5. Dopamine Deficiency

I woke up in the afternoon as usual, stretched, wolfed down breakfast, and headed straight out to hunt.

I ignored the message that always popped up when entering the Labyrinth and pushed forward, checking the maps compiled in the open community.

After yesterday's hunt, I'd hit level 18 and swapped gear once, making me even stronger. Goblins were just trash mobs to me now. Not just the basic ones—even goblin squad leaders went down in one hit. Only elite goblin centurions could tank two strikes from me.

Of course, their attacks couldn't even scratch me.

As I mowed down monsters with overwhelming power and racked up levels, something felt off.

That was my current spec. I'd hit 20 soon after starting hunts, but even after slaughtering a ton of goblins since then, no level up.

What the hell? Was there a cap at 20 on floor 1 or something?

I pulled up the open community and searched for level info. Answer came quick.

"Ah, fuck."

I was right. Leveling past this on floor 1 was damn near ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠impossible.

If the level gap with monsters was too big, you got half EXP. It halved but didn't zero out, so grinding endless mobs would eventually work. But efficiency? Trash.

Just a few days in, and my spec-up was already hitting a wall. Nothing ever went smooth.

Of course, this was because my growth was freakishly fast—no complaints there.

And technically, it wasn't stalled. Other challengers around my entry time were probably level 10 tops. Me? With gear bonuses, effectively almost 30.

Spec-up wasn't just levels anyway. Gear or whatever, as long as stats went up, it counted.

Monopolizing the whole Tower, I could get way stronger just farming treasure chests.

"Guess from now on... it's treasure chest grinding, shut up and grind."

I reopened the community, pulled up the treasure chest location map.

Grabbed a bunch already, but plenty left in the Labyrinth. Plus unlogged ones from first-gen hunters.

Shift focus: quests and chest farming over hunting.

A full day of chest farming paid off nicely. 11 small ones with gold and mats, 6 mediums with bulk gold and items. And 2 larges—the real prizes.

Way better than my main [Steel Straight Sword]. Two more reinforces possible, base attack crushed it. Crit multiplier a bit low, but more slots meant slapping on [Sharp] enchants.

Community search said it was the best floor 1 weapon short of uniques.

Level stuck at 20, but spec jump equaled +5 levels. Stats unchanged on window dulled the high, but solid gains.

I trolled the community hard again today, ignored the friend requests, and crashed at an inn.

Level stalled, so other challengers entering soon shouldn't be an issue. Tower #2661 chat still showed 1/1.

Stayed up till dawn lurking community as usual, then slept.

Next day, hit the blacksmith first thing to reinforce the new weapon. Max mats again, but bad luck—failed once, stopped at +6.

Still miles better than my old +5 steel sword, so no complaints. Goblins died in one anyway; no rush for more attack.

Post-reinforce, demolished inn breakfast set, then Labyrinth.

Mids respawn limited, larges once per forever. My chest pool shrinking daily.

Dug deep today, no larges. Just the reinforce, no other growth. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Day over.

Next day, still no newbies. Breakfast, Labyrinth.

Chest hunting led to goblin spawn swarm. Few swings, level up. First in two days—to 21. Stat bump pathetic, obviously.

Snagged one large: [Mithril Wand]. Mage weapon. Insane stats for floor 1, but useless unless I jobbed mage.

If not solo, auction it off. To me? Just a sturdy metal rod.

Next day, more farming—shit results. No large, mids gave gear I already had maxed.

Chests scarce, pissed me off; hunted for stress relief. No level.

No newbies. Days piling up, still solo.

Next, next-next day—nothing epic. Gold and mats stacked, but that's it.

Days later, hit 22 via daily quests.

Two weeks in the Tower.

"Fuck, can't do this shit."

My spec fully stalled.

You see it in novels or comics: protagonist trains daily, gets OP, but skips the how.

Habitual nonstop grind is brutally hard, yet they gloss over it.

Wanna ask: how the fuck do you endure boring repetition daily to get strong?

Days since 22, no level signs.

Labyrinth chests? Ransacked 'em all—dupe city.

Hunting, farming: repetitive no-return grind.

Dramatic growth? Job change only option left.

But can't. Normal class ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠now hurts later unique/epic swaps on high floors.

No guarantee I'd find hidden pieces, but still—waste.

Jobbed up, then what? Still stalls till floor 2.

Choices: braindead grind for crumbs, or solo boss to floor 2.

"This one."

Obviously the latter. Stood before sealed floor 1 boss room.

Spoiler: dumbass choice.