NOVEL NEXT Chapter 38
News of the discovery of the Level 38 Elite Dungeon quickly spread.
While the achievement points of the first discovery hold significance, it doesn’t matter much since an Elite Dungeon is made public on the map the moment someone discovers it. As long as it remains sealed, everyone starts under the same conditions.
[Onmyoji ‘Chris’ (Online)]
– Rain must be busy preparing for the dungeon with his party now. I’m also urging my party members and getting things ready. Let’s all do our best again this time!
I read the message from Chris.
Before I knew it, a smile crept onto my face.
Companions.
Friends.
Ones I vowed never to have again.
Lately, I’ve been thinking that maybe it would be okay if it were Chris.
It was fine that she didn’t know anything about me. She never asked either.
Chris just looked at me with warm eyes.
But she has party members she needs to lead.
“Thank you always, Sister Chris.”
“I still want to try going solo a bit longer.”
It seems this world has something it wants from me.
I replied to her, carrying gratitude and a bit of guilt.
So my feelings could be understood.
– Yes.
“Uh, umm.”
Would a short reply seem too cold?
Having never used a messenger like this, I was clumsy at conveying emotions through text.
I felt I should add something.
I attached an emoticon I had seen online at the end of the message.
*
I’ve reached Level 38. I’ve figured out the entry conditions for the next Elite Dungeon.
The tower in front of me is a solo dungeon in the Silva Plains area.
This dungeon appeared the moment ‘Aspero’s Fortress’ was discovered.
Hidden in the mist behind the Great Forest beyond Silva Lake.
[Entry Level 38]
[1-Man Dungeon]
[Training Tower]
“It’s a dungeon where I can acquire skills.”
Although it has been open for a little while, there was hardly any information. However, there were rumors that conquering this tower would grant new skills for each class.
Now that the next Elite Dungeon has shown up, I had to hurry. I needed to strengthen myself.
The tower, reminiscent of Italy’s Leaning Tower of Pisa, was shrouded in mist, creating a mysterious atmosphere.
From the entrance of this tower, I was in a solo instance dungeon. It was solely my own dungeon.
Until now, I had been tackling party play dungeons alone. A solo dungeon shouldn’t be too hard.
[Training Tower 1st Floor]
As I stepped inside the tower, a spacious circular area came into view.
Woong.
The magical circle installed in the center of the hall resonated and began to glow, revealing something massive.
Crack.
It appeared to be a creature over three times the size of a grown human. A gigantic warhammer rested on its broad shoulders.
I recognized it; it was something I had seen once before.
The boss of the Level 15 Elite Dungeon, the ‘Orc King’.
“Oh, long time no see.”
I grinned because I felt I understood the structure of this tower.
Thud thud.
I drew my sword, lightly shuffled my feet, and charged at it.
Clang!
Boom!
The Orc King let out a fearsome roar, and its gigantic body soared into the sky.
[Training Tower 7th Floor]
“Kaaak!”
The Demon Race, ‘Zarkan,’ was cleaved by my sword and vanished with a final lament alongside a gleam.
I sighed lightly.
“Definitely a solo dungeon.”
From the 1st to the 7th floor of the Training Tower, the Named enemies I had encountered in previous Elite Dungeons appeared one by one.
But they only had HP appropriate for the ‘Entry Level 38.’
No minion monsters appeared, and the special patterns were pathetic.
If I had been clearing Elite Dungeons normally until now, any user could probably clear this without much effort.
Thud thud.
I swiftly cleared up to the 7th floor of the Training Tower and began to ascend to the 8th floor.
[Training Tower 8th Floor]
The figure waiting for me on the 8th floor looked different from those I had faced up to the 7th floor.
“Oh.”
It was a person.
A middle-aged man in steel armor with black hair.
His armor was noticeably different from the ceremonial armor of knights from the kingdom or empire.
The countless battle marks etched into the armor revealed clearly that he had crossed many battlefields.
The great sword he held shimmered with a faint blue light. Was it a magical sword?
As I stepped into the hall of the 8th floor, his eyes, which were closed, slowly opened.
He then slightly bowed his head as he looked directly at me.
“Is there someone who has come this far? Nice to meet you, I am Jeff, the Warrior of the Doal Kingdom.”
I bowed my head in response to his polite greeting.
‘Doal Kingdom’ is the name of the kingdom that encompasses the Silva Plains.
The Training Tower.
Reaching the end of it grants you new power, making this tower a challenge not only for users but also for NPCs.
I smiled as I met his gaze.
I see, it’s a rivalry with NPCs, huh?
“You too, having ascended to this point, surely possess unimaginable power hidden behind that slender body. I have no intention of giving way above this.”
Ching.
His great sword stood straight in his hand, and soon its blue light began to surge stronger.
He slowly tensed up his body and took a fighting stance.
“Then, I would appreciate a good match.”
[Level 38]
[Warrior Chief Jeff]
[HP 1,000,000/1,000,000]
Clang, clang, clang, clang!
Warrior Chief Jeff’s heavy strikes transmitted shocks through my guard, which had significantly improved.
Two horizontal slashes, one diagonal, and a strong upward swing followed the four-hit combo, making it quite a threat. If I took the last uppercut, I would surely receive additional damage while airborne.
Players who had breezed through the first seven floors of the Training Tower would surely face a harsh reality against Warrior Chief Jeff.
Still, he wasn’t a Named enemy in an Elite Dungeon. His HP was undoubtedly high for a humanoid NPC, but there must be an easy strategy to take him down.
Clang!
“Oh.”
I noted with amazement that my Starlight Slash, initiated from the front, was blocked by the Warrior Chief’s guard.
As expected of the sword class, he knows how to guard.
Then, I immediately put into action what I had been thinking.
Whack!
“Ugh!”
Evading the second strike of the four-hit combo by ducking, I placed my palm on the ground and kicked toward the Warrior Chief’s legs. At the same time, his body wobbled, losing balance. The combo was interrupted midway.
Ka-pow!
My Starlight Slash unfolded, leaving multiple scars on the Warrior Chief’s armor.
He quickly regained his stance and swung his sword powerfully.
Clang!
Easily deflecting his great sword, I smiled triumphantly.
Solo dungeon, NPC, humanoid.
It felt like engaging in PVP against a user. Although he had a threatening pattern, being a non-Named enemy meant he was certainly vulnerable to status ailments.
If it’s hard to spot an opening in his attacks, I could simply deal damage in this manner.
[Level 38]
[Warrior Chief Jeff]
[HP 484,027/1,000,000]
Crack!
“Ugh!”
The shoulder of the Warrior Chief’s armor shattered. The armor could no longer withstand the impact from being struck repeatedly by my sword.
Certainly, the Warrior Chief’s high HP was a reflection of the durability of his magical armor, dispersing damage.
However, his attacks did not reach me. Even intimidating strikes are just punching bags if they cannot be fully executed.
But the Warrior Chief didn’t seem inclined to fall easily.
Woong.
A strong blue light erupted from his great sword, and soon coldness began to waft up from all corners of the hall where the battle was taking place.
A special pattern using the magical sword?
I stood guard, keeping my sword vertically and focusing on the movements of the Warrior Chief.
“Haah!”
A cold aura surged from his body, and with a yell, he charged toward me.
Whack!
As I dodged to avoid the trajectory of his great sword, I felt something snag at my sword as I sliced through his leg.
This felt similar to the sensation when I inflicted a status ailment on a Named enemy in an Elite Dungeon.
I sensed it immediately. This attack cannot be interrupted.
Thud!
I swiftly used Backward Evasion. The third strike can be avoided due to invincibility frames, while I block the fourth. Clang!
“Ha!?”
As I attempted to move in response to the next downward swing, my feet suddenly wouldn’t budge. The coldness that had emerged with the special pattern had frozen my feet to the ground.
Clang!
With cold sweat pouring down, I blocked the Warrior Chief’s great sword while standing in place. Soon, his body shook, leaving an afterimage.
Counterattack.
Chilled to the bone, I used my counterattack before his afterimage disappeared.
My frozen feet released, allowing my body to advance behind the Warrior Chief.
Turning to face the Warrior Chief, I unleashed a flurry of Starlight Slashes, accompanied by a vitality buff.
Clang! Ka-pow!
“Ghh!”
The Warrior Chief struggled to regain his footing, but my sword’s trajectory slipped between his guard and struck at his armor repeatedly.
Crack!
“Ugh!”
The sound of the Warrior Chief’s armor completely breaking echoed, signaling the end of the battle.
[Level 38]
[Warrior Chief Jeff]
[HP 10,000/1,000,000]
“This is completely shattered. I liked this armor.”
“Mr. Jeff was super strong!”
Even I, with the lowest communication skills, could speak to an NPC. After all, it feels different when it’s not a person, right?
Indeed, Jeff was strong. If he hadn’t been confined to the solo dungeon system, he would’ve been a much greater threat.
“Haha! You flatter me. But you have also reminded me that I was just a frog in a well within my kingdom.”
Under his praise, I twisted my body in embarrassment.
He looked at me with a tender smile, like that of a grandfather watching his granddaughter, and turned to walk down the tower.
“That was a great match. I hope you gain the power you seek at the end of this tower.”
Jeff, a splendid warrior.
I have a feeling that after many users pass through, there might be a fan club for Warrior Chief Jeff.
*
[Training Tower 9th Floor]
This is the highest floor of the Training Tower.
In the hall of the 9th floor, there was nothing but a single magical circle.
Zing.
As I stepped into the edge of the magical circle, I could see light sweep over me.
I easily understood what this action meant.
The Training Tower allows you to acquire skills suited for each class.
It’s still just an assumption, but the final Named enemy will likely take various forms based on each class.
Woong.
A sound resonated from the magical circle.
Swish.
I drew my sword, fully prepared to face the final boss of this tower.
Light gathered at the center of the magical circle. Soon, a human form began to emerge from within the light.
Swish!
Before I could react, a chilling sensation brushed against my waist.
“Ugh.”
The world started spinning around me.
The ceiling, the air, the floor continued to pass by as I spun.
My body…was flying?
In the swirling world, I slowly caught sight of something kneeling.
It was the lower body of a person.
There was no upper body.
Ah.
I was fooled.
I couldn’t see it.
Thud.
“Gah!”
When my senses returned, I found myself at the entrance of the 9th-floor hall.
Thump thump thump thump.
My heart raced violently.
I knelt, clutching my chest, trying to calm my pounding heart.
“Hah, hah… huuh.”
After a moment, as my breathing and heartbeat returned to normal, my thoughts began to piece themselves together.
Did I just die?
If there’s anything to celebrate, I didn’t feel any pain given how swift it was.
It had been a long time since I faced death. I hadn’t even died in the last Elite Dungeon.
“What the hell…?”
In a mere solo dungeon, an attack managed to get past my defenses?
If I, operating at 100% synchronization, couldn’t react, then no user could.
What kind of nonsensical monster…
I glanced toward the center of the 9th-floor hall.
Still enveloped in a swirl of light was a human figure.
Yet even amidst the light, I could discern its outline.
It was a small girl’s body.
Hair flowed past her shoulders.
Her bangs slightly covered one eye.
In her hand was the familiar shape of the Holy Sword.
And soon, before me, the information interface for the Named enemy appeared.
[Level ??]
[Ancient Hero ■■]
[HP ???/???]