< Lv up x23 >
< Maximum Lv increased to 62 >
< Hp and stamina is fully recovered >
< You received 620 Currencies >
"…I used a bottle of water, a kitchen knife, and a Strengthening Potion, just to kill a Minotaur, and I only got 620 Currencies back in return…" I muttered, mentally going over my expenses.
"Ugh. I'm in a massive net loss. This fighting style isn't sustainable in the long run. But hey—I leveled up a lot from that fight. I should be able to perform better next time." I shrugged.
I had spent more than 8000 Currencies to deal with a single Minotaur. Since the Currencies I gained were equal to the monster's level multiplied by ten, I'd need to kill around 13 Minotaurs just to break even.
"I'm glad I only had to face one of them," I said with a sigh. "Two of those brutes at the same time would've been a real problem."
I opened my status page.
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Name: Yanagi Yuu (Human)
Lv: 24 / 62
Vitality: 48
Strength: 48 + 50 (expires in 143 seconds)
Intelligence: 240
Mana: –
Agility: 72
Dexterity: 120
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Brain Load: 14%
Currencies: 175,800
———
Skills: Basic gaming features | Cryokinesis (Lv2)
———
Cryokinesis (Lv2): Ability to manipulate cold and ice through the power of the mind. Lv2 effect: Range Increased (Short)
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For those who might be wondering: maximum level increases to match the highest-level monster you've ever slain. You can't just farm weak monsters forever and expect your level cap to rise. In this world, someone has to take the risk of challenging stronger foes if they want to get good.
…Well, you can grind EXP safely until you're about one level below your target to make things easier, but the risk still has to be taken at some point.
"Woah!" I exclaimed. "My mandatory brain load dropped to just 14%? That's huge!"
At this rate, I could probably freeze a quarter of a Minotaur's body without getting a headache. Heck, I might even be able to activate Third-person view without worrying anything.
"Alright, let's test things out. 'Third-person view'. activate!"
The moment the skill activated, my perspective shifted. I could see my own body from a point roughly two meters away, as if I had a second set of eyes floating behind me. I could freely adjust the viewpoint, with my body always remaining at the center.
To look behind me, I had to rotate the view from the front. To look right, I had to move the camera left, so on and so on. The most useful part, though, was that I could still see normally through my own eyes while the skill was active.
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Brain Load: 36%
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"Uhh… it still eats up 22% of my brain load," I muttered. "That's… still pretty heavy."
For now, I decided I'd only be using this when facing multiple enemies. Against a single opponent, it just wasn't worth the cost.
Even so, with the remaining brain load, I could probably freeze an entire Minotaur's leg before the headache kicked in. But if I turned third-person view off, I could freeze two of their legs instead.
"Yeah. Off it goes—for now." I deactivated the skill. "—And why did I use Minotaur's leg as a unit of measurements?"
Next, I pulled out a bottle of water and placed it on the floor, then stepped back for several meters before I activated Cryokinesis.
…Nothing happened.
"Haah…" I sighed. "I should've known. If I could freeze things from a distance, this skill would be way too broken. Just imagine if I could actually froze someone's heart remotely from a distance."
I picked up the bottle, froze the water inside it, then lifted the ice and make it float in the air. I sent it forward slowly, testing how far I could control it.
After traveled for around four meters, the bottle dropped to the ground.
"I see. I can't freeze things remotely—but once I froze it, I can manipulate it within a certain range."
I continued experimenting with Cryokinesis for a few more minutes. Thanks to my increased Dexterity, I could now form more intricate ice shapes compared to my previous attempt.
Once the Strengthening Potion (Mid) effect wore off, I tried lifting the Minotaur's giant axe again. As expected, it was still way too heavy.
"…Yeah. Not happening."
It was a shame, since it could be good damage-dealing weapon. I could carry it for a short distance, but it would slow me down badly over time. Besides, I could always pick up another monster's weapon later.
Unlike monster bodies, their weapons remained even after the monster disappeared. You could think of them as monster's dropped items, too, for the sake of simplicity.
That said, if a monster's weapon was left unattended in a dungeon for certain amount of time, it would eventually disappear. Many believed this was how dungeons recovered energy. After all, monsters respawned regularly—it made sense to think that the dungeon needed some kind of fuel for doing so.
I personally believed this theory. People in this world might be oblivious to this, but my EXP counter always decreased at fixed intervals whenever I stayed inside a dungeon. I believed that dungeon also recovers its energy this way. Though, once it hit 0, its stop draining it, so there was no risk of losing levels.
With that settled, I continued deeper into the dungeon corridors. Thanks to my increased Vitality—hence my stamina, I could travel much farther before getting tired.
The corridors formed a massive labyrinth, filled with branching paths that led to many dead ends. Fortunately for me, I have my mini map, so getting lost wasn't a concern.
"Come to think of it, this is actually my first time entering a labyrinth-type dungeon," I muttered.
There were two dungeon types: labyrinth and open.
Open-type dungeons had massive open spaces on each floor. Their terrain varied wildly—volcanic regions, mountain ranges, even entire archipelagos, you name it. This type of dungeon were the ideal for leveling purposes due to the sheer number of monsters it contains.
Labyrinth-type dungeons, on the other hand, were exactly what they sounded like: endless corridors, cave-like walls or stone passages, branching paths, traps, and dead ends. They spawned fewer monsters, but compensated with more treasures. Some dead ends might contain chests—sometimes valuable, sometimes Mimics. Proceed with your your own risk.
Back when I was a Hero, my party always ran Open-type dungeons for my efficient leveling process. That's why this was actually the first time I'm inside a labyrinth dungeon.
…Though, admittedly, under very unconventional circumstances.
"Tsk." I clicked my tongue. "Just thinking about it makes my blood boil."
Then I frowned.
"This is weird. I haven't seen a single monster since the Minotaur. No traps, either. Even though I never entered Labyrinth dungeon before, I knew I should've run into something by now…"
I stopped.
"…And this is another dead end."
I checked my map. Every path I'd taken on the left side ended in a dead end—well, there's one left.
I headed toward the final unexplored corridor. If this one was also a dead end, I'd have to walk aaaall the way back to the entrance intersection and take the right path just to reach the third floor.
Hopefully, it wouldn't come to that result
…Am I jinxing myself here?
"Of course I am." I facepalmed.
The final corridor was also ended in a dead end.
"I shouldn't have trusted the that almighty poke-a-re-sweat bottle—Well… it's actually not that bad," I said, readying myself.
Because this last dead end was not just a typical run-of-the-mill dead end.
Two Level 60 Minotaurs stood proudly at the far end, guarding a treasure chest. They didn't move an inch, even after locking eyes with me.
"Protecting something valuable, eh?" I grinned. "Yeah, I like the sound of that. Here I come, cows!"
I charged forward with confidence.
The Minotaurs reacted, but too bad for them, they are too late.
I pulled out a 200-ml bottle of water, froze it instantly, and formed six sharp ice shards out of it.
First, I fired two shards at their torsos. They swatted them away with their axes effortlessly—exactly as expected. Before they could recover from the swing, I sent the remaining shards straight at their eyes.
""GRHUUOOO!!!""
Both Minotaurs screamed in pain, subconsciously dropping their axes as they clutched their eyes.
I closed the distance and froze the ankle of the Minotaur on the right, then the left one shortly after. Soon, they lost their balance and collapsed heavily onto the floor—wailing, and unable to stand.
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Brain Load: 51%
—————————————————
"…That was easier than expected," I said flatly.
Minotaurs were strong monsters—usually level 50 or higher—but their movement were slow and predictable. Their hides sure were tough, but their eyes were soft as jelly.
Aiming precisely for their eyes wasn't actually easy, but controlling multiple projectiles at once was a trivial task for mage with my experience.
…I wasn't really a mage anymore, though.
So what am I now?
A psychic?
Yeah. That sounded cool.
Psychic power felt similar to magic, but instead of channeling mana, I directly manipulated matter with my mind. In some ways, it was actually easier to control—though, I could only affect existing matter with it, unlike magic that create matter from nothingness. Each had its own pros and cons.
I froze both Minotaurs' legs—but not completely this time, just enough to render them unable to make any unexpected move, because I already knew how I was going to finish them.
With their legs immobilized and vision gone, they posed no threat—for me at least, Their fists could still pack a punch—but only if you didn't know what you're doing.
I picked up one of their axes.
"Hmgh…" I grunted. "forgot how heavy this thing is… but I can manage."
I approached the Minotaur that's lying on its back and swung the axe down at its neck.
"Hrrah!"
< You have slain a Minotaur, exp + xxxx >
< Lv up x7 >
< Hp and stamina is fully recovered >
< You received 600 Currencies >
After leveling up, the axe felt slightly lighter. I turned and brought it down on the remaining Minotaur.
< You have slain a Minotaur, exp + xxxx >
< Lv up x3 >
< Hp and stamina is fully recovered >
< You received 600 Currencies >
"Haaah…" I exhaled. "This time, I only used one bottle of water that costs me 200 Currencies. I'm finally in the black."
I turned toward the chest with elaborate gold engraving at the end of the corridor.
"And now… the best part."
Thanks to my map, I could instantly tell whether a chest was actually a Mimic. A red dot would give it away. A petty Mimic could only dreams of deceiving me.
I put my hands on the lid and pulled it open until it flipped all the way back, hanging upside down on its hinges with a wooden smack.
Inside, I found a piece of paper and a… plushie?
Or so I thought—right up until it opened its eyes and let out a big yawn. Like a… like—I-I don't know… Like Joe, I guess.
Red scales covered its entire body. Its head was shaped like that of an axolotl's, with two small horns protruding backwards from its forehead. Its body and tail were chubby, like a buff lizard's, and it had four short legs with a pair of bat-like wings folded neatly on its back.
Overall, it looked like a chibi version of a red dragon.
I was pretty sure it wasn't a monster—my HUD skill I couldn't see its level.
"Gwii…"
The little thing yawned for several seconds, stretching and shaking its body like a cat fluffing out its fur. After finishing its stretch, it stared at me, squinting for a few moments before blinking repeatedly.
Then—suddenly—its face lit up.
"Gwii! Gwii!"
Before I could react, it lunged straight at my face and clung to it like it was the most precious thing in the world. Its entire body fit perfectly over my face, with its stomach sticking like a glue to my face.
"Gwii! Gwii! Gwii!" it squealed excitedly.
"Umf! Hey—what the heck is this?!" I grunted.
I grabbed it by the back of its neck and pulled it off my face. It took more effort than I expected—the hug was ridiculously strong. Holding it at arm's length in front of me, I demanded,
"What's wrong with you?!"
"Gwii! Gwii!"
It kicked its four legs enthusiastically, clearly trying to launch itself back at my face. Then, all of a sudden, it froze.
Its eyes widened… and then it lowered its head.
"Gwiiii…" it wailed dejectedly.
"…Why do you look so depressed just from seeing my face? Am I really that sad of a human being?"
The little dragon glanced at me again, then shook its head as if denying it.
"Wait," I said slowly. "You can understand what I'm saying?"
It nodded.
"…For real?"
It nodded again.
"Well then," I muttered, a soft smile creeping onto my face, "looks like I just made myself a new friend."