Sai stepped outside from the abandoned mage tower, marveling at the night sky. The darkness adorned with shimmering stars, scattered like diamonds. A sense of joy washed over him as he recognized the familiar constellation above. Despite being summoned to this new world, the constellations remained unchanged.
Sai wanted to check his status one more time before he started his next difficult task. “Blessing.”
Level 8 Title Hero Agility 15 Durability 140 Mana 3 Mind 3 Strength 3 Remaining Points 0 Gift Sour Apples
Slither slowly left Sai pocket and crawled up to his ear. “So what do you want to do now?”
“What we do everyday my dear snake,” Sai started to walk. “I’m going to get answers.”
“Where are we heading?”
“The Dungeons.”
“Can’t we stop for a meal first? I can really go for a rat right now.”
“We can eat later,” Sai jumped into the air and circulated his mana. He was hopping on the air like it was a ground
Hop. Hop. Hop.
Sai jumped down. “All the practice paid off,” Sai said grinning. “I finally mastered Cloud Step.”
Slither ruined his parade. “You have much room for improvement. Besides, if you truly master it, why not use Cloud Step all the way to the dungeon.”
“Hahaha,” Sai laughed awkwardly. “My mana isn’t big enough to last that long.”
“Now your just making excuses.”
“Anyway, let's head to the Dungeon and stop Benjamin's nefarious plan.”
----
When Sai and Slither were inside the Dungeon, a pack of eight Horned Dogs greeted them.
The dogs circled Sai, baring their teeth and snarling in a display of aggression.
Sai remained composed, his focus unyielding.
The pack of Horned Dogs, driven by their aggressive instincts, attempted to charge at him all at once.
Sai's fists were like lightning, striking with incredible speed and precision. With every strike, skulls were crushed, and opponents were swiftly defeated. The clash of bone against bone filled the air, creating a symphony of victory. Sai won against the group of Horned Dogs as easily as flipping his hand.
“That was easy. I can solo these Horned Dogs without breaking a sweat!” Sai cheered happily.
“Stop wasting time, we have an entire dungeon to explore,” Slither commented.
“Yeah, yeah, let me savor my victory.”
Sai and Slither ventured into the dungeon. As they delved deeper, they encountered several Horned Dogs, but Sai swiftly overpower and defeat each foe. Meanwhile, Slither memorizes the entire dungeon's layout from the book from the Queen palace library. Slither effortlessly guides them towards the elusive flight of stairs to reach the next floor.
Although the stairs lacked any notable features, Sai had noticed that they were ascending rather than descending. It puzzled him, for he had assumed they would lead downward like most caves. Nonetheless, he kept this observation in mind as they proceeded further.
In the second level of Dungeon, Sai swiftly defeated all the Horned Dogs that the pair encountered.
“These guys have gotten faster,” Sai commented. The Horned Dogs were level 2 so stronger than the previous floor Horned Dogs.
Slither easily navigated to the next flight of stairs.
Sai and Slither ascended to the next flight of stairs.
When Sai encountered Horned Dogs that were level 3. The Horned Dog seems to be far tougher. They were still killed with a single hit.
A ring sound alerted him. 'Level up!'
“Finally,” Sai then said, "Blessing."
Level 9 Title Hero Agility 15 Durability 140 Mana 3 Mind 3 Strength 3 Remaining Points 3 Gift Sour Apples
“My punches are way too lethal,” Sai said.
The reason why swords were better than using just your bare hands is because a sharp thin edge will allow you to concentrate more force in a smaller area.
It doesn’t even account for added weight and range a blade will give you.
Still after a month of training and looking into Sword and Martial manuals, Sai decided to stick with his fists.
His punch resembled brass knuckles in terms of its exceptional hardness. Striking someone in the face with such force could cause severe injuries, potentially requiring a hospital visit.
With his Durability attribute, most weapons were useless against him. With his very skin and muscle being stronger than steel.
Durability attributes over 100 points is no joke.
Some of these cute Horned Dogs tried to bite Sai and found their sharp canine teeth fractured or broken from his near invisible skin and muscles.
Sai added the remaining points to the Strength attribute.
Level 9 Title Hero Agility 15 Durability 140 Mana 3 Mind 3 Strength 6 Remaining Points 0 Gift Sour Apples
“Let's show these monsters what I can do!” Sai with his new upgrade in strength. Bulldoze through the Horned Dogs in the Third Floor.
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Sai and Slither ascended to the Fourth Floor of the Dungeon.
Sai quickly encountered a group of Four Horned Dogs. The Four Horned Dogs were level 4. The Horned Dogs growled aggressively and had their horns glow.
Fire Balls.
Lightning Balls.
Dark Balls.
Wind Balls.
The Horned Dogs launched all their magic against Sai.
Sai tanked the magic hits and was left unharmed. “These dogs can cast magic now?!”
Slither helpfully added. “Silly hero, didn’t you know the Dungeon monster gets stronger the deeper you go?” Slither said in a smug tone.
“This is so unfair,” Sai muttered. Giving magic to these Horned Dogs raised the difficulty by a lot.
The only reason Sai made this far is because of his insane durability and Slither navigation.
Sai charged against the Horned Dog and swiftly defeated them with his punches and kicks.
Sai continues to crush the Horned Dogs that he encountered. Some Horned Dog blasted him with a magic other charge and tried to bite him to death. All of them were beaten to a pulp.
Sai and Slither reached the Fifth Floor in the dungeon.
The Horned Dogs that Sai encountered were more organized. Some would physically attack in his blindspot and others used magic at a range. In the end he defeated all the Horned Dogs in his path to reach the stairs to the next level.
Sai entered the Sixth Floor of the dungeon.
Sai entered the Seventh Floor of the dungeon.
Sai entered the Eighth Floor of the dungeon.
Sai entered the Ninth Floor of the dungeon.
As each floor progressed, the Horned Dogs would experience a significant boost in their abilities. They would exhibit enhanced speed, a greater force behind their physical attacks, heightened magical prowess, increased durability that made them tougher to defeat, or an elevated level of intelligence.
The Horned Dogs were becoming a menace. It would take Sai longer to reach the next floor. Especially with an army of Horned Dogs in his way.
Sai entered the Tenth Floor of the dungeon.
A huge group of Horned Dogs, each one level 10, were charging at Sai with claws, fangs and magic.
Slither was yelling. “Run you fool! Run!”
Sai bolted in the opposite direction while the Horned Dogs were chasing after him.
With Sai superior speed and the twisting Dungeon path helping him. Sai escaped from the Horned Dog stampede.
Slither hissed in Sai ear. “We need to go back! If we go any farther we will be literal dog food!”
Sai shook his head. “No. Let's go back to the Ninth Floor. We will search for some Repel Orbs and use them to get deeper into the Dungeon.”
“Why didn’t you do that before? We could have saved a lot of time!?”
Sai shook his head. “This was my backup plan. I didn’t know how far I could get into the dungeon with my own power. I guess the Tenth Floor is my limit.”
Slither sighed. “Let's just go find those dumb Repel Orbs. I am getting sick of this dungeon.”
Sai luckily arrived at the Ninth Floor and eventually found multiple Repel Orbs for his journey deeper into the Dungeon.
“How long does the Repel Orb last?” Sai asked.
Slither answered. “Exactly one hour.”
“Good. We will get to floor 15 before we know it,” Sai smiled holding the Repel Orb. “Repel!”
Sai entered the Tenth Floor of the dungeon.
Sai entered the Eleventh Floor of the dungeon.
Sai entered the Twelfth Floor of the dungeon.
Sai entered the Thirteenth Floor of the dungeon.
Sai entered the Fourteen Floor of the dungeon.
Sai entered the Fifteenth Floor of the dungeon.
Sai with multiple uses of the Repel Orb was able to reach the Fifteenth Floor.
----
In the peaceful ambiance of a serene pond, a man sits immersed in the soothing waters, his body partially submerged. Balancing himself on a sturdy wooden platform, he indulges in playing a piano.
The piano, carefully positioned on a small floating platform, appears to defy convention as it confidently floats atop the tranquil surface of the pond. With each delicate touch of his fingers, melodies ripple through the air.
As the man's hands gracefully dance across the keys, his movements seem effortless, unaffected by the watery environment surrounding him. The notes he elicits from the instrument resonate, both melodically and metaphorically, blending with the ethereal atmosphere of the scene.
“Do you enjoy the song Sai?” Benjamin asked the Hero that was approaching him.
Sai ignored the question and looked over the intact Demon Gate. The Demon Gate looked to be covered in blood, other than that, it was a smooth black metal surface. “You didn’t destroy the Demon Gate.”
Benjamin took out a round clear glass ball with a symbol on it. “Not for a lack of trying.”
Benjamin tossed the ball at the Demon Gate. The glass ball broke.
Boom!
A large explosion occurred that covered the Demon Gate.
When the smoke cleared the Demon Gate was unharmed.
Benjamin approached the Demon Gate and rubbed it. “I have been trying for countless days to destroy this relic. I wish I had the key to open these Demon Gates,” Benjamin turned around and gave a smile.
“Benjamin.” Sai was trying to be calm. “Why are you trying to break the Demon Gates? Don’t you know how many people will die if you destroy it?”
Sai liked Benjamin. He only meant the man for a short time, but he benefited greatly from the encounter. He wouldn’t have learned the Cloud Step. He wouldn’t have meant Mitton. He wanted to believe Benjamin couldn’t be evil.
Benjamin moved away from the gates and started to walk on the water approaching Sai. “I thought you would understand. Sapphire Principality is corrupt,” Benjamin then shook his head. “It is beyond saving or redemption. It needs to be destroyed for the world to prosper.”
“So the best solution is to break the Demon Gate and have millions of innocent people's blood on your hands!”
Benjamin moved to the piano and played some notes. “Is the lives of the Sapphire Principality worth the lives of the Ruby Republic and Emerald Country? We worked so hard to remove the shackles of an abusive nobility and a monarchy that doesn’t care about us!” Benjamin yelled. “Princess Ophelia wants to burn our countries to the ground and enslave us! Why don’t you understand! Haven’t you felt our pain! Don’t you understand that we are fighting for our freedom!”
Sai realized there was no way to convince Benjamin. This was too personal to him. His solution was genocide which Sai could only condemn. “I am not letting you destroy the Demon Gate. Too many innocent people will die for your vengeance. I will stop you Benjamin.”
Sai led a mundane life as an office worker. When exposed to news about a child being subjected to violence on the farthest corner of the globe, he would carry on with his routine. However, should he encounter a child being mistreated right before his eyes, his sense of responsibility would be sparked, compelling him to step forward and intervene.
Sai didn’t think of himself as a hero or saint. But he hoped that his good deeds outway his bad deeds.
Sai, muscles tense and fists clenched, advanced cautiously towards Benjamin, who stood with a calm demeanor, his gaze focused and determined.
Without a moment's hesitation, Sai lunged forward, delivering a powerful punch. However, Benjamin swiftly sidestepped, conjuring a curtain of water from the nearby pond to deflect Sai's relentless assault. The water shimmered and danced in response to Benjamin's command, creating a liquid barrier that absorbed the impact of Sai's blows.
Undeterred, Sai pressed on, launching a barrage of strikes with unparalleled speed. Benjamin, agile and composed, manipulated the water around him with finesse, forming sharp whips that slashed through the air, attempting to ensnare Sai. Yet, Sai's durability allowed him to endure the attacks, and he continued to close the distance.
As Sai closed in, Benjamin decided to change tactics. He gathered water from the pond, creating a swirling vortex that surrounded him. The water spiraled with increasing intensity, taking on a tempest-like quality. With a forceful gesture, Benjamin unleashed the watery tempest toward Sai, aiming to engulf him in a torrent of liquid power.
Sai, recognizing the imminent danger, braced himself. The torrent crashed against him, but his superhuman durability held firm. Emerging from the deluge, Sai seized the opportunity to counterattack. He lunged at Benjamin, fists moving like a blur, aiming to break through the defense of water that surrounded his opponent.
The Dungeon reverberated with the clash of fists and the splashing of water, creating a chaotic symphony of battle. Benjamin, despite his skill Water Magic Arts, found himself challenged by Sai's relentless assault. The struggle continued, each combatant pushing their limits in a dance of strength and magic within the confines of the Dungeon.
“In just a month your this powerful!?!” Benjamin shook his head, “I will be leaving now. The Demon Gate is far too sturdy to be destroyed with everything I prepared.”
Benjamin raises his hand above him. “Enjoy my last gift to you.”
They fell from the ceiling, a rain of monsters. Bodies of red starfish. Mouth that resembled vampire, opening their mouth wide to consume him whole.
“Vampire Starfish,” Sai said hypnotically. “Demons...”
Holy Magic concentrated in Sai hands. The Holy Magic emits a golden hue. Sai transitioned from a clenched fist to a different hand position, adjusting his hand to mimic the shape of a knife blade.
With his hand enveloped in Holy Magic, Sai swiftly struck the nearest Vampire Starfish with a chopping motion. The Holy Magic infused within his hand effortlessly cleaved through the creature's flesh, slicing it cleanly into two distinct halves.
Sai repeats the process, with every Demon that reaches his range. They were chopped in half.
The bisected Vampire Starfish were lying dead near Sai feet. Sai moves closer to Benjamin.
A ring sound alerted him. 'Level up!'
“Heroes do not fear demons,” Sai proclaimed confidently.
“Farewell Sapphire Hero,” Benjamin held a Magic Orb in his hand and said. “Escape.”
Benjamin teleported away.
Sai was feeling cheated that Benjamin ran away.
“You really need to work on being a hero,” Slither said.
Sai could only sigh tiredly.