As I sneaked into a low-ranking bandit camp for a quest from the Adventurers' Guild, I was about to attack when I saw three bandits returning, injured.
"So? How did it go in the dungeon?"
"Jesse and James died in there, but more importantly, look!"
The bandit showed a handful of precious stones.
A dungeon? I don't remember hearing about one around here… There's a good chance it's a new one. After exploring it, I'll report it to the guild. That'll earn me a good reputation with my adventurer system—and money.
I kept listening to the bandits.
"What's the dungeon like?"
"A labyrinth. There are slimes and rats."
The three started discussing the different types of slimes and rats.
"The rats aren't very strong alone, but if there's a lot of them, it's best to run. James got eaten alive by them! Ahaha!"
"Ah! That idiot! Good, that means more money for us!"
"And the slimes?"
"Just normal slimes, acid slimes, and water slimes. Jesse died because of the last two."
"Yeah, and they're nasty little things!"
"Totally! Those bastards hide companions inside them! And not necessarily of the same type!"
"We had a normal slime, and suddenly, a bunch of acid slimes popped out!"
The bandits kept talking, but nothing particularly useful. I decided to act.
I leaped at them while they were chatting. My longsword glowed red-orange as I slashed vertically at the one in the middle. His body exploded instantly, injuring the other two. Meanwhile, I quickly backed off before the explosion could reach me.
Then, with my shortsword, I made a clean cut to the throat of one of the wounded bandits, sending his head flying.
The remaining bandits snapped out of their shock and started firing arrows and old, magic-enhanced firearms.
I dodged the projectiles by moving swiftly, closing in on the forest, then jumping from tree to tree. My shortsword turned ice-blue, and a thin, finely sculpted layer of ice formed over the blade.
I swung my sword forward, sending a rain of small ice spikes at my enemies. When there were too many projectiles to dodge, my longsword glowed red-orange again, and I planted it into the ground, triggering an explosion that deflected all attacks.
My breath became short as I focused on the enemies approaching me. My blood started boiling with excitement, but I held myself back, staying focused.
Meanwhile, melee fighters rushed at me. Thanks to my explosions and ice attacks, I managed to break their weapons and take them down one by one.
Although I was seriously injured, I managed to kill them all. I sat down for a moment and took a potion to heal myself.
I decided to rest a little before heading to the dungeon. In the meantime, I opened my system menus.
[Ding! Your reputation has increased for eliminating the bandits – The Sunday Pillagers.]
[You gain 30 Adventurer Points and 100 Class Points.]
[You gain experience and level up! Level: 7]
[Class System]
[Class System]
[Name: Alicia Bianchi]
[Class: Dual Magic Wielder – Rare]
[Level: 7]
[Mana: 800]
[Class Points: 600]
[Class Skills:]
[Dual Blade Mastery]: You handle dual weapon techniques and skills more easily.
[Magic Mastery]: Your magic skills are 50% more powerful.
[Skills:]
[Explosive Sword]: Your sword becomes explosive. The explosion triggers upon impact, whether on a living target or an object.
[Ice Sword]: Your sword is covered in ice, freezing anything it touches. You can also shoot small ice spikes, though their power is halved compared to your weapon attack.
[Minor Mana Regeneration]: Your mana regenerates slightly faster.
[Adventurer System]
[Name: Alicia Bianchi]
[Age: 20]
[Rank: G]
[Reputation: 120]
[Adventurer Points: 305]
[Current Quests: None]
[Skills: None]
I also checked my weapons to see their condition before heading into the dungeon. Even though the dungeon seemed new, I didn't have proof yet.
[Weapon: Longsword]
[Level: 3]
[Rarity: Common]
[Attack: 14-18]
[Durability: 75/100]
[Weapon: Shortsword]
[Level: 1]
[Rarity: Common]
[Attack: 4-8]
[Durability: 95/100]
As for my armor, it was still almost at full durability. I figured I could start exploring the dungeon.
I headed in the direction the bandits had come from, focusing on sensing mana so I wouldn't miss the dungeon.
After two hours of thorough searching, I finally found it. I took a deep breath and stepped inside.