The search screen blinked, returning numerous skills ranging from platinum to bronze. Joe held his breath while he reviewed the list with expectant eyes. He quickly disregarded any skills above gold, such as [Immortal Soul] or [Indomitable Spirit], both of which were platinum tiers. Indomitable Spirit sounded perfect, but it wasn't feasible with a price tag above 10 million points. How such an amount could be earned in the Tower was anyone’s guess. One goblin only gave a few hundred DP, which meant the numbers he would need to defeat to afford a gold-tier skill would be astronomical. No doubt, the higher floors would have greater opportunities to earn DP, but he shuddered just imagining what kind of beasts he would need to fight to acquire such a sum. 

After some thought, Joe also dismissed any Bronze-tier skills. For one, they lacked the requirements he was looking for, but the main reason was that he was concerned about filling up his last skill slot with a low-grade skill. It still wasn't clear if skills could be replaced or if it was possible to obtain more than just three. Until he had more information, it was better to play it safe and avoid making an irreversible decision. Only the bronze skill [Enhanced Spirit] for 60,000 points looked interesting. An enhanced spirit sounded like it might come with various benefits. However, it more likely just boosted the spirit attribute like Smokey’s [Giant’s Strength] did for Strength. What Joe needed was a way to see or sense in soul form. 

The longer Joe searched the list, the more his expectations of finding a skill to fit his needs began to wane. Everything was either too expensive or failed to meet his needs. Finally, his eyes flickered with renewed hope once he got halfway through the list. [Soul Palace] was a silver-tiered skill priced at 500,000 DP. He wasn't sure what the skill did precisely, but it was perfect if it created a safe space for his soul and consciousness during the respawn process. He also found [Astral Projection] a bit further down for 350,000 points. Though he couldn’t be sure what the skill did, he theorized that the ability would have something to do with projecting and controlling his Spirit outside the body. Meaning he would presumably be able to see and move in spirit form. The only concern was how he would earn such an excessive amount of points anytime soon. If he had 500,000 points lying around, he could buy a powerful silver tier attack skill instead. An ability like [Flames of Purgatory] only cost 145,000 points and would allow him to incinerate swarms of goblins with ease.

Joe sighed. He had found a couple of options, but nothing affordable right now. The truth was he was pitifully poor. It wasn’t like he was a master swordsman who could wade through entire groups of goblins unfettered, mopping up points left, right and center. He needed a way to farm points safely and reliably without the risk of dying constantly. Until then, all he could do was continue to attempt the first floor, train his sword mastery, and save points. Joe closed the search screen and returned to the artifact section. He gritted his teeth and bought another set of clothes, a basic [Steel Short Sword] and a small [Buckler Shield] for a combined price of 1200 DP. This time, Joe picked the cheapest options available to save on points. Some might say he was starting to become a miser, but how else would he earn enough to afford a bronze-tier skill. Ideally, he'd enter without a weapon to save on cost if he could. The goblins always spawned with weapons, and he was sure he could ‘liberate’ a few from the early waves without hassle, but such an idea seemed too foolhardy even for him. After confirming his purchases, he exited the shop to prepare for the next attempt. It was time to get to work.

***

Joe's sword flashed as another goblin's head was decapitated from its body, its face still plastered with a smile, unaware of its demise. All around him was a sea of carnage with corpses of goblins strewn across the ground. Joe smirked once he saw two more goblins appear to his left and right, trying to flank him. They rushed at him with spears held high, attempting to impale him from the side. Joe brought up his shield and deflected the first attack but failed to block the second in time. The sensation of a spearhead digging into his leg caused him to curse aloud. However, Joe was no longer the same person he had been a week ago. It took just a moment for him to regain the initiative. He smashed his shield into the face of the closest goblin and hacked away at the other until both goblins collapsed, one dead, the other with a broken nose. Joe walked over to the downed goblin and adeptly punctured its lung with his sword. Blood oozed from the wound, and the goblin thrashed violently until it finally gasped its final breath and went still. 

The last goblin, incensed from the death of its comrades, lost all reason. It launched itself directly at Joe, jumping in the air with a spear pointed directly at his heart. However, such an attack left it vulnerable. Joe dodged to the side and executed a downward slash that connected right at the base of its skull. Its head caved in, sliced almost all the way through, and death reached it before it even hit the ground. A wave of energy entered Joe's body, confirming he had finally reached level 8. 

'Finally.' Joe couldn't help but exclaim aloud as he plopped down on a patch of grass that had remained unspoiled from the latest battle. He pulled out a bottle of water, a needle & thread, and some badges. Joe guzzled the water to quench his thirst before cleaning, sewing, and bandaging the wound with practiced finesse. Once done, he opened his status menu to review his latest gains. 

Name: Joe Heraldson

Level: 8

Experience Points: 50/7319

Race: Human (F)

Grade: Mortal

Blessings: Heaven's Chosen

Strength: 20

Vitality: 20

Agility: 24

Will: 30

Spirit: 15

Free Stats: 5

Joe had finally reached level 8 after a week of endless slaughter. He wasn't sure how many goblins he had fought to get to this point, but he felt he must have defeated well over a hundred by now. Joe was on his 5th respawn after failing to break through the 4th wave several times. The combined challenge of goblin warriors and the shaman proved too difficult to complete alone. However, it hadn't all been a waste. He had continued to review his performance using [Sword Mastery] during both the respawn process and in between waves. He had discovered the ability wasn’t only limited during respawning but could also be achieved through meditation. All he needed was a calm mind and a quiet environment. After every wave, he would leave one goblin alive so he could sit down to review his progress. Every failure proved a learning opportunity as he mentally repeated each battle, looking at any way to improve his proficiency. 

The result was a transformation of his swordsmanship. His foundation improved in leaps and bounds, to the point he rarely fumbled with his weapon or struggled to maintain basic footwork. He had even overcome the instinct to close his eyes during every attack. An issue that had required considerable practice to overcome. All his work paid off. He was now level 8 and could complete the third round with only a few minor wounds. 

Joe looked at the five free stats and pondered what to do with them. His original plan was to split his stats between Strength, Agility, and Will. The extra Will would enhance his ability to endure the negative repercussions of respawning, while Strength and Agility would improve his combat ability. However, he quickly changed his mind once he realized that Will kept increasing after each respawn. Joe had gained ten extra stat points in Will alone, around two attribute points per death, though that number was starting to taper off. He could only assume his Will was tempered every time his soul left his body. This wasn't to say each respawn was now easy. Joe could feel something break each time he went through the process. A couple of times, he had nearly lost himself to madness. The mind wasn't meant to be separated from the body for extended periods of time, and he only made it through thanks to the [sword mastery] technique he had discovered. It quickly became a lifeline, giving him an anchor to focus on. 

For this reason, Joe had debated going all-in on Willpower, but he held back and stuck to his plan, placing all 5 free points in Agility, bringing it to 29. Joe left Strength alone since he was already more powerful than any goblin on the floor. What he lacked was the speed to take on multiple enemies at once. Spirit and Vitality were the other options to invest in. However, Joe still didn't know enough about Spirit to throw any points into that attribute, and Vitality was becoming less critical since he relied on his Respawn skill.

Joe closed his status menu once the next wave of goblins arrived. He was now facing off against the 4th wave and was excited to see how far he could go. It was now his sixth attempt, and each time he had been overwhelmed by the combined power of both the shaman and goblin warriors. If he couldn't fight head-on, he would have to fight smart. He had racked his brains for a solution, yet all his earlier plans had failed. He had first tried taking out the shaman, but the cost of breaking through the ranks of goblin warriors always left him with fatal wounds. He had switched to attacking the goblin warriors first, but this left him vulnerable to the constant long-range attacks launched by the spear throwers and shaman. None of them were particularly concerned about hitting their allies. 

Yet Joe felt confident this time. As they say, if you don't succeed at first, then cheat. The one benefit of fighting the same battle, again and again, is that you start to learn a few things about your opponents. Joe had discovered that the goblins were almost instinctual in how they fought. They would relentlessly chase their prey without end if they thought they were winning, and if he had learned anything as a gamer, enemies that chased you without stopping were perfect for kiting tactics. Joe couldn't help but chuckle at the thought that he was about to try a simple gaming tactic in a real-life battle, but heck, it’s not like he had anything to lose. 

“Hmph. If they want to chase me, then go ahead.” Joe cackled with an evil laugh.

The battle began as soon as the goblins spawned. Their shrieks filled the air, but Joe had long since become numb to the sound. The spear throwers took the lead, launching volley after volley at the single human in front of them. Joe smiled as he looked up at the wave of spears flying right towards him. He had faced the same attack countless times by now, to the point that his response was almost instinctual. He jumped backward, using his improved agility to send him gliding through the air with a single bound. The five extra agility points had increased his speed by over 10%, shocking even Joe. A moment later, the waves of spears landed harmlessly in front of him, missing their target entirely. 

The shaman made its move, sending a dark sphere spinning towards him. Joe jumped to the side, avoiding the attack altogether. He could have deflected the attack, but there was no reason to risk damaging his shield early in the fight. At the same time, the goblin warriors, unable to hold back, charged in like rampaging bulls. Joe waited for them to come within a few meters until he again pushed off against the ground and ran backward. His 29 agility, which gave him an ability above any Olympic athlete, allowed him to keep a constant distance away from them. The goblins, believing their prey was on the run, yelled in avid eagerness as they continued their charge. Yet Joe refused to engage them. Instead, he retreated, keeping a safe distance while avoiding any errant attack launched his way. None of the goblins even suspected they were being led by the nose. 

Soon the distance between the warriors and shaman began to increase as Joe led them on a wild chase. Eventually, the goblins began frothing at the mouth, their primal instincts fully taking over, making them chase after their prey with abandon. The shaman was the only one who maintained a semblance of clarity. It tried yelling incoherently to get the other goblins back in line. However, the others were too far gone to hear by this point. Joe kept a calm face but could barely keep from chuckling. The plan was working better than he expected. 

Once the gap between the warriors and shaman had opened up to a wide enough distance, Joe made his move. He sprinted around the warriors, quickly leaving them behind, and made his way directly toward the shaman, who was now unprotected. Seeing the approaching enemy, the shaman began launching dark orb after dark orb at Joe. Yet each sphere was effortlessly dodged or deflected. Joe couldn't help but laugh at the futile attempts. The shaman began to panic as it saw its attacks were ineffective. It soon began muttering another of its spells, but Joe didn't give it a chance to finish. With an extra burst of speed, Joe arrived in front of it in seconds. Using a rapid swipe, he slashed down and plunged his sword into its neck, decapitating it in one go. The speed was too fast for the shaman to even react. Blood spewed out from its exposed jugular, and the shaman’s body collapsed, dead before it could even utter a sound. 

With the shaman taken care of, Joe sprinted off before the warriors could catch up. They feverishly raced after him, losing all sense of control. Once again, Joe kited them, using the same tactic to full effect against the spear throwers. Each became an easy target once he closed the distance. Before long, all that was left were the warriors who were now panting from exhaustion. With his enemies weakened, Joe charged in, sword and shield in hand, catching the first goblin by surprise. It fell with a sword thrust to the heart before realizing what had happened. Using his superior speed, Joe flashed to the next closest goblin, parrying its attempted attack and countering with his own. Swords clashed as he fought goblin after goblin. Each time the remaining goblins caught up, Joe pulled back to continue kiting them. Soon the last goblin fell with his sword in its gut. All that was left was a trail of death with goblin corpses scattered across the once verdant hills. 

Joe stared at the battlefield in disbelief. His clothes were soaked red with blood he could only assume was a mix of his enemies and his own. The smell of goblin blood wafted through the air, reeking of rotten meat, but such a smell no longer made him nauseous. He could hardly believe how well his strategy had worked. He had beaten the 4th wave with only a few cuts and bruises to show. Fighting smart was a lesson he would need to remember for the future. He briefly wondered if this weakness was left purposefully by the Tower as a way to teach an important lesson. Though, he quickly discarded such a thought. The idea that the Heavens somehow planned this seemed like a bit of a stretch. The reality was much more straightforward. He was just a regular guy who got lucky with an OP skill. Without it, he never would have discovered the floor’s weakness let alone exploited it. He would have been just another victim that died in the first round. A nameless face, sacrificed for a war he knew nothing about. It was a sobering thought.