While he had expected some derision for electing to keep part of the old outfit, Kevin was instead surprised when Neth-amii only offered an approving nod before leading him back towards the shrine. They bypassed the room he had awakened in, and continued on to a second antechamber which led down into the ground. Initially he was baffled, because his own Shrine lacked this particular entrance.
The end of her staff lit up with a golden orb that chased away the dark, at least to a point. Stairs led down into the depths, the line of shadow ever expanding as they descended. This went far beyond what he had expected, and it reminded him of some of Dungeon Heroes’ own dungeons. Not that this was a game, or even something he was familiar with. This location wasn’t part of anything he recognized.
That was what convinced him it wasn’t a dream. He’d had plenty of dreams where he woke up as his character, and while getting called Bria had been a part of most, the locations were at least ones he recognized. The most common were the Gardens of Laos, where priestesses would shower the female protagonist with gifts and affections, or shun the male protagonist for being dangerous.
A quest opened up from there that could result in a potential love interest for the main character, but it was far easier for the female protagonist since they didn’t have to defeat the superboss Laos first. No, the goddess of the gardens just accepted the fem-c as if she always belonged and instead sent her out to rescue some kidnapped girls. That same quest was a prerequisite for the male protagonist to even enter the village in the first place.
Right, getting distracted when there could be dangerous monsters about.
“What should I expect down here?”
“Slimes mostly. The occasional bat or rat, but I’ll help you if those show up. We shall see how you fare before deciding if it’s worth risking an encounter with the truly dangerous critters.”
“How far have you been?” he asked.
“To the sealed door at the end,” Neth-amii answered. “There are three levels, and the dungeon itself seems to spawn creatures to defend itself. I try to cull it once a week so that the worst of the creatures don’t spill forth. That slime you fought was probably a curious one that wandered out immediately after spawning. Rare, but it happens.”
“Terrifying,” Kevin said, repressing a shudder. “Monsters just spawning into existence like that… I can’t imagine growing up in a place where that’s considered normal.”
“It’s not exactly normal here either,” Neth-amii said. “There are other dungeons in the region, but this is the safest for those seeking to gain a class to begin with. The Silent Abbey has a crypt with monster spawns beneath it, and Brookvale’s dungeon is controlled by the Royal Family for their guard.”
Kevin paused at that bit of information. “Sounds like a good way to control who gains power.”
“Less than you might expect,” Neth-amii said. “Few people there ever venture beyond the walls and most never grow beyond level five. I’m an outlier in that regard.”
Which meant she was stronger than most ordinary people. Just the idea that he could have that distinction too was exciting. Here was a woman who was strong while still presenting in a way that was decidedly feminine. That was actually an improvement upon the game world given the fem-c was designed like a roided barbarian in skimpy armor.
Here women could still be mighty without giving up what made them so appealing.
“Who’s the strongest person you’ve met?”
Neth-amii paused mid-step, but continued on after the momentary pause. “One of the Kingsguard is the strongest living person I know. He’s level seventeen. The king himself is supposedly only level twelve for comparison.”
“I’m surprised,” Kevin said, again cursing his loose tongue that worked faster than his brain. “Leaders in my world are never considered warriors, they just ordered people to die for their whims.”
“Barbaric,” Neth-amii spat. “If a true threat ever rises up, the King is expected to go forth and defend the people. It’s part of the mandate of rulership.”
Yet another reason this place sounded so much better than Earth.
Finally the darkness opened up, revealing a large space. The floors and walls were all set stone, showing it to have been constructed by someone. Moss grew along the walls, and the floor was damp. The air was fresher than expected, but held that subtle musty smell of mildew.
“Hmm, perhaps I waited a bit overlong for a sweep,” Neth-amii said. “Well, have at it.”
She pointed her staff forward and sure enough, there was a Slime. Kevin brought his stick up, then flinched when a second Slime appeared. Both were green, which should mean they were no stronger than the one he fought earlier.
[Slime lv.1]
[Slime lv.1]
Sure enough, he was right. Both were just starter level enemies. He could do this.
Tightening his grip on the stick, he stepped forward, keeping a wary eye on both creatures. The soulless black orbs that sat where eyes would be didn’t move, but he could feel them tracking him as their form rippled and jiggled. Then, one sprang forward. His stick lashed out, smacking the creature away. The weight of it pushed him off balance, and the second slime took the advantage by crashing into him.
He fell from the impact, somehow knowing that he had just lost two hit points from the attack. Scrambling away, Kevin got back to his feet and raised his weapon once again. The Slimes were spread out now, the one he had smacked sported a quiver in its form that the other lacked. Good, he’d done some damage at least. Best to focus down the injured Slime first before their numbers could overwhelm him.
Breaking into a run, Kevin swung for the Slime only for it to press flat to the stone. Gritting his teeth, he shifted and turned around the creature just as it sprung up. His following swing caught it midair and sent it crashing into the far wall. It impacted just feet from where Neth-amii was leaning, but the Shrine Priestess barely reacted beyond her eyes following it for a brief moment.
A subtle ding sounded in his mind, and he hoped it meant the Slime was dead. He turned his focus on the second creature, but it was scurrying away.
“Hey!” he shouted, moving to give chase.
“Don’t,” Neth-amii shouted, but he wasn’t about to let the thing escape.
He caught up a moment later, swatting it with the stick. The Slime shuddered to a stop, eyes swiveling within the gelatinous mass to face him once more. He didn’t waste a moment, striking the Slime once again in a devastating blow that sheared through the membrane and spilled the slimy bits across the stone.
Panting, he raised his sword in triumph, shouting his victory.
Only for the breath to be driven from his lungs as something crashed into him. Kevin rolled along the ground, his head spinning as he registered eight points of damage. Just like that he was down to a third of his health. Scrambling, he managed to get an arm under himself and catch sight of his attackers. Three more Slimes had slithered out from the darkness, one of which was red instead of green.
“Shit,” he coughed out, pushing himself upright.
He’d barely brought his weapon up before the slimes were in motion, all three swarming towards him. Just as he prepared to take the damage, a sweeping pane of frost swept over the trio of monsters, freezing their surface solid.
“Bria, strike them now!” Neth-amii shouted, running towards him.
Kevin didn’t hesitate, smacking each of the Slimes in turn. The two green slimes shattered on impact, resulting in dings, but the red Slime didn’t quite crack. He swung again, hoping to take it down, but his stick just glanced off the surface. The third hit finally cracked the frozen membrane, but no ding followed.
“Tough bastard,” Kevin said, panting as he took a step back.
[Red Slime lv. 5]
Oh. That explained it.
“Red Slimes aren’t normally found in this dungeon,” Neth-amii said, sending another wave of frost at the slime, keeping it frozen. “I could kill it for you, but you’d lose out on the experience. The more damage you do, the more experience you get from the fight.”
“Makes sense,” Kevin said. “I just wish I had something better than a stick.”
“We’ll figure that out later, just finish it!”
Nodding, Kevin began to smack the frosted Slime over and over. He quickly grew winded, his strikes losing strength, but he persisted. It took ten more swings before the ding finally sounded in his mind, along with something else.
You have defeated four [Green Slime] 4 EXP Granted!
You have defeated a [Red Slime] 16 EXP Granted!
Bria Ortega has leveled up!
Hit Points: 15+5=20
Mana: 11+4=15
Strength: 11+6=17
Defense: 9+6=15
Agility: 7+5=13
Magic Might: 8+4=12
Magic Defense: 9+5=14
[Heal] Learned!
The surge that followed lit every nerve in his body with something akin to lightning, leaving his entire form tingling. Nothing he had experienced before could compare to that rush as he stared at his hand. His grip on the stick tightened, and he couldn’t help the thrill that ran through him. Just like that, he had gotten significantly stronger, and all it took was nearly dying.
Oh, right. He had almost died there…
Tremors overtook his form as his legs gave out, dropping him to his knees. Arms wrapped around him as he shook, tears falling freely. The reality of it all crashed into him right then. This wasn’t a game, he really could have died. Checking his HP, he was surprised to find it topped back off. Had the increase in strength restored him, or had Neth-amii healed him at some point?
The Shrine Priestess kneeled down beside him, resting a soft hand on his shoulder as he rocked. It must have been quite the display, and he wouldn’t be surprised if she thought less of him after that. He’d needed to be rescued like some damsel, which was so degrading for a man. He could only imagine the harsh words his father might have for him if he’d seen such a shameful display.
“Hey, you’re alright,” Neth-amii whispered. “Come back to me, everything is okay. The monsters are dead and you’re safe now.”
“Am I?” Kevin asked. “I needed you to save me.”
“True,” the woman said, then chuckled. “You got caught up in the thrill of battle. It happens to the best of us. Better here than in a swarm of undead within the Crypt. The Red Slime was an unpleasant surprise, but it worked out for you.”
It had. He’d gotten to Level Two from the encounter, bringing up his stats considerably. Could he take down the Green Slimes in a single hit now? Would the Red Slime be so overwhelming? Now that the fear was subsiding, he found himself eager to find out.
Just how far could he go? What were the limits of personal strength in this new world? Exciting was certainly a word for it. Unsteadily, he put a hand to the ground and pushed up. Neth-amii was beside him, helping keep his footing as he stood.
Inwardly, he focused, pulling up his status once again.
Status:
Name: Bria Ortega
Level: 02
Experience: 0/45
Class: NONE
Hit Points: 20
Mana: 15
Strength: 17
Defense: 15
Agility: 13
Magic Might: 12
Magic Defense: 14
Just like that, he’d gained half his starting stats. It was hard to believe, but he would put good money on being stronger than his own father now. Though, maybe not quite as strong as mister Williams who worked construction. That man’s arms were as big as his own torso. He couldn’t help but laugh as he wiped the remnants of tears away.
“Is all well?” Neth-amii asked.
“Just overwhelmed,” Kevin admitted, even if the name was already feeling less like him than Bria was. “I’m so much stronger now.”
“You leveled,” she said with a smile. “That is normal. With each level you shall grow, and your body will soon take on an idealized form. It is normal for us, and why I brought you down here, Bria.”
A sudden thrill shot through him, accompanied by equal amounts of dread. “What do you mean?”
“I mean exactly that, Bria. Each of us grows as we level, slowly turning into the ideal we hold at our core. You’ll figure out what that means for you in due time.”
With those ominous words, Neth-amii stepped back, hands clasped behind her back as she smiled.
“Shall we go find more monsters for you to slay?”
Despite the worry, he followed, eager to see what happened when he leveled up again.