Detesting The System: Sundering Fate

A bit of time has passed and I've reached the point of competence; by my estimation, anyway. I may not have an Eidetic Memory or even the highest intelligence, but with the pressure my system's Missions and my genuine intrigue of this world, I can confidently say that I've understood most, if not all, the things worth paying attention to within the first five floors of the dungeon.

It's been two days since I got my books and by alternating between reading and cultivating my skills, I've reached this point and am now ready to return to the dungeon. Still, my Skills stay stagnant as my parameters barely increasing in rating with each status update Hestia bestows, but at least my knowledge of this world's resources has reached new heights. Additionally, I have my own personal backpack now, albeit at the cost of 450 Vali…

Now it is six o'clock in the morning and I've prepared everything I need to head out to the dungeon by myself. I'm clad in a white undersuit covered only by the Aboletz Armor Set I recently purchased and on my right arm, the chain section of my Chain Sickle is tied; the weight at the base of the weapon always held within my right palm. Honestly, looking in the mirror, I found myself somewhat embarrassed as I seriously looked like some sort of delusion eight-grader; at least in my past life's Earth, that would undoubtedly be the case.

Aside from my relatively normal-looking black and green eyes, which were present in my past life as well, I looked like some sort of silly cosplayer with the unbearably ostentatious armor covering my body; it was a look at that grew more laughable upon spotting the chains locked on my right arm and the sickle that was sheathed by my right part of my pants. 'Ah… My armor is too shiny, too flashy... F.u.c.k...' With a helpless sigh, I whisper a goodbye to my still sleeping companions before leaving the church.

Delighting in the relatively empty streets characteristic of this hour, as I made my way to the tower of Babel, I came across the Hostess of Fertility; the important bar with nice food. 'Mhmm, I didn't pack a lunch… Better buy one here and not waste time leaving the Dungeon later,' I thought, before entering the barren bar.

My arrival was accompanied by the sound of a bell ringing, alerting the staff in the process and soon enough, I was greeted by a new person; a female elf with sky blue eyes and green hair. "Good morning, what can I help you with today?" The elfen waitress asked with hardly a hint of emotion on her face; something I could relate to and liked.

Answering with a similar absence of emotion, I said, "Can I buy a lunch for later during the day to eat at the dungeon?"

It seems she didn't expect a deadpan response as she ever-so-slightly raised her right eyebrow before saying, "It shouldn't be a problem, sir. What kind of lunch would you like us to prepare for you?"

"I guess anything works," I stated; never one to be a picky eater.

"Right away," she said before leaving to the kitchen.

I stood by the exit for about five minutes before the same blue-eyed green-haired elf returned to my side with a nicely packed wooden boxed-lunch. "That'll be 150 Vali. For another 100, you can add an insulated bottle of ice-water to be included." With a nod, she left to get me the bottle of water and after paying my debt and storing my lunch within my backpack, I left without another word.

Though the puddle that could be considered my finances was slowly inching closer to the point of complete evaporation, that would all change after today. If not from the products I'd start making from the resources gathered within the Dungeon, then from the Monster Cores I'd surely start earning by the thousands.

With newfound excitement at the prospect of making money and growing stronger, I hurriedly made my way over to the dungeon. I descended straight to the third floor without bothering to pick up any monsters cores left in my path of slaughter as they would just take up space and give weight I'd rather leave for more valuable items. Moreover, even the most basic low-quality resources of the Dungeon would only be commonly found after reaching the fourth floor. While still capable of spawning higher up, they would be exceedingly rare the closer to the surface an adventurer was.

Thus, I made it to the third floor once again, only this time, I was alone. Making my way deeper into the dungeon, I grew unnerved as I was facing groups of three, four, and sometimes even five monsters by myself, but after the third or so instance of being outnumbered by myself, I started becoming confident. The first time was a scare, knowing Bell was nowhere to help, but with my own strength and speed was hardly a cause for concern. It was only after the second instance where I was surrounded by Dungeon Lizards that I finally felt safe after coming out of the battle without a scratch.

Enthralled after a small period of time, nearly exerting all my strength, I finally started collecting monster cores. Nearly an hour and a half later, I found myself by the stairs that would lead to the fourth floor. I was probably holding on to several thousand Vali's worth of Monster Cores and completely untouched save for the callouses that formed from extended use of my Chain Sickle.

Taking a deep breath, I pressed onward. My body was barely fatigued even after the intense hunt that got me this far down the Dungeon and my spirit was eager and hopeful at the prospect of picking up resources.