Before Devon ventured into the cave he grabbed the ape's quarterstaff and shoved it into his inventory. The system identified it as another class F weapon, but more disposables meant more utility. He figured he might be able to use any skill he got with the quarterstaff with the spear as well, since they were both essentially just poles.
Actually, I should test whether I can use skills with different weapon types to begin with. I would think I could use Sever with a dagger or other bladed instrument, but the system may restrict the usage of skills.
He hadn't used any of his skills in the last few fights, content to let his mana slowly regenerate. However, he decided that it would be a good idea to start experimenting with them a bit going forward, that way he could figure out how best to use them.
He took a brief glance at his stats too. Most everything was proceeding as expected, except for one stat in particular.
Spirit: 14
He'd noticed spirit didn't gain boosts from his titles, and it remained mostly unaffected by levels. Mostly.
He simply hadn't taken too much notice of it on levels 10 and 11, as he had more pressing concerns on his mind, but a discrepancy was becoming a lot more obvious now that he was getting 3 points in every stat per level due to his class bonus.
Spirit was gaining stats, even if the rate was far slower than all his other attributes. Specifically, it was gaining a single point per level. Since it hadn't increased to 2 points per level he had to conclude it was either coming from his inherent racial gains or the mysterious source. And if he had to guess it was more likely the mysterious source.
He advanced into the cave, and almost immediately his suspicions about the mountain's structure were all but confirmed.
The space he entered was rectangular, like a manmade building. There was also an empty doorway on the far end of the room that led to some adjoining space.
Activate magic; Light.
A ball of light burst into being before him, illuminating the room. It was nice that the spell only had a starter cost of 10 mana, then would remain indefinitely so long as he maintained it. He looked upon the ruined room under the new light and marveled at how weathered the structure was.
Just how old would a ruin have to be for a mountain to solidify around it?
The stoneworking was infinitely better than what the ancient humans had used at least. He advanced forward, ball of light illuminating the path ahead. The room beyond was considerably less weathered, likely due to it being more protected from the elements.
One path became many as he delved deeper into the ancient structure, until Devon had to focus to stop himself from wandering aimlessly. His objective was to see what the ape had determined was important about this place, so he looked for signs of the ape's passing.
It wasn't too hard to find them. Even monstrous fantasy apes were still animals, and they seemed to relish breaking whatever stone remnants of whatever culture had once lived here. Whenever he walked into a room with a stone countertop or fixture, he knew to turn around and look elsewhere. Rooms full of nothing but rubble became his guideposts, and he followed them willingly.
The notification came as he found a room with two of the apes inside.
[Notice]
You have entered naturally occurring Dungeon [Mountain Den].
Dungeon rated Class E, level 35.
The system all but told Devon he had hit the jackpot. If the ape had been protecting a little nest or some bauble only a primate would consider a treasure he would have been extremely disappointed. But a den? Just how many of the things potentially lurked within the depths, just waiting to be hunted?
It could be a goldmine of experience.
The high level rating could be an issue, but if it starts to look dangerous I'll just leave.
He went ahead and examined the two chimps in the room ahead of him.
[Mountain Ape - Level 20]
[Mountain Ape - Level 19]
They both seemed obsessed over some piece of shiny metal they had found, and they looked on the verge of fighting over it.
Can't have you fighting each other. Your exp is mine.
Devon took out one of his javelins before stepping around the corner of the doorway he was behind and lobbed it straight at the lower level ape. The metal sliver shot forward like an arrow and impaled the ape before it could even react. Devon still wasn't the best at aiming though, so instead of hitting the torso he had lodged the javelin in the monster's abdomen.
The ape roared out in pain, and the other leaped back, surprised at the dangerous sliver of metal that seemed to come from nowhere.
Devon let loose his second javelin, and this time his aim was much better. It skewered the ape through the chest, causing it to keel over.
Kill - [Mountain Ape - Level 19] - 72 Talons
[Level up. Level 14 obtained.]
The other ape was onto him by now, and it roared in rage seeing its fallen brother. Devon had to back around the corner of the door again to dodge the rock the monkey chucked at him.
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The oaf of a creature barreled through the door after him, but Devon was ready for it.
Activate skill; Quickstab.
Devon's spear pierced the ape's neck in an instant, the immense speed even surprising Devon. Even more surprising was that the speed effect continued even as he removed his spear, leading to a stab and removal so fast the ape didn't seem able to comprehend what happened. Still, that wasn't enough to kill it instantly.
With a gurgling sound from its mouth, the ape swung at him wildly with its weapon, a huge piece of slate with jagged grooves along the edge that formed a prehistoric looking sword.
Devon didn't retreat but instead leaped over the wild swing, raising his spear above his head.
Activate skill; Shatter.
He swung his spear down with the weight of a boulder, and the pole of the spear caved the ape's head in. Its eyes exploded out of its head, followed by a burst of blood and brain matter before the creature slumped over dead.
The spear in his hands bent at a horrible angle as the blow struck. Clearly the pole had not been meant to withstand the impact of a hammer's skill. Still, the fact that he could use skills with other weapon types was incredible.
Kill - [Mountain Ape - Level 20] - 45 Talons
[Level up. Level 15 obtained.]
It was a bit annoying that the level 20 ape gave fewer talons than the level 19 had, but such was the nature of repeat kills. What was even more annoying was how slow gaining a level was now. It took 2 monkeys, both at least level 19, to level up from 13 to 15. And he somehow got the feeling that even those just barely gave him the levels.
A roar from deeper within the ruins snapped him out of his reverie. The ape at the entrance may have been there to repel intruders, but there had been no other apes around to hear its call. In here the cry would have reverberated through the structure, alerting who knew how many more apes. He was in the den now, after all. A multitude of other roars echoed through the halls following the first, and Devon knew he was in trouble.
He quickly ran over to the first fallen ape and retrieved his javelins. He also discarded his spear, as it was completely useless to him now that it was bent all out of shape after being forced to bear the brunt of Shatter.
Next, he ran.
Shit, which way did I come in again?
All of the rooms around him had the trademark broken rubble of the ape den, and Devon found himself quickly losing his composure at the cacophony of roars that echoed through the ruin.
Devon ran through the ruins, not caring which way he was going so long as it got him away from the scene of the slaughter. He found a stairway that only led up, so he took it. This turned out to be a mistake, as there was an ape at the top. The ape had been running through the halls, but stopped and roared when it saw Devon.
Devon cursed and brought out a dagger. The staircase was too cramped to bring out any of his other weapons, so he simply leaped forward, dagger in hand.
He tried to plunge the smaller blade into the ape's neck, but the oversized gorilla just swatted him aside, sending him flying. He flew out of the cramped confines of the staircase into the room beyond. Devon managed to twist himself in the air and hit the far wall feet first, like a cat. He was growing used to having enhanced attributes, and though the apes were strong, they would have to put some real backbone into actually hurting him.
He dashed forward off the wall as the ape charged him. The ape tried to tackle him, and Devon decided to throw caution to the wind and accept the challenge head on.
However, instead of just tackling back and turning the fight into a wrestling contest Devon struck out like a viper, punching the Ape with all his strength in the center of its chest. He felt several ribs break, and the ape let out a low cough as the air was forcibly pushed out of its lungs.
The full weight of the ape slammed into Devon, but the ape itself had lost its will to fight, and simply rolled off Devon while clutching its chest in pain. Devon reached over and pierced its eye with his dagger to finish it off.
Kill - [Mountain Ape - Level 19] - 27 Talons
Just as he got up and prepared to keep running, shaking his arm to try to work some feeling back into the limb that had just taken an impact that would have completely shattered it before, another ape entered the room, but this one was different.
[Strong Mountain Ape - Level 26]
[Discovery Bonus]
Devon scowled. If the progression of strength was as exponential as Devon thought it was, this one would not be nearly as easy to kill. He threw his dagger back into his inventory and tried to bring out his axe, but the ape was on him before he could pull the weapon out of his tile.
The ape bodyslammed him into the wall at his back, and with a loud crash, the wall gave way under the force. Devon felt like he was about to puke his guts out from the force of the blow.
He had to shove that instinct deep inside, as when he went through the wall he saw not the ceiling of yet another room, but a cavernous roof far above him. He twisted his body around as he fell by kicking the ape in the side as hard as he could. Devon didn't have any leverage in midair, so it wasn't very strong, but it was enough.
He turned around just in time to brace himself for impact, but the direct confrontation with the stone ground below knocked the wind out of him again.
A piece of stone came down from above, a piece of rubble from the wall they had broken through, and knocked him in the back of the head. He stood up unevenly, the world strangely lopsided in his eyes.
He pushed through the pain as best as he could and pulled the axe out of his inventory. He just barely had time to bring the weapon up to block the fist of the ape as it tried to punch him.
The ape continued to rain punches down on him that he desperately blocked or avoided. The blood pumping in his ears blocked out everything else as his vision turned to a tunnel. His opponent became everything, and he entered a state of battle fervor he hadn't felt since the spider.
Devon held his axe aloft to block what he thought was another punch, yet the ape reached past his weapon and grabbed the hem of his shirt before yanking him forward for a headbutt. Devon responded in kind, angling his chin down before smashing his skull into the ape's nose.
The ape recoiled, surprised that Devon would turn the tables on it.
Devon gave a bestial roar and swung his axe low as the ape staggered. The axehead cleaved clean through the monkey's knee without Devon even having to activate a skill.
The ape brought its fist down in a hammer blow that Devon wasn't ready for as it fell to its knee, and Devon felt an impact like a sledgehammer rock his skull. His vision blacked out for a moment, but he didn't allow himself to lose consciousness.
He took his axe in both hands and swung it down with adrenaline fueled fury, decapitating the monkey with a single swing.
Kill - [Strong Mountain Ape - Level 26] - 243 Talons
[Level up. Level 16 obtained.]
[Level up. Level 17 obtained.]
[Axe Proficiency obtained.]
He looked up from the corpse, taking ragged breaths that caught in his throat as soon as he realized just where he was.
He had landed in another room, the shell of one at least. The upper levels of the structure it was a part of had fallen away into a dark cityscape enveloped in a massive cavern below. He stood on what seemed to be the third floor room of a building, and he could see a dozen other towering buildings ascending to the cavern's roof. Devon could see the ends of the cave beyond the outer structures, meaning the space did not go on forever but was an isolated area.
A den of apes. Apes that poured out of every opening he could see on the buildings that littered the space. Apes that all charged towards a single ruined third story room.