Bully Lord

Part-210

James moved cautiously through the dungeon, staying alert for any traps or ambushes. The Lamp of Time had granted him abilities—skills he was still learning to harness fully. The combat training he had undergone in the real world would undoubtedly give him an edge here, but he needed to remain careful. This was a different kind of battlefield.

Suddenly, two ratlings appeared from around the corner, their red eyes gleaming in the dim light. They were smaller than the ones he had encountered before, but their movements were fast and unpredictable. James took a deep breath, centering himself. He had been training for this moment—both mentally and physically.

He lunged forward, using a Judo throw he had practiced earlier with Kashem. His hands grabbed the first ratling, and with a smooth motion, he sent it crashing to the ground. The second ratling charged at him, but James was ready. He dodged its attack and delivered a powerful strike, knocking it back.

Within moments, the fight was over. The ratlings lay defeated, and James felt a surge of satisfaction. His training had paid off, both in the dojo and in the dungeon.

A new notification appeared before his eyes: *[Victory! You have defeated 2 ratlings. EXP gained: 50.]*

James wiped the sweat from his brow and allowed himself a moment to breathe.

James noticed a new notification flashing before him, interrupting his thoughts after defeating the ratlings. The message caught him off guard, and his eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he read it:

*“You have unlocked EXP points. You will gain 1 unallocated stat point for every 10,000 EXP earned.”*

It was the first time James had seen something like this in his mysterious system, and it felt strikingly similar to leveling up in an RPG. This revelation made him pause for a moment, trying to make sense of what it all meant. Gaining EXP from defeating creatures? Earning stat points to enhance his abilities? It was like living in a video game.

James couldn’t help but smile wryly, the absurdity of the situation settling in. "Am I really going to end up as some kind of nuclear weapon if I keep this up?" he thought with a chuckle. He had never imagined his life would take such a surreal turn, where defeating rat-like creatures in a dungeon would directly improve his real-world skills.

But he didn’t have much time to dwell on that thought. He quickly realized that earning those stat points would be crucial if he wanted to survive and progress further in the dungeon. The system’s rules were clear: for every 10,000 EXP, he’d gain a point he could allocate to enhance his abilities. Whether it was strength, agility, endurance, or something else, James knew that accumulating these points would be the key to overcoming the increasingly difficult challenges ahead.

His mind refocused on the task at hand. He hadn’t come here just for idle contemplation—he needed to conquer the Level 1 midsection of the dungeon, a notoriously difficult part that had bested him multiple times before. The objective was simple but brutal: defeat 20 Ratling Scavenge, the scavengers of the dungeon, in a single run. These creatures were faster and more aggressive than the regular ratlings he had just fought, and their sheer numbers made the battle even more overwhelming.