The sun hung high overhead as Sam sprinted for dear life, his relentless pursuer showing no signs of stopping, only gradually slowing down. Never in his wildest dreams could he have envisioned finding himself in such a situation—being pursued by a hobgoblin throughout the night was a ludicrous scenario too absurd to fathom. Yet, there he was, the target of a very angry and powerful hobgoblin's relentless pursuit.

Sam recognized this particular hobgoblin—it was the Butcher, an elusive boss on this floor. The Butcher reveled in carving up inexperienced delvers who overstayed their welcome on the first floor, and it had only been defeated once. Sam had one advantage that the Butcher lacked—endless stamina. He exploited this skill to the fullest, and the tired hobgoblin was already showing signs of exhaustion. It was just a matter of time before the relentless pursuit took its toll, and the Butcher succumbed to fatigue.

Five long hours later, the Butcher finally collapsed with a resounding thud, gasping for air as it struggled to breathe. It was utterly exhausted, unable to muster the energy for even the most basic of functions.

Sam, fueled by a mixture of desperation and determination, rushed forward with his bent copper sword, mercilessly hacking at the tired hobgoblin's eyes. The pink blood splattered across his face, but Sam remained relentless. He continued the brutal assault until only empty eye sockets remained, oozing with pink blood. Without hesitation, Sam positioned his copper sword at one of the vacant eye sockets and drove it deep into the creature's brain, bringing a swift end to its torment.

With the deed done, Sam swiftly dismounted the lifeless hobgoblin just in time for it to dissipate into a puff of thick, dark smoke. From the dissipated remnants emerged three items: a red potion, a blue potion, and a plain black sword with a hilt crafted from goblin flesh.

Sam inspected the red potion first, and a black screen popped up a second later.

[Weak health potion:

Restores some health when consumed.]

Sam then moved on to the blue potion.

[Weak mana potion:

Restores some mana when consumed]

Then the sword.

[Black jade sword[U]:

All wounds caused by this blade will bleed nonstop.

Unique skill: Bleed[1], Mend[1]

Traits: Growth, bond]

Sam stood in awe at the extraordinary loot before him. The jade sword, a one-of-a-kind drop, seemed to emit a subtle, captivating glow. The rare health potion and exceedingly rare mana potion beckoned to him, their vibrant hues promising vitality and arcane energy. His hand extended towards the jade sword, and as he touched it, a refreshing coolness enveloped him. In that moment, a profound connection forged between Sam and the sword, as if it had become a seamless extension of his being.

A swift verification of his status affirmed this revelation, unveiling a new section labeled [Bonds]. Subsequently, he turned his attention to the mana potion, swiftly consuming its contents. A peculiar warmth surged through him, rapidly diminishing, and a prompt materialized before his eyes.

[Status effect gained:

+1 Mana/s

Duration: 10 seconds

Freeze?]

Sam forcefully pressed the affirmative button in his mind, fearing the loss of the coveted status effect. His skill sprang into action, instantly freezing the status effect with its sole charge. Though the skill consumed its only charge, Sam remained unperturbed. The peculiar warmth within his body resurged, intensifying with each passing second until a distinct click resonated, unveiling a message before him.

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

[Second stat unlocked!]

Sam pulled up his status page.

[Name: Sam [No last name]

Age: 20

Unique skill: Effect editor[U] [0/1 Charge]

Stats unlocked[2/???]:

Stamina: 20/20(+1/s)]

Mana: 5/5(+1/s)]

Bonds[1/1]

Jade sword[U]

Status effects:

+1 stamina/S [∞]

+1 Mana/S [∞]

Skills:[0/7]

Sam's grin widened; he now possessed mana, and not just a limited amount, but an unlimited reserve. Countless possibilities unfolded before him. He could envision himself as a mage, a wielder of magical swords, or any other fantastical role. His skill proved to be a marvel, and all that remained was to exert the effort and reap the rewards of his diligent work.

Mana, a perilous force, was challenging to manipulate and notoriously obstinate. It explained why mages were a scarce breed; many met violent ends before fully embracing their magical potential, while others abandoned their pursuits out of fear. Sam empathized with their decisions; he too would reconsider if faced with the prospect of descending into madness or transforming into a monstrous entity while harnessing mana.

He intended to keep his distance from it until he secured a means of healing; the potential hazards were too significant. Furthermore, the threat extended beyond physical harm to the realm of his sanity. Sam contemplated delaying any interaction with mana until he reached floor 20. There, he could enlist the expertise of a local mage to guide him through the intricate art of manipulating mana without succumbing to its perils.

Sam grasped the health potion with his free hand and proceeded forward. If he could retain it until the next day, there was a chance to acquire another status effect and potentially unlock a new stat. That might prove to be the most challenging task yet, considering he had no proper place to securely store it after losing his pack.

Sam continued walking for quite a while until he noticed a trio of goblins. They were unusually well-armed for their kind, donned in leather armor and wielding swords that showed minimal signs of rust. The moment Sam spotted them, they also locked eyes on him a few seconds later.

These goblins, unlike their brethren, refrained from screaming. Instead, they observed Sam with a wariness that was evident in their cautious expressions and hushed conversation in their alien tongue. Sam cursed inwardly, recognizing them as evolved goblins on the verge of becoming hobgoblins. This posed a significant threat to him.

Before they could initiate an attack, Sam tossed down the health potion with as much care as possible and sprinted forward, swiftly closing the gap between himself and the goblin on his left. With a horizontal swing, the goblin lost an arm, and a torrent of pink blood began to flow. The goblin paled and collapsed within seconds.

Before Sam could reposition himself to dash towards the other goblin, a sword slammed into his chest, carving out a small chunk of his flesh. Sam let out a scream, the intense pain nearly causing him to drop his sword as waves of agony coursed through his body. With nimble steps, he retreated, increasing the distance between himself and the two remaining goblins as much as possible. Circling back around, he swiftly grabbed the health potion and began running again. Sam realized that he was losing a lot of blood while he ran, so he had to drink the health potion, which slowly closed up the wound.

The evolved goblins initially pursued him, but fatigue quickly set in, causing them to relent and stop halfway. Sam contemplated the idea of attacking them while they were exhausted but ultimately dismissed the thought. They outnumbered him, and he was aware that pushing his luck too far in a single day could have dire consequences.

Sam continued his sprint, contemplating the best approach for collecting the goblin ears required to complete this floor. His primary advantages were the sword and his seemingly limitless stamina. If he could leverage these without putting himself in mortal danger, it would be a significant advantage. Additionally, he considered the possibility of gaining a new [Skill]. There were various methods to acquire skills, including repeated actions after unlocking the status page or obtaining skill stones from boss-type or unique monsters. Each skill had unique attributes, making them valuable and diverse.

Sam considered another strategy: waiting until nightfall to lure out the butcher, defeating it, and hoping for valuable drops that could expedite the goblin ear collection process. He harbored the additional hope of acquiring a skill from the boss monster, recognizing that it was largely undocumented due to its unique nature and the specific conditions required for its spawn. The guild had declared it simply wasn't worth the effort, and given the guild's infallible reputation cultivated over hundreds of years, most people ignored the boss-type monster. Only a few daring individuals attempted to hunt it, but their efforts yielded nothing useful. Over time, some even forgot it was part of the floor or that it existed at all.

The more Sam contemplated this strategy, the more it seemed sound. Thus, he decided to go with it, lying down and slowly munching grass to alleviate his hunger as he patiently waited for nightfall. Time passed agonizingly slow as he was unable to sleep, not that he wanted to as that would be stupid. But he wished he had some other way to pass the time spent waiting for nightfall.

His inability to sleep led him to try his hand at meditation, a practice he had always wanted to explore but never found the time for. Taking deep and steady breaths, he aimed to be as relaxed as possible, clearing his mind of any specific thoughts as he closed his eyes.

Slowly, the world faded away as his other senses became muted and distant.

[Congarts! Conditions met! Have Mana+ try to meditate]

[Skill: Mediation[1] granted]