Two weeks pass by uneventfully. I only have to defend the dungeon for 7 more days and then I'm free to leave. I want to leave sooner, but at the same time I want to get through this bottleneck I'm facing with my spearmanship before doing so. I've been stuck at Lv 9 for weeks now, even as I've been devoting most of my time towards training it. The little time that I spent training other skills however, did yield some results. My basic fist fighting's skill level has gone up by one, whilst pain resistance has increased by two, causing both of them to sit at Lv 7 but no matter what I tried HP Regeneration has remained at Lv 1.

I'm also wearing the two items that dropped off the goblins during my last fight: a leather chestplate and some boots. The chestplate is only a common item but it offers some measure of protection and resized to fit me when I put it on. The boots are uncommon and grant me a boost whilst wearing them. So I'm pretty satisfied with these items.

Leather Chestplate (Common)

Required Lv 0

Durability 10/10

Defence +3

Lightweight leather armour that protects the torso

Boots of Dashing (Uncommon)

Required Lv 2

Durability 15/15

While the wearer is moving in a straight line, +5% movement speed

A pair of traveller's boots made for those who are in a hurry

Also, my spear is now only on 3 durability. I hope its enough to last me through another fight. And somehow my Lesser Ring of Strength lost a point of its durability during the goblin fight as well. Luckily, its not likely to lose anymore durability anytime soon.

Anyways, today something different is happening. The veil in my room's larger doorway is rippling and I think its something entering the dungeon. I've not actually seen anything enter the dungeon before, because the first time I was in the other room and the second time I was asleep, so I'm not sure if that's the case.

I stand a few meters away from the doorway, spear raised and ready for battle, just in case something hostile does come through. My assumption is proven to be correct when the rippling intensifies and three silver-furred wolves prowl into the room. They spread out and two of them try to flank me as I inspect them.

Silver Wolf Lv 4

These creatures mark the first enemies I've come to face that don't have a title, and I was starting to think I was incompetent for not having one at Lv 2. Thankfully that's not the case.

I charge the centre wolf, not allowing them time to get into position, and the bonus movement speed of my boots takes effect. My spear aims at the wolf's forehead, but with a quick jerk of its head it avoids the brunt of the attack, my spear skimming off its shoulder. The right wolf leaps at me and I twist to avoid it before jumping back to dodge the centre wolf's counter attack. The left wolf takes this chance to leap at my side and attempt to bite down on my hip. I block it with a brutal smash to its lower jaw using the butt of my spear.

I jump and leap and twist around the room for a few minutes, sending the occasional counter jab with my spear, until one of the wolves manages to catch the shaft in its mouth and snap it with its powerful jaw. Overcome by rage, I tackle that wolf to the ground, my chestplate protesting against the assault of the other two wolves. I straddle the wolf I'm on, raining down blow after blow for a few seconds before grasping either side of its head with my hands and twisting. A sickening snap echoes around the room as my armour finally gives way to the two beasts attacking me, letting claws rake down my sides. My anger and pain resistance allows me to continue on as I uppercut one of the wolves before turning to the other and punching it in the temple.

With both wolves stunned, I get off the dissipating corpse I'm on and pound the left wolf's head repeatedly, only stopping when I turn around to fend off the other beast. Once that wolf falls, I turn to the other one and within a few minutes the battle is over and I review the notifications from the fight.

Pain Resistance has become Lv 8/20

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Basic Fist Fighting has become Lv 9/10

You have killed a Lv 4 Silver Wolf, +180 exp

You have killed a Lv 4 Silver Wolf, +180 exp

You have killed a Lv 4 Silver Wolf, +180 exp

You have levelled up to Lv 4

I grin as some of the dissipating motes of light flow into me and I'm strengthened in body and mind, no longer angry over the loss of my spear as I look down at my new one. The whole weapon is made of a smooth, silver material and elegant wolf engravings adorn the shaft. The spear is the only drop from this fight, but I'm more than happy it is.

Silver Wolf Spear (Rare)

Required Lv 4

Durability 30/30

Attack 16-18

Strength +2, Constitution +1, Agility +1

+10% attack speed

A spear that embodies the elegance and savagery of the Silver Wolves

I discard my tattered armour, leaving my shirt as the clothes I had on birth always seem to repair themselves, and slip on the Lesser Ring of Agility I got a while ago. Feeling stronger than I ever have before, I go about my dally routine. My wounds slowly begin to heal under the joint efforts of the dungeon and my HP Regeneration skill.

Later on in the day, three more wolves enter, seemingly enraged. With the boosts to my stats and skills, it was relatively easy to deal with them this time. However, probably due to my level up, the Silver Wolves only gave 120 exp each.

These wolves dropped two items: some hide, and a pair of claws. Both are listed as materials that can be used in crafting.

Star Wolf Hide (Uncommon)

Lv 4 Material

Hide from a Star Wolf, can be used in crafting

Star Wolf Claws (Uncommon)

Lv 4 Material

Claws from a Star Wolf, can be used in crafting

I'm not really sure what use these will be to me, but their rarities and levels are higher than the swords I have in my spacial pouch so I put the hide into the pouch's empty space and replace the sword with the lowest duarability with the claws.

Anyways, the drops aren't the only thing that I got out of this fight. My [Dungeon Defender] title increased the amount of stats it gives me from +1 constitution to +2 constitution. Also, my HP Regeneration skill levelled up to Lv 2, increasingly my survivability. It seems that the skill only gains experience when used in combat, which would mean I have to get injured whilst fighting someone for it to level up and I'm not doing that purposefully so I guess it'll just have to level up when it does naturally.

I don't know why, but no wolves have entered the dungeon since. Oh well, less risk for me, so back to training it is!

...

A few more days pass. There are now only 3 days until I'm released from this dungeon. Sure, its been nice to me with the title and the relatively safe living environment (compared to what I think outside is like), but I don't want to stay in this place for the rest of my life, however long that may be. I want to explore the world outside, see the sights, fight more opponents, become stronger but most of these are denied to me if I stay in this dungeon.

Today, as I'm practicing my spearmanship, I notice something different. Its a feeling I can't quite grasp, as if its just out of my reach, and I know that if I stop the feeling will disapear. This is a natural knowledge, one like the knowledge that comes with skill progression but different at the same time. It's as if a hand is guiding me towards it instead of me instinctively knowing or having information forced into my head.

I try to reach out for that feeling, hold it within my grasp, as I allow my movements to flow the way the hand guides them to. A yearning emotion wells up within me, as if my very soul wishes to reach out and grab that feeling so that I may experience it. The feeling materilizes in my mind as a glowing orb that dances around, my spear's movements chasing it relentlessly. Every now and again my spear almost reaches the orb causing a sense of immense understanding to begin to build up inside me, but then its gone as the light spins away from the spear tip. Its almost as if the light can escape from me any time it wishes and is playing a game, seeing if it can dodge the movements of my weapon, but if that's the case then why? Nevermind, just focus on following the guiding hand and chasing the light, that's all I can do.

On some level I'm aware that I'm improving, in terms of footwork, spear technique, efficiency, and the amount of my strength I can bring out in a strike. I know how much I'm improving, yet at the same time I finally get a sense of how far there is for me to improve. What I've learned so far only amounts to a short walk on an road that streches far beyond the horizon and I'm excited to see what's at the end, even if I won't get there anytime soon, no matter how fast I travel.

All of a sudden, a ball of light splits off from the main body, forming a new orb that continues to dance and spin around me. The new, smaller ball of light moves slower than its parent but has a fainter glow. It feels like I've been presented with a choice on how to advance. I can either chase after the unreachable goal of the stronger light and hope to gain more understanding on spearmanship or I can go after the smaller orb and try to completely understand the part that split off from the whole. I know that both options will help me tread down the endless path of spearmanship so I'm torn on which one to choose.

Both lights begin to float away, as if urging me to take a choice or make do with neither, but both options are so tempting! On one hand, I can gain a better grasp of spearmanship as a whole whilst on the other hand, I can understand a single concept of spearmanship in detail. What to choose? What to choose? The lights get father and father away, beginning to fade as I make my choice and leap forwards, my spear catching up to the slower if the two lights and it being absorbed into me. The larger orb fades completely as I'm left to meditate on the new understanding I've gained.

After a long while, I open my eyes and am immediately greeted with blinking notifications. I read them all one by one, gaining a better understanding of what happened.

Basic Spearmanship has become Lv 10/10, entering a state of enlightenment

Basic Spearmanship Lv 10/10 has become Intermediate Spearmanship Lv 0/10

Intermediate Spearmanship has become Lv 3/10

You have learned Piercing Intent Lv 1/10

The state of enlightenment must have been that trance I was in whilst the glowing orbs must have been intent. Since I entered it at Lv 10/10 does that mean that will always happen when a skill reaches maximum level or only certain skills? This question will be answered in time so I push it to the back of my mind and focus on the new skill I learned. What I have at the moment consists of a very weak understanding of piercing intent.

Intent is doing something with a purpose, in my case: piercing through the enemy, and if you are able to understand and utilise an intent, you can apply that intent to your actions and they will carry the property of your intent. I focus my intent into my spear, determined to test my new skill out, before I notice something and stop. The veil of mist, its gone!