Dungeon and Leveling up (2)

Ink moved cautiously through the dark tunnels, his grip tight on his sword.

The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and old blood, the only light coming from the faintly glowing moss along the walls.

He will not underestimate anything, even the lowest goblins.

Ahead, three level 1 goblins stood near a pile of old bones and broken weapons.

They had no discipline, no awareness, their crude weapons resting at their feet.

Ink didn't hesitate**.**

But he also didn't rush in blindly.

He tightened his grip on his sword, keeping his posture low as he moved.

Slow. Silent.

One goblin's ear twitched.

Ink lunged forward, fast and controlled.

Before the goblin could even scream, his sword flashed.

SLASH!

The goblin collapsed, its head nearly severed.

Blood splattered against the cavern floor.

[Kill Level 1 Goblin. Experience +20]

The other two goblins reacted immediately, grabbing their weapons.

The one on the left had a rusty dagger, the other wielded a wooden club.

Ink stepped backward, letting them make the first move.

The dagger goblin darted forward, its short legs quick, stabbing toward his ribs—

Ink angled his sword, knocking the attack aside—

Then countered.

One clean slash across the chest—

SPLURT!

The goblin choked on its own blood, collapsing.

[Kill Level 1 Goblin. Experience +20]

The final goblin hesitated.

Ink kept his stance low, his breathing steady.

This one still had its club raised—waiting for an opportunity.

Smart.

It feinted left, then swung from the right.

Ink stepped back, letting the club barely miss him.

Then—

A clean thrust through the heart.

The goblin stiffened, then fell.

Ink exhaled, lowering his sword.

He flicked off the green goblin blood, then checked his status.

[Character Status]

[Level:] 2 (10%)

[Vitality:] +5 → 105

[Strength:] +5 → 35

[Agility:] +5 → 25

[Constitution:] +5 → 25

Good**.**

Leveled up, a small increase in stats.

He moved deeper into the dungeon.

6 Hours Later…

Ink had been fighting non-stop.

Goblin after goblin fell beneath his blade.

The deeper he went, the stronger the enemies became, but so did he.

And now…

[Character Status]

[Level:] 5 (80%)

[Vitality:] +5 → 120

[Strength:] +5 → 50

[Agility:] +5 → 50

[Constitution:] +5 → 50

He feels much stronger now.

But no skill Obtained.

Skills were not automatically acquired upon leveling up. Instead, they could only be obtained in two ways:

Every 10 Levels – Upon reaching a milestone level, a skill would be granted.

Another way is to use Skill Scrolls.

Skill scrolls, however, were not guaranteed to work. They came in different tiers, each with a varying success rate.

Low-Tier Scrolls – 25% chance of successful skill acquisition.

Intermediate-Tier Scrolls – 50% chance.

High-Tier Scrolls – 90% chance.

Even a low-tier skill scroll was priced as high as 100,000 gold coins.

To put things into perspective, the currency system in this world was structured as follows:

1 Gold Coin = 100 Silver Coins

1 Silver Coin = 100 Copper Coins

Ink's pace slowed as he approached a wide chamber within the cave.

His instincts screamed danger.

His eyes narrowed**.**

Ahead—

A group of six goblins sat around a small fire pit, gnawing on bones.

But these goblins were different.

They were bigger, their muscles more defined. Their weapons weren't just crude clubs—some had actual swords, and one even wore a dented iron chest plate.

[Goblin Warrior: Level 8]

[Goblin Scout: Level 8]

[Goblin Swordsman: Level 8]

Ink took a slow breath**.**

If he charged in recklessly, he'd be surrounded instantly**.**

He needed to thin them out first**.**

His eyes flickered to the fire pit.

An idea formed.

Silently, he grabbed a loose rock from the ground.

And hurled it at the fire.

CRACK!

The rock struck the burning wood, sending a shower of embers into the air.

The goblins shrieked, jumping up in alarm, scanning the darkness for an enemy.

Then—

Ink threw another rock—this time toward a far tunnel.

CLACK!

The sound echoed, making it seem as if someone was escaping deeper into the cave.

The Goblin Scout reacted immediately, barking something to the others before dashing into the darkness to investigate.

One down.

Ink moved quickly, positioning himself behind a stalagmite.

With one goblin gone, that left five enemies.

He needed to take out another before engaging the rest.

He silently crept closer, his heart steady, his grip tightening around his sword.

Then—

In a blink, he closed the distance—

And drove his sword straight through the neck of an unaware Goblin Warrior.

The creature gurgled, clawing at its throat—before slumping over, dead.

[Kill Level 8 Goblin. Experience +80]

Ink steadied his breathing as the remaining four goblins turned toward him, their eyes filled with hostility.

For a moment, nobody moved.

Then—

A deafening shriek filled the cavern.

"KREEEEH!!"

The Goblin Swordsman charged first, its blade flashing under the dim moss light.

Ink raised his sword, preparing to parry—

But he wasn't fast enough.

CLANG!

The goblin's sword scraped against his shoulder armor, sending a jarring shock up his arm.

Ink winced.

His footwork was off.

His grip on his sword too stiff.

Before he could adjust—

A Goblin Warrior swung its club at his ribs!

Ink barely had time to twist his body—

BAM!

The force sent him stumbling backward.

His breathing quickened.

These goblins weren't pushovers.

Ink deeply felt his lacking technique.

Ink tightened his grip, pushing down his frustration.

It's fine. I just need to adjust.

He stepped forward, deliberate, controlled.

The Goblin Warrior swung again—

This time, Ink leaned away, the club missing his face by an inch.

The Goblin Swordsman stabbed toward his gut—

Ink angled his sword and knocked the strike aside.

Better.

Now—

His sword flashed.

SLASH!

The Swordsman staggered back, blood spraying from a deep cut across its chest.

It shrieked but didn't fall.

Ink clicked his tongue.

He needed cleaner execution.

The Goblin Warrior lunged again, its club whistling through the air.

Ink ducked low, dodging at the last second.

Then—

Dusk Crescent Slash!

A crescent wave of dark green energy burst from his blade—

SLASH!

The attack ripped through the Goblin Warrior's chest, leaving behind a massive wound.

It staggered, blood pooling from its ribs—

Then collapsed.

[Kill Level 8 Goblin. Experience +80]

Ink exhaled sharply, rolling his shoulder.

Two left.

The Goblin Swordsman and the last Warrior.

Both circled him cautiously now, no longer recklessly charging.

Ink adjusted his stance.

He had the advantage in stats—

But in skill, he was still behind.

It was time to use his other skill.

He raised his left hand, channeling a dark energy into his palm.

"Death Coil."

A twisting spear of necrotic energy shot forward—

Straight at the Goblin Swordsman.

The creature tried to dodge—

But it was too slow.

The attack pierced through its chest, spreading black veins across its body—

The goblin screamed, its body convulsing in agony—

Before collapsing lifelessly.

[Kill Level 8 Goblin. Experience +80]

"You're next."

The goblin roared in desperation and swung.

Ink dodged smoothly this time, stepping in close.

And slashed his sword across the goblin's chest.

A deep cut opened, spraying green blood.

The goblin staggered but didn't fall.

Ink didn't let up.

With one final thrust, he drove his blade through the goblin's heart.

It shuddered—

Then went still.

[Kill Level 8 Goblin. Experience +80]