Idiotic People!

….

Excited, the two began organizing the loot. Ultimately it came out to be 3 pieces of equipment, and a skill book. The first piece was an Lv.5 Silver Light Armor Top adding 15 Defense, 12 Strength, 9 Agility, and 5 Dexterity. The other was Lv.5 Silver Plate shoes, increasing Hollow's defensive stats tremendously once again. As for the other two, they were far more notable.

「Skill Name: Chantar's Blessing

Rank: Special

Type: Active (Buff)

 Level: 1/10 (Skill Proficiency: 0/1,000)

Information: For the duration of 60 seconds, the party of the caster receives a 20% increase in attack speed as well as attack damage.

Cost: 50 Mana. 

Cooldown: 115 seconds.

Requirement: Lv.10 Priest.」

「Weapon Name: Tempest Blade

Level: 5

Rank: Gold

Type: One-handed Sword

Attack: 35 

Attack Speed: 2

Bonus: Strength +11, Agility +10, Dexterity +8

Effect: Increases attack damage by 7%

[«Weapon Skill»]-

«Tempest Endowment»– For the duration of 30 seconds, attack and movement speed is increased by 20%.

Cooldown: 2 minutes.

Durability 50/50

Requirement: Lv.5 Warrior, 25 Strength.」

On the other hand, Hollow Stance remained excited about other reasons, "K-key! Those movements were insane. What the hell dude, you have to teach me how to do things like that," pleaded Hollow Stance with a fervent gaze.

"I'm honestly...not sure what took over me but alright. We can train together. Although, I must tell you, doing things like that causes strain on my mind," dryly chuckled Key. 

On the other hand, Kaiden sifted through the notifications coming across the level up message.

[System: You have reached Level 5 (2,834/10,000). You have received 8 Attribute Points and 1 Mastery Point.]

"Hm, we're level 5 already. Let's head back and check and see if there are any teams venturing into the dungeons?" stated Kaiden while turning towards Hollow Stance.

"Sure, sounds like a plan. We can empty our inventory in the meantime," replied Hollow Stance as they began the journey back to the starting village. While doing so they also began discussing.

"After gathering our necessities, let's head over to the Lv.5 Condemned Cave Team Dungeon," voiced Kaiden as the distance to the village continuously shortened.

"Yeah, I think dungeons at this level have two modes: Normal & Hard. Let's go clear them both," commented Hollow Stance.

"Sound good to me but I promise if the bosses are worse than Bouldris… seppuku will be my best friend," quipped Kaiden. However, there remained a simple fact being overlooked—Bouldris was a regular monster, not a boss monster.

….

Reaching the village entrance, while the sky dimmed slightly; the pair remained completely shocked by the sheer amount of activity taking place inside.

"Damn, that's a lot of users now. If we don't hurry up we'll have competition soon enough. In fact, as soon as we can… let's attack higher areas of the leveling field," uttered Kaiden as he faced the village commerce area, continuing. "Let's meet back up here in say, 15 minutes?"

"Sure thing. We'll meet at this spot," answered Hollow Stance as the two split up. Meanwhile, holding nearly all the loot, Kaiden opened a stall filling it up with the various items picked up during their leveling. Of course, items such as Chantar's Blessing remained in his inventory. It wasn't worth selling. 

"Multiple stacks of production materials, skill books, and equipment!! Hurry up and buy," exclaimed Kaiden. His loud voice in the commercial area garnered extreme amounts of attention. Due to it being the first day, no one possessed observation skills. So if one hid their information, others were able to peer at it.

Amid the frantic voices and chatter seeking to inquire about the equipment and skill books, a loud voice was heard, overpowering everyone.

"I'd like to purchase that Lv.3 Bronze Shield and Lv.4 Uncommon Staff. Is 19 Silvers okay with you?" said the voice. Before Kaiden, a large orcish warrior appeared. It was clear he possessed some ability as he was already Lv.4.

Pondering their worths, Kaiden ultimately nodded and agreed to the price. "Hmm, sure. That'll suffice." The trade took place increasing the contents of Kaiden's inventory by 19 Silvers. 

Although he was looking to proceed with the next trade, the warrior remained rooted and then spoke his mind, "Would you like to add each other as friends? I know it's sudden but perhaps, we could cooperate in the future?"

"Sure, why not," replied Kaiden, accepting the friend request. Afterward, an Lv.3 Elf Mage wearing bifocals and an overly large sedge appeared. His thin shape hidden within the mage robes while his IGN read MagicsSlave.

"How much would you price that [Wind Vortex] skill at?"

"10 Silver, 50 Bronze," responded Kaiden.

"Hmm...do you take trades? I have Normal Warrior Skill and I'll also add 6 Silvers on top," responded MagicsSlave.

"Yes, I do." Kaiden instantly accepted. The skill was rather decent while his total coins surpassed 38 Silver. Furthermore, this mage also offered to become friends, however, their appearance was rather questionable.

It wasn't long before his stall closed and sold out. Not only did he receive over 58 Silver, he gained two friends and 1 skill in return.

「Skill Name: Weapon Defend

Rank: Normal

Type: Active

Level: 1/10 (Skill Proficiency: 0/200)

Information: Lifts your weapon, defending against a frontal attack. The damage received from the next attack is reduced by 20%.

 Cooldown: 15 seconds. Skill Proficiency: (0/200).

 Requirement: Warrior Class.」

….

"Arty, I'm done selling off all the loot we gathered. I'll head over to you in a few after purchasing a few things from the Merchant Shop."

"Okay, I'm back at the front. By the way, I've seen a couple of decent levels pass by. I think they're headed for the dungeon as well," replied Hollow Stance.

Replying, Kaiden entered the Merchant Shop finding both a decent crowd as well as an assortment of items. It housed all the needs for a basic experience given in the start villages.

「Item Name: Basic Lesser Health Potion

Rank: Normal

Type: Consumable 

Usage: Recovers 100 Health instantly and an additional 50 over the span of 10 seconds.

Cooldown: 30 seconds.

Priced at 10 Copper per vial, Kaiden immediately purchased 100 of them causing a small dent in his wallet. After all, it was imperative you managed your health when dungeoning or going up against monsters for that matter.

Having taken care of all the matters, he returned to the village entrance meeting up with Hollow Stance at the entrance. Before leaving, he passed half the potions to him.

….

Standing before the dungeon entrance, Kaiden cupped his mouth as he continued to yell recruiting phrases, "Party of 2, looking for 3 more to challenge Condemned Cave Normal Mode. The tank role is filled, NO TANKS! 'Looking for 2 Damagers and a Healer. Please report your stats in the party application."

Unfortunately, it was a known fact gamers never learned how to read. Slightly infuriated, Kaiden canceled numerous tank role applicants until finally, he received a different type. 'Hm? It's him. Let's allow him in."

[System: Lv.3 Elven Mage "MagicsSlave" has joined your party.]

Once again, the scenario repeated causing Kaiden to fume, "What the fuck! Look at this shit, Hollow. This guy's defense is 25 and he wants to tank. W-...What?! Those monsters in the dungeon are at least 20% stronger. They'll eat him up alive." 

"Whoa, calm down now. Don't blow your gasket, we'll just have to wait for better people; that's all," remarked Hollow letting out a small chuckle.

Finally, after 10 minutes a new application appeared. The most difficult role to find was in the process of being filled. 'A Healer!'

Approaching was Lv.3 Elven Priest. Possessing silver curly hair, her lithe frame radiated beauty. However, her lower half was astonishing. She could be called nothing except curvaceous.

"Excuse me, may I join your party? I have both [Fast Heal] and [Healing Light]," said the Priest.

"Wow...what a waist to hip ratio," mumbled Kaiden, just low enough that it was slightly audible.

"Huh…?", responded Gentle.

"Oh! Nothing; don't mind me. You're more than welcome to join with those skills," corrected Kaiden as he accepted her request.

[System: Lv.3 Elven Priest "Gentle Whisper" has joined your party.]

Shortly after, a lean yet lanky Lv.4 Human Thief appeared. He gave off the silent blade vibe. He possessed both a decent Agility and Strength stat so Kaiden accepted him. 

[System: Lv.4 Human Thief "Despotic Shadow" has joined your party.]

"Is everyone ready? Before we enter, skills and equipment will be distributed based on class while coins and miscellaneous items will be divided equally," sternly stated Kaiden. 

Selecting the Normal difficulty, they were instantly transported inside. The layout seemed to just be a detailed cave with intersecting pathways and a gloomy atmosphere. Overall, it looked pretty straightforward.

Advancing in a convenient formation, with Hollow leading the party, Kaiden followed closely behind. It wasn't long before they met their first batch of opponents while following the passageways. It was a monster similar to the Stone Golems except that it had rock-like gauntlets around its fist and its physique was slightly more robust.

「Monster Name: Golem Warrior

Level: 6

Rank: Elite

Health: 1,560 (100%)」

"Hm, they have about 50% more Health than a Stone Golem. In that case, Hollow, you lure. Remember to be mindful of your positioning here. Don't needlessly aggro extra monsters before we ascertain their standards," instructed Kaiden.

Nodding his head, he only lured 3 of the 8 Golems over. In the process, he tanked some blows while evading others. In a short moment, he returned before the party. At the same time, Despotic Shadow entered Lurking Presence; a basic version of Stealth. 

Testing the waters, Kaiden started things off with Sword Wave - Dispersion getting a grasp of their defense.

-108, -130, -153, -174, - 197. 

'Hmm, their defense should be about 35% stronger than the Stone Golems. It shouldn't be hard to deal with them,' mentally evaluated Kaiden.

On the other hand, besides Hollow Stance, the others were appalled by the damage of Kaiden's skill especially so for MagicsSlave.

"Huh?! Holy shit, what do you mean warrior? You're simply a sword cannon! All aboard the Unsheathed leveling train. Choo choo!"

"Haha, I like this guy, let's keep him," heartily chuckled Hollow Stance before tanking a blow. The battle didn't take long nearly as long due to the presence of 2 extra damagers. Within 2 minutes, the 8 Golem Warriors were dealt with.

[System: Over-level Kill with a Level difference: 1. 10(+5)% experience bonus applied. Lv.6 Golem Warrior (Elite) slain. You have gained 74 Experience.

Unfortunately, parties resulted in shared experience. Not to mention, a five-way split was a steep drop. Luckily, this was a dungeon so the quantities of monsters made up for this. Moving along, in addition to more Golem Warriors, they ran into a new type of monster.

「Monster Name: Petrified Rock Giant

Level: 7

Rank:(Elite)

Health: 1,950 (100%)」

"Hm, this Elite has as much health as Bouldris, definitely the effect of the dungeon," uttered Kaiden while Hollow Stance used Charge to put one in a stunned state. Following up with his own attacks, Kaiden ended with Charging Slash.

-58, 57, -54, -60, 

-163. «Stunned! +2s»

While doing so, Despotic Shadow used Backstab; a skill every Thief player possessed. On the other hand, MagicsSlave launched a Lesser Fireball while Hollow Stance used Thrust. 

This time, the monster level was slightly higher so the time spent in battle was longer. Not to mention, the numbers were higher. The team cleared out the monster cluster in slightly under 20 minutes. As a result, both Gentle Whisper and MagicsSlave radiated the Level Up signal.

While advancing, they realized this dungeon seemed rather short, however, they attributed this to it being a simple Normal Mode. Stepping before a spacious room which looked to be personal quarters rather than a battleground; the team paused for a moment before glancing at their surroundings. The high arched rocky cave consisted of a large rock bed and harshly made stone furnishings.

"Wow, this is taking the boss room to an extreme. It literally looks like a room. Nevertheless, stay vigilant as the rank of the boss is unknown," stated Kaiden before leading the team inside. After entering, a shout was heard symbolizing the start of the boss confrontation.

"How dare you fools intrude upon my personal ground! This means war,", roared the boss as it rose from the rock bed. In doing so, information was given on it.

「Boss Name: Torrence, the Earthseeker

Level: 8

Rank: Chieftain Boss

Health: 2,900 (100%)」

"Tch, insufferable boss. We've just started and it's already yelling. Shut the fuck up!" loudly retorted Kaiden, startling the others. His outrageous outburst came suddenly, leaving them to stare silently. 

"…"

"W-What? I find it irritating," barked Kaiden.

Mumbling to herself Gentle Whisper raised an eyebrow, "Never seen someone argue with a boss. That's funny. But, um… I think you're the only one irritated."

"Damn you, I heard that!" glared Kaiden.

Advancing toward the boss, Hollow began the fight with Charge stunning it for 0.5 seconds while also dealing 12 damage. However, shockingly, Hollow Stance bounced back off its body after slamming into it.

"Oh, my goodness, it's so thicc! Key test your damage on it.", voiced Hollow.

Leaning forward, Kaiden launched a Charging Slash cleanly slicing the boss, but in comparison to its health, the damage left much to be desired.

-120. «Stunned! +1s»

"It's true! Damn it's thicc," confirmed Kaiden. After his small joke, his gaze intensified while he began directing the battle with extreme calmness.

"Hollow, actively tank the bosses attack. Gentle Whisper will focus her heals on you. Despotic, use hit-and-run tactics from varying angles. MagicsSlave, stay mid-range. Also, keep a note of your damage. Seeing as the boss possesses high physical defense, it's magical one should be relatively low. Hence, try not to shift aggro."

Confronting the boss, Kaiden used Double Slash, followed by a spinning aerial slash. Landing he finished with a Thrust. The more he moved with his body, the more acclimated he became. 

-58, -61, -42, -44, -42.

Unfortunately, for every 150 Health dealt, 50 would be negated. A Boss's recovery rate was not to be underestimated.

90%…85%…75%… 

Steadily, the pace picked up as the team acclimated to each other's playstyle. Not to mention, commanding the battle Kaiden was reading all the patterns everyone used and devising the following actions.

"Hollow, when Torrence smashes, try angling your shield. It should help mitigate the damage you receive. Despotic, if your Dexterity is high enough, try utilizing different grips on your dagger. It should hasten your attack speed even further," advised Kaiden as he unleashed his own barrage.

「Boss Name: Torrence, the Earthseeker

Level: 8

Rank: Chieftain Boss

Health: 1,860 (60%)」

Suddenly, the boss stomped erecting a wall of earth which then shattered at the base falling forward. Noticing this, Kaiden exclaimed directions, "Everyone, evacuate to the side!"

Unfortunately, Hollow was too close and was the one caught in the move. -210 appeared over his head. However, a timely heal appeared over his head, +82 from Gentle Whisper.

Meanwhile, Kaiden's next Sword Wave - Dispersion caused a decent amount of damage. The boss's health fell under 50% and a change happened. Torrence picked up his huge Claymore settling in a fighting stance.

"Oh, a weapon! Careful Hollow, I'm not sure what'll happen with it," remarked Kaiden.

Immediately after, Torrence swung his claymore at the team. Trying to perform the tactic Kaiden told him about, Hollow tilted his wrist. However, the angle wasn't enough resulting in both large damage and failure. Taking up the mantle, Kaiden controlled the aggro, increasing his DPS, shifting Torrence towards him.

Slightly excited, Kaiden's eyes gleamed as he examined Torrence's chopping movement. Loosening his grip on his sword a notch, Kaiden raised his sword above his head causing Torrence's claymore to slide against it. Landing on the ground, the strike dealt no damage to Kaiden! 

At that moment, Hollow attacked with Charge dealing 12 damage. In its stunned state, they unloaded their highest damaging skills. 45%...35%...20%...

Nearly a minute later, the boss's health reached 10% resulting in its berserk mechanism activating. It used a skill called «Earth's Embrace» increasing Defense by 30%. Furthermore, it used a second skill «Quaking Destroyer» causing its claymore to be coating in an earthen glow before smashing it into the ground.

This damage was inevitable, everyone in the party received damages over -200. Luckily, Gentle Whisper raised her staff using «Healing Light». Green values of +125, appeared above the party's head escaping from imminent danger.

'Now that I think about it, this Priest has very good timing and mana management. She hasn't once complained about low mana or performed a useless heal,' inwardly thought Kaiden.

Holding out for 15 seconds longer, the boss entered a weakened state. However, Kaiden frowned due to the message before him.