After leaving the old shack in a remote part of Gena Village, Kieran opened a video call with Altair.
Altair's flabbergasted expression filled Kieran's view as he flailed his arms. "How did one hour turn into over three?! I sent you more than one message, and in one of them, I explained a party has already entered the Difficult setting! It won't be long before they clear it."
Kieran was surprised by this piece of information. "That's fine. In fact, it's music to my ears. Someone else clearing that setting paves the way for an even better achievement…."
Altair frowned and felt Kieran was up to something. "What are you getting at? If they clear it, only one difficulty remains. Don't tell me you want to clear something like that…."
"Precisely," Kieran answered with an excited gleam in his eyes.
If not the highest difficulty setting for a Beginner Dungeon, what could give him the burst of adrenaline he sought?
Altair sighed and shook his head but relented.
A few seconds later, he grinned as well. "How ballsy of you, but I'd be lying if I said the rewards didn't interest me. Just hurry up over here!"
Kieran ended the call a few moments later after directing Altair to continue his search for party members.
Even after three hours, he had yet to find players that met Kieran's given requirements. But because of their earlier spar, Altair couldn't help but feel excited rather than taken advantage of.
'Let's see if my assumptions were correct. Is Aatrox someone of incredible skill? If so, temporarily losing my place as a frontrunner on the leveling scene may pale compared to what we accomplish in future dungeon runs.'
…
Less than two hours later, Kieran arrived at the Forest of Beasts' entrance area. Although it was located in the same general area as the Fanged Forest, one only needed to travel half the distance before coming across an entrance.
After stepping across the threshold, it was as if they were transported deep into a remote area located within the Fanged Forest. The strange environment only allowed players entry and not beasts.
It had something to do with the modified spatial laws that begot several questions—all of which had no answer.
Despite the questions raised in the past, no game developers stepped forth and took credit for the extraordinary feature.
However, while players were transported inside, returning was another story. They'd have to fend for themselves after exiting this specialized space.
A few players learned this the hard way, which was why many players recuperated in this type of lobby area before departing.
Nevertheless, the excessive crowd of players caught Kieran's attention after arriving here. 'Although I'm hours late, I don't regret my actions. Sure it gave players time to catch up, but I doubt they'll do so again. Not with this….'
Kieran looked at the item in his hand.
It was a palm-sized bronze medallion with liquid the color of blue-green tourmaline flowing through it. The liquid formed a character that gave off a weary yet mystical feeling Kieran couldn't overlook.
「 Medallion of Growth (Special)
Item Rank: Rare
Item Level: N/A
Description: A special medallion made by an Enchanter of exceptional skill. Although it is a time-worn item, the implanted «Rune of Growth» maintains some activity.
Effects: The implanted «Rune of Growth» applies a 100% EXP Bonus while in possession. (Limited to monster-hunting EXP.)
Restriction: Not usable beyond Lv.20
Durability: ∞
Duration: 28 days 」
Although it was an item with a finite duration, Kieran was delighted that the granted EXP Bonus was so high. One hundred percent?!
Kieran would receive double the EXP gained from killing monsters compared to other players. The item was a little different from the one in Kieran's memories, but he chopped it up to his increased contribution.
Unlike what the walkthrough described, Kieran supplied extra coins and pelts.
Perhaps Grandma Agatha's deeper gratitude increased the item's effects. But because he couldn't confirm his speculations, Kieran pushed the matter to the back of his mind.
For now, he focused on assisting Altair in finding proper teammates to tackle the Forest of Beasts' highest difficulty.
Aside from Altair and Kieran, several other parties were looking for additional members.
"Three looking for two! Must be a healer and a tank. Attempting Forest of Beasts' Easy' to finish mapping the layout. Will be attempting 'Difficult' after."
"Four looking for one! Seeking a tank or veteran DPS. Running Forest of Beasts' Difficult'. It's our second clear. If you have no experience, we'll guide you. Just don't fuck up."
"Party of two looking for three! Apply with the intent to reveal your stats. Attempting the 'Difficult' setting for the third time. Must be Lv.5+ with a completed 'Easy' run. Noobs will be rejected."
Kieran stood beside Altair and looked around while rubbing his chin. Not many people sought parties to clear the Easy setting. After attempting the dungeon several times, they were now more interested in conquering the Difficult setting.
And because the system revealed both Kieran and Altair held zero clearance merit, most players stayed away from them. By now, they could have at least attempted the dungeon once.
If it were a few hours before, Kieran and Altair being Lv.6 would clearly indicate their skill, allowing them to be welcomed into several parties with open arms.
But, given Kieran's recent arrival, they confused this tardiness with him only recently achieving this level. Therefore, they were considered noobs whom a party probably carried with the exceptional party mechanism.
It was a sore misunderstanding, but it was their loss, not his.
"Altair," Kieran called out, drawing Altair's attention. After a brief pause, he inquired about Altair's information. "How much Attack Power, Control, and Agility do you have?"
If it was sufficient, he could aim for the team composition in mind.
"After placing my Attribute Points… I have 77 Attack Power, 42 AGI, and 40 CTL. But, my DEF is absolute shit. So, as you can probably tell, I'm a pure DPS," Altair answered.
A tinge of shock flashed across Kieran's expression as he glanced at Altair. "Did you get a max roll for Unassigned Attribute Points in your Unique Package?"
"Bingo," Altair admitted while motioning as if firing a gun.
Kieran scoffed and shook his head. 'This lucky little shitter. Even I was a few points off from a max roll. Considering that he should have also begun with abnormal CTL, albeit lower than mine, I guess we can opt for a more flexible party composition.'
Before proposing his idea, Kieran also took into account Altair's low DEF. As a Thief that wore leather armor, his DEF was sorely lacking compared to heavy armor or plate armor-based classes.
Although most players preferred a tank, Kieran felt there was enough damage between the two of them to clear.
Not to mention, his armor placed him higher than some Knights of the same level unless they followed a strict build.
"What do you think about me setting a flexible party composition," Kieran asked.
Altair pondered the question. "It's difficult to say. What type of composition are you suggesting?"
"Two extra healers and a magical dealer," Kieran professed.
The party composition sounded odd to Altair, but two healers meant Kieran intended to split the healing and lighten the load to compensate for the lack of a tank.
Noticing Altair's silence, Kieran added a bit more information. "The magical dealer must possess high Magic Power for our plan to work. But… it seems that not many Mages have appeared. At least, not ones with a high enough level."
Although character information was generally sealed and limited, that changed inside this unique dungeon environment. Player levels were on display for all to see. Kieran wouldn't accept a Mage below Lv.7 due to the risk of low Magic Power.
"Whatever. You can start calling out," Altair shrugged.
However, Kieran didn't start right at that moment. No, he waited to see if any parties would appear from the dungeon entrance.
Seeing as clearing the highest setting was frankly impossible without the proper skills, Kieran wasn't concerned that someone would take the First Clear.
After waiting patiently for another 30 minutes, several parties began appearing from the dungeon entrance. Once the space became crowded enough, Kieran started a new round of recruitment.
"Two looking for three. Looking for two Priests and a Mage. Little to no experience is required. However, it is preferred if you have cleared the 'Easy' setting beforehand," Kieran exclaimed.
Kieran soon began losing his patience as he received an ungodly amount of irritating party requests until he stumbled across a decent one.
Variety amongst classes was sparse, so rather than focus on roles, Kieran focused on class types to achieve his desired composition. A Hunter, Knight, or Fighter didn't fulfill his requirements, so it left those two classes.
After hearing his exclamation, several people applied to join his party, which continued unabatedly for a few minutes. But, the outcome drove Kieran mad.
"Can't people read or hear?! I've specifically stated that I wanted Priests and a Mage. Why is a ridiculous number of Hunters and Fighters applying?!"
Kieran soon began losing his patience as he rejected an ungodly amount of party requests until he stumbled across a few decent ones.
Make sure to point out any spelling, grammar, or numbers/information errors.
I'll see to it that they are rectified in a timely manner.
Thank you for reading <3.
Amongst the neverending stream of party requests, there were a few Lv.7 Fighters and Lv.6 Hunters, but Kieran wasn't seeking those classes. They didn't meet the criteria he set to clear the dungeon.
Even though it took much longer, Kieran sighed in relief when he received three party requests that met his standards. 'My criteria may be a little harsh for new players, but the highest difficulty calls for a certain skill level.'
After observing Kieran's party composition, many ridiculed him.
"Who in their right mind enters a dungeon without a tank-oriented member? Sure, a Warrior is a cross between okay damage and defense, but it doesn't close the gap of a Knight's defensive skills."
"That party will step inside the dungeon and return less than ten minutes later after getting wiped. Their Warrior is Lv.6, yet he asks that all other members have a higher level than him… what sense does that make?!"
Kieran heard the ridicule but chose to ignore it. Why should he involve himself with the opinions of sheep who often projected their weaknesses onto others?
A successful person understood how to brush off irrelevant drivel and remain focused on their goal.
After a few moments, Kieran looked at his party members. Since he already knew Altair's information, he needed to understand the rest of the party's parameters.
"Can you guys share your character panels with me or call out your attributes? If you opt for the latter, I ask that you be truthful or risk jeopardizing the entire run," Kieran said.
Everyone nodded.
The first to share their information was a slender male Priest. Due to the lack of satisfactory Priests, Kieran made a sole concession, allowing a Lv.6 Priest into the party.
The male priest's name was Sithik, who wore traditional priest robes of a beige color. His dark blue, almost indigo hair fell behind two round lenses while his gray eyes stared at Kieran as he shared his status screen.
Kieran's expression changed several times as he critiqued Sithik's character panel.
Unlike combat classes, Priests possessed an additional attribute—SPR (Spirit). SPR directly correlated to the effectiveness of their heals by tweaking the Healing Coefficient of each skill.
Due to this effect alone, it was a vital attribute that no Priest should neglect.
"Your attributes aren't bad. 25 VIT, 28 SPR, and 24 INT. Definitely passable. But, when you level up, please save your UAPs and let me help you allot them," Kieran remarked.
"Uh, okay," Sithik nodded. "I kind of just followed the guideline since the menu highlights what's important for the class."
"That's a safe decision, but flexibility is preferred. Mindlessly following a suggestion robs you of the opportunity to understand your class's strengths and weaknesses through trial and error," Kieran replied.
Sithik scratched his head with a dubious expression but ultimately nodded. "Gotcha. I think I understand."
After settling the matters with Sithik stats, Kieran moved on to the female Lv.7 Priest named Cygnus. Like Sithik, Cygnus also wore a traditional priest robe, except it was tailored to match a female decorum.
Cygnus possessed a set of foxy cerulean eyes that hid a youthful vivacity and short, frilly hair of a dull teal color. The look in her eyes and how she met Kieran's gaze told him she possessed a fiery spirit, both unrelenting and courageous.
As starter characters, not many people would have secrets to hide. So Cygnus had no qualms with revealing her character panel.
Kieran put her stats through the same scrutiny, but he was satisfied by Cygnus's slightly higher stats.
"Very good. Although your stats are comparable to Sithik's with 29 VIT, 28 SPR, and 22 INT, I see you have some unused UAPs. I suggest you add 2 points to SPR and 3 to INT."
After a brief pause, Kieran rubbed his chin and asked another vital question. "You both have learned Mending Aura, correct?"
"Yep," Sithik and Cygnus answered in unison.
Since there was no tank, he would have to rely heavily upon their healing skills.
Afterward, Kieran looked at the remaining party member. A Lv.7 Mage named Aspaira. She was clothed in midnight blue mage robes with white speckles across the sleeves.
Kieran could tell she was nervous by how her index finger twitched while combing a lock of her long, light purple hair behind her ear.
"No need to be so nervous," Kieran chuckled lightheartedly.
Aspaira's green eyes met Kieran's gaze for a moment but faltered soon enough. "Eh, I recently attempted the dungeon's Difficult setting, so pardon my fraught nerves. I didn't expect that level of challenge."
"Oh?" Kieran's expression lit up after hearing Aspaira's remark.
However, it was understandable, seeing as she was a Lv.7 Mage. Her Magic Power should be exceptional.
After a moment of gathering herself, Aspaira shared her character panel with Kieran.
Her Magic Power sparked his immediate attention. "72! That's pretty remarkable for our current level, but…."
Kieran's expression sank after glimpsing through the rest of her attributes. Her Magic Power was her only acceptable quality. She essentially neglected the rest of her stats outside of the points she received from her equipment!
"Err, while your Magic Power is excellent, your other stats aren't. We need to correct a few things. Luckily, I see you have UAPs from two levels, is it? Did you recently level up during your last run?
"Yeah," Aspaira admitted.
"At the rate you're going, you'll end up with an unconventional glass cannon build where you hit extremely hard, but even an attack from a Normal Monster could kill you. Place 3 points in your END, 2 in your VIT, 3 in CTL, and lastly 2 in AGI."
The influence of attributes, while possessing some general effects, varied from class to class. AGI for a Mage was just as crucial as CTL (Control) because they familiarized the player with accelerating their Mana Flow, which could lead to shorter casting times.
Aspaira first pursed her lips, a bit skeptical about the advice. She wasn't sure that taking advice from a stranger was the best route.
Kieran noticed her hesitation and smiled thinly.
"I have zero reasons to sabotage your stats. I need to clear this dungeon just as much as you do. I may be a stranger, but trust me on this. It'll benefit you in the long run," Kieran insisted.
Soon enough, Aspaira relented and allocated her stats according to Kieran's advice.
Before entering the dungeon or even approaching the entrance, Kieran brought up his user interface and entered a special tab labeled with the letters GRC.
It stood for Gamer Republic Connect, a platform responsible for several famous streamers.
It was a truly lucrative place to make money if one had the skills to grab many eyes.
In the past, Kieran didn't have the luxury of creating a personal streaming account, but that was different now.
〈System: Would you like to link your account with the Gamer Republic platform? [ Y | N ]〉
"Yes," Kieran answered.
〈System: Success! Congratulations, Aatrox, you have linked your Zenith Online account.〉
〈System: You have gained access to the GamerHub.tv streaming service. Would you like to activate it now? [ Y | N ]〉
"Delayed activation. Begin live broadcast in 3 minutes," Kieran responded.
Afterward, Kieran approached the dungeon entrance, producing a screen with basic information.
┌───────────────────
«Forest of Beasts» - Beginner Dungeon
Maximum Party Size: 5
[Easy]
Recommended Level: Lv.5 - Lv.7
[Difficult]
Recommended Level: Lv.7 to Lv.9
[Very Difficult]
Recommended Level: Lv.9 - Lv.13
Please choose the dungeon difficulty: Easy, Difficult, and Very Difficult.
└───────────────────
Kieran looked back at the others with a mischievous smirk, "Very Difficult."
Ding!
〈System: You have chosen «Forest of Beasts»'s Very Difficult setting.〉
〈System: Warning, the monsters inside are significantly empowered, thereby increasing the Recommended Level Range.〉
〈System: The EXP Penalty is greater than normal and will apply if all party members die. If one member clears, the penalty will be waived for all.〉
〈System: Your party will be transported inside the «Forest of Beasts» in 10 seconds. Please prepare.〉
"W-what-!"
Before anyone could voice their dissent, the party teleported into the dungeon, which created a phenomenon in the lobby.
An ominous display of a black skull emitting a bout of sinister laughter resounded throughout the special lobby area.
"They're absolute madlads! Those fools walked into the highest difficulty without a tank! Oh man, they must have absolute dogshit for a brain. I can't wait to see them return in disarray."
"I agree! The boss will probably bitch slap them! No, scratch that. They'll most likely get done in by an Elite Monster."
"Forget what you're talking about. That's some big dick energy right there. I don't know what pp pills they've gotten their hands on, but I'll be sticking around to see the outcome. Perhaps it'll make my day."
Make sure to point out any spelling errors, grammar errors, or numbers/information that wasn't properly updated so I can immediately rectify those issues.
Thank you, guys!
Until May 15th:
Release Rate: 9 ch/week
50 Power Stones = +1 Ch
100 Power Stones = +2 Ch
250 Power Stones = +3 Ch
500 Powers Stones = +5 Ch
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