When Levi entered the treasure room, a small glowing brown sphere caught his attention immediately, shining like a beacon in the glittering light scattered from above.

Beast Stone (Power Stone, Basic) The aspect of Beast is contained within.

A power stone! Finally!

There was also a dungeon token, which he slipped in his pouch with its destruction counterpart, and a blank book for spellcasting of some sort, but it was the power stone that held his attention. He stuffed the book into one of his backpack pockets along with the blank wand from before, to trade or craft with later.

Finally, after what felt like the longest three days of his life without any proper weapon, he picked up the glowing power stone and slotted it into his shortsword. The brown gem immediately fused with the pommel as though they'd always been a single piece.

Beastly Shortsword (Manablade, Standard)

Abilities: (Basic) Beast Bite

Power stone: 1/1

Upgrade Slots: 0

He felt the familiar thrum of power in the hilt, energy running in jagged currents toward the carved patterns in the blade. He could activate it with the tiniest thread of mana, and keep its effect active for as long as his mana held out.

Manablades were one of the only weapons that could be reliably used against dungeon creatures and demons of higher level. The high concentration of system energy within them made mundane projectiles and physical attacks as useless as they'd become against him in a few more thresholds.

It felt reassuringly right to have one in his hand again. Even if he wasn’t going to pursue the Swordsman class this time around, he doubted he’d ever stop loving the feel of a pair of manablades humming in his hands.

He pushed mana into the blade, activating the effect. He’d never actually powered a manablade with a Beast stone before and was curious to see what form it would take.

A snarling brown ghostly visage expanded from halfway down the blade, poised with jaw spread wide, ready to snap down on whatever the blade contacted. He couldn’t quite place the specific creature, its face was too wide to be wolf, too pointy to be bear. Perhaps it was nothing specific at all, just the tangible manifestation of ‘Beast’.

He had to try it out.

He left the treasure room and jogged over to the nearest tree, then drove the sword into its bark. Chips of wood flew as the blade impacted, then the jaw snapped shut and sent a veritable storm of wood chips flying in all directions.

When he pulled the sword back, the tree had a round chomp taken out of it, easily a foot in diameter.

Levi closed his eyes and sighed in satisfaction. “Yes, this will do very nicely.”

Deactivating the sword, he looked up, toward the center of the dungeon where the spider skunk still lurked. He’d hoped the boss would be enough to push him to level 5 so he could capture that last remaining monster, but the days of easy levels were coming to an end. Even soloing them, level 1 dungeons would only give him so much experience.

He was used to fighting for months between levels, so it didn’t trouble him as much as it might have. He only hoped he could progress fast enough to stand in the forefront when the demon invasion began. But that was a concern for another day. He’d deal with what came when it came. Until then, he’d just have to fight as hard as he could and seize every opportunity that came to him.

And right now, he had the opportunity to go chomp a spider skunk with his newly christened beast-aspect manablade.

Level 1

(Spider Skunk)

Health 100%

If not for the fact that they were sticky, stinky, and generally infuriating, spider skunks were the sort of creature a certain kind of person would go ‘aww’ over and adopt into their house. Waist-high, with eight black and white striped fuzzy legs, and a face more closely resembling a mammal than the usual many-eyed spider face, they could have been cute.

But belying their fluffy, innocent appearance, they were vile and murderous things. Regardless of their outward appearance, Levi would never be able to see them as anything but monsters.

The first indication that he’d entered the first spider skunk’s territory was the web. It lay strung low to the ground, delicately twined between stalks of the wild grasses, and resisted breaking when he stepped on it.

“Guess that means it’s show time.” He unsheathed his shortsword. “It’ll be here soon. Find a position. And be careful for the webs!”

Gremlin Two saluted and scampered off, soon nothing but a rustle in the grasses.

Levi advanced, sword drawn but not activated yet. It would use a point of mana about every eight seconds to keep it active, and with his current limited pool that would burn through his resources fast. He couldn’t wait to try it out on a proper enemy. His old manablades in the future had been Ice and Destruction powered, with custom mods and special abilities. Each power stone type had its own strengths and specialties, and he looked forward to seeing Beast’s firsthand.

He knew intellectually that Beast’s specialty was in pinning and bleeds, but there was something viscerally satisfying about feeling it for himself.

He kept an eye on the ground for more webs as he crept up on the spider skunk, which pranced about in short hops and dashes, playing with its webbing with its front legs as it strung more and more between patches of bushes.

The center of its lair was fully matted with the stuff, and it exuded a vile stench that made Levi cough and gag before he hastily pulled his shirt up over his nose and mouth to provide a rough filter. He'd rather smell his grungy, sweaty body than spider skunk essence any day.

There was no way in without touching at least one of the webs. Levi examined them carefully, checking which strands were sturdy and which sticky. He carried a pair of leftover spears from their traps for the turkey boss, and used one of these to carefully snap one of the sticky webs.

The spider skunk immediately stopped and spun on his location. Levi froze, spear extended in one hand, manablade ready in the other. With a hiss of disapproval, the spider skunk rushed him.

Levi danced away, careful to step only between the strands of web radiating out from the central lair, then broke into a run.

He still had several traps left, after all. May as well see if he could kill two monsters with one strategy.

The spider skunk, however, displayed much greater spatial awareness than the dire turkey had. It lightly jumped atop the spikes, running across them as though they were natural parts of the terrain, not even slowing.

Well, it was worth a try.

Levi stopped, spun, set his spear, and readied his sword. The spider skunk didn't spring, wary of the pointed object aimed at its body, instead electing to circle Levi in a sideways skitter, laying down web subtly behind it as it moved.

"You want to dance? I'm game." Levi rushed in, dropping the spear and gripping the sword with two hands. The handle wasn't built for two-handed use, but he didn't mind the pommel's awkward shape. He sprang forward with a stamina-empowered leap, blade extended, mana flowing out into it as its ghostly beast visage manifested, hungry and ready.

The spider skunk skittered to the side, throwing a strand of web across Levi's path.

"Hah. Gotcha." He snatched the thread just before he reached it, wrapping it around his hand, and yanked hard.

The spider skunk hadn't released it yet, tugging one of its legs off balance. It adapted easily with its other limbs and didn't fall.

But Levi's aim wasn't to trip it up. He'd used it to redirect his momentum.

The blade bit into the spider skunk's side an instant before Levi slammed into it bodily, the sticky thread still wrapped around one hand as he grabbed hold of its silky white furry side.

Level 1

(Spider Skunk)

Health 72%

The blade's beast aspect clung tight, its teeth gripping the monster's side like a bear trap. Levi could release it on demand if he wanted, but right now it was helpful having such a stable anchor.

Level 1

(Spider Skunk)

Health 69%

After the boss, it felt surprisingly satisfying to watch a monster’s health steadily drain at a decent rate.

Level 1

(Spider Skunk)

Health 66%

The spider skunk hissed again, then took a page out of Levi's play-book and tugged hard on the strand of sticky web still connecting them together. Levi's grip on its side slipped as his hand was dragged down, straining his shoulders as he was stretched tight. He refused to release his sword, continued channeling mana into it as he clung stubbornly on.

Level 1

(Spider Skunk)

Health 60%

In fifteen seconds the spider skunk would be dead anyway, but a lot could happen in fifteen seconds.

Gremlin Two came panting out of the grass, swinging his dagger at the spider skunk's legs.

The unexpected attack bought Levi the time he needed. The spider skunk let the line slacken just enough for Levi to get a hold on its side again. He released the blade, grunting as his weight swung from one hand to the other, coming up short with a painful wrench, but it was necessary. He swung the sword down, and it parted the line binding him with the familiar ease of an empowered weapon.

The spider skunk spewed forth a cloud of toxic gases as its health continued to plummet, faster now as Levi slammed the sword in for another vicious chomp.

Level 1

(Spider Skunk)

Health 22%

Despite its best efforts to fight back, between Levi's newly empowered blade and Gremlin Two's distracting strikes, they may as well have encountered no opposition at all.

The spider skunk soon slumped to the ground, dead without having done more than superficial damage to either of them.

Levi sheathed his shortsword, feeling better than he had in a long time.

Finally, things were going how they should.

"One more treasure pile to check out, then we'll be moving on again."

Gremlin Two whimpered, looking at his pointy-fingered hands with distaste, as though contemplating how long it would take to clean the dirt from under his long, sharp claws.

"Don't worry, it'll be by car for the most part. I won't need you to impersonate a cat again for a few hours at least."

Gremlin Two eyed the backpack with near-equal distaste.

"I know you'd rather walk proudly at my side, and one day you can, but right now people would lose their minds if they saw dungeon creatures walking around in public."

Gremlin Two sighed, but nodded acquiescence.

"Good. Now let's go grab our loot and get out of here."