B-Rank Dungeon, The Witch's Forest (Part 3)
"The scale here really is on a whole different level compared to Labyrinthos."
Two days had passed since stepping into the dungeon, and only now was I beginning to grasp just how massive a B-rank dungeon truly was. Traversing the entire expanse would take days at the very least, and the sheer variety of monsters roaming within was staggering. Beyond the faeries and wild hounds we had run into earlier, there were kobolds akin to the ones outside, and even goblins that seemed strangely docile.
Yet while some creatures remained indifferent, others lunged for our throats the instant we crossed their territory.
Ah, naturally...
You have leveled up!
Along with that cheerful chime, they were all converted into sweet, sweet experience points. In terms of raw combat difficulty, the monsters were not particularly overwhelming. However, had I not packed rations in my Inventory, this place would have devolved into a grueling survival gauntlet. Without that bottomless pocket, I probably would have had to tear into raw monster flesh or chew on wild weeds just to keep my pulse going.
For that alone: long live the status window. Long, long may it reign.
"Might as well use this downtime to test a few things."
Since we were trapped in this dungeon anyway, I began experimenting with things I hadn't had the chance—or the privacy—to test openly before.
"First up, a deep dive into my stats..."
It had been a while since I last checked. Ding—! With a crisp chime, the status screen flared into existence before my eyes.
As someone who had personally groomed countless characters boasting SSS-rank average stats, I couldn't in good conscience call this impressive. Still, it was solid enough for what it was. In any case, what demanded my attention right now were the Inner Qi and Mana parameters.
"Man, this is a real headache."
Back when playing the game, I never paid much mind to how stats functioned under the hood, so agonizing over this felt completely foreign. I dredged up my memories. Reaching 10 in Mana had unlocked Mana Manipulation. Hitting 20 had ranked that very skill up from F to E. In short, crossing increments of ten granted milestone rewards and specialized abilities.
Right now, I had 18 unallocated stat points. Hoarding them was meaningless if I ended up dead, so I dumped points into Mana without hesitation.
Mana +7
The moment the stat rose, a vivid blue aura coalesced around my body. Normally, hitting 10, 20, or 30 didn't trigger any grand fanfare for ordinary inhabitants of this world, but as a Player, the rules seemed to favor me.
A flurry of notifications cascaded into view:
A specific condition has been reached.
Skill level has increased.
Mana Manipulation (E) ➔ (D)
Acquired new skill: Mana Reinforcement (C)
Controlling mana felt substantially smoother than before, and on top of that, I had acquired the new skill Mana Reinforcement. To test it out immediately, I swung my blade against So-so's sword, which she had likewise coated in Inner Qi.
Crackle—!
Where my strikes had previously bounced harmlessly away, my blade now bit directly into So-so's protective shroud of Qi.
"Oho. It seems you have grown considerably—not merely in durability, but across the board."
Just as So-so observed, it wasn't simply the weapon's hardness that had shot up; its cutting edge was sharper than ever. The efficiency operated on a completely different plane compared to blindly ramming raw mana into steel.
My gaze shifted toward the remaining stat points. Ever since unlocking Inner Qi, I had barely touched it, using it only to warm my body or provide a minor physical boost. But there was no doubt it held greater potential.
Inner Qi +6
I invested enough to bump it up to D-rank as well. True to expectation, an amber glow distinct from the blue radiance of mana surged through my veins, and another wave of prompts lit up my vision.
A specific condition has been reached.
Acquired new skill: Internal Energy Manipulation (D)
Bzzzt—!
A blade edge forged not from mana, but purely from internal energy. Or rather, should the mana version be called Aura? Regardless, unlike aura, a blade infused with internal energy was honed with a single-minded obsession: sheer cutting power. If I recalled classic martial arts lore correctly, the progression went from Sword Qi, to Sword Thread, to Sword Gang, and finally to Sword Ring, right?
It possessed a distinctly different flavor from aura, which lacked that sort of structured progression. Granted, once aura reached its zenith, it could achieve insane feats like Mordred pulled off, but that was a distant realm for me, so I pushed the thought aside.
Now that I had a decent grasp on my stats, my attention naturally drifted toward my Inventory. Up until now, I had treated it merely as a convenient utility for stashing daily necessities and monster byproducts. But did this Inventory actually have a limit? I hadn't been able to test it thoroughly before because of prying eyes, but here...
"I must admit, I am curious as well," So-so remarked, crossing her arms. "Does this 'inventory' of yours truly possess no boundary?"
"Inventory? Is that like a magic artifact, Boss?" Selena chimed in, tilting her head.
Well, So-so already knew enough, and Selena... would just have to figure it out as we went.
Spotting a small spring bubbling nearby, I dipped my hand into the pool and exerted the familiar 'will to store.' Instantly, the water was swallowed up with voracious speed. Within minutes, the spring—easily holding several hundred liters—was sucked bone-dry. Next, I shoved in massive boulders and bulky debris, but there was no sign of the space filling up.
On a whim, I even tried storing an incoming sword slash from So-so.
KABOOM—!
The energy wave tore straight past me, carving deep into the ground. Yeah, asking to pocket flying attacks was probably pushing my luck. If I could actually absorb incoming assaults, all I'd need was good kinetic vision to aim for the strongest in the world. Still, this confirmed Takeaway Number Two:
"No capacity limit on the Inventory, huh... Play this right, and people might actually treat me like a high mage. If I were still on Earth, I'd be rolling in billions by now..."
I could transport cargo that would otherwise require cargo planes or container ships all by my lonesome. But the moment I remembered I had already won the lottery back on Earth, my enthusiasm evaporated. Whatever.
I had tested everything I could for the moment. There were still mechanics beyond my current reach, but those could wait for later.
"Time to get moving."
"Oh! We're finally going?" Selena cheered. "I was getting sick of jerky anyway!"
The dungeon was divided into four distinct quadrants, and our current position was at the northernmost edge. So-so had scouted the layout by stepping on empty air, so even if the estimate wasn't exact, the general layout couldn't be far off.
Thus, our destination was simple: the dead center. The adventurers scattered across the other spawn zones would have realized this by now and started making their way inward as well. Once we regrouped, we could coordinate our next move. And if their goals conflicted with ours, or if they refused to align...
My dark eyes turned toward the distant sky.
The slaughtered adventurers we had discovered earlier—that gruesome, hideous carnage—kept flashing back, overlapping with memories from my past. Yet despite the ghosts stirring in my mind, my resolve didn't waver. No, it had been set in stone the moment I realized this world was no simulation, but cold, hard reality.
"Kill them, or bring them to heel."
Witnessing that slaughterhouse hadn't done anything to cure my paranoia; if anything, my distrust of human nature had festered deeper. After all, everyone trapped in this place had only one priority: their own survival.
Thud.
So-so dropped down lightly from midair and handed me a sheet of parchment. It listed rough headcounts, coordinates, and notable traits. Her expression was unusually sober.
"I merely skimmed them with my senses, but a few individuals are lingering nearby," she asked. "Shall I go ahead and eliminate them?"
"No. We're not serial killers. Striking first against people who haven't committed a crime is crossing a line."
"Hmph... Well, we would crush them regardless if it came to blows, so fair enough."
A statement dripping with the arrogance befitting the Young Cult Leader. To exude that kind of swagger even after suffering a crushing defeat at Mordred's hands... That attitude of hers was going to need an adjustment one day, but today wasn't the day.
Unlike in the past, we now stood on roughly even footing. Blades drawn, we set out toward the center.