The air sizzled as the blades tore through it, and before long they hit their targets, all six impaling Level 2 goblins. He stared intently before a smile graced his lips.
The moment the blades pierced their flesh, the reaction was immediate. Their once-lustrous skin shriveled within seconds, and before he could blink, they collapsed, reduced to lifeless husks.
The flood of notifications that appeared before him only served to confirm he wasn’t dreaming.
<Ding! The host has slain a Level 2 Goblin Demon! 20 dungeon points awarded!>
<Ding! The host has slain a Level 2 Goblin Demon! 20 dungeon points awarded!>
<Ding! The host has slain a Level 2 Goblin Demon! 20 dungeon points awarded!>
<Ding! The host has slain a Level 2 Goblin Demon! 20 dungeon points awarded!>
<Ding! The host has slain a Level 2 Goblin Demon! 20 dungeon points awarded!>
<Ding! The host has slain a Level 2 Goblin Demon! 20 dungeon points awarded!>
Level 2: (190/200 Dungeon Points)
"Ha! Refreshing." He smirked, savoring the warm streams of energy rushing into him as the beasts’ dissipating vitality flowed through his body.
The sensation of standing on the brink of advancement only stoked his power craze further.
"More....I... need more!" Aurelian breathed, as more spectral blades materialized, hovering menacingly before him.
His hand leveled at another wave of goblins charging forward, the distance between them shrinking to five meters.
With a thought, the blades shot forth, streaking through the air.
Their surfaces gleamed with ethereal light before striking their targets true.
Black veins spiderwebbed across the goblins’ bodies. Just like the others, they shriveled into brittle husks.
Wisps of energy streamed into him, cooling him as vitality poured into his core. But with his body uninjured, the energy simply dissipated after washing through him. It was a surreal feeling, almost enough to make him want to wound himself just to experience its full effect. The thought surfaced, but he reined it in immediately.
Now was not the time for masochistic tendencies.
<Ding! The host has slain a Level 2 Goblin Demon! 20 dungeon points awarded!>
<Ding! The host has slain a Level 2 Goblin Demon! 20 dungeon points awarded!>
<Ding! The host has slain a Level 2 Goblin Demon! 20 dungeon points awarded!>
<Ding! The host has slain a Level 2 Goblin Demon! 20 dungeon points awarded!>
<Ding! The host has slain a Level 2 Goblin Demon! 20 dungeon points awarded!>
<Ding! The host has slain a Level 2 Goblin Demon! 20 dungeon points awarded!>
Level 3: (110/300 Dungeon Points)
"Weak. Too weak!" Aurelian snapped, another wave of goblins already eliminated. The five Level 3 goblins stood at the back, motionless as their brethren were butchered.
And, frankly, it was starting to feel monotonous.
"Time to end this," he breathed, a smile tugging at his lips. "Activate Vortex of Doom!"
He was done playing. Besides, curiosity gnawed at him, the skill description mentioned that the more blades he had, the more devastating the effect. Given the new properties of his blades, it was only natural that he wanted to see the results.
Voom! A swirling vortex erupted, blades spinning at its center, creating a massive suction force. Tendrils of energy surged outward before detonating in an intoxicating display of power. Before he could even grasp what was happening, the vortex expanded to a ten-meter radius, its suction dragging everything before it into its depths.
"Fuck!" Aurelian cursed, for the first time truly feeling the cost of such a skill. His stamina plummeted in seconds, leaving him panting, his breath ragged.
But one glance at the scene before him rekindled his smile. Every beast, including the five Level 3 goblins and the four remaining Level 2’s, had been swallowed whole.
A new notification lit up his vision.
<Ding! The Vortex of Doom has absorbed all the energy from the slain foes. Where do you wish to channel it? <<Attribute Points>> <<Increase Proficiency of Talents and Skills>> <<Equipment?>>
His decision didn’t waver. He still chose attribute points. This time, however, instead of Intelligence, he voiced firmly:
"Strength."
After all, the entire point of choosing the classless path was to walk every road without being shackled by one.
Besides, he was starting to feel a little left out of the fun. Sure, spectral swords were cool, but smashing things with his fists sounded equally satisfying.
Energy rushed into his muscles, raw power seeping into every fiber. He smirked as his strength swelled, his itch for more power only growing.
Once he’d had a taste of it, there was no letting go, it was downright addictive.
The next notification only fueled that hunger, solidifying a theory that had been lingering in the back of his mind.
[+23 Attribute Points added to Strength.]
At first, the thought had seemed absurd. But there was nothing absurd about the truth staring back at him.
Equal attribute points to the level of the beasts he slew? A stupendous cheat, one more thing to add to his ever-growing list.
It made him rethink everything.
Still, he restrained himself from being rash. Devouring attribute points from fallen foes was incredible, but advancing levels mattered too. He couldn’t afford to cast it aside, not yet.
Before him lay countless paths, and cutting them all to follow just one wouldn’t do. After all, this was only the beginning.
His mind cleared as he steadied his breath, his gaze shifting deeper into the dungeon. With every passing moment, its allure only grew stronger.
"It’s time," he muttered. "Time to grow in power, fully." His road to strength was already paved; all he had to do was walk it.
The only question was, what level would he reach before the day ended?
Four hours had already passed. He had to make the most of what remained before being teleported out.
And he was damned sure every second would count.