Later, that night...
The North Dungeon's fourth floor was Nightclown's world once more. He was back in his dark-grey ninja outfit. In the exact spot he left the day before.
He needed to go back to the Toon Forest Village and took many scenes there. But not now. His mission today was clear... reach Level 20. The final hurdle for the second tier. The gateway to Adept Transcender, the third tier, was a single level away. He needed to grind. And he needed to do it efficiently.
His target, as before, was the Gloomfang Spiders. These creatures were a reliable source of experience and valuable [Gloomblack Silk].
Nightclown had perfected his routine. Turning the hunt into a cold, calculated operation. He moved through the cramped, often slippery tunnels of the dungeon. Just like a phantom.
Cammy was hovering silently behind his head. Its single lens was blinking rhythmically. The [Toon Camera Recorder] was already on. Capturing the cartoonish interior of the dungeon's fourth floor.
A faint scuttling sound caught his sensitive ears. Ahead, there was a Gloomfang Spider. Clinging to a craggy overhang. Its multiple eyes glinting. It was slightly larger than most he previously faced.
[Hide!]... Nightclown immediately activated the skill. His form shimmered. Blending into the textured rock.
He moved silently. Circling the spider until he was positioned directly behind it. His movements were fluid. Instinctual. Each step was precise. Each breath was controlled.
He drew his [Ambusher Blowgun] and load a [Weakening Bone Dart] in it. The dart was his opener. He took a deep breath.
[Puff!]. Pffttt!
The dart flew. Striking the spider's carapace. The spider hissed. A guttural sound of alarm and discomfort. Its movements were growing slightly sluggish.
Before the creature could fully orient itself, Nightclown lunged. [Steal!] activated. His hand shot out.
[Successful attempt!]
[Item acquired: Gloomblack Silk (x1)]
As the spider twitched, Nightclown's [Ambusher Blowgun] disappeared into his inventory. The melee weapon, [Lightning Spear], appeared.
With a swift, powerful thrust, he plunged the spear. Into the spider's now-vulnerable head. The creature convulsed once. Then went limp.
[Gloomfang Spider defeated!]
[Experience Gained: +900 XP!]
The notification flashed. But Nightclown barely registered it beyond the numbers. He pulled his spear free. A clean extraction. And wiped it on a patch of dungeon moss.
He was already scanning the shadows for his next target. The process was purely mechanical... locate, hide, weaken, steal, kill. Repeat.
His Glitch Energy consumption for these stealth and utility skills was minimal. Allowing him to maintain the grind without pause.
He continued this relentless barrage. Spider after spider. Kill after kill. The XP counter steadily climbed. The experience required to reach Level 20 was ridiculously much greater than that of previous levels. But he kept grinding.
The dungeon felt less like an adventure and more like a training ground. A crucible for his resolve. He was pushing his limits. Honing his skills to a terrifying efficiency. Each successful execution was a small step towards the larger goal. Power. For survival. For protection.
Finally, after what felt like an endless gauntlet, the notification he wanted appeared. It was right after he dispatched another Gloomfang Spider.
[Gloomfang Spider defeated!]
[Experience Gained: +900 XP!]
[You have gained a Level!]
[Current Level: 20]
A powerful surge of energy washed over Nightclown. It was not just a regular level-up feeling. It was a deep, systemic shift. It felt as though his very essence had been upgraded. Refined.
Cammy, almost immediately, zoomed in slightly. To capture the details of Nightclown's level up glow.
The dungeon around him seemed to gain a new clarity. Its hidden details were now sharper. Colors were subtly more vibrant. He had done it. Level 20. Adept Transcender.
A cascade of notifications erupted in his vision. Each was accompanied by a soft, internal chime.
[Passive Trait Acquired: Toon Magic]
[Active Trait Acquired: Swell!]
[Active Trait Acquired: Spin!]
[Active Trait Acquired: Pause!]
New traits. His mind immediately began categorizing them.
[Swell!] sounded like a physical body manipulation. He placed it alongside his existing [Stretch!] and [Shrink!] traits. It was likely falling under his passive [Toon Physique].
[Spin!] suggested rapid movement. Linking it to his passive [Toon Speed] and active [Sprint!].
This left [Pause!]. It should be the first active ability specifically under his newly acquired passive trait, [Toon Magic].
Looking at those names... Jester grinned. This was exciting. His unique Glitch energy was about to get to a whole new dimension.
Before he could investigate the new traits, more notifications followed. Detailing the permanent attribute increases. One that accompanied the achievement of reaching Tier-3. And this increase was proving far more substantial than his previous tier breakthrough at Level 10.
[Speed has permanently increased by one star!]
[Speed: ✪✪✪✪✪]
[Effect: Increase regular speed by 80%; increase speed during speed-based moves by 300%; reduce the energy consumption of speed-based moves by 80%.]
Five stars. Incredible. Nightclown felt a lightness in his limbs. A heightened responsiveness.
His base speed would be astonishing. And his speed-based skills would become even faster. While consuming a lower fraction of his glitch. He could outmaneuver nearly anything now.
[Vigor has permanently increased by one star!]
[Vigor: ✪✪✪]
[Effect: Doubles current resilience and stamina; allows for an additional 30 minutes of Toonworld access per day. Total daily Toonworld access... 2 hours.]
Three stars in Vigor. His body felt sturdier. More capable of enduring punishment. Double resilience was a direct boon for survivability. And double stamina increase was great too. He used stamina once he ran out of glitch power after all.
But the real prize here was... the extra thirty minutes in Toonworld. Two full hours now. And this was dilated time. It would still take an hour in Sherra while it would be two in Toonworld.
That was an immense gain. Allowing for more exploration. More power-grinding. And also, more filming time for the movie. This was probably the best gain.
[Sense has permanently increased by one star!]
[Sense: ✪✪✪✪]
[Effect: Increase perception range by 70%; increase danger detecting sensitivity by 200%; reduce the energy consumption of sense-based skills by 70%.]
Four stars in Sense. Nice. His perception deepened and reached further away. The faint currents of air, the distant dripping of water, the subtle shifts in the dungeon's energy... all became clearer.
His already acute danger detection was now operating at an almost prescient level. Threats would be identified sooner.
As for the lowered energy cost for using sense-based skills... it was pretty much wasted. He only have one skill related to sense so far. And it was practically almost at a zero energy requirement already. He needed to find more sense-based skills other than [Inspect!].
[Magic was permanently increased by one star!]
[Magic: ✪✪✪]
[Effect: Increases the effect of all magic skills and active traits activated with Glitch Energy by 40%; reduces the consumption of Glitch Energy for all active traits by 60%.]
Finally, Magic also reached three stars. A 40% boost to Glitch-based effects and a 60% reduction in Glitch Energy consumption. This was a monumental improvement.
Four attributes had increased. This level breakthrough was truly significant. A tangible leap in his capabilities across multiple critical areas. He could feel the raw power humming within him.
Nightclown took a moment to absorb the overwhelming information. Then he brought up his status panel. Prioritizing the new traits. He needed to understand what he had gained.
He checked his [Toon Magic]. This trait allowed the essence of Toonworld's inherent absurdity flows through him. Bending reality to his will within Toonworld logic. It granted access to unique 'Magic' active traits. Ones able to be manipulated by his glitch energy.
Next, the active traits...
[Active Trait: Swell!]
[Energy Type: Glitch]
[Effect: Upon activation, rapidly increase the mass and volume of the user's body or part of the body. Increasing power while reducing speed proportionally.]
[Max Magnitude: 500%]
[Max Duration: 10 seconds]
[Cooldown: 3 seconds]
As expected, [Swell!] was a physical manipulation. Enlarging his body and increasing power had obvious tactical applications. Just like his [Stretch!] and [Shrink!]. It had both comedic and tactical potential. Useful for both movie footage and dungeon survival.
Next would be...
[Active Trait: Spin!]
[Energy Type: Glitch]
[Effect: Upon activation, rapidly rotate the user's body or part of the body in any intended direction. Generating rapidly increasing power through accelerated rotation. Nullifying any loss of balance and dizziness during the movement.]
[Max Magnitude: 800%]
[Max Duration: 8 seconds]
[Cooldown: 8 seconds]
This [Spin!] was actually a power building move. Gaining power through speed acceleration. Not bad.
Jester didn't think he would use this much. Not many opponent would stay stationary while he was spinning to build power. But, having it for certain cases was great.
And finally, the last one was...
[Active Trait: Pause!]
[Energy Type: Glitch]
[Effect: Upon activation, stop the time flow for everything, including the user's body. The only exception is the user's perception that can wander around and observe everything while the world is paused.]
[Max Duration: 10 seconds]
[Cooldown: 90 seconds]
This [Pause!] was actually a sense-based skill. Nice! It was basically something similar to Bullet Time. Giving him more time to think or to observe. A ridiculously overpowered skill when used correctly.
Nightclown committed the new traits to memory. He was Level 20 now. The dungeon grind was over.
Now, it was time to shift gears. From brutal grinding efficiency to cinematic artistry. Time to revisit Toon Forest Village. And take many required scenes for the movie project.
He nodded at Cammy and activated his [Hearthstone]. The familiar warping sensation enveloped him. And a moment later, Cammy and he were back in his cozy, tree-trunk house. In the Toon Forest Village.