Level Up

Early the next morning, after seeing his younger sister off to school, Cheng Xiaoyu headed for the air-raid shelter in Bo City.

The air-raid shelter was in a rather remote location, and not many people came around.

He stood at the entrance. Now that he'd completed his Daily Task training, his stats had improved a lot. Even if he couldn't beat the Demon Beasts inside, he could still escape without a problem.

Taking a deep breath, Cheng Xiaoyu took out the [Beginner Limited-Time Dungeon Key]. A current flickered from the key, and a floating keyhole immediately appeared before him.

He paused in surprise, then slowly inserted the key and turned it.

In an instant, a powerful current surged across the entrance to the air-raid shelter, covering the entire opening. It looked as though a blue membrane had been laid over it. The key in his hand vanished as well.

Cheng Xiaoyu's pupils contracted. He took a few steps back, then his gaze hardened, and he walked inside.

As he passed through the blue membrane, a system notification appeared.

[Notification]

[You have entered the Limited-Time Dungeon]

A faint noise came from behind him. Cheng Xiaoyu turned around and saw that the entrance had sealed over like it was frozen. There was no way out.

"So that's how it is. It's like another Other-dimensional Space..."

He rapped on the solid entrance, his brow furrowing as he ruffled his hair in frustration.

"Ugh, I was thinking I could run if things got too tough. But now I can't even escape. Looks like the exit won't open until I clear this dungeon."

[Notification]

[You cannot leave the Limited-Time Dungeon. Please defeat the boss or use a Return Stone]

Cheng Xiaoyu nodded in understanding. Looking down into the dim space, he followed the slope deeper inside.

He surveyed his surroundings. The place looked much like the abandoned hospital from before. It could probably be called the same Other-dimensional Space.

Suddenly, something stirred in the ventilation duct overhead. Then three round, dark shapes dropped down, their crimson eyes fixed on the intruder.

"Giant-Eyed Stinky Rats?!"

Cheng Xiaoyu eyed the three dark shapes warily. These Giant-Eyed Stinky Rats were smaller than the ones he'd seen before, nowhere near as huge.

Even so, he didn't dare let his guard down. He reached into the [Item Inventory] and pulled out a long sword.

From what he'd learned, the system really was just like a game. The Item Inventory could hold all kinds of things, essentially functioning as storage space.

He'd specifically tracked down this long sword at the Second-hand Magic Market. It was a Demon-Slaying Tool, and should be enough to deal with some Servant-level Demon Beasts.

One of the Giant-Eyed Stinky Rats charged at him, its sharp jaws gaping as it tried to bite Cheng Xiaoyu's head off.

Cheng Xiaoyu's gaze sharpened. He ducked to avoid it, then turned and seized the moment as the Giant-Eyed Stinky Rat landed, gripping his sword tightly and stabbing down hard.

Blood sprayed from the Giant-Eyed Stinky Rat's body, and blood poured from its mouth. Without a moment's hesitation, Cheng Xiaoyu stabbed it in the eye, making sure it had no chance of surviving.

The other two Giant-Eyed Stinky Rats shrieked and charged. Cheng Xiaoyu didn't hesitate. He swung his sword at them, and a few swift, deadly strikes put an end to the danger.

Once he'd steadied his breathing, he stared at the three corpses on the ground, hardly able to believe he'd done it himself.

Suddenly, he heard a rush of wind. Cheng Xiaoyu broke out in a cold sweat. It was a powerful premonition of death!

He immediately dodged with a roll. When he looked up, he saw a miniature Steel-Toothed Demon Wolf standing where he'd been, baring its steel teeth at him.

As Cheng Xiaoyu stared at the Steel-Toothed Demon Wolf, he realized his legs were trembling uncontrollably. He pounded his shaking thighs with his fists.

A Steel-Toothed Demon Wolf... Was it because of the near-death experience last time that I'm so afraid of it?

He took a deep breath. If he didn't conquer his fear here, it might haunt him in the future. He had to kill this Steel-Toothed Demon Wolf!

"Roar!"

The Steel-Toothed Demon Wolf wasn't about to give him a chance. It swung its sharp claws and charged at incredible speed.

Cheng Xiaoyu quickly flipped aside. Acting on instinct, he did a backflip, then planted both hands on the ground and spun into the air, finally landing behind the Steel-Toothed Demon Wolf.

Huh, my body feels a lot lighter...

He sensed the changes in his body. As the Steel-Toothed Demon Wolf charged again, he thought for a moment, then dodged with a slight sidestep and quickly punched it in the head with his right hand, sending it flying.

The Steel-Toothed Demon Wolf rolled across the ground, snarling and snapping its teeth. It was clearly enraged.

Cheng Xiaoyu clenched his fist. This was the first time he'd clearly felt how much stronger he'd become. Now, he could punch a Servant-level Demon Beast flying.

He tightened his grip on the long sword and charged again. With the confidence he'd gained last time, he made short work of the Steel-Toothed Demon Wolf.

After finishing it off, Cheng Xiaoyu sat on the ground and looked at his status panel. He'd gone from [Level 1] to [Level 2], and each of his five stats had increased by one point.

As expected, Daily Tasks could only give him three points to his abilities. He improved much faster by fighting and killing Demon Beasts!

His other abilities had improved too, but the one he could feel most clearly was [Strength]. He had incredible control over his body!

So I really am getting stronger...

Cheng Xiaoyu stood up after a moment of reflection. He'd only killed a few small Demon Beasts. It was too soon to get carried away.

He walked over and crouched beside the Steel-Toothed Demon Wolf's corpse. The system immediately responded.

[Item]

[Steel Tooth of the Demon Wolf]

Cheng Xiaoyu had just taken the [Steel Tooth of the Demon Wolf] out of his [Item Inventory] when the [Shop] interface popped up.

Unfortunately, his level was too low to see what the [Shop] was selling. It was probably full of magic tools or rare materials. Still, he could sell the items he obtained for Gold Coins, the only way to buy things in the [Shop]. He just didn't know how much they'd be worth in cash.

"Roar..."

At the sound, Cheng Xiaoyu turned around. Through the darkness, he saw two Steel-Toothed Demon Wolves slowly approaching him.

He'd already overcome his fear and understood his own strength. There was no reason to be afraid anymore.

He immediately swept one of the Steel-Toothed Demon Wolves off its feet as it rushed toward him, then swung his long sword in a horizontal slash at the other.

"Clang!"

A metallic clash rang out. The Steel-Toothed Demon Wolf caught the incoming blade in its hard teeth, trapping the sword between them.

Cheng Xiaoyu's gaze sharpened. He tightened both hands around the hilt, the muscles in his arms bulging. The blade pierced straight through the Steel-Toothed Demon Wolf, cleaving its flesh in two.

The other Steel-Toothed Demon Wolf couldn't escape death either. He cut it down with a few slashes.