Upon arriving at the first floor of the dungeon, Ying Ping brought up the system interface, and a new mission prompt glowed faintly.
[Dungeon First Day Mission]
[Kill 15 Goblins (0/15)]
[Collect 15 Magic Stone Fragments (0/15)]
[Reward Skill: Crippling Strike]
"Crippling Strike?"
"That name is truly domineering. If combined with the stealth and speed boost of Shadow Step, and then using Crippling Strike, it might have a synergistic effect."
Ying Ping still had some combat talent.
He immediately thought of how to maximize the effect of this skill.
"Kokkoro, our goal today is to proceed steadily."
Ying Ping adjusted the position of his shield, "You observe my fighting style first, then slowly adapt to the dungeon environment."
"Understood, Master."
Kokkoro gripped her staff-spear, her red eyes vigilantly scanning her surroundings, "If we encounter danger, I will also provide full support."
Ying Ping took Kokkoro, still moving within the first floor's area.
When the first goblin emerged from a hole in the rock wall, Ying Ping immediately adopted a defensive stance.
"Watch closely, this monster is called a goblin. Their attack pattern is actually very simple..."
Ying Ping sidestepped a pounce, blocked with his shield, and then precisely thrust his spear into the goblin's throat.
"Pfft!!"
The monster dissipated into black ash, and a magic stone clinked to the ground.
"Amazing!"
Kokkoro immediately clapped her small hands, stepped forward to pick up the magic stone, and couldn't help but exclaim: "Master's combat skills are truly exquisite!"
As expected of Kokkoro, she fully delivered on the emotional value.
As time passed, Ying Ping deliberately slowed down his combat rhythm.
He sometimes used his shield to demonstrate defensive techniques, and sometimes suddenly changed his moves to showcase different attack methods.
Each time he dealt with a goblin, he would explain the key points of how to deal with it in detail.
"When they pounce, their center of gravity shifts forward..."
Ying Ping sidestepped an attack, then used the butt of his spear to strike the goblin's knee, "Attacking their lower body is most effective at this point."
Kokkoro nodded seriously, the crystal on her staff-spear glowing faintly with her emotions.
A few times, when Ying Ping deliberately exposed a weakness, she almost couldn't resist casting a support spell.
Half an hour later, as the fifteenth goblin fell, the system prompt arrived as expected:
[Mission Complete]
[Acquired Skill: Crippling Strike]
[Effect: Next attack deals 200% damage, lasts 5 seconds, cooldown 30 seconds]
Ying Ping felt a new power surge within him when he suddenly heard Kokkoro's gasp: "Master, be careful!"
Three goblins had somehow flanked them from a side passage.
Ying Ping instinctively activated the new skill, and his spear instantly glowed with a dark red aura.
"Crippling Strike!"
The spearhead cut a crimson arc, and the leading goblin was directly split in half.
The remaining force of the attack even sent the two behind it flying, crashing into the rock wall and all turning to black ash.
This was the advantage of a stat monster.
As long as he continued to grow stronger, the damage dealt by Crippling Strike would become increasingly terrifying.
"So strong."
Kokkoro ran over, her face full of admiration: "Your strength has increased so much."
Ying Ping was also somewhat surprised by the skill's power: "Regardless, the first floor holds no challenge for us two LV2s anymore."
He put away his spear, "Since it's still early to go back, why don't we go to the second floor and take a look?"
Kokkoro suddenly tugged at his sleeve: "Um... can I try to take on a goblin by myself?"
Looking at the loli elf's determined eyes, Ying Ping smiled and moved aside: "Of course, then let me see Kokkoro's strength."
They circled around the vicinity and finally saw a newly spawned goblin appear.
There was no other way; the frequency of monsters appearing on the first floor of the dungeon was simply very low.
"There it is!"
Kokkoro took a deep breath and tightened her grip on her staff-spear.
"Thrust attack!"
The crystal on her staff-spear glowed emerald green, and she leaped gracefully, the spear tip precisely hitting the monster's brow.
"Gah!"
The goblin let out a miserable cry and immediately turned into black dust.
"Well done!"
Ying Ping applauded, "Kokkoro, you must have often fought monsters in your hometown, right?"
Kokkoro lowered her head shyly, blushing as she said, "Yes, I didn't expect Master to notice."
...Finding the stairs, the two arrived at the second floor of the dungeon.
The air here was even more humid and cold than on the first floor.
The glowing moss on the rock walls was a strange purple, illuminating the entire passage as if it were a dream.
It was Ying Ping's first time setting foot here as well, so he remained cautious.
[Second Floor Mission Updated]
[Kill 20 Goblins (0/20)]
[Collect 20 Magic Stone Fragments (0/20)]
[Reward: Charged Strike]
"Another new skill reward?"
"Hmm, this place is indeed different from the first floor. The density and speed of goblin appearances have increased."
Ying Ping gripped his spear, looking at the three goblins wandering ahead.
They seemed a bit sturdier than their counterparts on the first floor, their green skin covered in hideous scars.
Kokkoro's staff-spear glowed emerald green: "Master, do you need a buff spell now?"
"Not yet. There's no need for these small fries; we should conserve some magic power."
"Watch me!"
Ying Ping activated Shadow Step, his figure instantly disappearing from his original spot.
"Crippling Strike!"
When he reappeared, the three goblins had already fallen simultaneously, black blood gushing from their throats.
[Killed Goblin (3/20)]
[Gained 15 experience points]
The pace of the subsequent battles clearly accelerated.
The goblins on the second floor not only increased in number but also began to exhibit simple tactical coordination.
Twice, Ying Ping even saw them using crude stone-throwing attacks.
"Looks like I need to get serious."
Ying Ping held his breath and concentrated, displaying the qualities expected of an LV2 adventurer.
Without much effort, when the twentieth goblin fell, system prompts popped up one after another:
[Mission Complete]
[Acquired Skill: Charged Strike]
[Effect: After charging, the next attack is increased by at least 20%]
[The longer the charge time, the higher the damage. This skill has no cooldown.]
[Acquired Title: Goblin Slayer]
[Effect: When fighting goblins, all stats are slightly increased, and damage to goblins is increased]
"This permanent skill and title are really good!"
Ying Ping's eyes lit up; he was now a true Goblin Slayer!
"Master, should we take a break?"
Kokkoro suggested with a smile, handing Ying Ping her personal water bottle.
"That sounds good."
Ying Ping didn't mind the water bottle Kokoluo had drunk from at all, and directly tilted his head back to drink heartily.
Just as they were about to rest, the ground suddenly began to shake.
"Rumble!"
At the end of the passage, a mutated goblin, two meters tall, dragged a giant axe towards them.
Its eyes glowed red, and it wore tattered chainmail, with a terrifying scar running across its right eye.
The giant axe and chainmail must have been adventurer's equipment, yet they were being worn by the mutated goblin!
[Encountered Heretic Goblin X1]
[Level: LV2-]
[Trait: Possesses a certain degree of intelligence, cruel nature]
"Stand back!"
Ying Ping raised his shield, "Kokoluo, cast Elf's Blessing on me!"
"Leave it to me!"
"Blessing of Holy Light!"
"Oh Light, please protect my master!"
Kokoluo waved her staff-spear and quickly chanted.
The crystal on the spearhead emitted a dazzling green light that enveloped Ying Ping, and he immediately felt power surging within him.
Ying Ping charged towards the mutated goblin.
He simultaneously activated three skills:
Shadow Step made his body invisible and accelerated, Crippling Strike coated his spear with a layer of crimson light, and Charged Strike made the spearhead hum with a whistling sound.
"Die, goblin!"
Under the Overlay of the three skills, the spear pierced through the mutated goblin's brow like a shooting star.
"Puff!!!"
With just one blow, the monster's massive body crashed to the ground, turning into dust, and dropping a green-glowing longsword and a few silver coins.
[Killed Heretic Goblin]
[Gained 50 experience points]
[Obtained: Steel Longsword (Excellent)]
[Obtained: 2500 Fali]
[Special Kill Reward: Strength +5, Agility +3, Dexterity +3, Durability +2]
A warm current surged through Ying Ping's body, and he felt himself growing stronger again.
Kokoluo trotted over, her eyes sparkling: "Wow, I didn't expect Master to be able to kill such a monster with one blow! That move just now was like something out of a hero's story!"
"That was thanks to Kokoluo's support magic just now; otherwise, I wouldn't have won so easily."
Ying Ping picked up the longsword and noticed its blade had a faint sheen: "I didn't expect to get a treasure drop. It seems we've had a fruitful day."
...PS: Thanks to a generous patron for 10,000 flowers! This is the first time this little author has received so many, and I'm very excited!
Because I can't see names when flowers are given, I don't know who you are. If you see this, please leave a comment with your suggestions, and I'll highlight it!