I knew now that a hidden passage lay at the bottom of that pitfall.
Even so, reaching it proved to be a desperate struggle, no matter how many times I used Return by Death.
First, I had to evade every single one of the Bugbear's strikes. My movements grew more refined with every iteration; the more I repeated the cycle, the higher my success rate climbed. Yet, even then, I still failed one out of every three attempts.
Once I dodged its onslaught, I had to strike the beast directly in its eyes. A simple punch to the face only bought me twenty-five seconds of recovery time, but specifically blinding it extended that window to thirty-five.
Running at a full sprint for those thirty-five seconds was the only way to reach the pitfall in time.
Falling into the pit presented its own set of problems. If I just dropped blindly, the iron spikes would skewer me instantly. I had to time my jump and adjust my posture mid-air to land in the gaps between them—a feat that was frustratingly difficult to pull off intentionally.
On my two-hundredth attempt, I finally made it.
"Finally... I succeeded."
I had managed to tumble into the pit and land safely, avoiding the lethal spikes.
"Gau!"
"Whoa!"
I looked up from the bottom of the pit to see the Bugbear reaching its massive arm down the hole, trying to claw at me. Fortunately, its reach was too short; it couldn't get anywhere near my position. For the moment, it seemed I had finally put some distance between myself and that monster.
"The hidden passage really was past the trap," I muttered, moving deeper into the gloom.
Eventually, the narrow tunnel opened up into a wide, spacious chamber. A single treasure chest sat directly in the center.
"Found it!"
I let out a cry of joy at the sight of my prize and hurried forward to throw the lid open.
"What is this? A gemstone?"
Inside lay a transparent, crystal-like object.
▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽
You have acquired the <Crystal of Wisdom>.
The effect is being forcibly activated.
△△△△△△△△△△△△△△△
"Whoa!"
I jumped back, startled by the sudden appearance of the message window. As I stared in shock, the text flickered and changed.
▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽
From the following list, please select "one" skill you wish to acquire.
S-Rank <Item Box> <Enhanced Recovery> <Enhanced Mana Recovery> <Chant Shortening> <Acceleration> <Stealth>
A-Rank <Healing Magic> <Barrier Magic> <Fire Magic> <Water Magic> <Wind Magic> <Earth Magic> <Alchemy> <Taming Magic> <Enhanced Memory>
B-Rank <Swordsmanship> <Archery> <Axemanship> <Spearmanship> <Shieldmanship> <Martial Arts> <Status Camouflage>
C-Rank <Physical Enhancement> <Presence Detection> <Mana Generation> <Fire Resistance> <Water Resistance> <Wind Resistance> <Earth Resistance> <Poison Resistance> <Paralysis Resistance> <Curse Resistance>
D-Rank <Appraisal> <Provocation> <Strength Enhancement> <Endurance Enhancement> <Agility Enhancement> <Vitality Enhancement> <Vision Enhancement> <Hearing Enhancement>
△△△△△△△△△△△△△△△
I stood there, bewildered by the sheer number of skills presented to me.
Usually, skills were innate—something you were born with. Most people entered the world without any at all, and I was no exception. That was why I had spent my life tilling the soil as a farmer instead of seeking glory as an adventurer.
Now, I was being told I could simply pick whatever I wanted from a list of abilities that most people would never see in their lifetimes. The <Crystal of Wisdom> was an item of absurd power. Then again, this was a treasure chest located in the depths of an S-Rank Dungeon; the reward had to be worth the lethal risk.
The question was: which skill should I choose?
First, I could rule out the magic-type skills like <Healing Magic> or <Fire Magic>. To use magic, one needed to possess mana, which required the <Mana Generation> skill. While that was also on the list, taking it alone wouldn't do me any good without a corresponding spell skill, and I only had one choice.
Similarly, there was no point in taking weapon-based skills like <Swordsmanship> or <Archery>. I didn't have so much as a toothpick to defend myself with.
That narrowed the options down significantly.
"Well, the logical move is to take an S-Rank skill."
I looked over the highest tier again. <Item Box> was out; it was a convenience I couldn't afford when I needed to prioritize combat survival. <Enhanced Recovery> sounded useful, but in this place, a single hit usually meant instant death, making gradual recovery irrelevant. <Enhanced Mana Recovery> and <Chant Shortening> were equally useless since I couldn't use magic.
That left me with <Acceleration> or <Stealth>.
<Acceleration> would likely boost my movement speed. If my plan was to keep running away from every monster I met, it was a solid choice. <Stealth>, on the other hand, would let me bypass them entirely.
My goal was to survive and escape this dungeon by any means necessary. Both skills served that purpose.
After a long moment of indecision, I made my choice.
"Alright... I’ll take <Stealth>."
I reached out and tapped the name on the window.
▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽
Skill <Stealth> acquired.
△△△△△△△△△△△△△△△
I chose <Stealth> because it seemed like the more sustainable option. <Acceleration> might help me outrun a monster once it spotted me, but it would surely drain my stamina. I didn't think I had enough physical energy to sprint my way past every single horror lurking in this dungeon.
As I was contemplating my new power, a heavy, grinding sound echoed through the chamber.
I spun around to find that the entrance I had used to enter the room had been sealed shut.
"I’m trapped..."
No sooner had the words left my lips than multiple magic circles erupted across the floor.
""KUGYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!""
A pack of Bugbears materialized within the circles. Ten of them in all.
"...What?"
Before I could even process the sight, the monsters fell upon me. I was crushed and killed in an instant.