[Status]
Level: 2
Class: Assassin (E) / Soul Reaper (Tier 2, SSS)
[Stats]
Strength: 6+2
Agility: 7
Vitality: 3+3
Dexterity: 9
Magic: 3
--
Vitality was akin to durability, stronger muscles, tougher skin.
Even with [Reaper's Body] constantly healing him, the less Soul Points spent the better.
And right now he was running very low, with only [SP: 8] remaining. He was starting to question his decision.
'But that's how losers think!'
Orelia could solo multiple S rank dungeons herself and held the line for humanity for an entire year.
If he could not even solo a rank E dungeon, there was no chance he would ever catch up.
Rowan sensed what was ahead, only a few wolves remaining, around five, one of which was the boss. This dungeon had far fewer monsters than the goblin cave, but each one was much stronger.
The boss would be proportionally stronger too, and this time he had no Cordelia to help him get free shots in.
Still, he moved forward.
Rowan reloaded with slug now that buckshot was not finishing the wolves cleanly.
As for stamina, he felt nothing.
Another benefit of [Reaper's Body] was he would never feel tired, hungry, or in need of rest as long as he had soul reserve. His body simply kept going.
The night breeze chilled against his skin as he walked deeper. He got lucky that the wind was blowing away from the boss, it helped mask his scent from the wolves, otherwise the entire dungeon would have swarmed him by now.
He did not have to walk far before he saw them.
A group of wolves sleeping across a wide open plain. One of them was nearly the size of a school bus.
'It's not awake yet. I need to use that.'
Rowan slipped behind the tree line and took aim, his breath steady as the gun dimly caught the moonlight.
[Soul Devourer] [SP: 6]
The wolf heard the screaming bullet before it arrived. It immediately stood up, causing the shot to pierce its thigh instead of its head as aimed. Its massive soul was dragged partially out of its body as the bullet punched all the way through.
When the soul snapped back, a hole opened in its shoulder as blood poured out. Still not enough, like a human stabbed with a pole. It hurt, but it was not grave enough to kill.
"Brooh!!" The giant wolf howled. The others surrounding it shot to their feet and rushed toward his position while the boss followed behind, its damaged front leg slowing it just slightly.
The pack charged the same way the others had before. But this time Rowan had already swapped his rounds, and with his improved stats he lined up his shots perfectly.
Two wolves dropped dead instantly. Two more managed to close in.
Rowan activated [Dash] and sidestepped into a crouch, landing another kill shot and leaving only one survivor, just as the massive wolf reached him.
[SP: 9]
Its gnarly jaw snapped down but Rowan turned the barrel and activated [Soul Devourer].
Something primal flared in the wolf instantly. It ducked its head and shifted direction, causing the shot to narrowly miss again, the bullet piercing through its neck instead of its skull.
Its retaliation was immediate. A massive claw swiped at him point blank, forcing him into [Specter Form].
[SP: 6]
"This wolf!" Barely clearing the deadly swipe, Rowan rematerialized and took aim, but the wolf moved in a zigzag, refusing to give him a clean line.
Then behind him, his senses caught a flicker, a small ember of presence in the tree line.
He moved on instinct.
His knife drove backward into that presence without him even turning around. The last wolf that had circled behind him while he was focused on the pack leader took the blade through the skull and dropped without a sound.
[SP: 7]
"GAHH!!!" The giant wolf saw all its friends dead and let out a brutal howl that burst through the air like a shockwave. Rowan's ears nearly went deaf and his eyes almost shut from the force. Lucky, he had invested in Vitality, otherwise he would have been forced to close his eyes completely, unable to dodge.
The giant wolf swiped down at him, choosing to stay nimble rather than commit. Rowan lined up his shot but the wolf's assault was relentless, never giving him a proper opening to aim, keeping him constantly on his feet.
[Dash]
He kicked himself back to create a small gap and raised his shotgun. At this range he would not miss.
The giant wolf rushed in as the soul bullet blasted out.
[SP: 5]
It hit the head. "Yes!" Rowan was happy for exactly one second, until the soul snapped back. Its eyes exploded but it still chomped down at him, forcing him into [Specter Form] once again as his Soul Points bled dangerously low.
[SP: 4]
But the moment he barely materialized, the wolf lunged and smashed its head into him, sending him flying into a tree and crashing straight through it.
The impact forced the air out of his lungs as he gasped. Still, with discipline drilled deep into his bones, he held onto his weapon and took aim before even standing up.
The massive jaw came down but Rowan fired again.
Empty.
'I need more bullets!'
With him being primarily a melee fighter, tracking ammo had never been an issue before.
He had lost count. A rookie mistake.
Still a mistake. And in a dungeon it cost lives.
The bite force crushed his body, blood and organs bursting from the wound.
Rowan screamed, but remained conscious just long enough to activate [Specter Form] before it became permanent.
[You have suffered damage. Spending 3 Soul Points to recover.] [Soul Points remaining: 0]
Not only had he barely survived with zero SP left, but his shotgun had also been destroyed.
"I didn't even pay it off yet!" Rowan drew out his knife. The last weapon he had on him.
His eyes fixed on the blood lusted wolf. It may have been confused about how its prey slipped its jaws, but it could smell. And it smelled fear.
It had been a long time since Rowan fought without any SP.
If he died here he would die for real.
His heart was racing like never before.
To think he had been cornered by a beast he could have killed with a flick of his finger in his prime, it made him, excited.
The giant wolf countered with a swipe but with experience behind him, Rowan stopped mid stride and narrowly dodged the claw before dashing in and slashing his knife across its nose.
A thin line of blood appeared, the knife had drawn damage.
"Brooh!!" The giant wolf howled as it tried to bite down on him, but Rowan jumped onto its snout and drove his knife into its head. The Strength he had invested came through as his blade sliced into the eye socket, blinding both eyes.
The giant wolf slammed itself into a tree.
Rowan leaped off just in time, landing behind it, soaked in blood.
He wiped the red from his eyes and smiled through it all.
Rowan jumped in again against the now blind giant wolf.
It furiously repeated its biting attempts trying to catch him but Rowan danced left and right, dodging narrowly each time.
His plan dissolved into a flow state as his body memorized every attack pattern.
Step by step he circled around it, his speed building into a light blur as he flowed through the air. Blood splashed everywhere, dulling its senses, and when confusion set in, that was when he struck.
Rowan sliced the tendons on its back leg.
Combined with the damaged front leg it buckled to one side, then as it tried to attack he leaped clear and came back for another leg.
Even with no SP, so what? He was still the melee fighter who had ended the whole game.
Rowan launched himself from behind.
But the wolf spun around with all its remaining strength, jaw open wide, ready for him.
And at that moment.
[Magic Barrier (E): Creates a magical barrier.]
A red shield materialized under his feet. He double jumped off its jaw and landed on top of its head.
Without hesitation, he drove his knife deep into its skull.
"GAHH!!!" The giant wolf howled in pain but Rowan did not stop. He drove his fist into the handle, hammering the blade deeper until it reached the brain. Only then did the giant wolf shudder mid howl and collapse.
His chest heaved with exhaustion as the giant wolf's soul was extracted and flowed into his body.
[SP: 3]
[You leveled up!]
As he watched the system countdown begin, he smiled.
'I think I starting get it now...'
Rowan felt it start to click. This feeling, this sensation of soloing a fight.
When he fought against the Demon King, he had felt dread and desperation, cornered.
This felt the same at first.
He felt a lingering worry behind him, as if something could come out and kill him at any moment.
But when he finally came close to death, he saw it.
A glimpse of the other side.
Danger was an opportunity to grow.
Only when he could face any danger head on, could a hero be born.
Sounds good as a quote. Absolutely terrifying to live through yourself.
'Is this how others feel before death?'
Maybe he had been too hard on Lee.
Maybe he should be kinder to a boy with only one life to spare.
Which also made him wonder.
"How did Orelia endure this..."
For she had walked alone through thousands of timelines.
After gutting all the wolves and collecting their mana cores, he stepped out as the rift closed behind him.
His first solo clear was a success!
Now with some SP to spare and no fatigue to feel, Rowan set his eyes on the E- rank gates.
Even with only a knife left he was confident he could clear them easily, and he also needed to recharge his SP in case he wanted to try something more difficult in the future.
Then his phone buzzed in his pocket. He wiped the blood off with his shirt and pulled it out.
'Is it Dan? I told him I'm the one who w—'
Even a little annoyed, he looked at the screen.
His heart shattered.
[Mom: Missed call x5]
A call from someone who had died a long time ago.