Boxing

The farther Steven ventured into the labyrinth...

The less it resembled the beginner dungeon from the entrance.

The kobolds changed.

Gone were the barely organized scavengers wielding rusty swords.

These deeper kobolds fought like trained soldiers.

Shield walls.

Ambushes.

Flanking maneuvers.

Some even retreated to lure him into narrow corridors before allies attacked from hidden alcoves.

"...Okay."

Steven ducked beneath a spear thrust.

"This is getting annoying."

Even with twenty-five Strength and Dexterity, he could no longer simply bulldoze through encounters.

He had to think.

To position himself.

To use corners and hallways to avoid being surrounded.

The loot, however...

Was awful.

Broken spears.

Cracked shields.

Cheap leather armor.

Bent swords.

Steven sighed after stuffing another useless piece of equipment into his Inventory.

"Fortune's Favor."

"We need to have a talk."

Several more rooms later...

He stepped across an unusually polished stone floor.

THUD.

The door slammed shut behind him.

Steven immediately spun around.

"...Ah."

"I don't like that."

A deep crimson light spread across the room.

The walls glowed with strange runes.

The ceiling stretched so high into darkness he couldn't even see it.

Then...

A rushing sound.

WHOOOOOSH!

Steven instinctively jumped backward.

KABLAM!

Something crashed into the center of the chamber hard enough to crack the floor.

Dust billowed outward.

As it settled...

Steven finally saw his opponent.

"...Huh."

The kobold stood nearly five feet tall.

Much taller than the others.

Its muscular frame was wrapped in worn leather straps.

Most striking of all...

It wore an enormous pair of battered boxing gloves.

The creature bounced lightly on the balls of its feet.

Left.

Right.

Left.

Right.

Steven blinked.

"...A melee fighter."

The kobold grinned.

Then charged.

The fight was brutal.

No weapons.

No tricks.

Just fists.

The kobold fought like an experienced boxer.

Every punch flowed into another.

Jabs.

Hooks.

Uppercuts.

Body blows.

Steven struggled just to keep up.

His increased Dexterity barely saved him from several devastating combinations.

He answered with punches of his own.

Kicks whenever he found an opening.

The Slime Gloves hissed with acid every successful strike.

The kobold simply kept coming.

Again.

Again.

Again.

A heavy right hook smashed into Steven's jaw.

Stars exploded across his vision.

He staggered.

The kobold immediately followed with another combination.

Steven's HP plummeted.

"...Shit!"

Without hesitation he reached into his Inventory.

The Minor Health Potion appeared in his hand.

He uncorked it with his teeth.

Drank.

Warmth surged through his body.

His HP climbed just enough to keep him alive.

"If it wasn't for that..."

"...I'd be dead."

The battle continued several more exhausting minutes.

Finally...

Steven baited a punch.

Slipped outside the attack.

Pivoted.

Then drove every ounce of his Strength into one perfectly timed right cross.

His Slime Glove connected directly with the kobold's jaw.

CRACK!

The monster flew backward.

Collapsed.

Then dissolved into shimmering particles.

Steven remained standing only because sheer stubbornness refused to let him fall.

"..."

"...Ow."

This time...

The loot made everything worthwhile.

A single book materialized where the kobold had fallen.

Steven's eyes lit up.

"No way."

He immediately pointed.

"Identify."

Skill Book

Tippy Toes

"...Tippy Toes?"

Steven couldn't help laughing.

"What kind of name is that?"

Still...

A fighting skill was a fighting skill.

He opened the book.

Golden light burst outward.

The pages dissolved into glowing particles that flowed directly into his chest.

The empty cover crumbled into nothingness.

A familiar prompt appeared.

Learned Skill

Tippy Toes

Steven immediately opened his Skill window.

Just like before...

He physically tapped the skill.

A description expanded.

Tippy Toes

Move faster while fighting by remaining on your toes.

The art of a boxer.

"..."

Steven burst into laughter.

"I fought a boxer..."

"...to learn boxing footwork."

He assumed a fighting stance.

Raised his guard.

Began lightly bouncing on the balls of his feet.

Left.

Right.

Forward.

Back.

His movements immediately felt...

Lighter.

Quicker.

More fluid.

He shadowboxed a few combinations.

"...Oh."

"This is actually nice."

He estimated the increase somewhere around ten to twenty percent while actively fighting.

Combined with the Forest Strider Boots...

His mobility had noticeably improved.

"I'll definitely keep this."

The massive stone door slowly opened once the room recognized the boss's defeat.

Steven looked at it.

Then looked at his HP.

"...No."

"I'm not leaving yet."

He sat cross-legged in the center of the now-empty chamber.

"Eternal Breath."

Golden warmth spread through his battered body.

While meditating...

He finally checked the notifications he'd been ignoring.

Another level.

Five Status Points.

One Skill Point.

He immediately invested every Status Point into Luck.

Luck: 25

His grin widened.

"No milestone?"

"Huh."

Apparently milestones weren't every five points.

Interesting.

The Skill Point, however...

Never really existed.

Learning Tippy Toes had consumed it immediately.

Three Skill Points remained.

Steven smiled.

"I've still got enough to improve something."

His eyes drifted toward Identify.

"...You've been pretty useless."

"Let's fix that."

He selected the skill.

The System asked for confirmation.

He accepted.

Then...

His smile disappeared.

Skill Points Spent: 2

"..."

"..."

"...You motherfucker."

He stared blankly at the window.

"It costs TWO to level now?!"

Then he remembered.

The handbook.

Every System-granted skill secretly charged an extra Skill Point.

"...That's the acquisition fee."

"I hate you."

He sighed dramatically.

One Skill Point remained.

"Guess I'm committed now."

His meditation eventually restored him to full health.

Before standing...

He had one more idea.

"If Identify got stronger..."

"Let's see."

He held up one gloved hand.

"Identify."

A much larger information window appeared than before.

Slime Gloves

Quality: Uncommon

Equipment Type: Handwraps

Durability: 97 / 100

Effects:

+10 Acid Damage

Unarmed attacks deal Acid elemental damage.

Acid damage bypasses minor natural armor.

Flavor Text:

"Fashioned from the remains of a Slime King. Their touch leaves more than bruises."

Steven's eyebrows rose.

"...Whoa."

"It shows durability now."

"And..."

"Bypasses natural armor?"

"It didn't tell me that before."

His grin grew.

"That's actually useful."

He looked down at his boots.

"Identify."

Another expanded window appeared.

Forest Strider Boots

Quality: Rare

Equipment Type: Footwear

Durability: 184 / 200

Effects:

+10% Movement Speed

Footsteps become significantly quieter in natural environments.

Stamina consumption while running through forests is slightly reduced.

Passive Trait: Rooted Balance

Reduces the chance of slipping on natural terrain.

Flavor Text:

"Walk the forest as though it remembers your name."

Steven blinked several times.

"...Okay."

"Level Two Identify..."

"...is actually worth having."

Seeing durability alone would save him from accidentally breaking equipment.

The hidden passive on the boots was an unexpected bonus as well.

He stood, stretched his shoulders, and smiled.

"Maybe spending those two points wasn't a complete scam."

He glanced toward the open doorway leading deeper into the maze.

Then back at his Status.

Level 13.

Strength 25.

Dexterity 25.

Constitution 15.

Intelligence 12.

Wisdom 14.

Charisma 10.

Luck 25.

One lonely Skill Point remained.

Steven rolled his shoulders, settled naturally into the light, bouncing stance that Tippy Toes encouraged, and walked through the open doorway.

Somewhere deeper within the endless maze...

More secrets were waiting.