A laugh escaped him as he looked at the immeasurably long System Window. The proof that he had grown stronger always put him in a good mood. Taesan checked it step by step.
Reward for defeating a formidable enemy. Agility increased by 2, and Mana increased by 3. He would be using Skills more and more from now on, so an increase in Mana was always welcome. And the rewards for leveling up had gotten better.
3 Agility and 1 Strength. A whopping 4 Stat points. It was good news that Strength, which hadn't risen until now, had gone up.
"I expected it, but I'm satisfied."
The rewards based on Level depended on what you did and which Stats you used while gaining Experience. If you mainly used the Strength Stat, Strength would rise, and if you mainly used the Agility Stat, Agility would rise. Since he had quite a few power struggles while fighting the Giant Rat, the increase was to be expected.
It was still a single-digit number, but as his Level got higher, dozens of Stat points would come in as Level Up rewards. He could accept this calmly as it was what he had expected. However, the case of the Soul Rank Ascension was a slightly different story.
"What on earth is this Skill?"
Soul Rank Ascension. Agility increased by 3, and Strength by 2. It was more than the increase from leveling up. No matter how much he searched his memories, it was an unbelievable Skill.
To put it simply, it was incomparably better than Fortitude or Attack Nullification. Only a Skill like Multiplication could barely be compared to it.
"Right. They should give at least this much of a reward."
An Easy Mode Player who caught two S-Class Monsters should get something, shouldn't he? Taesan whistled and checked his Status Window.
[Kang Taesan] [Level: 4] [Health: 155/155] [Mana: 15/15] [Strength: 14] [Intelligence: 16] [Agility: 30] [Attack Power + 2] [Defense Power +] [The target is in Optimal Condition.]
"Ha."
The Stats were truly admirable. Reaching the 30s after clearing the First Floor. He vividly recalled all the useless things he did to raise his Stats in Easy Mode.
Lost in nostalgia, Taesan began to check his rewards.
[Random Stat Increase Potion] [Randomly increases one Stat.]
The effect was exactly as described. The value of Stats never changes. It was an Item even high-Level Players would covet.
With no reason to hesitate, Taesan drank the potion.
[Strength permanently increases by 1.] "Yes."
Taesan clenched his fist lightly. The Stat he needed most right now had appropriately increased. Now, only one was left.
[You have used ???.]
[You have obtained two Designated Stat Increase Potions.]
"Ooh."
Taesan exclaimed after checking the description.
[Designated Stat Increase Potion] [Increases the designated Stat by 1.] The effect was literal, and it was an Item that was hard to get even past the 50th Floor.
The basic way to raise Stats is through Level Up. Other methods were too difficult or had too many variables, forcing one to rely on luck. And the Stat increase from a Level Up depends on what you did while gaining Experience.
In other words, the higher a Stat is, the more you use it, making it easier to raise, while lower Stats are harder to raise. You had to pass a minimum benchmark to raise them in a balanced way, and the Designated Stat Increase Potion was the best potion to make that happen. These were more than generous rewards.
Taesan drank the potion.
[You have drunk a Designated Stat Increase Potion. You must designate a Stat to increase.]
"Strength."
Taesan answered immediately. There was no reason to raise any other Stat. He drank the other one as well to raise his Strength Stat.
In an instant, his Strength rose by 3. Taesan checked his Status Window with a satisfied expression. With these Stats, if he fought the Giant Rat again, he was confident he could win without using arrows.
"I learned a Skill, too."
Taesan checked.
[Special Active Skill: Counter] [Mana Cost: 5] [Proficiency: 1%] [Counterattacks an enemy's attack. Deals greater Damage to the enemy.]
"Counter? I got it sooner than I thought."
If the opponent's attack is avoidable, it activates an unconditional dodge. On top of that, it even counterattacks. The counterattack is two to three times the normal Damage, making it quite powerful.
It was a Skill on par with Deflection, good in a different way. The high Mana cost was a problem, but it was well worth it.
"Ugh."
Taesan stretched and sat down. The rewards of a Level Up couldn't do anything about mental fatigue. He planned to let his brain recover a little before entering the 2nd Floor.
As he rested for a moment, his thoughts turned to the community forums.
"I wonder what happened?"
A few days ago, he had left a post on the community forums about a walkthrough for the First Floor of Alone Mode. He wrote down the shortest route to the Fountain of Life. But the chances of anyone believing him were low.
Trapped in an unknown space, and someone posts a walkthrough? Not even a few days after being trapped? Even Taesan would have been suspicious first.
With low expectations, Taesan opened the community forums.
"Huh?"
A bewildered voice came from his mouth. There were several posts on the community forums. And most of them were about Alone Mode.
[Park Chan-woong [Alone]: Can anyone give me the route to the Fountain of Life? I'm too scared to go.]
[Moon Jae-seong [Alone]: Even if you're scared, there's no choice. Everyone's location is different, so you have to follow the Shopkeeper's words.]
[Lee Tae-yeon [Alone]: Once you arrive, you'll be safe, so it's best to just grit your teeth and run. If you try to hold out here any longer, starvation will make it hard to even move, you know?]
[Kim Tae-jin [Alone]: A race with our lives on the line. How amusing. Hahaha.......]
[Kang Jun-hyeok [Alone]: Still, it's good that there's at least a possibility.]
"Huh."
It was so different from the Alone Mode community he remembered. Before, there was only despair on the community forums. Day by day, people vanished, and no one discussed walkthroughs.
Later, whether they were all dead or their spirits were broken, no one spoke up. Only Lee Tae-yeon had chattered on energetically. But now, it was completely different.
[Lee Sang [Alone]: I've arrived at the Fountain of Life! Thank you for your support!]
[Kang Jun-hyeok [Alone]: Congratulations. From now on, as long as you're careful, you won't die on the First Floor.]
The community was lively. There were occasional signs of despair and fear, but it wasn't completely dead. Hope for survival could be seen in the posts.
[Lee Tae-yeon [Alone]: By the way, that person. Kang Taesan? Where did he go? I haven't seen him since he made that post.]
[Lee Sang [Alone]: I've been watching the community forums every single day, and I haven't seen him.]
[Kang Jun-hyeok [Alone]: Did he die?]
[Lee Tae-yeon [Alone]: No way. You think someone who cleared it in just a few days would die? He's probably on his way down by now.]
"What is this?"
Taesan went down to the 2nd Floor. A Dwarf was waiting there.
"Did you get him?"
"That's why I'm here."
The Dwarf looked Taesan over and smiled warmly.
"You're looking good. That's how it should be. You going to use the shop?"
"Of course."
He had to prepare what he needed before entering the 2nd Floor. The Dwarf put a pipe in his mouth.
"Buy what you need, sell what you have. By now, you should have one or two things to sell, right?"
"You know me well."
"I've seen it enough to be sick of it. Are you selling?"
"Yes."
Taesan took out the Big Rat's Meat from his Inventory.
"I'm selling the meat."
Meat rots over time. Food of poor quality couldn't be covered even by Disease Resistance, so it was best to sell it off immediately. Until the 10th Floor, most enemies were living creatures, so there was no reason to save it.
After checking the meat, the Dwarf set a price.
"This should be worth about five hundred Gold. You not selling the hide? If you caught a Giant Rat, you should have gotten its fangs too. Those are worth a bit."
"I'm not selling."
A Monster's hide and fangs are useful. Realizing what he was after, the Dwarf grinned.
"Looking for a blacksmith, are you?"
"Yes."
"You can find one if you go down a bit further. Most people die before they get there, but I suppose I don't have to worry about you."
Perhaps because he had cleared the First Floor, the Dwarf's face showed even stronger trust than before. Taesan, who now had a rough idea of who they were, wasn't flustered. When he met the Dwarf, a System Window had popped up.
[You have encountered the Lost King.]
The lost Dwarf king. One who wandered into the Labyrinth from his own ruined Kingdom. That must be the Dwarf's identity.
"So, what do you want to buy? Want me to show you the basics?"
"I'd appreciate that."
He had plenty of money. Combined with the sales, he had twelve hundred Gold. That wasn't an amount one could gather on the First Floor.
He could afford to buy items from the next tier without any trouble. As if reading Taesan's thoughts, the Dwarf raised a finger.
"Let me tell you one thing. I only sell what's designated. Just because you've saved up more money than you need doesn't mean I'll sell you things you can buy on the 4th or 5th Floor. If you're having any pointless expectations, you'd better get rid of them."
"Understood."
The Dwarf was the same as Ainzhar. They would provide some help, but never to the extent that one would become lazy by indulging in the benefits. They tried to maintain a certain line.
"Alright. This is what I have for now. Tell me if you need anything else."
The Dwarf laid out the items. Taesan checked them one by one. He skipped the potions this time as well.
He was out of the First Floor and couldn't use the Fountain of Life, but there was still no reason to use them. It was more beneficial to buy something else with the money for potions and conserve his Health. Taesan checked the arrows.
He had more than enough basic arrows. What he needed was a different kind of arrow.
[Paralysis Arrow] [Attack Power + 2] [Inflicts paralysis on the target. May fail depending on Level and Stats.]
[30G] The Dwarf watched and asked.
"You gonna buy that?"
"I'll buy thirty of them."
"Buying a lot, aren't you?"
"Because I need them."
If the information he heard from Lee Tae-yeon about the 2nd Floor was true, he would need this many. The Dwarf once again wore a satisfied expression and handed over the arrows.
"Here. You have three hundred Gold left, you buying anything else? Personally, I recommend some gear. It's going to be a bit tough entering the 2nd Floor with your current equipment, you know?"
He had no armor, and his additional Attack Power was a mere 2. He couldn't rely on the Tower Shield's Defense Power forever. Buying either a weapon or armor was the right choice. As it happened, there were several spears, shields, and pieces of armor among the items the Dwarf showed him.
All of them could be bought for under 300. 'What a waste.' But Taesan hesitated. Monsters drop what they are carrying.
The Big Rat dropped leather and meat, and enemies holding equipment drop that equipment. The enemies on the 2nd Floor were ones that used weapons and armor. Meaning, he could obtain both.
Buying them in advance felt like a slight loss. As he was contemplating and looking over the items, a pair of gauntlets caught Taesan's eye.
[Fighter's Gauntlets] [Attack Power + 1] [Protects the hands. Seems like you can hit enemies a little harder.]
[300G] Fighter's Gauntlets.
Before, he wouldn't have given them a second glance. That's because gauntlets only deal Damage when you punch with your fists. But now, it was different.
Taesan picked up the gauntlets.
"I'll take these."
"The Fighter's Gauntlets? Are you going to use your fists? Why are you buying those?"
"Because I can use them."
The Dwarf, who had been staring as if to ask what he meant, realized.
"Ah, the old man gave you Airak Martial Arts. Right. I had a feeling that madman would take a liking to you. Still, giving you the martial arts technique is unexpected."
"You know him?"
"We're both rotting away in this place together, so of course I know him. I don't particularly like him, though."
"You don't like him?"
"Who would like a rampaging fanatic who's crazy about finding a god?"
The Dwarf scrunched up his face. Seeing the disgust on his face, Taesan realized one thing. The NPCs in the Labyrinth are aware of each other.
But they aren't close. In fact, they seemed closer to being hostile.