(All events are fictional and have no connection to real-life occurrences.)
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(Demonic Forest)
It was very late at night. Chain's team was moving forward through the darkness. Since Eba and Myra could both use Light Magic, traveling had become considerably easier for them. Both of them had created two ball-like constructs above their heads, each about the size of a clenched fist. With mana infused into these balls, they shone as brightly as the sun. They had to control them very carefully. Light Magic was simple; most people didn't take it seriously because it was rarely used in attacks. Only a few experts could wield it effectively.
The team had been walking for a long time. By now, it was already past midnight. Chain slowed down a little.
"—We've come quite a way. This is a good spot to camp. Eba and Myra, you've both used a lot of energy. Rest after preparing the camp. We'll resume our journey tomorrow."
As the team leader spoke, the exhausted Dufes and Jayab collapsed onto the ground.
"—Finally, our leader shows some mercy," Jayab muttered between gasps.
"—I was about to lose my mind. I really need some rest," Dufes said, clearly worn out.
Eba and Myra were both extremely tired. Their mana energy was nearly depleted, and their stamina was on the edge. Their legs were begging them to rest, but they couldn't. They had to wait until the camp was ready. Meanwhile, Chain and Mio remained completely fine. Lubao, however, felt a bit exhausted inwardly. He glanced at everyone, a thought forming in his mind:
"I can't understand where we've ended up. My juniors seem to have more power than I do. Eba and Myra have been using their spells since earlier. Their mana must exceed mine. We've been walking non-stop since the afternoon. Still, three of them are completely fine. It's not surprising that Chain is strong, but I don't know Mio well. Judging by the energy around him, he must be powerful. But one thing I can't accept—how is Alex still fine? Usually, we have to use our core energy for extra effort. But Alex has only unlocked the Dark Attribute. Does his core really hold that much energy? No, I shouldn't think about it. I don't want to fall behind my juniors. Chain said that through this test, I can also grow stronger. At least, I can reach the third grade."
Lubao's thoughts ended as Chain and Alex finished preparing their camp. Chain himself was surprised by Alex's stamina. He thought inwardly:
"This is really troubling. If Alex were an aura energy user, he could have done a lot in the tower. Aura users usually have the most stamina among the three energy types. Maybe Dufes and Jayab are still beginners and can't fully adapt to this training. But I can't ignore Alex. For a mana user, his energy is a bit high. Perhaps it's a sign that he will unlock another attribute."
Chain pondered over many things. But his thoughts ended as soon as the camp was ready. Everyone went to sleep. The light night meal was finished while walking, so no one worried about food. Chain let out a final sigh and retreated into his tent.
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(As Alex)
Everyone had entered their respective tents, and I followed suit. I hadn't gotten a chance to kill any beasts after obtaining my sub-job, so my level hadn't increased. I was still at level 15. I had no idea how to reach level 20. Since my own program was affecting only me, I could only wait.
"Ding Dong"
Suddenly, a sound drew my attention from the projection created by my ring. After that, no sound was heard, only a small message floating before me:
Mission: Job-Class
Details: Thank you for selecting a job. A simple mission has been created to test your abilities. A small dungeon will appear, and you are to clear it.
Objective: Clear the dungeon.
Reward: Market option will be unlocked for you.
I stared at the screen for a moment.
"—Well, this wasn't in my program," I muttered.
I was both surprised and curious. Until now, I thought my program worked only for me. But that was clearly not the case. The Chief Officer hadn't handled the market in the Nightmare Game, so I couldn't fully understand what was happening. Another option appeared on the screen:
"Do you wish to accept or cancel?"
Though I was surprised, I didn't dwell on it. Overthinking wouldn't help. I chose to accept. Instantly, a black gate appeared before me and pulled me inside. I didn't have to do anything. Like a black hole that pulls everything into it, this gate drew me in. I only closed my eyes for a blink of an instant.
When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a completely different place—a room that could truly be called a dungeon. Dungeons were usually made of earth to imprison monsters or enemies. Entering this dungeon didn't confuse me; I could immediately tell it was a dungeon. The room looked like a grand hall of a palace, decorated with ancient symbols and images of monsters. But I didn't pay much attention; there was no time.
---
There were ten golems in front of me, made of earth. Each was about six feet tall, their bodies massive. Golems usually moved slowly and attacked with their strength. Their bodies were incredibly tough; I had never killed a golem before. I had only heard that a team of a thousand Indians had been killed by a single golem.
Seeing the golems made me think of the world outside, but there was no time for that now.
"—Info"
I used my skill Info. I hadn't used it before, but now was a good opportunity. There was no cooldown. I focused on the golems and saw numbers above their heads: all level 10.
"Seems like I have a perfect opportunity to test my Assassin sub-job. If only I could gain EXP for killing them like in a game, that would be great."
I hadn't opened my backpack yet. I took out a small dagger, though calling it a dagger would be wrong—it was more like a long sword to me. I charged at the golems.
---
Earth golems were almost immune to Fire Magic. Air or Lightning wasn't very effective either. Earth golems had one weakness: Water Magic. I wasn't a Water Attribute user, so I knew it wouldn't be easy. The golems were level 10, but I was level 15. Even with the level difference, their life and attack power were slightly higher. If I got hit, it could be severe, even fatal. Each strike from a golem shattered the floor beneath it. Normally, I would have fallen by now, but as an Assassin, my agility was doubled.
"—Agility really works. My speed has increased a lot. This is exactly what I wanted."
I said aloud, pleased with my agility. But none of my attacks were affecting the golems. Each golem's body was as hard as iron, bending my sword.
I used my agility to dodge their attacks. Their large, heavy bodies made them slow, but the real problem wasn't one golem—it was ten. Ten attacking at once made it hard to know where to dodge. It was frustrating, and I wanted to see the full power of my skill.
"—Skeleton Army"
I activated my Skeleton Army skill. My skill and spell were similar, only differing in name. Both required energy. My Info skill was still active.
Upon activation, ten shadowy figures rose from the ground, each one a skeletal rat. They needed no command; all ten immediately attacked the golems. Info showed their level was also 10. I was expecting a small skirmish, but the golems were so strong that a single strike shattered all my skeletal minions into powder. Only white dust remained before me.
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"Enough playing hide and seek. No more."
I activated Dark Flame, a skill I had invented after much effort. But even my Dark Flame did nothing to the earth golems. A smile crept across my face, and then:
"—Gluttony"
I finally satisfied my long-standing hunger, absorbing all ten golems. A victorious smile spread across my face. My EXP increased, and I reached level 18. But then, another ten golems emerged from the floor. The Info skill showed them as level 12. I could only mutter:
"—What the ***? Another ten golems."
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To Be Continued