Chapter 90: Intermediate Skills

Chapter 90: Chapter 90: Intermediate Skills

The forest became silent.

The Level 35 adventurer who had conquered the first floor, defeated five Gravefang Beasts, slain the Gravehorn Reaper, and pushed his way through the second floor had finally reached his limit.

He had fought until the very end.

But against Veyra, the difference in strength had simply been too great.

Back in the throne room, Ragnar stared at the floating screen. Kaelira remained beside him, her golden eyes fixed on the battlefield.

For several seconds, neither of them spoke. Then Ragnar slowly exhaled.

"That ended faster than I expected."

Kaelira nodded.

"The result was never really in doubt once Veyra decided to use her full strength."

Ragnar looked at Veyra standing alone in the dead forest.

"Still, that adventurer was impressive."

"He was."

Kaelira’s expression became slightly more serious.

"He defeated everything on the first floor and even defeated the Gravehorn Reaper. Most Level 35 adventurers would never have made it that far."

Ragnar nodded.

"Which means this dungeon is starting to attract stronger people."

His gaze shifted toward Suldun’s fallen body.

Just as Ragnar was about to comment on the battle, a familiar notification suddenly appeared before his eyes.

[Ding!]

[You have defeated a Level 35 adventurer!]

[You have obtained 15 Soul Points.]

[Your level has increased!]

[Your level has increased!]

Ragnar blinked.

"Wait, what?"

He quickly opened his status screen, and his eyes widened when he saw the updated information.

[Name: Ragnar Lindgren]

[Level: 29]

[Race: Demon]

[Soul Points: 32]

[Skills: Basic Physical Enhancement, Minor Regeneration]

Ragnar stared at the screen for several seconds before a satisfied smile spread across his face.

"Two levels from one person? And fifteen Soul Points on top of that? Now that’s what I call a worthwhile visitor!"

He had expected to receive Soul Points from Suldun’s death, but he had not anticipated gaining two entire levels from a single adventurer. The difference between Suldun and the weaker intruders who had previously entered his dungeon was enormous, and the rewards clearly reflected that difference. Ragnar had finally reached Level 29, bringing him another step closer to his next major milestone.

However, what pleased him most was the increase in his Soul Points.

[Name: Ragnar Lindgren]

[Level: 29]

[Race: Demon]

[Soul Points: 32]

[Skills: Basic Physical Enhancement, Minor Regeneration]

His gaze lingered on the skills section.

"Basic Physical Enhancement and Minor Regeneration..."

The two skills were useful, but they were hardly impressive when compared to the abilities possessed by Veyra and Kaelira. Both of his subordinates could fight opponents far stronger than ordinary monsters of their respective levels, while Ragnar himself had spent most of his time managing the dungeon instead of improving his combat abilities.

He glanced at the enormous greatsword resting against the side of his throne.

Although his demonic body possessed tremendous natural strength, he could not depend on that alone forever. If a powerful adventurer managed to reach the throne room, he needed to be capable of defending himself rather than immediately relying on his subordinates.

"Leveling up is nice, but I still need better skills. At this rate, I’ll be the weakest one in my own dungeon."

He opened the shop interface and searched for the skill section. Several categories appeared before him, ranging from basic skills to advanced abilities that were still locked. Ragnar initially tried opening the advanced category, but the system immediately displayed a notification.

[Insufficient Level.]

[Advanced Rank Skills require Level 100 or above.]

Ragnar raised an eyebrow.

"Level 100? So what about the rank below that?"

He selected the intermediate category.

[Ding!]

[Intermediate Rank Skills]

[Required Level: 25 to 99]

[Current Level: 29]

[Available Skills: Intermediate Rank]

A new screen appeared, displaying a long list of skills available for purchase. Unlike the basic skills he already possessed, these abilities were significantly more powerful, with some capable of dramatically improving a person’s combat performance.

There were physical enhancement skills, regeneration abilities, elemental attacks, defensive techniques, movement skills, weapon mastery, and even abilities that could interfere with an opponent’s senses.

Ragnar’s eyes widened as he scrolled through the list.

"Damn, there are this many?"

The list was far longer than he had anticipated. Each skill had its own description, level requirement, and Soul Point cost.

"All right, let’s narrow this down. I don’t need every skill in the shop. I need skills that will help me become stronger."

He selected the level requirement filter and restricted the results to Level 29 intermediate-rank skills.

[Ding!]

[Filtering Intermediate Rank Skills...]

[Displaying all Intermediate Rank Skills available at 32 soul coins.]

He opened the first category.

[Passive skill: Intermediate Physical Enhancement]

[Cost: 5 Soul Points]

[Description: Enhances the user’s physical capabilities, including strength, speed, stamina, and durability. The degree of improvement depends on the user’s physical condition and the skill’s proficiency.]

[Passive Skill: Intermediate Strength Enhancement]

[Cost: 5 Soul Points]

[Description: Concentrates the user’s physical power, significantly increasing striking force and lifting strength. Particularly effective for warriors who rely on heavy weapons and direct physical attacks.]

[Passive Skill: Intermediate Speed Enhancement]

[Cost: 5 Soul Points]

[Description: Improves movement speed, acceleration, and reaction speed. Allows the user to respond more effectively to incoming attacks and reposition themselves during combat.]

"Three passive skills already, and all of them improve my physical abilities. Not bad.

[Passive Skill: Intermediate Physical Defense]

[Cost: 5 Soul Points]

[Description: Reinforces the user’s body, reducing damage from physical attacks such as slashes, blunt-force strikes, and impacts.]

[Passive Skill: Intermediate Magic Resistance]

[Cost: 5 Soul Points]

[Description: Improves resistance to magical energy and elemental attacks, reducing the damage received from hostile spells.]

[Passive Skill: Intermediate Regeneration]

[Cost: 8 Soul Points]

[Description: Accelerates the recovery of wounds and damaged tissues. Severe injuries require more time and energy to recover from.]

Ragnar’s eyes immediately stopped on Intermediate Regeneration.

"Eight Soul Points? It’s more expensive than the others."

"All right, let’s leave the passive skills for now. I want to see what the active skills can do."

He returned to the main interface and selected the active skill category. The moment he did, the floating screen changed, revealing a new list of abilities divided into several subcategories.