Chapter 13 - Om nom nom yummy EXP

The next few days passed in a blur. Eat, sleep, kill monsters, repeat. It was as if I was playing an MMORPG that I had gotten addicted to, to the extent that losing track of time was only to be expected. However, I never relaxed that far. I kept a close eye on the amount of time that was passing. Of course, a big reason was just that I wanted to keep my routines proper, but a bigger reason was that I wanted to know how much time it would take for me to gain levels.

With my new skills, I had already developed completely new ways of fighting. By using {Subskill: Transfer}, I could open small windows in space next to me and near monsters. Then, I could fire my [Secret Fang] and approach opponents from oblique angles, cast [Bind] to save on [DUR] and killing them with {Subskill: Spatial Rend} to save on MP. With the help of the map and the amount I was moving around, it took me just two days to level up. Unfortunately, these levels were in increments of 5000 EXP. In other words, reaching level 2 would require 10,000 EXP, level 3 would require 15,000 EXP and so on. Fortunately, I had a whole [Labyrinth] to myself.

Without stopping at floor 86 for too long, I raided hotspots of rank C monsters and killed as many as possible, retrieving [Mana Cores] and any body parts that seemed useful. Most of the monsters I killed were [Greater Arachnophobos], but there were also a number of [Seleridira (C)], lizard-like creatures with ridged brows and spiked tails. Of course, if any [Hellapes] got in my way, I would kill them, but for the most part I left them alone. In order to avoid them as much as possible, I delved into my newly acquired [Dark Magic] skill and acquired {Subskill: Illusion}, {Subskill: Shadow Cloak}, and {Subskill: Shadow Walker}.

{Subskill: Illusion

Skill Description: Creates an illusion

Skill Prerequisites: [Dark Magic].

Skill Effects: Creates an illusion that can generate false impressions; MP consumption 30/s; illusion tangibility scales with [Dark Magic] level.}

{Subskill: Shadow Cloak

Skill Description: Wraps the user in [Dark Magic] to avoid detection.

Skill Prerequisites: [Dark Magic].

Skill Effects:Cloaks user in shadow to avoid detection skills; MP consumption 25/s; certain detection skills may still detect user; concealment scales with [Dark Magic] level.}

{Subskill: Shadow Walker

Skill Description: Transfers the user between two shadows..

Skill Prerequisites: [Dark Magic].

Skill Effects: Designates two shadows as entry and exit points and transfers the user between them; MP consumption 70; maximum distance scales with [Dark Magic] level.}

These skills were instrumental in avoiding as many [Hellapes] as possible to avoid incurring the wrath of the [Unbound Hellape King]. By using both the [Dark Magic] and [Spatial Magic] {Subskills}, I was able to sneak past gaggles of [Hellapes] without being detected, and therefore never had to face a situation in which I had to kill too many of them. Occasionally, the lone [Hellape] would wander into a combat situation in which I had already been engaging other monsters, so I would have to dispatch of it as well, but these situations were rare, and I only had to kill two of them.

In using and thinking about my [Dimension Strike] and {Subskill: Spatial Corridor}, however, my [World Handbook] levelled up. The information contained within told me that this world existed on a plane known as the [Main Dimension]. Alongside it existed plenty of [Parallel Dimensions], most of which were identical to the [Main Dimension]. According to the [World Handbook], some [Parallel Dimensions] diverged due to certain existences from the [Main Dimension] entering them and altering them so as to become an [Alternate Dimension]. Such was the case for the dimension in which most [Vallen] lived.

Each [Parallel Dimension] had no impact on the [Main Dimension]. The impact only went one way - changes in the [Main Dimension] would affect the [Parallel Dimensions], not the other way around. However, certain kinds of [Spatial Magic] skills could cause [Parallel Dimensions] to affect the [Main Dimension]. This was known as "collapsing probabilities". By creating one change in a [Parallel Dimension], such as in the case of [Dimension Strike] causing damage to an enemy, or {Subskill: Spatial Corridor} allowing the user to move unseen through a [Parallel Dimension], [Spatial Magic] could fold the [Parallel Dimension] into the [Main Dimension], causing the change in the [Parallel Dimension] to affect the [Main Dimension].

I had no idea just what kinds of implications this had, but I figured I would learn more later on. With this little information, it was hard to extrapolate just how much [Parallel Dimensions] could be manipulated to affect the [Main Dimension], and what kinds of skills had to be used in what ways to create staggering effects.

However, what I did notice was that [Dark Magic] and [Spatial Magic] seem to have certain skills that overlap very closely with each other. {Subskill: Illusion} and {Subskill: Distort Space} both had the effect of creating illusory impressions; {Subskill Shadow Cloak} and {Subskill: Spatial Corridor} involved passing by enemies while avoiding detection; {Subskill: Shadow Walker} and {Subskill: Transfer} were two iterations of essentially the same kind of movement.

Could I...combine them?

...

I tried. For over thirty hours. And failed every single time. Perhaps there was some other hidden requirement, or perhaps I needed both of them to reach Lv.10, or perhaps I needed to add another skill. With too little information, I gave up and continued on.

As I reached the entrance to floor 85, I checked my status.

[Ava Kino (C+)]

[Vallen Assassin 26♀︎ Lv.2 EXP: 1684/15000 +20%]

[Ava's Blessing]

[Assassin]

[Normal]

[Megaceris Endless Labyrinth: Floor 86]

[HP: 600/600 +1%/s] 100UP

[MP: 862/1200 +2%/s] 200UP

[PWR: 100 (+45/25)] 19UP

[DEF: 45 (+40)] 10UP

[MAG: 220 (+30/40)] 30UP

[RES: 45 (+20)] 10UP

[AGI: 125] 5UP

[WIS: 110] 10UP

[WPR: 110]

SP: 0

[Reincarnator (B)] [Giant Slayer (C)] [Headstrong (C)] [Instant Killer (C)] [Speed Slayer (D)]