‘You want to learn more abilities? Oh… This is the first time you ask me about how to improve yourse—N-no, no, it’s okay! You asked the right person! Let’s see… Huh? Did Clara tell you that? Well, you could obviously copy the skills that are compatible with your class, but I suggest you can come up with your own! Trust me, the Novus’ Combat System is super flexible. You can unlock new abilities through pure experimentation. So use the tools already at your disposal in a way that makes sense, and the System will interpret them as a new skill. Got it? Hmm? W-why are you giving me that weird look? I can’t explain it more easily than that!”

That’s what Amelia told me a couple of days ago, and I've witnessed it. My constant use of Quick-Thinking while aiming my gun unlocked the ‘Steady Shot’ skill.

So, with that in mind, I’ll force Anastasia to learn a new skill…

Every time Dylak charged forward, Anastasia kept him at bay by creating ice stalagmites. Her movements and the speed of her spell-casting had radically increased thanks to Alan’s stat manipulation.

The frustrated Dylak missed every hit, creating craters where Anastasia was standing just a moment ago. The ground trembled, clouds of dust covered the battlefield, and spikes of ice sprouted out of nowhere for over a couple of minutes.

“Stay still, you bitch!” Dylak shouted, jumping and trying an aerial attack, which the NPC blocked with an improvised ice ceiling, as sturdy as any wall.

“How much time until dawn?!” Alan asked Aaron through Party Chat.

“Seven minutes.”

“What about your temperature, Anastasia?”

“It keeps lowering every time I use Ice Crafting, Master. It gradually becomes harder to move.”

“Don’t worry. The next thing I’ll ask you to do will heat you up. So, what do you think, Aaron? Will it work? Will she be able to learn a new skill this way?”

“Skills and Special Moves are learned at a faster rate while fighting a formidable enemy… So it’s possible.”

“All right, then! I think it’s time to try it. These defensive maneuvers won’t work any longer,” Alan said, watching the exasperated Dylak tearing through the thick ice barriers in a more desperate manner.

The boss shouted: “I know what you’re trying to do, Alan Warden! I assure you that stalling this battle until dawn won’t work, you coward!”

Alan exhaled, remembering his battle against the Wereweasenox, and the skill that allowed Bella to defeat such an overwhelming enemy.

Once the battle was over, I checked Bella’s body. She had burn marks all over her chest, back and limbs. It was painful to see, even if she could not feel it… But this time, we’re prepared.

“Anastasia…” he called, as a black claw pierced the ice wall in front of them. “Do it.”

“Yes, Master.” She nodded, turning her magic sword off. She then emanated a red aura that surrounded her body. “Major Fire Boost, Overheat.”

Anastasia’s ‘mechanical body’ looked incandescent for a moment, while puffing steam out of vents in her back.

Notice: Minion’s stats increased.

Strength + 1Vitality + 1Agility + 1Spirit + 1

Warning: The ‘Overheat’ state will damage your minion overtime.

“Whoah! This is as good as the Creature of the Night boost! Perfect! Did lowering Anastasia’s temperature beforehand work?”

“Yes, Alan,” Aaron replied. “Ignore the System’s warning. It’ll take some time for Anastasia to reach a critical state.”

“All right! Now, use Modding and subtract one point from Vitality, Agility and Spirit each, and add them to Strength.”

“Auto-casting, success. I’ll show you the results.”

ANASTASIA

STRENGTH

SILVER C

VITALITY

SILVER E

AGILITY

SILVER E

SPIRIT

BRONZE B

POTENTIAL

BRONZE A +1

“Potential increased? Did we get a free extra point?”

“No. The system automatically updated it according to Anastasia’s new stats. It is a very rough estimate.”

“Fine by me! Anastasia, crush him!”

Once the vampiric boss tore down the last defense, Anastasia deflected his incoming claw with a shield bash and hit him in the face with her sword. The unsuspected Dylak stepped back, bleeding from his nose.

“For a moment I thought we may have killed him, but that attack didn’t decapitate him at all!”

“Even though Anastasia’s strength increased, Dylak’s Vitality is so high right now that her silver-tier blade can’t cut through his skin!” Aaron informed.

“Whatever!” the flustered Alan cried out loud, casting: “Mechanic-Class Active Skill, Puppet Master!”

“Anastasia has accepted the connection.”

“Aaron, create new keyboard shortcuts for her Ice Crafting.”

“Done.”

“Good! Let’s end--”

“Even with all those boosts, you’re still outclassed!” Dylak shouted, kicking Anastasia so fast that Alan could not block in time. The NPC ended up crashing against a dead tree that turned into dust, 65 feet away.

“D-dammit, I couldn’t see his movements! Don’t tell me he was holding back!”

“No, Alan. This results from you connecting with Anastasia. Hers and Dylak’s Agility are so high right now for you to keep up.”

“I-it’s okay, it’s okay. I’ll compensate for it by using Quick-Thinking and Puppet Master at the same time!”

“You could, but Alan, a quick reminder,” Aaron said, floating in front of his face to get his full attention. “Having Ghost in the Machine constantly active consumes mana. A tiny fraction, yes, but a steady one, nonetheless. You have also been using several Active Skills during the night without a single break. If you use Quick-Thinking now…”

“I’m fine! Amelia gifted me this bracelet,” Alan said, lifting his arm, showing the blue-encrusted piece of gear. “This gives me a Spirit bonus, so I’ll use that!”

“Only a minor boost, Alan,” Aaron called, simulating a concerned tone of voice. “The only reason you still have mana is thanks to the item.”

Suddenly, the memory of Amelia, gifting him the bracelet crossed his mind: “I crafted this for you. I hope you like it. You do? I mean, of course you do! I have good taste, eh? But this is not only cosmetic. Consider this a gift to celebrate that you have finally found a class you’re comfortable with. Since you explained to me that you benefit from the Spirit stat, I imbued this with a lazurite… N-no, you got it wrong. It may look like a high-end piece of equipment, but this is still a bronze-tier gear. I’ll craft you a new silver-tiered one once you reach level 20, okay?”

“I’ll be fine!” Alan said, pushing the little spirit away. “It’s only a matter of minutes until Dylak gets debuffed. So let’s concentrate on surviving for now, okay? Active Skill, Quick-Thinking!”

Alan regained control of Anastasia and sent her forward where Dylak awaited, standing still.

“Earth Boost, Living Fortress…” the boss casually cast before Anastasia stroked him with her sword.

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The result: Her blade shattered into pieces.

“It felt like hitting an anvil,” Anastasia said.

“Yes, I know…”

I saw the exact moment when he reinforced himself, all in glorious slow motion, and I just didn’t make her stop…

Dylak roared victorious and threw a punch, but this time, Anastasia dodged it.

“Anastasia, remove the Ice rune before discarding the sword’s hilt.”

“Understood.”

“Alan,” Aaron interjected, “without a weapon or a piece of gear to encrust it, she won’t benefit from the rune. The belt you gave her already has an effect, so it won’t be compatible.”

“Aaron, this is a mechanical body we’re talking about! So… Anastasia, put the rune in your right arm!”

“Roger.”

Notice: Incompatible item detected.

“Um…”

“You’re not giving me any breaks, huh? I at least commend you for having imagination,” Aaron said, sighing. “Give me a moment while I change Anastasia’s specifications.”

Congratulations!

You have learned a new skill!

“Woah! I love you so much, buddy! And… um… you kind of sounded like an older brother, you know?”

“How should we call the new--”

“TUNING!”

Notice: Minion has equipped a new item. ‘Ice Rune’.

“Yes! Let’s fucking do this--!”

Warning: Your Mana Points have dropped to 0 .

Alan fell to his knees, feeling dizzy.

I can barely breathe, as if my lungs had stopped working. My chest aches. I feel needles traveling through my veins. My limbs are burning. My mouth is dry. It suddenly became difficult to see.

It’s fucking painful, man…

“I… I didn’t know that running out of mana was this severe…”

“Master, are you okay?”

“K-keep fighting! I’ll be alright!”

“But…”

“Give him a minute. I’ll assist you,” Aaron said to Anastasia.

“You’re open to an attack, my boy!” Dylak shouted, once he noticed Alan kneeling. He dashed towards him, but Anastasia shielding him, making him chuckle. “My sweet girl, why are you still attached to this piece of garbage you call a shield, after all the enhancement you’ve gone through? Here! Let me show you how useless it has got!”

The boss got into a fighting stance, while projecting a wind, green aura.

“Dylak is preparing a Special Attack!”

Having Alan behind her, Anastasia could do nothing but hold her position.

“If I could only have an Earth Boost like him… Could you teach me ‘Living Fortress’, Aaron?” she asked.

“Of course not! I know I’ve been the MVP of this team, but don’t ask for impossibles! Use your Ice Rune as an alternative and surround your whole body with ice!”

“Understood, Aaron. I’ll try it.”

Three seconds before Dylak could unleash his attack, Anastasia clenched her right fist, activating the blue gem inside her wrist.

“Ice Crafting…”

“HELLSWIPE! Nya-ha-ha-ha-ha!”

Dylak’s Special Move comprised a series of fast consecutive slash attacks. While laughing out loud, his claws swept furiously against Anastasia’s shield, which only endured two hits before getting cut as if it was made of wood.

The other fifteen swipes hit Anastasia directly. All of them were delivered in two seconds.

When Dylak finished, he grinned at the sight of her exposed silver, metallic chest, covered by deep scratches.

“Did you see that? Your own body has now become harder that the pathetic steel you were holding so dearly! Not bad, my child! For a regular NPC without the NU update, you have a lot of guts! I’ll give you that!” Dylak then narrowed his eyes, noticing the ice dripping from her body. “Did you also cover yourself with—Nya-ha-ha-ha! You’re all so fun! You and your teammates, Alan! It seems that all of your minions have learned from your fighting spirit!”

“Correct,” Anastasia whispered, puffing out steam from her back again. “Mayor Fire Boost, Overcharge+.”

Dylak frowned. “Over-wha—?”

Without her regular weapons, Anastasia was forced to use her fists. The first punch to the face threw Dylak off-balance, and the second made him cough blood.

Notice: Boss’ HP at 37%.

“What is she doing?!” Alan asked Aaron through Party Chat, for he could not regain his sight yet.

“Since the Overcharge boost is still active, casting it again has turned it into an improved version.”

“Don’t call it ‘improved’! The downsides will double, am I right?! She’ll overheat faster!”

“You’re right. But I don’t think she cares.”

“Ice Crafting…” Anastasia muttered while a thin layer of ice and a series of spikes covered her body.

“Don’t you think this’ll turn you slower, my child?!” Dylak cried out, trying a kick to the head.

Anastasia remained still, raising her arm at the last instant to catch Dylak’s feet. “Ice Crafting,” she repeated, freezing it.

Dylak broke his own leg before the ice could advance through his body and jumped back. “B-Blood Crafting,” he hissed, creating a new red limb.

“Well thought, Anastasia!” Aaron praised. “Although using that rune slows you down, your reaction speed doesn’t get affected. You have returned to being in control of the situation. Let me just monitor your Mana… Oh…”

“What? What is it?” Alan asked as he stood up. Squinting, he could finally distinguish the silhouette of his protector in front of him.

“Anastasia has run out of mana…” Aaron replied.

“Oh. That’s…”

Ricardo Silva has sent you a Party Chat request!

“Freaking finally!”

“Yo, Alan Warden!” the voice of the Glitch Administrator was added to Alan’s personal audio chat. “How is it going, champ?”

“If you’re joking like that, it means that you know about my situation, don’t you?”

“That’s right. I know everything about your little vacation to ‘Bugged Dungeon’… He-he… Ahem… I have good and bad news. And the bad news may get worse depending on your current progress.”

“Please be quick…” Alan said, as he watched Anastasia charged forward to punch Dylak in the gut.

“The good news is that I have already reinstated Count Dylak’s Dungeon to its natural estate. It no longer creates duplicate bosses, nor will you continue to be trapped there. I’ve also stripped that faulty Dungeon Director of her ‘what-was-Viola-thinking’ Administrative Powers. Once the dungeon resets, it will be gone for good. I don’t need a whole glitched dungeon in my virtual world… The bad news is that this is still Viola’s jurisdiction, so I can manually reset it. She hasn’t responded to my messages and calls. She’s known for being a heavy sleeper. So in the meantime, in order to return everything to normal, the dungeon must be reset normally.”

“You mean… by beating Dylak?” he asked, glancing at Anastasia again, grabbing Dylak and head-butting him.

Can an NPC get pissed?

“No. You have to beat all the bosses, without exception,” Ricardo continued. “That’s why I mentioned the ‘it may get worse depending on your progress’. I’m sorry for asking you to do this.”

“Aaron,” Alan called, “share this info with Clara.”

“Done. I’m also sending a message to Ashley, since she is available.”

“Thanks, buddy. And don’t worry, Ricardo! Thanks for fixing this mess. We’re almost done here! Did you hear that, Anastasia? No need to hold back anymore! We can go all-out!”

“Alan…” Aaron interrupted. “I’m sorry to be that guy, but you have to see this.”

DUNGEON PROGRESS

BUTLER MARICK

* DEFEATED *

COOK MONIER

* DEFEATED *

COUNT DYLAK

ONLINE

C0unte$$

Online

HOUSEKEEPER BILMUR

* DEFEATED *

- data not found -

-

HOUSEMAID ELIZA

* DEFEATED *

PROFESSOR SPIEGEL

* DEFEATED *

“What the…?”Alan muttered, while feeling a cold pressure inside his chest. “WHO THE HELL IS THIS… ‘COUNTESS’?!”

“Master Alan?”

Warning: Minion’s temperature increasing.

Warning: Minion has taken damage due to the overheating.

Notice: Minion’s HP at 53%.

“Holy--! Are you all right, Anastasia?!”

“No. I can’t move my body…”

“That’s the toll of constantly using Modding, Alan!” Aaron informed, as a blinding beam of light reached Alan.

He could see the first sun rays behind the hills in the distance, and Dylak projecting an increasing shadow against them.

Notice: Boss’ HP at 29%.

“Oh, crappy shitpants…”

“Good training, Alan!” the boss said, while he diminished in size. “I’m so proud of you!”

Before Count Dylak lost his ‘Creature of the Night’ boost, he punched Anastasia with all of his strength.

The female NPC got sent flying backward, accidentally hitting Alan in her trajectory.