Before moving on, right after processing the giant ogre’s body to get all of its valuable materials for sale, Aidan took this chance to truly give himself a once over.
He checked his status and instantly thought about putting points into Vitality to deal with the aching pain still lingering after that massive blow.
And as if willed by the heavens themselves, a notification dropped on him.
You have gained a title!
“Punching Bag”
Survive a hit that would’ve ended the brawniest of men. Next time, learn how to dodge better.
+1 Toughness
+1 Lifeforce
Normally such a comment would’ve made him sour, but the aching pain was proof enough that the system had a point.
Seeing his new stats, he was starting to notice the large gaps between Vigor and the other two sub-stats Lifeforce and Charisma. He mostly focused on putting points to round out all the stats outside of the ones his level-ups provided, so only one sub-stat was higher than the rest for each of his attributes. He did get a bit curious as he kept staring at his Charisma stat, being the same number as his Lifeforce. Considering that it was mostly for social situations, he didn’t see it as a top priority to focus on.
Then again, he was going to had some kind of life outside of the dungeon. Or it could be his inner ego wanting a boost to his looks as, quite frankly, he was starting to notice how his skin was smoother and more refined. If he had a mirror, it was possible that he might have changed somewhat from all the points he poured into his stats.
“I think I’m going to focus more points into Vitality, maybe more into Charisma or something,” Aidan joked, dusting off any grime or dirt from his clothes as he made his silly talk.
“Not sure about Charisma,” Van responded, walking up to him. “But I’d say it’s a good thing to round up your stats and keep your Vitality up and running.”
“That’s cuz it’s your favorite attribute to boost.” Haley rolled her eyes.
“Hey, if you’re the one getting hits all the time, it’s a pretty damn good attribute,” Van said, prompting Aidan to agree.
“So, question: Should Charisma be on top with the other stats, or is it okay to just leave it hanging?” Aidan asked, figuring now was a good time to get his question out into the open.
He was way too curious about how others view the Charisma stat. It wasn’t like he was asking someone else’s stats, and from the looks of it, nobody here was showing any signs of being put in an uncomfortable spot about it.
“If you don’t care about managing your store or keeping up appearances, I think it’s fine,” Van said. “But if I’m being honest, boosting Charisma can help you make a better impression to others, and if you’re trying to look for parties to join, you’re better off putting points into it.”
“Really?”
That surprised him. Especially coming from Van, he didn’t think it would be that important.
“Dude, how do you not know?” Bill suddenly entered the chat, surprising Aidan when he came in with more energy than Aidan expected. “Charisma is an awesome stat! Better looks, better vibes, and people just feel more comfortable around you. Plus, as you get older, it keeps refining your face and helps you stay in your prime! You gotta keep that body going!”
“W-Wouldn’t raising Vigor be enough?” Aidan asked, though he was starting to believe in Bill’s hype now. He hoped that Vigor was a decent stat since that was the stat his Mage Class was boosting all this time.
“Vigor is important,” Nina stated. “But Charisma keeps it all balanced and refines your appearance. Though it wouldn't help if you put all of your points into Charisma.”
“Yeah…” Haley shivered when she spoke. “I once saw an old woman who had her Charisma way up, and you could tell. Her face was pristine and refined, but… it’s kinda like seeing a messed up piece of cake smushed together to recreate the same shape it once had, y’know?”
Somehow Aidan could immediately imagine what Haley was proposing, making him look back at those uncanny valley-type situations where someone tried to make a perfectly human-like robot, only for the features to look so ‘human’ that it was borderline disturbing.
“Ooookay… keeping Charisma balanced is important,” Aidan muttered. “Thanks for that.”
“Anytime, my brother.” Bill pulled a thumbs up, prompting Aidan to smile and mimic the gesture in return.
“So we’re just going to ignore how this powerhouse is becoming more of a powerhouse?” Nicky suddenly said, looking more exasperated than astonished at this point. “That powerful, and he’s getting so healthily beefy too?”
“What can I say?” Aidan shrugged. “I’m built different.”
“Somehow that wording feels cringey,” Haley said.
Aidan just ignored that one.
“Is it really okay for you to be sharing that, though?” Nicky said. “I mean, I get you’re confident as hell, but normal people don’t share their stats that freely, y’know?”
“Well, I’m not normal,” Aidan insisted. “And it’s not like knowing my stats is gonna change anything. Unless you’re planning something?”
“I’d be foolish to try anything against you,” Nicky scoffed. “Even against that fight, you were pretty damn powerful even when your main powers were locked away. That Infuse buff of yours is just absolutely crazy.”
“Yeah,” Bill said, raising his hands. “I never felt more powerful than in that moment. Without it, I’m pretty sure I would’ve been the first to die out.”
“You think you can keep that up for the rest of the dungeon?” Van asked. “It would’ve been pretty good to have that throughout.”
“Yeah, I will,” Aidan said. “Though it’s kinda a drain on my mana. It takes a decent amount for each person.”
“Then you’ll do it on a few selected people before we start a battle,” Nina said. “No reason to boost anyone who doesn’t meet the requirements to fight.”
“Yeah… I get ya,” Haley said, rubbing her shoulder in embarrassment. “All I did was shoot arrows and I even missed a few times.”
“You did good, Haley,” Nicky grinned. “Better than I imagine for someone without any dungeon experience.”
“Thanks, Nicky,” Haley beamed.
“Hey,” Ander spoke up, entering the conversation. “I think I see something over there.”
That immediately got everyone’s attention since they all knew Ander wouldn’t speak up unless it was necessary. When Haley went over to his side, her eyes flashed, her hand lifting up and waving them over.
“He’s right! I sense something over there!”
They were peering over from the corner, a small entry way beyond the ogre’s area where it kept guarding and barring the way out into the end of the dungeon. It looked like Ander meandered over and saw something which immediately sent them in pursuit once Haley confirmed it.
On the other side was a surprise for Aidan as they entered into what looked like a small cube-like area, though it was small in comparison to the large dome-like room the ogre was in. They could still easily fit a crowd of people inside with plenty of space to go around. But that wasn’t what got his attention.
Sitting at the very edge of this room was another treasure chest, this time being a bit bigger in size and width as everyone approached. Of course they all gave themselves some room when Aidan sent in his sword to check for traps. When it opened the lid up without anything happening, they figured there was no trap when it had a guardian standing in front.
He looked inside to see several glittering items calling for his attention, each one packed with power that he could tell from his senses.
“Whoa, talk about a treasure trove,” Aidan commented. “Hey guys, check this out!”
Being the little greedy bugger himself, Aidan took out what looked interesting first while the others hauled ass to check the other prizes. He picked up what looked like a dagger made out of ruby, the blade shimmering bright red while having that crystalline shine. He scanned it to see what it could do.
Bloodhound Dagger (Rare)
A crimson dagger that pulses faintly with nature energy. The hilt contains rune markings that react well to living entities. By dropping the wearer’s blood to the blade, it can form a temporary link to the one last struck by it. It gives the wearer an instinctual sense of the target’s location. It expands for 50 kilometers, and can last for several hours.
Blood Link–Duration: 5 hours.
Aidan looked at this, totally impressed. It didn’t seem very useful in a fight, but it looked like it could track a target down and keep it in one’s sight no matter how far they go. Fifty kilometers was no joke, though he could tell there might be people that could easily surpass that kind of distance if they focused on their Agility stat.
He scanned the other items that the others picked up, too curious to be satisfied with just the one in his hand.
Steel-willed War Bracers (Rare)
Reinforced pair of bracers crafted with tempered steel and magical ores. Runic etchings mark its surface with power, channeling energy for offensive bursts. It allows the wearer to channel powerful bursts of kinetic energy, either delivering powerful impacts or short range shockwaves.
Kinetic Release–Mana Cost: 15 per strike.
+8 Might
+5 Speed
…..
Everclean Brooch (Rare)
A finely crafted silver brooch shaped like a folded cloak. Used better beneath a garment or within clothes. The energy inside will then scatter across the clothing, cleansing any stain, odor, wrinkles, and minor wear. It extends upon the user’s entire body no matter the size, and needs a short cooldown afterwards.
Fabric Maintenance–Mana Cost: 10, Cooldown: 5 minutes.
Van and Ander looked eager for the bracers, while Nicky’s eyes showed a clear desire for the brooch. But then a squeal was let out by none other than Haley, nearly surprising Aidan when she pulled out a silver band with several fuschia colored gems encrusted on the surface.
“Ooh, this is perfect! Aidan, check this out! This is a must for you!”
Surprised, Aidan took it from the eager Haley, wondering why she seemed so ecstatic for giving him something. When he scanned it, however, he clearly saw why she was so energetic.
Merunian Pale Star Bangle (Epic)
Created with advanced magical development, the bangle is suffused with power capable of boosting the wearer’s mental and magical faculties. It uses ambient mana to create a small film of magical energy that covers the wearer’s body, using Intelligence as the base for the initial defense. It protects the wearer from minor physical and magical attacks, and can be restored later on by collecting the ambient mana again.
Film Barrier
+20 Intellect
+15 Wisdom
+12 Perception
Requirements:
Level 25+ Mage or equivalent Magical Class.
“You gotta be kidding me,” Aidan marveled at the bangle, looking a lot more impressive with such an impressive description.
“I know, right? Isn’t this the sort of thing you need?” Haley beamed, sounding more excited for his stead while he was just flummoxed.
“Nice eye, Haley,” Aidan commented, completely unsure of how to feel. However, a sense of gratitude welled from within as he smiled. “This is absolutely perfect for me.”
Deciding not to hesitate any longer, he put the bangle on, and he immediately felt the effects. The stats poured in, making his mind clearer and his mana more pronounced, along with the barrier it provided according to the description. He could actually see a small layer of mana covering his entire body, though it was so faint, it was easily missable. It was also apparently invisible to the eye as everyone looked at him, ready to hear what he thought about it.
“It’s definitely worth it,” Aidan said. “It made my Intelligence score shoot up like crazy. And it looks like I can still wear it with my Arcane Ring. Double nice.”
“Nice!” Haley cheered.
Aidan looked back at his bangle, wondering if whether he should just wear other stuff that boosted his stats just for the sake of getting titles. If he had this bangle before hitting 50, he would’ve easily gotten the title just by wearing the thing. He wondered whether rich people just had to wear these super awesome equipment just for the sake of getting these stat-boosting titles.
Then again, the requirements were pretty hard to hit. This was also an Epic-rarity item, so it made sense that not everyone could just wear this and instantly get a free title.
Before doing anything else, he couldn’t help but pat Haley on the head. She chuckled, pushing the hand away in embarrassment.
He wasn’t sure why he did that, but he felt like doing it. The way she was so happy for him to get something so valuable made him feel warm inside, like having his family congratulate him for his success back in the old world.
“It looks like the path to the end is that way,” Nina stated, getting everyone on point as she indeed pointed to the pathway through, a seemingly long hallway that led to what looked like a walled-off enclosure with two giant doors at the end.
The party managed to recover enough of their resources as they ushered along, with Aidan configuring his abilities and stats before finally approaching the twin doors.
Because he could feel it then. Thankfully there wasn’t any powerful surge of anti-magic that would get in his way, but he definitely felt that a being was inside. A being rather powerful in comparison to the simplistic ogre who had size and physical power at its command.
“This isn’t going to be easy,” Ander stated, his sword out in the open and keeping it steady. “In fact, it’s going to be a lot harder than the ogre fight.”
“Every single bone in my body is screaming potential death is hidden inside there,” Bill said. “Honestly, nobody would blame us for finishing things here and just going back.”
“Well, that’s all up to our dear contractor then,” Nicky said, staring at Nina. “So what do you think? I’m just going to be honest–Aidan is impressive, but we’re talking about the final boss of the fifth floor. According to some journals I picked up, it’s the official guardian of the halfway point of the dungeon. It’s going to be leagues above any monster we have faced so far.”
“That’s exactly why we need to do it,” Nina said. “According to Aidan, the threat that’s coming will eventually tear the city apart and burn it to ashes. What better way to prepare than to fight a powerful foe on our own terms?”
The group grew quiet after that. Van eventually raised his hand, gathering their attention.
“Should we… participate?” Van asked, both him and Haley looking at Aidan for confirmation. “You know I’ll keep a lookout for Haley, but if I’m being honest, I think we’re just going to be a burden in this fight. Our levels are barely 30, and we were already going too far with the ogre fight.”
“Van, we can just have Aidan cast Infuse on us!” Haley offered. It looked like there was more fire in her eyes in comparison to her brother. “And we’ll just keep out of the way. Maybe we can even offer some distraction or something!”
“That sounds risky as fuck,” Aidan admitted. “But don’t worry–I have a plan for that.”
Before they could say anything else, Aidan pulled out his swords he always used for his relays. He gathered them all together when they reached the end, and handed each sword to both Van and Haley. They held up the swords, looking at the blade in confusion before facing Aidan.
“What’s this about?” Haley asked.
“As long as you have those swords, I can cast magic through them and help you out in case anything happens,” Aidan said. “But Van’s right; it’s better if you stay out of the fight if you can and just support from far away if possible. Nicky, you think you can support them like before?”
“Maybe if I get some more of those fancy gear you made,” Nicky smirked. “With those, I can probably do a lot more than just protect these two.”
Aidan rolled his eyes as he handed more of his personal crafted gear to Nicky, including some armor and accessories he had piled up. Each one was basic in its enchantments, normally offering more resistance or easier mobility. They even have some effects that include making a barrier or creating blades of pure magic to attack or defend, causing Nicky to squeal like a toddler before adding them all in.
He also offered the same to both Van and Haley, making sure nothing was to happen to them throughout the fight. As for the others, they already wore their own gear that had their own effects, while Nicky is the sort to use all manner of tools and relics, like that magic-dispersing cube, as her way of fighting.
“Alright, are we all prepared?” Aidan asked one final time. The party all nodded in silence, which got Aidan to nod back.
Facing the twin door, he pushed them open, using his Infused physical stats to move them. The door grinded against the ground, a horrid screeching noise that echoed loud in their ears.
The inside was nothing like how the cavern looked around them. Azure walls made of pure metal surrounded them, with several glowing marks that seemed to radiate power that felt unlike anything the gems had given off before.
When they stepped inside, their footsteps clanged against the metal floor, which surprised the others as they took in the scenery. The entire area was filled with dense mana, something that easily affected Aidan as he looked up to the ceiling.
The room was big enough to house an entire mansion and its outer fields, something that didn’t give Aidan a good sign of what’s to come. And just as he expected, his senses blared in warning as the ceiling above suddenly opened up to reveal a yawning darkness.
A large figure soon landed from it, its four paws slamming the ground with a deafening noise. It looked like a beast, but it was made entirely out of metal, the parts connected together in joints and gears as probing lights marred its surface.
Sharp angular features reminiscent of a wolf showed as it opened its big maw, the fangs replaced with blades as it roared, a sound clearly mechanical yet primal echoing out.
Merunian Guardian Hell Hound, Level 51.
Is that a fucking mecha-dog?
That was Aidan’s last coherent thought before all hell broke loose.
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