Burning face of a goblin as it receives a kick, thump as it falls down. My hand flowing like a river as I deliver my palm with a cast, “Firebolt.”
Hurl a fiery flame towards another goblin, staggering it as the flame hits its chest. Closing in, I took the opportunity to grab and twist its neck but I couldn’t. So, I kick it away from me.
In the corner of my eye, I can see another one approaching.
“Firebolt!”
Bwoosh, its head aflame, but it’s not enough to stop it. But then, Minty passes me by with a sword in her hands.
A swing, “Haaaaaaaaaah! AAAAH!”
It slices its chest and killed it. She turns to the previous goblin and impale its body.
“Haaargh!”
“Haa… Haa…”
“That should be all of them. Good work, Minty.”
* [5x] Magic Core / Common / Contains the soul of a low ranked creature
* [8x] Goblin Ear / Common / Goblin body part
* [1x] Goblin Shiv / Common / Physical Attack: 3 / Magical Attack: 0 / Enchantment: None / Requirement: 0 Dexterity, 0 Agility
“Yeah, huff.”
“Huff, Siola look. It’s a weapon you can use, I think.”
“Hmm, oh yeah, you’re right.”
“Should be useful for something.”
Looking at me like she wanna say something, “What?”
“Nothing. I’m just… wondering why you can stay so calm. When I slice into that goblin, it felt so different than how it used to.”
“Like… it’s real, you know.”
Finger snap, “Putting the real in the realism!” I said, “Ehehehe, but yeah, I gotchu. Been doing this for more than a week, albeit, with lesser difficulty.”
“Mm. Right, the place shouldn’t be far, we should get moving.”
“Okey dokey.”
“Heh, why are you acting like that.”
We follow the dirt road further and encountered wolves. It’s large and the jagged teeth dripping in its saliva. Minty hesitant to move despite it being an ordinary wolf.
Tapping her shoulder, giving her the courage with a nod. And she nods back.
With a deep breath, she takes a quiver as a wolf lunge at us. But when she shoots, she miss—, “Firebolt!”
Head full of fire, I dashed towards it as the other comes to get us.
“Magic Volley!”
Once it’s struck by the arrow, I went to deliver the killing bow with the newly acquired dagger, stabbed deep inside the burning wolf’s mouth.
It whimpers before it died.
* [1x] Wolf Pelt / Common / Wolf skin
* [2x] Magic Core / Common / Contains the soul of a low ranked creature
! {Level UP}
“Oh, my level just went up.”
“Really? Nice.”
“Mm, I’ve added it up to Faith. Just need 7 more levels for me to be able to use [Heal Array].
“Ohoh, that’s gonna be very useful.”
“Right?”
Further down the road, we arrived at a bridge and the other end of it is an enormous gate, unguarded, and the structure itself is rundown.
[Minty]: “Down there.”
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Beside the high current river where many fish are jumping, there lies a narrow path where an extinguished torch and a sign is pinned to a rocky wall.
[Siola]: “Huh, it looks empty…”
[Minty]: “Let’s go check it out.”
[Siola]: “After you.”
Following the narrow pathway down from the bridge. Upon entering the area by the river, there we see not a single soul around.
[Minty]: “Wow, I guess we’re pretty early.”
[Siola]: “From the looks of it, yeah. People might’ve chosen someplace else or just busy trying stuff out after the new update, and that’s good, I think.”
[Siola]: “We have this place for ourselves.”
[Minty]: “Are you sure we’re going to be fine? I know I’m high level in your eyes, but I’m not really. Highest level players are around 300 or so, and people generally are in the 200 range.”
[Siola]: “Heheh, we can do it. Come on. Give me a rundown of this place.”
Nodding.
[Minty]: “Sotrieta Dungeon. Behind this gate, is full of uncommon monsters. Which is a step above what we fought so far. They don’t give much Exp, but there are plenty of them inside.”
[Siola]: “What kind of monsters?”
[Minty]: “Sprites and plants. At least until floor 6, but we’re not going beyond that floor anyway.”
[Siola]: “Oh that’s perfect for us. You can easily deal with a sprite with your bow and I can just burn plants, hahaha.”
Though it’s weird that I’m the only one laughing. She looks very nervous.
Tapping her arm, “Come on.”
Upon opening the dungeon gate, a gushing wind washes over us. It’s oddly eerie.
I cast [Firebolt] on an extinguished torch, and takes it with us inside. Dungeon delving has always been my thing. It’s like exploring the unknown. The only time I come to despise a dungeon is when I found a good farming spot and make a repeat on it.
Doing the same thing over and over again.
“Magic Volley!”
“Firebolt!”
Endurance run is all about resource management and efficiency. If one tip the scale to one or the other, the imbalance will ruin it.
Arrows flying, wings torn. Stomped like a fly.
Sprites. A small flying creature capable of immense annoyance with its wind magic. In the darkness, the intensity would multiply, but surprisingly, this dungeon has a bright level even on deeper down as magic mushroom, fireflies, among other things illuminate the area.
Their wind attack is easily intercept-able just by aiming torches at it.
[Minty]: “I-I didn’t know you could do that.”
[Siola]: “Heheh, me neither.”
The key to completing an endurance has always been about balance. And it’s not just charging through every level, no, we need rests in between our march.
[Minty]: “What you got there?”
[Siola]: “Chicken. You want one?”
[Minty]: “Yeah, why not?”
Upon taking a bite of it at the same time, our brows raised as the immense flavor of the food just sent our tongue dancing.
[Minty]: “Oh wow, that’s actually good. I mean, I tasted it before the patch, but wow.”
[Siola]: “That’s one point for Realism Mode.”
[Minty]: “Still wish we can opt out of it.”
[Siola]: “Heheh.”
As we march on, we continue our massacre upon the sprites and plants. The latter couldn’t even dodge when I set them on fire. Sprites dropping like flies, and our dropdown is filled with exp.
! {Level UP}
! {Level 25 Milestone has been reached}
! {Innate Ability has been unlocked}
* Mana Recharge / Rank 1 / Arcane / Cast and hold to gather the surrounding arcane and converts them into usable Mana by 0.1 per second / Cost: None / Requirement: 8 Intelligence
[Siola]: “Nice, a milestone. Resource gathering ability, Mana Recharge.”
[Minty]: “Ah that one, where you can spend Stamina to gain Mana.”
[Siola]: “No, this one says I need to hold as it gathers Mana from the surrounding. Doesn’t cost anything and thankfully, I got the requirement set.”
[Minty]: “It changed too, huh.”
[Siola]: “Let’s see, Mana Recharge.”
[Mana 44/50]
[Mana 44.1/50]
[Mana 44.6/50]
[Siola]: “Oh wow, I cannot wait for them to fully recharge my 50 MP next year.”
[Minty]: “Pfft. No kidding, heard it was like less than a per second I think.”
[Minty]: “So, we need what. Three more levels for your [Heal Array]?”
[Siola]: “Yeah, wanna take a break? We’ve been at it for like 6 hours now lol.”
[Minty]: “Lol, but nah. I want you to reach a comfy spot. I’m sure we’ll get you to 28 before my mom— I mean, my mother comes yelling.”
[Siola]: “Let’s get to it then. But my goodness I’ve gotta say, this place is massive. We emptied four whole floors only in the amount of time people can clear a dungeon.”
[Minty]: “Haha, we’re already plenty fast, I think.”
Continuing onward, more mushroom burning, more potion chugging. The good think about this whole update is the removal of Toxin in potion. I feel like we can chug a whole crate full of them and we wouldn’t get one thanks to the vitality requirement on the update.
* [218x] Magic Core / Common / Contains the soul of a low ranked creature
* [12x] Magic Core / Uncommon / Contains the soul of a low ranked creature
* [344x] Sprite Jewel / Common / Sprite’s innards
* [8x] Spore Mushroom / Uncommon / Magic Mushroom’s innards, can glow in the dark and be consumed to heal 5 Health / Requirement: 8 Vitality
[Minty]: “Ah, I just got a skill!”
[Siola]: “Oh?”
* Steady Hand (Passive) / Level 1 / Increases balance when aiming a bow by 10%
[Siola]: “What? How come you never got that?”
[Minty]: “Ehehehe, the game usually does the aiming for me, I mean, I use skills and spells most of the time so I rarely ever do any archery like… AT ALL.”
[Siola]: “No wonder, lol.”
[Minty]: “Lol.”
[Minty]: “So, did you get to 28?”
[Siola]: “Nope, just 26.”
[Minty]: “Really. Well, that’s Ekolia for you. After each milestone it just gets harder and harder to level up.”
[Siola]: “Mm. Should we go further?”
[Minty]: “What, to floor 7? No.”
[Minty]: “Sprites and mushrooms. Yes. But crystal golems and shadow beasts? That’s a no.”
[Siola]: “Oh.”
[Minty]: “Yeah, the difficulty spiked so hard after this one. We should get back.”
[Siola]: “I’m right behind you.”
Glancing at the deep darkness awaiting in the next floor, I know that I’ll be back to explore it someday. But for now, this girl is my priority.