Alexia

Days pass over the course of my leveling, and soon those days turn into weeks, and eventually months. But despite that, my leveling doesn’t get too far. Even with me killing monsters on a daily basis, almost all the time.

Because the higher my level becomes, the longer it takes to level up. Even with the enemies being the same level as me. To the point that I’m only reaching level 700 now after spending three entire months in this place.

I continue grimacing at the notification staring me in the face.

The Three Months have passed.

The Event will end the moment every last participant leaves the dungeon.

Until then the dungeon will stretch on, and no one will be allowed to enter it.

It’s rather infuriating, if I’m being honest.

And that’s not all.

I open up the leaderboards again.

[Dimensional Champion Leaderboard]

[#1 Isabella d'Aragon – Level 751]

[#2 Lucas Nightshade – Level 721]

[#3 Alexia Knight – Level 701]

[#4 Sartori Silva – Level 700]

[#5 Ignivara – Level 691]

[#6 Artorius del Argon – Level 690]

[#7 Ethan Silva – Level 671]

[#8 Alexander Frost – Level 659]

[#9 Vallius Karan de Volt Hellmouth – Level 658]

[#10 Voltari – Level 658]

I’m still not back at the top position. Not even in second.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Although, I did at least manage to claw my way back to the top thanks to this dungeon event. So there’s that.

Doesn’t change the fact that Isabella is still ahead of me, and her lead is just growing. It’s not shrinking, it’s growing.

Lucas on the other hand is leveling up at about the same speed as me.

I can only guess most of the people in the top ten are in Dimension-Dungeons right about now. Since I can’t really contact others outside of the dungeon.

The only people I can contact right now are also in the dungeon. Which kind of makes it useless.

Probably should’ve gotten communication rings with people who didn’t enter the dungeon. But it’s too late now.

And my phone can’t connect through the dungeon, making it useless.

I let out a sigh after both the notification and the leaderboards vanish, leaving me to continue wandering through the maze that has been my damned home for months now.

Please, may all mazes in the dimension be burned to the ground some day.

Actually, if I get strong enough to do that, I absolutely will.

Destroy every last maze in existence.

Sounds like a plan.

I haven’t even gotten to the Tier 5 dungeon yet. Meaning anyone waiting for me outside of this dungeon is going to be waiting for a long fucking time.

Except for those Dimensional Council meetings that I’ll be no doubt pulled into even while in here. Council meetings that better not make it so I’m not able to return to the dungeon.

My thoughts come to a halt when I turn a corner and find myself staring blankly at the exit to the maze.

And I just kinda stand here staring for nearly half a minute, trying to process what I’m seeing.

I’m… out of the maze? But… I’m not even halfway through the dungeon.

Or am I?

I cautiously begin to step towards the edge of the maze before peering into the cavern and finding it filled to the brim with more creepers.

Lots. And lots. Of creepers.

Huh.

The cavern itself is massive and filled with what look like odd webs made of some sort of metallic silk. And, uh, some sort of fleshy silk as well. Like a silk made out of flesh and blood.

Rather disgusting.

Meanwhile the creepers are just wandering all around it.

I don’t even need to identify them to know that they’re all higher level than me by a decent chunk. Somewhere around fifty or so levels.

That said, if these things are the level I think they are…

I go ahead and identify the closest one, only to teleport right up to it and stab my polearm into its head before teleporting away again, using the surprise to kill it right away. Then I focus on the results of the identify.

{Creeper of the Maze’s End – Species: Fallen Creeper – Level 751}

Yep. I was right.

Looks like I did just leave the first half of the dungeon.

Only took me three months.

To my complete lack of surprise, the moment my feet hit the ground, I get a message from the System.

[You have entered the Tier 4 Boss Area, the Creeper’s Nest.]

Thought so.

After teleporting, I noticed a faint shimmer on the ground. And I sensed a hint of a rift.

Which generally mean a separated area in the dungeon.

Fortunately I killed the creeper before it notified any of its pals of my identifying it. But I had to be sure.

Not that it ended up mattering after I spotted the rift and got that message though.

That aside, the first boss of this dungeon should be somewhere in this cavern. And considering how this boss is halfway through the dungeon, there will likely be one more boss at the end of it and no more in between here and there.

Except possibly hidden area bosses. Which I would actually be inclined to try fighting.

Would probably give me some good loot.

Then again, unlike the other dungeons outside of this place that give me nothing but garbage that I end up selling for a fortune – goes to show their value of worth – the loot in this place is actually rather nice.

Anyways, putting that aside, none of the creepers have noticed me. Despite my having killed one of them.

Although they did notice the one I killed dying, even if they don’t know where I am exactly.

A faint smirk tugs its way onto my face.

Finally. A good use for my cloak.

Well, other than the added magic and physical damage resistance it’s given me.

Up till now it’s kind of been rather useless thanks to my aura.

But these creatures can’t sense my aura. Something I’ve noticed since a long time ago.

So my cloak is actually doing what it should.

I still wish I could get control over my aura though. Still at the top of my list of things to learn with Energy Manipulation.

Now then.

Time to find that boss.