Chapter 19

The Next Day.

I stepped into the E-Rank Dungeon, the "Cave of Shadow Chasers."

The recommended level for clearing this dungeon is 22. It's a bit high, but for me, it's just the right difficulty.

"Well, let's start with a game of hide-and-seek."

The biggest feature of this dungeon is the numerous hidden monsters within the labyrinth.

While you can ignore them if you just want to clear the dungeon, discovering and defeating all of them before taking on the boss allows you to inherit the "Scout" skill from the "Shadow Emblem."

The "Shadow Emblem" is an excellent emblem that allows the use of skills associated with jobs like Thief, Assassin, and Ninja.

It's also a treasure trove of auxiliary skills, such as stealth and weakness detection, which can be useful in various situations.

"I'd like to collect them all eventually... but one at a time."

As I cautiously advanced, I focused my senses on my surroundings.

The slightest sounds, the faintest presence... relying on these, I discovered and defeated the hidden monsters one by one.

Afterward, I cleared the boss battle without much trouble and successfully inherited the "Scout" skill.

*Inheritance complete.*

*Skill "Scout" acquired.*

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**Scout** (Level 1)

- A Shadow skill

- Consumes MP to detect living beings and objects in the vicinity.

---

Incidentally, my level increased by two, from 19 to 21.

I allocated the four acquired stat points as follows: 1 to Strength, 1 to Speed, and 2 to Endurance.

The day after that,

I headed to the E-Rank Dungeon, the "Abandoned Fortress," with a recommended level of 25.

Actually, this dungeon doesn't have an Inheritance Shrine, so you can't acquire any skills here.

So, why did I come to clear it?

Because the item dropped by the boss is my objective.

There are no special gimmicks, so I immediately headed to the deepest part and challenged the boss.

Inside, a large swordsman, clad in heavy armor, exuded a formidable presence.

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**Decayed Guardian**

- Recommended level for defeat: 25

- Dungeon Boss: "Abandoned Fortress"

- A general who continued fighting even as the last man standing when the fortress was attacked by enemy forces. Specializes in defensive combat.

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As expected of a boss that specializes in defensive combat, this one is incredibly tough.

Furthermore, it has the "Parry" skill, which deflects all weak attacks.

But—

"Such things don't matter to me—Slash!"

"Wh-!?"

I swung my short sword in rapid succession, raining down a barrage of slashes.

With "Parry," only one attack can be deflected per swing.

I made it physically impossible to parry all of them.

"!"

The last guard was overwhelmed by the rain of slashes, unable to move.

I took advantage of the opening to close in and unleashed a torrent of slashes.

Then,

"This ends now!"

"GAHHHHH!"

My full-force swing shattered the sturdy armor and cleaved the last guard in two.

I successfully defeated it.

*Experience gained. Level up by 3.*

*6 stat points acquired.*

The system sound rang out.

This alone was enough to make me happy, but the main objective was yet to come.

"Well, let's see if it drops..."

The last guard dissipated into steam.

Left behind were a magic stone and a single sword.

"Great, it dropped on the first try!"

I made a victory pose and picked up the sword.

---

**Guardian's Legacy Sword**

- The sword equipped by the Decayed Guardian

- Recommended level for equipping: 25

- Attack power +20

- When "Parry" is activated, the power of slashing attacks is increased by 15% before the judgment is made.

---

The **Guardian's Legacy Sword** is an excellent weapon, adding +20 to attack power and increasing the power of slashing attacks by 15% when "Parry" is activated.

"Early on, this sword is incredibly useful."

"Parry" is not all-powerful.

The higher the enemy's power compared to yours, the harder it is to parry, and beyond a certain difference, it's guaranteed to fail regardless of skill.

This sword, which compensates for that weakness, is a perfect weapon for me.

"I was prepared to go through 2-3 rounds, so getting it on the first try was lucky."

With this, I've become even stronger.

I gripped the **Guardian's Legacy Sword** tightly, feeling satisfied and nodding firmly.

"My skills and weapons are coming together nicely. If I keep growing at this pace, the day I become the strongest might not be far off!"

Feeling elated, I voiced my determination.

---

But at that time, I still didn't know.

This is the world of "Crest Online," but not everything is the same.

A thousand years have passed since the time we played, and it has further evolved into reality.

I didn't understand the true implications of this change...

The next day,

I was faced with a certain decision.

---

Zeros Silphied

Gender: Male

Age: 15

Emblem: [Emblem of Nothingness]

Level: 24

HP: 240/240 MP: 45/120

Strength: 40

Endurance: 32

Speed: 40

Intelligence: 24

Luck: 24

Stat Points: 6

Skills: [Parry] Lv.1, [Slash] Lv.1, [Magic Arrow] Lv.1, [Scout] Lv.1

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