Chapter 7

The next day.

I had come to the F-rank dungeon, "The Nest of Thorns."

Just as I was about to enter,

(Hmm?)

At that moment, I noticed a few adventurers loitering near the entrance.

Judging from their well-equipped gear, they all seemed to be over level 20.

Considering they were a party, this was significantly higher than the recommended level 18 for clearing "The Nest of Thorns."

(Well, this isn't a game but reality, so they might be prioritizing safety. Especially considering the characteristics of this dungeon, it makes even more sense.)

After reaching this conclusion, I entered "The Nest of Thorns" once again.

Inside the dungeon, it was a dimly lit labyrinth of caves.

Compared to the "Training Ground for New Recruits" I cleared yesterday, it gave a much more chaotic impression.

"Kee!"

"Shoo!"

A few minutes after continuing my exploration, several monsters appeared.

One was a small rabbit monster, and the other was a mantis monster with sharp blades.

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【Poisonous Rabbit】

- Recommended Level for Defeat: 12

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【Paralyzing Mantis】

- Recommended Level for Defeat: 14

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"They've come."

I adjusted my breathing and readied my short sword.

The Poisonous Rabbit's tail was coated with a potent poison, and the Paralyzing Mantis's blades were laced with a paralyzing toxin.

This dungeon, "The Nest of Thorns," is themed around status ailments and is not recommended for solo clearing.

If you get paralyzed, especially, you have no way to recover on your own and will likely be defeated.

Of course, that's only for ordinary players.

"As long as I don't take any hits, there's no problem."

Just as I muttered this, the Poisonous Rabbit extended its sharp tail, and the Paralyzing Mantis slashed from a low position with its blades.

Both were fast, making it difficult to avoid them entirely.

But I had a new skill I had recently learned.

"Parry"

Standing upright, I swiftly swung my short sword twice.

With a light spark, the tail and blades were easily deflected backward.

The impact caused the Poisonous Rabbit and the Paralyzing Mantis to lose their balance.

This is another significant advantage of the "Parry" skill.

After parrying an attack, the opponent is often left vulnerable.

By delivering a precise follow-up attack at that moment—

"Ha!"

"Kee!?" "Shoo!"

My two powerful swings hit their mark, and the two exhausted monsters collapsed on the spot.

[Experience gained. Level up to 1.]

[2 Stat Points gained.]

The system sound rang out.

I nodded in acknowledgment.

"Alright, let's keep this momentum going."

From there, I continued to progress smoothly for about an hour.

When I had gained another level, I arrived at the boss room.

I opened the door and entered alone.

There, I found a lizard with a tail covered in numerous needles.

"Status"

As I spoke, information appeared before my eyes.

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【Needle Lizard】

- Recommended Level for Defeat: 18

- Dungeon Boss: "The Nest of Thorns"

- A cunning lizard. Its tail is equipped with various toxins.

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The Needle Lizard. Its skill is [Needle Shot].

As the name suggests, it fires needles from its tail.

Even a graze can cause a status ailment.

To defeat this creature, it's crucial to thoroughly avoid its attacks.

"Well, as long as I know that, it's not much of a threat. Let's get this over with and open the path to the shrine of succession."

After saying this, I approached the Needle Lizard.

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Zeros Sylphied

Gender: Male

Age: 15

Crest: [Crest of Nothingness]

Level: 14

HP: 140/140 MP: 70/70

Strength: 27

Endurance: 14

Speed: 27

Intelligence: 14

Luck: 14

Stat Points: 0

Skill: [Parry] Lv.1

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