First Level, First Dungeon
[D-Level Creatures]
The shadowy goons solidified their stature as if mimicking him, while the Orc Boss remained seated at the far end, her thighs wide apart. The figures had glowing red eyes that matched the streams of blood within them, which seemed to be the building block holding the shadows together to form them, giving them a fluid appearance like waves.
[Deploy Lightsaber (Red)?]
[YES] or [NO]
Trent selected [YES] to wield his lightsaber. He knew very well that gaming weapons and equipment do not inflict physical harm on anything in the Paradox, but he was about to make that change. After all, he was literally a sentient of both the Paradox world itself and Paradox Unbound.
[Lightsaber (Red)]
-Damage: 250/250 M∆X
-Handling/Control: 250/250 M∆X
-Swing Rate: 250/250 M∆X
[You Wish to Power Lightsaber (Red) with Channelled Essence?]
[YES] or [NO]
Trent selected [YES] and the System displayed a whole new status for Lightsaber (Red}
[**Lightsaber (Red)**]
-Damage: 250000000000000×10²¹/250
-Handling/Control: 250000000000000×10²¹/250
-Swing Rate: 250000000000000×10²¹/250
"Now, this is no ordinary lightsaber," Trent muttered, gripping the hilt of his Essence-powered weapon tightly. The already red fluorescence of the lightsaber was now flaming with Trent's Essence, which manifested as red plasmic energy, dancing through and fro along its length.
"A very strange weapon you have there, aspirant! I would love to see how you utilize it!" the Orc boomed monstrously in what seemed to be her natural hoarse, authoritative voice. "Destroy him and grant me and my pro-forms a gateway to the world!"
Trent knew very well he could destroy these things in one strike, but he was willing to let them attack to see the lengths his newly empowered lightsaber could reach. Moreover, he had always dreamt of such a moment when he would be in a Dungeon, battling lesser creatures before ultimately facing the Boss. This reminded Trent of his intense gaming days.
He would have gone ahead to fight the Orc, but after listening to his System, he realized he could extract both the Manifestation and the Mana of this Boss if he defeated all the step-by-step levels, which would be three in total.
One of the figures lunged at him with surprising speed, taking Trent by surprise, but he managed to raise his blazing lightsaber in time to deflect the blow. The creature met its demise the moment it struck the weapon. Trent chuckled and swung the lightsaber around him, noticing the concerned expression on the Boss' face.
The number of figures seemed to increase every second, and Trent felt it was one of those mechanisms where the more you kill, the more they multiply. He gripped the hilt tightly and bent his knee as the shadowy figures rumbled toward him in groups.
"[Flash Strike]!" Trent yelled, zooming with red speed that left his Crimson Knight as he swung the fluorescent blade in a perfect C at an unimaginable speed, claiming the lives of twenty at once. He didn't know how he had performed the [Flash Strike], nor did he understand how he knew how to execute it. He had just cultivated it right there.
A spray of blood erupted from the midsections of the figures he had just sliced into shadow vapours. With his hands still in motion, Trent directed them upwards and leaped as well, holstering the weapon above his head.
"[Flash Strike!]" he yelled again, plummeting the Essence-powered weapon to the ground in a quick, discreet movement, sending an outburst of red Essence through the field of the Dungeon.
The energy rumbled in all directions, tearing through the shadowy figures and disintegrating them entirely.
Trent landed gracefully on his feet, right in the middle of the blood marking ritual that upheld the crimson hue around him. "Is that all? Oh, dear, Boss?"
The Orc snorted and spat out what seemed to be blood. She wiped her nose roughly with her thick hand before replacing it on the skull handrest of the throne, her other hand still wielding the staff. "You? You dare stall my entry to the Paradox?!" She stomped the end of the staff twice. "Defeat my Right-hand protector!"
Suddenly, a large figure began to form out of the blood spilled all around. This figure was solid and more imposing than the others and, most notably, it was far from humanoid. The creature was shaped like a monstrous spider, its eight legs ending in razor-sharp claws that clicked menacingly on the blood-soaked ground.
'What the—?' Trent exclaimed in his mind.
[B-Level Creature]
The spider creature lunged at him with terrifying speed that defied its massive size. Trent zoomed to the side, dodging just in time as the dark ground of the Dungeon trembled from the impact of the spider's leg slamming into the spot where he had stood, splashing blood everywhere. With its first leg outstretched, Trent smirked and countered with a swift slash from his buffed weapon, mutilating the leg upon Essence-blazing impact.
The spider's long leg buckled, granting Trent the opportunity to run over it like an inclined plane. He charged forward, adhering to his adventurous instincts, sprinting with blinding speed up the leg.
As he neared the fat, humongous head of the spider, Trent could feel the presence of Mana within it, promising himself he would extract that as well. Unleashing devastating strikes with his buffed lightsaber, Trent gave the spider absolutely no chance to execute another attack after its initial thrust.
The Orc's face contorted as she gripped her staff tightly, almost sitting at the edge of her throne, watching Trent decimate the spider. All that was visible was the swift, zooming red blur and the anguished roar of the spider.
When Trent sensed the creature was flickering and destabilizing, he gave an outcry and leaped high into the air.
[Host! Are you sure you wish to power lightsaber (Red) again?]
[YES] or [NO]
Trent selected [YES] in midair, and what was already a buffed weapon became ultra-buffed as he drove the blazing Essence-powered weapon into the spider's head. The creature let out an ear-piercing scream as red light began to emanate from within, swelling its mass in a bid to explode.
The entire Dungeon, even the Orc's throne, shook as the spider exploded into bits of blood that oozed down to the ground and seeped into the blood markings. Trent landed unharmed, grabbing the Mana core of the creature in a swift motion as he did so.
"Do not extract my Right-hand protec—!" The Orc was screaming, but it was too late.
[Do you wish to absorb Mana Core?]
[YES] or [NO]
Trent selected [YES], and the extraction began. The dark, shadowy Core of the creature flowed into him, and within seconds, it was gone.
··
··
Name: Nightingale
Race: Human
Role: Darth Assassin
Manifestations: Three(1)
Beasts Tamed: None
Essenced equipments: None
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Role Influence
- **Level**: Exceeding Rank
- **Strength**: 20000/10
- **Dexterity**: 20000/10
- **Agility**: 20000/10
- **Intelligence**: 20000/10
- **Wisdom**: 20000/10
- **Charisma**: 20000/10
-----·-----·-----·-----·------·-----·-----·-----·----
Manifestations Lore
- **Doublet Fist** (...)
- **\Fyrestorm/** (...)
- **Flash Strike** (...)
··
··
Trent smiled, but he was still not satisfied. He needed more Manifestations, and this Dungeon seemed to be holding him back from fulfilling the goddess' will. He glanced at the Orc on the throne. "What's next?" he asked.
The Orc stood up once again, her breasts bouncing behind her clothes, her face contorted with anger and a deep frown. "Me," she replied.