CHAPTER 143: 143 - LEVEL UP!

"What? Are you guys angry that I took the last hit?"

Raven asked Alec, Eve, and Curtis after noticing the strange expressions on their faces. The three of them weren’t exactly glaring, but their looks carried a mix of surprise and disbelief that made Raven frown slightly.

"Erm... Not really."

Alec answered, scratching his cheek as if to ease the tension, but his tone gave away that something was definitely on their minds.

"We’re just surprised by your last attack."

He added quickly, speaking on behalf of the group.

"Ha? What’s there to be surprised about?"

Raven tilted his head, his brows furrowing as he pressed the question again.

"Well, you ended the boss monster in a single slash..."

Alec replied carefully, still remembering the image of that overwhelming strike.

"Well, it was already weakened. I just ambushed it when its guard was down."

Raven responded casually, as if what he had done was nothing special. His voice carried no pride, no hint of arrogance, just plain fact.

"But–"

"Ohh."

Alec was about to speak again, to press further about what he saw, but Raven’s attention suddenly shifted.

Though Raven’s eyes still pointed in Alec’s direction, Alec felt an odd shiver run through him— as though Raven’s gaze wasn’t really on him anymore.

And Alec’s intuition was right. Raven had received a message from Sariel.

[Raven, you’ve ranked up again.]

"...Umm, I’mma go look around for a bit."

Raven muttered, his tone faintly distracted as his eyes flickered with focus only he understood. Without waiting for any kind of reply, he turned on his heel and started walking away. His abruptness left Alec, Eve, and Curtis exchanging puzzled looks.

"Vicious Lightning... Huh."

Curtis mumbled, his eyes narrowing as he replayed the earlier strike in his head. His fists clenched unconsciously as he spoke the name of the technique Raven had used.

"It’s my first time hearing it."

He added, shaking his head.

"It’s most likely something he created himself."

Eve finally spoke after a long silence, her calm but certain tone breaking the lingering tension.

"Destructive and fast..."

"What a nasty sword technique."

Alec muttered with a faint smile tugging at his lips.

"..."

"..."

Neither Eve nor Curtis answered, but their silence and faint nods were more than enough to show their agreement.

"Hey, guys!"

The quiet was broken by a familiar voice echoing across the dungeon floor. The three of them turned their heads at once.

Running toward them were Adelle, Aoi, and Blake, their faces bright with energy despite the exhaustion of the recent battle.

And seeing Alec, Eve, and Curtis already grouped together, Adelle’s excitement grew.

"Wanna see what our ranks are now?"

She exclaimed, her voice bubbling with eagerness.

*****

"Status."

Raven whispered as soon as he found a quiet spot away from the others. His voice carried a certain restraint, as though he didn’t want even the echo of his words to escape too far.

At once, a transparent window shimmered into existence before him, glowing faintly in the dim light of the dungeon. Lines of text appeared, orderly and precise.

Raven’s eyes scanned over them quickly, and as soon as he processed what he was seeing...

A smile crept across his face.

=====

[STATUS]

Name: Raven Obadiah

Rank: D

Mana Control: D

Strength: D+

Agility: D++

Stamina: D+

Intelligence: D++

Luck: D

Charm: D++

[SKILLS]

Monarch’s Presence Lvl.5

Insight Lvl.5

Psychokinesis Lvl.4

Thought Acceleration Lvl.3

Mana Path Preset Lvl.3

[TRAITS]

Calm Thinker

Understanding

I like the spotlight

Master of Levina

???

=====

Raven was now officially a D rank. That explained how he had been able to deal with the Hell’s Prisoner so decisively, even if it had already been weakened.

"I ranked up four times... I’m glad I challenged this dungeon with them."

Raven muttered, satisfaction clear in his voice. His expression reflected genuine pride— though it didn’t last.

Just moments later, his lips pressed into a frown.

’I reached my rank limit...’

The thought hit him like a weight in his chest. That was it—the end of his potential, at least for now.

[Well, do you know any way to surpass your limit?]

Sariel’s voice echoed in his mind, calm yet probing.

"I don’t."

Raven answered bluntly. His tone carried no hesitation, but there was a sharp edge of frustration under it.

"But I don’t plan to stay in [D] rank for long."

He added with quiet determination.

...

"Anyway, any news about those transcended shits?"

Raven shifted the topic. His voice hardened, his irritation bleeding through.

[Oh, yeah, I almost forgot.]

Sariel replied.

"What is it?"

[Your reward was just decided.]

"It better be good. Those bastards altered too much in this dungeon."

Raven grumbled. The memory of countless changes he had endured—things that didn’t align with the novel—still gnawed at him. He had been tempted more than once to curse at the Higher Beings outright, but he endured only because they promised him a reward after the boss was defeated.

[Here’s your reward.]

SWISH–

Sariel’s voice carried a hint of weight as a scroll materialized in front of Raven. It looked much like the Item Upgrade Scroll he had seen before.

"What the hell is this?"

Raven asked, catching it carefully.

[Oh... Hmmm... Wait...]

Sariel’s voice faltered, as if he needed to double-check something. A few seconds passed.

[Holy shit...]

Then Sariel cursed suddenly.

"What?"

Raven’s grip on the scroll tightened.

[That scroll...]

"Yeah? What of it?"

[Upon tearing it, it will max out the level of one of your skills!]

Sariel declared with disbelief.

"..."

"Are you joking?"

Raven’s voice came out flat, doubtful.

[Fortunately, I’m not.]

Sariel confirmed.

Raven froze, then slowly exhaled, his chest rising with excitement he couldn’t suppress.

"Holy shit..."

The words slipped from him, his body buzzing with thrill.

"Can I choose what skill gets maxed out?"

He asked quickly.

[Unfortunately, no.]

Sariel’s voice was apologetic.

"Well... that’s too bad."

Raven muttered, though the disappointment was faint. He quickly followed with a grin.

"But honestly, any of my skills maxing out is worth it."

With that thought, he didn’t hesitate any longer.

RIIIP–

Raven tore the scroll!

SWAAA~

A surge of bright light engulfed him, wrapping his entire body in radiance. It pulsed and shimmered for only a short time before fading away.

"Sariel, status!"

Raven barked immediately.

[Got it!]

Sariel answered, pulling up the updated window.

And when Raven saw which of his skills had maxed out—

"What the..."

His face twisted, his emotions a storm of confusion, shock, and disbelief.

...

...

*****

Meanwhile—

"Ahhhh... I can’t believe it." – Blake

"I didn’t expect the results to be like these either..." – Aoi

"Am I dreaming...?" – Adelle

"You’re not." – Eve

"I got a new skill!" – Alec

"Me too." – Curtis

The group’s chatter filled the dungeon floor. Blake, Aoi, Adelle, Eve, Alec, and Curtis all had their status windows open, their faces glowing with joy as they studied the results.

Alec and Curtis were now D+ rank. Eve, Adelle, and Aoi had reached D. Blake had advanced to D-.

Their skills had also leveled significantly. But that wasn’t all.

Alec had acquired Counter Impact. If he timed it perfectly, his counterattacks could deal double the power of his opponent’s strike. Dangerous in the right hands.

Curtis had gained Burst, a buff skill that doubled his stats for 30 seconds. It was simple, but devastating for someone like him.

The entire group had grown remarkably in just a week. Their strength had skyrocketed, and their morale was high.

But just as they were celebrating...

...

SWOOOOH—!!!

A sudden wave of cold air swept through the dungeon floor!

FWOOOO~

The temperature dropped sharply, silence following in its wake.

Then—

B O O M-!

A crushing pressure descended upon them, suffocating and heavy. Though it wasn’t even directly aimed at them, it was enough to make every single one of them flinch.

"Keuk... What the hell is happening?" – Curtis

"Shit..." – Alec

The group’s instincts screamed danger. They fell into formation immediately, weapons drawn, eyes scanning the darkness.

Eve, Adelle, Aoi, and Blake didn’t even dare to breathe too loudly.

The pressure intensified, sweat dripping down their brows, their muscles stiffening under the weight.

TAP–

A footstep echoed.

Loud. Clear. Ominous.

Tap–

Tap–

Each step grew closer.

"Shit shit shit shit..." – Curtis

"Keuk..." – Alec

"Gugh..." – Eve

"Khhh..." – Aoi

"Nnghh..." – Adelle

"Fuck..." – Blake

It was stronger than the boss monster’s presence earlier. Their throats dried, their nerves burned.

They couldn’t even run— there was no portal yet. Four minutes had passed since the boss’s death, but they needed five.

"We only need to survive a minute, then we can escape."

Eve whispered, her voice sharp despite her tension. Everyone nodded silently, clutching their weapons tighter.

’Where the hell is that idiot... we need him.’

Eve cursed inwardly, referring to Raven. She was sure he felt this presence too, so he should be coming. Just one more minute...

Tap–

Another step.

"Fuck..." – Eve

"I don’t like this..." – Adelle

"Me either..." – Aoi

"This tension’s killing me." – Blake

"We should attack together." – Curtis

"I was just about to suggest that." – Alec

Tap–

The steps stopped.

The source was only meters away, hidden behind a rock just ahead. The air itself seemed to squeeze their lungs.

Tap–

The group caught a glimpse of a figure emerging.

"It’s coming!"

Eve shouted, raising her spear. Her grip was white-knuckled, her stance solid despite the trembling in her chest.

"Huh, who is?"

Then a voice came casually.

"...?"

Raven walked out from behind the rock, tilting his head as he looked at them.

"..."

"..."

"..."

Silence filled the area once again. But this time, it wasn’t from fear— only sheer disbelief.