Trial count: roughly 420.
"Shit... I think I'm losing my mind..."
While I’d been riding an incredible high the moment I first killed a Bugbear, my mood had since plummeted into a deep depression.
Since that first kill, I had died sixty more times.
I reached the room with the Treasure Chest in about two out of every three attempts now, so that meant I’d actually fought them forty times.
"Then why the hell can't I kill the second one yet?!"
I’d assumed that once the first one fell, Strength Enhancement would reach level two, and the second one would be easy pickings.
But no matter how many times I tried, Bugbear B remained standing.
There were ten Bugbears in total. I couldn't afford to get stuck here.
"Goddamn it!"
The irritation had been gnawing at me for a while now, and I couldn't shake it. It was killing my focus, which made my movements sloppy, which led to more mistakes. I was trapped in a downward spiral of pure frustration.
"The problem is my Vitality..."
The Bugbear I’d just finished lay dead at my feet. I had finally managed to take down the first one again.
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Skill points have been used.
Level up requirements met.
The skill <Strength Enhancement> has leveled up.
Strength Enhancement Lv1 ▶ Strength Enhancement Lv2
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I quickly spent the Skill Points to push the skill to level two.
"Haah... haah... haah... haah... haah..."
I was gasping for air, chest heaving. Taking down just one of them sapped a massive amount of Vitality, and it didn't just grow back. With so little Vitality remaining, I didn't see how I could possibly kill the other nine, even with Strength Enhancement at level two.
"Get a grip...!"
I slapped my cheeks hard.
Remember the revenge.
Remember Namia.
"I’m getting out of this dungeon. No matter what."
With that declaration, I lunged forward.
I feinted and stepped to the right, successfully slipping inside Bugbear B’s guard. I threw a punch with everything I had.
A dull thud echoed through the room. Level two certainly made a difference; the impact was much heavier than before. Bugbear B reeled back from the blow, but it wasn't dead yet.
It lunged at me again. I could have backstepped to dodge, but I already knew Bugbear C and Bugbear D were closing in from behind. Instead, I dropped low, rolling beneath the attack to slip past.
I sprang upward, bracing my hands against Bugbear C’s head to vault into a backflip. Using the momentum from the landing, I drove a heavy fist straight into Bugbear B’s face. I’d learned that erratic, tricky movements confused them, slowing their reactions.
I used that opening to hammer another blow into Bugbear B.
Bugbear E would be coming from the side any second now. I sidestepped the incoming strike and feinted another punch at Bugbear B. As it tried to recoil from the expected blow, I used its own momentum against it and swept its leg.
It tumbled forward, its balance completely gone. While it was wide open, I delivered a kick with every ounce of strength I had.
"Gugyaa!"
Bugbear B let out a pained shriek. This sequence was the "optimal solution" I’d perfected over 420 attempts.
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Monster extermination confirmed.
Skill points gained.
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I did it. For the first time, I’d successfully killed a second Bugbear.
But I didn't feel like celebrating.
"Haah... haah... haah..."
My lungs were burning. To be honest, my Vitality was at its limit. Could I really do this eight more times?
I opened the Status Screen to see if I could level up Strength Enhancement again.
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Skill Points Held: 8
<Strength Enhancement Lv2>
Remaining Skill Points Required for Level Up: 100
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"Are you kidding me? It’s not even close."
I’d pinned my hopes on reaching Lv3 after the second kill. If I could do that, I might have had a chance to break through. Now, that hope was dead.
"This is impossible..."
I felt my spirit finally snap.
Five seconds later, I was dead.