Chương 79: 31. Web

A stick lay on top of the pillow inside the chest. It was straight, though slightly warped on one end. It looked like a walking stick. He stared at it for a moment, then picked it up. It had a cooling sensation in his hand. An artifact. He grumbled. It was still a stick. He pushed some mana into it. It flowed like a river, while the stick tried to shape it, make it more effective. It was the most basic staff he had ever seen. It looked more like a walking stick than a mage's staff.

He lacked one, so it would do the job. It was a high-quality staff, at least compensating for its looks. He still would have preferred coins. At least it wasn't as useless to him as the dagger had been. He was still in a bad mood, but he pushed through it and strode toward the second room. It was time to get Clay on his feet before the safe room timer ran out. And to find the scout group that had gone before them. Also, more treasure chests. He wasn't giving up on the gold coins.

Clay was in the same spot he had left him, and in a similar condition. He wasn't sure how much time had passed since they cleared the room, but it was getting close to the two-hour mark. He stopped next to him and touched his forehead. Heal, he cast. The effect was immediate. Clay started coughing up dark blood. It was his first time using Heal. It would probably increase his level. The mana drain was noticeable, immense even, but he didn't mind it. They could wait a few hours for his mana to recover.

It wasn't like the beasts had managed to find them before. And Clay needed a break before they continued. The enemies ahead would be stronger, and he would have to be more active in combat. Clay continued coughing. It gave him enough time to check his status before he had to deal with him.

"Status." [Status:] Name: Dareth Wood Race: Human Mana: 67/420 Level: 26 Class: Selection Available [Attributes:] Strength: 26 Agility: 27 Endurance: 28 Intelligence: 41 Constitution: 26 Attribute Points Available: 5 He had reached level twenty-six, a level above what he needed for class selection, and it was finally available. He was going to get his spatial storage, or whatever it was that everyone else had. And he wouldn't need to carry the loot he would get from the dungeon on his Ice Sled.

He ran his hands together, a faint grin tugging at his lips. The last time he checked his status, he hadn't used his attribute points. Now was a good time. He didn't need to think about it. He put all of them into Intelligence. Mana: 67/460 Intelligence: 46 The new skill notifications came next. He skimmed through them. [New Skill Detected: Earth Wall.] [Skill Tier: 5] [Level Increased.] [Attribute Points Available: 3] [New Skill Detected: Ice Sled.] [Skill Tier: 3] [New Skill Detected: Earth Trap.] [Skill Tier: 5] [Level Increased.] [Attribute Points Available: 4] [New Skill Detected: Frost.] [Skill Tier: 6] [New Skill Detected: Wind Blades.] [Skill Tier: 5] [Level Increased.] [Attribute Points Available: 5] The dungeon allowed him to increase his leveling rate with the blessing. It forced him to improve. Was that how everyone felt in a dungeon? Probably not. Not everyone had numerous spells; the blessing hadn't registered. Still, it forced them to improve their skills and their use of them.

It felt like a training ground. One that could easily get you killed. But it also rewarded you for your success. He needed to focus on the present. And that was selecting a class. Now, what was he going to get? There were a few things he liked, and a few he didn't. One of them was a combat class. He had had enough of combat for three lifetimes. There was no need to choose something like that. The spells the blessing would give him would be meant for destruction if he went down that path.

And he was mostly excited about the spells the blessing gave. Spells that didn't use mana and were unique to every class. So he had to get a unique class. Or a rare one. Or something even more impressive than that. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. A class focused on enjoying life. It also had to be a mage class, for the additional points it would give him in Intelligence. And for the convenience spells. Now, how was he supposed to choose a class?

He stared at Class Selection Available, but nothing happened. He thought of selecting a class. A window appeared in front of him. [Class Selection Available.] [Evaluating...] [Your actions have shaped your path.]"Dareth!" Clay called. Adolin flinched, the window fading as his focus snapped back. Clay sat there, propped awkwardly against the cave wall. He studied him, as if he was trying to read his thoughts.

"What happened?" Clay asked. Couldn't he have waited a few more minutes? He was just about to see what class the blessing would offer him. Literally moments away. And now, how was he supposed to answer his question? Well, probably with the truth. His truth.

"You don't remember?" Adolin asked, tilting his head.

"Some of it," Clay said with a groan. The toxin was still in his system. Heal wouldn't have removed it. He could have also used Toxin Removal, but he didn't want to waste more mana. He should be back to normal in a few hours. Well… he could deal with it once his mana recovered. He hummed in thought.

"While I was dealing with the cats in the chasm, you were fighting the five that were already out. I couldn't pay too much attention at the time," Adolin said. Clay looked like he considered it, then nodded.

"Then?"

"Well," he said.

"You made a last stand and… melted them. Along with everything in front of you."

"No wonder I feel like shit," he groaned.

"Did you carry me here?" Adolin shook his head.

"How much time do we have?"

"Not sure, but the two hours are almost up," Adolin said.

"What happens after that?" He was glad the boy was having trouble with his memory. He had glanced at him a few times during the fight, trying to act like he was struggling with the cats in the chasm. How was he supposed to explain that he was doing it to train him? Well… there was also the part where he found it fun. But no one needed to know that.

"The room will recover, and the beasts will be back. If we're still here by then, they'll hunt us. We can't hide. They'll find us anywhere," Clay said, pushing himself up.

"We need to reach the third room and hide there until we recover." Well… he shouldn't have healed him. Not until he chose his class and dealt with the second group of monsters in the next room. Now he was just complicating things. Just when he was about to choose his class. He got excited for nothing. Clay stood and leaned against the wall. He glanced toward the entrance, then at the chest.

"What did we get?" Adolin pointed at the dagger on the ground.

"Just a dagger."

"Can you—" he glanced toward it. Adolin walked over, picked it up, and tossed it to him. He caught it and turned it in his hand, studying it.

"It's a good piece. Not something you'd get from a second room in a C-ranked dungeon." He shook his head.

"Four, five hundred gold. At least." His eyes widened before he caught himself and returned to normal. As normal as he could be. Of course, he could sell the dagger. Was he that far gone? It had been a long journey, but he should have started adapting to civilization again. Well, it wasn't like there weren't civilizations on the Demon Continent. It was just that they weren't allowed anywhere. He clicked his tongue. He had to get rid of that habit. He just nodded.

"The best thing right now would be to wait for them to come to us, then escape at the last moment. That way we'll have more time to recover."

"Sounds good to me." Clay gave him a few looks, but he ignored them. His memory must be wrong.

"What's that?" Clay asked, pointing at the stick leaning against the wall.

"Just a stick," Adolin said, and picked it up. Clay chuckled. He was sure that Clay was doubting him massively, but he was glad that he was not mentioning it. Roar. Clay's eyes widened, and he started backing toward the entrance, the dagger disappearing into his storage.

"Let's go," he said. Adolin followed behind him. They stopped at the entrance to the third room.

"We wait as long as we can. The moment you hear them coming, run. Don't look back until we're inside the third room. And there… just try to hide." Well… that wasn't going as planned. He was low on mana, and the room had reset. Or whatever it did. He had more than enough to kill the cats a few more times, but that would be bad. Not in front of Clay, at least. He wouldn't hold back if he wiped them all after leaving him to face five alone, and getting injured enough to pull off a last stand. Nope.

He was going to the third room. The roars were getting closer.

"Go." They moved through the entrance. Clay got his foot caught in the vines, but he quickly recovered. Moments later, they were out, the roars echoing behind them.

"That was close," Clay said. Adolin nodded, scanning the area. They were still underground, but light filtered down from above. Thick greenery filled the space—trees, vines, roots pushing through the stone. It was hard to move, like a jungle. A ravine, he guessed. And webs. A lot of them. Giant spider webs stretched between the trees. He only noticed them because of the way the light caught on them. They were huge. His skin prickled. He wasn't a fan of spiders. He hated them.

"Is it safe?" Clay asked, scanning the area.

"I think so," Adolin said.

"For now." He pointed toward the webs.

"Fuck," Clay cursed.

"Spiders? Really?" Well, they had something in common at least. It was safe for now—as safe as it was going to get in this room. He needed to see what his class selection offered and pick one. He didn't want to miss out on the benefits. Clay was still searching for spiders. He had a little time. He thought about selecting a class again, and a window appeared. [Class Selection Available.] [Evaluating...] [Your actions have shaped your path.]