Placing my foot on the strange soil, which looked like a mixture of grey sand and small stones, I felt a shiver down my spine.
It felt like something was observing me, watching me from a distance...
I looked around, trying to stay calm, but no matter where my gaze landed, everything looked the same - a barren wasteland.
There was no sign of any life, except for a few weird rocks - they seemed to be shaped like monsters, randomly scattered around.
"..."
Unknowingly, I gripped my Katana's hilt tighter, preparing to unsheathe it if necessary.
As I took a few steps forward, I began to feel the strange energy emanating from the spire in the distance.
Previously, when I saw the spire from afar I could see an almost transparent wall of strange Aura surrounding it.
Only now, being closer, I could feel the intensity of that Aura and identify it.
"Dark Mana..."
It was Dark Mana, the type of energy that was used by demons and their worshippers. It was very similar to normal Mana except for its strange property to corrode everything it came in contact with.
Now I understood why there was no vegetation or signs of life around this spire - it was a hub of darkness, a place where the normal laws of nature were distorted.
"..."
My golden eyes narrowed looking at the spire and the dragon corpse curling around it.
There was probably a Demon residing there.
Leaning against the rock that seemed a lot like the shape of a wolf, I closed my eyes and sighed.
I never thought I'd face my first demon so soon. I hoped to at least avoid them until mid-term exams, but fate had other plans.
Whoosh...
Suddenly a cold win brushed past me and I quickly opened my eyes.
Roar...
Good thing I did, because the rock I was leaning on came to life and transformed into a vicious wolf-shaped monster, almost biting my head off.
At the last moment, I managed to roll forward, avoiding its jaws by a hair's breadth. I could feel the rush of wind from the wolf monster's bite whoosh past my face.
Swish...
In a swift motion, I unsheathed my Katana and took a defensive stance, waiting for the creature to make its move.
Since I had never encountered a wolf gargoyle while playing the game, I didn't know its strengths and weaknesses.
I'd rather stay on the defensive until I figure out its attack patterns and vulnerabilities. My strategy was to observe the monster's movements and react accordingly.
As the wolf monster circled around me, growling and baring its sharp stone teeth, I remained calm and focused.
Whoosh...
Seeing that I wasn't making the first move, the wolf monster lunged toward me with incredible speed, aiming for a quick swipe with its stone claws.
Clank...
I deflected the attack with my Katana, using its sharp edge to successfully parry the wolf monster's claws.
However, I didn't expect the wolf monster to follow up with a swift tail swipe that caught me off guard.
Thud...
I stumbled back, feeling the force of its stony tail slamming into my chest.
"Wha-"
I gasped, trying to catch my breath, but the wolf monster wasn't about to give me a break. It charged at me again, attempting to bite me with its sharp stone jaws.
Crush...
I could hear the sound of rocks grinding together as the wolf monster's jaws closed in on me.
Fortunately, I was quick enough to react, dodging to the side and delivering a swift strike with my Katana.
Clank...
The blade that should've made a clean cut through the monster's rocky exterior, bounced off harmlessly, revealing the durability of the creature.
"Shit..."
Seeing my attack fail, I understood I needed a new strategy. In situations like this, I would usually pause the game and check online forums or walkthroughs for tips on how to defeat a tough enemy.
However, now that this was a reality, I had to rely on my skills and knowledge to come up with a new plan.
Growl...
As the wolf monster growled, releasing a sound that seemed to reverberate through my bones, I sheathed my Katana.
I realized that this weapon would be useless against a creature of this caliber.
This made the wolf gargoyle tilt its head in confusion as if it was expecting me to put up a fight and not abandon my weapon.
Its stone ears perked up, and its eyes narrowed, waiting for me to reveal my hidden card, try to escape, or pull out a new weapon.
However, I did nothing, standing still and observing the wolf monster's behavior.
Growl...
We stared at each other for a good few minutes, before the wolf monster started to lose patience and charged at me once more.
At that moment, when the monster was only a few meters away, I reacted swiftly, gathering Mana into my palm.
Whoosh...
Golden Aura Blade manifested and I quickly thrust my hand forward, piercing the monster's rocky skin with ease.
The tip of the Golden Dagger impaled the wolf's chest, but it didn't stop the momentum of its charge.
Boom...
The creature's stone body crashed into mine, making me fall to the ground, it 's heavy weight pressing down on me.
Growl...
It seems that the creature wasn't dead yet.
The wolf monster's nails dug into my chest and I could feel their sharp edges grinding against my ribcage, threatening to break through.
"..."
However, I refused to panic, thrusting my dagger forward again, aiming for the wolf's neck.
We both struggled like this for a few more seconds, before my blade managed to impale the creature's neck and cause cracks to spread through its rocky skin.
Grrr...
As if feeling it was near its deathbed, the wolf monster tried to bite my head off, however, I wriggled from underneath it and rolled away, avoiding its fierce jaws by a mere inch.
"..."
Mine and Gargoyle's eyes met for the last time before the creature crumbled to pieces of stone and sand.
Without any hesitation, I reached for a health potion out of my Spatial Inventory, glaring at the other stone figures, scattered throughout the area.
It didn't seem that they were yet awake, but I didn't let my guard down.
After my wounds healed, I approached a stone statue that was the closest to me examining it for any possible signs of life.
Crack...
The statue of the lizard suddenly cracked and two red dots glowed from within its stone eyes, indicating that it had come to life.
However, before the lizard could make a move my Aura Blade impaled its head, making it crumble into a pile of rubble.
It seems like the Gargoyles would only awaken if someone was nearby.
Looking at its remains, I noticed a white glow shining beneath the sand. It was an F Rank core!
"..."
Slowly, my face began to shift into a grin. If the statues could drop cores and could only be activated by a nearby human, it meant that I had stumbled upon an excellent farming spot.
I looked around the wasteland, filled with these Gargoyles and my lips pressed together as I began to calculate the statues.
"327..."
Finishing my calculation of the Gargoyles in the area, I set off to systematically farm their cores.
Although now I couldn't defeat the Demon residing within the Deadly Spire, if I absorbed all the cores, there is a chance I'd rank up.
I didn't even realize that the place that seemed to be a deadly dragon's grave moments ago had turned into an opportunity for growth and advancement.
For a second it seemed that this dungeon was worth it...
That was only for a second, of course, as I remembered everything that had transpired here.
From being attacked by shadows to almost suffocating in the underground mole tunnels. This dungeon was unforgiving and treacherous.
"..."
Piercing my Aura Blade through the head of a newly awakened Gargoyle, I noticed that this rock didn't crumble, but rather hardened.
It seemed that after its death, its rocky skin became stronger, even my Aura Blade couldn't penetrate through the black rock.
Scratching my head, I tried to hit it in various vulnerable places, but it was no use. I also tried to rip away the parts of the rock that seemed weaker, but it was only marginally successful.
Thud...
Some pebbles fell, but it was clear that it would take too much effort to try and break through Gargoyle's post-death defense mechanism.
"Stupid snake..."
Muttering under my breath, I made a mental note to avoid these hardened Gargoyles in the future and focus on exploiting the ones that still crumble easily.
I don't have the luxury to waste time, since I could only farm the statues in this area, before either the Demon noticed or the sunset.
However, It was a gamble I had to take if I wanted to become stronger and leave this dungeon alive.
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