As Ryuuto stepped into the mini-boss room, the heavy stone door slammed shut behind him with an ominous boom.
The chamber was wider than the previous tunnels, torches flickering against damp stone walls. At the far end of the room stood a hunched figure clad in ragged robes, gripping a crude wooden staff topped with a pulsating red gem.
[Goblin Shaman] (Mini-Boss)
Ryuuto narrowed his eyes. "A summoner? Tch, these types are annoying."
Sure enough, the goblin raised its staff, chanting in a guttural language as red glyphs formed in the air.
"Nope."
Ryuuto sprinted forward at full speed. If this thing was going to spam summons, then he just had to stop it before it could!
His iron sword came down in a wide arc—
CLANG!
A sudden, invisible barrier repelled his attack, sending vibrations up his arms. The goblin let out a wheezing cackle, its spell completing.
[Summon Lesser Goblin]
A magic circle flared beneath the goblin's feet, and in an instant, three smaller goblins materialized, brandishing rusted weapons.
Ryuuto clicked his tongue. "So it's that kind of fight, huh?"
---
Most games had a summoner boss type with the same basic pattern:
1. Summon mobs to overwhelm the player.
2. Stay behind minions for safety.
3. Repeat until dead.
But there was a fatal flaw in their design—if the player didn't kill the summoner, it would keep producing enemies.
Which meant…
Unlimited farming potential.
Ryuuto's lips curled into a grin. "Oh, you poor thing…"
Rather than finishing off the shaman, he turned his attention to the newly spawned goblins.
SLASH! His sword carved through the first.
SHIELD BASH! The second stumbled backward.
PARRY! The third's attack was deflected, leaving it wide open for a counter.
[EXP Gained!]
Another summon circle flared.
[Summon Lesser Goblin]
New goblins replaced the fallen ones.
Ryuuto chuckled. "Oh yeah, this is free real estate."
---
Ryuuto began grinding his combat skills at max efficiency.
Step 1: Block attacks → Level up Basic Blocking.
Step 2: Parry strikes → Level up Basic Parry.
Step 3: Counterattack → Level up Basic Swordsmanship.
Step 4: Shield Bash → Level up Basic Shield Bash.
Repeat indefinitely.
His skill levels skyrocketed.
[Basic Swordsmanship → Lv. 3!]
[Basic Shield Bash → Lv. 4!]
[Basic Parry → Lv. 3!]
Meanwhile, the Goblin Shaman kept summoning, completely unaware that it had become nothing more than an EXP generator.
Ryuuto cackled as he farmed like a man possessed.
[Basic Swordsmanship → Lv. 5!]
[Basic Shield Bash → Lv. 5!]
DING!
A new message popped up.
[System Notice: Abnormal EXP Farming Detected. Intervening...]
Ryuuto blinked. "Huh?"
The Goblin Shaman suddenly froze mid-motion. Then, without warning, it disintegrated into particles of light.
"WAIT, WHAT?!"
[Mini-Boss Deleted by System.]
Ryuuto's eyes twitched. "YOU CAN DO THAT?!"
The system stole his infinite EXP farm, just when things were getting good.
"YOU COWARDLY DEV—!"
A new window popped up.
[Dungeon Progression Unlocked. Proceeding...]
The walls of the room shifted, revealing a new path forward.
Ryuuto exhaled sharply, massaging his temples. "Alright, alright. Whatever. I got what I needed."
He checked his skill list.
---
[Updated Skills]
- Basic Swordsmanship (Lv. 5)
- Basic Shield Bash (Lv. 5)
- Basic Parry (Lv. 5)
- Basic Blocking (Lv. 5)
---
With all the combat grinding, something was still missing—footwork.
"You can't just stand there and expect to win in a fight."
So, he started practicing dodging and sidestepping enemy attacks.
He found more goblins along the way and began testing different movement patterns.
- Sidestep Dodge → Basic Footwork (Lv. 1) Acquired!
- Backstep Evade → Basic Footwork (Lv. 2)!
As he continued refining his movements, the system suddenly sent a new alert.
[Skill Evolution Detected.]
[Multiple Skills Share Similar Traits. Combining…]
[Basic Sword & Shield Technique (Lv. 1)]
- A fundamental combat style utilizing both offense and defense seamlessly. Improves combat flow and efficiency.
---
Ryuuto's **eyes widened in excitement.**
"Hold up. This thing auto-combines skills?!"
This was huge.
Instead of managing a bunch of separate combat skills, they were now condensed into one evolving technique. That meant faster progression, stronger combos, and better adaptability.
"Alright, now I'm really motivated."
With renewed determination, Ryuuto went on another skill grind rampage.
[Basic Sword & Shield Technique → Lv. 2!]
[Lv. 3!]
[Lv. 4!]
By the time he reached the final boss room, he had fine-tuned his movements to near perfection.
---
A massive set of ornate stone doors loomed before him, carved with images of battle and bloodshed.
The moment he stepped forward, his instincts screamed at him—something inside was different.
The system confirmed it.
[Warning: Final Boss Detected.]
[Threat Level: Black Name Tag.]
Ryuuto stopped in his tracks.
A black name tag?
Enemies with red name tags meant they were stronger than him.
But black name tags? Those were on a whole different level.
His grin widened. "Now this… is gonna be fun."
He placed his hand on the door.
[Entering Final Boss Room…]
The doors slowly creaked open, revealing the dark chamber beyond.
With a mix of excitement and anticipation, Ryuuto stepped forward—ready for the real challenge.
[End of Chapter]