14 Detect Intent Lv. Max
Bob and Sumei targeted the two shoulder gems. Every time the gargoyle attacked Jacob, they struck it. But the boss used its wings this time to interfere with their attacks. They could get one hit for every four or five attacks on Jacob. It ended up being a long battle.
Ten minutes later, the trio sat on the ground, exhausted. Every muscle fiber in their body seemed to scream in pain, and they didn't want to move. But the battle was still not over.
Jacob looked ahead of them at the gargoyle that lay on the ground. Its shoulder gems were also shattered, and it couldn't approach them. Only its wings were moving and trying to help it stand, to no avail.
"It's easy to write all this down. But… we nearly failed." Jacob's tone held no joy. They had followed a proven guide to this dungeon, but it nearly killed them multiple times. Their scarred body and torn clothes testified to how close they had been to death multiple times.
Bob nodded, still breathless, while Sumei shook her head.
"We didn't nearly fail. We nearly died." She took a deep breath and shared some of her feelings. "We didn't prepare enough for this. I… I think I cannot continue to do this."
'She wants to quit?' Jacob thought with slight regret. But he didn't blame her.
The pretty girl had plenty of scars on her limbs and cuts on her clothes. It was a miracle her face was not scarred, and her clothes were not completely torn, leaving her nude.
Bob's big size made him a bigger target, so he bled more, but the condition of his armor was better since it was bulkier.
"Then I'll miss you," said Jacob. He meant it as a farewell.
"W-what? Why will you miss me?" Sumei's ears went red. But her long hair covered it. She was taken aback by his unexpected response.
Now it was Jacob's turn to be confused.
"Didn't you say you'll quit the team since you no longer want to do this?"
Sumei's racing heart relaxed. She didn't know why it began racing.
"Oh, I didn't mean it that way. I meant that before every dungeon dive, we need to train for each monster found inside. This is especially important for our Graduation Exam. We cannot go unprepared like this!"
Both Jacob and Bob nodded this time. Jacob kicked away the arrogant 'I am the chosen one' and 'I can do anything' mentality just because he got his system.
It was his overconfidence that got them in trouble this time. He had felt that the other two wouldn't want to go with him if he had clearly explained the dangers inside the dungeon. So he stayed silent, knowing that his system would help him overcome this challenge.
"Ready for the last strike?" Sumei asked. Even in this situation, she respected Jacob's request to kill steal, and this made him happy. On the other hand, Bob seemed to enjoy contributing to the team and rarely made any requests.
"Thanks!"
The trio surrounded the boss. It roared at them while moving its gigantic wings. But without its limbs, there was little it could do. Jacob held Bob's giant sword and began hitting the monster's neck. After five hits which it tried to dodge, a gargoyle's head rolled on the ground.
A moment later, the boss monster vanished, leaving behind some items. It immediately attracted Bob and Sumei. Jacob's system began bombarding him with notifications.
[Level up!]
[Congratulations! You have defeated your first boss-type unit.]
[As a reward for your achievement, you have unlocked a passive skill—detect intent.]
Jacob was expecting the level-up. But the second notice blew his mind off.
'Passive skill? Detect intent? Is it what I think it is?' he thought excitedly and immediately opened his stats.
…
[Status]
Name: Jacob Maxwell
Level: 10
Class: None
Title: Demonic Hunter
HP: 100
MP: 19
Tiredness: 65
…
[Attributes]
Strength: 27
Stamina: 22
Agility: 20
Intelligence: 19
(Available points to distribute: 0)
…
[Skills]
Passive skills:
– (Unknown) Lv. Max
– Detect Intent Lv. Max
– Tenacity Lv. 2
Active skills:
– Dash Lv. 1
…
'So I'm already level 10? Is there some level-up quest or do I simply go to level 11 and so on? And what about 19 MP? What use does it have? Aah! Too many questions!'
Jacob felt both happy and annoyed. But he kept the questions aside and focused on his new skill already at the maximum level.
…
[Detect Intent Lv. Max]
Type: Active & Passive Skill
Cost: None
Description: You can detect any sentient being's intentions toward you. This skill can be toggled on or off. You will be notified of any evil intent towards you even if the skill is toggled off.
…
"W-wow!" Jacob's mouth was left open. "Just wow!"
He stared ahead in a daze as the description of the skill once again flashed across his mind. He knew he had gained something extremely awesome this time!
"Yeah, it's fantastic." Sumei approached him while showing her hands. "Look."
Jacob had wanted to explore his skill further but gave up on it. He turned towards her and saw her body give a faint golden glow. It was like she was a celestial fairy that had descended to the mortal realm.
***
Adam looked at the entrance to the Four Sides of Death.
Until now, nobody understood why these dungeons were named as such. The first explorer of a dungeon would suddenly hear a heavenly voice speak in their ears. The voice would mention the name and the objectives to clear the dungeons. Most dungeons required a hunter to kill the boss monster. But other dungeons had other requirements.
Suddenly, the four rhombi on the gargoyle's forehead changed. Adam immediately stood up and instantly appeared in front of the entrance. He saw the engraved gargoyle above him and identified the change in the rhombus. There was also an invisible fluctuation.
"Faces? Four faces? A mana storm?"
Behind him, Jake showed up.
"What happened? Your mana surge almost made me think somebody had attacked this place?"
He was in his briefs and had disheveled hair. Drool was still stuck to the side of his lips. He was in such an awful state. But the surrounding soldiers didn't seem surprised by their commander's appearance.
Adam's eyes were somber.
"I would have honestly preferred that. But this is much worse. Looks like the prophesied changes have already begun. Look."
Jake's sleepy eyes and lazy posture immediately changed. He instantly stood next to Adam and looked at the four faces seriously. He exuded fierceness only possible by someone who had experienced hundreds of battles and lived to tell the tale.
"I only hope the kids can make it out alive."
Both of them remained silent.
***
Jacob rubbed his eyes, but the golden glow still surrounded Sumei. She saw he was not paying attention to her and waved her hand before his eyes.
"Hey! Did that tire you out? What happened?"
Jacob shook his head, saw the loot she held, and saw what Bob carried beside her.
…
[Granite Rapier Lv. 10]
Type: Weapon
Durability: 1000/1000
Effect: +100 Str, -10 Agi
Description: A heavy rapier suitable for a big warrior. It is suitable for a weak yet experienced hunter.
…
[Rage Lv. 10]
Type: Potion
Effect: +50% Str, Agi, -50% defense for 10 minutes
Condition: Can use when HP is less than 50%
Description: A suitable potion to stake it all and fight hard or die trying.
…
[Make Me Hard Lv. 10]
Type: Potion
Effect: +100% defense for 10 minutes
Limit: Can use once a day
Description: A potion that can strengthen its consumer's defensive ability without side effects.
…
The items in front of him distracted Jacob from his earlier thoughts. But he suppressed his joy and wanted to confirm the reason for the golden Sumei. He looked at Bob, and the big guy also had a faint golden glow covering him. But it was less than Sumei.
Jacob thought about the likely reason for this change. He looked back at his recently gained skill.
…
[Detect Intent Lv. Max]
Type: Active & Passive Skill
Cost: None
Description: You can detect any sentient being's intentions toward you. This skill can be toggled on or off. You will be notified of any evil intent towards you even if the skill is toggled off.
…
He tested his hypothesis.
'Deactivate Detect Intent!'
The golden glow vanished. He could see Sumei's fair skin covered in dust and blood. Bob's light brown complexion was covered in even more blood.
'Golden… should be good, right?'
Jacob hadn't tested his new skill on sufficient people. So he was unsure about the color. But he knew he would learn more about it as he kept using it. So he looked at his teammates in joy. These people had helped him greatly. He would continue helping them even after getting stronger!
"It's nothing." Jacob stood up and dusted off his hands. He once again looked at the loot and clicked his tongue. "We're rich." He grinned.
Sumei and Bob were in the same mood. The three of them had battled so intensely for the first time. They escaped death multiple times and were finally rewarded for their efforts. The dopamine rush in their mind was unbelievable.
"But…" Jacob added. "Don't sell everything."
He looked at the confused faces of his teammates who didn't hail from a hunter background.
"Look. We need to equip ourselves as well. We need armor, weapons, and maybe even potions. Do you think these items are enough to buy everything? And can we even buy a skill book with the little money we have?"
Their excitement subsided, but today was an achievement. Jacob added, "But we can replace what we don't need with what we need."
The team discussed for a while and decided to sell the rapier and get a greatsword for Bob. He was walking the path of a warrior and seemed to like that weapon. Of course, he still had to get in shape, get stronger, and, ideally, awaken. But he was on the right track.
Bob and Sumei were unsure about the potion's effects and wanted to test it by themselves. But Jacob hurriedly stopped them. Wouldn't it be a great loss if such amazing potions were lost like this?
"Let's sell them and get ourselves some armor and simple weapons."
After some hesitation, the others agreed with his suggestions. He knew useful potions were sometimes even more expensive than weapons and armor. This was because of their use in crucial situations. These two potions gave him hope to wear some actual hunter armor made with the skin of dungeon monsters.
The young hunter team that had just finished clearing its first dungeon was in high spirits. They simply had to walk back to the entrance to the newly opened portal. It would appear after defeating the boss.
Sumei pushed open the gigantic doors once again. The last time she had done that, everyone was nervous. They were unsure about the first big battle ahead and dreaded a bad outcome.
But this victory gave them a boost of confidence. It was only a matter of time before that confidence helped them achieve more victories. Each victory would help snowball their advantage.
