Detesting The System: Sundering Fate

Just before we descended to the second floor, Bell proposed that we take a break and although I wasn't tired, I agreed. It wasn't much, but in the short couple minutes we stopped and sat by the dungeon stairs, I managed to train up my body with the Gold Star Killer Constitution technique.

After our break, we entered the second floor and things started to become a bit more active. Although it still took a couple minute to find a monster, at least now it was common to see groups of two or even three goblins or kobolds as we progressed through the dungeon. Additionally, the arrival of a new monster made our fights a bit challenging. As opposed to the helpless goblins and kobolds, the new monsters which were called Dungeon Lizards proved to be much more agile and thus harder to kill.

Fortunately, both Bell and I were still more than capable of single-handedly dominating on the second floor; not once were we even at risk of taking damage. So, after the two of us worked together, it was hardly an issue to make way. About a quarter of the way through the second floor, I heard a ring in my ears and happily read through another system notification.

[Alert!

Name: Chain Sickle Basic Mastery

Level: Null → I

Effect: Congrats, you now have the most basic level of competency for welding chain sickles. Using fundamental moves from the basics of Chain Sickle attacks is now possible.]

Though I mostly used my Chain Sickle as a regular sickle to slashed monsters, after hearing the notification, I began trying once more to use the mid-range functions of the weapon. Now swinging the sickle along its chain, though I didn't dare try throwing it as I had for my very first move, I began to grow comfortable whilst using the sickle like the blades of a helicopter.

As we continued our trek through the second floor and slowly I started noticing how much fun I was having. For a moment, I thought it to be worrisome. After all, before this, what constituted as fun for me was laying in bed and reading or writing novels. Now, I was a motherf.u.c.k.i.n.g adventurer hunting monsters and I actually thought it to be fun? What the f.u.c.k? In my past life, I hated exercise! Now the activity of running around with dangerous weapons and killing living and breathing beings was the source of my entertainment? It had already been over an hour and a half and I'd claimed well over three dozen monsters lives! Could it really be this easy to transition?

But then I remembered, 'Oh yeah, I'm involved in a conflict that spans 'The Verse,' as both the Voidseeker and Destiny called it. I'm a person that has died and is now living in an anime world, in a time period where the contents of its story have yet to even unfold… I have a f.u.c.k.i.n.g system, a Goldfinger, and the means to become a God! My body has literally been reincarnated, and I've held out against the torture of a divine entity. I must be retarded to think something is wrong just because I find entertainment from killing monsters.'

As I came to the conclusion that I was overthinking things, I began to smile and fully immerse myself in the p.l.e.a.s.u.r.es of hunting. To Bell, I must have looked like a psychopath as I kept pace with him far along the second floor even though it was my first time entering the dungeon. We took another break in the middle of the second floor, each of us taking shifts while the other recovered and after another "fun" hunting spree, we rested by the stairs that led to the third floor.

By now, we must have acc.u.mulated well over a hundred monster cores, and through each of the cores were pitifully small and by proxy light, their added weight definitely took a toll on Bell as he started to lag in speed. With a squint in my eyes and a heart left unsatisfied by this blatant inefficient method of going about things, I asked Bell, "Hey… How deep… you go alone?"

Apparently thinking through the incongruency in my words, he responded something along the lines of, "I… third floor… alone." I'm guessing he meant to say that usually, he made it to the third floor when he had to adventure alone.

Evidently, I was happy to see that while it was slow, my Japanese was definitely improving. I continued asking, "How much money… a day?"

Again, Bell said something along the lines of, "Same as now… but with two… more money." So, he basically made as much money as we would earn from exchanging our current stock of monster cores. This must mean that earlier, he meant he could reach up to the third floor but usually wouldn't enter it.

Nodding in understanding, I finished our conversation by asking one final question, "You want… continue?"

Bell responded with an eager "Yes!" So, after I finished exhausting my magic to train with the principles of my body refining technique, we charged forth to the next room.

If before things were becoming fun, now I was actually being challenged. Even with Bell by my side, it was no cakewalk heading into the third floor as the walls were beginning to narrow in size and the monsters spawn rate had increased once again. Now it was not uncommon to see four or even five goblins and kobolds grouped together and whereas before we would spend several minutes to and from fights, now there was a fight taking place every other minute.

In the third floor is where I finally began to suffer damage. Once we met with a tricky group of four Dungeon Lizards, one of them actually managed to bite through my shirt and sink its teeth through my arm. Luckily, whilst I did panic, this being my first time every suffering pain from a battle, I kept my wits about me and easily toughened through the pain to kill the Lizard with a swift strike of my sickle to its neck.

After the monster vaporized into a cloud of ash, neither Bell nor I took on another hit and although the pain I received from taking on the lizard bite was nothing compared to the Voidseeker's torture, watching the blood flow out of my arm and taint the dungeon floor reminded me of my mortality.