Victor moved his body, and a series of sharp cracking sounds echoed from his joints and muscles. The sensation was both unfamiliar and satisfying, as if his entire frame had been reforged into something denser and more resilient.
His physique was now double that of a normal person.
For warriors, every five points in physique equated to one star of combat prowess.
So, a normal person possessed roughly two stars of combat prowess.
And now Victor had reached four stars of physical combat prowess.
"Good. Now let's begin the planning," he muttered.
He started thinking carefully, allowing his mind to settle into a strategic rhythm.
There were a total of five Green E-rank dungeons in Blackwind City.
Although he believed he could already handle a D-rank dungeon, at least in terms of raw capability, the Federation would never permit him to enter one alone. Regulations were strict when it came to rank disparity, and solo entry into higher-tier dungeons required authorization he did not yet possess.
"Looks like the E-rank ones will have to do for now. I should start with the strongest one," he thought.
Even E-rank dungeons were subdivided into low, mid, and high tiers.
High-tier E-rank dungeons were significantly more dangerous. Their bosses were typically at the novice realm, and each floor contained no fewer than fifty monsters.
Blackwind City housed one such high-tier E-rank dungeon: the Forgotten Burial Ground. It was an undead-type dungeon, populated primarily by skeletal warriors equipped with swords and shields.
"I will start with that one," he decided.
Then another thought surfaced.
"But now that my physique has improved, can I comprehend other elements as well?"
Curiosity flickered in his eyes.
He took out the grimoire and began reading the Earth elemental spells.
The first spell was:
[Earth Sense – Detects vibrations through the ground, allowing awareness of movement and terrain.]
He closed his eyes after carefully reading the details.
[Ding! Unparalleled Comprehension is activated. You have comprehended the basic spell, Earth Sense.]
There was no backlash from the spell at all. The process felt smooth, almost effortless.
Encouraged, he continued.
[Ding! Unparalleled Comprehension is activated. You have comprehended the basic spell, Earth Armor.]
…
[Ding! Unparalleled Comprehension is activated. You have comprehended the basic spell, Minor Tremor.]
One after another, the notifications appeared.
Finally, he had comprehended all ten Earth elemental spells.
[Combat Prowess: 40 stars]
Victor exhaled slowly.
"Can I also complete the fourth element?" he wondered, a trace of anticipation creeping into his thoughts.
The next element was wind.
He began reading immediately.
[Ding! Unparalleled Comprehension is activated. You have comprehended the basic spell, Wind Slash.]
And he succeeded.
A wide grin spread across his face.
"Hahahahaha," he laughed, unable to contain his excitement.
[Ding! Unparalleled Comprehension is activated. You have comprehended the basic spell, Gust Burst.]
…
[Ding! Unparalleled Comprehension is activated. You have comprehended the basic spell, Whirlwind Formation.]
"Huuu… good," he exhaled, steadying himself.
[Combat Prowess: 50 stars]
Greed stirred within him suddenly.
Without hesitation, he attempted to comprehend the metal element as well.
But the moment he began, a violent backlash surged through his body. His mana destabilized, and a sharp pain forced him to stop immediately.
"Looks like every five points in physique allows me to comprehend one element," he concluded after using healing magic to stabilize himself.
Even so, his current strength was already sufficient to conquer that high-tier E-rank dungeon.
Even if the boss possessed around one hundred fifty stars of combat prowess, a barrage of three or four spells would be enough to finish it. He would only need to remain cautious and avoid taking direct hits.
With his preparations complete, he said goodbye to Rudi and left the shop on his scooter.
It was still early in the morning. Most hunters had not yet begun their expeditions at this hour.
That meant he would likely have the dungeon to himself.
The dungeon consisted of fifteen floors.
Two guards stood at the entrance. Victor approached and showed his hunter card.
This time, however, the reaction was not indifferent.
"Kid, we will not allow a fledgling like you to enter this death trap alone. Bring a team or leave," the middle-aged guard said sternly.
Victor could tell from his expression that this man had either lost someone dear or was simply compassionate by nature.
"Do not worry," Victor replied calmly. "I am fully responsible for my life. It is not as if anyone would mourn me if I died. Besides, the rules state that F-rank hunters can enter any E-rank dungeon, with or without a team."
He spoke in a composed manner, deliberately guiding the conversation.
The guard hesitated, clearly conflicted.
Before he could argue further, the other guard placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Look at his eyes. He will not listen to reason."
The first guard let out a long sigh.
"Go then. If you want to commit suicide, who am I to stop you?"
He stepped aside.
Victor gave a slight smile and thanked the guards before walking forward.
Then he stepped into the portal.
The first floor was dim and oppressive.
Armored skeletons wandered aimlessly, their hollow eye sockets glowing faintly.
"Ice Shard."
He cast the spell without hesitation.
Five skeletons shattered instantly.
He collected two cores and moved forward.
The tremor of battle had already attracted more enemies. Groups of skeletons began rushing toward him.
"Wind Slash."
A sharp vertical arc of compressed air tore through them. The monsters were split cleanly in half.
This time, he obtained three cores.
Ten minutes later,
He had cleared the first floor and collected twenty cores.
The second and third floors followed a similar pattern.
However, on the fourth floor, he encountered something different.
A larger, more robust skeleton stood in his path, wielding a massive sword.
"An elite monster, huh?"
Excitement flickered in his eyes.
Without hesitation, he cast four spells simultaneously from different elements.
The elite monster was vaporized before it could even react.
"Boring."
But then he noticed something.
A core and an item had dropped.
[Item: Wand
Rank: E
Combat Prowess: 10 stars
Class Requirement: Mage]
"Not bad at all," he said.
He had been lacking a proper weapon, and this arrived at the perfect moment.
With the wand in hand, his combat prowess rose to sixty stars.
He continued clearing the dungeon at an even faster pace.
He encountered another elite monster later, but it did not drop any additional loot.
Two hours later,
Victor stood in front of the boss room.
He pushed the door open.
Inside, a massive skeletal beast waited. It resembled the remains of a tiger or a lion, its bones thick and imposing.
It let out a deafening roar.
[Name: Boss Monster
Rank: Novice (Low)
Combat Prowess: 110 stars]
"Let's do this," Victor said, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
He lunged forward at the same moment the beast charged toward him.
The clash began instantly.
Five minutes later,
Victor was breathing heavily.
The monster was far more agile than he had anticipated. It moved with surprising speed, forcing him to remain on constant guard. Landing a decisive hit proved difficult, and the prolonged engagement began to wear him down.
Still, he endured.
In the end, the boss collapsed.
Victor stepped back, catching his breath.
Two items dropped.
[Item: Armor
Rank: E
Durability: 50 stars
Class Requirement: All Classes]
[Item: High-Quality Healing Potion
Rank: E
Function: Can restore apprentice and novice awakeners to sixty percent of their health]
"Good. Both items are useful. I suppose this potion will go into my shop inventory," he said.
This dungeon run had been immensely beneficial.
He had obtained a wand, an armor set, and approximately two hundred cores.
Victor stood there for a moment, silently evaluating his gains.