As I stepped over the dissolving corpse of the cuck that thought he was death, I spotted the chest. I felt goose bumps cover my body for being rewarded for something I would do for free. The mob boss might have deluded me into thinking time was moving at an incredible rate, but I’m fine. I lived, and the light of my truth destroyed him. The truth that typing advantage mattered.

I picked his crummy scythe off the ground. It had a 300% dark affinity booster. I decided to keep the scythe, there was a chance I could pawn it off at some point. I turned to the floor.

There was still one loose end. I held my staff up and cast mana burn and fireball at the same time. The result was a colossal fireball. I even got the skill for it. The skill devoured mana like a black hole.

New skill

Colossal Fireball lv1 - Legends tell of powerful mages that can throw stars and shatter solar systems. You are on your way to becoming a member of their ranks. This skill is a step in the right direction.

Mag Dam 10x Int

Mana Cost 500k

+100Int

“John, what are you doing, there are no more enemies on the floor?” Luci said. A smile stretched across my face.

“Luci, I'm making a short cut.” The colossal fireball crashed down like a falling star. Fire exploded upward beginning spread out like an ocean. The runes around the dungeon lit up before burning out. The cracks appeared on the floor that last signs of the dungeons will fighting off the force of my skill. The flames rose and shattered the ceiling. The false moon shattered a rush of sea water poured down. I kicked open the chest and collected the items in my inventory.

“You are such a child John. My god do you know how long it will take me to clean this mess up. Now there is sea life on floor eight. Did you know that’s a desert dungeon. The ecosystems are ruined now.” I smiled and walked down the stairs to the next floor.

I held a bone sword, in my left hand and my staff in my right. I struck a pose and dashed down the stairs. Where the dungeon tried to trip me, I stabbed my sword into the dungeon wall shattering the runes. I was done holding back.

The door to the eight-floor burst open. The sea from floor six rained down upon the once dry dungeon. Sea life and desert creatures fought each other in the new ecosystem.

I waved my staff and dropped three colossal fireballs on the floor. The water evaporated, and the runes shattered sand and grave stones fell as the bottom of the floor broke through. A massive sphinx lumbered toward me. From its eyes it fired beams that turned mobs to stone.

Empress Sphinx lv120

A massive sphinx with the power of stone gaze. It turns small mobs and adventurers to stone and devours them. If you answer three of its riddles, it will let you pass to the next floor. If not, then you can fight it or wait a day and try again. You have damaged the integrity of the dungeon it has been ordered to devour you.

It turned its eyes to me and I moved out of the way. The lumbering titan had a ton of speed but too much body to move. The creature swiped its paw at me and I stepped upon it. I ran up the creature’s leg and used its fur as hand holds to climb it. It turned to look at me only to receive a series of thunder.

Sticky fibers wrapped around the creature’s neck, as I propelled to its head. Once on top the foolish creature tried to shake me off. It leapt upon its back and turned its head to remove me. Parts of the floor fell to the ninth, as it fought to remove me. I placed a hand on it and cast learn and inspect.

The first skill I gained was stone gaze, followed by sand storm, and charmed speech reached tier 2. This creature had both high charisma and intelligence. Yet that was useless if it was too slow to use its offensive skills. The creature yowled, as I tightened on the reins and forced it through sea water. One of my white sea serpents fell and wrapped around the sphinx.

It quickly bound the back legs, and another fell biting a foreleg to hold on. The mob quickly bound the forelegs. The sphinx tried to turn its gaze on them, only for a yank of her reins to stop her.

The skill sphinx appeared. I only needed cat hair, earth mana stones, and 15k mana.

More of my mobs dropped down. One was a large white drake. At my command it rammed the back end of the sphinx driving it toward the hole in the floor. The water kept the dungeon from repairing the hole.

We soon fell in to the ninth floor. I was running low on mana, but I needed to be on the tenth floor now. My drake flew down as the sphinx, my sea serpents, and I fell. The ninth floor was filled with trees and dryads. Pollen flowed upward, and massive bees flew through them. I slashed my sword casting usurper through it. The sphinx was cut down the middle and I cast a colossal fireball with thunder thrust. A new skill appeared.

New skill

Plasma lance lv1 - Once again you seek to reach the ranks of legendary mages. Plasma lance gathers and merges fire and lightning mana into a controlled lance of plasma. Though the skill costs less mana it does much more damage. Warning this skill requires a weapon to focus the plasma through.

Mag Dam 15xInt

Mana Cost 400k

+150Int

My sword was vaporized along with the floor below. The damage was reduced by the time it struck the floor. Sea water rained down and I reached lv150. My power was growing ever higher. I felt my jaw muscles grow stronger and my scales become just a little bit thicker. My bones creaked as I grew taller. The horns that were pin pricks broke skin. My xp was still going up.

This feeling was a rapturous event. My grin had never stretched wider. Growing stronger was an addictive feeling. Just a little more and I would reach lv200. What could stop me once I reached that level? I was already equal to the golem that almost killed me.

My drake flew off somewhere into the forest. One of the sea serpents let go of the sphinx and latched on to a bee in flight. The creature began a slow descent to the surface. My other sea serpent stretched its tail out for me to grab on. I did so and climbed to the top of its head. It angled itself and we dived through the hole of the 9th floor.

The 10th floor was an obsidian slab with a single unit. The scales of my serpent peeled away showing small wings throughout its body. A pink tint appeared on its scales along with feathers. Tree like horns grew from its head. The descent slowed as we slowly landed.

Sky Serpent lv109

A rank lin the tiers of great sky dragons. Sky serpents are much smaller than their counterparts. Like the sky dragons they can fly and contain the lightning element. They can call upon skills like thunder storm, lightning rain, and their signature skill thunder breath. This sky serpent belongs to John Union.

I landed and leapt from the serpent. After petting its head in thanks, it flew upwards back to the ninth floor. The serpent had soft feathers, considered acquiring some of those feathers for a mattress.

The fighter in the distance didn’t concern me. I busied myself with looking around. If there were any traps, I would find them. Briefly, I wondered if the others were ok.

I left them behind on the 8th floor. If I stayed with them they would stop growing. Sasha wouldn’t be by my side going forward. That thought almost drove me to return to the group.

I took a deep breath and stood across from the mob of this floor. He was an elf in a set of white robes, in his left hand was a bow that glowed like moon light. It was the only source of light in this place. My tendrils stretched from my back. The light rings stretched. I took a peak at his status screen.

Alphonse The Twilight Archer lv190

Little is known about Alphonse other than his ability to use both light and dark elements. He is an unknown crafted by the dungeon. Elves are known for their affinity for magic. Some are even better than you.

This elf is nearly in the 200s and is the only mob on this floor. You may not stand a chance against this foe. If this battle becomes of attrition it is recommended that you flee. Elves are known for their high magic regeneration.

A grin stretched across my face. I never had an opponent with two paragraphs under their name. I noticed he had no armor, he only wore a thread bare white cloak. His golden hair grew long, his frame was thin and tall, and his face was slender with slanted eyes. An aura of charisma flowed off him normal for those of the higher hundreds. His features clearly spoke of his high charisma. Since he was an archer getting far away wasn’t an option. I needed to take him out quickly.

“I know what your thinking. Its all over your face. I need to get up close and attack him. He is a ranged attacker distance is death. Well I assure you either way is death in your case. My light arrows will pierce any defense you can muster, and my dark arrows will rot away your flesh. If you were in a group maybe you would have a chance. As you are now, three of my arrows will kill you.” His voice was musical and deep. It rang through my ears, with an accent I couldn’t place.

“If your words were meant to frighten me, then your wasting your time. I don’t see you standing before me. I only see the after. You’re just another step on my quest.” He smiled grimly.

“From my status you should know my name is Alphonse. I journeyed through the dungeon and died. The mistress tied my hands and tossed me down here. My honor wouldn’t allow me to slay children even zombies. They slew me as I begged Lucia the goddess of light for their forgiveness. It was Morgana the goddess of darkness that answered my prayer and granted me darkness. Unfortunately, it was too late, and the zombies slew me. I kept my powers as a mob and rose through the ranks.” I raised an eyebrow.

“Why are you telling me this?” I asked.

“So, after I slay you, I don’t slay your hope. You too can evolve through the ranks and become a mob boss.” He raised his bow and fired. I slid my shoulder to the side dodging the arrow. Hundreds of arrows followed the assault. They were all telegraphed by the bow. Sure, there was plenty of fire power, but nothing was beyond my ability to dodge.

The speed of the arrows and the number increased with every step I took forward. Alphonse’s grimace turned into a smile.

“Don’t get cocky.” I raised an eyebrow mana flowed from the blond lighting a ritual circle. This circle won’t allow you to exit this place unless I die. More arrows fired faster than ever. Dodging was become a struggle. A fireball appeared in my hand and I fired it only for the circle to flare. The fireball detonated before it could leave the circle. The elf danced around the edge of the circle firing arrows.

The arrows broke over my skin doing little damage. Then a black arrow slammed into my chest. The armor where the arrow hit melted away and the skin begin to burn. My white scales were turning black falling off. My health was sliced by a quarter.

“Your quite fast for a human but at this range you won’t last much longer.”

My escape was cut off by the circle and it seemed that only light and dark type skills could pass the circle. Why did light and dark skills pass through? I pulled a mana stone from my inventory and wrapped it in a barrier of light. I threw the stone and it passed through the barrier.

New skill

Light barrier lv1 – Form a barrier of light mana. Mag Def 1%Wis. Mana Cost 50/minute. +0.1Wis

The stone passed through the barrier with out a single flash of light. Before I could make a barrier around myself the elf began firing black arrows at me. My foe grit his teeth and continued to fire keeping me from passing through the barrier.

“One way or another, I’m getting through and your going to die. You played your hand, while I have yet to show my true power.” He fired more arrows, I didn’t bother to dodge.

I cast heal on myself quickly recovering from any damage the elf could inflict. The skills resist light and resist dark made two pop ups. I cancelled them and approached the barrier only to pretend the guy drove me back. It became a game.

I let him continue to fire arrows at me only to tank them and heal. My dragon skin was rank three now. To think I could allocate my skill points and become immune to this guy’s attacks right now. It was fun letting this foolish elf riddle my body with arrows only to heal from the wounds and grow stronger in turn.

Time passed, and the elf had given up attacking. He stood there glaring at me. I stepped out of the circle. The field shattered as it attempted to battle my aura.

“Your one of those special ones aren’t you. Those few who are born stronger than the rest. Even with your power there are those further down who will destroy you. Kill me and get it over with.” I walked up to him. I didn’t know what to say.

“You lost because your strategy failed to contain me. It wasn’t a bad tactic you just couldn’t deal enough damage to me to matter. Taking a 4th of my health is meaningless when I can regenerate from the damage before you can hit me again.” The elf nodded sadly.

“The next floor is filled with trolls, the next shadows, then genies, brains, and on the fifth floor there is a combination of the four. Just make it quick.” I took the scythe from my inventory. The elf stood on his knees his eyes closed. His pale neck was exposed. I pulled back on the scythe and swung. His head flew up as blood shot up from the stump. In moments the elf’s body was absorbed by the dungeon.

I kicked up the chest and took out a few new weapons. Such as a long sword, a war hammer, and a mace.

“What a loser, I don’t know why I bother resurrecting him.” Luci said.

“Maybe because he’s emo and it turns on your inner goth.” I said.

“Don’t get fresh with me John. I’m mad at you for making holes in my floors. It took hours to repair and your mobs are all over the place now. It was bad enough when they were just on one floor. Can’t you I don’t know command them to stop steeling kills.” I couldn’t imagine them killing anyone from my party.

“Who are they killing?” I asked.

“They are killing the flood of adventurers sprinting through the dungeon. There is a massive bounty of 1000gold bars for your head. Do you know how many mana cores that is John? With that much gold I could make a hundred Alphonse.” Luci said.

“Well that’s nice glad my mobs are eating good.” I said.

“Whatever have fun on floor 11. Oh, and the mistress sent a named golem after you. This one is called Elinore. Most over powered thing I’ve ever seen. Its swimming through floor 6 right now. If not for the ocean it would kill you in a day.” Luci said. Well it was nearly time to allocate my skill points anyway. Might as well prepare for this Elinore.

"So, tell me Lucy why does the Mistress hate men?" I asked.

"Its a long story. Well she used to be an adventurer. I think she was from the 20th like you John." I raised an eyebrow.

"20th what's that?" I asked.

"The 20th iteration of humanity. God is in love with the human form and humans are his favorite. We dungeon cores are from the 12th. Well go ahead to the next floor, with the stairs this time." I depowered my plasma lance and walked towards the door after collecting the chest.

Next was floor 11, there was actually a passage there.

"Trolls are impossibly tough and magic resistant. It is advised to use firearms." Who wrote the signs?