Chapter 6 -6-Clearing the Underground Labyrinth

Chapter 6 -6-Clearing the Underground Labyrinth[Name: Daniel] [Talent: The Infinite One (SSS-Rank)] [Level: 10] [HP: 1000] [MP: 1000] [Attack Power: 10] [Spell Power: 510] [Tenacity: 10] [Agility: 10] [Talent Specializations: Infinite Skill Points, Infinite Plunder, Infinite Fusion, God-Rank Skill Compendium] [Skills: God-Rank Thunder Spell – Raging Thunderstorm; SSS-Rank Skill – Damage Conversion] (Note: Gains +1 to all attributes and +100 HP per level-up.) Looking at the stat panel floating in front of him, Daniel's eyes gleamed with satisfaction. Just one use of his skill had catapulted him all the way to level 10! By common standards, that meant he now possessed the strength equivalent to a Tier-1 combatant. The lightning that had scorched the entire cavern had finally dissipated, leaving only the lingering smell of burnt metal and charred steam golems hanging in the air. Daniel had to admit—he had underestimated the sheer destructive power of a God-Rank skill. He shifted his gaze toward the smoldering wreckage of the enemies he had annihilated. Their scorched, blackened forms looked like bizarre sculptures—ugly yet strangely elegant in their mechanical crudeness. Despite the grotesque appearance, there was a kind of brutal beauty in the steam-powered constructs, a fusion of raw punk engineering and dark artistry. Thankfully, Daniel had read about such creatures in advance, and he resumed his advance with confidence. Passing through several bloodied chambers littered with corpses, he eventually reached a massive, open chamber ahead. It was obvious—this was the boss room of the underground labyrinth. Even the walls had torches burning on them, casting long shadows across the stone and lending the place a foreboding aura. Daniel stepped into the cavern without hesitation, lifting his gaze toward the center of the space. [Name: Steam Golem — Dancer] [Level: 10] [HP: 10,000] [Skills: Rend, Bleed, Meteor Hammer] [Description: A mad genius's twisted masterpiece. A dancer on the edge of a blade, the Dancer finds ecstasy in flaying flesh and draining life.] —10,700! [You have slain Steam Golem – Dancer (Level 10)] [You have gained Exp: 10,000] Daniel blinked. For a moment, even he was taken aback. One spell. One strike. And the boss was... obliterated? That's it? But then he shrugged it off. After all, this was just the beginner-level underground labyrinth. No matter how fancy the boss looked, it wasn't supposed to pose much of a threat. Besides, this was an academy-designed labyrinth. Naturally, the difficulty wouldn't be anything absurd. Sёarch* The Novёlƒire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. [Congratulations! You have cleared the underground labyrinth – Howling Cave] [New record achieved: Fastest completion time] [Current record: 0 hours, 1 minute, 6 seconds] After the system confirmed his success, Daniel didn't choose to exit the labyrinth right away. Instead, he strode directly toward the corpse of the Steam Golem Dancer. Looting comes first. No way I'm leaving without my rewards. As he neared the twisted metallic corpse, a golden shimmer suddenly flickered across its surface. That shimmer began to coalesce, intensifying until a radiant treasure chest materialized above the boss's remains. [Congratulations! You have successfully completed the underground labyrinth.] [Your performance rating: SSS] [Total Completion Time: 1 minute 6 seconds] [As a solo player, your rating has received an additional bonus.] [Reminder: The higher your rating, the greater your chest rewards.] Daniel's eyes sparkled as he locked onto the glittering golden chest. With a rating like that, the reward better be good. The glow faded, revealing a splendid, golden-lacquered treasure chest that gleamed with prestige. [Howling Cave Premium Chest: Has a chance to yield rare items] Not bad. Not bad at all. It didn't look nearly as terrifying as the guides had claimed. Daniel scratched his chin, frowning slightly. According to player walkthroughs and the academy's internal strategy notes, even the simplest underground labyrinths made it nearly impossible to get an SSS rating. Labyrinths were carefully balanced with strict level caps—meaning you couldn't just brute-force your way through with sheer stats. So to earn an SSS rating, you had to rely purely on raw skill and talent. Daniel shook his head and stepped up to the chest. As he opened it, blinding gold light poured out, accompanied by a flurry of notification windows. [Congratulations! You have obtained:] Berserk PotionObsidian Staff (Level 5)Sage's Helm (Level 5)Heavy Iron Armor (Damaged, Level 5)Golem's Plating (Level 5)B-Rank Skill: Thunder Shield (1-star)Rare Item: Golem Core (Unwearable)Gold Coins ×300 All that effort... for 300 gold coins? Wait. That wasn't quite right. He hadn't exactly broken a sweat. Daniel scratched his head and began examining the loot. In general, labyrinth rewards fell into four categories: equipment, skill books, miscellaneous items, and rare materials. There were no usage restrictions on equipment, but since everyone's talent affected their compatibility, choices varied widely. For instance, someone with a strength-focused talent would naturally lean toward wearing heavy, high-defense armor. But Daniel didn't possess any strength-related abilities. If he tried to equip bulky armor, he'd barely be able to move. So even though he had looted four pieces of gear, realistically, he could only use two of them. Still, compared to the "whiteboard" gear he'd been wearing before, this was a decent upgrade. What really excited him, however, was the skill book. Skill books were far rarer than equipment drops. Even this seemingly ordinary B-rank skill book, if sold through the Violet Commerce Guild, could easily fetch 10,000 gold coins or more. Besides that, he'd picked up several miscellaneous items—alchemy materials, crafting scraps—he could sell or keep for potion synthesis. As for the rare item? The Golem Core certainly looked impressive... but after a bit of scrutiny, Daniel discovered it was utterly useless. It didn't offer any stats, nor could it be equipped. At best, it was a fancy trinket for collectors. Shaking off the disappointment, Daniel turned his attention back to the skill book and immediately chose to learn it. [B-Rank Skill: Thunder Shield (1-star)] [Effect: You are protected by the power of thunder. Until the shield is broken, you gain Super Armor status and 250 Shield Points. Enemies attacking your shield will suffer 20 + 10% of your Spell Power as lightning damage.] [Upgrade detected: Skill is eligible for enhancement.] [Would you like to spend points now?] Is that even a question? Without hesitation, Daniel selected yes. A flash of white light surged before his eyes. [S-Rank Skill: Thunder Shield (2-star)] [Effect: You are protected by the power of thunder. Until the shield is broken, you gain Super Armor status and 2500 Shield Points. Enemies attacking your shield will suffer 200 + 100% of your Spell Power as lightning damage.] Daniel's lips curled into a satisfied smile. Not bad at all. An S-rank shield that not only blocked damage but punished enemies for even daring to hit him? It was the perfect complement to his offensive arsenal. And this was just the beginning. Armed with infinite skill points and a compendium of god-tier magic, he was ready to rewrite the rules of power.