Volume 2 Chapter 2
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
After descending the stairs for what felt like an eternity, a dazzling radiance finally began to bleed into the darkness.
I stepped through the threshold of light and found myself standing in the middle of a vast, sprawling grassland.
Clouds drifted lazily across an azure sky, and a gentle breeze rustled the knee-high grass that grew from the soft loam.
(It’s as surreal as ever… though I have to admit, these open fields are a lot easier to navigate than the cramped caves of Phase One¹.)
If I hadn’t known better, I’d never have guessed I was standing in the heart of a dungeon.
I started trekking across the plains, muttering to myself.
I had been given a map, but there wasn’t much point in checking it.
My destination—a massive mountain—loomed clearly in the distance.
All I had to do was keep putting one foot in front of the other.
After walking for a while, I came to a halt.
”I see. They’re smaller than the grass height, which probably makes them a nightmare for most adventurers. Good thing I have ‘Perception Enhancement’ to do the heavy lifting for me… Hup!”
With a sharp grunt, I sidestepped a green blur that lunged from the thicket.
It was a rabbit, though attacking it didn’t feel like animal cruelty once you saw its face.
This wasn’t some cute woodland creature; it had the mangled, vicious features of something out of a zombie flick.
I dodged its frantic lunges a few more times before landing a heavy counter-punch.
The Killer Rabbit let out a final twitch and dissipated into smoke.
With my physical abilities now boosted to the level of a Phase Three explorer, combined with the effects of my (Pressure Point)² ‘Physical Augmentation,’ Phase Two monsters were barely a warm-up.
”Another one, huh? Let’s try this… (Adversarial Pressure Point)!”
A second Killer Rabbit burst from the grass at high speed.
I reached out and triggered the ‘Drop Rate Boost’ (Pressure Point) glowing right on its underbelly.
The rabbit let out an ear-piercing metallic screech as it landed, then immediately whipped around to lunge again.
This time, its speed had nearly doubled.
”Impressive. Still, you’re not even in the same league as a Phase Three mob.”
I tracked its trajectory with ease, stepped out of its path, and delivered a fluid counter-thrust.
After five more rounds of that, the green rabbit followed its friend into a cloud of smoke.
”Oh, there we go. Can’t forget to bring these [Dungeon Stones] home.”
I pocketed the drop and continued my march toward the mountain.
”Now it’s Grass Wolves… Three of them,” I noted.
The trio began to circle me.
Their presence was incredibly faint; an average person would have been ambushed before they even realized they were being hunted.
But the ‘Perception Enhancement’ granted by my (Pressure Point) skill was in a league of its own.
It had grown even more potent since my time in Phase One; no matter how well a monster hid its presence, I could feel them closing in.
”Hah!” I ducked under a wolf leaping for my throat from behind and transitioned into a vertical kick that caught it square in the belly.
As it tumbled, the other two lunged simultaneously from my flanks, thinking the first was a successful decoy.
I vaulted high into the air, splitting my legs into a wide mid-air kick.
”Kyauun!” Both wolves yelped as my toes caught them perfectly under their jaws, sending them crashing into the dirt.
Knowing they’d be dazed for a few seconds, I closed the distance on the first wolf I’d kicked.
It bared its fangs and let out a low growl, but I didn’t feel a flicker of fear.
”Haaaaah!” I exploded with a burst of speed, beating the Grass Wolf to the punch and slamming a front kick directly into its snout.
It shattered into smoke instantly.
I turned my attention to the remaining two and finished the job within a minute, clearing the field.
I spent the next thirty minutes trekking across the grassland.
”Okay… that must be the cave.”
The mountain was now right in front of me.
At its base, I could see the dark maw of the cavern that led toward the Boss Floor.
I had finally reached the end of the plains, but one thing stopped me in my tracks.
”I definitely can’t let this one get away.”
I didn’t mind skipping the occasional Grass Wolf or Killer Rabbit at this point, but my enhanced senses were picking up something entirely different.
”A Bonus Monster, huh? Come on, then—show me what you’ve got!” I squeezed my eyes shut and walked straight toward the presence.
When I got within three meters, the world behind my eyelids suddenly flared with an intense, blinding white light.
”The Gold Raccoon³… its light is so bright it can actually cause permanent eye damage. That’s the real pain… Whoa, close one!”
Relying entirely on my ‘Perception Enhancement,’ I sidestepped a lateral swipe from the raccoon.
Despite the blinding gimmick, its raw speed was roughly on par with a Grass Wolf.
Dodging it was simple enough.
Once I had the rhythm of its attacks down, I turned to face it.
”Yeah, (Pressure Point Eye) works perfectly even with my eyes closed.”
Behind my eyelids, I could clearly see three (Adversarial Pressure Point) points.
”The two Golden Balls are a guaranteed drop… but I wonder what happens if I use ‘Drop Rate Boost’ on a Rare Spawn?”
Those two large Golden Balls were highly prized as catalysts for [Dungeon Material] synthesis and could be sold for a small fortune.
But my curiosity about its actual rare drop was stronger than my greed for the standard loot.
The moment I dodged its next lunge, I struck.
”(Adversarial Pressure Point)!” I jammed my finger into the ‘Drop Rate Boost’ (Pressure Point).
The reaction was instantaneous.
”Gwah! Even with my eyes shut, that’s too much!”
The Gold Raccoon’s radiance intensified to a violent degree, piercing right through my eyelids.
This was an unexpected upgrade to its defense.
I was forced to turn my back to it just to protect my vision.
Sensing my apparent vulnerability, the monster leaped at my exposed back.
”Speed’s still the same, though. So the boost went into its special ability instead.”
With ‘Perception Enhancement’ active, I didn’t need my eyes to fight a mob of this level.
I danced around its lunges, punishing it with a barrage of punches and kicks while keeping my back turned.
Finally, the light died down.
”Oh! The light’s gone! Must be over.” My heart pounded with anticipation as I slowly open my eyes.
As my vision adjusted to the natural sunlight, I looked down at the spot where the monster had died.
”Wait… they aren’t gold. They’re… black orbs?”
Lying in the grass were two ebony spheres, each about the size of a tennis ball.
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Summary:
The protagonist enters the Phase Two dungeon, a massive grassland that belies its dangerous nature.
He easily dispatches Killer Rabbits and Grass Wolves using his augmented physical stats and perception skills.
The chapter culminates in a battle with a rare ‘Gold Raccoon’ that drops mysterious black orbs instead of the expected golden loot.
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Trivia:
- The protagonist is currently operating at ‘Phase Three’ power in a ‘Phase Two’ zone.
- Killer Rabbits in this world are not cute; they have zombie-like, monstrous features.
- The ‘Gold Raccoon’ has a blinding ability that can cause permanent eye damage.
- The protagonist uses ‘Perception Enhancement’ to fight effectively even when blinded or facing away
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Character Insight:
The protagonist shows a growing sense of confidence and clinical efficiency in combat, no longer feeling fear toward monsters that would overwhelm average adventurers.
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Lore And Worldbuilding Context:
The Gold Raccoon and its ‘Golden Balls’ drop are a play on Japanese Tanuki folklore, where the raccoon dog is associated with large testicles that bring financial luck.
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Glossary:
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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