One day passed without much of a hitch.
Arthur was settled in Granny Lina’s clinic, dealing with the occasional passerby who pretty much only came in for minor scratches. Sure, it wasn’t much experience, but despite that, he had finally reached Level 5.
And now, it was time to see what kind of skill he had gotten.
[Class: Mystic Healer]
[Rank: ???]
[Class Level: 4 → 5]
[Experience: 385 / 5,000]
[Description: A rare healing class capable of manipulating the vitality of living beings. Mystic Healers specialize in restoring wounds, repairing the body, and preserving life.]
[Mystic Bonus: Your healing skills can restore injuries normally considered irreversible, including destroyed organs and severed limbs.]
[Class Skill: Unlocked!]
[Element Attunement (Lv.1)]
[Next Class Skill Requirement: Mystic Healer Lv.15]
Element Attunement? That sounded like some sort of passive or combat-related skill. Yet when he checked it out, his mind changed immediately.
[Element Attunement (Lv.1)]
—Your healing skills can absorb and utilize elemental energy present within the target’s body. Healing a target afflicted by an element grants resistance to that element and increases their affinity with it.
Everything was sunshine and rainbows since the skill was ridiculously overpowered, but once he scrolled a little further down, he froze.
[Ding!]
[Due to a New Skill, you are now unable to gain a Mana Core Affinity!]
[Ding!]
[Due to the inability to attune with a Mana Core Affinity, your Mana Core Growth has been reduced to 1/10th of the normal amount.]
"..."
"Why don’t you fuckers chop my legs off instead?"
Arthur slammed his fist onto the table, startling the patient he was healing.
"S-Sir?"
"You’re healed already. Go home."
"R-Right!"
The patient scurried away, while Arthur simply sat there with a conflicted expression.
"What are you moping about? You’re scaring all the customers away," Granny Lina said.
"Nothing. I’m done for today. Need to do some side quests," Arthur said as he stood up.
She raised a brow. "Side quests? Is that what you youngsters call chores nowadays?"
"Yep. I need to pay back a debt, then rush back home. See you in a few days."
With that, he left the clinic and headed straight for a less crowded street. Once he was there, he pulled out his phone and dialed a number.
RINGGG... Click
<Hello...?>
"Heya. It’s me, Mister Minimum Wage. I’ve got a bit of free time, so I was wondering if I could swing by and clean the blood off your seats."
Of course, the number he was calling belonged to none other than the woman who had saved him and Victoria.
<...>
<I didn’t expect to hear from you. Well, I’ve already cleaned up the seats, but if you want to pay me back, how about running an errand for me?>
"Uhh... Sure? What’s up?"
He kind of hoped it wasn’t anything too serious. Maybe picking her kid up from school or something?
<It might be a tough ask, but could you fill in as a porter for a dungeon? It’s an ore-gathering dungeon, so there won’t be any fighting.>
<You see, my husband was supposed to go, but he twisted his knee. I feel like if I send him off now, he’s going to end up with some lasting injury. You know how it is.>
Right.
"That’s fine. Send me the address. I’ll do it."
<Great! It’s in an hour. I’ll text you the address!>
CLICK!
She hung up, and just a moment later, he received a message.
[Unknown Number: Name’s Nicole, by the way.]
[Unknown Number: [Attached Location] Just say you’re filling in for Anon, and they should know. Thanks again!]
She’s very eager about this. Well, whatever. I’ll just do it.
He pressed on the address, and seeing as it wasn’t particularly far away, he began jogging toward it. Along the way, he gave his Status one last look before entering the dungeon.
Name: Arthur Vegas
Age: 22
Race: Human
Mystic Healer (Lv.4 → Lv.5) [Experience: 385 / 5,000]
Level: 1 [0 / 100 Experience]
Mana Core: None
Mana Core Affinity: None
—HP & MP
[HP: 1,300 / 1,300 → 2,000 / 2,000]
[MP: 1,200 / 1,200 → 1,880 / 1,880]
—Attributes:
[Strength: 140 → 192]
[Stamina: 130 → 200]
[Agility: 99 → 162]
[Perception: 43 → 82]
[Mana: 120 → 188]
—Skills
[Healing Touch (Lv.4 → Lv.5)]
—Heal 200 HP → 400 HP when making contact with someone.
Cost: 100 MP → 150 MP
[Element Attunement (Lv.1)]
—Your healing skills can absorb and utilize elemental energy present within the target’s body. Healing a target afflicted by an element grants resistance to that element and increases their affinity with it.
"Hmm... If Nico’s stats are anything to go by, my physical stats should put me somewhere around Level 20 or 25. Speaking of, I wonder if I’ll be able to level up at all in this dungeon?"
He hoped for the best, of course.
For the next forty minutes or so, he leisurely traveled through the slums, into the city of Vivum, and finally to a remote construction site, where a swirling blue portal stood at the very center.
This was a dungeon.
There were at least thirty people waiting outside. They wielded pickaxes and looked like ordinary working-class people. In spite of that, there were two fancy-looking men who gave off a rather intimidating aura.
I think the public calls all of these people who go into dungeons Hunters, right? Does that mean I’m a Hunter now, too? Arthur mused as he stepped forward.
One of the men in fancy clothes stepped up. His golden scarf extended outward, stopping right in front of Arthur’s nose.
"Introduce yourself."
"Uh. Arthur, twenty-two years old, married. I’m filling in for Anon. He’s got a fucked-up leg, but I’m sure he’ll be back in shape by next time."
"Hmm... Anon? Ah, Anon." The man’s expression softened. "You could’ve just started with that. My name’s Light, and I’m the Class Z Representative of the Vivum Academy. I’m going to be taking care of you, Arthur, so rest easy."
"..."
Is Light really his name? Arthur smiled. That’s... I won’t judge.
"In that case, I’m in your care."
"Good!" Light smiled. "Since you were the last one here, we can set out early. Right, all you need to do is grab a pickaxe, excavate all the blue or red ores, and then store everything inside your sacks. Anon’s been slacking as of late, so he owes twelve sacks. You think you can do that?"
"Sure."
"Haha! I like the confidence! In that case, grab a pickaxe and let’s go in." Light smiled before returning to his friend.
He seems my age, but he’s talking like an old man. Well, whatever. Since all I need to do is finish a couple-hour job, I’ll get it done quickly.
He grabbed a pickaxe and a giant sack, then followed the miners as they entered the portal one by one. Light and his friend also went inside, and last but not least, it was Arthur’s turn.
CRACKLE...
"Hmm?"
For a brief moment, the portal crackled with a streak of red lightning before returning to normal.
He felt like he had imagined it, so without further ado, he stepped through the portal, entering his first dungeon in this world.
***
Bonus Chapter from the Powerstone goal!