Dungeon Salvation

“Tier 2? What happened to tier 1?” Rebecca asked incredulously.

“Heh, what can I say? I'm awesome,” said Marco with a completely straight face.

I don't buy it.

"Come on, Marco, at least try to make it believable," Elias said, placing a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. "You don't have to lie to us; we like you just the way you are. This is a safe space."

"I'm not lying," Marco snapped.

Rebecca's face lit up in realization, and she joined Elias in comforting Marco, insisting that not having a mana type yet was nothing to be embarrassed about. But with each word, Marco seemed to grow more irritated. The last straw was when she suggested he didn’t need to pad his skills for them.

“Stop! Stop! The two of you are making this weird. I already said I wasn't lying,” insisted Marco, now glaring at Elias.

It's alright. We're here for you.

“Fine, let's pretend I believe you,” Elias said, playing along but failing to keep the mocking tone out of his voice. “What mana type is it?”

“Wind,” Marco responded. Elias stared blankly at him for a long moment, eyebrows raised, waiting for him to elaborate.

Sighing, Marco closed his eyes and held out his hand, palm up, as if holding something. He breathed out slowly, but this time it was as though the breath lingered in the air. Gradually, a small wind began to swirl atop his palm, forming eddies that soon coalesced into a miniature tornado, pulling in the surrounding air like a fan.

"Well, I’ll be," Rebecca drawled. "How did you evolve your Meditation (Common) Skill to a mana manipulation type already? It’s been, what, a month?"

"Forget about that! How did you upgrade your mana to a tier 2 mana type already?" Elias asked in disbelief.

“That’s for me to know, and for you not to,” Marco laughed. Elias and Rebecca immediately started trying to squeeze an explanation out of him, but Marco shut down their attempts ruthlessly.

“That’s what you get for not believing me!”

"Alright, that’s it! I’ll beat the truth out of you if I have to," Elias exclaimed, finally losing his patience. Uncommon skill or not, Marco stood no chance against him in a fistfight, and his sword was nowhere in sight. Plus, Elias had an Uncommon skill of his own.

"Sure, you’re welcome to try," Marco said, grinning wickedly. "Not now, though. In case you haven’t noticed, I was eating before you two arrived. Come, sit down. Order something to eat, and let’s get a couple of beers."

Rebecca sat at the table while Elias went to order for the three of them. He soon returned with three beers in hand. The trio cheered and commemorated Marco’s return, then began planning their future dungeon delves.

Elias and Rebecca weren’t excused from their training, and Marco was still adamant about having a separate arrangement with his father. Still, it was a simple matter to synchronize their dungeon delving days, so they could party up. Elias even managed to get a promise from Marco to join them for at least one training session at the dojo.

Throughout the conversation, Marco remained tight-lipped about where he had been for the past month. His silence only fueled Elias’ and Rebecca’s curiosity, but they could only give up for now.

"Alright, at least tell us this. You came here as soon as you got back just to get a burger, didn’t you?" Rebecca asked with a grin.

"... Yeah, pretty much. They’re really good."

*******

Elias and Rebecca arrived at the Beginner zone early in the morning, only to spot Marco relaxing against a tree at the jungle’s edge, sipping a cup of coffee. Noticing them, he waved them over with a smile but didn’t get up.

"Good morning to you two," Marco said, raising his cup in greeting. "Are we ready to go?"

I’m not the one chilling with a cup of coffee.

"I don’t know, are we?" Elias asked, amused, motioning to Marco’s cup.

"Oh, this? Yeah, don’t worry about it. It's a disposable cup; the dungeon will eat it right up," Marco replied, getting up and stretching. After taking one last sip, he spilled the rest of the coffee on the ground and tossed the cup into the jungle.

The dungeon disposed of any items left unattended, trash or treasure alike. While this made it impossible to build permanent structures, forcing adventurers to resort to camping, it also made disposing of trash in cities a trivial matter.

Marco wore his usual gear, except he was back to using the sword Elias had seen the first time they met, instead of the wooden training one. He slowly drew the sword from its black-and-white sheath. Before entering the jungle to start their long day of dungeon delving, Elias used Analyze on the pitch-black blade.

*******

Shadowfang

Common

Sword

A simple curved sword with a steel blade tempered in tier 2 steel mana, Shadowfang offers reliable performance for beginners. The hilt is wrapped in black leather, providing a firm grip. Its sheath features a striking black and white design, with the upper half matte black and the lower half polished white. Pouring mana through the hilt will sharpen and repair minor damages to the blade.

*******

Marco approached the insect calmly, with confidence in his steps. Sword in hand, he felt its presence intimately through the connection from Bond Weapon (Common). Using Analize, he obtained information on the monster.

*******

Razorleaf Mantid

Uncommon

Level 11

A giant insect with forearms resembling the sharp edges of leaves, the Razorleaf Mantid camouflages itself among the dense foliage. It lies in wait, perfectly still, until it senses movement nearby. Then, with lightning speed, it strikes, using its razor-sharp arms to slice through prey with ease. Its green exoskeleton makes it nearly invisible among the jungle's plants, making it a master ambusher.

*******

Marco initiated combat by readying his stance and launching a Mana Bolt (Common) at the creature. The attack connected center mass but dispersed on the monster’s carapace, leaving behind only a small crack. It screeched and launched itself at him in the jerky motion characteristic of insects, forearm blades descending on him. He used Dash (Common) to dodge left and back, just out of the monster’s range.

Concentrating, Marco raised his sword and snapped it down swiftly, accentuating his strike with a sharp exhale. The Slash (Common) Skill transformed what would have been a masterful strike into an act of superhuman prowess, his sword seeming to flash downward. The weapon connected with the mantid’s forehead, splitting the monster in two down to its abdomen.

Congratulations! You have gained 110 exp.

"That was cool," Elias said, though his tone betrayed disappointment. Marco rolled his eyes, once again wondering what it took to impress the man.

"I’m sorry if it wasn’t impressive enough for you," Marco said dryly. Elias at least had the decency to look sheepish at that.

"Wait, so you haven’t upgraded any of your other skills yet? Just the Spirit skill?" Rebecca asked, sounding confused. "I mean, not to downplay it—it was pretty impressive swordsmanship. I just expected it to be more… flashy, with you having a tier 2 mana type and all."

"Come on, I’ve had my skills for less than a month! I think what I’ve got is more than enough," Marco said, irritated.

What did you even expect?

"It’s not that, it’s just… the coolest part about getting a mana type is aspecting your skills to that mana type. I mean, it’s a lot easier to do that than to get a tier 2 mana type in the first place," Rebecca explained, sighing. The sincerity in her voice soothed Marco’s irritation, until Elias spoke up again.

"What have you even been doing all this time? Meditating in a cave?" Elias asked, bringing Marco’s irritation back in full force.

He had, in fact, spent most of the past month meditating in a place most would describe as a cave. His father had specifically asked him to keep the details of the trip a secret, though Marco still didn’t understand why. He carefully schooled his expression, giving nothing away, before answering.

"No, of course not."

"Yes, you did! I can see it in your eyes!" Rebecca said, laughing loudly.

I’m going to strangle these two.

"No, I didn’t. Now stop asking! I already told you I couldn’t talk about where I was," Marco snapped back.

"Fine, we’ll drop it," Elias said, sighing exaggeratedly before continuing with a smirk, "for now."

Breathing a sigh of relief that his friends had finally stopped their dogged teasing, Marco opened his Status. He never got tired of seeing that new line under his name.

Name: Marco Jones

Mana: Wind (Tier II)

Exp: 5,310

Spirit: 13

Skill: Wind Manipulation (Uncommon)

(27,000 exp to level)

Wisdom: 10

Skill: Kinesthesia (Common)

(21,000 exp to level)

Intelligence: 10

Skill: Mana Bolt (Common)

(21,000 exp to level)

Charisma: 10

Skill: Bond Weapon (Common)

(21,000 exp to level)

Agility: 10

Skill: Dash (Common)

(21,000 exp to level)

Strength: 10

Skill: Slash (Common)

(21,000 exp to level)

Vitality: 10

Skill: Tough Skin (Common)

(21,000 exp to level)

Marco had been working hard to aspect his Skills to his new mana type, but his Spirit attribute was still too weak. Right now, he had to concentrate intensely just to manipulate a bit of wind, like the display last night. Plus, he hadn’t had much time to train his skills yet, having spent most of his efforts obtaining insight into wind mana to upgrade his Meditation (Common) Skill into Wind Manipulation (Uncommon).

Hopefully, I can upgrade at least one more skill before Elias gets a mana type. That would shut him up.

*******

Elias charged the large feline monster, his golden hands glowing with mana from the Imbue Weapon (Common) Skill.

*******

Thorn Panther

Uncommon

Level 12

A sleek and powerful predator, the Thorn Panther prowls the jungle with silent grace. Its dark green fur is interspersed with patches of sharp, thorn-like spines. Its muscular build and agility allow it to leave great distances, striking its prey with precision. Its claws are laced with a natural toxin that causes intense pain and swelling.

*******

At the last moment, Elias pounced on the creature with both hands half-extended to his sides as if swimming through the air. Just before impact, he extended his arms forward like pincers, activating the Attraction effect of his soul weapon with a pulse of Overexertion (Common). His fists connected like battering rams, crushing the monster’s head and killing it instantly.

Congratulations! You have gained 120 exp.

“That’s how it’s done,” Elias said, dusting off his hands in satisfaction.

Overwhelming power is the best kind of power.

Elias turned around, pleased to see Marco trying to suppress his reaction. He looked like he was stifling a yawn, his mouth clamped shut, eyebrows furrowed. Rebecca exaggeratedly rolled her eyes at him, mouthing, "Show off."

"That was cool," Marco said, trying—and failing—to sound nonchalant.

"Impressed?" Elias asked, laughing. Rebecca snorted.

"Alright, settle down, love, let me show you how it’s done," Rebecca said.

Soon, they spotted another monster, and the two men stepped back to let Rebecca show off her skills. Elias knew from experience that her fighting style left quite the impression. He used Analyze on her target.

*******

Thundersnout Tapir

Uncommon

Level 11

The Thundersnout Tapir relies on its devastating charge to defeat its enemies, barreling forward with immense momentum, trampling anything in its path. It can release blasts of thunder from its snout, creating a concussive wave that stuns and disorients its opponents.

*******

Rebecca approached the monster slowly and gracefully, making no attempt to hide her presence. Elias had expected her to use her usual combo of Veil (Common) and Surprise Attack (Common), but she seemed to be trying something different. The creature soon spotted her and snorted threateningly with its delicate-looking snout. The sound it released was booming, like the crack of a whip.

The Thundersnout Tapir charged at Rebecca, slowly gaining speed but accruing momentum at an astounding rate due to its sheer bulk. When it was only a few meters away, she seemed to vanish from sight. Elias could still see her and knew she was there, but it was as if his perception just slid off her like grabbing a bar of wet soap. As the monster barreled past where she had been, Rebecca reappeared beside it, brushing both her hands against its side.

Rope-like structures of mana launched from her hands as she used the Mana Bind (Common) Skill to bind the monster’s legs together. It lost its balance and crashed to the jungle floor, sliding for several meters before slamming into the base of a large tree.

The creature extended its snout, seemingly to launch a blast of thunder at Rebecca, but she disappeared again. A small pulse of compressed air shot from the monster’s snout at where she had been a moment before, but it hit nothing. It did, however, boom like a clap of thunder, making both Elias and Marco flinch.

Rebecca reappeared on top of the tapir, viciously slashing the creature’s extended snout with one dagger and plunging the other into its head. Done playing around after the racket the monster had caused, she repeatedly stabbed the creature until it died moments later.

"I’m sorry," she said hurriedly, handing Elias the monster’s energy crystal. "I didn’t think it would make this much noise. Let's get out of here before we get surrounded."

"Right, let's go," Elias agreed, and the trio doubled back toward the jungle entrance, quickly dealing with any monsters they encountered. Done showing off to each other, they had no more reason to engage the monsters separately.

Elias and Rebecca showed Marco the party formation they had settled on so far to figure out how he would fit in. Marco had a similar fighting style to Elias, engaging enemies head-on and relying on superior bladework to overpower them. The greatest difference in their approach to fighting monsters lay in their weapons and skills.

After a lengthy discussion, they devised several possible strategies and formations for their party, focusing on dealing with larger threats and maximizing experience gains.

For monsters that posed a genuine threat, Marco and Elias would pincer attack it, with Rebecca taking opportunity strikes. This strategy allowed one of them to keep the creature occupied while the others focused on killing it safely.

Under ideal circumstances, the monsters they dealt with would be much weaker than them individually. This is where the strategy for maximizing experience gains shined. In this case, Marco and Elias would walk several meters apart through the jungle, engaging monsters separately, with Rebecca providing support as needed. This way, they could double their experience-gathering rate without increasing the danger.

To better understand each other’s capabilities, they revealed their Skills to one another, including Elias’ Soul Weapon [Soul’s Salvation] (Uncommon). Uncharacteristically, Marco actually gasped when the words “soul weapon” came out of Elias’ mouth. As a fellow weapons user, he understood the allure of a soul weapon and wasn’t surprised by the intensity with which he stared at Elias’ wrists.

"I’ll never tell a soul, my friend," Marco swore, his tone so intense and solemn it caught Elias by surprise. Marco’s features were unreadable as he offered his hands for Elias to clasp, and when Elias did, Marco grasped his forearms tightly. "I’ll be honest; it was foolish of you to trust me with this so soon, but thank you. I won’t betray your trust."

+1 Salvation Point from Marco Jones

"Thank you, my friend," Elias replied, relieved he had made the right decision in trusting Marco. It seems his friend was moved by Elias’ trust, and the point carried a strong sense of gratitude and loyalty. To break the solemn mood, he forced a grin and continued, "And don’t worry, the next soul weapon we find is yours."

"You do realize I’m a swordsman, right?" Marco asked, raising an eyebrow. "You wouldn’t catch me bonding to a bracelet to save my life. Besides, I want to evolve my skills down the aura focusing route."

There were two main ways in which weapon users—those who chose Bond Weapon (Common) as their starting Charisma Skill—usually progressed. One path focused on strengthening their connection with their chosen weapon, an unseen link between weapon and wielder. Through this connection, they attuned their aura to the weapon, enhancing both. The peak of this path was wielders of soul weapons, where the weapon truly became one with the wielder, bonded to their very soul.

The other path involved learning to focus their aura into their weapon, strengthening it like the Imbue Weapon (Common) Skill but with their aura or presence instead of mana. High-level users of this style could focus their aura to such an extent that it was like conjuring weapons out of thin air. Instead of becoming one with their weapons, they became their own weapons.

"Are you making any progress?" Rebecca asked curiously. "My dad is a berserker and a presence specialist; his whole build is around it. Maybe he could give you some advice on shaping your aura."

Elias winced, remembering just how good Lucas was at shaping his aura to his will—particularly how the older man had tried to suffocate him with it a while back. It was not a fun experience but it demonstrated Lucas' mastery over his aura. Rebecca hadn’t even noticed the intimidation tactic, even though she was close by.

"Maybe some other time," Marco replied with a smile. "I’m not having trouble improving; it just takes time, I guess. Right now, this is all I’ve got."

Saying so, Marco raised his sword to chest height, holding it horizontally with both hands. He concentrated intensely, and suddenly its presence intensified. It was as if the sword had been ethereal before, not fully there, and now it was more… real.

Now, that’s cool.