"Inventory!"
A new system window appeared in front of my eyes.
I could see a lot of empty box-shaped slots drawn on the new system window, appearing just like the original game's inventory.
From a quick count, I estimated around 300 empty slots that I could use right now.
-------INVENTORY-------
[Bloodthorn Whip (Rare) x1] [Empty] [Empty] ...... [Empty]
------------------------------
All the empty slots were marked with a dark void, while the only occupied slot in my inventory glowed with a blood-colored whip symbol.
"Now, how do I get something out...? Oh, nevermind."
Just inserting my hands inside the system window allowed me to pull out whatever was put inside my inventory.
'Pretty convenient!'
Taking out my first kill reward, I curiously inspected it a little.
The blood-colored whip was long and slender, sharing the same outside texture as the original Bloodthorn Vine. The only difference were the sharp thorns that ran down the entire length of the whip, along with a Morningstar-like spiky spherical blob attached to its tip.
"Hm... Can I check the stats of my own equipment, at least?"
*Ping~*
[Item information can be checked when items are stored inside the inventory space.]
...So the inventory could also be used like that, huh?
I pushed the whip back inside my inventory space and clicked the whip symbol when it appeared on the menu.
------------------------------
>> Item: Bloodthorn Whip (Rare)
>> Item Type: Equipment (Weapon-category)
>> Item Description: Born from the deadly appendage of a fully grown Bloodthorn Vine, this bloodthirsty whip has obtained many of its innate abilities. This weapon will drain the blood of its victims to strengthen its wielder. For as long as your opponents can bleed, they can be killed.
>> Item Skills: [Bind – 30MP] || [Vampirism – 150MP]
------------------------------
"Sheesh..."
I had to admit, even though that vine didn't fully deserve its ferocious name, this rare-grade whip certainly deserved its name 'Bloodthorn'.
Leaving aside its vicious appearance, it could even drain the opponent's health to restore my own – A rare type of weapon with a healing attribute!
Granted, even with my relatively massive MP, I could only use it for a maximum of six times before I ran out, and I could only use it 2-3 times in actual combat if I used any other combat-related skill.
But even then, it was a true lifesaver skill!
After all, according to the original game, only the high-class priests and priestesses could perform recovery magic.
...Well, some expensive potions were also available that could heal the players, but they were extremely limited and had an absolute garbage cost-to-performance ratio.
The fact that I could heal myself on my own in this godforsaken demonic land was an immense advantage. Now, I wouldn't have to worry about getting some small injuries at all!
*CRACKLE~!*
Cracking my whip in the air as a test, I looked around the area around me.
Just like the time I had arrived in this place, the entire field I was in was obscured by a blackish-red miasma that lingered in the air.
Well, I didn't pay attention to it very much while fighting, but it didn't seem to affect my body or mind in any way, so I decided to just leave it alone. But if the information written on the quest window was true, and I was truly trapped inside a dungeon, then there had to be a path for me to follow here – at least according to the game.
"Haa... How troublesome."
Not wanting to waste any more time, I quickly dashed in a seemingly random direction within the miasma. And in just a few moments, I discovered the solid dungeon walls in this place, sprinting along the perimeter to find an exit point from this space.
Sure enough, my hunch soon proved to be correct as I spotted a dark tunnel leading out of the space I was in right now.
I couldn't see anything on the other side of the tunnel, but my instincts told me that this was certainly the correct path for me to take.
Taking a deep breath, I jumped into the tunnel, keeping the recently acquired Bloodthorn whip ready in my hands.
*BAM–!*
Unfortunately, as soon as I landed on the ground, I immediately found myself face-to-face with the ugly mug of another monster.
"SKREEEEE~!"
'...Another monster?'
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
A two-meter tall praying mantis happily screeched at me, rubbing its scythe-like limbs as if sharpening the cutlery to enjoy its next meal.
"Damn it."
Yep, I knew that thing's feelings very well. After all, I was hungry too, after not eating for an entire night of playing that blasted game!
"Right, don't all survival shows always talk about how nutritious insects are? Seems like I'll have to make you my dinner if I can't make it out in time..."
"SKREEEEE~!"
The monster screamed again in a shrill tone, as if it was offended, before propelling itself straight at me.
'Damn, it's fast!'
*CRACKLE–!*
I cracked my whip at the incoming mantis, but it deftly dodged it by jumping to the side.
Not discouraged by the failure at all, I kept whipping at it, making it jump all over the place.
"SKREEEEE~!"
Seemingly fed up with jumping around me, the mantis screeched in annoyance and started to slowly close in on me as it kept jumping out of my whip's trajectory.
Well, this certainly made it difficult for me to properly use my whip as it got closer, making me realize that the overall IQ of the monsters in this dungeon was abnormally high!
Even then, I still let it approach me in a calm manner.
Three meters...
*CRACKLE* *CRACKLE–!*
"SKREEE~!"
Two meters...
*CRACK–!*
One meter...
"Uwah!"
As soon as it got close to me, I showed it a pretty realistic terrified look on my face, before fumbling backward a little bit – inevitably showing an opening to the enemy.
"SKREEEEE~!"
Ecstatic, the tall mantis screeched in joy before jumping on me with its scythes targeting my throat and heart.
But just as they were about to pierce through—!
*puchi—!*
My arms moved in a blur, crossing each other in front of my face. One of them pierced through the monster's lower jaw, while the other impaled its shoulder. A transparent liquid slowly flowed out from the holes made by my sharp nails...
"What, you thought you were smart? I was just pretending, you fool."
Staring at me dumbfoundedly, the mantis tilted its head a little before its entire body went limp.
*Ping~*
[Congratulations! You have defeated a lvl.4 Hunter Mantis!]
[EXP Points Earned: +80]
I heard a notification confirming its death, but this time, there was another surprise waiting for me.
[You have leveled up!]
"Oh...ohhh!"
My level just went up!
I knew that everything was probably being manipulated by the mastermind behind my transmigration, but I still couldn't help but feel excited!
After all, the only source of entertainment and joy in my life for the past decade or so, were moments like these, playing games and watching anime shows.
The harsh world of adults was unforgiving to failures like me. In that dark and hopeless world, these games and anime shows brought me the solace I needed to keep going!
"...still, there weren't any special effects when I leveled up?"
–Tsk.
After flamboyantly showing off his power earlier, now that 'Great Existence' is skimping out on some cheap graphics. How stingy!
'Well, whatever. Let me see what changed from that level up.'
"Status."
-------STATUS WINDOW-------
>> Demon King Vanir |
>> Titles: King Of All Demons, Overlord, Evil Origin, Cassanova Of Corruption
>> Level: 2 (EXP – 30/100)
>> Race: Devil
>> HP: 120/120
>> MP: 940/1200
>> ATK: 50
>> DEF: 50
>> AGI: 50
>> INT: 50
>> STA: 50
>> LUK: 1 (Fixed)
✦ Racial Skills: Aura of Evil lvl.MAX, Uncanny Form lvl.MAX ,
✦ Acquired Skills: Claw Mastery lvl.1 (New)
✦ Free Attribute Points: 10
-------------------------------
"Hah, so it's similar to the game..."
Even though I seemed to possess extraordinarily high initial stat points, my leveling-up bonus appeared to be the standard one from the original.
Although my attribute points didn't change at all, I now had 10 extra attribute points that could be freely assigned to any stat.
My HP and MP also increased by 20%, and I even gained a new skill!
My MP went down a little because of casting the [Bind] skill on my whip twice while I was fighting that mantis, but the level-up didn't seem to replenish it at all – which was unlike the game.
"Let's not use these points right away...."
My solo dungeon raid was just starting, and coupled with the high-spec body of a Demon King, I didn't need any more firepower to deal with the immediate threats right now.
With my MP increasing with every level-up and the [Vampirism] skill from the 'Bloodthorn Whip', I would probably have enough leeway to clear this dungeon without losing my life.
And if I were to ever fall into a real pinch, I was always free to assign those points and make it out alive.
"Now, how do I butcher this thing?"
The two-meter tall mantis corpse was still bleeding out on the ground. And since I only had a whip as my weapon, not a sword or a spear, I couldn't even try to properly butcher it.
...Well, my claws – or rather, nails – were sharp enough to maybe rip out some meat, but such a method was just too barbaric. Not to mention, I wouldn't be able to muster up any appetite for the meat if I really did that.
After thinking for a moment, a light bulb suddenly lit up in my mind!
"...yeah, why should I butcher it when I can just carry it whole? Inventory!"
The familiar inventory once again opened up in front of me.
"Huk–!"
I slowly lifted up the heavy corpse from the ground and shoved it inside the glowing system window.
-------INVENTORY-------
[Hunter Mantis (Corpse) x1] [Empty] [Empty] ...… [Empty]
------------------------------
"Haha. It works!"
Mentally patting myself on the back for a job well done, I cleaned the residual blood from the huge mantis on my short pants.
Oh, yeah. I didn't notice that I changed into the Demon King's body earlier because of these clothes. How odd was the fact that I transmigrated into this world with my clothes intact, but literally changed bodies...?
'Uh... shouldn't I be seriously worried about my dignity now?'
Right. The ferocious monsters living in this dungeon would definitely not give a damn about ripping apart my clothes in a fight.
"There should be no one inside this dungeon right now. So, I guess it's fine even if I went full-on commando?"
Even if the monsters in this dungeon were intellectuals worthy of competing with 10-year olds in my world, they were from a different species in the end. There was no shame in being seen naked by those brutes!
"...But I really need to make a coat to cover myself when I get out of this place."
Putting one more thing to accomplish on my new bucket list, I marched on inside the dark tunnel.
"kreeeaaa~!"
...Slowly inching closer to the faint screeching noises coming from the next distant junction.