Chapter 9: Chapter 8: Labyrinth II

 

I'm The Lowly Villain In The Game | Chapter 8

 

「Labyrinth II」

 

[Level increased!]

 

A gentle warmth spread across my entire body. It was a soothing, almost sobering experience that relaxed all my muscles, healing them. A portion of my fatigue was washed away by the sensation.

 

That didn't mean I was energized. Hell, I was still panting, taking deep, long breaths to stabilize my condition. My STM stat, being as low as it is, was a hindrance to me. Seriously, how bad was my luck to get this low of a stat?

 

Behind me, a trail of coin-sized magic stones lay on the rough stone pavement. It didn't take a genius to tell how much I've been grinding, as a quick glance suggested I've hunted close to a hundred slimes.

 

Looking at my smartwatch, two hours have passed. I have another two hours before dinner. I didn't want to miss it. Without hesitation, I push my tired body to the 2nd floor. One might say I'm pushing myself, but I beg to differ.

 

In this world, strength was everything. Nobles have one thing that makes them reign supreme to us. It was their power. Their avarice for strength and power was malicious. They could order people to kill me and my family if I ever get on their wrong side.

 

I want to protect my family. And for that, I need strength. Absolute strength. Power so great that no one would think twice to hurt the people I love. That's why, even if I shed blood, sweat, and tears. If I get stronger, that's all that matters.

 

My body stabilized a little from the walk to the 2nd floor. I hadn't completed recovery, but it was enough to grind. I was also taking account of my own safety, so I was resting when it was necessary.

 

Like the 1st floor, I took out my smart watch and open a map to the 2nd floor. The 2nd floor had goblins. Yes, those vile, disgusting creatures. A large disparity between the cute slimes. Well, in my eyes, they're just EXP.

 

In comparison to the 1st floor, the 2nd floor had moss and weed growing from the ground. The interior was still the same, the same gritty stone in the walls, same rough pavements, and same lack of color and passion. This time, however, there was moisture, albeit slightly. After all, moss and weed wouldn't grow if there was no moisture.

 

Because of the moisture in the air, the 2nd floor was colder. Not cold enough to be a hindrance, but cold enough to tell the difference between the two floors. I liked the temperature. My performance should increase.

 

My steps halted. In front of me, a small black smoke started forming. I take my sword out of its sheath. The black smoke scattered through the corridor I was walking in. Then, it began to agglomerate into one mass, before forming into a green creature at the height of one meter.

 

The goblin, noticing my presence, rushed towards me with the dagger in its hand. The dagger was rusted, so all possible of dying from a single hit was low, multiple hits, however, were a different story. Malice seen in its red eyes as he thrusts toward me.

 

CLANG—

 

I easily parry the thrust. A frown made its way to my face. Honestly, the force scared me. Was I seriously getting overpowered by a goblin in terms of STR?

 

Sighing, I redirect another stab from the goblin. Then, I proceed to assault him with a series of slashes. First, the legs, then the arms, before ending it with a stab to the heart. My sword cut like butter through the poor goblin's flesh. It didn't take much until it died.

 

The goblin, with its green blood dousing the ground beneath it, dissipated alongside the blood in a black mist. A walnut-sized magic stone emerged from its supposed corpse. I picked it up. Although this wouldn't exactly earn me much, I wanted to show some of my efforts to Amy. As her brother, I wanted to act cool once in a while.

 

Heading deeper to the 2nd floor, I got stopped by more goblins. Most fights didn't even last a minute, as a quick slash to its neck, heart or a timely hit to its brain was enough to finish them off in one hit. Humanoid monsters, such as the goblin had the same vital points as humans.

 

Luckily enough, I found a room that spawned three or so goblins per round. Such rooms are usually taken by adventurers but it seemed I got lucky. There were usually five or more on each floor and they varied in size. The one I was in was far away from the center of the floor. The community called these rooms 'Spawn rooms'.

 

These rooms have a set spawn rate, unlike the corridor's randomly timed ones. I would wait for the goblin to spawn, finish them off quickly, and take a quick 2 minutes break.

 

After the seventh cycle, an irregularity happened. Instead of the usual three or more black smokes, a red one emerged with four black clouds of smoke. Panic rose to my face before I realize the situation.

 

The risks were high, that I knew. Any other person in my situation would run, but I had confidence in my ability. Running away would be a missed opportunity for more experience. It would take around 30 or so more cycles before I could reach level 3.

 

I've been acting with caution. Never once have I truly done anything that risked my life. But posed with this dilemma, I was left in a daze. The benefits were too tempting, but I was betting on my life if I fail.

 

What do I do?

 

I shook my head and made my decision. Merits or demerits be damned. I had to make a decision now. Instinct came over me, my body moved agilely despite my low stats. The techniques I've learned throughout my entire time in Vanitas Online exerted to better maximize my chances of success.

 

I adjust the grip on my sword to a thrusting one. The first goblin spawned from the pile of black-red smoke. It was holding a bow. I stab it straight to the neck, finishing it off in one hit.

 

The rest of the goblins spawned the moment I took out my sword from their dying comrade. A grimace left my lips as I make out their figure. Two goblins defensively held their rusted daggers, cautious seen in their bright-red eyes. The third goblin, holding a bow, was preparing to nock an arrow.

 

The last goblin was different from the others. It was a head higher than the others. It also had leather armor protecting its torso. A sword planted in its hand. It was a goblin soldier, an upgraded variant of the usual goblin, and a level 3 monster.

 

I alter my stance to a much more aggressive one, with my right foot in the front and left foot to the side. My right arm, holding the sword, imposingly pointed to the goblins in front of me, my left hand behind my back.

 

No trace of my former self was found in this soon-to-be battleground. Only the battle-hardened and experienced me in Vanitas Online took over. We both stared at each other, eyeing our every movement. I moved first.

 

The goblin soldier, seeing my movement, roared before swinging his sword towards me. Air pressure drifting to get away from his striking attack. I counter by hitting the blade consecutively in a quick session, making full use of my AGI stat. It worked. My shallow, weak parries redirected the goblin's heavy attack as his sword hit the ground in a loud thud.

 

CRACK—!

 

The ground rumbled from the heavy sword. Pebble and stone flying everywhere. A small crater followed by messy crevices appeared on the pavement. My face slightly paled at the sight. Had that hit me, I would have broken my arm or worse yet, died from the force.

 

I kept moving. I had to. I grip my sword and sent a flurry of slashes toward the goblin soldier, specifically his legs. The slashes were shallow at best. But they were more than enough to slow him down. Precise cuts towards the region that allowed movement were made, dulling his agility immensely.

 

The soldier tried to get up, but I kicked him hard enough to create some distance between us. Then, just right in time, an arrow flew to my side, aiming at my heart.

 

I sidestep and turn, already expecting the arrow. It missed, impaling itself on the wall. Two goblins followed after the archer, holding their rusted daggers towards me as they jump to cover our height difference. Both of them positioned to my right and left.

 

I took a step back and stab the nearest one — the one to my right — in the solar plexus, making full use of our different stature. The stabbed goblin's momentum completely ruined by the blade that etched at his abdominal region, struggling to break free as he wiggled about.

 

The other goblin, the one that wasn't stabbed, thrust his dagger towards my head. A kick is all it took to knock the poor green humanoid. His grip loosens, letting go of the dagger he held. He was knocked five meters to the ground, face planted as he struggled to regain his footing.

 

Looking at the goblin archer, he nocked another arrow and shot at me. This time, aiming for my head. I wave my sword, using the goblin stuck to the tip of my blade to block the incoming projectile. The arrow, flying in an arc, hit the goblin straight in the head, piercing its skull.

 

The stabbed green humanoid spasmed and convulsed before dispersing to black smoke. I took the dagger that fell from the goblin I've kicked and threw it straight to the goblin archer, taking into account the trajectory, distance, and strength required.

 

The dagger flew in a beautiful line. The goblin archer, unaware of my attack was hit in the throat, tumbling to the ground, gasping for air and regurgitating in his blood. Soon, the goblin archer died, leaving its magic stone behind.

 

I push my adrenaline-filled body to the last goblin. Without its weapon, it was harmless. Taking no chances, I thrust at its heart, killing it.

 

The moment black smoke oozed out and the magic stone appeared, a wash of heavy fatigue drowned my entire body, sobering me.

 

"Ughh…"

 

My muscles tensed and ached when I try to command them. I was nearing the end of my stamina. Even then, I push the aching pain to the back of my mind and faced the last goblin in the room. The goblin soldier.

 

He had recovered, but he was limping. That didn't mean he was an easy target. I was tired. He was injured. Any margin of error on my end would most likely kill me.

 

I take a deep, steady breath. Basking myself in the small moisture that was present in the room. The armed goblin looked at me with animosity and rage, ready to tear me down. I modify my stance, glaring at him.

 

We both dashed, exchanging bouts. He was stronger, faster, and tougher than me. But I had experience and technique, something indispensable in a fight. A series of strikes, stabs, and slashes reverberated in the quiet room as my sword grow closer and closer to slicing this monster.

 

The longer the fight went, the smarter and harder I became. The lost experience of my time in Vanitas Online integrating itself into both my mind and body.

 

"GROAARRR!"

 

The soldier roared in frustration, noticing his losing momentum in the fight. He slashed at me, with all intent to crush me with its overwhelming strength. I duck under and ran forward, getting a surprising look from the goblin. Reversing my grip, I dug my sword to the exposed neck of the goblin, using all the strength left in me to decapitate it.

 

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The goblin struggled to move, as it convulsed and raged everywhere. It did little but expedite his death. I held my ground, pushing more strength into the sword. Finally, for what seemed like an eternity, the goblin soldier breathed its last breath as it motionless hit the ground.

 

Red smoke oozed out before turning into a golf-sized magic stone. A sigh of relief, followed by a heavy, almost crushing fatigue pressed onto my body. Without hesitation, I took out a potion. A stamina potion to be exact and chugged it.

 

A part of my fatigue, around 1/3 was restored and it was gradually recovering. I left the room temporarily — but made sure to take the magic stone — and sat on the rough pavement in the corridor. Heavy, labored breaths leave my mouth in fast intervals.

 

I pushed myself. I'm glad my parents gave me those potions. They gave me two sets of low-grade health and stamina potions. They wanted me to carry more but I told them that they would be a hindrance since the glass was fragile.

 

Looking at the golf-sized magic stone I picked up, a weak smile bloomed on my face. Red smoke indicated a special event or a rare monster. They weren't meant to be soloed, especially not at my level.

 

A normal goblin soldier would be found on the 3rd floor, but the goblin soldier I fought had his VIT and STM increased. An added feature to spike the difficulty in dungeons and make it exciting. It was stronger than your regular goblin soldier.

 

But it wasn't all for naught. I got a lot more exp out of him and the magic stone was higher quality than usual — Although I wouldn't earn much for this size, it would still be a great trophy.

 

After resting for 10 minutes, I head back to the room. Three goblins emerged in my retina. Adjusting my grip, I dash at them. Only a single thought was inside my head.

 

'Let's finish before dinner.'

 

---

 

[Level increased!]

 

A familiar soothing feeling washed away my fatigue. Grime, sweat, and blood stuck to my armor and body, leaving me feeling icky all over. I need a shower. I lean towards my sword, trying to quell my mental exhaustion.

 

Looking at the time, it was 6:54 pm. I had 30 minutes to spare before dinner. That was more than enough time. Because I had hunted the goblin soldier, it only took another eight cycles before I leveled up. Compared to the initial 25 or more cycles, it was a large leap.

 

Unfortunately, there were no more red smokes after that. Well, the chances of it happening in the first place was slim. Expecting two in a row would be a godsend. After recovering a bit of my strength, I head back to the surface. Back home.

 

I made sure to pick up the magic stones on the 2nd floor. They would make a good surprise for my sister. The thought of seeing her elated face was more than enough to motivate me to spend time picking the magic stones despite my fatigue.

 

In the end, it didn't even take 20 minutes before I came back to the surface.

 

---

 

Gasper household.

 

CREAK—

 

I open the door and walked inside. I wanted to avoid my parents, at least until I took a shower. However, unfortunately, or not, I met face-to-face with Amy as she had a headband on. She looked at me, a little shocked before running to my side.

 

"Did you go to the dungeon? What did you— What the hell is that smell!?"

 

I was thrown off by her shout and intuitively covered her mouth. Bad idea. She writhes in disgust. Thinking she wouldn't listen, I pinch her cheek and pull her closer to me.

 

"I'll show you something cool you could brag to your friends, but keep quiet about this, okay?"

 

She looked unconvinced, annoyance tinged in her eyes. But hearing the word 'cool' made her rethink her decision. Ultimately, she nodded. Letting her go, I take out the golf-sized magic stone and shove it into her hands. Her eyes glisten in interest and excitement seeing the foreign stone.

 

I held my end of the bargain, now she has to hold hers. I bolted to my room, trying to reduce the amount of odor I exuded. I smelled horrendous, a putrid odor exfoliating out of my body.

 

I quickly threw my clothes and armor into the laundry, heading to the shower. I needed this so badly. I'll clean my equipment later.

 

The hot shower relaxed all my muscles, reprieving them of their long-ended duty. Groans of delectation seeped out of my lips. I was in bliss. It was akin to working an office job from nine to five and taking a hot shower to calm down at the end of your shift. The feeling was surreal.

 

After finishing my shower, I wore casual clothes. A white branded t-shirt and shorts. I noticed that my body got slightly buffered. Well, my stats were twice as high. It seems that if I keep leveling up, I'll look healthier. It was a great bonus to my dungeon exploration.

 

"Lukas, Amelia. Dinner's ready!" (Mom)

 

""Coming!""

 

Amy ran outside her room and straight to the hallway, heading down the staircase. I grab her from the back collar of her t-shirt, earning a cry of protest from her.

 

"Hey!"

 

"Be quiet. Also, don't tell mom or dad about the magic stone. I'm not supposed to have it."

 

"What. Did you steal it or something?"

 

"No. I killed a powerful monster for it. I'll be scolded if you snitched, so don't tell them, got it?"

 

I smile at her. A smile that didn't reach my eyes. She shuddered and nods her head frantically. Satisfied, I let go of her and started walking to the dining room. A display of various meals, mostly western cuisine laid on the dining table. My stomach grumble, much to my embarrassment, when I saw the food.

 

Dinner went well. The food was tasty, as expected of my mother. Amy seemed thorough in her words as she never mentioned anything about the magic stone, which was a relief. A scolding was the last thing I wanted.

 

"Lukas, dear. How was your first dungeon dive?" (Mom)

 

"Oh, oh. I wanna know!" (Amy)

 

Taking out the coin-sized magic stones, I show it to them. They numbered around 15. Because of their size, they didn't weigh much. I expected their question, so I picked some to avoid suspicion.

 

"Wow! They're so cute." (Amy)

 

"That's quite a lot for your first dive." (Mom)

 

"I got a little excited."

 

"Did you go solo?" (Dad)

 

"Yes, I did."

 

"It's okay since you earn more exp, but by the 3rd floor or higher, join a party. Join one where you trust its member. They'll be your companions in such a dangerous place after all. " (Dad)

 

"Okay, I understand."

 

"Right, Lukas. The difficulty above the 3rd floor or higher spikes exponentially. Don't bother soloing it and take it easy. It's good to be passionate but your safety is a must, okay?" (Mom)

 

"Yes, yes. I'll stay safe."

 

Seeing their concern, I give them a reassuring smile. From the 3rd floor, the difficulty does spike but I should be fine. If it's any monster on the same level as me, I'll be able to handle them on my own easily.

 

Their concern, to be honest, just fuels my drive to protect them. I could see in their eyes how worried they were for me — something I've rarely experienced in my past life. Even Amy was showing signs of worry when she saw the blood in my armor.

 

Once again, I promise to get stronger. To protect them and cherish them. This time...

 

I'll love and be loved.

 

 

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