9…

Ronan cursed. He'd spent a little too long focusing on his status and forgotten to use the two endless treasury tokens.

Then again, he didn't need to bother with all the pomp and circumstance. He'd seen the flashy effects once.

Taking both tokens out, he activated them at the same time. After the pretty light faded, he couldn't help but curse the damn bastard who created the system and in the same breath praise them as his lord and saviour.

[Endless Treasury Token (Common)] has been consumed!

You have received [Princess Petal's Flower Crown (Common)]!

Princess Petal's Flower Crown (Common)

A crown woven from garden flowers by the princess of a distant kingdom, infused with the magic of friendship

+1 Charisma, +1 Wisdom

[Endless Treasury Token (Common)] has been consumed!

You have received [Apple of Wisdom (Common) x3]!

Apple of Wisdom (Common)

An apple grown by an ancient sage, fertilized by scraps of his comprehension

+1 Wisdom

His first token had somehow given him the same damned flower crown… "Endless treasury my arse," he spat.

However, despite his reservations about wearing flowers on his head while pulverising monsters, Ronan realised the stats it provided were far more useful this time around. He had a magic skill, so every point of mana was a precious resource.

That was why he thanked whoever owned the endless treasury for their generosity. He'd received apples of wisdom rather than lucky bananas. Three of them!

5…

Time was fast running out, so Ronan didn't waste a moment. He took out the flower crown and pressed it against his scalp.

This time he felt a faint tingle in his chest as his wisdom went up by a point. Feels fuzzy, I don't like it. He did like the results of his magic strike though, so he'd suck it up.

4…

Ronan was a man who savoured his meals. Food was fuel, but it was also a ritual. This time he threw out all manners and grace, tearing into the blue apples like a starving man.

Each time he finished an apple, he felt an intensifying tingle in his heart. Ignoring the fuzzy annoyance, he wiped the juice from his lips and the drops that had drizzled onto his chin before burping loudly.

0…

Good luck, challenger!

This time, he tried to focus on the void as it tore him through its depths. Shifting shapes and shadows that never kept their form were all he could make out.

The moment Ronan felt as if he was on the cusp of seeing anything real, it was ripped from his sight. Then, his feet fell against solid stone.

Flickering flames danced in iron cages, the braziers set against each stone brick wall of the dungeon. Shadows licked and writhed on the walls and the glowing symbols above the three archways began to fade, starting with the shield and sword.

"Wha- where are we?" Keith exclaimed to his left, retreating until his back was against the wall behind them.

"I told you to man up, Keith. This one is going to be hell. Follow my lead and we might make it out alive," he snapped his fingers, drawing the man's attention.

Ronan wanted to keep Keith alive, but his own safety came first. To ensure they both lived, he couldn't sit back and play guard dog to the useless lug.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

A goblin warrior stumbled out of the archway on his right, followed by an archer at the opposite side of the room. Ronan ignored them—they weren't the prey he was hunting right now.

The glowing symbol of the shaman's staff flickered, the blue light fading. With a final glance at his resources, Ronan rushed towards his first victim.

Health: 90/90 Stamina: 120/120 Mana: 82/100

The shaman stepped out of the archway, confident and collected where its lesser kin screeched and wailed, waiting for reinforcements before acting. However, before it could even raise its twisted staff of bone and cast its first spell, Ronan arrived.

His fist flew without grace, but it carried the force of his entire body. His feet were firmly planted on the stone tiles and his hips twisted, diverting all the power of his lower body into a single, devastating blow.

If that had been all, it still might've been enough to cripple the shaman. However, Ronan had gained a new skill since he last fought these heinous goblin tricksters.

An electrifying tingle ran down his arm as he willed magic strike into effect. He watched as he lost 5 mana, realising that the added cost hadn't yet been paid.

It didn't faze him. His fist smashed into the shaman's chest before it had a chance to defend itself. The crunch of bone echoed through the dungeon as ribs snapped under the devastating blow.

With every punch and kick, Ronan seared the motions into his muscle memory. He was forging himself into a warrior with the goblins as a grinding stone.

The shaman roared. An ugly, twisted screech that made him wince, but Ronan's fist continued. His mana suddenly dropped as a wave of invisible force exploded outwards from his bloody knuckles.

His arm trembled in the aftermath of the mana shock, but that was a tickle compared to the devastation he'd unleashed on the shaman. Its body was plastered against the wall, slumped by the side of the archway which had spawned it.

There was a hole in the middle of its torso, cracked ribs poking into the gap. Blood and bits of its organs dripped into its stomach as it clutched at its ravaged chest.

It hadn't died in a single strike, but Ronan hadn't expected it to. Even with this new addition to his arsenal, it was still a level 10 monster. He was only level 3.

He could've left it to suffer, but he'd seen the shamans restore deadly wounds with their enigmatic voodoo. Two strides brought him to his downed foe, looming over the gasping creature.

Wasting more mana on another magic strike would be pure self indulgence. A sharp tingle ran down his arm as he burst its head like a melon.

You have killed [Goblin Shaman Lv.10]!

+17 Copper Credits

+3 [Pugilist] Mastery

+2 [Mana] Mastery

+Goblin Toes (Common)

+Shaman's Bone Staff Lv.10 (Common)

You have leveled up to Lv.4!

You have leveled up to Lv.5!

You have been restored!

+2 Vitality

+2 Endurance

+2 Free Stat Points

7 points of mana was a cheap price to pay for the satisfaction of revenge. The other goblins had barely moved during this battle, shocked into silence and festering fear by the savage dismantling of their de-facto leader.

Ronan hadn't paid much attention to the kill notifications the last time he'd been trapped in this dungeon. He wasn't sure how different they were this time, but either way he was satisfied.

He saved the free stat points for now. There were too many options and until he had to spend them, he would hold off.

While the other goblins had been frozen in fear during his battle, the moment the shaman fell they were whipped into a murderous frenzy. Another warrior and archer had appeared, giving the hideous little bastards the confidence to attack.

Keith was trembling, but at least he hadn't tried to run. Ronan clenched and unclenched his fists. Pugilism was enjoyable and he was well suited to the brutality of close quarters combat, but he wanted to try something with the bone staff he'd received.

"Keith! I don't need you to be Conan the bloody Barbarian but if you could try to handle one of the goblins I'd appreciate it," Ronan shouted out, startling the man from his stupor.

He looked ready to retort, but before Keith could get a word in, Ronan was already charging at the nearest lesser goblin warrior.

Ronan pulled the shaman's bone staff from his inventory in a fluid motion. His right hand firmly grabbed the shaft but it slipped from his left.

Trying to equip a weapon directly from the inventory was difficult and he hadn't got the basics down yet. The warrior screeched and charged with bloodshot eyes.

The other followed suit, both raising their shortswords into the air and hefting their shields to guard their vitals. Ronan could handle them both at once, but that would give the archers an easy target.

Hopefully Keith would prove more than useless, but he wouldn't rely on the man. He knew from his first lethal encounter with this goblin horde that he could slaughter them all single handedly if need be—but fighting side by side with another bloke would make it easier and potentially more enjoyable.

After all, what self respecting man hadn't imagined himself as a primal warrior, hunting and battling his foes with the might of his physical body, at one point or another. Ronan certainly had, though he might never say so out loud.

Well, that particular daydream had come true, but it was far from what he'd imagined. Fighting with your bare hands was fucking painful, for one.

This time, he had a big staff to smack the little green bastards with and if magic strike worked the way he hoped it did, they were in for a world of hurt.

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