NOVPUBWithout warning, Luka's knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground, his hands dropping uselessly.
All around him, the liquid of the dead slimes pooled.
It seemed like everything was swimming in front of him, the world spinning.
His long dagger clattered to the ground, falling beside him with a dull thud.
Luka's fingers twitched, but the effort to reach for it was too much.
Instead, he fell onto his stomach, the cool ground pressing against his cheek.
His body ached in every corner, as though it had been stretched to its limits—and then some.
With great effort, Luka forced himself to roll onto his back, his chest heaving with every breath.
The ceiling of the dungeon seemed distant, and the sound of his heartbeat pulsed in his ears, loud and steady.
Luka's eyes fluttered shut for a moment.
He didn't care about the XP anymore.
He didn't care about the slimes.
All that mattered now was the unbearable weight of his own body, screaming for rest.
Suddenly—
A thick, orange liquid splattered across Luka's face.
The sticky substance dripped into his open mouth, and instinctively, he swallowed.
The taste was bitter, metallic, but strangely refreshing, and before he could even register what had happened, a rush of energy surged through his body.
His eyes flew open in shock, and he immediately saw his teacher standing above him, a vial of the strange potion in her hand.
The world around him seemed to snap back into focus.
His limbs no longer felt heavy, and the dizzying fog of exhaustion vanished as though it had never been.
The weariness that had nearly crippled him moments ago was completely gone.
Luka felt invigorated, like he hadn't even been tired in the first place. "Holy shit…"
In a flash, he grabbed his long dagger and leapt to his feet.
A wide smile spread across his face.
"Thank you! I feel refreshed—like I'm not tired at all!" Luka stretched his arms above his head, reveling in the sensation of his body being restored.
The rush of energy coursed through him, and without hesitation, he took a step toward the remaining slimes, eager to return to his grind.
However, just as he was about to move forward, Luka felt a sharp tug at the back of his collar, yanking him backward.
He found himself pulled away from the slimes, his body stumbling slightly.
Kira's voice followed, heavy with exasperation. "You've wasted too much time here. Class is almost over, so get going with clearing the dungeon."
"…" Luka turned his head over his shoulder, a small pout tugging at his lips. His eyes were pleading, and he offered the most pitiful of expressions.
"…Please?"
Kira didn't even flinch. Her grip on his collar tightened, her expression unmoving.
She stared at him with the quiet authority of someone who had long grown used to this kind of behavior.
"You'll get plenty of XP later, if you stop wasting time. Now, move."
With a defeated sigh, Luka slumped his shoulders, putting on a pout. "Yes, ma'am…" His voice was tinged with reluctant obedience.
Kira gave him one last push, loosening her grip on his collar and allowing him to stumble forward.
Luka dragged his feet, still casting longing glances at the slimes he was leaving behind.
'Precious XP...' he thought, his shoulders slumped as he trudged forward.
Though he made sure to check his system window and he was quite pleased.
———————
[User: Luka Rein Junker]
Race: Human
Class: Ranger
Level: 3 (XP: 250 / 300)
Hit Points: 16 / 16
———————
Luka swiped away the system window, his focus returning to the dungeon as he made his way deeper into the darkness.
Fortunately—
A small flame flickered to life within Kira's palm, casting a warm glow that illuminated their path. "I won't let you proceed in darkness."
"Thank you…" Luka sheathed his long dagger for the moment, choosing to descend a jagged slope of broken rocks that led downward.
The incline was treacherous, and he had to be careful with every step, his boots slipping slightly as he tried to find secure footholds in the cracked stone.
His fingers gripped at whatever loose rock he could find.
All the while, Luka kept his eyes scanning below, wary of any monsters that might be lurking.
Out of nowhere—
A small sound echoed from below—a faint rustling, barely audible over the sound of his breathing.
Before Luka could fully react, a handful of rocks came flying at him from the below, their jagged edges heading straight for his face.
Time seemed to slow…
Instinctively, Luka raised his arms to shield himself.
But before the rocks could even touch him, a flash of blinding light streaked past him.
A bolt of pure lightning shot by with terrifying speed, narrowly missing his ear, and tore through the rocks with devastating precision.
The projectiles exploded into shards of stone, disintegrating on impact, but the lightning arrow didn't stop there.
It continued its path, arcing down below, and Luka heard the crackling of electricity as the arrow found its mark.
A series of shrieks followed—high-pitched, inhuman, and filled with a raw, terrified intensity—as the monsters hidden below were struck by the surge of electricity.
Luka glanced around, his eyes wide in disbelief, just as his teacher casually strolled past him.
She wasn't even holding onto the rocks as her student was, her movements fluid and almost casual, as if walking on air.
Without even breaking stride, she used some kind of skill, her footsteps defying the angle of the slope as she traversed it effortlessly.
"Let's go, boy," Kira said. "We don't have all day."
Luka blinked. "Thank you, again," he muttered, grateful.
'What a nice villain.'
Though, he suspected that her actions were motivated by ulterior motives rather than genuine kindness.
Luka followed his teacher, though slower.
Kira reached the ground below. She glanced upward, watching her student progress with a slight smile tugging at her lips.
'Ah~ the human will need all his health and strength to fight,' she thought, her gaze narrowing slightly.
'I don't want him to be weak before we reach the boss' room.'
Kira's smile took on a sadistic edge as she felt a surge of excitement.
It had been a long time since she'd been in a situation like this.
Finally, Luka managed to reach the bottom. He pulled his long dagger from its sheath once more.
It was then that he saw the lifeless Rocktossers—monstrous sculpted from stone.
Their vacant eyes stared into nothingness, and each possessed four muscular arms, each wielding a slingshot.
Rock-filled pouches hung from their backs, though they lay in ruin, shattered by the earlier assault
"Damn, you're overpowered..." Luka chuckled as he glanced at his teacher.
He was all too familiar with these monsters from the game.
While not as sturdy as Golems, Rocktossers possessed remarkable defensive capabilities and, notably, superior mobility.
