The drones left Ian feeling extremely uncomfortable. Instead of the single unit most adventurers received to stream their dungeon escapades, Claire had arranged for Ian to receive three. When questioned, she had explained that she assumed he would be spending a lot of time solo, and having multiple drones allowed for more angle options to capture the action. The dungeon system curator automatically compiled and streamed the adventurers who were part of the AO and controlled the drones’ recording features to ensure privacy when they weren’t needed.
Ian was especially happy that the drones would turn themselves off when he wanted privacy because the darn things were invisible! They came in a small case the size of a bite-sized candy bar, and if he hadn’t seen the nearly microscopic drones before she had activated them, he wouldn’t have believed they were real. As soon as they were on, they completely disappeared. These drones were now assigned to him and would be with him until he retired or died.
An involuntary shudder went through Ian as he stood in line for his first low-tier dungeon—the Suri Caverns. He knew the drones were watching him, but they wouldn’t truly become active until he stepped into the dungeon and was given his banked level.
Realizing he had a professional to help him, he had asked Claire to help him pick out a dungeon, and she had helped him narrow his choices down to this one. Unlike many of the other dungeons, this one had a large mob level range. It was mainly populated by goblins and kobolds, but their levels ranged from 115 through level 385. The dungeon was only a few floors deep, meaning the levels could range pretty widely across a single floor.
Parties in higher-level dungeons wouldn’t find this to be an issue because they could use the analyze skills to determine the levels and basic stats of individual monsters. Nearly every party that reached beyond the first couple hundred levels had a member who spent the 500 SP to purchase the skill and would even upgrade it a few times when they got the SP. With most players only having 1000 SP when they hit level 100, it was a big investment for them to purchase a utility-centric skill beyond the common tier.
Looking at the three parties in front of him, Ian used his new Analyze skill on a particularly well geared woman leading a group of five men.
Analyze Results - Human
LVL: 467
His new skill was everything he could have asked for and more. With his face concealed, no one could see his eyes glow when he used it, so he could get away with analyzing anyone without them knowing. Claire had explained his version would be far inferior to hers until he got it leveled up all the way, and then it would just about reach her starting point.
The group in front of him had finished getting checked in, and he took a step up to the AO’s representative.
“Good morning. You need to be at a minimum of level 100 to enter this dungeon. Please state your name or alias and put your hand on the crystal. If it turns green, you are permitted entry.”
He did as he was told, and the crystal turned green. Thanking the man, he proceeded towards the portal and stepped across the threshold. The group he had been watching was still in the cavern that made up the entrance, and he watched as they began heading down a staircase that was only thirty feet to his right.
“Huh, the entrance to the next floor is actually right next to the portal. Bold design choice.”
The information Claire had given him had said as much, but he had a hard time believing it after the other dungeons he had run. This dungeon could be completed in an hour and a half with a good party, but the last level had mobs that ranged the entire spectrum of the dungeon. Most mid to high-level groups in this tier bracket would only gain minimal experience and get fewer essence stones with all the lower monsters mixed in.
He took his first step and received a notification he had forgotten about.
Congratulations! You have earned 1 level. You have achieved level 101. You have been awarded 20 skill points! You have mastered the novice tier and are now moving on! Strive to reach the pinnacle!
Congratulations! Due to the previous challenge mode, this is your first time completing the normal climb to level 100. It took you 10 hours and 47 minutes as a 100% solo user. You have been granted the first-place position on both of the novice leaderboards!
Notice: Your stream has been activated. You currently have 2,731 active viewers.
Ian snorted at the last message, “Well, that was quick. Let’s see how much of an ass you make of yourself today, Zero.”
He looked at his status to give himself some confidence.
Name: Ian Spelling (Hidden)
Alias: Zero
LVL: 101
Status:
STR: 1778
END: 1661
AGI: 1646
WIL: 675
INT: 698
Skills: Prestige Mode (Awakened), Prestige Leader (Inherent), Statistical Synchronization 1/3 (Inherent), Enhanced Body 10/10, Enhanced Mind 2/10, Conceal Identity, Analyze 1/5, Poison Resistance 1/5, Basic Item Storage 3/5
Available SP: 20
He felt much more comfortable with the understanding that his stat points were similar to melee adventurers 100 levels higher than himself. He should be able to go toe-to-toe with anything on this floor, which helped soothe some of his nerves when his first target came into view.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
The diminutive creature was crouched next to the wall of the tunnel ahead of him. He activated his analyze skill and learned it was a level 127 goblin. He really didn’t need the skill to tell him what the creature was, since it looked exactly like a goblin was described in the textbooks. It had green skin with thin, spindly arms and a potbelly. It also had large eyes with pointy ears and a mouth full of jagged, brown teeth sticking out of a head that was two sizes too big for its small body. It was currently using said teeth to rip off chunks of a large bug it had killed with a rather dull-looking bone knife.
Instead of trying to sneak up on the creature, Ian picked up a stone and tossed it farther down the tunnel to land just beyond the goblin. When it grabbed its knife and stood to face the sound, Ian rushed it from behind. It let out a quick squeal as it turned back towards Ian—only to be met with a spear catching it in the center of its chest.
Congratulations! You have earned 2 levels. You have achieved level 103. You have been awarded 40 skill points!
Ian was shocked by how little resistance he felt when the spear entered the creature’s chest, causing him to immediately realize he put far too much strength into the thrust when the creature was lifted clear up off the ground. When he stopped the thrust, the power behind the attack launched the creature back into the wall with a cracking sound. It took a moment for him to realize the wings of his spear had prevented the blade from going straight through and instead transferred part of the force onto the goblin—which was now crumpled against the base of the wall in front of him.
Ian sighed as he looked around, making sure the noise didn’t draw any additional enemies. “Wow, Zero, you’re an idiot. Can’t remember any of your training, huh?”
He could only shake his head when he thought back to the dungeon’s breakdown.
Goblins were quick, but they were fairly weak for dungeon-dwelling humanoids. They were dangerous in numbers but were considered almost trivial by themselves. If he remembered correctly, goblins tended to have about around two-thirds of the normal stats a human would have at the same level—without added skill bonuses. This meant that the goblins probably sat around a fifth of Ian’s physical stats with the additional bonuses from his prestige and his maxed Enhanced Body skill. Most adventurers couldn’t max out a status boosting skill until they were past level 400. The SP expenditure was simply too great a cost when they needed other attack and utility skills.
Looting the corpse, Ian’s thoughts quickly changed from embarrassment to excitement as he held a small essence stone. He smiled and put it in his upgraded basic storage. It now could hold five times what it originally held, so he wasn’t worried about running out of room again.
He continued to work his way down the tunnel when he turned another corner and ran right into three more goblins. Two were the same ones with the knives he had seen before, but the last one had a bluer hue to its skin and was holding a one-handed club paired with a crude wooden shield. He wanted to analyze the new enemy, but they were already moving to attack him.
He brought his spear across in an arc in front of him, catching the closest goblin across the face. It wasn’t enough to kill the creature, but it let out a blood-curdling scream as it grabbed its face, falling to the floor in pain.
He swung it back to try to catch the second one, but it had apparently learned from its companion because it hopped back a couple of feet to let the spear pass it by. Once the spear was clear, it tried to charge forward with its knife raised, only to have the butt of the spear smash into the side of its head when Ian brought it up to slow the creature down.
A sickening crunch drowned out the other goblin’s screaming as the creature at hand was unceremoniously knocked to the floor by the haft’s momentum.
Congratulations! You have earned 1 level. You have achieved level 104. You have been awarded 20 skill points!
Ian didn’t have time to enjoy the notification as the blueish goblin jumped over its now very dead compatriot and swung its wooden club at Ian’s hip. Side-stepping the attack, he tried to create some range to use his spear. Unfortunately, the new goblin seemed to expect that action and kept pressing forward with its shield out in front, trying to land haphazard blows on Ian’s legs.
After three steps, Ian realized he wasn’t going to be able to create space by continuing to back up, so he was going to have to try something different. He waited until the goblin went to do another overhead swing and stepped outside of the attack. As soon as the club missed him, Ian kicked out at the shield as hard as he could. The goblin hadn’t been expecting the impact and was toppled by the blow. It took a second for Ian to stabilize himself, nearly causing him to miss his chance to attack as the creature was trying to climb to its feet.
Ian lunged with his spear as the goblin pushed itself up to stand. Seeing the blade coming, it tried to raise its shield up in time, but it was a moment too late. The spear passed straight into the creature’s neck before the top of the shield smashed into the spear’s haft. Ian pulled the blade back and was about to deliver another blow when a sharp pain bit into the side of his leg.
On instinct, Ian’s left hand let go of the spear as he swung an arm out. The back of his hand made contact with the surviving goblin’s face as he sent the creature spinning away before it could stab at him again. The creature crashed to the floor as he quickly stabbed it in the back with his spear.
Panicked, he quickly turned back to the blue-tinted goblin to see it had both of its hands on its neck, trying to stop itself from bleeding out. Looking down, he realized the one on the floor was dead, even if he hadn’t received a level notification for it. He quickly surveyed the surroundings before stepping forward and ramming the spear blade into the dying creature’s chest, roughly where he figured its heart would be.
Congratulations! You have defeated an enemy more than 50 levels higher than you. Experience rewards are doubled. You have earned 6 levels. You have achieved level 110. You have been awarded 120 skill points!
Ian’s mind stopped for a moment as it processed that information. The goblin he just killed had been near the highest level allowable for the floor, and he could gain additional experience by killing monsters at least 50 levels higher than himself.
The light throb in his leg brought him out of his thoughts as he reached down and felt the cut. It was a very shallow gash across his thigh. It wouldn’t kill him—or even really slow him down. The bone knives the goblins had weren’t very sharp, and his leather had absorbed most of the slash before his high endurance had stopped most of the rest. However, the pain was enough of a reminder of the danger he was in, even if his body was more durable and healed at a faster rate than it ever had, he wasn’t invincible and needed to make sure he didn’t grow complacent.
Over the next half an hour, Ian went to great lengths to slow down and carefully make his way through the dungeon. He managed to get the jump on three groups, allowing him to dispatch them efficiently before he came across a group that had another bluish-tinted one.
Ian poked his head around the corner and saw the creature barking orders at the three smaller green ones with him. Unlike the first one he had faced, this one had two clubs in his hands that he swung lazily as he grunted and yammered at the other three. Ian activated analyze.
Analyze Results - Goblin Grunt
LVL: 184
Ian smiled to himself, happy the cameras wouldn’t be able to record the goofy look he was sure he had on his face. He waited a few moments before he saw the goblin grunt walk a few feet away and sit down. The group was only twenty yards away, so Ian decided to strike while they were unprepared.
He quickly darted around the corner and raced towards the goblin grunt as one of the smaller goblins shouted in alarm. The grunt had just enough time to get to its feet when Ian’s spear penetrated its chest with full force. Ian pushed the spear away, moving the body clear, as his short sword appeared in his hand. Bringing it around, he caught the closest goblin’s raised arm. Ian was almost thrown off by the lack of resistance as it easily severed the limb, but he managed to stop his swing before it left him open to other attacks.
At the sight, the two uninjured goblins wavered, giving Ian a chance to kick his now screaming opponent into the goblin directly behind him. As they both went down, he charged the one left standing and took off its head before it realized what was happening. He turned back and quickly finished off the two tangled up on the ground before checking his notifications.
He smiled at the additional seven levels, bringing him up to level 123. He had started late due to waiting on the drones and had promised Claire he would talk with her when he got back. So, he didn’t want to spend too long in the dungeon today.
“I should have time for a few more groups. Maybe just go until I break 130? Yeah, that’s the plan. I’ll kill a few more and be back at the AO in time for dinner.” Ian muttered to himself as he set off down the tunnel.
