I may have experience doing dungeons in-game, but having to physically explore every room of a floor, fight and try not to get killed, loot corpses and chests, avoid traps, and do it all over again on the next floor?
It's exhausting. I feel like I could collapse at any moment.
Well... I could just skip everything and head straight to the boss... but I don't have the heart to ignore a room that might contain important treasures.
And these goblins have been getting stronger. They're no longer just club goblins with the occasional machete-wielder... NO... the second floor also added knife and axe goblins. And the third floor!! Not only did it add bow-wielding goblins, but also larger ones—halfway between a goblin and an orc.
I feel like I've almost died at least twenty times.
Thankfully, it seems I was wrong... my training plan was useful. I'm strong enough that I don't need to cast magic, which—given my low mana stats—is a result that exceeds all my expectations.
I also feel like I've gotten better at everything related to dungeons, at least for this specific one.
Now, I prioritize stealthy surprise attacks over direct confrontation. But even when stealth doesn't work, I've gotten better at fighting these goblins.
Like this one right here. First, I lured his friend away, killing him before either of them could notice. After that, it was just a normal fight with the second one.
I'm having an easy time avoiding and parrying his attacks—like this piercing thrust.
"Grraaah." It was easy to step aside and use my daggers to slice off his left hand, then his right one, followed by a clean cut to his throat, killing him.
Clap clap clap
That was the emotionless Milly, praising me for making it this far.
"That's nice, kid." Karla sounded surprised. She probably thought I'd have given up way earlier.
"Yeah... I... I did it." I'm so exhausted I can barely talk.
"No."
"You still have that boss, kid."
Groan "Fine... just... give me five minutes."
"That boss isn't going anywhere." Milly looked at Karla with pleading eyes.
"I guess you're right." She glanced to the side. "But only three minutes."
"Five."
"Three."
"Four."
"...Fine." Thank god she agreed.
...
...
Magnus gave me three mana-restoring potions. Thankfully, I haven't used any of them.
In-game, mana worked like in any other RPG: an MP bar with spells that cost a fixed amount of points. But in real life, I guess the equivalent is that casting a spell feels like intense physical exertion, and your body can only handle a few spells before shutting down.
Mana potions are like energy drinks—they let you push your limits beyond what you'd normally manage.
As for throwing knives... I only have three left. That's not good. Let's hope this boss is alone.
Speaking of, this boss seems to be an orc—or at least, that's what the dungeon is hinting at. If it's an orc, I'll probably have the speed advantage. I could also cast magic now; I have the resources to do so...
"Time's up, kid. Stand up before I throw you at the boss myself."
Sigh
I stand up in front of the door.
"What're you waitin' for?" She was getting impatient. "Open the door and fight." But Milly shushed her and pointed at me.
"Arid winds from the scorching desert, create a storm that blinds my enemies."
I burst open the door with a kick.
There he is. An orc, standing in the middle of the room, waiting for me. As soon as we locked eyes, his lips curled into a diabolical smile.
"[SANDSTORM]"
After my incantation, I cast this Tier One wind spell.
On average, this spell sucks. It creates a sandstorm in a radius, lowering the accuracy of everyone inside... yes, even the caster. Thankfully, my class passive reduces that penalty.
"Groaaah!" He's affected by the spell and starts rubbing his eyes.
"Winds of the north, attack my opponents with wind, akin to the weapons wielded by the warriors you blessed." Damn incantations... why do they have to be so long?
"[Wind Scythe]"
My spell flew toward the orc's chest. It's better to hit and not kill than to miss entirely while aiming for a fatal blow.
If I had more mana stamina, I could afford to miss a few shots. But as I am now, I can only cast four spells before needing a potion. A fifth spell would leave me paralyzed, and the sixth would knock me out.
The attack landed on the right side of his chest—it clearly wasn't enough to kill him.
In desperation, he swung his club—basically a tree trunk—around like a maniac, blowing away my sandstorm and opening his eyes. But by the time he did, I'd already thrown one of my last three knives. Unfortunately, it bounced off his neck.
"How tough are you!?" He charged at me, swinging that massive trunk.
No matter where I looked, there was no way to dodge it.
I started running.
"Desert winds, blind my enemies!" A shorter incantation means a weaker spell, but maybe that's all I need.
"[Sandstorm]"
I cast my third spell while fleeing. One more, and I'll need a potion.
...
Wasted spell. That's all I have to say. Of course a tiny gust would get swept away by that orc.
He caught up to me and smashed me with his weapon, sending me flying into the wall... I landed on my feet though... thanks to my unique passive.
---
I started to draw my bow, ready to help Alen, but Karla stopped me.
"Have some faith in that lil' kid." How can she be so sure?
"Look, he still hasn't given up."
"..."
"I know you like to spoil him," she smiled, "but we wouldn't have sent him here if he couldn't conquer this dungeon."
...
I lower my bow.
---
The orc is slowly approaching, laughing.
"Winds of the north, attack my opponents with wind, akin to the weapons wielded by the warriors you blessed." He's getting cocky.
You think you've won, huh!?
"[Wind Ram]"
A powerful gust slammed into the orc's stomach, launching him backward and making him crash onto his back.
I drink the mana potion. It tastes like pineapple juice. But it works—I feel like I can cast four more spells.
I run toward him.
"Winds of olden times, that first spread when spirits roamed the land we walk on, bless my weapon with your own blood and body."
I leap above him.
"BUT I ONLY NEED ONE!!!"
"[Wind Infusion]"
Since it was the stronger version of the spell, it looked and felt like my daggers were imbued with razor-sharp wind that buzzed along the edges like chainsaws.
With all my strength, I brought both daggers down, piercing his skull and carving it in an X pattern.
I... I did it.
"Raaaaaaah!!"
All the adrenaline, all the euphoria, burst out with that victorious yell.
I collapsed.
But I could feel Karla grabbing me by the back of my collar.
"Nice job, Alen." That made me really happy.
"We'll loot everything and give you your rewards later," Milly said as she walked past me. "We're all proud of you, Alen."