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Chapter 153 - Opportunity

“Hmm, I have the feeling that I got really unlucky and this labyrinth only has thirty floors.”

I reached the third boss chamber after just one day as planned. In the third section of the labyrinth, I faced more copper skeletons. This time, they summoned bows and arrows to face me. It was funny… that was supposed to be a spike in difficulty, but it was a lot easier for me, who was also an archer.

While they could attack from a distance, they were less sturdy, so I finished them off pretty soon. In any case, I shouldn’t be surprised since the other parties left the dungeon after the goblin went to look for them pretty fast.

The ones on the 29th floor could attack pretty fast, but not as fast as me, so I reached the next boss chamber without suffering a single scratch. Perhaps it made sense since I got used to the difficulty of a demonic tier labyrinth. Regardless, I decided to take a break and rest for a bit before facing the boss.

‘I don’t think that I have faced a boss that uses a bow before… It will be fun to face one on the 50th floor of a dungeon. Soloing the thing would boost my confidence in my archery skills.’

My dexterity was over two hundred, but my strength was still less than half of that. So, I couldn’t show the power of my dexterity since my arrows can’t reach as far as I can see. I probably could use a bit of engineering for that, but I needed better materials… At the same time, the blacksmithing and even the Armorsmith class will be very important for the whole process.

I needed better tools as well… I made some new ones, but they were more related form combat. I already had some ideals for working tools, but I needed those classes as well.

Speaking of classes, the Monk class disappeared from my status screen. That was needed for the Barbarian class, apparently. Even though I was certain that it was a lower level class if compared. Still, the new skills were under that class with the previous aptitude, so it was fine.

I could make a lot of new tools with the amulets, but I also needed new materials. Finding them in this land will be difficult. Might as well hurry up, clearing the dungeons and then move elsewhere if no one is willing to give me some information.

‘I guess I should make an ax for throwing… if they are small enough, I can probably create a tool to throw a bunch of them at the same time. Come to think of it, I wonder if there is a way to make amulets for skills that use stamina. If that isn’t possible, I need to keep increasing my stamina regeneration. Decreasing the cost with Stamina Conservation can also do the trick.’

I needed to focus more on that. My magic skills are improving a lot faster thanks to the amulets, but the physical ones have a lot fewer restrictions.

With those thoughts, I wasn’t able to take a short nap and thanks to the fact that the archers kept coming and trying to snipe me, I felt even less eager to insist on that. The boss fight of a dungeon with thirty floors shouldn’t be that difficult.

I knew that I might be raising my death flag, but I didn’t care either way. I wasn’t planning to drop my guard, after all. Actually, this was a good opportunity… so I decided to store my bow and then equip my short swords.

Facing the Skeleton Copper Archer Boss with my short swords was one of the best decisions I could’ve made for my training and to improve. Sure, it wasn’t easy, but that was the whole point of doing it. The boss was a ranged fighter, and closing the distance while dodging its arrows forced me to stay on my toes and sharpen my reflexes. It was the perfect chance to work on my agility and timing. I couldn’t afford a single mistake. It was a good way of improving my closed-ranged skills.

Using my short swords also meant I had to think carefully about every move. I couldn’t just charge in recklessly; I had to read its attacks, find the openings, and strike fast before it could recover. That kind of precision isn’t something you can practice against just any opponent. Fighting it head-on taught me how to handle enemies that try to keep their distance and pressure me from range.

I checked my current skill level with the short swords. Charging forward and then slashing them in front of me in a quick succession. Using them for thrust attacks while slowly moving forward as well. Imagining all kinds of attacks coming at me and then blocking them as well…

‘I guess as long as the enemy isn’t massive and can use fire magic, I can probably handle them just fine.’

I lacked experience dueling with people that are good at close range combat, so I couldn’t tell if I was truly strong or skilled, but I shouldn’t be half bad, at least.

If I wasn’t good enough, then I will end up with some arrows in my body. I decided to take those chances and then face the boss.

Stolen novel; please report.

The boss chamber was pretty similar to the other one. It was a large and worn out hall made of only bricks and some pillars. Resting against one of the pillars was the boss, waiting for me. The creature sure was trying to look badass with its arms crossed.

The boss didn’t seem different from the other monsters in this section. Aside from the fact that it didn’t have a bow and a quiver already equipped. The creature just uncrossed its arms and then summoned them in the blink of an eye.

I assumed my fighting stance as the boss nocked his arrow at me, but then I saw a certain glow on the arm of the monster… a green glow.

‘What?’

The monster fired a Power Shot. The projectile flew in a straight line at my head, but I blocked it with a cross guard using my swords. The impact pushed me two meters backward.

I saw the arrow and was able to react to block it, but my strength wasn’t enough to completely nullify its damage. The creature had already another nocked and was ready to shoot. The monster was supposed to be an undead and not have any real stamina, but here it was, using it.

‘Well, who cares?’

I began to charge at the monster, and the creature soon fired the arrow. I jumped to the side with all my might and then avoided the hit, but I felt the pressure of the shot… it passed just a few centimeters from my shoulder.

A large impact coming from my back echoed in the chamber, followed by the sound of tens of blocks of brick falling. The arrow had the power of a cannonball. I could probably endure one or two hits on my body, but not on my head.

Moreover, any amount of damage would hinder my fighting ability, so I couldn’t take any chances. When I was thirty meters away from the monster, the creature used Rapid Fire and some weaker arrows flew at me.

I crouched and avoided two of them, but the third moved straight to my head. With another cross guard, I blocked the attack, but my charge was completely stopped.

Before I could recover, the enemy used another Power Shot. It looked like the beast liked to slam its skills. I swung my right sword while smiling and then used Rage and Adrenaline Rush. My sword split the arrow in two and made it fly to the sides.

I soon deactivated the skills when I felt my blood boiling… those skills are useful, but they can also be a problem in the hands of someone who is fighting the hunger and thirst of a half vampire.

‘I didn’t want to use any skills, but I guess that was too much for a boss of this level who also uses a bow.’

The creature studied me for a moment, but soon began to spasm Rapid Fire… I didn’t know where it was summoning the arrows from, maybe it was from its ass… regardless, it clearly wanted to wound me to decrease my fighting ability.

‘I guess I can do that since it isn’t a skill…’

I ran to the side with all my might and kicking the ground as well to cover large distances, but while I kept dodging the arrows like that, I soon turned around and then charged toward the monster with all my might.

When the creature unleashed the next arrows, I threw my swords, but not directly at the creature… I made them fly in two opposite arcs to attack the monster from the sides.

The swords flew like boomerangs toward the monster and the creature jumped away, since it couldn’t see both of them at the same time. The swords still approached the monster, so it decided to use Power Shot to push them away.

It managed to hit one, but to avoid the other, the monster was forced to use its bow. Around the same time the impact happened, a shadow appeared in front of the monster and then the creature turned its head, only to see me. Before the monster could react, I slapped its face with both my hands. The impact alone made the monster stagger, but then it felt two things piercing its head. It was two of the three arrows that had fired previously. I avoided one, but blocked the other two with my hands… they were pierced through.

My blood drenched the arrowheads in blood and made the creature suffer thanks to it. I was expecting that the arrowheads alone would kill the beast. I had no idea that undead could be poisoned like that. Then again, my blood isn’t a common poison.

You received 3000 experience points.

You completed a trial. Please choose between the classes: Pirate, Fire Mage (Pyromancer), and Summoner(Warlock).

You obtained the Pyromancer class.

You improved the mana regeneration parameter

You unlocked the Aptitude: Flame Wielder

You unlocked the skill: Inferno Orb.

You unlocked the skill: Inferno Burst.

Heat Master: Gain 05 points of experience for every second an enemy remains burned.

Inferno Orb: summon a swirling orb of fire that hovers above you and can be directed toward your target. Upon reaching the target, the orb detonates, dealing damage equal to your spirit, dexterity plus your magic power. The explosion causes a fiery shockwave, dealing additional area-of-effect damage to enemies within a small radius and burning them for five seconds. Targets hit by the shockwave are also afflicted with a burn status effect, taking extra damage over 8 seconds. Cost: 100 Mana.

Inferno Burst: Unleash a wave of intense heat in an area in front of you, dealing damage equal to your magic and causing enemies within the area to be burned. The intense heat reduces their movement speed by 30% for 10 seconds. Cost: 100 Mana.