEXT LEVEL: 512 XP ]
[ ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED - DUNGEON GRINDER: YOU PERSONALLY KILLED EVERY MONSTER IN 2 DUNGEON INSTANCES — REWARD: YOUR DUNGEON MINIMAP FILLS IN AT 4 TIMES THE STANDARD RADIUS — XP: 32 ]
[ ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED - DUNGEON FARMER: YOU PERSONALLY KILLED EVERY MONSTER IN 4 DUNGEON INSTANCES — REWARD: YOUR DUNGEON MINIMAP FILLS IN AT 8 TIMES THE STANDARD RADIUS — XP: 32 ]
[ LEVEL UP! — LEVEL: +1=4 — MILESTONE MULTIPLIER: +1=3 — SKILL POINTS: +1=3 — EQUIPMENT POINTS: +4=12 — S.T.A.T. POINTS: STRENGTH+1=3 - TENACITY+1=3 - APTITUDE+1=3 - TILT+1=3 — NEXT LEVEL: 1,024 XP ]
[ HP: 256/384 ]
[ MP: 255/384 ]
[ SP: 320/480 ]
[ ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED - DUNGEON CLEANER: YOU PERSONALLY KILLED EVERY MONSTER IN 8 DUNGEON INSTANCES — REWARD: YOUR DUNGEON MINIMAP NOW FILLS IN EACH AREA AS SOON AS YOU ENTER IT — XP: 32 ]
[ ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED - DUNGEON PRESERVER: YOU HAVE VOTED TO PRESERVE THE SAME DUNGEON 16 TIMES — REWARD: A DUNGEON WILL NO LONGER DISAPPEAR WHILE YOU ARE INSIDE, REGARDLESS OF TOTAL VOTES — XP: 32 ]
I feel like I’m going cross eyed at the sheer number of windows clogging my vision. And then again at their contents.
Wow… Two whole Levels just like that. And Three whole Skill Points. Same for each STAT. But that XP requirement…
Looking at the notifications back-to-back, it clearly does, in fact, double with every level. Meaning each level takes as much XP as all the previous levels combined, plus another 128. For good measure, I guess? Or maybe it’s just easier if everything rounds to powers of two. All my resource increases definitely line up with that idea.
Still, two levels at once isn’t something I’d expect to see a lot of going forward. Which is fine. Expected, even. I just gotta make sure I’m not getting too spoiled by easy levels. And speaking of easy, let’s just get the obvious part out of the way.
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
[ S.T.A.T.S — STRENGTH: MAGICAL=16 - PHYSICAL=23 — TENACITY: DEFENSE=16 - SPEED=23 — APTITUDE: MANA=16 - STAMINA=23 — TILT: CONTROL=23 - LUCK=16 ]
[ SP: 370/552 ]
My muscles don’t get bigger or anything. But they feel stronger. And tighter. And like I just drank a whole mug of coffee. And… This is just normal now?
Oh wait, it’s just that I was already dead tired and the flat boost just lessened my tolerance for overexertion. Oh… Still a big physical improvement, but I got way too excited for a minute there.
But that’s fine. Cuz it’s superpower time.
Except, looking through all the available Skills, I belatedly realize that I probably shouldn’t be going all-in on Stamina. Minmaxing is all well and good. In fact, it’s kind of my whole thing.
But, scrolling through all my Uncommon skill options, it’s clear that a lot of the crazier effects take MP instead of SP. And there’s no indication of that changing for Rare and beyond. I’m fine as long as I only have the one Skill with a low MP drain like Radial Awareness. But I can see myself running dry real quick tapping into that pool without expanding it at all.
But I’m only Level Four now. And for now, I think I can afford one… Oh who am I kidding? I’m just trying to rationalize it. The truth is, my first choice isn’t really a choice at all. I couldn’t look myself in the mirror after not jumping on the opportunity to do the thing I’ve been routinely imitating in the mirror since I first saw it done.
As I steadily rationalize, another part of me only gets louder. I want it. I really want it. I really, really want it. I really, really, really-
So, I take it. That’s the reason. The only one that matters in the end.
But if I really need an excuse, and that’s all it is, this also seems like my best bet if I want to beat the spawnkiller. There’s no telling what kind of damage he can take. But the neat thing about instakills is they take that concern off the table. And what better way to counter an instakiller, than by literally countering their instakill?
And under that narrow umbrella, are the counters that synergize with Iai Quickdraw. Of which I have access to precisely one.
[ UNCOMMON C.L.A.S.S. ACTION GAINED: ANIME / COUNTER SHEATHE — EFFECT 1: ON INTERCEPTING A MELEE ATTACK WHILE UNSHEATHING YOUR EQUIPPED SWORD, YOU WILL INSTANTLY TELEPORT BEHIND THE ATTACKER. FULLY SHEATHE YOUR SWORD TO DEAL THE COUNTERED ATTACK’S OPTIMAL DAMAGE BACK TO THE ATTACKER WITH CURRENT BUFFS APPLIED — EFFECT 2: ON SUCCESS, SP IS RESTORED BY HALF — EFFECT 3: DEACTIVATES WHEN WEAPON EITHER STOPS ACTIVELY UNSHEATHING OR IS FULLY UNSHEATHED — COST: SMALL MP COST TO ACTIVATE - MASSIVE SP DRAIN WHILE UNSHEATHING EQUIPPED SWORD — WARNING 1: ANY DAMAGE TAKEN OR DEALT WILL DEACTIVATE THIS SKILL — WARNING 2: DAMAGE TAKEN IS DOUBLED WHILE ACTIVE — WARNING 3: DEACTIVATION THROUGH DAMAGE DEALT OR RECEIVED INSTANTLY DEPLETES SP BY A QUARTER OF MAX ]
[ SKILL POINTS: 2 ]
My heart lifts at the confirmation. And then promptly plummets as all my Uncommon Skill choices disappear.
What? But why? I still have Skill Points… I can see them right there. I should still be able to get two more Skills…
But apparently, the next has to be Common? And after I had my heart set on the one where I can teleport to my sword…
Not to say I’m not tempted by any Common options as I scan them all again. No new additions though. Which, after the wave of disappointment, I can really use.
In fact, I stop it from filtering out non-CLASS Skills. There’s a lot more available now.
But I don’t have to scroll far through the alphabetized list to find what I need. Not want. NEED. After running around and picking up Spiderwolf leftovers nonstop for a whole day, I cannot overstate how vital this Skill will be for my future.
[ COMMON CORE PASSIVE GAINED: AUTO LOOT — EFFECT: ITEMS AND EQUIPMENT WHICH YOU OWN BUT HAVE NOT CLAIMED WITHIN A 1.01-METER RADIUS ARE AUTOMATICALLY ADDED TO YOUR INVENTORY — TILT SCALING: CONTROL ]
My disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined when all the Uncommon Skills stay grayed out.
I have to think about this.
I start reading through the rest of the new options. But I only have the one point left…
And nothing else stands out as a clear choice. There are all sorts of little buffs, resistances, minor damage things, and an absolute profusion of quality-of-life improvements. A lot of them sound pretty good.
But none seem quite as important as not having to pick up any of those light-bags anymore. It was kinda cool at first, but a room full of shiny bags to pick up one at a time got old around when the dungeon itself did.
Still… A free Skill point isn’t the worst thing to have. Not that i want to solve temporary problems with a clearly limited resource. But still…
Resolving to think about it, I get up off the bench and head back to town.
Except then I double back. Now that I have some spider-bag-money, I’d better start keeping a steady supply…
[ ITEMS GAINED: 32 — COMMON POTION * 16: MINOR HP — COMMON POTION * 16: MINOR MP — COMMON POTION * 16: MINOR SP ]
I glare for a moment that the power-of-two-edness of those numbers before shaking my head and nearly retrace my steps, keeping to twice my minimap fill-in radius from my original path.
Shaking my head, I try to dispel the instinct to just go along with the System’s terminology for everything. Too many notifications in a row…
Less than an hour into my run, I spot the same bandit camp from before. Hard not to with the waypoint I set.
Once the barricade comes into view, I speed up.
Running past them at a full sprint, I make sure to maintain eye contact with the guy who called me a ‘Ginger Bitch’ yesterday.
I flip him off with both hands as I absentmindedly vault over roots and ditches and whatever else I can’t be bothered to look at just now.
I can make out some general mustering of the bandit’s forces, but they don’t even have time to get up from whatever they’re doing before I’m already gone.
I was planning to see if I could actually outrun that one other guy from last time with those extra three STAT Points I just threw into Speed. But if he can’t even be bothered to start chasing before I got away…
I spend the latter half of the run in an even better mood. It lasts all the way until I take one final jump to land with a flourish just inside the border of the Town of All Beginnings.
No notifications pop into my sights.
Instead, I see Mich. Bench Guy himself. Sitting on the bench, no less.
With what looks like half the town flanking it on either side.
All of them are just staring at the door to the Mayor’s office.
At the man facing away from it. Why would..? Wait…
Images flash through my mind when I realize who they’re staring at. A body on a hill. Another on a boat.
My pupils shrink to pinpricks.
[ UNCOMMON WEAPON EQUIPPED: KATANA OF THE DADDY-LONGLYCANTHROPE - 37 PHY ]
I start running. “YOU!!!”
[ HERO TARGETED: ONESHOT - BFS ]
[ UNCOMMON ACTION: COUNTER SHEATHE ]
