Eternal Rest

After another hour of tortuous attempts, Bones' tenacity paid off, and he finally managed to instantaneously propel himself a short distance forward!

swoosh Success! "I'll be damned!" Bones exclaimed in both surprise and relief. A notification dinged softly in his head, confirming his success. He displayed the screen and read the notification:

Congratulations!

You have learned a new skill: Quick Dash

Skill: Quick Dash [basic] - A basic movement skill allowing the user to move quickly, almost instantaneously, by a quick, highly controlled burst of movement. The skill follows a straight movement pattern and can be used in quick succession. If used in succession, the first step consumes the initial mana cost and each step after consumes more mana than the previous step.

Warning: Each step increases the strain on the body.

Cost: 10 mp + 10mp per dash if Quick Dash was used recently.

Range is 1m and the ability gains 0.1m range per increase in a level

Bones recalled Solin's movement technique, which indeed had a different name. It was something like "Swift Steps." Unlike Bones' newly acquired Quick Dash, Solin's technique was a class skill, suggesting a higher level of mastery and possibly more versatility or power. However, Bones reminded himself not to dwell on comparisons. He had made progress and acquired a valuable skill that could prove useful in his future endeavors.

Bones stood poised at the entrance of the chamber where the Ant Queen reigned, her loyal guardians encircling her in a formidable display of protection. His thoughts raced with anticipation, eager to pit his newfound Quick Dash skill against such formidable adversaries. Gripping his bone lance tightly, he felt the familiar surge of power coursing through his undead form.

Steeling himself, Bones unleashed his aura, sending a ripple of energy through the air that alerted the surrounding Ant-men to his presence. As they turned to face him, he braced himself for the impending battle, fully prepared to test the effectiveness of his newly acquired skill in combat. This would be his first true trial since mastering the technique, and he was determined to demonstrate its value in the heat of battle.

Half an hour later, Bones swiped the green blood off his lance, a futile act given that it was merely a summoned weapon. It was a habitual gesture, one he performed absent-mindedly.

"The new dash skill is incredible! While the distance covered is short, it's enough to evade major attacks, like the Ant-Queen's corrosive spray!"

Surveying the messy remnants of the queen, he grinned. His progress had been remarkable in such a short span of time. Combining Bone Armor with the Mend skill rendered him nearly impervious to low-level threats. Of course, he avoided getting hit whenever possible, relying on his heightened perception and now, his newfound movement skill, to remain elusive.

A black longsword, a chitin helmet, and an assortment of crafting materials were left behind amidst the aftermath of the Queen's demise. The helmet resembled an ant's head, offering solid defense but boasting a design that was far from appealing.

Beyond the Queen's fallen form, a portal shimmered into existence. It bore the same vibrant hues as the one he had encountered previously. Bones approached, extending his hand towards it. As expected, a prompt materialized, offering him the opportunity to proceed to the second stage. Without hesitation, Bones accepted, feeling the familiar tug of the portal as he vanished into its depths.

As Bones regained his senses, he found himself in a cavern reminiscent of the one he encountered in the initial dungeon. Frowning, he speculated whether the second stage would mirror the layout of the first, complete with its network of tunnels and biodomes.

Pushing forward, he embarked down the tunnel, noticing a gradual incline in the terrain beneath his feet. Soon, he caught sight of a radiant glow emanating from around the bend ahead.

The brightness seemed uncharacteristic, distinct from the warm, subdued light emitted by the fluorescent stalagmites adorning the dome ceiling. With cautious curiosity, Bones rounded the bend and beheld a scene that defied his expectations: an authentic outdoor setting, complete with a vivid blue sky and verdant landscape.

"This dungeon is peculiar indeed..." Bones mused, his thoughts echoing in the cavernous space.

The transition from the underground cavern system to a jungle-like environment was abrupt. Bones found himself at the foot of a hill, surrounded by thick forest and tangled vegetation. Judging from the appearance of the trees and plants, he surmised that the climate resembled that of a tropical region. Despite the lush surroundings, he couldn't feel the oppressive heat one would expect from a tropical sun.

Surveying his surroundings, Bones noticed that visibility was limited, with dense foliage obscuring his view beyond the immediate vicinity of the jungle's edge. The ground beneath him was covered in knee-high grass, intertwined with vines and roots, offering no discernible path forward. The only open space was the clearing around the cavern entrance where he stood.

Though the lack of visibility gave him pause, Bones resolved to trust his instincts and rely on his keen perception. With determination, he began to descend the hill and forge ahead, pushing through the dense foliage that lay before him.

Bones found himself silently screaming inwardly as he hid behind a tree, bewildered by the sight before him. What in the world is that? What is wrong with this dungeon??

Not far from his position, a flying monstrosity buzzed around, its presence adding to his unease. He cautiously took a quick peek to identify the creature before quickly retreating back into hiding.

…

"What?" he suddenly blurted out, his confusion and anxiety escalating.

The sound of his own voice startled him, and he froze in place, hoping desperately that the monster hadn't heard him. Please don't come...

His prayer went unanswered as the flying creature zoomed through the foliage towards him. Cursing his luck, Bones dashed away just in the nick of time. Turning back, he witnessed the tree he had been hiding behind pierced by a long, beak-like appendage with a sharp, sucking mouth! The monster was ensnared, struggling to break free. Seizing the opportunity, Bones summoned a Bone Lance and aimed it at the creature, piercing its side. Green blood splattered the ground as the lance impaled the monster with enough force to dislodge it, breaking its proboscis in the process.

The scene was unsettling as the monster thrashed around, eventually succumbing to its wounds. Bones approached the creature and was taken aback by its bizarre appearance.

Spy-quito lvl 21, mutant

He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to comprehend what he was witnessing.

Which came first, the spider taking on mosquito parts or the mosquito taking on spider parts? Did it even matter? No, but Bones still liked to know what kind of twisted creation this was.

"I've no words… I'm not touching this, to hell with the loot!"

The spy-quito, as the creature was identified, was the system's way of mutating two species that resided in the same area over a long period of time, into one that had the lethal traits of both! It had the main body of a mosquito the size of his arms with transparent wings on its back and eight hairy legs like a spider. From its head, a long, beak-like mouth called a proboscis protruded. More buzzing sounds were heard coming in fast, and Bones gritted his teeth. Flight or fight?

A second of hesitation on his part left him with no choice as a dozen of spy-quitos charged straight at him. Bones wouldn’t hold back. These mutant monsters needed to be dealt with swiftly and utterly!

He didn't wait for them. Acting first, he used Quick Dash to avoid the first few and positioned himself in-between them. Once in the center, surrounded by spy-quitos, he blasted Bone Nova twice and dashed out of the circle, using the trees as cover. Two spy-quitos died instantly, and the third one squirmed on the ground, bleeding out. The rest buzzed after him.

The chase went on for a while, with Bones dodging their charges and utilizing trees as cover against their sharp, piercing attacks. Despite their soft, squishy bodies for their level, they compensated with proboscises matching the hardness of steel, used to sting their targets. The wings also appeared sharp, seemingly capable of withstanding a hit or two.

On one occasion, Bones thought it would be a good idea to get hit on purpose and see what happens. The proboscis pierced through his reinforced coat and out the back. He didn't feel a thing at first, but slowly, a tingling sensation crept over him.

"This prickling sensation...the effects are similar to disruption of nerve signals. No, not just similar. This is venom-induced paralysis affecting muscle nerves! A strong one too, if I could feel it affecting me even though I have no muscles."

Bones summoned a sword in his hand and with a swift stroke, severed the elongated mouthpart from the monster's head. He grabbed the proboscis, pulled it out of him, and threw it on the ground. The head was spider-like, and with the addition of the mosquito's proboscis, it delivered a paralytic venom to its target. Once the target was paralyzed, it drained its victim's vitality. “What a nasty creature!”

After dispatching the rest of the Spy-quitos, Bones changed his mind and decided to loot them of their wings and proboscises. He couldn't deny that the giant straws were sturdy and could be used for...something! As for the wings, they could serve as a defensive layer underneath armor. Crafty dwarves would probably find a use for them. As he prepared to leave, he sensed mana radiating from the bodies of the fallen. It was barely noticeable, but to his new mana sense, still detectable!

He leaned closer to one of the corpses and slowly passed his hand over the body. When he felt the strongest concentration of mana, he stopped and buried his fingers into the monster's body. After a few seconds, he grasped something oval and sturdy. Pulling his hand out, he found a small mana stone nestled in his palm. He repeated the process with the other corpses and discovered that each contained a mana stone within them.

"This dungeon had a hell of a start!" Bones exclaimed, chuckling as he looked at the strange corpses of the mutants. He then turned around and picked a direction at random. For all he knew, he could be in the dead center of the dungeon, so any direction taken would have been fine. After taking a few steps, he stopped, turned around, and headed back to the cavern entrance. He was surrounded by jungle, and he needed higher ground to pinpoint his position. By chance, the entrance was positioned at the base of a hill.

Not long after, Bones found himself sitting at the top of the hill, overlooking a dense jungle stretching in every direction. He spotted a few clear spots amid the trees and a few mountain peaks rising above the jungle below. However, he frowned because he couldn't see the edge of the dungeon, just an endless expanse of jungle.

Hiss! Scree!

Bones jerked his head in the direction of the hissing sound. It wasn't as close as it sounded, but it provided a clue. If he needed something to point him in the right direction, he had just found it! He slid down the hill and leaped from the top of the cavern entrance. The mutants were north from the entrance, and the sound came from somewhere northeast. With determination, he turned northeast and rushed through the dense foliage, disappearing into the shade cast by the canopy of trees.

He relied on his senses to detect any monsters lurking nearby. Every ten seconds, he would hear the hissing sound. He changed direction a few times but eventually came close to whatever was making the sound. Correction: not one sound, but multiple sounds, as he realized there were more monsters hissing now. He sneaked around the area until he discovered majestic tubular spider-web structures at the base of the trees and wheel-shaped cobwebs connecting one tree to another.

Spiders...and big ones at that!

The surrounding trees around Bones were completely covered up by the intricate wall of webs, making any possibility of escape difficult. Conveniently, the only place without webs led deeper, toward the hissing sounds. The trap was kind of obvious. The webs, though, seemed durable. Bones knew he shouldn't, but he couldn't resist the urge to touch them.

A second later, Bones touched the web, and the hissing sounds stopped.

tap tap tap sounds were coming from the many legs tapping on the bark of the tree. Bones listened and spun as the tapping sound was coming from all around him. He sensed the first spider before he saw it. Immediately after the first one, dozens of other spiders entered the radius of his senses. The spiders were big, up to his knees, but strangely, not as big as the ones he killed before on a quest. These seemed faster and meaner looking. He identified the first one that entered his vision followed by the rest, and they were coming in fast!

Jumping Arachnid, lvl 23