Leo knew he needed to level up quickly so he could party with Amanda as soon as possible. Yesterday, after he shared his secrets with the guild, they stayed and talked late into the night. During their conversation, they mentioned that for a party to be effective, members should have no more than a 10-level gap between them. Unlike boosting, where one higher-level individual carries others through, partying allows members to share experience points. With two or more members, they could fight higher-level monsters or tackle harder quests, yielding considerable experience points and rewards.
Amanda was already at level 50, which meant she couldn't party with Leo just yet. Boris had suggested she help with guild activities until Leo caught up. Determined to bridge the gap, Leo focused on his goal.
Back at their inn, Ai navigated to the VIP dungeons screen. "Are you ready?" she asked, her eyes gleaming with determination.
Leo nodded. "Let's do this."
Ai tapped the "Enter Dungeon" button, and a notification appeared before they were transported inside.
Spent 50 VIP coins to enter the Exp dungeon.
The world around them shifted, the familiar sensation of warping enveloping them. It felt like being pulled through a narrow tube at high speed, the surroundings blurring into a whirl of colors before solidifying into the new environment. They were now in a vast, cave-like space. The ceiling stretched high above, lost in the shadows, and the cavern walls glistened with a faint, eerie luminescence. Stalactites hung precariously, and the ground was uneven, covered in patches of glowing moss that provided a dim, ambient light.
The expanse of the cave seemed to go on forever, with alcoves and ledges creating natural barriers and vantage points. In the center was a wide, open area, easily large enough to contain over a hundred monsters at once. The air was thick with the smell of damp earth and the distant sound of dripping water echoed through the space.
A window then appeared in front of Leo, displaying a list of monsters available. He tapped on "Slime," and another window popped up. It was a guide, informing him that he was in the Exp Dungeon, and 100 of the selected monster (Aggressive type) would be spawned. After slaying all 100, another 100 would be spawned, with a maximum of 1000 monsters. The time limit for the dungeon was 5 minutes.
After reading it, he tapped "Start." A 5-second timer was displayed above them as he unsheathed his wooden sword. As the countdown reached zero, the 5-minute timer appeared, and 100 Slimes filled the dungeon, immediately sensing Leo's presence.
He gripped his sword tightly and began his swing. With a practiced motion, he sliced through the nearest Slime, the familiar resistance of the gelatinous body giving way to his strike. Notifications popped up as he continued his relentless assault.
Achievement unlocked: Monster Cleaver I!
Swordskill unlocked: Whirlwind Strike!
He stopped as soon as he noticed the first notification. Despite the slimes relentlessly attacking him, their gelatinous bodies bouncing off his armor, it didn't bother him. He opened his system and tapped the pulsing envelope icon, then selected the second item. The message opened:
You have unlocked Monster Cleaver I. Tap here to check your achievements screen.
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He tapped it and a window appeared, revealing:
Monster Cleaver I: Unlocked by defeating 20 or more monsters in one strike.
His eyes widened, excitement building up inside him. He remembered that a new skill had been unlocked, so he closed the window and navigated to his adventurer page. Under skills, he saw one with a "new" badge beside it.
Whirlwind Strike: A rapid spinning attack that creates a vortex of blades around the caster, cutting down all nearby enemies in a 5-meter radius.
His eyes twinkled with excitement as he turned to Ai, who seemed to understand his unspoken question. She bowed and jumped to the end of the cave together with the cats, leaving him with the remaining slimes.
The slimes continued their futile assault, their attacks merely glancing off Leo's defenses. He checked the area, noting how the slimes were converging on him from all sides. Without hesitation, he exclaimed, "Whirlwind Strike!"
The moment the words left his lips, a surge of energy coursed through him. He felt a powerful force coiling within, ready to be unleashed. Leo began to spin, his sword outstretched. A vortex of shimmering blades erupted around him, cutting through the air with a fierce intensity.
The slimes were caught in the whirlwind, their gelatinous bodies being sliced apart by the relentless blades. The sound of the skill activating was like a roaring tempest, echoing through the cavern. Slime fragments flew in all directions, disintegrating into puddles of goo as the powerful vortex tore through them.
The air in the dungeon was thick with the stench of rotting slime, and the sound of Leo’s sword cutting through the gelatinous creatures echoed against the stone walls. Each time the blade connected with a slime, a wet, splattering noise followed, like slapping mud against rock. The eerie glow from the moss cast long shadows, making it hard to tell where the next wave would emerge from.
Leo was visibly happy and excited about his new skill. He had discovered that Whirlwind Strike was a spammable skill, meaning he could use it repeatedly without a long cooldown period. In many games, spammable skills are highly valued because they allow players to consistently use powerful abilities without waiting for them to recharge.
As soon as the next wave of slimes spawned, he activated Whirlwind Strike again. The nearby slimes were instantly killed, but a few were just out of range. Determined to take them all out, Leo ran towards the remaining slimes, luring them closer. In gaming, luring refers to the tactic of drawing enemies towards a specific location or player, often to group them together for a more efficient attack.
As the timer ticked down, Leo could feel the pressure mounting. Though the slimes seemed easy enough to defeat, he couldn’t help but notice a faint tremor beneath his feet. The dungeon was designed for efficiency, but if he failed to clear the waves in time, there might be consequences. Ai, noticing his slight hesitation, reminded him, "Don’t let up. You only have three minutes left to complete this wave, or the dungeon will close." Leo nodded, his resolve hardening.
Leo continued this pattern, activating his skill to kill the nearby slimes, then luring the outliers towards him to maximize the effectiveness of his attacks. His movements were precise and strategic, ensuring he could eliminate as many slimes as possible with each strike.
By the time he reached the 8th wave, Leo had honed his technique. He decided to lure all the slimes first, corralling them into a tight group. After confirming they were all attacking him, he prepared for another devastating attack.
"Whirlwind Strike!" he shouted, unleashing the skill with a powerful spin. The vortex of blades erupted around him, slicing through the mass of slimes. The skill's range and power were perfect for the densely packed enemies, and they disintegrated almost instantly.
Ai watched from the sidelines, her expression calm. "Not bad, not bad," she remarked playfully. "But next time, try to make it a little flashier." Leo grinned, "I’ll leave the fireworks to you, Ai."
As the last of the slimes fell, a new notification appeared:
Achievement unlocked: Monster Cleaver II!
Swordskill unlocked: Meteor Slash!
Leo’s eyes lit up as the words appeared on the screen. He had played enough games to know that moves like this were a game-changer. The thought of unleashing a powerful, devastating attack sent a thrill through his body. He could almost feel the raw energy of the new skill at his fingertips.
This was more than just leveling up; this was mastery in the making.