Once we were ready, after making both the poisoned bait and the Ice Devil cloaks, we grabbed what we could and started heading deeper into the mines, searching for the Polar Brown Bears.

It didn't take long to find them. It was much easier to search for the creatures than it was to avoid them.

Luckily, the first one we found was alone and clearly malnourished. My best theory was that this was an outcast from the pack, or maybe one that would be offered as a sacrifice in the near future.

Being the stealthier of the two, I approached the entrance of the bear's dwelling and tossed a large piece of meat, about the size of Astrid's bicep, in its direction.

The bear stood up and started growling, looking around for what had just startled it. If I wasn't behind a piece of ice, it would've noticed me. But the low light helped to hide my presence.

After a few moments, the bear approached the meat, sniffed it, and started to eat. We made sure to pepper the liver pieces over the meal, shoving each piece deep into the muscle and fat of the Ice Devil while also doing our best not to damage the meat too much.

The bear finally decided to eat and gorged itself on the meat, devouring it ravenously.

We waited a few more moments, trying to see if something would happen. Poison could be fast, but it was hard to tell what would happen with a death due to Vitamin A overdose.

We heard the bear grunting, and before long, it threw up and fell to the ground. It was still alive, but struggling. I sighed and turned to Astrid, shaking my head.

The frosted lumberjack peeked inside the room, and once she confirmed the monster wasn't going to move, she stepped forward. In a quick motion, she cut the bear's head off, or at least attempted to do so. Despite her new levels and new class, she still wasn't strong enough to do that with a single swing, not without using any skills at least.

The good thing was that the creature was too weak to fight back, allowing Astrid more than enough time to hack away and finish the job.

"How many pieces of liver did you put in that meat?" I asked once the monster had been killed.

"Two."

"Maybe we need to double that, then. We can't afford to have the bears all throwing up because of their meals," I frowned, looking at the monster's puke.

It wasn't a good smell, but at least in a cold environment like this, it was better. If this had happened in a place where the sun was strong, it would turn rancid really quickly.

Not that the regular smell of the mines was that much better. There were several bears in here, and between the rotting meat they left behind and their excrement, the entire place was nasty.

We went back to our campsite and prepared another set of bait. It took a bit since I would need to use {Compression} to make sure everything was in place, but now each piece of meat had doubled the amount of liver it previously had.

Once we were ready, we found another bear and repeated the process. This time, instead of it throwing up, it started thrashing around before collapsing. Astrid figured the same thing was about to happen again and walked forward to finish the job, but before she could get too close, we both felt a rush of SP getting inside of us. The double dose worked.

We went back to the camp and prepared the remaining bait. As I was trying to find the liver, I focused on {Compression}, but not to trigger the skill. I was trying to search for signals that it had been used. It was easier than I expected.

Since that was one of my main skills, I quickly recognized the particles that had acted to change the liver's size. It was strange to see them like that, almost as if I was looking at a part of myself. But at the same time, it was something completely alien. Still, it worked. I was able to find the pieces and take them out without damaging the meat too much.

All that care might be for naught. After all, the bears might not care if they see meat that is not in perfect condition. But it was better to be safe than sorry.

With everything ready, and this time for real, we left the camp searching for the larger packs of bears. In just a few minutes, we found that same place that caused us to fight the Ice Devil. There were even more monsters inside, with about a dozen, including a couple of cubs.

Throwing a few pieces of meat inside and leaving one by the door, we walked back, hiding in a corridor nearby. There were grunts, and one of the larger creatures even left their nest. But it was only to look around before it took the meat and went back inside.

Slowly getting closer, we got ready to fight, just in case. But not long after, we started to receive more and more SP. It started as a trickle, likely due to the fact that the particles were going to the other bears instead of us. But as their number thinned, more and more came towards us.

There were still a couple of cubs alive, and they tried to attack us.

It was easy to tell that this wasn't the same amount as we would get by killing them. But still, it was progress. Then again, I had a sneaking suspicion of the reason why that happened.

'Sys, is the dungeon taking some of the particles?'

[Correct. Anything that dies inside of a dungeon will give some of the particles inside its body back to the dungeon.]

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'That doesn't sound really fair. I mean, the dungeon is not doing anything to help those inside it to level up. It's not actively giving them more Energy or something like that, is it?'

[The dungeon is not giving any extra Energy to those who inhabit it. However, being inside of a dungeon makes it so excuse related to said dungeon are more easily acquired. In addition, one's presence inside a dungeon can also result in specific classes or mutations becoming available. There is also a third effect. Creatures that are affected by particles are more likely to feel attracted to a dungeon, as it is a place with a high concentration of SP. Meaning that creatures who decide to stay inside the dungeon are more likely to acquire more SP than they would otherwise.]

'So, every dungeon is kind of like a Kodoku?'

[System is unsure what a Kodoku is.]

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'It's an old Japanese thing. Basically, it's what they call a pot filled with various poisonous animals,' I explained.

[Inquiry, why was that done?]

'The idea was that the animals would kill each other since they are trapped inside, and the one that survived would be more poisonous than all other animals inside the pot.'

[Acknowledged. That is a good approximation of what happens in a dungeon. However, unlike the Kodoku, a dungeon should have an open exit at all times.]

'Are you telling me that there's never going to be a dungeon that traps people or monsters inside?'

[System is unable to confirm that possibility. Currently, the only information System has about dungeons comes from the Frosted Gold Dungeon.]

Astrid and I continued to search for more bears, and we found another three somewhat large dens, each with about eight of those creatures. That was truly a large number of them. If left alone, it was very likely that they would end up leaving the mines and searching for more food outside. Or that would be the case if we hadn't thinned their numbers.

By the end of our rampage, both of us had gained one more level. Astrid was now level 5 while I reached level 10, getting to the point where I was saturated. And honestly, I could feel it. It was a feeling similar to when I had a really big meal—not to the point of getting sick because of it, but to the point of feeling as if nothing else could fit. Getting more SP after that relieved that sensation, but even after we killed the last of the bears, I could still feel it.

I put my extra attribute point on Body, while my Energy increased by one naturally. In addition, my Memory also reached 10, letting me have at least 10 points on every attribute across the board.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cassandra Ydorf - Level 10 - Saturated

Titles: Enduring Heart

Tier: 1 - Formless Monk

Mind - 10 Body - 11

Memory - 10 Energy - 6/13 (5 Reserved)

Skills- 9/10

Energy Storage - Passive - 1 Energy

Memory Bank - Passive - 1 Energy

Predatory Sense - Passive - 1 Energy

Ice-Veined Strength - 2 Energy

Body Regeneration - Active - 1 Energy/10 minutes

Compression - Active - 1 Energy/5 uses

Firestarter - Active - 1 Energy

Formless Series - Passive

Formless Ice Devil’s Lunge - Active - 2 Energy

Mind of Possibility - Unavailable

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I felt a bit frustrated, as part of me was expecting to get another title or something special for making all my attributes reach 10 points. But checking the skill I got made that frustration go away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harmonized Expanse - Passive - Aspirant

Requires: At least 10 points in Body, Mind, Energy, and Memory

You have achieved a balance between all aspects of your being, unlocking the ability to harness their synergy.

Every 10 points in Mind will also add 1 point in Body and vice versa.

Every 10 points in Memory will also add 1 point in Energy.

You can permanently lose 10 points in Energy to acquire 1 point in Memory.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After reading it, I got frustrated again.

'Is that really it? That still feels very underwhelming. I mean, sure, it's an extra three attribute points across the board, but the part about permanently losing Energy to get Memory seems so bad,' I asked the System.

[Once System became aware of User's intention of reaching 10 points in all attributes, it started working on this skill. However, reaching 10 points in any attribute is possible during Tier 0. For that reason, System was unable to create something more powerful. At the same time, System attempted to follow User's wishes.]

'Thanks, I guess. But this was not it. Really,' I sighed and went to take a look at the next skill, only to realize that was the only one I got.

I thought about taking one of the skills from {Memory Bank}, but a thought crossed my mind.

'Sys, can I touch the dungeon core without destroying it or getting killed?'

[The dungeon core is a condensed mass of particles. The core itself should not have any defensive properties.]

'And could I get something by touching it?'

[System is unsure if that is a possibility, as the particles inside the dungeon core will not have skills that are compatible with a living being. However, System cannot confirm or deny the possibility of replicating sets of skills, even if in a weaker form, by coming into contact with the dungeon core.]

I talked to Astrid for a bit, and we decided to head back to the Ice Devil's lair and check the dungeon core. Thankfully, with {Compression} and a decent-sized chunk of ice, we were able to reach the top of that large area. The glowing blue orb was attached to the ceiling. I reached out, hoping to get something out of it, but all I did was get my hand frostbitten. Even the Frosted Lumberjack didn't get anything out of it.

Unfortunately, it was late, and we were both tired, meaning it was better to sleep in our camp one more night before getting out of here. Astrid also had one more idea, one thing she wanted to do before we were able to leave, and that was to take the Ice Devil's head back to the village, so she could prove once and for all that her father was not a liar.

I realized the size could be a problem, but agreed to help. As long as we found a few mine carts or anything that had wheels, I would be able to fashion something to carry the head with us. If not, it would be a nice workout.