Chapter 22 – Leveling Up (Part 2)

 

Library, adaptation to the city and combat training.

Today I skipped this daily routine that I have been repeating every day for the past month. On the day of the opening of the labyrinth, this is not what researchers should be doing at all.

[08:10]

As soon as I woke up, I skipped breakfast and ran to the meeting point that Einar and I had set. I ran because I was told that I would have to wait a few hours if I was even a little late.

"This way!" Björn, son of Yandel!

To my surprise, Ainar came before me.

— ... When did you come?

"You said you'd leave me if I'm late, so I slept right here!" Let's go! We are the first!

Despite the fact that there were 30 minutes left before the opening, there was a long queue in front of the entrance. However, thanks to Einhar, we were able to enter the Explorers Guild as soon as the door opened.

"How can I help you?"

"We've come to get binding magic.

— Are there two people in your team?

— That's right.

"Please put your hands here."

As we followed the instructions, a faint greenish light leaked out of the crystal ball.

"Two rank 9 researchers. The cost is 15,000 stones.

15,000 stones...

If I hadn't saved money for food, it wouldn't have been good. I obediently opened my bag of stones and paid.

There was a bitter taste in my mouth, but it was an unavoidable expense.

When we entered the maze, the starting point was random. But with the help of this magic, we could at least start from the same place.

— How do you assess the researcher?

"It's measured by the total amount of essence engraved on their soul.

- I see. Does this mean that the cost of communication increases as the rank increases?

— Of course.

Ha, now it doesn't have to be exactly the same as in the game.

"Everything is ready. Please note that this will only last for the next 24 hours.

"Good.

It was a little over 9 hours when we finished our business and left the Explorers Guild.

"Let's go back to my inn for dinner." The food is quite delicious.

"A tavern?" Does the inn provide food?

What kind of life did she lead?

When I indirectly asked her this question, Einar answered as if it didn't matter much.

"Usually I bought bread that I ate in the labyrinth.

And, the one that costs 20 stones.

I tried it once to save money on food, but after a while I quit. I didn't know how it worked, but what was quite edible in the labyrinth was hard as a rock here.

That's why it's even called stone bread...

But she ate only this for a month? I felt sorry for her, and I ordered both meat and stew, and Einar responded with an oath of loyalty.

"Bjorn!" I'll jump into the fire pit if you ask!" So don't leave me!

After a tearful meal, we went up to the room and took the time to tidy up our backpacks.

"Make sure you have everything." If we forget to take something and end up needing it, it will be a problem.

"Don't worry! I have nothing to take with me!

Time passed surprisingly quickly as I inspected my gear and packed my backpack for reconnaissance supplies and supplies.

"Then let's sleep now."

"I've never seen such a soft bed. It looks wide enough for two people! It doesn't even smell!

Having laid out everything necessary so that we could enter the labyrinth at any moment, we lay down next to each other and fell asleep.

True, with Einar next to me, the bed was quite cramped. When I went to bed with Ervena, there was still room left.

"Even if you can't sleep, force yourself to rest for a while. We will not be able to sleep normally for a while—...

*Shake!*

Before I could finish my words, I heard the typical barbarian snoring next to me.

Mm, what was I worried about?

I smiled and closed my eyes too. A lot of time has passed since then.

[20: 30]

We woke up a little earlier and ate for the last time on the 1st floor, a special luxury meal at 800 stones per person.

"What kind of taste is this?"

Einar, who had been fussing throughout the dinner, took a bite of the cream pie that was served as a dessert and froze.

"Is it magic?" I can't stop crying.

"Ah, it's called 'sweetness.'

"I feel that in the future I need to work very hard...

It wasn't intentional, but I think it gave her the right motivation.

"Let's go."

When we took our backpacks and went out into the night street, we saw a lot of people walking outside, unlike the usual ones. Most of them were armed like me and carried a large backpack. As I said, not everyone was like that, there were barbarians with a single weapon on their bodies.

It seems that they have only finished the coming-of-age ceremony today and arrived in the city...

"Stop!" It seems that we have lost our way.

"Unbelievable!" We have to get to the labyrinth in the set time!

- Partun does not deserve to be a leader!

And this happens every month. How do these barbarians even get to the labyrinth every time?

I was seriously wondering this question when Ainar approached them and gave them advice.

"If you follow them, you will reach the labyrinth.

The young warriors looked at her and thanked her with their eyes, as if they were looking at their successful senior.

"Thank you. I will definitely repay for this service!

Watching the barbarians retreat, Einar wiped her nose.

"Haha... reminds me of the past.

Please don't pretend that this is the past, it was only a month ago.

It seemed to me that nothing has changed since then.

"That's it, stand back!"

Thousands of people have already gathered in the Plaza de la Dimension. As we stood in the crowd and waited for midnight to fall, a light began to break through from the center.

Although it was small at first, but the halo that quickly grew turned into a sphere.

"Now you can come in!"

As the guide shouted this, the researchers around them quickly rushed into the portal.

I took Ainar to the side to avoid the crowds.

"Bjorn, won't we go in?"

"Just wait.

The sea of explorers gathered in the square disappeared every second by a dozen. But the square was still crowded because of the other explorers who kept arriving on time, one after another. 40 minutes after the opening of the portal, the crowd on the square subsided, and the queue consisted of seven or eight hundred people.

— ... Isn't it time for us to enter?

The portal, which has already absorbed tens of thousands of researchers, has become smaller in size.

But I kept waiting.

Ainar also read my expression and spoke in a different tone.

"Bjorn, what are you waiting for?"

Mm, that's a pretty long explanation... And I don't know if it will work or not.

However, I decided to give a brief explanation, as we had very little time left.

"I plan to enter when the spatial portal is unstable. The book says that this only happens once in a hundred years, but if we take advantage of this phenomenon...

"I don't know what that means, but I'll follow you." I have a feeling that I won't understand anything anyway!

To be honest, I thought so. It was frustrating that she was saying this after asking me first, but... In fact, it was quite convenient not to explain every action you take.

"The gates will close soon!" Move!

Eventually, the light of the portal began to fade.

At this point, there were no researchers left. Only then did I slowly walk towards the labyrinth with Einar. Seeing us, the guide shouted:

"It's dangerous to enter now!"

I pretended not to hear.

I don't know why they say it's dangerous.

I didn't understand why they thought so. Seeing that statistics are even published in the form of books, they should be aware of this phenomenon as well...

"B-Bjorn!" That authorized person says it's dangerous! We must retreat!

Why doesn't anyone use it?

1 second, 2 seconds, 3 seconds...

Mm, perhaps the countdown was meaningless. When I had a strong feeling that enough time had passed,

"Now is the time. Go.

*Squeal*

I pushed Einar in the back and entered the labyrinth at the same time.

*Flash!*

A flash of light obscured my eyes, and when I opened them again, I was greeted by thick darkness. This meant that my plan worked.

"See! I can't see ahead! It was necessary to listen to an authoritative person! Bjorn is a fool!

"Ainar, calm down.

Ainar calmed down a bit when I hurriedly lit a torch from my backpack.

"What's going on?"

"Even if I tell you, you won't understand.

— ... It's true!

Easily convincing Einar, I slowly looked around the surroundings. And when I found the monument located in front of the cul-de-sac, I was seized by a strange feeling.

Indeed, the phenomenon of dimensional instability was closely related to the time of entry into the portal. This fact made me happy and upset at the same time.

This meant that if I had made the decision just a minute earlier, during the first entry, I would not have injured my leg and I would not have had to crawl on three limbs!

*Woouuh!! *

As soon as I placed my hand on the stone, which looked like a tombstone, the halo flashed and turned into a sphere.

"What is it?"

"This is the portal to the 2nd floor.

In other words, we missed all the processes associated with the need to navigate by the compass, fight all the monsters we encountered, and wander along the road in the dark. This saved us at least a day or two.

"What?!" The chief said that it would take 3 days to find the portal! What magic did you use?

Even if I tell you, you won't understand.

[Portal opened for the first time. Experience +2]

[Character level increased.]

[Spirit +10.]

[The maximum number of essences consumed has increased by 1.]

To become a pro, you have to exploit bugs.

***

[Björn Yandel]

Level: 2 (New +1)

Build: 46

Spirit: 36

Special Abilities: 4 (New +3)

Item Level: 202

Total Combat Strength: 136.5 (New +3)

***

[You entered the Goblin Forest on the 2nd floor].

After flying about 10 feet in the air, I quickly regained my balance and landed on two feet.

*Top!*

Yes, I trained when I fought the barbarians.

"Ugh!"

Watching Einar fall on his ass, I realized how far I had come and began to understand Ervina's feelings as she laughed at me.

"Ugh... My ass is numb.

It was quite funny to watch. Well, with her reflexes, she would soon learn how to land properly.

"What is it?" Is this a disappointed expression?

"Nothing.

Thinking about this question, I took out my watch and set the time to 0:05. I should have done it as soon as I opened my eyes, but I forgot. However, I set it for 5 minutes, so there won't be any problems.

—. .. Ainar, do you feel it too?

"What do you mean?"

"It feels like my heart is vibrating.

It was as if something dense had penetrated my blood vessels and was filling my body. This had been the case since the moment I passed through the portal, and now I felt it very clearly.

What could it be?

After explaining the symptoms to Einar, she quickly made a diagnosis.

"It seems that your Soul Greatness has increased!" Congratulations!

Ah, I've leveled up.

The Dungeon & Stone were also level.

Soul Power was based on the level. In other words, MP, the resource required to use this ability, increased with the growth of Soul Force, and the total number of essences absorbed also increased.

For example, at level 1, I could only absorb one essence, but...

Since I had become level 2, it was now possible to absorb a maximum of two. In any case, it only made sense if I had the essence in the first place.

— Interesting. You haven't caught a single monster yet, and your Soul Majesty has already grown!

— This is not a surprise. I just achieved it because I was the first to open the portal.

Achievements described experience points in this world.

— Is this considered an achievement at all?

It is. Once you reached a certain level, speed running was the easiest way to increase your experience points.

Dungeon & Stone was a game with a somewhat unusual level system. You could only get experience points from each monster once, only for the first kill. Therefore, similar to filling out a book with illustrations, you could only level up by defeating various monsters.

Wait, isn't it too dangerous?

— ... Einar, this must remain a secret between us. I got it?

"A secret?" What exactly?

"The fact that I was the first to open the portal. That's it. If anyone asks, tell them it took you 2 days to get to the 2nd floor.

The experience gained for opening the portal was only +2. In other words, it was about the same as killing two rank 9 monsters, but...

Unlike monsters, this experience could be accumulated over and over again.

Therefore, explorers who reached a certain level were in trouble, as the monsters that could be hunted were limited.

It also depended on the character of the god the priest worships, the compatibility with the monster, the area in which you are active, and the presence of the wizard. When you have a wall in front of you, the only way to break through it is hard physical work. But is it possible as an amateur?

Only I could have known this trick, because if they found out about it, it would definitely not end well.

"I swear on the honor of a warrior.

Am I not expressing myself too seriously?

Einar's expression changed, and although I didn't ask, she took an oath to me. That made me feel relieved, but I knew we needed to act quickly.

"We have to get out of this place.

In a few hours, other researchers will enter the 2nd floor. And when they see two newcomers here, they will begin to have doubts.

"Who are you that you arrived before us?"

As always, I was more afraid of the bastard explorers than the actual monsters.