Kumodesu

After leveling up, I checked my status again.

But since [Appraisal] hadn't leveled up yet, nothing had really changed.

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HP: 155/155

MP: 105/105 (+200)

SP: 200/200

Hmmm...

Looks like my SP stat is pretty high right now, and I guess that's thanks to the effect of [Endurance]. Skills that boost stats like this are seriously overpowered.

If possible, I'd love to collect more skills like this...

But yeah, they're not easy to find.

Oh right, I almost forgot, there's the Shop too.

It's been a while since I browsed it, so now that I've got some free time, let's see if there's any useful skill I can buy...

After scrolling through for a bit, I came across a super strange skill: [Support Evil Eye]!

Sounds like it's a type of Evil Eye like the one I already have, but what does "support" mean?? Support what exactly??

It only costs 200 Skill Points, so I decided to buy it and try it out.

<<200 Skill Points used to acquire skill [Support Evil Eye Lv1]>>

Immediately, one of my eight eyes began to change and became a second Evil Eye!

Wow, pretty cool.

Alright, time to see what it can do.

I immediately activated [Support Evil Eye].

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Eh???

What the heck!?

This is the first time I've heard the system speak so clearly when using a skill!!

And just now it said "select a skill to support"...

But what exactly does it mean by "support"? Support usage? Boost skill training? Increase stats?

Well, whatever. I'll just try it out.

I selected [Appraisal] since it's been the most frustrating skill for me, refusing to level up despite all my efforts. I really need it to level up so I can see more detailed info about myself.

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Eh??

Huh??

What just happened?

Did I mishear that?

[Appraisal] leveled up… But the new Evil Eye got downgraded!?

EH?????

So this is what that "support" meant!?

That's ridiculous!!

No, wait, I should be happy!!

I still can't believe there's actually a skill that can transfer levels between skills like that!

THIS IS AWESOME!!!

I jumped up and down with joy.

Why didn't I find this thing sooner!?

This is hilarious!

But oh well, now I've got it.

Just having it is already a huge step forward.

I was so excited I wanted to use it again right away, but unfortunately it had already dropped to level 0.

Looks like I need to find a way to level it back up...

I'll try using Skill Points.

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500 for one level is definitely not cheap,

But it's super useful, so let's do it! No hesitation!

<<500 Skill Points used to upgrade skill [Support Evil Eye Lv0] to [Support Evil Eye Lv1]>>

Nice.

Let's keep going with the support.

I picked [Appraisal] again, since it's the most important skill I need right now.

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Nai wa...

I have to wait??

Well, it's just three days, so whatever. I'll just save the next support attempt for [Appraisal] three days from now.

After that, I continued alternating between hunting on the fourth and sixth floors to gain experience and hopefully unlock new skills. On the fourth floor, I was now strong enough to wipe out most creatures,

As long as I didn't get swarmed, things were fine.

On the sixth floor, though, I still had to be extra cautious due to the chance of encountering mutated individuals.

Today, I continued my journey on the sixth floor, and this time I took an entirely new path.

Well, it's not really a "path" — more like a small hole. But it was just the right size for me, so I decided to crawl through it and see where it led. After traveling a decent distance, I arrived in a completely different area.

Whoa... this is...

Hot. HOT!!

The temperature in this place made me immediately blurt out loud — there was a massive lava lake here! Could this be the lava lake that Mr. Loyral mentioned in his story...?

It felt surreal to arrive at a place I'd only heard about before... and also... super hot!!

Way too hot!!

I don't think this place is meant for me.

The heat is way too high, and to make matters worse, my spider silk wouldn't work properly in this flaming environment. If I had to fight here, I'd be down a major weapon.

Weren't there supposed to be fire lizards around here?

I didn't want to linger for long, but I was curious to see what fire lizards actually looked like.

So I decided to sneak closer to the lava lake to get a better look. To be safe, I jumped onto the ceiling and moved along the top.

Oh, I see one.

Part of their backs were sticking out of the lava, so I managed to spot them. But I wanted to see their full bodies.

So I made a bold decision — I started releasing [Poison Mist] into the surroundings and let it spread. Since the lava didn't neutralize the mist, it quickly expanded and reached the fire lizards.

The surface of the lava began to ripple. And not long after, one of the fire lizards jumped out of the lava and stepped onto land.

I finally got a full look at them.

Huh...??

They looked just like regular lizards...

I thought they were related to dragons or something.

What a letdown.

Feeling disappointed, I was about to leave when suddenly, a powerful roar erupted from deep within the lava lake...

By instinct, I immediately sensed danger and tried to dash back to the exit. But then, a creature leapt out from the bottom of the lake, lunging its massive jaws at me.

With no other choice, I quickly used [Flash] to dodge away, then turned back to see what had just attacked me.

It was another fire lizard—but way larger than the rest.

Or rather, it was the biggest one I had seen so far. It had a pair of horns on its head, and its skin shimmered with a silver hue, completely different from the others.

I wasn't sure. But I could tell right away that this was a mutated individual!

I'm doomed.

I messed with the wrong guy.

Wait—no, I messed with the wrong lizard!!

After missing its first bite, the lizard quickly turned its sights toward me.

I made the choice to run—this place gave me zero advantage, and if I got surrounded, I'd be toast. Running was definitely the safest option.

While chasing me, the fire lizard kept launching fireballs with intense heat— And worse, they could explode!

I had to constantly dodge left and right, and along the way, I even encountered some baby lizards that tried to interfere.

They didn't dare attack directly, probably because they sensed I was stronger. So they only shot fireballs or threw rocks using their tails from a distance. Though they didn't deal serious damage, they were a real annoy.

Just a little further...!

I was almost free and, feeling relieved, I let my guard down.

That's when the mutated lizard, which had been closing in, suddenly chomped straight at me.

Luckily, I had already activated [Adamantine Body],

So I didn't lose any limbs, But it did manage to pin me down.

You dumb lizard, let go of me already!

Its saliva stinks like hell! And it's hot too!!

Even while it clamped onto me, I kept dragging myself forward. Then lava started spilling from its mouth, dripping onto my skin.

Ow! OW!!

Even with my defensive skill, it still hurt—

And the lizard's bite was tightening even more, making it harder to escape. If this kept up, it was going to end badly. In that moment of crisis, I remembered another one of my skills: [Ravenous Devour].

I'd been saving it for a while now, and I had built up enough energy.

Maybe it would work this time.

I was betting everything on this.

So I activated [Ravenous Devour].

An explosion burst out. But instead of destroying anything, a black mist spread throughout the area. Thanks to [Heaven Eye], I could still see everything clearly.

Most importantly, I could feel the lizard's biting force weakening significantly. Its body started spasming and shaking uncontrollably.

I took the chance to activate [Heaven's Net], binding it tightly, then used all my strength to throw it off me.

The lizard was still writhing on the ground. It felt like a waste to just run away now.

So I gave it a brutal combo: [Paralyzing Evil Eye], [Poison Mist], and [Venomous Fangs]— A full-on counterattack. Even under the effects of [Ravenous Devour], the lizard was still a mutated being, so it had plenty of fight left in it.

Seeing that still wasn't enough, I pulled out my Soul Chain, took aim, and shot it straight into the lizard.

Hoping to rip its soul out.

I poured in a massive amount of energy.

And the chain began to move— But soon after, a force from the other end started pulling the chain back.

Still resisting, huh?

Then let's see who gives out first.

I pushed more power into it, and the resistance grew even stronger.

I spoke so aggressively, but I didn't actually intend to risk my life, so at the right moment, I flashed right in front of it, then bit hard on its eye with my fangs.

The lizard roared in pain, and in that moment of weakness, I pulled the chain again. It didn't have time to react, and its soul was already pulled out halfway.

It was still resisting, but it was too late now.

I continued the same tactic, but this time bit its neck, causing a stream of bright red blood to spurt out.

The lizard still didn't give up, a stream of lava gushed out from its mouth, clearly intending to spray it straight at me.

Seeing the danger, I immediately activated [Invincible Shield] to block it, then continued to pull the chain.

The attack failed, and I was injured, plus the poisoning and other effects from [Gluttony], the lizard was severely exhausted, and in the end, I was able to pull out its soul completely.

Not wasting any time, I immediately activated [Gluttony] and absorbed its soul on the spot.

It was delicious!