Clad in supple leather armor, with vital areas reinforced by rare magical metals granting protective enchantments, Lixuman looked every bit the formidable figure of a seasoned adventurer. Across his back rested a long, perfectly straight metallic staff, its tip set with a pale blue magic stone.
This staff, the most valuable piece of equipment he possessed—and the most prized artifact in the Rebi Trading Guild—was deceptively unremarkable in function. It offered no acceleration of spellcasting nor mana conduction, merely amplifying magical effects while being nearly indestructible. Forged from the hardest metals in the world, it had immediately caught Lixuman's eye.
"Careful. Don't overextend," Tedra's voice echoed faintly."Understood," he replied, placing his own life above all else, never one to gamble recklessly.
Without hesitation, he plunged into the dungeon.
A long, descending corridor stretched before him, bathed in a soft, ethereal blue glow at both ends, giving the passage a dreamlike quality. Scanning the stone walls, he drew his staff and pressed forward. This marked the true beginning of his inaugural dungeon expedition.
After traversing the winding corridor, he reached the first floor—a cavernous chamber resembling a vast natural grotto. Other adventurers moved about, trading items and exchanging goods. Notably, there were virtually no monsters; the initial floor had been cleared of all level-one creatures. Signposts affixed to the walls obviated the need for a map.
Following the markers, he navigated the first floor with ease, encountering only a few meager, murky level-one slimes—each granting a mere single experience point. Multiple passages connected the first floor to the second, and Lixuman casually selected a cliff-edge route, descending into the next level. Consulting his map, he located a hidden river that flowed directly down to the eighth subterranean floor.
Floors one through ten were interconnected, while the passage to the eleventh required a unique gateway. Contrary to his initial assumptions, defeating a boss was unnecessary until the thirtieth floor; prior to that, only special creatures—rarer, stronger variants of ordinary monsters—roamed the levels. These beings bore horns, a crown-like distinction in the dungeon, a mark reserved for elites and bosses.
Emerging from the hidden river, Lixuman found himself on the eighth floor. Wielding his staff, he cast a flame spell, drying the damp fabric of his armor.
"Caw, caw, caw!"
A green-skinned dwarf charged him—a goblin, distinguished by a long nose and pointed ears.
[Race] Goblin[Level] 8[Class] None[Description] A common but deceptively strong creature; underestimate it at your peril.
"Perfect for practice," Lixuman murmured. Gripping his staff tightly, he activated [Mighty Force], swinging with lethal precision. The staff struck the goblin's skull, shattering it instantly; the creature's body collided violently with the cavern walls, rebounded, struck the floor, twitched twice, and lay still.
[Notification: Goblin Lv8 defeated. Experience +20]
"Exquisite staff!" Lixuman exclaimed, delighting in the swish and crack of his weapon. He knew it would serve him well for a long time.
Pressing deeper into the dungeon, he encountered a second goblin. A swift strike felled it.
"Caw, caw, caw!"
The goblin thrashed wildly, but Lixuman paid no mind. Stamping its neck with one foot, he raised his staff and smashed its arm bones to splinters. Releasing the corpse, he activated [Silent Step], trailing the creature covertly. His plan: follow the trail, strike at the nest, and obliterate it completely—a righteous act, if ever there were one.
Yet as the goblin wove through the labyrinth, Lixuman sensed deception; they were leading him in circles. By the time he realized the truth, the pitch-black depths were alight with clusters of green glowing eyes—he had been ambushed.
A lesson in humility. Just as Pound and Lucia had erred in underestimating him, he had misjudged the goblins' cunning.
"Caw, caw, caw!"
The lead goblin halted, its cries summoning an entire horde from the shadows. Lixuman tightened his grip on his staff. Though caught unawares, he remained composed.
"Mire!"
Driving his staff into the ground, the magic stone atop it flared an eerie blue. Instantly, the earth around him collapsed into a swamp, immobilizing all the goblins. The high-grade water magic stone lent exceptional power to the spell, but it also anchored him in place. With stone walls surrounding him, he could not unfurl his bone wings to fly—he was rooted, staff in hand.
"Fireball!"
A miniature magical array opened atop his staff, propelling a ball of flame with lethal precision into a goblin. Another, then another. The creatures fell in rapid succession.
But some adapted, trudging through the mire toward him. Calmly, he swung his staff, crushing each skull upon approach. Soon, the floor was littered with goblin corpses. Experience points accumulated rapidly, each death fueling his ascent.
"Caw, caw, caw!"
The cries reverberated through the cavern. Lixuman's swings grew faster. The mud was shallow—beneath a single layer of soil lay solid rock—so more goblins pressed forward. His mana reserves began to dwindle.
"Time to break out," he muttered. Selecting a path, he leapt, wings unfurling to catch the wind; gusts of air propelled him over the swamp. The horde surged after him.
Drawing his rib-bone sword, he enveloped it in flame, swinging with one hand while wielding the staff with the other, forcing a path through the encirclement. Goblins shrieked in frustrated fury.
[Notification: Experience bar full. Level Up! Lv15][Constitution +1, Spirit +1][Free Attribute Point +1]
Allocating the free point to Spirit, he retained the last leftover from a previous level, reserved for survival in dire situations. Even while retreating, he lobbed fireballs behind him, each sound of impact confirming that the valiant goblins' deaths had been transformed into his growth.
A grim sort of devotion, indeed.