Mat let out a deep exhale. It's already been two whole days inside the dungeon, a day later than the goal he set for himself on the first day inside.

He's already finished off around seventy monsters, with every monster encounter either a pair of wandering eyes or a lone minotaur, with still no armored juggernaut in sight. He's been saving his last minion spot for it when he eventually meets and kills one, but so far all he's seen were the usual monsters.

Mat had adapted to the patterns and fighting styles of the monsters in the dungeon, barely getting any fatal wounds on him.

Still, Mat learned not to overestimate himself. Though he killed off many- with every fight after fight getting easier, one stray laser or lucky axe swing would be the end of him. Just an hour ago a laser pierced through his right shoulder. Wandering eyes were normally pretty inaccurate, which was pretty ironic given that they're literal eyeballs, but it only took one laser to pierce his heart and it'd all be over. The health pot could heal up bad injuries, but critical ones to the heart and head were outside of its miracle healing.

Mat glanced down, staring at his leather armor and sword. He's really been lucky to be provided these things from the girls. He may not show it, but he really appreciated what they've done for him so far.

He crouched down to the pair of wandering eyes dead on the ground, seeing the green souls floating above them. He absorbed both, reaching out his hand before pressing it to his chest.

He then called for his green sprite to appear in front. "Status."

[Character Sheet]

Information

Name: Mateo Arsenio

Class: Soulmancer

Mana: Eclipse

Race: Human

Rank: Normal

Stats

Strength: F

Endurance: F-

Agility: F+

Sense: F

Spirit: E-

Magic

Materialize I, Absorb I

His stats have all bumped up another level, though given two days it was a very surprising improvement. Training and working out was more safe and steady, but it took much longer for his stats to improve than actually fighting it raw with the monsters.

In short, fighting with monsters coupled with absorbing their souls was miles better than ordinary training and working out. It was risk versus reward though. Fighting monsters might be better for faster improvement- given that you don't die.

Mat turned back to the group all resting over the distance. It was nighttime- at least, that's what his body clock said. No sunlight nor moonlight was inside the dungeon, with only the burning torches fixed flickering on the walls, so a best guess and a yawn was all it took for him and his group to take the call and go to sleep.

Apparently, portable clocks weren't a thing here in this fantasy world.

He did his routine of exercises and workout before starting towards the group, eyeing his portable bed Amigo before meeting Youmu's gaze. She was still up and about- as always- keeping guard while the rest slept on the warm fluff of fur that was Amigo.

"Do you ever get enough sleep?" Mat leaned to the wolf, smothering himself in his fur. "I always see you up."

Youmu turned to him. "More or less."

"Alright." Mat yawned, his eyes heavy as his body relaxed to a slump. "Goodnight."

. . .

Amigo lashed forward, his face twisted to a snarl as he pounced to the armored juggernaut up front. The juggernaut dashed back, its black armor clanking along with its steel weapons on its hand, offhand, and back.

Mat stared at the monster in front of him. It was tall- not as giant as a minotaur, but still a foot higher than he was. The gaps and crevices of its armor spewed out black miasma, like darkness itself was the one manning all that bulky armor.

It held a long spear in hand and a gleaming cutlass on the other, with a bow, quiver, and shield strapped to its back. He'd exchanged a couple of sword swings with the monster, so he knew how heavy those weapons were.

Two arrows were dug deep in Mat's shoulder and thigh, keeping him from moving too much without the pain taking hold of him. Even borrowing Amigo, it was still a standstill- a stalemate between them.

Amigo was a tier higher than the juggernaut, but with the penalty of Mat's soulmancy at play, the giant direwolf could only let out a fraction of its original strength.

Still, Mat had the numbers advantage. All he had to do was push through with Amigo and Wingman, and he'd eventually win. The problem was, Amigo was late to the party.

Mat was stubborn enough to fight the monster with only him and Wingman even though the girls said he could bring out Amigo, ending up now in his current state pierced by two arrows, with Wingman unable to fly with a broken wing. The ghost bird's wound was slowly regenerating, but it would take more or less an hour before he'd be up and about again. Amigo was the only one able to fight, and with that, no side seemed to budge an inch.

Mat weighed his options.

"Pass me a health potion!" Mat shouted to the girls behind.

"You sure?" Nian said. Mat knew well what he was getting into. If he were to drink the potion now, it would be an hour or more until he could take another one. If he were to get a fatal wound anywhere, there'd be no saving him.

Still, if he took the potion now it would be two on one. A huge advantage. The juggernaut was already having a hard time fending off Amigo, and if Mat were to join with his wolf, he was sure he could win.

"You know we can just kill it for you." Ruan said.

"Just pass me the potion! I'll take care of it myself, thank you!"

Mat knew he was being stubborn. His stubbornness was what brought him into this situation in the first place. Though he was willing to bend his pride a bit and allowed Amigo to fight alongside him, he wasn't about to swallow everything down and let the girls finish this monster fight for him. There was a limit to how much he could swallow before drowning in incompetence.

If he were to run now, It'd be just like saying he gave up and wussed out like a coward. He didn't want that in his track record.

"Alright." Nian threw the potion to him. "Don't die now, you still owe me a shit ton for all these health potions."