"I should have lived on the fourth floor…" James muttered. "There was a forest. If I could build some wooden cabins, it would be perfect."
Of course, James didn't mean it. He may not have wished to return to Earth after what happened to him, but he believed that conquering dungeons was his sole reason for living. By conquering dungeons, he would get stronger. He would become more adaptable, more suited for this world.
James chuckled as he saw shark fins in the distance. His smile soon faded when four of them seemed to be eyeing him.
"Land sharks are coming!!" James prepared his axe and swords while holding himself back from laughing at his own pun.
James frowned for a while as he couldn't figure out how to attack the sharks. Nevertheless, he had experience with this kind of enemy back on the third floor. He made a pedestal from ice, raising himself higher while waiting for the land sharks to jump at him.
A golden glow shone from his axe. The four sharks tried to surround him. One was coming from the front while the others swam to his flanks. James locked his eyes on the one closest to him.
As expected, the shark leaped at him. It bared its serrated teeth as its maw opened wide, trying to swallow James whole. James was surprised since the shark was larger than he had expected. Its maw was big enough to swallow him whole.
James did not fear. He swung his axe at the approaching maw. His axe met the shark's scales and carved a deep gash into them. The power of a weapon skill was not to be underestimated. The shark was blown away after meeting James's axe.
Blood gushed out from its wound. It was injured but didn't die. It swam away in the sand. James wondered how these creatures could even swim in the sand. Using another weapon skill in his left hand, he faced two more sharks that tried to flank him from the side. His sword drew a diagonal arc, slashing both sharks swiftly. Again, the sharks were blown back. James finally felt the limitation of his weapon.
"I need to upgrade my weapons," James frowned. He had thought he didn't need to upgrade them. As long as his weapons held, he believed he would be able to fight against any enemy. But the fact that he couldn't finish his opponent in one hit—despite striking them squarely on the head with a weapon skill, something he had been able to do before—made him rethink his decision.
The war of attrition began. The sharks weren't overly difficult opponents. They were simply annoying to James. They might be dangerous to those who didn't have Earth or ice magic to make platforms, but to James, they were one-trick ponies. He had plenty of experience dealing with these kinds of enemies, like the Komodo boss monster in the trial dungeons.
James bit his crossbow bolt. He cursed—this was the last wooden bolt he had. Crossbow bolts could be reused, but he couldn't help it if they were destroyed or lost. After seeping his poison into the bolt, he aimed his crossbow at one of the sharks.
“Ugh… stop zigzagging…” James complained. A golden meteor then shot out from his crossbow, penetrating one of the shark's fins. It might have been a superficial wound, but as long as the poison seeped in, James didn't care.
As expected, the poison worked. James saw the poisoned shark slow down compared to the others. He activated his axe skill again as another shark surged toward him. Once more, he crushed his enemies.
Three hours later, James finally killed all of the sharks. Surprisingly, he got a level-up for his trouble.
[Congratulations. You have leveled up to Level 41! Your class, Attacker, has leveled up to Level 5. You have obtained 120 coins!]
James held back his complaint when he saw how many coins he had earned from this encounter. Battling the sharks was tiring, but it was worth it. These sharks gave out the most coins for mob enemies so far. As for their body parts…
“Ugh… stop zigzagging…” James complained. A golden meteor then shot out from his crossbow, penetrating one of the shark's fins. It might have been a superficial wound, but as long as the poison seeped in, James didn't care.
As expected, the poison worked. James saw the poisoned shark slow down compared to the others. He activated his axe skill again as another shark surged toward him. Once more, he crushed his enemies.
Three hours later, James finally killed all of the sharks. Surprisingly, he got a level-up for his trouble.
[Congratulations. You have leveled up to Level 41! Your class, Attacker, has leveled up to Level 5. You have obtained 120 coins!]
James held back his complaint when he saw how many coins he had earned from this encounter. Battling the sharks was tiring, but it was worth it. These sharks have given out the most coins for mob enemies so far. As for their body parts.
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[Would you like to modify your body? Y/N]
[Available Body Parts:]
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Land Shark's Ear (Echolocation: 10 meters) (Ear Slot)
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Land Shark's Scale (Physical Resistance +10%, Digging, Negative Trait: Mana -100, Magic -15) (Skin Slot)
"These guys' names were really 'Land Sharks'? That's hilarious! The ear sounds awesome," James muttered. He knew better than to rush into accepting it. "Are you sure there are no drawbacks?"
[We advise Survivor James to install only one ear instead of both. Survivors may experience unpleasant reactions due to the noise emitted by their heart. Turning off both ears will also create a deafening silence, possibly leading to an uncomfortable experience.]
"I see. Good advice. Do it." James nodded. The system rarely gave advice, and when it did, he knew better than to ignore it. If they said it might make him uncomfortable, it wouldn't be at the level of an Orc's body or hand to him. It would be like the constant nagging of noisy neighbors. James could picture the hell that awaited him if he ignored the advice.
Ten meters might not be much, but it would help him detect possible ambushes. That's why James picked it without hesitation.
"I didn't know that sharks had echolocation…" James muttered at the skill name. Sharks do not have echolocation in the truest sense, but they can hear low-frequency sounds. And if the distance was less than 10 meters, even humans could measure distance with their ears in such a short range.
James continued venturing through the desert. Thanks to the cloak, he was comfortable even in the middle of the scorching heat. However, he needed a place to rest. He couldn't possibly relax knowing the enemies here could swim underground.
"Do they use magic to swim underground?" James asked.
[They do not use any magic principles. However, their scales allow them to dig underground, similar to moles or worms.]
James raised an eyebrow. This world had its own rules, and he had accepted that. He wanted the ability to hide underground, but he was unwilling to part with his flaming fur just yet. It had saved him during the frog incident.
"Hmm… but their scales sound intriguing. Can I swim underground too?"
[You may only swim inside sand or soft soil. The skill cannot penetrate rocks, and you will slow down considerably upon hitting harder soil. Moreover, Survivor James may not be able to breathe underground.]
"But they can?" James countered.
[They cannot breathe underground. They breathe through the top of their heads and fins. During a dive, these land sharks hold their breath.]
"I see." James lost interest at once. He wouldn't be able to see underground, and he could only dive for a short amount of time. He would suffocate if he used that fur.
"HELP! Save us!" a familiar voice cried out for help. James tilted his head when he heard it. It was as if he had heard that voice somewhere before.
"Stop shouting! You'll attract more of those monsters!" another man responded.
"Arghh! They're chasing us!"
James saw three dots on the horizon. Kaina and two other men were running with all their might as a land shark and another unidentified monster chased after them. This monster was underground, like the land sharks. However, what appeared on the surface was a long tail fashioned like a halberd.
"Shit! Another monster!" the men cursed.
"James! Is that you?" Kaina shouted. She didn't hesitate. She ran toward James with all her strength. As she reached him, she cried, "Help us!"
After making sure these humans would not do him any harm, James turned his attention toward the new enemies. Suddenly, a bright idea flashed in his mind. He fired his Mind Flay and Sense-Altering Spell toward the fish and the scorpion. James now knew they were blind, so if he disabled their ears, they would be immobilized.
The shark jumped out from the sand and flailed helplessly when James's magic hit it. James leaped forward and slammed his axe into its soft underbelly. His axe skill crushed its innards, killing it instantly.
Afterward, James prepared his mind combo magic for the scorpion. Like the shark, it resurfaced and flailed. Despite his immunity to poison, James didn't want to risk it. He decided to try his new gun. An explosion rang out from his Thompson Contender. The .45 caliber bullet entered its mouth and exited through its back. However, it didn't kill it.
Only after James bashed it three times with his axe and sword did the scorpion finally die.
[Congratulations! Your Attacker class has leveled up to Level 7. You have received 60 coins.]
"That's 10 coins per round… It did have enough firepower to pierce the enemy, but it didn't kill them," James muttered.
Ignoring the three humans behind him, James decided to check his status. He didn't receive a level-up, but he did earn 60 coins for his trouble.
Name: James
Age: 35
Sex: Male
Level: 41
Coins: 570
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STR: 136 (↑2)
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DEX: 131 (↑3)
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MAGIC: 86 (↑3)
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MANA: 880 (↑20)
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Novice Axe Mastery Level 4 (Powerstrike, V-slash)
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Beginner Sword Mastery Level 7 (Hurricane)
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Beginner Bow Mastery Level 7 (Quickshot)
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Beginner Dagger Mastery Level 1
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Mind Flay
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Sense Alteration
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Mana Sonar
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Attacker (Level 7) (10% bonus when attacking, STR & DEX +1 per level) (↑6)
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Goblin Stomach (Iron Guts) (Stomach Slot)
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Mana Core (Water Spells: Ice Spear, Water Manipulation, Magic +60, Mana +1000) (Extra Slot)
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Orc's Left Arm (STR +10%) (Arm Slot)
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Eyes of Mana (Mana Sense) (Right Eye Slot)
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Golem Arm of Valhalla (STR +30%, Physical Resistance +30%, Negative Trait: Repairable, Mana -200) (Right Arm Slot)
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Ratking's Legs (STR +25%) (Leg Slot)
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Flaming Tiger's Fire Lung (Fire Breathing Skill, Negative Trait: Mana -100, Magic -10) (Lung Slot)
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Golem Core (Poison Resistance, Negative Trait: Mana -250, Magic -10, Repairable) (Heart Slot)
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Orc's Torso (Torso Slot)
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Orc's Head (Head Slot)
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Shadow Snake Fang (Intermediate Life Leeching) (Mouth Slot)
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Jumping Spider's Spinneret (Thread Creation) (Extra Slot 2)
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Flaming Tiger Lord's Firefur (Fire Cloak Skill, Fire Resistance, Physical Resistance +15%, Negative Trait: Mana -100, Magic -10) (Skin Slot)
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SwordShark's Gills (Water Breathing, Negative Trait: Waterbound Respiration) (Extra Slot 3)
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Rock Crab Shell (Physical Resistance +90%) (Extra Slot 4)
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Land Shark's Ear (Echolocation: 10 meters) (Ear Slot)
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Leather Armor Set (+10 DEX)
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War Axe
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Longsword
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Crossbow
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Waterspout Dagger
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Mask of Identity
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Leather Bag
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Sphere of Fethusiane
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Cloak of Dark Night
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Thompson Center Contender (x3)
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Frag Grenade (x1)
[Would you like to modify your body? Y/N]
[Available Body Parts:]
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Sand Scorpion Tail (Life Leeching Poison: Medium) (Extra Slot)
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Sand Scorpion Chitinous Scale (Physical Resistance +10%, Digging, Negative Trait: Mana -100, Magic -15) (Skin Slot)
James glanced through his status and Chimera skill, but Kaina decided to interrupt him at that moment.
"Umm… You are James, right?" Kaina asked.
It felt like ages since James had been called by his name, so he inevitably turned. However, he remained wary. The two men with her seemed to be with the military.
"Yes. What do you want? I believe there are other dungeons in the world. Why did you come here? Are you here to chase me?" James scowled.
Kaina had started the conversation in a terrible way. She stared down at the ground in defeat.