NOVEL NEXT B1 | Chapter 7 - The Dungeon
Alexia Knight
I frown as I stare at the System Message floating in my vision, briefly wondering if this is a good thing or not.
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Dungeon – Crawling Caverns
Description: This is a basic dungeon located within Tutorial Block #108
Monsters: The Primary monster type in this dungeon are arachnid-type monsters, with the secondary type being insects and common cave dwelling monsters.
Requirements To Enter: Be a part of Tutorial Block #108.
Dungeon Tier: 1
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Was not expecting to see this when all I was trying to do was identify what looked like some sort of ore on the wall to see if it was work taking.
Also, how did I end up spawning here in a dungeon in the first place? Aren’t dungeons supposed to be secondary dimensions created by the System to limit the amount of mana and monsters there are in the world? Does that mean I’m stuck in a dungeon I have no idea where the exit to is?
Or do dungeons now work in a different way here?
It is a new dimension after all. The whole issues of monster stampedes might no longer be a problem here, so the dungeons could’ve been relegated by the System to simply be places to fight monsters or something.
Only thing I can think of that might’ve solved the problem though would be the System itself limiting the amount of monsters… wait a second, what if the System just dumps the excess mana into the old universe and leaves it behind? That could be a solution. Especially since the only magic capable of traversing dimensions is quantum magic, as spatial magic can’t cross dimensions, only space itself. So none of the monsters will be able to make it here even if they tried.
All that aside though, how exactly am I going to find the exit to this place?
I stare at the ore that probably isn’t an actual ore for several seconds before letting out a sigh.
Guess all I can do is continue moving forward.
Or, I guess, continue moving backwards? Since I couldn’t find a way past the river and ended up just retracing my steps.
I can’t help but frown as I find another taracht along the way.
{Lesser Taracht – Level 3}
Another issue.
The monsters are getting weaker the further this way that I go.
Although maybe that just means I’m getting closer to the entrance? That could be a good thing then.
I blast it with a quantum bolt seeing as I’m currently lacking any form of weapon, killing the thing in a single blow before I continue on through the tunnels.
At this point I’m stuck relying solely on my quantum bolts to kill things. Which is rather harsh on my soul.
Also makes me wish I had a weapon again.
Stupid fish.
I continue walking through the tunnels, occasionally killing a random taracht or the very uncommon vampire bat until I get another level, bringing me up to level 6 as I find myself at the entrance of the dungeon. Where I find a rather unpleasant sight in the form of a Message.
[User must complete the dungeon or find a hidden exit to leave.]
Okay. This is a problem.
I turn around to look at the tunnels in the dungeon for a moment before glancing at the rather worn looking door and pulling my fist back to punch it, only to find the thing not even so much as budging.
Yeah, didn’t expect that to do anything.
Well, looks like I have to go past the piranha river after all.
I turn around and begin walking back through the cave.
Or not?
I purse my lips as I stare at the tiny little crevasse I had missed before in the middle of a very dark tunnel. A tunnel I can see clearly in despite that.
Not really sure how I can tell it’s dark despite being able to see clearly though. I just can.
It’s weird.
If I had to guess, this is probably a hidden area in the dungeon.
After taking a moment to consider the ups and downs of it, I decide to go in. After all, they generally give a reward when completed, which may or may not have a weapon I can use. One that should be quite a bit better than the trash the System gave me and then had a piranha eat.
Which I very much hope gives that piranha indigestion. Because it’s been annoying fighting without it.
The moment I step into the crevasse, my theory about this being a hidden area is confirmed by a System Message.
[You have entered the Tier 1 Hidden Area, the Lesser Brood’s Nest.]
As if I had just entered some sort of separate dimension in the dungeon, the air grows thicker, and I begin to hear skittering sounds. And by the time I finish traversing the crevasse and end up in a large room full of spiderwebs and a few eggs, I hear and see the eggs beginning to crack. But what attracts my attention the most is the sight of the two-meter-long spider at the end of the room that has a bloated midsection.
{Lesser Brood – Level 12}
Okay. A monster twice my level. Check.
I glance at the tiny spiderlings crawling around the webbing and out of eggs.
{Lesser Spiderlings – Level 1}
A few dozen tiny spiders. Check.
I glance all around the room at the webs.
And a room full of webbing that might hinder my movements. Check.
This’ll be fun if it doesn’t kill me.
Can’t have that happening though, otherwise Astrid would probably somehow find a way to raise me from the dead to kill me herself.
Plus how would I be able to make it past the piranha river if I couldn’t deal with this? The lesser brood is the same level as the average piranha there after all.
All of the spiderlings immediately begin swarming over to me as I raise my arm and send two quantum bolts into the swarm, killing off six of them right away and taking away ten of my own soul before the spiderlings reach me and begin crawling up my legs and biting into-
Wait, why doesn’t this hurt much?
I blink down at the creatures who are biting into my legs but not really doing much damage. Almost like they’re just regular old spiders instead of the foot-long creatures that they are.
Then I remember my Quantum Body skill along with the fact that they’re just level 1 and I begin grabbing the creatures and crushing them with my bare hands, not daring to use a Quantum Bolt on myself. All while I occasionally glance at the lesser brood, only to find it breeding more spiders at a rather fast pace.
So in the end I just continuously get spammed with System Messages as I continue killing the spiders and trying to shake them off at the same time while losing a couple points of soul a second out of my pool of about four hundred and sixty two soul.
[Level 1 Lesser Spiderling Defeated – User’s earned EXP has been majorly decreased due to killing a being whose level is five or more levels lower than their own.]
[Level 1 Lesser Spiderling Defeated – User’s earned EXP has been majorly decreased due to killing a being whose level is five or more levels lower than their own.]
[Level 1 Lesser Spiderling Defeated – User’s earned EXP has been majorly decreased due to killing a being whose level is five or more levels lower than their own.]
…
[Level 1 Lesser Spiderling Defeated – User’s earned EXP has been majorly decreased due to killing a being whose level is five or more levels lower than their own.]
I get message after message over and over again, and after the thirtieth message I finally get a level-up, making me briefly wonder if this is a good way to train. Because despite the significant number of relatively large spider bites on my legs, they don’t actually hurt much.
{Congratulations! You have leveled up to level 7! Your Species has awarded you +2 VIT, +2 DEX, +2 STR, +2 MAG, and +2 MEN. Your Class has awarded you +1 VIT, +1 DEX, +1 STR, +2 MAG, and +2 MEN.}
At least, until I begin to feel a sluggish sensation fill my legs where the spiders are biting. Which clearly shows that I can’t just let this continue, even if they’re not strong enough to actually tear chunks out of my flesh.
So I raise my hand and send a Quantum Bolt straight at the lesser brood, making it let out a loud screech when the bolt hits the large, inflated part of its body. But unlike with the piranhas who died to a bolt or two, the lesser brood finally stands up and stops breeding with a loud hiss as its clear blood floods out of the hole I made in the inflated part, along with several seemingly unfinished eggs, making all of its children including the ones who are still on my legs biting me rush over to their mother.
Then she eats them. Every last one.
My jaw drops open, but now that the spiders are no longer biting me, the sluggish sensation in my legs begins to grow stronger, almost making my legs give out from under me.
Shit, did they have venom?! Damnit! I’m used to Identify giving that sort of information!
I raise my hands towards the lesser brood as a blackish purple glow shines off of the large, black spider before sending two quantum bolts its way. But one of the last still living spiderlings escapes its mother and jumps in the way of one of the bolts, taking the blow itself and glitching for a moment before blowing up and painting the other spiders with its insides. Then the other bolt strikes at the mother herself, blowing up part of her leg but not severing it entirely.
Still can’t see her using that leg anymore though.
Not that I’m one to talk as my legs begin to give out from under me, making me drop to my knees before I raise my head again to find the lesser brood’s eyes beginning to glow with an eerie black light.
Then its level goes up once and the black light seems to fuse with its carapace itself.
Some sort of kin eater skill? One that makes it stronger after eating more of its kin?
A random guess, but judging by how it’s acting right now, probably a likely one. Especially when it begins charging towards me.
I quickly glance at my status to check my soul.
Name: Alexia Knight Species: Quantum Reaper(T1)
Level: 7 Class: Quantum Reaper
Soul: 186/500
VIT: 19 DEX: 19 STR: 19 MAG: 25 MEN: 25
Racial Skills Active Skills
Passive Skills General Skills
Not good but not critical.
I try to stand, only to stumble and instead focus on the charging spider before sending quantum bolt after quantum bolt after quantum bolt at it. And the thing doesn’t even try to dodge, taking every last one head-on and slowly blowing up as parts of it glitch out.
Looks like whatever skill it’s used put it into a berserk status.
I keep a close eye on my soul as I send quantum bolts flying at the creature whose higher level gives it a resistance to the quantum energy inside of them fueled only by five of my soul each, but the spider just continues charging. Even after a good third of its body is already gone.
Somehow despite its berserk status, it manages to protect its head from any direct shots, but even that begins to wear down as my soul drops down to a more critical ninety-one points.
I grimace as my legs go completely numb as if paralyzed.
The spider continues charging, and when I find that I won’t kill it in time even with it slowing down its charge, I point one of my hands down at the ground near me before firing a quantum bolt at the ground, making the stone glitch out for a second before exploding and sending me flying out of the spider’s path. And as I fly through the air, the spider charging through where I just was, I send another two bolts straight at the back of its head, finally killing the thing.
Then I crash into the stone wall with a grunt and a cough of blood before landing on my side on the ground.
I feel a strange and uncomfortable stabbing sensation from my leg that was closest to the explosion caused by my quantum bolt, drawing my gaze there to find my leg seemingly glitching out slightly, just constantly swapping between being burnt and not burnt. Although the armor I had covering my legs is rather shredded regardless.
And I feel a strong wave of nausea that has me ducking my head down before I vomit up the little food I had before the System Reset.
But then, out of nowhere, whatever paralytic effect my legs were under vanishes, leaving me feeling the stabbing pain of all the spider bites on my legs that makes me cry out in pain.
I do get some good news at least in the form of a System Message.
[Level 12 Lesser Brood Defeated – User’s earned EXP has been increased a small amount due to killing a being whose level is five or more levels higher than their own.]
[Six points have been earned for killing a creature six levels above you.]
{Congratulations! You have leveled up to level 8! Your Species has awarded you +2 VIT, +2 DEX, +2 STR, +2 MAG, and +2 MEN. Your Class has awarded you +1 VIT, +1 DEX, +1 STR, +2 MAG, and +2 MEN.}
[Ten points have been earned for clearing a Hidden Area.]
{Congratulations! You have cleared the Hidden Area, the Lesser Brood’s Nest! Touch the loot box to claim your reward!}
I draw in a deep breath as soul floods my body from the level-up, making me immensely grateful for having my health and mana merged right now since it gives me over twice as much ‘health’ as it would before every time I level.
Looks like I won’t die at least.
Wait a second… I forgot… my potion…
Then everything goes dark.