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2024-10-29 19:42:56~ Solo Raid ~
4 Hours Earlier “So, this is it, huh?” Alan muttered, standing before a five story building, his neck aching as he tried to look at the zenith of the building. The area was quite secluded. Most of the buildings here were either demolished or uninhabitable. It was as a result of a gateway break that happened about a month ago. Only one or two people walked by, mostly adventure-seeking teenagers. Alan lowered his head and stared at the green tab before him. [† New Quest: - Clear the five floors of the abandoned 5th Avenue bakery: To be completed before midnight. - Rewards: ???] There was a picture of the bakery’s current structure underneath the quest. He pinched his nose bridge and let out a sigh, “Let’s do this.” He easily made his way into the ground floor of the building, since the entrance door was barely locked. Damaged baking tools and equipment were left scattered across the floor, rodents dashing here and there. Alan gazed at the stairs that led to the first floor, “So... What now?” Just as soon as he said that, the entrance door slammed shut, likewise the windows. New glass replaced the broken windows in an instant. Alan flinched to the side, startled by the slammed door, “A heads-up would have been nice.” [Converting bakery to a five floor dungeon.] [Spatial bleeding activated.] A subtle blue wave exploded from Alan’s body, spreading across the ground floor in an instant. He couldn’t see it, but he could tell that the wave had also spread upwards till it reached the roof. The entire structure of the building’s inside changed. The walls were now made of stalactites, the ground was filled with rocks. It was as though he had been plunged into a proper dungeon. The stairs were now carved out of rocks. The floor also seemed to have expanded in size, maybe three times more. [Clear the ground floor and advance to the next.] Alan raised a brow, “What am I to clear exactly? The whole place looks emp... ty.” His voice gradually faded when red pillars of light began to beam upwards from the ground before him. The lights faded to reveal green, unarmed goblins, their brows arched as always, their hands twitching to kill. “Oh... Forget I asked,” Alan smiled tersely, trying his very best not to panic. He wasn’t scared of the goblins, but he was also aware of his body’s capabilities. Even with a sword, he couldn’t fend off one, not to talk of a dozen goblins. A white screen appeared over each goblin... [Outcast Goblin.] [HP: 100/100] They saw him and cackled at each other. “Dinner is right there,” they must have said. Then their faces dissolved in a nasty frown. Without warning, they got on all fours and sprinted at him. ‘You can do this, you can do this,’ Alan encouraged himself inwardly, controlling his breath. Just as he thought about it, his profile tab appeared before him. [† Name: Alan Monolith.] [Alias: The One.] [Race: Human.] [Level: 1.] [Title: Nil.] [Class: Awakened.] [Health Points (HP): 100] [Mana Points (MP): 55] [Experience (XP): 10 / 100] [† Attributes: - Strength: 10 - Agility: 10 - Intelligence: 10 - Endurance: 10 - Dexterity: 10 - Luck: 5 - Wisdom: 5 - Charisma: 5] [† Skills: - Combat Skills: - Basic Swordsmanship: Level 1 - Magic Skills: - Basic Fireball: Level 1 - Miscellaneous Skills: - Basic Cooking: Level 1] [† Abilities: - Active Abilities: - Quick Strike: Level 1 - Passive Abilities: - Enhanced Senses: Level 1] [† Equipment: - Weapon: Wooden Sword - Armour: Locked. - Accessories: None.] [† Inventory: - Health Potion: 1 - Mana Potion: 1 - Enhancement Potion: 1] [Quests unlocked] [† Secret Advancement Quest: Courage of the Weak >>> Completed.] [† Active Quests: - Complete Basic Training: To be completed before noon.] It vanished almost as soon as it came, but he was able to retain the entire information at a single glance. ‘A wooden sword! That’ll be helpful,’ he thought and jumped to the side out of pure instinct. Two goblins gnawed at where he was standing just a second ago. His eyes dilated, ‘I’m... Fast!’ He dodged a few more goblins, missing most hits by hair’s breadth. Then he kicked against the ground and hopped a few metres back. He needed some time to arrange his thoughts. ‘It must be my enhanced senses, and I’m only at level 1,’ he pondered. ‘I’ll leave the sword alone for now. I should put this Quick Strike skill to a test.’ [†Active Abilities: - Quick Strike: Level 1 Increases movement speed by 10%, regardless of direction.] His eyes darted to the side and he spotted a goblin bolting at him, its mouth watering in hunger. Alan gave a mental command to activate the skill. [Ability: Quick Strike >>> Activated!] Alan turned and shot at the goblin, crossing the short distance between them in an instant. He had his right fist squeezed and ready, drilling it into the goblin’s face as soon as they got in proximity. His speed, coupled with the force of the punch, sunk the goblin’s face in like kneaded dough, whilst shooting it back for metres. It didn’t stop flying until it struck a nearby wall. It dropped to the floor, its face squashed in. Its HP easily plummeted to zero. It was dead. [Number of Outcast Goblins killed: 1/12] A small smile formed on Alan’s lips, ‘Interesting.’ He took another glance at his profile tab and scrunched his brows. [Mana Points (MP): 45] ’10 MP for one strike? That’s extortion!’ While he complained to the System, a few goblins snuck up on him and jumped at him, aiming to pull him down with their accumulated mass. “Get fuck off me!” he swung his arms around aimlessly as more goblins heaped up on him. He managed to hit two of them away from him, but more just kept coming. He didn’t have a choice. He activated Quick Strike again, but this time in a more subtle way. Instead of using the ability on his entire body, he focused it on his hands. [Ability: Quick Strike >>> Activated!] His hands move in a flurry, puncturing holes through the goblins that gathered on top of him. With a slight hunch, he guessed that their core was located in their chests, so those were his targets. Ten seconds passed and they all fell at his feet, stale and dead. [Number of Outcast Goblins killed: 11/12] Alan staggered back, heaving a heavy sigh. [Mana Points (MP): 35] ‘Heh. Figures. It’s 10 MP per activation... Or is it 1 MP per second?’ He thought about it for a while, even though there was still one goblin left, standing at a safe distance from him. ‘I think it should be the latter. The first time I used it, my MP wasn’t deducted until roughly ten seconds later. So I can’t just waste it on one opponent alone. It has to be used on a group of opponents.’ The goblin wasn’t touched by the loss of the other goblins. It remained true to its nature — Feisty and hungry. It hissed and rushed at Alan, who was still pondering on a few things. He sensed the goblin inching closer and he turned to face it, easily catching it by the head before it could lunge its claws at him. He held the struggling goblin up and knelt down, pulling it down with added strength. He crushed the rocky ground with the goblin’s head, blood spewing in a splash of fine artistry.
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~ The First Floor ~[Ground Floor Cleared!][Five Floors Left.]“Oof...” Alan let out a sparse exhale, watching the bodies of the goblins shiver into green flakes, slowly evaporating to nothing.He moved closer to a wall and rested his back against it to recover his strength, whilst taking another glance at his profile tab.As usual, the tab appeared and vanished in quick succession, but he was able to retain every bit of information.“Hmm... Wait... No rewards for clearing this floor?” he creased his brows. “Or am I missing something?”[† New Quest:- Clear the 5 floors of the abandoned 5th Avenue bakery: To be completed before midnight.- Rewards: ???]Staring at the quest tab before him, he shrugged, “Yeah, so? I’ve cleared the first one already.”[You are to clear the 5 floors of the bakery. The ground floor doesn’t count.]Alan’s eyes dilated, “What?! W-Why? What was the point of fighting the goblins and wasting that much mana?”The sense behind the System’s logic
Ethereal Ascension Chapter 11
~ Quick Wits ~There was no time to think.The Red Hounds had barricaded him, inching closer steadily, their metallic claws scraping the ground.Alan had to make a decision now!“Shit!” He clicked his teeth, reaching into the void once again. By the time he brought his hand out, the enhancement potion was gone, now replaced with the wooden sword he had thought to keep for harder floors.He didn’t want to use it until he had no other option. But if he didn’t use it now and dies, what was the point of hoarding something that could have saved him?Putting his enhanced agility to use, Alan crouched slightly before easing his calf muscles. In a single bound, he leaped over the Hounds, landing at the other side, creating more space and time between them.Feeling the weight of the wooden sword in his grasp, Alan’s spirit felt lifted. He wasn’t sure why, but he couldn’t wait to butcher every single one of the Hounds. Maybe the previous owner of the body hated dogs? Because Alan loved animals,
Ethereal Ascension Chapter 12
~ Pressing On ~ Alan took in a deep breath and exhaled softly, releasing the wooden sword back into the void. His hands were still a bit sore, so he spent some seconds stretching and cracking his fingers. Once he was satisfied with the feeling in his hands, he raised a foot to advance forward. However, at that moment, his body felt as light as nothing. His feet now hovered above the ground as he levitated upward via an unknown force. “Huh?” He tried navigating through the air by putting his hands forward and waving them apart, as though he was swimming. But the attempt was futile. Whatever that had taken him airborne didn’t let him have total control over his body. He was only made to go up and up, closer to the ceiling that was made of rocks. “Uh... System, what’s happening?” he finally voiced out in panic as the ground beneath him moved farther away from him. [You’re advancing to the next floor.] “Huh? Then what are the stairs for?” As soon as he asked that, his bod
Ethereal Ascension Chapter 13
~ At all Cost ~Alan had found a way to kill Bane.However, when he listed and calculated the criteria to make this possible, he couldn’t help but envision himself die multiple times in his head. The timing had to be perfect, his speed had to be in sync with his strike. If he miscalculated, if he slipped… It would be game over for Alan Hermolith.‘Oof…’ he let out a long sigh, drawing his left leg back and buckling his right knee. He rested most of his weight on his right leg as he leaned forward, the upturned wooden sword stretched to the side.Even with his very low mana, using Quick Strike would have been the best option. However, if he missed the first time, that was it. Sure, he could still launch more attacks within the 10 seconds time frame, but Bane would just adapt and pin him down. Or worse, he’d get caught in the Red Hound’s Gaze of Terror.So instead, he sought for a more… prudent approach.‘This is but a child’s play to what I’ll face in the future. I shouldn’t just rely
Ethereal Ascension Chapter 14
~ The Final Boss ~ [Bane’s Fang] [Equipment: Weapon] [A dagger as hard as steel] ‘Well, that was pretty straightforward...’ Alan hummed internally as he reached for the floating fang. He had expected the weapon to have a special property, maybe like poisoning or something. As he held it in his hand, he creased his brows, ‘This doesn’t look like a dagger though.’ [Do you wish to keep the Weapon?] [Yes or No.] Alan scoffed at the silly question, and mentally chose yes. At his mental response, the steel fang gleamed brightly, promoting Alan to turn his gaze away. He rolled his back at his hand when the light dimmed. He now wielded a 1 ft long, curved steel dagger, its zigzag edges akin to the sharp canines of a Red Hound. Its small hilt was coated in red fur. Alan was no doubt impressed by this, a small smile escaping the side of his lips, ‘Much better than I expected.’ [Weapon — Bane’s Fang: Acquired ✓✓✓] [New Skill acquired: Gaze of Terror: Level 2] [Ability:
Ethereal Ascension Chapter 15
~ Copy? ~As soon as the wooden sword shattered, the final boss reached for Alan with his right hand, grabbing his collar and sinking two knee jabs into his torso.Alan’s body jerked back in response to the jabs, his lungs momentarily contracting, causing him to gasp dryly for air.In quick succession, the final boss pulled him closer, whilst pulling his own head back. His neck moved as he threw his head forward, striking Alan right on his glabella.Bang!Metal met flesh and bone, the latter tearing and cracking.A flux of pain condensed at the impact point, dazzling Alan for a moment there, so much so that he almost fell asleep.His body getting lifted jolted him awake, and, before he could tell what was going on, the final boss spun on his heels, reeling Alan to the air as though he was some weightless mannequin.In a single 360° turn, the final boss flung Alan across the hallway, the latter’s flight momentum blowing out a few torches. They reignited back almost immediately
Ethereal Ascension Chapter 16
~ Counterpart ~ Thooms and thuds resonated across the hallway as The Final Boss bolted forward in a blur, bouncing off the two walls repeatedly, creating this zigzag pattern. Alan wasn’t sure if the former was doing that to disorient him or something, but if he was, well he was in for a big surprise. Alan’s azure eyes rolled quickly around his sockets, trailing each path that The Final Boss took. His perception of things was heightened enough to follow a Level 1 Quick Strike movement. He grinned. For one, his hunch about The Final Boss being able to copy abilities and skills, was confirmed. Also, the level of the copied ability/skill remained the same. This was why Alan could follow his movements. Though Quick Strike only enhanced his body’s speed, it also came with the perks of enhancing his senses, so that he could keep up. One last bound off the left wall and The Final Boss threw his knees forward at Alan’s head. Holding his breath, Alan sidestepped, missing the flyi
Ethereal Ascension Chapter 17
~ Counterpart II ~‘How--’A dense punch to the gut shattered his train of thoughts.The next thing he could remember was getting slammed against a wall, the fist that punched him sinking deeper. He wheezed dryly to catch his breath.But then, the hair behind his neck went taut like needles, alerting him of imminent danger. For that brief moment, Alan wondered why his ‘danger sense’ hadn’t warned him of the punch. Or was it because his mind was experiencing shock?His eyes rolled down and he tilted his neck to the side, his head swaying along with it. Another fist punctured the wall beside his head. It would have hit him instead if he hadn’t dodged in time.Mustering some strength, Alan grabbed both hands by the wrists and stared intently at The Final Boss, just to confirm what he had seen earlier. Maybe it was just some hallucination? His head had been bashed in a couple of times... So there’s that.But no. His brows twitched as he stared at The Final Boss. It was like looki
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Chapter 23
~ Countering Vibrations ~Inside the room of a duplex within the dome, the young lady on the bed sat up and yawned, her lush white hair scattered over her face.“Ugh... That noise again,” she grumbled softly as she smoothed her hair and packed it behind her.She remained seated on the bed for minutes, staring listlessly at the window, as though enjoying the recurrent booms and subtle quakes occurring outside.Her eyes were squinted as she focused on the source of the disturbances. She could feel two auras. The first one felt dark and raw, like that of a dungeon monster. The other felt restrained, as though the host had placed a limiter from letting the rest of their aura lose. The latter’s aura also felt familiar... Very familiar.“I thought we took care of all the monsters that escaped the Gateway Break,” she muttered half-heartedly, contemplating on whether to go back to sleep.She could handle the tremors, but other civilians were at risk. It was also certain that the limite
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Chapter 22
~ Energy ~Aside from the noise coming from everyone that ran for shelter, and those that tried to break through the dome, the street was oddly quiet.Alan and Banshee remained in a fierce staring contest, standing completely still. Alan’s azure eyes were glowing red, while Banshee’s white spiralling eyes had gotten dimmer.[MP: 360][MP:358]Alan’s mana points kept dropping by 2 every passing second.‘What am I supposed to do now?’ Alan began to skim through his inventory. Maybe he had something strong enough to puncture Banshee’s vibrational field.But other than the Blood-red Helmet, Bane’s Fang was the only weapon made of a metal stronger than steel. The vibrational force field had repulsed it like it was nothing .[Can’t you think for yourself?]Alan clicked his tongue, ‘I wasn’t talking to you! It was a rhetorical question. Just get out of my head.’[That’s impossible. We are one.]Banshee’s fingers twitched as he fought hard against the Gaze of Terror. He could see h
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Chapter 21
~ Noise ~‘Of all rooms to crash into... Tch!’Alan turned his face away when his eyelids refused to close. He stood up almost immediately and dusted the rubble off his body.With his face still turned away, he addressed the naked couple, “Um... I’m really sorry about this. I’ll be leaving now. Carry on.”He walked closer to the gaping hole in the wall and stared down at the street.Banshee was standing at the centre of the land that was once his house. All the rubble and whatnot had been cleared. The creature had his hands behind him, his white spiralling eyes fixated on the hole where Alan stood.‘Tch. What’s this guy’s problem? I just need a place to sleep,’ Alan brandished Bane’s Fang and cracked his neck. ‘I’m tired.’He took a leap off the edge and dove at Banshee with Bane’s Fang raised before him.Banshee let out a sonic scream as Alan got in proximity, but the latter wasn’t planning on facing him head on in the first place.[Ability: Quick Strike >>> Activated!][MP
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Chapter 20
~ Distortion ~Alan yawned and tilted his neck back, fixing his gaze on the crescent moon.He had given up on looking for a place to sleep. He had no one he could confide in, and vice versa.His lips parted as he muttered, “Ahh... So peaceful.”He regretted his statement almost immediately as a distorted guttural voice boomed into his head.“So it is true, huh? You have returned!”Alan turned on his heels immediately and jumped back in reflex. His body acted before he could even bring his mind to order.“What the...? Who was that?” he asked the thin air and the few cars that drove to and fro.He felt something, like a warm liquid drooling out of his ears, prompting him to touch them with his index fingers. He brought his fingers down to his eye and streetlamp range.They were smeared with a not-so-thick reddish liquid.He creased his brows, “Huh? Blood?”How his ears started bleeding was a complete mystery. Was it because of the voice he heard? But he didn’t even feel any p
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Chapter 19
~ Night Dilemma ~“8:01 already?” Alan rushed down the sidewalk whilst taking a glance at the big analogue clock situated at the centre of the city. He straightened his neck and focused his gaze on the path before him, ‘Maya must be worried sick. I hope those damage control guys have come to fix the house.’[Actually...] The System stressed as Alan took a sharp turn by a bend.He came to a momentary stop, his eyes gradually opening wide as he stared at the heap of concrete and metal, on the piece of land that his house once stood upon.[... With the Gateway Break that happened earlier today, it would seem that the damage insurance staff are a little short-handed] The System completed.‘Of all things... Where am I supposed to sleep tonight?’ Alan ruffled his hair with a slight frown.Just then, a familiar feline voice jolted him back to reality, “Alan?”Dropping his right hand, his gaze immediately shifted to the small car ahead, parked diagonally across him. He noticed two g
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Chapter 18
~ Rewards ~“You know what? No, thank you. I do not want my rewards,” Alan snapped, frowning ever so slightly. He couldn’t get mad at the System, no matter how hard he tried, but the frustration was there.[They are YOUR rewards. You’ve been granted them already.]“Then why ask if I want them?” Alan creased his brows.[Don’t you at least want to know what they are?]He sighed, rubbing his forehead with two fingers, “Ahh... I do. I’m just so confused right now. I have a lot of questions, and you just want to ignore all of them.”[I figured it was best you went home to rest for now, and you’ll be debriefed later. More so, the dungeon will crumble and the bakery will take its previous form in an hour.]“That’s a lot of time...” he raised his head and stared at the opposite wall. It was still a little odd talking to someone or something he couldn’t see. He pictured the holographic form of a robot sitting across the hallway as they conversed. “One hour is enough time for any explana
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Chapter 17
~ Counterpart II ~‘How--’A dense punch to the gut shattered his train of thoughts.The next thing he could remember was getting slammed against a wall, the fist that punched him sinking deeper. He wheezed dryly to catch his breath.But then, the hair behind his neck went taut like needles, alerting him of imminent danger. For that brief moment, Alan wondered why his ‘danger sense’ hadn’t warned him of the punch. Or was it because his mind was experiencing shock?His eyes rolled down and he tilted his neck to the side, his head swaying along with it. Another fist punctured the wall beside his head. It would have hit him instead if he hadn’t dodged in time.Mustering some strength, Alan grabbed both hands by the wrists and stared intently at The Final Boss, just to confirm what he had seen earlier. Maybe it was just some hallucination? His head had been bashed in a couple of times... So there’s that.But no. His brows twitched as he stared at The Final Boss. It was like looki
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Chapter 16
~ Counterpart ~ Thooms and thuds resonated across the hallway as The Final Boss bolted forward in a blur, bouncing off the two walls repeatedly, creating this zigzag pattern. Alan wasn’t sure if the former was doing that to disorient him or something, but if he was, well he was in for a big surprise. Alan’s azure eyes rolled quickly around his sockets, trailing each path that The Final Boss took. His perception of things was heightened enough to follow a Level 1 Quick Strike movement. He grinned. For one, his hunch about The Final Boss being able to copy abilities and skills, was confirmed. Also, the level of the copied ability/skill remained the same. This was why Alan could follow his movements. Though Quick Strike only enhanced his body’s speed, it also came with the perks of enhancing his senses, so that he could keep up. One last bound off the left wall and The Final Boss threw his knees forward at Alan’s head. Holding his breath, Alan sidestepped, missing the flyi
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Chapter 15
~ Copy? ~As soon as the wooden sword shattered, the final boss reached for Alan with his right hand, grabbing his collar and sinking two knee jabs into his torso.Alan’s body jerked back in response to the jabs, his lungs momentarily contracting, causing him to gasp dryly for air.In quick succession, the final boss pulled him closer, whilst pulling his own head back. His neck moved as he threw his head forward, striking Alan right on his glabella.Bang!Metal met flesh and bone, the latter tearing and cracking.A flux of pain condensed at the impact point, dazzling Alan for a moment there, so much so that he almost fell asleep.His body getting lifted jolted him awake, and, before he could tell what was going on, the final boss spun on his heels, reeling Alan to the air as though he was some weightless mannequin.In a single 360° turn, the final boss flung Alan across the hallway, the latter’s flight momentum blowing out a few torches. They reignited back almost immediately
