ALL NOVEL Chapter 11
The fourth floor of the dungeon was nothing to write home about, but I didn't feel too comfortable down there either. Between the cold stone walls and the constant echo of lurking monsters, it makes you think twice before moving on.
I paused for a moment, just long enough to call up my system. As always, the holographic screen appeared in front of me with its blue glow.
―Mission―
Title: Apotheosis
Type: Main Mission
Reward: +300 XP, +300 Soul essence.
Requires: [Join a Familia]
---
―Mission Description―
Objective: Reach Floor 5 of the dungeon.
...
Ah... the damn mission.
The same one I received a week ago when I first set foot into this dungeon. Since then, I had been stuck on the fourth floor over and over again, not daring to go deeper. Not because I was a coward, but because there was one small detail that tied me there: "Join a Familia."
It was no coincidence that I was not very opposed to joining Hestia. It wasn't just because I was tired of being a solo adventurer. And it wasn't only because Hestia had those big eyes that seemed to beg for someone to look after her. It was also because I had no choice―I had to meet this requeriment.
Without a Familia, this mission wouldn't activate. And if it didn’t activate, I couldn’t progress. That meant all the effort I had put into coming to this world would go to wasted.
I ran a hand through my hair, letting out a sigh. To be honest, up until today, I hadn't set foot above the fourth floor. Sure, I could've pressed onward, since it wasn't like the System was holding me back, but what's the point without the rewards?
I switched off the screen and clenched my fingers tightly around the handle of my Chain Sword. In front of me, three pitch-black tunnels loomed. They were so dark and quiet they could easily be mistaken for the gaping maw of a hungry beast.
"Which one's the least terrible?"
There was no way to know, so I decided on the most scientific method available: close my eyes, spin around three times, and aim randomly. I opened my eyes. My finger was aimed squarely at a perfectly smooth wall.
"Oh..."
With my shoulders slumping and my pride taking another hit, I finally chose to press forward through the center tunnel. A voice seemed to beckon from that direction, or maybe I was just out of options.
Fortunately, it turned out to be the right path. After a few minutes, the walls widened, and I found what I was after―the staircase leading to the fifth floor.
The atmosphere shifted almost instantly. The walls stopped being drab stone and took on a light green hue—almost soothing, if I wasn't standing in the middle of a dungeon. The dungeon's very structure felt less stifling, more open, but that didn’t mean it any less dangerous.
―You have completed the Apotheosis main mission objective "Reach Floor 5 of the dungeon"!
―Rewards: +300 XP, +300 Soul essence.
---
[Experience Progression]
―Current level: 4
―Exp: 500 / 500
---
―Congratulations, you have reached level 5!―
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[Level Bonus]
― HP: +100
― MP: +50
― Stats increase: +5 to all Stats
― Stat Points gained: +5
---
[Progress to next level]
―Exp: 150 / 600
---
"Come on!"
A smile broke out on my face. I pumped my fist in the air to celebrate my level increase. All along the way, I had been slaughtering the monsters that stood in my way, so when I added up the Exp from those mobs, along with the Exp granted by the mission, my level skyrocketed.
As soon as the screen closed, another message popped up almost immediately.
―Mission―
Title: Apotheosis
Type: Main mission
Reward: +2000 EXP, +2000 Soul Essence.
---
―Mission Description―
Objective: Reach Floor 10 of the Dungeon.
...
I ignored the notification entirely. Not that I didn't have something to add to my monologue, but I heard a subtle sound, barely audible, but enough to resonate in this silent space. Something sharp sliced through the air behind me. Without thinking, I ducked, dodging the attack on pure instinct. The wind brushed the back of my neck, and when I turned, I saw my attacker.
A four-legged lizard monster, brown and covered in suction cups on its feet, crawled along the wall like gravity was an an afterthought. Its golden eyes glowed as it prepared to pounce on me.
A dungeon lizard. One of those pesky monsters that preferred to attack its prey from behind. If an adventurer's senses wheren't keen, it would ambush them ease, catching them off guard.
My hands were already on the hilt of the chain sword. From the first floor to here, I had used this weapon constantly. Just the day before, I'd practiced it in the church until my arms burned, but at the end of the day, my "opponents" at that moment were rubble. In real combat, enemies didn't stand still and wait for me to hit them. They moved, zigzagging, and searched for every weakness in my stance.
In that way, I was like a stubborn child: no matter how hard I struggled to handle the sword, I wasn't going to let go.
The lizard, measuring my movements from the shadows, finally jumped. Its speed was frustrating. It wasn't like fighting an ordinary opponent, it was like trying to catch a cockroach. My blades barely grazed the air as it scurried between my swings.
Then, it launched itself straight at me. I lowered my body to let it pass over my head, and in that split second, I slammed the chain sword's handle upward with all the force I could muster.
Through my palm, I felt the hard hilt collide with something soft, confirming the hit on its belly.
Before it could compose itself, I was already moving. My Chain Sword whipped through the air, its curved blades plunging into the creature’s eye, and blood sprayed. I pulled hard, and the blade took half its head. The lizard collapsed on its back, its body twitching violently, legs stiffening toward the sky.
―Enemy defeated: Dungeon Lizard
―Experience gained: +5 Exp.
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[Experience Progress]
―Current level: 5
―Exp: 155 / 600
