The minotaurs of this Dungeon were slightly different from what I remembered them.

Ranging from level 15 to level 21, they struck much harder, such that I had to use a bit of Chi to reinforce myself. Not a big problem, but it also showed clearly that a Falna was superior to my Level Up system. And, I probably also lacked those special Development Abilities that were specific to a Falna.

No matter, I will adapt. I had to.

I still had my CYOA abilities, and that made me much better than anything a normal human with a System could be.

"Yeah, baby! Level 20 now!" Lisa yelled as her exp climbed rapidly from the bovine massacre.

Probably the equivalent of a new Level 2 in Orario. And still without her special 8 Development Abilities. Then again, Lisa had Esper powers which likely counted as a bonus level up. Maybe more.

"The quality of mercy..." I began Chanting, making a circle of blue healing rain around me. Nice. At least the Magic I obtained from Orario still worked.

Which meant the 4 Grimoires I had stored in my pocket dimension should still work. The cheapest had been 100 million valis and the most expensive 350 million. You really had to be a billionaire to get equipped properly in Orario.

And here on Earth, it will be worse. A Javelin missile would likely kill a Minotaur, but it also costed 200000 dollars. But unlike some country that would run out of tanks, the Dungeon would spawn monsters non-stop, ruining the budget of any army that tried to push with conventional weapons.

There was basically zero chance any army could reach even the Floor 18, where I planned to make our camp. At least if things were the same and no monsters spawned on that Floor.

Even while musing on the future, I kept moving and fighting, while also trying to cultivate and gather Chi in my Core.

The basics of cultivation had filtered in once I chose my Cultivator class, cluing me into the first three stages: Core, Aura and Palace. I expected to reach the Palace stage at 50 Chi stats on the gamer screen.

Still, moving while cultivating was hard, similar to moving while chanting. It took mental concentration, which in turn helped me gain Mind stats a bit faster.

I kinda hope it would get easier, because Bosses would require all my attention. Not to stay alive, but to keep Lisa alive. And then murder the Boss.

Damn you game system! A gamer was not supposed to manage this kind of stuff while murdering monsters. Make it automatic or something. I was busy!

"Minotaurs are not that hard. Why are you angry?" Lisa asked as she drew close, then sat down to rest.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

I summoned my Black Ghost to continue the massacre and sat down as well.

"Managing cultivation while fighting is aggravating. Even if my Mind keeps growing. I reached 19 stats already." I muttered with a shrug.

"Oh? My husband might be getting smarter. Earth beware, for Pef will become a genius one day..." Lisa whispered in a teasing tone.

I sighed inward. My Chi was still only 42. I closed my eyes and focused inward, drawing Heavenly Energy and gathering it inside my Core.

My Spirit Weapon hovered above my head, feeling much lighter and easier to move since I gained Lightening. And the extra Guiding skill surely helped as well. And if Honing the weapon gave it extra damage, then Reinforcement should grant it more durability...huh. This was basically the same setup as the Falna, with Dexterity being changed to Lightening, Endurance to Reinforcement and Honing with...

Maybe they didn't translate perfectly. But much like the 4 fundamental forces in physics, these 4 attributes would be required in any universe.

And then there was Magic.

"Animals will begin to transform outside. Some will become Beasts and attack humans on sight. People fighting them will receive a game screen." I mused softly, warning Lisa about the changes to come.

"Esper 39. I want the Goliath next." she answered instead, even if her voice became mildly colder.

Right. We had a purpose.

I jumped to my feet and ran towards the next Floor, Lisa keeping pace with ease.

As the tiger-men called Ligerfangs appeared next, Lisa exploded with Esper powers, butchering hundreds with every blast.

Right! She'll soon become an Rank 4 Esper, the kind able to demolish cities by themselves. I was worried for nothing. My companion wasn't just pretty and smart, she was a powerhouse as well.

Instead I focused on my Chi, and began Honing the sword until I felt it like a third arm, but imbued with energy.

A wave of my hand sent the sword in a spiral, chopping through hundreds of Ligerfangs like they were made of foam. I was becoming strong as well, if differently than my Esper wife.

And indeed, as my Spirit Weapon returned and sheathed itself at my side, my Chi climbed once more, to 43 points. Honing also grew on the game screen, reaching medium. Kinda make me wonder what higher grades will do.

Eh. I will surely find out one day. The Dungeon would only get deeper and wider as we go.

Then the 7 meters Goliath punched through the Dungeon wall, and Lisa ran on invisible steps to punch its head off.

I had my Black Ghost ready to intervene if things got dicey, but Lisa had it handled.

The Goliath's head exploded like a melon, and then two items fell to the floor. A vial and a long tooth.

*Goliath blood. Grants a boost to all stats.

*Goliath tooth. Durable material able to conduct Magic.

Lisa stored the loot in her inventory, and ran forwards until we crossed into Floor 18 and its peaceful monster-free lake.

"Yes! I needed a source of pure water for my potions." she exulted with a joyous voice.

I nodded gently and sat down. "Your Divination should work like clairvoyance. And if you can see a distant place..."

Lisa sat down beside me and leaned on me. "Telekinesis, telepathy, teleportation. I figured it out too. But I probably need my Esper stats to reach 50 before I try."

I hummed to myself, thinking a bit further. It was a bit strange, with the Dungeon appearing under the Richat Dome. This was the exact place where Cauldron's base was, and Eden lay dead and shattered. If Lisa gained a strong clairvoyance power, could she reach Earth Bet from the Dungeon?

Was it possible? Or better said wise? My Mind ticked over into 20 points as I meditated, which was probably a bad sign.

Beasts growing strong enough to fight tanks would be bad, but the Simurgh piercing the dimensional veil and coming here would be apocalyptic.

My sword fell and pierced my head, to bring down death and peace. For 3 seconds.