Chapter 30: The Floor By Floor Journey To The Depth Of The Earth 1
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With an expression of obvious satisfaction, Wilhelm hummed happily while cooking his meal. The 10 days that he’d spent hunting inside the Gourmet Labyrinth had raised his level to 185.
Ding!
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[Fleshrender]
A barbed club perfect for disembowelment.
Type: Two-Handed Club
Durability: 49/70
Attack: 75~88
Restriction: Level 150, 350 Strength
Equipped: (+20) Strength, (+40%) Enhanced Club Attack Damage, Target’s Defense is reduced by (20%), (+25%) Chance to inflict Bleed, (+10%) Chance to inflict Stun, Attack Speed Reduced by (-10%)
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[Decapitator]
A very large and very heavy axe imbued with the power of the Earth.
Type: Two-Handed Axe
Durability: 52/90
Attack: 100~120
Restriction: Level 200, 500 Strength
Equipped: (+50) Strength, (+100%) Enhanced Axe Attack Damage, Target’s Defense is reduced by (35%), (+3) to Maximum Damage multiplied by the User’s Level, (+80%) Chance to Knockback, (+5%) Chance to cast Earthquake or Fissure if the Decapitator struck the ground, Movement Speed Reduced by (-35%), Attack Speed Reduced by (-50%)
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His battles against the Shio Minotaurs had rewarded him with numerous clubs, axes, and heavy armors that though most, if not all, are incompatible to him due to its severe speed penalty, are still rare and valuable magic items that will surely bring big bucks once sold.
He also acquired the Serpentskin Leather Armor from the Bullman, the bardiche bearing, smaller sized, faster version of the Minotaurs.
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[Serpentskin Leather Armor]
A tough but light armor made from the skin of the 200 Year Old Demon Viper.
Type: Armor
Durability: 41/68
Defense: 65
Restriction: Level 150, 400 Agility
Equipped: (+5) Strength, (+15) Agility, (+25%) Increase in Defense, (+40%) Poison Resistance, Magic Damage Reduced by 15%, Health (+350)
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Which was the first item picked up in the dungeon that he can actually wear. He got 10 of them in total, excluding the one he’d equipped. And just like the weapons, it will also bring a fortune once he left this place.
Wilhelm’s lips curved into a big smile. With this kind of profit this early, it’s without a doubt now that the arrangement he established upon the revelation of the Butchery Skill’s effect was a success.
When he entered the Gourmet Labyrinth and faced the Shio Minotaur for the first time, the initial goal formed in his mind was to progress fast and finish the quest as soon as possible, which was quite a shame considering that the dungeon harbor hundreds of Oversoul Monsters that all drops magical and deluxe items. And the main unfortunate reason in preferring to make such a haste was the shortage of recovery items and food supplies which is a vital part in the success of subduing the dungeon.
He only got four weeks’ worth of food and raw ingredients readily available in his bag upon his entrance, an amount that even though enough to sustain him in his journey to the tenth floor, is not even a quarter of the amount needed if he wants to utilize the full merit of the dungeon. The beasts might drop some meat but the chances for that are so-so and the amount won’t still be sufficient.
But now, with the effect of the Butchery Skill, that worry had been solved. Through extracting meat ingredients from the monsters that he defeated, he is provided with enough food supply that enables him to stay longer inside the labyrinth.
And that’s not all!
With an explanation still unknown to him, most of the body parts of the monsters that Wilhelm had encountered and butchered so far inside the Gourmet Labyrinth can be used for food.
The meats of the Shio Minotaur are readily salted, the bones and horns if dried and grounded into powder can be used as table salt, and its blood can be used as a substitute for soy sauce. The Bullmen’s meat, even without marinating, is very tender and has a sweet and sour taste, and like the Shio Minotaur, the bones and horns can also be dried and grounded into powder, except that it produces sugar instead of salt. And then, there’s the Torpedo Bats, whose wings can be dried and grounded to produce pepper, meat that tasted like poultry, and bones that once deep fried has a crunchy consistency similar to French Fries.
And aside from them, there are also sprouts, mosses, and mushrooms that apart from being edible, also fosters a rich and flavorful taste that are pleasant to the palate.
All in all, the Gourmet Labyrinth is like a huge food warehouse where almost everything at sight is edible. And thanks to the effect of his Butchery and Scavenging, those ingredients are accessible to him.
‘I’m still in the 8th Floor and there are seven more floors that are left,’ Wilhelm shook with excitement. He can barely wait to unveil the rest that this dungeon is about to offer.
He then returned his full attention in the dish he’s cooking. Thanks to the abundant amount of ingredients and the constant need to recover health, mana, and to dope through food, he had gained a significant increase in his cooking proficiency. The constant battles without any weapons had also greatly improved his Hand-to-Hand Combat and Kicking Mastery. And then the thorough sweeping and exploration of the first three floors had levelled up his Cartography Skill to an admirable degree.
Though honestly, the map making of the labyrinth is completely unnecessary since it’s a restricted dungeon that no one else can probably enter in the future, therefore, making the produced map void of any monetary value. The circumstances gave a great chance to increase the proficiency of the skill and Wilhelm is not the type that would let such an opportunity pass.
There are several ways to acquire a new skill in the game but it can be compressed into four types; Learning, Inheritance, Extension, and Set Completion. Learning is the most common. Skills through this means are acquired by absorbing scrolls, books, equipping assimilate items, doing special actions, receiving knowledge from another person, etc.. Inheritance is through ceremonies and conveyance of power from either an item or a person, usually an NPC. Extensions are skills that are unlocked once an existing skill reached a certain stage or level. And lastly, is the Set Completion where a new skill is born once a certain group of skills are acquired or a group of skills reached the same stage.
So aside from his compulsive desire to increase the proficiency of his skills, to cultivate them in the most suitable circumstances, the impact of Extension and Set Completion is another motivation. No one could tell which group or which stage of skills can produce a new one, so Wilhelm wanted to always have them ready.
Then, returning back to his dish. After completing the cooking method and the necessary finishing touches, two notifications cascaded before Wilhelm.
Ding!
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You Completed a [5Star] Dish
Beef Tenderloin with Spicy Torpedo Bat-Bones Fries
Recover Satiety (+30%)
Recover Health (+1,000)
Increase Health Recovery Rate by 30% for 4 Hours
Increase Agility by 35% for 1 Hour
Increase Strength by 40% for 1 Hour
Number of Dish Completed: 1
Aside from Satiety and Health Recovery, eating the same dish will not stack the provided effects.
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Level Up: Cooking [Passive: Intermediate Level 5 (0.10%)]
Success Rate of Recipe Dishes (+98%)
Success Rate of Invented Dishes (+53%)
Recovery Effect of Completed Dishes (+98%)
(+23%) Reduction in Stamina Usage
(+23%) Resistance to Hunger
Health (+23%)
For reaching Intermediate Level 5, an additional effect has been unlocked.
[Devour and Absorb]
Consuming the same ingredient repeatedly will enable you to increase one out of the six basic STATS by a point(s) ranging from 1~10.
The STAT that would increase will depend on the nature of the consumed ingredient.
Example: Eating the meat of a Brute Type might increase your STR or VIT.
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When the floor map achieved 99% completion, Wilhelm knew that he’d finally reached the edge of the 8th Floor as well as the entrance to the 7th. And standing guard before the passage is the Boss Monster of the Eighth Floor, Level 230 Wyth.
But unlike the Boss Monsters that he confronted from the previous two floors, Wyth is a two-handed sword wielding Bullman instead of a hulking Shio Minotaur. And Wilhelm clicked his tongue, knowing how troublesome things are going to get with this kind of conditions at bay.
Wilhelm’s primary advantage is speed. Therefore, the Shio Minotaurs, even the Boss Types, are no match against him in a one-on-one fight due to their huge size and slow movements. While the Bullmen, on the other hand, despite being smaller size and faster, are also no different since they are all equipped with bardiche and other lengthy poleaxes that severely reduce their reaction time, making them vulnerable to multiple counterattacks during a fight.
However, Wyth is a sword wielding Boss Bullman. He’s faster than the rest of his kin and his choice of weapon frees him from the usual reaction time penalty. Fighting it will be wearisome and the chances for defeat are pretty high.
But still, “Hiya!” Wilhelm charged towards Wyth without a single hint of hesitation. Troublesome or not, hard to beat or not, they are all the same. There’s always a means to deal with them and that does not include hesitating.
“Drill Burst!” Wilhelm started off with his signature punch.
Wyth raised his sword and attacked. The punch and the sword strike clashed, sending waves of shocks through both combatants.
Wilhelm’s body began to shake. As expected, the speed and power of Wyth is unparalleled compared to all the monsters he’d defeated so far. Even with a weapon, it was able to match his speed and reacted for offense immediately despite his semi-surprise attack. Its body’s durability is worthy of praise too. Despite the shocks unleashed by the clash of their attacks, he’s still firm and unshaken, further convincing Wilhelm that prolonging this battle will result to his disadvantage.
The two combatants leapt back and separated but barely a second later, their legs resumed dashing, charging for each other’s throats once again.
SWASH! BOOM!
Another clash and burst of shocks.
However, this time around, half of Wilhelm’s attention is exclusively focus on the movement pattern of Wyth, reading him before and during the clash of their attacks. And by doing so, right in the middle of the ongoing impact, Wilhelm found the opening he was looking for.
Far from Wilhelm’s earlier assumption, the durability of Wyth’s body is not the reason why he’s unshaken every time their attacks clashed. Instead, it was due to the heavy pressures that he always applies on his final two steps before their attacks clashes against each other. This action, along with his affinity to the Earth Element, gives him a firm hold in the ground enabling him to withstand any impact and push more power into his attacks. However, this method has a very fatal flaw. There’s a slim gap after each usage where the practitioner will be unable to move his feet. It’s very brief and unnoticeable but it’s within the range where it can be exploited.
So on their next clash, Wilhelm aimed for that gap and charges. Bending his waist and kicking the ground, he rocketed towards the Boss Bullman’s lower body and unleashed a Drill Burst.
NUTCRACK!!!
A direct hit below the belt and Wyth was blasted like a speeding train towards the cave wall.
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+You dealt a Critical Damage.
+You critically damaged Wyth’s lower body, [Strength and Speed reduced by 40%].
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Wyth was caught in an Off-Guard Status for a couple of seconds while being lodged in the wall. But due to the distance that the Drill Burst had created between the two combatants, Wyth recovered before Wilhelm could reach him.
“Drill Burst!” The two clashed their attacks once more. But this time, Wyth is in a severe disadvantage due to the injury that he received from Wilhelm’s previous attack. His weakened body was unable to firmly grip his sword and had it blasted off from his hands upon impact, leaving him completely defenseless against Wilhelm’s approaching attack.
KABLAAM!
A clean hit on the chin. And while Wyth staggered back a step, Wilhelm quickly stomped a step forward and unleashed an uppercut with his right fist, followed by a left and then a right hook and a left kick aimed straight to the temple.
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+You dealt a Critical Damage.
+You dealt a Critical Damage.
+You dealt a Critical Damage.
+You dealt a critical blow on Wyth’s skull, [Off-Guard for 60 seconds, 5 minutes Confusion after Off-Guard].
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KABLAAM! KABLAAM! KABLAAM!
KABLAAM! KABLAAM! KABLAAM!
Well, there’s no point going through the details, the Bullman can no longer defend nor attack. He still has more than 40% Health Points left but his dreadful state suggests that he’s as good as dead.
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Your Level has risen
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Aside from a loud thud of its body hitting the ground, Wyth perished quietly. Not a scream or a moan was heard from him as he loses his life, probably because Wilhelm’s attacks had destroyed his face and nearly crushes his skull.
After the battle, the first thing that Wilhelm did was check the items especially that the defeated monsters is a sword user. Aside from the two-handed sword that it was using during the battle, he also had an extra sword sheathed on his waist and Wilhelm is hoping that he would drop that.
Ding!
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You acquired [Separator]
A sharp one-handed katana perfect for slicing.
Type: One-Handed Sword
Durability: 75/75
Attack: 65~77
Restriction: Level 150, 300 Strength, 300 Agility
Equipped: (+10) Strength, (+10) Agility, (+5) Dexterity, (+12%) Attack Damage, (+30%) Enhanced Sword Attack Damage, (+10%) Chance to inflict Bleed, Increase Critical Attack by (10%)
Generates [Cutting]
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Skill Alert: Cutting
Cutting [Passive: Beginner (0.00%)]
[Mastery: 0/225 AP]
The separation of a physical object into portions through the application of force.
Strike a body part of an enemy and inflict a Critical Damage. Doing so will give you a 3% chance to cut that body part off.
Restrictions: 1. Blade Attacks only. 2. Applicable to all body parts except the Head. However, if target’s Health is less than 10%, the Head attack might result to instant Death. 3. Cutting effect is only applicable to Monsters. Against users and NPCs, it will only inflict Limb Paralysis which will last for 5 minutes.
Cutting Proficiency increased by inflicting Critical Damage through blade strikes.
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“Yes!” Wilhelm rejoiced, rubbing his cheek against the hilt of the Separator.
It’s been a while since he’d equipped a sword, much more used it in battle, and he truly misses it. And aside from the acquisition of the nice weapon, he’d also obtained an Assimilate as bonus. And reading its function, it will surely help him a lot in reaching his goals.
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You equipped a Sword [Separator]
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You equipped an Assimilate [Cutting: 0/225AP]
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Tightly grabbing onto the Separator, Wilhelm was deeply moved. It’s only the fourth sword he’d held inside the game and the most powerful one so far, and he can’t wait to actually use it. He then gave the sword a few practice swings before collecting the remaining loots, capturing the ingredients from Wyth, and moving forward to the next floor.
- Writer
