The fight took place in forested and snowy terrain which masked their footsteps as the duo crept closer and closer to the roars. He kept his ears alert for runners, listening for soft pitter-patters on the snow. There! Caesar spotted a flash of color behind a towering tree. The duo maneuvered around the area, keeping an eye out for others. A good distance away, he peeked out from cover and spotted a person kneeling on the snow.

She had short brown hair and wore a dark green cloak. Comfortable furs wrapped around her profile. Her breaths were heavy, and her eyes stared at the direction of the noise. His eyes turned gloomy. While he wasn’t aiming for a fight, he needed to be prepared if it happened. He distributed most of his party’s free stat points.

Caesar

Free Stat Points: 6 -> 2

Strength: 7 -> 9

Vitality: 14 -> 16

Skeleton Mage

Free Stat Points: 2 -> 0

Strength: 4

Agility: 5

Endurance: 6

Magic: 17 -> 18

Willpower: 6

Spirit: 8 -> 9

Tomb Hippopotamus

Free Stat Points: 30 -> 0

Strength: 16 -> 19

Agility: 2 -> 11

Vitality: 16 -> 19

Magic: 7 -> 14

Willpower: 6 -> 9

Spirit: 6 -> 11

Caesar chose to mitigate the hippo’s weakness of agility. He hoped the increased Agility would let it turn quicker and recover from a bad charge, even if its mass hindered the effects of the stat. Primarily, it only needed strength and vitality to fight, but its magical options gave him a few greedy ideas. He expected superior necromantic spells in later ranks and wanted to access to those, prompting Spirit to rise. Good materials found later on could replace the unmaximized Strength and Vitality.

Then, Caesar approached her. He walked close enough to touch her but only his loud greetings managed to jolt her awake.

“Hey. What’s going on?”

She looked slightly shocked to meet a random man in the middle of nowhere. Her mouth opened a little and closed as she glanced toward the skeleton mage. It stood there without displaying its earlier vigor or intelligence. Caesar hugged his spear a little tighter and kept his trembling under control.

“Found anything good in this area?”

His boldness forced her to calm down a little. As she stepped back, she said, “No.” Her voice trembled.

Caesar quirked a brow. “That’s it? Why were you running?”

“None of your business.”

“I disagree. It looks like you might need some help. I’m searching for a dungeon around here.”

Her body language gave her away. She backed away a little, nervousness in her eyes. But Caesar gripped the lifeline firmly and continued to talk as he walked toward the battle.

“I think you should accept the help. I’ll just join your party, but I’ll only take a couple of materials. Is that acceptable?”

She hesitated a little but followed, providing Caesar with information about the bear they faced. Apparently, it towered above the party members, its height when standing reaching the tops of trees. Under its fur lay skin so rough and tough that their weapons failed to pierce. Giant Form and Barkskin. Which is the facet?

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The way ranking up worked was that the being would gain a new aspect to their ability, called a facet. Then, the ability would undergo sublimation, improving an aspect of the original ability or any facet. The spectral shield from earlier, if sublimated, might allow multiple charges of the ability before cooldown. Its facet might involve conjuring armor onto the skeleton. These were only one of many possibilities acquired after ranking up.

Most bears did not reach the heights of treetops, even with Giant Form. He was more inclined to believe Barkskin as the facet over the rank two sublimation of the original ability. If so, its defense would have less chances to be stronger.

When Caesar broke through a thick line of trees and reached the battlefield, he only saw an elephant-sized bear scanning the ground for enemies. I guess it could reach some treetops? Although unbroken wood covered its body in a tough armor, it nonetheless presented little threat to him.

Gray Bear – Rank 2

[Rarity]: Common

“Shoot it.”

The skeleton mage responded with an unpowered fireball aimed at the bear’s head. The shot rang true and small cinders began to burn its face. It roared and lumbered toward his location. Caesar and his skeleton ran back to the forest, away from the beast. The woman following him looked confused and scared.

“I thought you could handle it?”

“Not in an open field,” Caesar said. “I need the trees.”

The bear trudged its way through the trees, bending some and snapping more. Its bulk allowed it to follow him. Doubt arose in the woman’s eyes, and she turned to leave in the other direction. Caesar fled the scene with a giant bear chasing him. He noticed pools of blood dripping on the ground, indicating broken skin – they had pierced its bark but it regenerated – and a way to mark his location. Leave if you want. But Max will find you again.

He ran into another dense section of the forest. A small delay between their speeds let him summon Max to sniff out any signs of life. The place was empty. Perfect. He awaited the bear to smash its way into the grove. It came, with a sharp growl. But Caesar instead smiled grimly.

As the bear charged at him, a behemoth of white bone appeared in its path. A pale barrier snapped into existence around him. The bear crashed into the hippo, and enormous jaws snapped onto its leg. Bone and bark crunched, and the bear crumpled in pain. Empowered fireballs lit its defense on fire.

Caesar stood by and watched, pleased with their work. He climbed a tree and watched for other people that might approach. The bear continued to struggle, trying to dislodge itself.

[Notice]: Congratulations! You have leveled up to Level 11! +2 Free Stat Points

[Notice]: Congratulations! Your Skeleton Mage has leveled up to Level 16! +1 Free Stat Points

The roaring died down shortly afterward. A large mass of black energy rushed toward him, healing the minor injuries and cracks the behemoth suffered after its shield had shattered. It began to regenerate, the dim glow brightening with every minute.

Caesar jumped down and approached it to scratch its ears. He inspected it for any white chain markings and nodded, satisfied. It snorted and continued to tear into the corpse of the bear.

Caesar waited for it to finish eating before he replaced the hippo for Max. The group rushed back toward the clearing with the adventuring party. The wolf followed the scent of the woman who left and led the group toward a small, starry portal hidden in the foliage. It looked transparent – a sign the portal was about to reset, randomizing the teleportation location. He rushed in with his two strongest summons.

Dungeon Detected!

Starry Forest

[Type]: Field

[Level]: Rank 2

With no signs of life present at the dungeon’s entrance, Caesar unsummoned the hippo and replaced it with Max. He surveyed the area as his wolf began searching. Crusted, dark soil wrinkled beneath his feet as he turned his head skyward. Pale green tree leaves swayed with a constant breeze, and glittering lights shimmered above in the night sky. He breathed in deeply. A clean fragrance of dew on grass and rain on dirt scented his nose. The dungeon’s interior contrasted sharply with the afternoon snow outside.

The wolf gave a low howl as it led him in the direction of the adventuring party. The group crept around in the underbrush until they sighted a group of four. Caesar unsummoned Max and studied them from a distance.

The woman from earlier had a role in the middle of the party. Two men walked in front of her, wielding iron swords, axes, and shields. Another woman walked beside her carrying a bow. All wore sturdy fur clothing. Two warriors, an archer, and a likely mage in a square formation. Easy to fight if it comes down to it. An average rank two would have been able to confront that bear and not scatter like rats. While he doubted their strength, Caesar still noted the size of the archer’s bow and deduced a piercing ability from the bear’s wounds.

He trailed from behind with his skeleton mage for a few more paces. Auroras of light illuminated the area, prompting him to duck behind cover. He strained his ears for footsteps and placed a hand on his spear, ready to engage. A few seconds later, he peeked back out. The group of four had walked into a circular ring of trees. Caesar waited a minute for any signs of combat.

A bright light gleamed from within and pierced the night sky.

A miniboss? He frowned at their amateurish inability to recognize the arena. Most minibosses were at the dungeon’s level which the system displayed - not something they could fight. He waited until they left in case they sprung a trap on him. A long time passed. Caesar twiddled his thumbs and frowned.

He grew impatient and summoned Max. The wolf sniffed the air and shook its head. The group had left. Crafty. He presumed one of them had a speed-type ability to run away. Usually, minibosses did not chase those who either spared it or did not engage.

Caesar slowly approached the area with Max in the lead. Halfway through, he unsummoned him and rushed toward cover. A tall deer stood in the middle, grazing. Occasionally, it glanced in the opposite direction of Caesar. He noted this direction down as the team’s escape route and identified the cervid.

Starlight Deer – Rank 2

[Rarity]: Uncommon

He did not fear its rarity. Furthermore, necromancy posed as much a threat to the light as the light did to it. Thus, Caesar prepared to fight the deer. He crept around the ring of trees and tried to detect the adventuring group.

Nothing. With the area clear, he summoned his tomb hippo and sent it to attack.