_____________________________

 

Name: Tusko Vagar

Level: 30

Race: HighBreed

Class: Barbarian

Title: Frenzied Berserker / Champion / Kinslayer

Experience: 27000 / 175000

 

[Status]

- H.P: 1100 / 1100

- M.P: 250 / 250

- S.P: 800 / 800

- Fatigue: 29%

- Defense: 600

- Offense: 1300

 

[Skills]

- Berserker Rage: Level 10

- Bloodlust: Level 9

- Cleave: Level 11

- Frenzied Assault: Level 12

- Intimidating Presence: Level 10

- Rampage: Level 10

- Raging Roar: Level 8

- Reckless Swing: Level 12

- Whirlwind Strike: Level 11

- Tactical Awareness: Level 10

 

[Abilities]

- Cannibalism: Unlocked

- Feral Instincts: Unlocked

- Unbridled Fury: Unlocked

- Indomitable Will: Unlocked

- Raging Bull: Unlocked

- Resilient Endurance: Unlocked

- Bloodthirst: Unlocked

 

『Expand』

_____________________________

 

At this point, surprise had become a distant companion.

Following a notification signaling the arrival of a new intruder, I witnessed the red dots representing the previously lone Paladin transform into yet again those of another class—this time, a barbarian.

A barbarian had full health, mana, and stamina, as if he were an entirely new person, but clearly he wasn’t. The only constants were the name that persisted as "Tusko Vagar," a name I can imagine being forever etched in my memory, the accumulating fatigue level from his Swashbuckler time until now, and of course the still missing Authority.

 

_____________________________

 

[Death Paladin (Guarding Spawn, Enhanced), Level 31, slain by HighBreed, Barbarian, Level 30]

_____________________________

_____________________________

 

[Death Paladin (Guarding Spawn, Enhanced), Level 31, slain by HighBreed, Barbarian, Level 30]

_____________________________

_____________________________

 

[Death Paladin (Guarding Spawn, Enhanced), Level 32, slain by HighBreed, Barbarian, Level 30]

_____________________________

 

In the current scenario, with the majority of my spawns decimated first by the swashbuckler and predominantly by the paladin—whose proficiency in slaying my ranks, owing to his title, was evident—the remaining spawns, primarily consisting of high-level Death Paladins, were not without putting up a resistance before succumbing to the now-transformed Barbarian.

As I observed this grim spectacle through my interface, I was reminded of a crucial detail that may have slipped my mind. While a Death Paladin was inherently superior to a verdenkind or Highbreed of the same level in terms of Base Strength, expressed through offense and defense, the addition of variables such as skills, abilities, and titles—which I've discovered vary both individually and in numerous forms—could result in a seemingly one-sided massacre, like this one.

"Poor spawns of mine. I really should ponder this thoroughly when this is over," I couldn't help but sigh. Returning to the pressing issue at hand, it was evident that this invader wasn't going to be halted by my spawns. So the looming question was: What would be his next move?

 

***

_____________________________

 

[Death Paladin (Guarding Spawn, Enhanced), Level 32, slain by HighBreed, Barbarian, Level 30]

_____________________________

_____________________________

 

Name: Tusko Vagar
Level: 30
Race: HighBreed
Class: Barbarian
Health: 63%

Status: In Combat

『Expand』

_____________________________

 

After some time, he was finally done; all my available spawns in the area were defeated, leaving only him—the invader, represented by a red dot on the map. Unlike before, where he charged forward with a hint of fear, he instead remained on the spot momentarily. I envisioned someone standing in the midst of a mountain of corpses, though I wasn't even sure if my spawns left behind corpses. For dramatic effect, I pictured him out of breath, surrounded by several fallen foes, but it was merely my imagination.

 

After a while, as I began to wonder about his next move, I noticed some movements from him.

 

_____________________________

 

Name: Tusko Vagar

Level: 8

Race: HighBreed

Class: Mage

Title:

Experience: 2890 / 7650

 

[Status]

- H.P: 220 / 220

- M.P: 380 / 380

- S.P: 110 / 110

- Fatigue: 15%

- Defense: 90

- Offense: 120

 

[Skills]

Fire Magic: Level 2

Lightning Magic: Level 2

- Elemental Infusion: Level 3

- Healing Magic: Level 2

- Mana Shield: Level 2

- Restoration: Level 4

- Mystic Barrier: Level 5

- Identification: Level 5

- Appraisal: Level 3

 

[Abilities]

- Arcane Insight: Unlocked

- Enhanced Learning: Unlocked

- Arcane Precision: Unlocked

- Acolyte's Grace: Unlocked

 

『Expand』

_____________________________

 

_____________________________

 

[ ???'s Interface ]

 

System Notification

Intrusion Report:

One entity has invaded your dungeon domain. G.P safety compromised.

 

Suggestion:

Secure G.P, put an end to the invasion.

Intercept and Slay the invaders

 

Estimated Reward:

- 27087 G.P

- Authorities: Authority Gathering

/ Ethereal Echo

_____________________________

 

"Tsk, again?" I couldn’t help but complain at the sight. Just how many alternative classes do you have? At least it was a title-less class at a level my spawns could easily defeat. Unfortunately, I no longer had any spawns available within reach.

I watched with great confusion as the lone invader went about his business, whatever it was. "What is he doing? Huh? Is he...." In that moment, through Otherworldly Synergy, I understood he did something that had a direct result on his H.P, causing it to increase. Since his H.P was full, the increase went nowhere.

But just as I was about to deem whatever he was up to useless or, at the very least, confusing, he did it again. He shifted classes, reverting to the Paladin class, and his health, which my spawns had managed to bring down by 20%, healed from it. "Hell no, hell no, this is cheating! How is this fair?" I watched helplessly as the Paladin's health increased.

After making roughly a 7% health increase, the lone invader switched back to his Mage class, seemingly to renew the spell used for healing. He did this three times, managing to nurse the paladin's health back to 41% when the healing suddenly stopped. I briefly wondered why, and then it hit me: the mage was out of M.P.

"Hahaha, serve you right." I wasn't even sure why, but that realization brought a smile to my face. Well, I did know why. Initially, I was very afraid that using this method, the lone invader would completely heal not only the paladin and the barbarian but the swashbuckler as well. That would be beyond cheating and in the realm of hacking if that were true.

With caution and apprehension regarding the invader's next course of action, I watched as he reverted to the Barbarian class, the class he used to finally move forward, proceeding deeper and deeper into my domain. "Pfffiou." From the look of it, he doesn't have any other healing alternative, or at least I hoped he didn't, because nothing laid deeper into my domain in the direction he was heading to except one thing: My domain guardian.

 

***

 

One thing that is to be known about a dungeon guardian is that, unlike any other spawn chosen from, there can only be one. While there can only be one, there are only two behaviors that can be assigned to them: guarding or spawning behavior, with the latter involving mostly immobile behavior. With these choices, a perimeter, a mini-domain, is established inside my domain.

For my dungeon guardian to be able to do anything, that mini-domain must be invaded by the invader, something that my lone invader was, I believed, a few steps away from doing. But for some reason, he didn't. He stood there as if contemplating his next course of action. Watching this through the interface, there isn't much I could do except to pray that he would take that step forward into the dungeon mini-domain, for us to put an end to this all.

A tense while went by of complete stillness. "What are you doing?" I began to seethe, "waiting to recover some of your H.P? If you wait, you'll not be the only one recovering; my spawns will respawn, so do it. Take that step. Do it."

At that moment, as if hearing my taunting words, a move was made. Fortunately, it wasn't one in which he turned his back after his rampage, but rather a bold move that brought him into my domain. "Hahahaha, you're brave, I'll certainly give you that, hahahaha," I laughed frantically as a notification popped up in front of me.

 

___________________________

 

Dungeon Core Interface

 

System Notification:

 

[ Guardian Room Invasion Detected ]

 

Level: 30

Invader Race: HighBreed

Class: Barbarian

 

Warning: Boss room integrity compromised. Dungeon core defenses activated.

 

Defensive Countermeasures:

- Spawn Dungeon Guardian

 

___________________________

 

“Hahaha, yes!”