While Ethan mulled over things, his minions continued their rampage, tearing through the undead dungeon without much resistance. The battle had barely felt like a challenge. If anything, it was starting to feel routine—an overwhelming wave of monsters flooding in and crushing everything in sight.
The difference in difficulty between green and blue dungeons was clear, though. The green dungeons had taken his army about thirty minutes per clear, while the blue ones stretched close to an hour. That wasn't due to the monsters being stronger—though they were—but rather because the dungeon layouts were much larger and filled with a lot more creatures.
Normally, that would be great—more monsters ant more experience and more loot. But today, it was turning into a hassle.
By the ti Ethan, Lia, and Luna exited the undead dungeon, his storage pouch was nearly full. Just a single blue dungeon run had packed it with so much bone dust, enchanted skulls, and cursed artifacts that he was already running out of space.
He clicked his tongue in annoyance.
If they had to keep running back and forth between the vendors and the portals, it would slow their grind down significantly. Efficiency was everything, and if he kept having to stop, they wouldn't be able to hit their goals before leaving this place.
Luna didn't seem to care, still high on the thrill of battle, while Lia looked more concerned.
Ethan, however, was thinking deeper. He even considered using the teleportation token right now and getting them out of this place entirely.
But then what?
If he left now, he'd just be back to square one—weak, under-leveled, and unprepared. If soone stronger sniffed out Luna's oddity, he wouldn't be able to do a damn thing to stop them. He wasn't about to let that happen.
Power. That was the only way to protect them.
And there was one more thing he needed before leaving this place. Information.
His eyes flicked toward the magic pouch in his hand.
How had he not known these existed before? If sothing as basic as a storage pouch had been outside his knowledge, what else was he unaware of?
Were there artifacts that could help hide his and Luna's identities? Spells? Equipnt? Sothing to erase their tracks?
There had to be more magical tools that could be useful to them, and the best way to find out was simple—gold. The more he earned, the more he could spend ti browsing vendors and preparing properly.
He wouldn't waste this opportunity.
Without hesitating, Ethan led the two into another blue portal dungeon.
The scenery changed again. This ti, they found themselves standing at the edge of a dense, twilight-lit forest. The air slled of damp earth and wild musk, and in the distance, the low growls of predators echoed between the thick canopy.
No undead this ti.
Instead, the dungeon was crawling with wolves, panthers, and massive saber-toothed tigers.
Perfect.
This one felt more straightforward than the undead dungeon. The terrain was open, the enemies were strong but not complicated, and there were no annoying status effects to deal with.
His minions tore through them effortlessly. The wolves were not strong enough to pose a threat. The panthers' stealth was useless when his minions were everywhere. The saber-toothed tiger was strong but when it ca to one against many, it simply did not stand a chance.
It was barely a warm-up.
Ethan took advantage of the simpler fights and finally filled the rest of his summoning roster.
With every level-up in his mage class, his summoning capacity increased, and the more creatures he added, the more he had to level up.
It was a vicious cycle, but one that would soon end once he reached level 25.
Five more levels. That was all he needed.
The thought made him tighten his grip. Just a little longer.
After another quick and brutal clear, Ethan wasted no ti. He rushed back to the vendors, this ti heading to a different rchant. He did not want to raise any unnecessary red flags by going to the sa one.
Luckily, the pricing remained consistent. This guy didn't seem to care where the loot ca from—as long as the goods were valuable, he paid the sa rates.
A few minutes of quick trading later, Ethan had enough to purchase another magic pouch.
He handed over the gold without hesitation.
The second pouch ant they could now store two full dungeon runs before needing to return. That alone doubled their efficiency.
They had a long way to go.
And the grinding ti wasn't over yet.
Luna, in particular, was thrilled. "More dungeons, more monsters! More leveling up!" she cheered, practically bouncing as they approached the next portal.
Ethan chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. But keep it down. Otherwise, we have to go back ho."
She pouted but nodded eagerly.
Without hesitation, they stepped into the next blue portal.
The mont they entered, a wave of icy air hit them like a hamr.
The temperature plumted instantly, and the air was thick with frost. Jagged icicles hung from cavern ceilings, and the ground beneath them was a mix of solid ice and packed snow.
Lia shivered. "It's freezing!"
Even Ethan felt the chill this ti, though his high endurance stats helped him shake it off quickly.
Luna, on the other hand, was… unfazed.
She tilted her head, blinking at the frost in confusion. "It's cold?"
Ethan side-eyed her. She didn't feel the sand's heat in the desert, and now she didn't feel the cold either? This kid was getting weirder by the second. It did not surprise him because he expected as much.
Before he could question it, a deep growl echoed through the cavern.
From the shadows, creatures began to stalk forward. Their bodies were covered in thick, white fur, their eyes glowing blue. Sharp claws and icicle-like fangs reflected the dim cavern light.
[Icefang Wolves – Lv. 22]
[Frostborne Ursas – Lv. 25]
Bears and wolves. Lots of them.
"The more, the rrier!" Ethan grinned as he started summoning his army.
Reviews
All reviews (0)