-Vol 5: A New Life-

-Chapter 205-

Despite how hard his heart telling him to fuck everything and just go back, his curiosity prevented him from doing so. He, also, didn’t want to just return after coming this far. He wanted to know why all this happening. Letting out a sigh towards his own indecisiveness, he moved on.

A monster would attack him every few minutes, but since they were weak, he slaughtered them without even batting his eye. His grand plan of using a level 4 dungeon to powerup wasn’t going according to plan at all. These monsters weren't strong in the lest. Ignoring poison skills and their unique skins and body structure, there was nothing special about them that could help him with his cause. The monkeys in the previous dungeon were better than the gloomy and nasty creatures here. The drops were also not satisfactory at all, only bones and flesh that smells. Now he somewhat understood why this dungeon wasn’t famous among the hunters. Even Ekla’s Garden was crowded than here, and that’s a real horror house.

After walking for a few more hours, he finally came across a huge crocodile. It had green scaly skin like every other monster in this marsh swamps, but its size was huge, around the same size as an adult buffalo. Except that everything else was like that of a normal crocodile. When Kenshin saw it, the crocodile was lying motionless under a grey tree with its mouth hung open, looking like its already dead.

[Green Scaled Croc][Level 40]

[HP: 1000][MP: 0]

[ATK: 200][PHY: 100][DEF: 150][AGI: 90]

[Skill]

- Charge Lv 5(+50% ATK; -50% Opponent’s DEF)

- Hardening Lv 3(+200% DEF for ten seconds)

- Bite Lv 5(+64% ATK)(Passive/Always active)

- Feign Lv8(maxed)

Now that’s a stat he liked to see in his opponent. Though it would still die within three moves at his hands, at least he would get some exercise. For the past few hours, he felt like a certain bald haired man who was a hero for fun. No matter how many monsters he encounters, they all die with just a strike from him.

The crocodile was currently feigning dead to capture its prey unaware. The higher the monster was in level, the more intelligence they would gain. With more intelligence, they would use their skills and powers more efficiently, making them all the more deadly.

“Nice! Let’s see how long you can endure…” while muttering such, Kenshin used a skill that he had yet to use after its evolution. He was so bored that he had to break his promise of no skill here, but since he wouldn’t be causing direct physical damage to the monster, it was okay.

[Ding* You have used King’s Presence]

[-2 WIL]

The moment the notification came, suddenly the feigning crocodile stood up like a cat with its tail stepped and stared at Kenshin in fear. It started to shake violently, almost looking like its having spasms. Although it tried to move back and flee, for some reason, it stood rooted to its spot, not even daring to take a breath.

At such a monster, Kenshin couldn't help but wonder what's happening to it. Getting curious, scanned at it with his system when the monster was in this weird state.

[Green Scaled Croc][Level 40]

[HP: 1000][MP: 0]

[ATK: 0(200?)][PHY: 100][DEF: 40(150?)][AGI: 0(90?)]

[State: Paralyzed]

“The fuck! What the hell is this?” Kenshin was so surprised that he nearly shouted loudly. This skill, it was a real nightmare to creatures with low WIL than his. Not only it paralyzes the enemy, but it also seals their stats somehow. Although he didn’t know how long that seal lasts, he was sure it wasn’t for long. Even if that seal lasts for a second, he could instantly finish these lower level bottom feeders.

It was at this moment he realized just how frightening he was to enemies with WIL lower than his. He didn’t even need to fight them with all his power, all he has to do is to blast a wave of King’s presence and then finish them all with one fell swoop while they are paralyzed or have their skills and stats sealed. This skill’s effect was also irrelevant to the level, it could even affect someone with level twice as his if their WIL were lower.

When he first discovered that this skill uses WIL to activate and depends upon it as a factor, he felt discontent. He thought it wouldn’t be of any use. Since his stats had already surpassed a certain threshold, initially he felt that only people who surpassed that threshold would pose a threat to him. But after that night, his assumptions were ruthlessly stomped and grounded to paste. He realized that other factors could affect a battle in addition to skills and stats, some internal while some external.

Since the enemies he faced until now all used extensive of their skills, he had forgotten about something called equipment bonus despite having it himself. He forgot that in an RPG game, equipment factors the most, and a world which was modeled after such an RPG game, that truth shouldn’t be obsolete!

If so, then the only increasing level wouldn’t be enough. What if the opponents he was going to face next have equipment powerful enough to make all his skills useless? Wouldn’t he, at that time, be like a sitting duck waiting to be chopped? That’s why he had to get new and powerful equipemnts as well as upgrade his own strength. That’s the current reason for his desperate try at getting used to his own increased stats.

He knew he could get any type of equipment from his system store, he wasn’t worried about that. What he was worried about was him not getting used to his strength. Right now his level was stagnated because he was mingling in these low leveled dungeons. If he goes to a high level one, and fight there for a few days, with all the bonus he had and their stacking effect, he would level up like crazy.

So, if he didn’t get used to his sudden increased strength, the problem he would face at that time would be much much higher. At that time, his situation would be like a hapless driver in a super advanced car. Despite having everything, still, lose the race.

The croc remained in that debuff state for at least fifteen minutes, while its paralyzing effect had vanished a minute after. After the effect wore off, the croc turned its tail towards him and attempted to run off. Another dose of diluted [King’s Presence] made it begrudgingly stay behind. After that Kenshin started to experiment with his skill on that croc and discovered various effects. He discovered that whether he uses a little amount or huge, the consumption of his WIL remains the same. But depending on the power of the skill he used, the effect varies.

If he uses the full strength of the skill, the opponent will remain in a paralyzed state for quite a while. There was also a chance of its heart failing and dying. The croc’s heart failed twice during Kenshin using his skill on him. That paralyzing effect wore off after twenty minutes and would decline with the amount of strength used.

But the sealing effect was common and didn’t matter if he uses a little or the full force of the skill. Depending on the WIL of the opponent and him, the sealing would take place. He guessed that the percentage of the value obtained after subtracting his WIL and the opponent’s WIL would be the percentage of the strength sealed of his opponent.

After the completion of his experiment, he killed it and gained the necessary EXP.

Still nowhere close enough to level up.