31.1. Grinding and Learning

I listened to Daniel as he gave me a warning not to fight any monsters I couldn’t beat; he stayed up for a bit longer than Edithe to ensure that I would not get myself killed while exploring the Dungeon alone. The Human woman had already gone to sleep, so it was just me, him, Mistshard, and Druma.

I lazily heeded Daniel’s words, already aware of the consequences of facing things that were stronger than me.

“Are you even listening, Salvos?”

He gave me a questioning look as I dug at an ear.

“Not really.”

I answered honestly. The Human man pinched the bridge of his nose as he sighed.

“Salvos, you—”

He paused and shook his head.

“Just don’t die, alright?”

I nodded, actually listening to him as he said that. I grinned and gave him a reassuring thumbs-up.

“Don’t worry, I won’t.”

“...that’s more intimidating than anything. Your claws aren’t exactly reassuring. Don’t do that in front of any other Human please.”

“Fine.”

I crossed my arms and got up in a huff. Then I started past the two Spirits standing at the edge of the alcove. The [Yaksha] nodded at me while the [Elemental] simply watched me go. I waved at Druma as I left, going further down the stone hallway with nothing but the fire at my hand lighting the way.

Unlike the two Humans, I did not need sleep. So I suggested I delve deeper into the Dungeon while they were busy resting; Edithe had not been too open to the idea for whatever reason, but she eventually acquiesced when she realized I would do it whether she liked it or not. Meanwhile Daniel had been worried— something which I found rather interesting. Wasn’t he wary of me because I was a Demon?

That still seemed to be the case, just slightly less so now for whatever reason. I probably should ask him why in the future— I didn’t ask him now because he never likes it when I inundate him with questions.

But it was interesting, observing these two Humans interact. They were both Humans, but they were just so distinct. It almost reminded me of how different I had been to Haec. If there are different types of Humans, I wonder if there are any wild Humans? I mused quietly to myself as I strolled down the Dungeon.

I hadn’t seen any so far, but it was always a possibility, right?

It was not long before I encountered a group of Shade Swarmers— those [Crimson Bats] that littered every new area of the Dungeon. They came flying at me in a swarm, as befitted the name of their Species, but this Subspecies of theirs was apparently weak. A single [Fire Blast] knocked a handful of them off the air. They fell on the ground, burning, not dead but incapacitated long enough for me to deal with the rest that came.

They zipped and bit at me as my claws tore through the group. It was not long before I finished them all off, however apparently the sound of my fighting attracted a group of [Howres]. The three four legged creatures ran at me as they screamed their sound magic, but it was not enough to leave me reeling even if I felt my head ache with every second I heard their screech.

I pounced at the one closest to me, aiming for his mouth to stop the excruciatingly painful noise. Then I conjured fire spikes and threw them at the other two, once again trying to stop their sound magic. I took care of them as quickly as I took care of the Shade Swarmers— three of them had been as difficult to deal with as a dozen of those monster bats.

Defeated [Crimson Bat - Lvl. 19]!

Experience is awarded for defeating an enemy!

…

Defeated [Howre - Lvl. 25]!

Experience is awarded for defeating an enemy!

“No level.”

I sighed as I got up. I flicked away the blood on my claws as I continued my descent, alone in this supposed Gold Ranked Dungeon.

—--

I only encountered two Giant Spiders in my lone exploration of the Dungeon; the first was a [Weaving Spider] at Level 43. She was in the middle of eating some [Crimson Bats]. Gross, the thought crossed my mind as I sent a ball of fire at her.

She was far easier to kill by myself than a [Drop Spider] of a similar level. Perhaps it was because of how much weaker she was, so I didn’t actually have to get up close and take hits to hurt her.

The next Giant Spider I saw was the aforementioned [Drop Spider]. After the first time I was ambushed by one, I made sure to check the ceiling for any monsters lying in wait; I caught sight of him dangling next to a stalactite, waiting to prey on any unknowing monster or person that walked under him.

I was about to throw a fireball at him, but caught myself. First of all, it probably wouldn’t have killed him even if he didn’t dodge the slow attack. Secondly, it was a waste of mana too— I would have exhausted too much mana for an attack that wasn’t nearly worth it. So I had an idea.

I grabbed one of the Piercing Arrows from the quiver slung over my shoulder; I held it on one hand as I activated my [Basic Fire Creation] to form a fiery string, before molding a more sturdy crescent shape around it. I held up the crude fire bow, feeling that it was probably fine to use and aimed it at the [Drop Spider].

I nocked the Low Grade arrow and loosed it at the monster. He screeched and fell hard onto the ground from the attack and wriggled on the floor. I rushed him and struck at his weak underside before he could fully recover, landing a few [Fire Strikes] on him. He stopped, dead from the attacks.

I stood, triumphant from having beaten him. I looked through his corpse, searching for the arrow, only to find it was broken and lodged deep into his carapace. Maybe I shouldn’t do that too often, I thought, glancing at the remaining two arrows I had. Should save it for Lucerna.

I imagined firing one of those enchanted bolts in between the eyes of the [Djinn] as I continued scouring the Dungeon. Eventually, when I felt enough time had passed, I returned back in the direction of Edithe and Daniel.

Defeated [Howre - Lvl. 23]!

Experience is awarded for defeating an enemy!

…

Defeated [Drop Spider - Lvl. 45]!

More experience is awarded for defeating an enemy at least 10 levels above you!

Subspecies [Zelus Imp] Level Up!

[Zelus Imp – Lvl. 27] -> [Zelus Imp – Lvl. 28]

Gained 5 Stat Points and 3 Skill Points!

Subspecies [Zelus Imp] Level Up!

[Zelus Imp – Lvl. 28] -> [Zelus Imp – Lvl. 29]

Gained 5 Stat Points and 3 Skill Points!

Salvos

Species: [Lesser Demon]

Subspecies: [Zelus Imp] - Lvl. 29

General Skills:

[Basic Mana Manipulation] - Lvl. 5

[Identification] - Lvl. 4

[Racial Skill: Universal Language Comprehension] - Lvl. 1

[Rest] - Lvl. 2

Stats:

[Available Stat Points: 0]

[Vitality]: 31

[Strength]: 21

[Endurance]: 34

[Wisdom]: 41

[Agility]: 62

Skills:

[Available Skill Points: 2]

[Basic Fire Creation] - Lvl. 20

[Double Step] - Lvl. 10 (Maxed)

[Fire Strike] - Lvl. 10 (Maxed)

[Fire Blast] - Lvl. 16

[Flame Coat] - Lvl. 8

[Passive - General Tool Proficiency] - Lvl. 3

[Unused Skill Slot] x1

I made sure to mark the walls with my claws when I went exploring the Dungeon on my own— so I wouldn’t get lost. I returned to the two Humans who had just woken up and were getting ready for the day. I greeted Mistshard but paused at Druma who was sitting and leaning against a wall.

“What’s he doing?”

I questioned the [Elemental] as she simply floated there, arms folded in front of the alcove. She turned to me as if she had just noticed I was there.

“He’s sleeping. [Yakshas] require at least an hour of sleep a day, so he’s resting while he can.”

“But you don’t have to sleep. Why does he need to do that?”

She replied icily— not in an aggressive manner, but simply in her usual, blunt voice.

“Not all Spirits can forego rest. The same with Demons. Both our Species require no sleep in our Infant stage, but the subsequent evolutions alter our bodies in ways that are typically helpful, but also detrimental in other respects. Requiring sleep is simply one such example.”

“Huh.”

I decided to choose my next evolution very carefully. I did not want to have to sleep every day like the Humans; it seemed like too much of a hindrance for any advantage to fully offset.

Daniel glanced up as I entered the alcove. He nodded at me.

“Leveled, didn’t you?”

I put up two fingers and grinned.

“Twice.”

“Good job, Salvos.”

He remarked simply, before resuming munching on his food. Edithe stared at me for a moment, not really saying anything. I sat down across from her.

“I also made sure to mark the tunnel walls. So we don’t go to where I’ve already been. I didn’t see any Lairs, but there was a one hall full of [Crimson Bats]. Too many for me to handle. I think we can clear them out together after this.”

She started, blinking at me as I smiled.

“You— oh.”

“Although they’re pretty low leveled compared to you. If you don’t want to deal with them we can just skip that room entirely.”

The Human woman finally broke out of her stupor, taking a deep breath.

“I… it’s fine, Salvos. We can clear them out together. I’m sure Druma and Mistshard would benefit from the experience too.”

She hesitated, chewing her lower lip as I simply sat there.

“Uh, good job…”

I nodded back at her, and sprawled on the ground, letting [Rest] take over me. When the two Humans were finally ready, I had enough of my health, mana, and stamina to continue fighting through the Dungeon.