So Anyway, I Started Blasting

After several detours, Ethan made his way over the cliff face where a cave was located.

This place was once a flourishing site 10 years ago but has been closed due to a major collapse of the floor in some parts of the cave.

However, two months ago, a certain group of dedicated crafters invented something that can help to renovate the previous mine.

Approved by the governor of the city, the miners and personnel of the trade guild as well as some hired adventurers visit the place to inspect the condition and to estimate the expenses needed to restore the tunnel.

But a monster attack happened on the second day of exploration. A few adventurers escaped from the cave and hurriedly reported back to the city.

That was the summary of 1-page quest completion content he had read at the forum in his previous life.

This kind of quest content was popular at that time because it sometimes could lead to some hidden secrets and treasures.

"I think this is it."

Ethan arrives at the cave entrance. There's no door so he casually walks inside.

The place was pitch-black and emanated in serene darkness. He put his hand on the wall near the entrance and pours mana into it.

As if like a circuit, his mana began to thread in line and connected to several mana gems far ahead of him.

Mana lines.

Lines that connected to the special gems so that the tunnels could be lit up. The wall he had touched a moment ago was basically the switch.

This stuff could also be used in an average house in this world. It was very useful, especially in large establishments.

Since illuminated, the inside was revealed. A long strand of silk hung from the cave walls and several roots protruded anywhere.

This tunnel was wide enough for a carriage to pass through with some room to spare. It seemed to continue pretty far in, but Ethan couldn't tell how far from the entrance.

[You have entered the hidden dungeon of Ashtami cave.]

[You are the first person to discover this dungeon, a permanent +2 points to all attributes has been granted.]

[You have been granted a permanent buff, «First Discoverer»]

A series of notifications flash atop Ethan's head as he stepped inside.

This place was not a mining site anymore, it was now considered a hidden dungeon.

A hidden dungeon was different from a normal dungeon. It was hidden, unannounced to the public.

Moreover, a normal place just like this mining site can turn or evolve into a hidden dungeon if certain conditions were met.

Ethan doesn't either know or care what kind of conditions are needed. He just continues to walk without a hint of surprise on his face.

While walking, he taps the buff he newly acquired.

—

First Discoverer (Party Shared Buff)

• Grant a 10% increase of experience gained when hunting inside the Asthami dungeon.

• Grant a 5% temporary increase of all stats attributes whenever inside the Asthami dungeon.

—

As expected of the rewards for the first dungeon discoverer, it was a very useful buff.

In his previous life, some people dedicated their time to finding clues to every hidden dungeon in the game.

Because of the discoverer's benefits, they can either sell the information to the guild for a high price or use it for themselves.

Guilds often hire people who do the same job. After all, this kind of buff can make a big impact on the growth of their guild.

Anyhow, Ethan went deeper. The floor became slightly muddy but the visibility around was clearer than at the entrance. It was caused by the larger gems installed on the walls.

After several minutes of traversing inside, he arrives in the front of the cavern with branch pathways.

But before he could choose a path, Ethan heard a sharp cry echo out from just an earshot away.

Scritch! Scritch!

A nearby silhouette had climbed down from the walls and directly pounced at him.

Shish!

The front leg of it delivered a slice but there's no Ethan in that place, he was already displaced to the other corner.

"Bind."

He calmly chanted and four black chains abruptly rose from the ground coiling at the spider.

—

Cave Spider (Normal)

Level: 5

HP: 492/500

—

It was a level 5 normal cave monster.

Using the three seconds bind effect, Ethan followed up a magic missile and fired a few basic attacks.

That combo took the 30% HP of the spider. It cried in pain. Then having freed from the chains after three seconds, it quickly marched on him.

"You, who has been slumbered around me; manifest to protect this lord—Erecto!" he chanted.

Right now, Ethan has a total of 21 DEX points thanks to him reaching level 6 from killing the group of tailers a while ago.

The +2 dungeon reward and the effects of the silver monocle he was wearing also help the change.

That caused his other spells such as «erecto» to adjust their incantation text.

As soon as his DEX attributes change, the spells formula and chant text registered in his head also change.

Ethan doesn't know why or how did he memorize the new set of text. However, he wasn't surprised about this since he already experienced this kind of thing a thousand times in his previous life.

He can only assume it was the work of the system coordinating with his INT attribute.

The system would imprint those changes in his brain, hence resulting in him chanting the new text as if naturally.

Ethan performs the necessary gesture of his «erecto» spell.

The tip of his staff dazzled in blue, then the ground near the spider crumbled and quickly rose.

The spider gut was caught up by the raising ground forcing it to lunch upward.

Who says a shield can only do protecting? It could also be useful in other terms!

Ethan readily swing his staff again and skillfully trailed the body of the airborne spider with basic attacks as if he was in an fps game.

Thud.

As it landed on the ground, it only has 100 HP left. Thus, Ethan leisurely fired another batch of missiles at the spider.

+70 exp!

"Well, that was a pitiful experience."

Even though it was level 5, Ethan only got a meager experience since he was one level above the spider.

"But at least it dropped an item," he said and picked up the normal material [White Silk] and a mana gem.

After that, he looks at the different pathways in his front again.

Yeah, basically a player needs a map of the mine cause who knows what kind of vicious monster lying ahead on these paths.

But the quest doesn't either give a map or a hint on where to get one.

Normally, players who received this quest need to clear out every pathway ahead to scout and draw a map for the dungeon.

But in the case of Ethan, he was the only one here, with no teammates or backup behind. How could he clear this entire place alone?

However, Ethan was still relaxed since he has a method he can rely on. He knows a secret to point out the route that was only related to the quest.

Scritch! Scritch!

Sharp cries could be heard reverberating from the depths of every pathway until they finally faded away.

They were all the same cries but to Ethan, the third pathway on his right was the right destination for him.

This pathway releases a slightly loud and more piercing cry than the other. It was an indication that it was the road where the big boss awaits.

But who would dare to challenge the most difficult boss immediately? And solo even.

Well, Ethan would.

Without hesitation, he stepped inside the third pathway. Here also, there's a mana line but most of it only releases a faint glow of light.

After two minutes of traversing the narrow path, the scritch of spiders was starting to get loud.

He was nearing the den full of monsters but he was still composed.

Ethan reasons that he might ruin his handsome face if he were to panic this time. Thus he keeps his calm and recites the plan in his head.

Arriving at the end of the hallway, he leans in the wall and cautiously peeks ahead of the open space.

What greeted him was a large cavern full of cave spiders. They were screeching every second as if they were fighting for something.

In fact, they were fighting for food. Lay in their slender legs were several bodies colored in green and mud.

'Poor goblins,' Ethan thought after seeing that one spider eating ravenously at the flesh of the small goblins.

Monsters in the hidden dungeon live this way.

To be a hunter or prey.

This was one of the differences in a normal dungeon. The only thing they have in common was that the monster inside cannot go outside cause of some unknown force at the entrance of every dungeon.

Ethan can also see several mine carts that were stumbled everywhere in the cavern.

Ahead, three spiders were resting as if they were done eating their fill. They have blue streaks on their head. They were Elite [Cave Spider].

In the far center of the room, a large spider was resting seemingly watching her children eat. Different from the rest of the spiders, this one has red streaks on its head.

——

Emperor Spider (Boss)

Level:5

HP: 6,500/6,500

MP: 400/400

——

A ridiculous number appeared in its head.

Certainly, he can't beat that emperor—even the three elite at once!

This is the reason why guild master Sergio laugh at him when he told him his level. It was an impossible quest for a low-level player like him.

Usually, it needs thirty people with level 10 and above to clear this room.

The number was only limited since the place was a cavern, not an open field. More people will only lead to a chaotic raid.

Thus, in his previous life, this cavern was the last to conquer among the bosses in the whole Asthami cave.

But Ethan with his usual carefree demeanor starts to kick his plan. He opens his palm and chants curtly.

"Doll Momoko."

After Ethan lands Momoko on the ground, it runs immediately in a t-pose manner.

The legs of the doll were not that long but it eventually arrives at the nearest group of Cave spiders. Touch and—

BOOOM!!

—A deafening sound resounded in the space cavern. He can even hear several screeching along with the explosion.

"So anyway, I started blasting," he chuckled as he rested in the ravine wall, waiting for his spell to cool down.

This is the only way to clear this ridiculous quest.