They surrounded Anna's throne-like chair without a change in expression, merely standing there, like trophies.
…
Towards the eastern side of the Holy Land, a marsh, full of mist and steam dwelled. All sorts of strange creatures ran amuck, but a particular civilization was more noteworthy than the others. Thick walls made out rock, and even torches were present, protecting the humans inside.
They were a group of pale people. Thick beards extending from their chin, and they possessed rough facial features. Scars ran down their shirtless bodies, threatening all living beings and showcasing their rich battle experience.
In the middle of the campsite, a sturdy man sat on top of a rug; his beard was a foot longer than the others, and he was busy eating a rabbit leg. He adorned strange jewelry on his fingers that glistened brightly within the mist. A black eye-patch covered his right eye, and the rest of the inhabitants seemed to hold this man to high regard.
A chuckle escaped from his thick lips, "bring me more things to plunder… my greed has yet to be satiated."
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Inside of the dungeon, Wilhelm gradually made his way back to the sparkling blue lake. He washed off the sludge that tainted his blemishless skin and brushed his straight hair. The small cuts on his body had already healed, and he was in perfect physical condition. Nonetheless, the mental strain was still inconceivably rough. Fighting for a few days without rest was not an easy task.
Once his body could be considered somewhat clean, he stretched his limbs and walked out of the narrow cave, heading for the ant colony. He slicked his long hair behind his moderately pointy ears, causing droplets of water to fall in the process.
His eyes were squinted as he clenched the silver dagger in the palm of his hands, treading along the dungeon with caution. It was about time for him to start getting serious about leaving the dungeon; staying cooped up in the darkness was less than desirable. His level had drastically risen, giving him more confidence to ascend the upper floors.
With this in mind, he soon arrived near the ant colony. Using his improved night-eye skill, he followed a few tracks that moved westward, through a relatively small cavern. The rocks and grooves were uneven, forcing him to move on all fours. Furthermore, the absence of light would typically result in fear, but Wilhelm had long grown used to the murk.
It took him a few minutes of continuously climbing and running until he could finally hear the sound of dirt and rocks being moved. Straight ahead, a small group of worker ants were busy digging tunnels. They used their thick mandibles to transport stones and dig deeper into the cave, baffling Wilhelm.
The dungeon seemed to be alive as if it were some kind of animal kingdom. He was unsure if the ants could possibly break free from repeated digging, or if there was some kind of barrier like the entrance he had entered from. Either way, it was something worth investigating, especially if he wanted to escape.
However, most of his troublesome thoughts were blown away by his empty stomach. Even the gross looking ants started to look delicious in his eyes. He tightly clasped his silver dagger, reaching for the rusted knife with his left hand at the same time.
The group of five or so ants were very unsuspecting, none of them anticipated a small knife to penetrate their compatriots behind. Immediately, a rusted dagger was embedded into one of the ants acid sacks, causing it to writhe on the ground.
Wilhelm didn't waste much time and rushed forward, albeit, the small cavern wasn't spacious enough for much movement. The other ants could hardly react before Wilhelm already reached them, slashing down with his weapon. The silver dagger gleamed within the darkness, temporarily impairing their sight.
Slash! The first ant was cut in the neck, causing a stream of blood to splash onto Wilhelm's face. His expression didn't contort in the slightest as he used his other hand to subtly grab the rusted dagger, twirling around and kicking another of the charging ants in the same motion.
Using his masterful hands' skill, the blades seemed to dance as the ants fell one after another. Perfect sense of control, precision, and lethality caused Wilhelm to become a master of efficient killing. Blood flowed on the ground, reflecting Wilhelm's extremely cold face.
The more he fought, the more his skills from the past awoke. Alongside his masterful hands' skill and the training, he did in the past, there were not many things that could compare to him when it came to fighting technique. In fact, the only thing that previously held him back was rust and age. Alas, muscle memory was a wondrous thing.
[150 experience has been acquired for killing a worker ant! x5]
After contemplating for a few moments before gazing down at the lifeless bodies below. He used their flexible limbs and tied them together, forming a strange line of ant carcasses. Once that was complete, he dragged them back to his makeshift residence. To him, it didn't matter if other ants followed the trail of blood; he would gladly welcome more experience.
The main issue was the weight of the ants. Even with his current level of strength, the massive bodies were quite hefty. His muscles were forced into second gear as he clenched his teeth, dragging the ants across the stone ground. Not only would he have to cook them, but he still had to bury the corpses before rest was an option.
'This world is just as unfair and damnable as the last…' He inwardly lamented as sweat started to fall from his body. Even his hands began to bleed from pulling the excess weight, causing small droplets of scarlet blood to fall from them.
Like this, he managed to make it back to the lake after some time. His body collapsed due to exhaustion, and he just left the ants at the side. He gasped for breath whilst on the ground, taking a short break before cooking his food.
There was no real need to rush. He had no dates to catch. Instead, he rested for ten minutes before finally standing up to his feet. He gazed upon the gnarly looking ants with a wry smile, using the sparks from his dagger to catch them on fire. Unlike ordinary food, Wilhelm assumed the ants to taste much better when burnt, less flavor.
He watched as the carcasses were set aflame, their exoskeletons cracking within the blaze. He didn't douse the flaming ants until their skin was pitch black, perfect for eating. A tear fell from his right eye as he bit into one of the ants, spiced up with flame-water. Even with the best spice in the world; hunger, it still tasted disgusting.
He pushed himself to finish at least half of the ant before running toward the lake, guzzling some of the water. He'd prefer his mouth to become burnt, than to be capable of taste; the water streamed down his neck and once again caused him to painfully roll on the ground.
The dungeon was practically torture. No amount of consolation could ever make him forget the hellish time he spent inside the cave. It wasn't until the surroundings grew quiet that he begrudgingly stood up from the ground. Instead of burying all of the corpses at this moment, he would save them for later. Stockpiling food was very essential, especially since hunting wouldn't always be an option.
He dusted his legs off and stretched his limbs. Upon some brief deliberation, he decided that he would test out a few of his theories before going to bed. Since the tutorial was practically useless, it was up to the humans to figure out and understand the features of the system. Whether it showcased all of your personal skills, or if you had to be moderately well-versed at them for it to appear on the status page.
Thinking to here, he wielded both of his daggers and started to practice using the drills he had learned in the past. With his past training, there should be no reason why a dagger-like skill had not yet popped up. Not to mention his other skills, such as survival, cooking, and even interrogation.
This short training continued for around thirty minutes until results actually showed themselves. His body felt a tad bit lighter, and a refreshing feeling assailed him. It wasn't until the robotic voice inside of his head rang out, that he stopped moving.
[Dagger Mastery (level 1) has been achieved]
[User will move 15% faster
with daggers wielded]
[Due to the special characteristic of the "undertaker" class, the "dagger mastery" skill has been renamed to "spectral dagger." All effects will be doubled]
A small, but shocked chuckle escaped from his lips, "the undertaker class… it isn't useless as I thought, after all!"
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
After proving his hypothesis to be accurate, Wilhelm breathed out a sigh of relief. It was impossible to gain skills without the necessary proficiency and training; resulting in the few skills that he acquired when he had first arrived in the new world. This explained quite a few things, and also presented an advantage to those who had the appropriate training from earth—it was similar to a head-start of sorts.
Wilhelm was also pleasantly surprised by his secret class, which gave him quite a powerful ability. It doubled the effects of his dagger-mastery, causing Wilhelm to wonder if the Undertaker was a knife-user class. It made sense, considering the agility and the knowledge of human anatomy. Perhaps, the best choice of weapon was scalpel of some kind.
Thinking to here, Wilhelm covered the ant carcasses in dirt and sludge to dilute the scent. He didn't want anything to sneak up on him during the night. He had made considerable progress during the day, and he could finally rest without worry.
He hugged himself and laid on the ground, seeking warmth. The cold cave was unforgiving, but he could barely manage to handle it. Soon, only the sound of his rugged breathing escaped from the small grotto, ricocheting off of the lake. His hair which was a multitude of colors, mostly black, was sprawled out behind his head. Even Wilhelm was unaware that his natural hair color was now faint, replaced by a beautiful sheen of obsidian.
…
The sunlight that leaked into the cave gradually faded, turning into the gleam of the moon. Nightfall was generally much more dangerous than daylight. However, no creatures dared to encroach upon Wilhelm. Their animalistic impulses warned them otherwise, after all, he was much stronger than the average creature on the bottom floor. In fact, now that he received his new skill, there were not many things that could contend with him.
Like this, night slowly passed, and Wilhelm finally awoke from his deep slumber. Light shone onto the blue lake, irradiating its beauty and illuminating Wilhelm's face. A loud yawn erupted from his mouth as he stood up from the ground, dusting off his buttocks.
His silver dagger dangled at the side as he stretched his limbs, cracking his bones and relieving stress. His thick beard swayed within the small breeze, and the morbid ant carcasses assaulted his nose. Even with the dirt and sludge, it was not enough to mask their smell.
In the past, Wilhelm probably would've been the one to bellow out in laughter at the sight of someone eating an oversized ant. Unfortunately, since he was the one forced to eat such a thing, it was no laughing matter. He could hardly resist the urge to vomit just thinking about the taste.
Wilhelm refused to eat another damned ant in this life. Thus, he decided to leave the bottom floor by tomorrow morning. There was not a single desire in his entire body to attack the ant and grottenburg colonies. The amount of experience was feeble, and their taste was even worse. His best bet was to hunt new monsters, or at the very least, kill the ant queen.
Thinking to here, he wielded both of his daggers and started a short round of exercise. Like all things in life, practice made perfect. Now that Wilhelm held a deeper understanding of the system, he knew exactly how to gain power at an efficient pace. From what he comprehended, it rewarded persistence, and since he had nothing else to do besides train, it was perfect for his current situation.
He tossed the daggers into the air and started to acrobatically train with them. Deflecting the daggers off of each other and catching them at the perfect time, a completely unpredictable fighting style. Not only was he trained to kill using a knife, but he was also someone who aspired to be a magician. Precision and control was a key factor when it came to juggling—the absolute trust in one's self.
It wasn't until an hour went by that he reluctantly stopped his excess movements. He wiped the beads of sweat that trailed down his forehead and stashed both of his daggers back in his loincloth. There were no new skills, but he was gradually getting back into the groove. Sooner or later, he would return to his prime.
The afternoon was quickly approaching, and Wilhelm wanted to start surveying the upper floors before dusk. He gulped down a tad bit of flame-water before departing, making sure that his body was hydrated enough for combat. After this, he followed the small trail he had made with his fingernail prior.
Presumably, due to the ants, there was an innumerable number of tunnels which led to absolutely nothing. Wilhelm was forced to trail each and every passage that likely led to anywhere worth nothing, which was a huge pain in the ass for him. Not only were the ants disgusting, but they traveled in groups and didn't give much experience; they were practically the most arduous species known to man.
Thinking to here, Wilhelm couldn't help but spit onto the ground and quicken his pace with longer strides. Since the ants and grottenburgs seemed to be nocturnal, there were no mishaps, and he soon arrived at the spiral-like tunnel. Unlike before, his instincts didn't warn him, causing him to breathe out a sigh of relief and ascend the stone stairs.
His footsteps reverberated throughout the small staircase, becoming more and more faint with time. He climbed for a total of five minutes, not stopping once. The higher he went, the brighter the dark cave became, as if there some source of light on the outside. This discovery boosted Wilhelm's determination and confidence, causing him to increase his pace even further.
Soon, stone steps that were intertwined with vines started to appear, and the ragged walls showcased themselves. Intricate spider webs plagued the entire passage and Wilhelm was forced to furrow his brows once he reached the end of the tunnel.
In front of him, a very large spider with eight, glowing red eyes laid there. Its appearance was gnarly, and Wilhelm couldn't help but gulp down a mouthful of saliva. It appeared to be sleeping, and upon further investigation, it was the same type of spider that he had encountered when he first transmigrated.
Hesitation bore deep into Wilhelm's bones, but he ground his teeth and squinted his eyes, resolving himself for the worst. It was finally time to see how much he had progressed from the beginning. At the start, he could only run from the spider, but now, everything had changed.
His eyes radiated determination as he pulled up his new and improved status.
---------------
[Character Information]
Name: Wilhelm Siegfried
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Level: 9, [2950/6000 EXP]
Class: Undertaker (1) [32/100]
Strength: 13
Agility: 17
Intelligence: 15
Stamina: 13
Magic Power: 0
HP: 100/100
MP: 5/5
Skills: Krav Maga (level 10), indomitable will (level 1), superior intellect (level 2), Gun proficiency (level 10), Night-eye (class-skill), masterful hands (level 5), Spectral Dagger (level 1),
Items: None
Allocatable stat points: 0
Evolution points: 0
Coins: 4
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
The spider rested atop a massive spiral of webs, its spear-like legs comfortably hanging off the edge. At the side, all sorts of unusual creatures were stuck inside rather compact cocoons, devoid of life. A few ants, grottenburgs, and even several unidentified beasts presented themselves, causing Wilhelm to squint his eyes cautiously.
The dome-like area was perfect for combat, but it was also riddled with traps and webs. The spider wasn't yet aware of Wilhelm's small figure as he trotted carefully, avoiding the floor littered with bones and carcasses. He tightly clasped his daggers, sweat trailing down the palm of his hands as he stealthily approached the eight-legged beast.
His body was slouched down ever so slightly, bending hi
s back as he crept, like an assassin. With both his inhuman strength and dagger expertise, he wasn't too worried about failure. Nonetheless, as a human who used to live on earth, such a situation was absolutely unnerving. Even with the absurd amount of time he had spent in the dungeon, he was still not used to such colossal-like creatures.
His quiet approach continued for a total of fifteen seconds until he arrived around three meters away from the huge figure. The closer he got, the more magnified its features became. A strange, green liquid trickled down from its skin and a small entrance within the cave was at its back. A few of the trapped ants which were still alive wiggled happily as they observed Wilhelm approach—every animal wanted to survive; it was in their instincts.
The abrupt movement resulted in the spider to open up one of its eyes, inspecting the prey it had acquired the other day. With that one movement, the surroundings became dead quiet. The eye scanned the room and soon landed on Wilhelm's solitary figure, who was only around a meter or so away from it.
The Holy Land Page 13