NOVEL NEXT B2 | Chapter 9 - Progress
Alexia
It ends up taking me another four days to get the key to the next floor from a draugr before I immediately move on to the third floor. And the third floor is immediately different from the other two floors. Because instead of a plain wasteland, there’s a lot of wasteland with some random temples scattered through it made entirely out of ice. Meanwhile the monsters on the floor are starting at level 200, which is over two dozen levels above me.
Fortunately my being a Class S species kind of makes that level gap null and void since I’m still stronger than they are despite it.
I frown at the temple standing tall right in front of me, my arms folded under my chest as I consider what to do.
Up till now, I’ve avoided the temples simply because the levels of the undead outside of the temples were already 30 to 40 levels above me, so the temples might be… a bit too much if the monsters inside are even stronger. But then again, who knows.
Also, I have no idea how to leave this dungeon if it ends up being too much for me. Outside of hidden exits that is.
There just isn’t a way for me to get back to the previous floors, not to mention that there wasn’t really an exit around me when I first entered the dungeon in the first place. So I have no idea where the exit is.
I frown at that thought before turning around and walking away from the temple, deciding to spend another day searching for a hidden exit first. Just so I have it on my mini map and can go back to it if I need to.
Within seconds of turning away from the temple, skulls coated in ice begin to break out of the ice and float through the air around me. And just like with the last time I ran into them, I grit my teeth and begin teleporting around in order to dodge all of the spears of ice that appear in the air and start firing everywhere. But even with my teleporting, several of the spears hit me, piercing partially into my armor and then into my skin, drawing blood each time.
These things are annoying.
Over the second floor, I managed to bring my adaptation to ice magic quite a bit higher, so the attacks only deal about half the damage they would otherwise. Although I don’t think the attacks are affecting my adaptation much anymore. Probably too weak. That or my adaptation is growing too high, since I know the skill said it was impossible to become completely immune to something.
I continue dodging the spears while occasionally swinging my polearm’s blade straight into their skulls, sending them crashing to the ground where they crack but otherwise remain alive. Until the next time I hit that particular skull, shattering it the rest of the way.
After I finish dealing with the skulls, I let my System Messages flow.
[Level 200 Lesser Frost Skull Defeated – User’s earned EXP has been increased by a significant portion due to killing a being whose level is thirty or more levels above their own.]
[Level 201 Lesser Frost Skull Defeated – User’s earned EXP has been increased by a significant portion due to killing a being whose level is thirty or more levels above their own.]
[Level 199 Lesser Frost Skull Defeated – User’s earned EXP has been increased by a significant portion due to killing a being whose level is thirty or more levels above their own.]
[Level 198 Lesser Frost Skull Defeated – User’s earned EXP has been increased by a significant portion due to killing a being whose level is thirty or more levels above their own.]
[Level 200 Lesser Frost Skull Defeated – User’s earned EXP has been increased by a significant portion due to killing a being whose level is thirty or more levels above their own.]
{Congratulations! You have leveled up to level 165! Your Species has awarded you +2 VIT, +2 DEX, +2 STR, +2 MAG, and +2 MEN. Your Class has awarded you +1 VIT, +1 DEX, +1 STR, +2 MAG, and +2 MEN.}
[The leaderboards have been updated. You are now #1 on the leaderboards.]
[*New Active Skill* – Quantum Blade Formation: Create blades in the air out of entangled particles. These blades may bypass a small amount of defenses around the target magical or otherwise.]
Oh? I got my first place spot back. Cool.
I open the leaderboards to check how close the others behind me and the Ancestral Dragon are.
[Dimensional Champion Leaderboard]
[#1 Alexia Knight – Level 165]
[#2 Isabella d'Aragon – Level 164]
[#3 Alexander Frost – Level 161]
[#4 Lucas Nightshade – Level 160]
[#5 Ethan Silva – Level 158]
[#6 Ignivara – Level 158]
[#7 Artorius del Argon – Level 158]
[#8 Vallius Karan de Volt Hellmouth – Level 156]
[#9 Sartorius – Level 155]
[#10 Voltari – Level 155]
Oh? Looks like the Frozen Empress was finally knocked out of the top ten. And it was by a kirin too.
Meanwhile the Hound was booted down from third place to fourth.
At this point it’s obvious we’re all in dungeons of our own, so I can’t really get complacent, nor can I leave this dungeon without losing my place as the top ranked. Even while staying in the dungeon I’ve lost that place multiple times, so I’d rather not leave it where I’ll end up without any monsters to hunt at my level.
Then again, I’m not really hunting monsters at my level right now. I’m hunting monsters far above my level.
Which makes me feel more than a little impressed by the Hound, simply because everyone else in the top ten are Class S species for a reason. After all, generally only a Class S species would be able to hold their own against monsters this high a level, and dungeons progress too quickly through levels for someone to start at level 1 and reach the level cap most of the time by the end of the dungeon. Especially for Tier 2 and above dungeons.
It might be possible to do it for Tier 1 dungeons though.
I close out of the leaderboards and begin running through the wasteland in search of a Safe Zone. Because while I don’t have to sleep as much with my level, I still need to sleep a little.
It doesn’t take long before I run into another group of frost skulls, except with a draugr captain leading them this time.
I grimace again when the spears begin flying.
These things are so annoying.