บท 74: Beginner Dungeon [13]

[14th Everdusk 2103], Verdant Hollow dungeon, CGA branch.

What happened to me may have never happened to other.

What happened was that he didn't find any monkey in the deeper part of the forest, and by the time the summoning period expired, he dissolved into ashes.

With some ache in my heart, I walked away as this was my whole hour worth of spent MP, and it went to waste. I decided to only summon the skeleton when the enemy appears.

I wandered aimlessly for so long that even my MP bar refilled over time. Still, there were no clues about the monkeys, and I thought there might be a glitch in this dungeon that would resolve itself later. So, I walked toward a large tree, which was quite distant from the others, and sat beneath it beside the roots extending into the ground.

"What should I do until the I was thinking when some leaves fell on my body. I looked around to see if the other trees were also swaying in the wind, but there were none, and my curiosity grew.

I looked at the tree suspiciously and decided to investigate.

<Bone Fang Strike> I launched the fang toward it, and suddenly two figures leaped away from the branches.

<-10 MP>

And then I realized that the monkey I was searching for on the ground was hiding in the trees among the leaves.

"Hey, wait, I will not let you go," I said as I drew my sword and started following them.

My speed was not quite low compared to theirs, but still, my lack of experience showed as they started laughing at me, noticing my pathetic state due to my lack of stamina.

"Hahhh... Hahhhh... I... I will catch you both surely," I said taking big breaths to recover my stamina.

They jumped down from the trees and began running toward me to attack. I was not ready to fight, so I decided to summon my trusted ally to fight for me.

<Undead Summon>

As I used the skill, two skeletons appeared and stood in front of me.

<-60 MP>

"Now let me see your smiles, you bastards," I said, but before my skeletons could attack them, they ran away like scaredy cats.

"Huh, what's happening here?" I thought, realizing that the monkeys didn't attack me first because they might be scared of my skeletons.

"Oh, okay then let me fish some of out," I said as I stretched my arm toward the trees where they were hiding and conjured my skill. <Shadow Bolt>

A bolt manifested and shot toward them. It didn't hit any of them, yet they lost their balance and fell from the tree right in front of my skeletons, who were ready to attack them.

<-20 MP>

"Die monkeys. Rip them apart for me," I ordered like a villain as my skeletons walked toward the still confused monkeys and started attacking them.

Boths ATK powers were low, but the fear they generated was quite imposing, so the monkeys were unable to resist. Many slashes appeared on their bodies, but health points remained as the attacks were too shallow.

"Step aside, let me do it," I said and walked in front of the monkeys who were now lying on the ground shaking fear.

"Let me help you get away from this pain," I said as I swung my sword toward them, but they still had some health left. As I swung again, my luck strike and the fire slash occurred again. The sword blade just touched the skin of the monkey and cut through it like butter.

The monkey screamed in agony; his scream was his last sound as he fell to the ground, blood flowing from the cut and sizzling due to the attack.

Other monkey was terrorized by this, but I ended its agony without any trouble, thrusting the sword straight at its throat and ending its misery.

"Hush, killing this creature is not what I want, but it's what I can do, as this world only has one rule: kill or be killed. Whoever kills grows over time. Sorry, buddy, I hope you get a better life." I said as I waited for the notification to appear, which it did after ten seconds, holding them until we were out of battle status for ten seconds.

{You have killed 2~Lv.3 Forest Monkeys, gaining 40 EXP points.} [130/150 EXP]

[You have gained 4 Evo-enchant points, stored in talent.]

<Plunder>, said, thinking it might work.

[Talent has detected two bodies of Lv.3 Monkeys. What do you wish to do: Plunder them, dismantle them, or store them in inventory?]

"But I don't have the necessary skills, so why ask me?" I said, as the talent didn't answer like it didn't have a brain, just a set command.

[Please choose what you wish to do.]

"Okay, well, let me take the plunder then. Who wouldn't want the stats?"

[No talent, skills, or abilities, a degraded bloodline detected with stats identified.]

"That's new. What did it do with the bloodline talent?" I asked, as it was the first time seeing the bloodline talent.

[The talent has found a degraded bloodline sample compatible with the host for merging. Therefore, the talent decided to demonstrate its worth.]

"So, what type is it?" I asked, hoping it would be more beneficial than the reptile bloodline.

"The bloodline is quite degraded, making it difficult to extract much information, but the name has been identified."

[Bloodline: The Titan Ape King. Grade: King tier.]

[Do you wish to merge?]

"Ahhhmmm~~~~~, before proceeding, can you extract the stats for me first? Then we will decide." I requested as the stat plunder began and mysterious energy hovered inside the bodies to extract the stats and return to my body.

[You have plundered the two monkey stats. You have gained +1 Agility, +1 Vitality, +1 Stamina.]

"Oh, so they can help me gain stamina stats. Good, it can balance things now." I said as I started walking away to find the other monkey but first hid the skeletons in the bushes to lure them out.

While doing so, the talent asked me again.

[The talent asked the host, what do you wish to do with the bloodline? Do you wish to integrate or eject it?]

"Can you first tell me its benefits? Then I will decide." I said, intending to make decision after understanding the pros and cons.

[The talent has sent the related details via the system.]

"Huh, are you some kind of broker, system?" I asked, but no reply came.

{System is translating the given data. Process completed.}

{Bloodline: Titan ape king

Grade: King

Affinity(s): Earth, Nature

Additional stats / level: +10 STR, + 5 AGI, +10 STA, +5 END

Description:

The Titan Ape King Bloodline bestows its inheritor with the unparalleled might and resilience of the Titan Ape, a legendary creature known for its colossal strength and dominance. This bloodline provides a balance of raw physical power, enhanced senses, and kingly aura, making its bearer a formidable presence on any battlefield.

Bloodline skill:

Titanic Might

Grants the ability to temporarily double the user's strength and size for 10 minutes.

Cooldown: 1 hour.

Earthquake Stomp

Unleashes a devastating ground-shaking attack, stunning enemies in a 30-meter radius.

Damage: Scales with Strength (Physical). Cooldown: 10 minutes.

King's Aura

Emits a dominating aura that intimidates and weakens enemies, reducing their attack power by 20% within a 15-meter radius. (Passive ability)}

"Oh, what is this? It looks like an overpowered item!" I exclaimed, seeing an opportunity to gain it.

[Please host, decide what you wish to do now: Integrate/Eject]

"System, what are the chances of finding a bloodline higher than king grade? Is it good or bad?" I inquired, concerned that king grade might not be sufficient.

[Host, a king bloodline is exceptionally rare, found in only one a trillion people. It is recommended to integrate for a sudden boost in strength, and this bloodline can be increased in grade with the help of talents. It is advised to use it now.]

"Ah, then I think I will choose to..."

-- To be continued --

Will he choose this Bloodline, and the power needed to fight Lucas? This opportunity may not come again. Is this a hidden trump card set for him by destiny? Will it be strong enough to face Lucas's dragon bloodline? Only the next chapters will reveal. Stay tuned to find out what happens next.