After absorbing the last level 4 core, the notification for the level up finally came.
[Congratulations to Max Voidwalker for leveling up to level 3 of Novice Rank.]
Max sighed in relief as the notification appeared before his eyes. He had started to doubt whether he would level up at all after absorbing three level 4 cores with no result whatsoever.
'Good, I feel a lot stronger than before,' he mused and checked his status.
---
[Max]
–Rank: [Novice]
–Level: 3
–Class: [Dimensional Keeper]
–Physique: 5.5
–Soul: 6.6
–Energy: 8
–Skills:
—»Class Skills: [Three Dimensional Body, Dimension of Time]
—»Acquired Skills: [Magic Bullets (Lvl-13), Basic Sword Arts (Lvl-20), Swift Dash (Lvl-1)]
---
'According to this, every increase in level raises my Physique stat by 0.5, Soul stat by 0.2, and Energy stat by 1.' Max contemplated as he examined his stats.
Previously, he felt his stats were increasing at a very low rate, but the boost in strength at each level was substantial. He could feel he had become a lot stronger than when he was at level 2.
'I can at least fire around 200 magic bullets now,' Max thought before turning his attention to the use of these stats.
'My Energy stat should be the amount of mana inside me...' he mused, though he still had no idea how to use his Soul and Physique stats effectively.
They were just there on his status screen like useless numbers.
'I'll have to figure out something after I finish with the dungeon,' he planned before turning to William, Zixi, and Henry, who were patiently waiting for him.
"I'm done," he said, standing up.
"All right, let's go kill this stupid boss of the dungeon. I'm so done with it," William said impatiently.
"Hehe, about that," Max coughed and said. "How about you guys stay here while I take care of the boss all alone inside?"
"What if it summons its minions?" Zixi asked, her tone a little suspicious.
"Don't worry, I won't gamble my life for nothing," Max waved his hands dismissively and added, "You guys can come in once I'm done with the boss and collect the items it drops."
"Fine then," Zixi contemplated for a moment and agreed. Even if they went inside, they were only tasked with handling the minions. If Max could take care of everything on his own, there was no real need for them to enter the boss room.
They would only be obstacles for him, if anything.
Max appreciated her cooperative nature. "Thanks for this. Wait for my return," he said to Zixi.
He then touched the door in front of him and disappeared from their sight.
---
Max appeared in a circular chamber of some sort. The terrain was uneven, with broken pillars, raised platforms, and deep pits scattered across the ground.
"GHHH!"
He spotted the boss monster of the dungeon.
Looking ahead, he saw a goblin—not just any goblin, but one with a buffed-up body and muscular biceps. It was at least twice as tall as Max and carried a longsword on its shoulder.
"GHHH!"
Seeing Max appear in its lair, the goblin growled in rage.
"It's a Goblin Swordmaster!" Max exclaimed in shock. Goblin Swordmasters were among the strongest bosses one could encounter in no-rank dungeons, with strength at the upper echelons, even at level 5.
In short, this monster was one of the toughest bosses one could face in a no-rank dungeon.
"Damn, what are the odds I'd encounter such a boss here?" He smiled, feeling the excitement course through his veins.
Previously, he was disappointed with the level 4 goblins, but now all that disappointment was replaced by pure adrenaline and excitement.
"I planned to finish the boss in one shot, but it seems I'll have to change my plan a little," Max muttered as he drew his sword, preparing for a hefty battle.
It wasn't that he couldn't kill the Goblin Swordmaster in one shot—he could, easily. The power contained in combining all thirteen magic bullets into one would be enough to decimate this poor thing into oblivion. But that wasn't what he wanted.
His goal in fighting the Goblin Swordmaster was to sharpen his mastery of the sword. The Goblin Swordmaster, as its name suggested, was a master swordsman, and fighting against it would surely enhance his own swordsmanship.
Moreover, where else would Max find such a worthy opponent whose strength matched his? This was a perfect opportunity, and he wasn't going to let it slip away.
"Come," Max beckoned with his hand.
"GRRR!" The Goblin Swordmaster growled in anger after being provoked and stormed toward him.
Max smiled as he dashed forward to meet it.
Once they were face-to-face, the goblin slashed downward with all its strength.
"Using full strength from the beginning, I see," Max muttered in excitement as the wind from the swing of the goblin's longsword reached him.
"Then I'll use my full strength too," he smiled crazily, attacking with an upward slash, his sword rising to meet the goblin's longsword.
CLANG!
The resounding clash of metal against metal reverberated throughout the chamber, sending sparks flying in all directions. Both Max and the goblin were pushed back several steps.
"It's strong!" Max muttered, feeling the slight pain in his hands as he gripped the sword. If not for his high mastery of the sword, he would've been completely overwhelmed.
"Again!" He dashed forward, slashing his sword downward.
The goblin didn't retreat, rushing forward with its own weapon to counter his attack.
Clang!
Their weapons collided sending them flying back but they weren't satisfied.
They surged at each other again, their blades meeting in a storm of rapid, brutal exchanges.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
One clash led to another, the sharp, thunderous strikes echoing across the battlefield like a relentless drumbeat.
One round... two rounds... five... ten... Their blades collided again and again, each strike faster, fiercer, and more calculated than the last. Sparks erupted with every blow, painting the air with fleeting bursts of light as the battle intensified.
Max found himself lost in the fight, the rhythm of the clash drawing him deeper into its flow. His muscles burned, his breath came faster, but he grinned—a genuine, unrestrained grin.
The goblin, snarling with equal determination, met him strike for strike, its ferocity unmatched yet strangely exhilarating.
For a while, the only sounds filling the chamber were the sharp, relentless echoes of metal clashing against metal. Each strike rang out like a bell, reverberating through the air and bouncing off the cold, unyielding walls. The rhythmic collision created an almost haunting melody—a reflection of the ferocity of the battle unfolding.
As their blades clashed once more, something began to stir in Max's mind. Amid the chaos of their duel, a pattern emerged. Each strike, each parry, each feint—there was a rhythm to it, a flow he hadn't noticed before. A deeper understanding of combat itself began to take root.
The realization hit him like a bolt of lightning. He wasn't just fighting anymore—he was learning, evolving with each exchange. His movements grew sharper, his strikes more precise.
"GRR!"
The goblin seemed to sense the change and roared, doubling its efforts. Max welcomed the challenge, his grin widening as their duel became even more intense.