NOVEL NEXT Chapter 64: Catacombs
Wade stood in the middle of his apartment, the light from his lantern illuminating the space.
There was no better time to do this than now.
And so, he brought out the ten inventory stones he'd bought, each one glowing a soft white.
"Let's get this over with," he muttered.
He crushed the first between his hands.
It shattered soundlessly, dissolving into pale mist that seeped into his chest.
Then another. And another.
Each one sent a faint tingle through his body, his inventory expanding with each soft chime that followed.
Ding!
[Inventory expanded by 6 slots.]
[Total Inventory Slots: 66]
He smirked. Sixty new slots.
Now, he doesn't have to worry about space anymore.
He could take as much loot as he could without worrying about leaving some behind from having no space to carry them.
Next were the stat stones.
Sixty glowing crystals lined up neatly on the table.
Wade began crushing them one by one, their energy sinking into him like sparks being swallowed by flame.
His veins tingled. His muscles tightened.
When he was done, he exhaled deeply.
Along with his 10 unassigned stat points, he now had 70points to spend.
With a grin, he summoned his stat screen.
He took his time, carefully distributing the points.
Twenty to Perception, to sharpen his awareness and reaction speed.
Twenty to Agility, to enhance his movement and the effectiveness of his Short Step.
Fifteen to Strength, to add more power behind every strike of his.
And fifteen to Constitution, mostly to fill in for the requirements of some of his skills.
And of course, to toughen his body for what was coming.
The moment he confirmed the allocation, a wave of raw vitality swept through him.
His senses grew more intense and accurate.
He flexed his hands, testing the balance of his new strength.
Then he moved methodically, equipping his gear piece by piece.
The boots first, the sturdy, dark leather looking normal. If one saw it, they would mistake it for a normal pair of boots.
Then he wore the breastplate Tom had resized for him. It fits perfectly now, snug but flexible.
The pauldrons clicked into place on his shoulders, boosting his mana points.
Then he wore the pendant, the gear resting cool against his chest.
Finally, he reached for his sword and clipped it to his back, feeling complete.
He summoned his status screen, eyes running down the glowing list of numbers and words.
[Name: Wade Barrett]
[Race: Human]
[Class: Dimensional Merchant]
[Origin Skill: Dimensional Ledger]
[Level: 3]
[Exp: 11.3%]
[HP: 255/255]
[MP: 1768/1768]
[Strength: 45]
[Agility: 65]
[Perception: 55]
[Constitution: 40]
[Stat Points: 0]
[Skills: Observe, Conceal, Inventory, Exchange, Basic Ward, Short Step, Aegis of Reflection, Fireburst, Steel Skin, Chain Step, Mana Siphon, Focus Sight]
He studied the numbers, satisfaction curling through him.
He'd need gear to boost his HP soon, but for now, this would do.
This was enough to walk into the Catacombs of a Thousand Kings and come out alive.
Wade reached into his inventory, fingers brushing against the smooth, cold surface of the Bone Key.
When he pulled it out, the faint light of his lanterns gleamed off the pale white surface, its shape oddly organic, like real bone carved by something ancient.
He turned it over in his hand, running his thumb along the jagged ridges.
"How do I even use you?" he muttered.
Then it hit him.
The doors in the guild's dungeon chambers had functioned the same way. Maybe…
He walked to the front door of his apartment, his boots thudding softly on the floorboards.
The city was silent outside, the muffled sounds of distant footsteps echoing faintly through the streets.
He stared at the lock, half expecting this to be a waste of time, then slid the key in.
It fit perfectly.
"No way," he whispered, a slow grin forming.
He turned the key.
Click.
The sound echoed unnaturally through the room.
The door swung open, but instead of the city street beyond, there was a swirling wall of thick, white mist.
It shimmered faintly, like light passing through milk.
Wade blinked, heart pounding. A low hum filled the air, as if the world itself was holding its breath.
"Well… guess this is it."
He chuckled under his breath, reaching over his shoulder and unsheathing his sword.
The blade caught the faint light, gleaming.
Taking a deep breath, he stepped closer, feeling the cool mist spill out onto his skin.
And without hesitating, he walked through.
A few seconds later, the light faded away, and Wade staggered forward, his boots scraping against rough stone.
When his eyes adjusted, he realized he was standing inside a small stone cell, its walls cracked and damp, the air filled with the smell of old dust and decay.
There were no windows, only iron bars forming the entrance.
Except… the gate hung open.
A faint ding echoed in his mind.
[Welcome to the Catacombs of a Thousand Kings.]
Wade straightened immediately, sword in hand, his eyes sweeping the dim corridor outside the cell.
The place was deathly silent. Even the sound of his own breathing felt too loud.
He took a cautious step forward, then another.
The corridor wound downward before finally opening up into a vast, empty chamber.
Wade paused at the threshold, his head tilting upward.
He couldn't see the ceiling. The space stretched too high, too far.
His footsteps echoed faintly as he finally entered, bouncing off unseen walls.
Then another notification appeared before his eyes.
[Scenario Activated!]
[Gladiator]
"Gladiator?" Wade muttered under his breath.
A low boom rolled through the chamber.
One by one, giant torches fixed along the walls flared to life, bathing the hall in fiery light.
The air shimmered with heat, and shadows danced across the cracked tiles he could see ahead of him.
He tightened his grip on his sword, eyes scanning the newly illuminated hall.
He could feel it.
The shift in the air, that wave of energy that always came before a fight.
Whatever this scenario was… he had just stepped into the arena.