(12) Determination

Scouting a group of war shadows and needle rabbits I got down from the protrusion and stabbed one of the war shadow's heads as he turned to dust \Bgh\.

The needle rabbits and war shadows quickly noticed me, the needle rabbits move quickly as they launched their horns at me but I slash in a circle eliminating them as eight war shadows' clawed me.

They all clawed at my position but I kept evading it, I wasn't able to attack as they kept clawing at me. I duck; they claw below, I try to leap; a needle rabbit comes at me.

I thought of an Idea as I stomped my feet on the ground greatly producing a smokescreen from the dust, as I have heightened senses I can still see them, a claw was coming at me but I stab his hands pushing it to his chest and penetrating it as he turned to dust, I quickly slash in front of me like a half-circle killing the ones in front of me and the ones on my side.

Leaping up and rolling down outside the smokescreen I saw almost a hundred needle rabbits but I'm not scared!

I quickly dashed stabbing one as it turned to dust the other needle rabbits quickly gathered on me as its center but I wasn't afraid as I leaped up slashing at the protrusions as rains of spiky stones fell from the ceiling eliminating a huge chunk of them as I fell riding the air and stabbing the forty or so needle rabbits.

\Shlk\ \Btch\ \Chtk\

When a few of them were only left they ran away scared for their lives as I find my way to the ninth floor.

Descending, it looked the same as the eighth floor but I know for sure that the monsters here are stronger so I shouldn't fight more than seven monsters at a time.

Suddenly a frog shooter's tongue was coming at me but I leap up \Uugh\ I vomited blood as someone kicked my back (Damn, lizard!) standing up I clutched my rapier as I leaped up slashing at the dungeon lizard but it wasn't enough as it didn't completely slice him.

'My strength is not enough anymore! Should I update now?' -- I thought as I slash again, my weapon is good but my stats are still G nonetheless.

Slashing again I succeeded as he turned to dust, evading the frog shooter's tongue by a hairs strand I leaped up and swung my way through but the frog shooter's tongue has become faster and I wasn't used to it yet I got hit on the stomach as I fell from the protrusion slowly standing up I drank a potion as I evaded from the side avoiding the frog shooters tongue as I dashed towards it head-on.

Dashing straight on I saw the tongue coming close to me but when I saw that it was just an inch away from me I evaded as it missed, recalling back its tongue; it gave me time to get close to it. Leaping up to its head I stab it and stabbed it again turning it to dust.

Sitting down on a corner and breathing a sigh of relief as Mavis interjected:

'Master has gained probable development ability [Healing Power], and [Strong Physique]. [Healing Power] increases the effects of potions, healing magic, and physical healing skills by five percent. [Strong Physique] gives you one hundred bonus stats in strength and vitality, a maximum of six hundred bonus stats if leveled up.'

[A/N: Ottar's [Strong Body] skill is different from Cein's [Strong Physique] skill.]

Mavis's news made me happy, at every level you can only choose one development ability but I will bend them using {Emotiōns Will} making me eligible to get unlimited development ability as long as it's in my options.

Standing up, I plan to update with the last boost of [Challenger], first I need to find eight or nine monsters group together to attack me.

Jumping to one of the protrusions I scanned the surroundings as I saw five dungeon lizards, two war shadows, and one killer ant. Counting the pheromone effect of the killer I should be expecting nine to eleven enemies but considering that I need to kill the killer ant first before it can release its pheromones all I need to do is delay the fight with the killer ant and end his companions to buy time and fight the killer ants that the pheromones attracted.

Jumping down I stab at a war shadow but since I've learned before that my strength isn't enough I stab three times this time making sure that it turns to dust.

I alerted the other seven monsters as I slash three consecutive times at the other war shadow but it got away from the third slash, seeing that it won't be coming any time soon I switch my attention to the dungeon lizards as I backflipped riding one on his back as I plunge my rapier at the one beside him, my rapier successfully penetrated its neck then I left it stuck at its neck as I put my hand on the head of the lizard that I'm riding twisting it clockwise as I struggled to twist his head I focused all my strength at my arms as I grit my teeth he turned to dust.

Ducking an upcoming attack from the killer ant I turned my head to where my rapier is stuck. Clutching my fist, I hammer my fist to the rapier making the rapier forcefully penetrate the dungeon lizard's neck as he turns to dust making my rapier fall but I quickly picked it up kicking the killer ant away but not far enough as my strength is not enough I leaped up as I plunged my rapier into alone of the dungeon lizard but It wasn't enough to penetrate through it so I plunge again and this time it was successful as he turned to dust.

'One killer ant, and two dungeon lizards more to go!'

I dashed at one of the two remaining dungeon lizards left as I stab its chest and evade its upcoming leg at me, stabbing again but my stab was too shallow as it didn't penetrate \Grg\ the killer ant clawed me! (If I wasn't chanting to create a skill I would have been grunting by now), I backflipped to the dungeon lizard who I attacked before but my leg was kicked by the other dungeon lizard and clawed by the killer ant, I was successful at going at his back as I penetrated his stomach.

'I can't walk properly for now so I have to be careful!' -- I thought limping as I leaped up hiding.

The dungeon lizard who's an expert at ambush on the ceiling followed but this was my plan all along! I jumped down meeting him mid-air as I swung my rapier at his face with all my power he turned to dust as I landed on the ground with one leg slightly bent as it was broken, I saw the killer ant's arm swinging at me as I muster my strength to raise my rapier and parry his arms with my weapon.

It worked but his four legs kicked me away slamming me to a near boulder \Bghh\ \Uygh\, I puked more blood this time, coming close to me being sure of its victory it ignored all its guard -- forgetting his defense for the euphoric feeling of victory I mustered every bit of my strength as I stab him in his stomach pushing the rapier deeper as he turned to dust.

Luckily, no killer ants were nearby, or else I would definitely be dead.

Finding a one-meter width cave where two needle rabbits were: I killed them; though getting a horn plunged into my palms, I closed the cave with stacked stones as I drank my last potion hoping for the hole in my palm to heal.

'My wounds should close up in eight or so hours...' -- My last thoughts as everything blacked away.