Vlad entered the Grimroot dungeon, instantly getting assaulted by a disgusting, oppressive stench, a mix of filth, decay, and blood, it being bad enough for someone to puke if one had a weak stomach.
He stood in a medium-sized cavern with a dead end behind him. The ceiling was roughly fifteen feet tall, and the floor was eight feet wide.
The walls were rough and uneven, jagged rock surfaces smeared with grime and streaks of a dark, unidentifiable substance.
The air was thick and damp, filled with the pungent stench of mold and filth. The only source of light was the crude torches, their flickering flames casting long, twisting shadows on the uneven walls.
Vlad quickly adjusted to the smell and the dim lighting before he opened his inventory and equipped his common-grade gauntlets, simple leather gloves covered with a thin layer of iron.
As he walked, he opened the dungeon map from the status window that showed him his current position and the entire layout of the relatively large dungeon.
"KEKEKEKEKE"
A snickering voice rang as Vlad got near the end of the passage, and moments later, a short creature stepped out of the left corner.
A small creature standing short of four feet tall. Its arms were long and thin, ending in boney claws, and it had large beady yellow eyes with dark slits that shined through the flickering light of the flames.
It had a hunched back, sickly green skin stretched over its bony frame, large bat-like ears, and a large hooked nose. Through its twisted snarl, it showed its sharp, dirty teeth.
Vlad closed the status window before using appraisal on the creature.
Goblin Runt (Common)
Rank: Mortal
Level: 2
Health: 160
Mana: 0
Skills:
Scramble (Passive): Moves erratically, making it harder to hit.
Throw Rock: Throw rocks hidden in its loin cloth.
Cower (Passive): Takes reduced damage when near stronger goblins.
Description: The weakest of their kind, goblin runts, are frail and slow. They are often used as distractions or disposable workers.
"KEKEKEKEKE"
The grunt snickered as it pulled both his hands behind his back, and in a swift motion, he pulled them, throwing two rocks at Vlad before making a wild run at him.
Vlad's inhuman instincts, always in a semi-active state, quickly warned him of the danger. They told him that one stone was bound to miss and the other would hit him in the chest, and they also filled his mind with the warning of the grunt running at him.
"KAAAAAAAAAAAAA"
The grunt quickly closed the distance and threw half a dozen rocks at Vlad. Then he jumped to his left and stooped low before jumping at him, roaring at the top of his lungs.
Vlad's mind was engulfed by warnings of danger from both left and right, and if he were a newbie with his trait, he would be too overwhelmed to react properly, but thankfully, that was not the case.
He calmly analyzed the intel and sidestepped to avoid the sharp stones before his right hand shot forth and easily took hold of the scrawny grunt by its throat, followed by a swift slam on the ground, breaking its neck and ending its life.
{You have killed a Goblin Grunt (Level 2)}
{Exp Gained: 120}
{Level up}
{All stats have increased by (1). You have 5 unassigned stat points available for distribution.}
-------
-Status-
Name: V3222483
Race: Human
Title: None
Class: Martial Artist
Rank: Mortal
Level: 1
[Attributes]
Strength: 10 Vitality: 10
Agility: 10 Dexterity: 10
Mind: 10 Endurance: 10
Health: 100
Mana: 100
[Skills]
Dash (Active): Increase speed by 30%. Cooldown: 5 seconds.
Reinforcement (Active): Allow the user to cloak a section of his body in reinforcement aura, enhancing the strength and durability of the user or his weapon in the active state. {5 Mana every second}{Cooldown: None}.
-------
Vlad moved on after distributing his stat points, focusing on speed, strength, and stamina, and as he moved deeper into the cave system, he met higher-level Grunts, goblins who carried a sword and had active skills.
He soon also encountered goblin Raiders, an assassin type with high agility who used darkness and poison darts and daggers.
The Dungeon had a level cap of 10, but every goblin had a different difficulty, which was classified as Common, Uncommon, Elite, Rare Elite, Unique, Disaster, and Cataclysm, also known as world-grade creatures.
These difficulty grades were not limited to monsters in the dungeon; even the NPCs in the outside world had the same classifications.
And since the level cap was ten, all monsters were of Mortal Rank, the same as all of the players, who will need to leave the beginner village to receive their Ascension quest.
Vlad combed through the dungeon for the next six hours, killing nearly a hundred goblins, which were almost all of the goblins in the dungeon.
'Not bad,' Vlad thought, looking at the rare-grade butcher knife he got for killing the goblin brute mini-boss.
Name: Butcher's Knife
Type: Weapon (Dagger/Short Blade)
Rank: Rare
Condition: Battle-Worn
Attack Power: 30-45
Effects:
Cleave (Passive): Deals 10% bonus damage to flesh-based enemies.
Bloodstained Edge (Passive): The skill has a chance of causing bleeding on a successful hit.
Description: A butcher's knife, originally meant for carving meat and cutting through bones but now repurposed for combat.
'Let's kill the boss and reach level ten, and then I can leave this place to deal with the Alchemist and hopefully move on to the second step of my plan,' Vlad thought as he observed the jagged edge of the knife, which was covered in rust and dried blood.
He placed the knife into the small sheath loop on his belt, right beside a pair of rusted daggers. He stepped over the Goblin brute, whose face was caved in, and walked toward the long passage that was drowning in darkness.
Vlad made his way through the dark passage, which had a dim light from two torches revealing its end, a dark stone door that was covered in deep scars, like claw marks of a fierce creature.
He pushed the door open without hesitation, revealing a massive chamber with a domed ceiling. At its center, a grand chandelier hung, a massive bowl of roaring fire casting flickering shadows that danced across the walls, filling the room with a twisting, golden glow.
Right beneath the chandelier, bathed in the twisting light, stood a towering creature, easily over seven feet tall.
Its massive yet sleek frame was packed with dense muscle, much of it concealed beneath refined leather armor that clung to its form like a second skin.
His weapon was a great sword, a rusted blade with a jagged edge half buried into the ground on his right side.
He wore spiked gauntlets and a half-skull mask, with goblin and human skulls alike dangling from his waist, each one a grim trophy that only boosted his fierce and intimidating aura.
Hobgoblin (Elite) (Boss)
Name: Kragg
Rank: Mortal
Level: 10
Health: 2240
Mana: 680
Skills:
Brutal Cleave: A devastating swing that sends a shockwave on contact.
Unyielding Guard: Temporarily hardens the body, reducing incoming damage.
Intimidation Cry: A beastly roar that instills dread into its enemies, making them momentarily enter a state of fear and shock.
Bloodthirsty Strike: Cloak the blade in potent energy, and each attack dealt using it allows the user to absorb a portion of the damage dealt as health.
Crimson Carnage: When the health reaches a critical point, Kragg enters a berserk state, temporarily doubling its speed and attack strength while ignoring the pain.
Description: Kragg, A warrior of the Blackstone tribe, a pure-blood who serves the Black Troll king, a faithful servant who stands guard outside its king's prison waiting for the promised day.
Their eyes locked as Vlad slowly walked toward Kragg, who stood still, staring him down. His crimson eyes were boiling with naked fury, and his crimson aura was slowly building up and bleeding out.
'I am now almost twice as strong as my real life, which is not much, but let's see the difference,' Vlad thought as he activated his trait and took full control of it.
In an instant, his instincts roared to life, growing sharper with each passing moment. His years of experience pushed the trait to newer heights, stopping only when Vlad felt comfortable.
A sudden sharpness flooded his senses, as if a fog he never realized was there had been lifted.
The world snapped into focus, and colors were more vivid, sounds more distinct, and even the faintest feelings registered with startling clarity.
His heartbeat slowed, yet he felt more alive than ever, every fiber of his being thrumming with heightened awareness.
Vlad focused his senses on the creature before him, his physical and spiritual senses honed to a razor edge, picking up on things that were unseen by normal means.
He took a moment to enjoy the familiar feeling before he burst forth in a flash, using the quick-step skill to bridge the distance of a few meters in a few steps.
Kragg moved with similar speed seeing Vlad close in, his hand reached for his sword and when only a few feet separated them, it yanked it out in a wide ark.
The blade hissed as it tore through the air, and having already predicted its trajectory, Vlad ducked beneath it as his hands came forth. He held two rusted daggers and plunged them into the creature's knee.
Kragg's knees buckled from the pain and damage as he stumbled forward, yet it did nothing to stop the momentum of the sword that met the floor in a thundering impact, causing the air to burst out.