novelraw Book 4: Chapter 1
Book 4: Chapter 1
He wasn’t sure how long he had been out for, but his body sure did ache when he awoke. Not to mention the ringing in his head and blurred vision.
Aaron had almost forgotten such sensations. Pain wasn’t unfamiliar to him, far, far from it. But it was generally quite short-lived, and his hardy body was beyond good at repairing itself. And so when he woke up feeling like absolute dog shit, he could appreciate just how badly banged up he had been in his fight.
He felt a rough tongue licking across his face and fingers in his hair. “What?” He groaned, pushing away at the tongue. “Zero?”
“Woof!”
His mind was dizzy, but Zero’s tongue licking his face wasn’t so unexpected. But why was somebody combing his hair with their fingers?
“Oh, you’re alive,” Talia said. “We were a little worried.”
But before Aaron could get a word out, or his blurry vision got a moment to clear, he was bombarded by a series of System windows. He squinted as he read through them all, refreshing his hazy mind on what had just happened.
Bonus Experience rewarded for killing beasts of a higher level than yourself!
Title Upgraded: Leviathan Slayer
Slay a denizen of the multiverse that is at least 100 levels higher than yourself.
Reward: +15% All Stats
[ Empty-Handed Energy Monk ] has LEVELED UP!
94 → 101
Class Evolved to D grade!
Evolutionary paths available!
Oh, sick, he thought. D-grade
Then, he looked at the next message and frowned.
Welcome to the Grand Dungeon!
The Grand Dungeon is an opportunity to test yourselves against the horrors of the multiverse, and show off to the talents of your universe.
At the end of the dungeon, a special System auction will begin. All surviving participants of the dungeon will be invited to take part in this auction. Even those who do not finish the dungeon.
However, the only currency that will be accepted at the auction will be the auction points rewarded for completion of floor quests and additional quests found throughout the dungeon! Caution: participants, do not take this reward lightly! The items sold at the auction house are of high Rarity, and some are unique System-rewarded items!
Good luck, participants!
Grand Dungeon, 1st Floor Quest: Put an end to the conflict brewing among the natives.
Reward: 10 auction points
Huh?
Rubbing at his eyes, Aaron eased himself up as Talia’s hand pressed against his back, guiding him. Looking around, he found himself in a small, gray stone room. Not far away was Zero, sniffing about, and a few paces further away was Talia, hunched over, sitting on a stone block.
“Where are we? And grand dungeon? An auction?” He groaned, glancing around the small room marked by hieroglyphic-like engravings on the walls that depicted a crowd of people bowing to some giant anubis-looking beast.
“Feeling better?”
Aaron shrugged.
“Well, it’s good you’re awake. About time you decided to join us,” Talia turned to him with a wide smile that betrayed her snark.
“Well, what can I say? Needed my beauty sleep. So, anyway, what’s all this? What are we in for? There’s an auction in this place?”
“Well, this is our starting point in the Dungeon. The notifications are just the start of it. We got quite an explanation when we entered… and no, there’s no auction inside the dungeon. Apparently, it comes after.”
“Right,” Aaron nodded as he recalled the wording. “…And, what about the explanation?” Aaron probed.
“Where to start,” Talia shrugged. “Um, well, strap in. So, firstly, there are seven levels to this dungeon in total. We’re on the first one, and we’ve got an entire month to complete a Quest to get down to the second floor. But the time we get halves each time we descend a floor.”
“I see. So, things are going to get pretty hectic, pretty fast, huh?”
“Sounds like it,” Talia nodded. “Anyway, that’s only the half of it. You see, on the first floor, the one we’re on, it’s just our party, and the Dungeon natives. On the second floor, there will also be people who entered the dungeon near where we did. Well, near is relative, I suppose. In truth, anyone within a radius of ten percent of our new world.
“That’s not near Talia. That’s like a bigger area than Earth.”
“Yeah, anyway. Multiverse dimensions send me spinning. I can barely wrap my head around such distances. Moving on, when or if we hit the third floor, everyone who entered the dungeon from our planet will be there. And on the fourth, everyone from our entire cluster. Bear with me. I just learned these terms, and it was all a bit much, too fast. But from what I gather, a cluster is several systems within our sector of the universe.
“Right. I think I get it. Well enough, anyway.”
“Good. Because when we reach the fifth floor, everyone from our entire sector who managed to reach the floor will be there, somewhere... On the sixth, our sector’s quadrant, which is a quarter of our universe, or several sectors. And finally, on the seventh floor, the entire universe will be out there wandering around somewhere.”
“Wait, our entire universe is going to be in this dungeon?”
“Well, everyone who got a token and managed to reach the seventh floor. But from what I understand, that won’t be easy. Very far from it. Who knows, there might not be anybody there.”
“Okay, so maybe all that is irrelevant.”
“I dunno,” Talia threw up her hands. “But I have a feeling we’re probably better suited worrying about our own progress, rather than getting in a fuss over who we may or may not meet out there.”
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“Yep, makes sense to me. Anything else?”
“Well, the floors are supposed to be absolutely gigantic. Entire worlds, cities, and everything else you can imagine. The announcer who explained all this even went as far as suggesting we might not even see anybody else in the dungeon.”
“Really? Okay, Interesting,” Aaron said, jumping to his feet and bouncing on his heels. “And what about rules? Anything important?”
“Well, a bunch, really.”
“You know me, Talia. Just the important stuff. I’m not one for following rules, anyway.”
“Okay, I’ll try to keep it brief. There are two ways to leave the dungeon. Either reach the floor exit, which will consist of some kind of challenge or boss, and will lead to the next floor. Or you have to find an extraction zone.”
“An extraction zone?”
“Yeah. Apparently, if you don’t want to continue the dungeon, you can leave with whatever loot you find through an extraction zone whenever you want. However, they’re not supposed to be easy to find. And if you can’t escape the dungeon to the next floor before the timer is over…”
“What? What happens?”
“You get left behind. The dungeon is in some kind of void. And the assistants are behind it. But it isn’t like the Trials. Everything here is real, and we can level up. But if you fail to escape, you’ll be stuck in the void.”
“Huh. Okay, don’t get stuck in the dungeon.”
“Don’t make it sound so easy. The assistant made sure to explain just how serious this is.”
“Yeah, yeah. I get it. Trust me, I don’t want to turn into some mad little creep like Sooty because I spent ten thousand years adrift in some void trapped dungeon.”
“Good. Then let’s get to it. Zero and I explored a little ahead. No sign of the natives that the Quest mentions, but it appears that we’re in some kind of underground crypt. Stone passages go on for some time until they reach a giant chamber. Can’t see the bottom of it, though, just darkness. I flew to the top, but there’s no path that way. Which would be fine… but the thing is, I sensed something down there. Something big.”
“And so you waited for me?”
“Don’t look so smug. I’m just playing this smart. We’ve got a Party, so we might as well make the most of it.”
“Only kidding around. You did good. But before we get going, I need a moment.”
“Another one?” Talia raised a brow.
“It’s for a good reason. I have a pending Class Evolution.”
“Oh? About time. Alright, take your time. Better now than on a lower floor.”
Aaron shot her a double thumbs up and opened his System menu.
Class Evolution Available!
Evolve your Class?
Y/N?
Shinigami Spirit Boxer ( D grade Evolution ) Shinigami Spirit Boxers are rarely found beyond the confines of the shinigami spirit lands. These boxers shift between physical and spiritual, making them devious opponents to fight.
+14 Intelligence +14 Willpower +14 Fortitude +9 Free Points +3 Points to each remaining Stat, totaling 18 additional points, and +500 AP per level. The class provides 69 points in total for each level.
Starter Skill: Phase Step. The foundation of every shinigami boxer’s martial skills. When activated, Phase Step allows them to phase in and out of the physical plane as they please, striking their enemies and shifting into an incorporeal state before they can get hit.
Serene Empty-Handed Martialist ( D grade Evolution ) The Serene Empty-Handed Martialist is the perfect image of tranquility during a fight, never losing their calm, and delivering every action with precision.
+18 Agility +16 Dexterity +14 Perception +9 Free Points +3 Points to each remaining Stat, totaling 18 additional points. The class provides 75 points in total for each level.
Starter Skill: Flow State. Passively reduces action loss and energy wastage. Serene Empty-Handed Martialist’s attacks and movements flow more naturally into one another. On the surface, this may seem simple. But in truth, it is a key ingredient to a higher level of perfection.
Precise Bombardier Pugilist ( D grade Evolution ) Requiring both a perfectionist and someone abundant with energy, this unusual Class is ideal for the fighter who is an expert at precision destructive power delivery.
+18 Strength +17 Fortitude +17 Dexterity +10 Free Points +3 Points to each remaining Stat, totaling 18 additional points. The class provides 80 points in total for each level.
Starter Skill: Bombardier Fist. When activated, the user’s hand bursts free from their body, shooting toward their enemy and exploding on impact with extraordinary power. Power of the Bombardier Fist scales up with the size of the user’s fist and with the energy density within their fist. WARNING! It is suggested that this Skill is only used by users with supreme healing; otherwise, losing one’s hand mid-fight might be troublesome!
Devious Siphon ( D grade Evolution ) The Devious Siphon takes their time in battle, and is more than happy to draw out a fight for as long as is required, gradually siphoning their enemy’s strength and energy.
+18 Fortitude +16 Willpower +16 Vitality +10 Free Points +3 Points to each remaining Stat, totaling 18 additional points. The class provides 78 points in total for each level.
Starter Skill: Siphon Strike. When activated, Siphon Strike acts as a fairly ordinary attack. Save that it siphons their enemy’s Health, Stamina, and Mana. What makes this attack truly powerful is that it can siphon energy even when it misses or is blocked, as long as the strikes are thrown close enough to the enemy.
Raged-up Fisting Menace ( D grade Evolution ) This raging menace wants to fist everything. Never standing still, this combatant’s combat style is quite the spectacle, excelling when its fists are flying in every which way.
+20 Strength +14 Agility +14 Dexterity +10 Free Points +3 Points to each remaining Stat, totaling 18 additional points. The class provides 76 points in total for each level.
Starter Skill: Fists of Mayhem. Be wary, or you’ll be the next to be fisted. When activated, Fists of Mayhem double the attack speed of the user’s fists.
Aaron eyed his options for a long moment, and for the first time in as long as he could remember, he wished he had his somewhat pesky little soot goblin at his side.
There were multiple options that sounded interesting, and it left him staring at the selection screen for quite a while.
For starters, Shinigami Boxer provided 500 AP with every level, and that wasn’t something to ignore. There was no doubt that additional aether would grow more powerful as it accumulated over time. And at the very least, it would give him additional lives when fighting once he had leveled up a few times. And by the time he reached C-grade, it might be quite a substantial difference.
But there were also undeniable drawbacks from the Class. For starters, it had the lowest stats. Compared to the highest stat option, the Shinigami Boxer had a whopping 11 fewer points per level, and after 100 levels, that was 1100 fewer stat points.
Also, Phase was very similar to both Spectral Rush and Soul, Body, Mind. To be fair, it wasn’t the same Skill, and clearly had differences, but were those differences big enough?
Phasing in and out of combat would be handy, but he really wasn’t sure it made up for everything else.
Next was Serene Empty-Handed Martialist, which would align him closer to Yendal. This was tempting out of the gate, but he was his own person and didn’t want to follow her path just because.
Also, the starter Skill that came with it, Flow State, sounded altogether boring. That said, it also sounded like a Skill that was as powerful as the user was, and not something to underestimate in the right hands.
He had to admit, he liked the sound of Precise Bombardier Pugilist. It had the most stat points and sounded pretty straightforward in a good way. Not to mention having another powerful attack was something he was always open to.
Devious Siphon was another very tempting Class. It was no doubt given to him because he had siphoned so much from the ants with his Reap Skill. And he was undoubtedly a great endurance fighter already. Not only that, but he wouldn’t even have to hit his enemy with the new Siphon Skill.
He ummed and ahhed over it for a long moment. The stats weren’t bad either.
Let’s see what else we have here.
He grimaced immediately upon reading his last option. Even though the Skill that came with it sounded straight-up overpowered, he couldn’t bring himself to even consider it. There was no doubt that doubling his attack speed would be a powerful boon, even if it was an expensive active Skill. But he didn’t want to be known as a fister.
As he tried to make up his mind, he went back and forth over the options, rereading the Skills several times.
Both the shinigami Class and the Empty-Handed one were tempting as they felt in line with his path, but ultimately, had too many shortcomings.
He found himself stuck between going for the Devious Siphon or Bombardier. Both sounded powerful in their own right, and he went over the description several times.
“Dammit. Why couldn’t they have made this easier?”
As he read over the Bombardier Fist Skill again, he had to admit, it sounded good. But more so than good, it was the Skill’s compatibility with his current build that really sent his imagination wild.
“Need help?” Talia asked.
“I think I’m good. But thanks.”
If this works how I think it does, it could be one hell of an attack.
He contemplatively twisted his head as he considered the possibilities. It was one thing to have a powerful Class and Skills, but it was another thing to have a powerful Class and Skills that multiplied with one’s build, adding synergy with what he already had.
Energy filled his veins, and he felt a sudden influx of power as he became a Precise Bombardier Pugilist.
“Yeah, this is it.”
Nodding and confirming his selection, he confirmed his Class evolution, and in an instant, he felt a rush of power.
He had gained literally hundreds of points from evolving his Class, and even his true core, while still overpowered for his body, felt far more natural now that he moved into D-grade.
Such an incredible influx of power poured into him so quickly was nothing short of remarkable. And it felt freaking amazing. A wicked grin creased his face as he flexed his muscles and opened his status page.
He was dying to know how much stronger he had gotten. Not to mention his rank.