Chapter 61：Hunting For Runes (1/2)
The group left the dungeon and headed out to have some dinner, but Arthur told them he had things to do. He needed to learn the runes since they sounded so useful for the current him, so he decided to go into the dungeon alone.
The dungeon's portal glowed brightly as people came in and out of it as if it welcomed everyone to its stomach. Arthur walked into the portal that was in the middle of the building, and his body disappeared from this world.
Finding himself in the maze again, Arthur took a deep breath and crouched down. With his muscles tensing, he sprinted through the maze looking for the golems. His speed has reached new heights than it was before the trial, and Arthur realized how much he had changed.
GOOW~
He slid across the ground when he stopped to see the source of the voice. With a flick of his hand, the detection rune appeared and told him the exact location of the golem. He bolted toward the monster and found one deeper into the maze, a middle-mid-tier golem. It's had several branches mottling its limbs and body as if it had been molded from a forest's grounds.
This was bigger than the earlier golems, clearly a middle-mid-tier monster. Arthur grinned as adrenaline pumped through his body, feeling the thrill and excitement.
”Come,” He pointed his dagger at the giant golem and the latter roared, provoked. It started stomping on the ground as it ran toward Arthur, sending a giant fist at the thin-framed human. The vegetation rune it had made the trees surround the fist like a glove increasing its size and strength.
Arthur waited for the right moment to use his skill Shadow Step to appear behind the golem. Although it still had a considerable mana cost, it was worth it for sneak attacks. He slashed several times with his dagger and hand, sending multiple Poison Bladeless Wind Slash, a combination of the wind slash skill and the poison strike skill.
The Golem's back was now riddled with deep wounds and decaying superficial ones. It roared with agony but Arthur gave it no time to counterattack as he jumped and stepped on the soil he controlled to ascend the golems back and attack its neck.
There were no chords on the neck and Arthur dodged the trees that came his way and descended to the ground while slashing the golem's arm from the shoulder to the hand.
He did fine work to reveal the cords the monster had on its arm and his first goal was accomplished. For the rest of the fight, Arthur observed the runes glowing on the monster's arm as he dodged left and right. He also made sure to immobilize it by attacking its joints.
The golem was soon tattered and dismembered, and Arthur received a message from his legacy.
[Compress-I rune has been learned.]
He breathed in relief as the fatigue from the earlier fight started weighing down on him. He sensed someone coming from behind and he looked back to find Tyrin.
”A magnificent show of strength,” Tyrin smiled warmly, a smile that would send butterflies in any girl's stomach.
”Anything I can help you with?” Arthur noticed the group accompanying him wasn't here, so he was suspicious at their meeting.
”There is, of course, a lot of things. Unlike Ori, you have some backbone. That's a quality I like, a person who's not afraid to do things if they need to.”
”Dude, just tell me what is it that you want.” Arthur sighed and felt tired of these dramatic people showing up in his life. Did every awakener need to practice drama beforehand?
”Haha, I see you're a practical person. Join my group, that's all I want. We have a purpose unlike your little club, and it would be more beneficial to work together.”
”Oh, is this because of Ori? I heard you had quite the past,” Arthur smiled, slightly irritated by Tyrin's conceited attitude.
”He,” Tyrin's face showed anger and disgust for the first time. ”still has a big mouth, it seems.” Arthur could see this person's complex surfacing. ”That bastard mistook me for a girl,” Tyrin said with gritted teeth. Arthur now realized how insecure the person in front of him was.
It seems that he tried to make up for it by acting composed and calm. It was only now that Arthur realized his clothes were also picked well, showing his muscles and masculine traits as much as possible.
”For now, I don't feel like subordinating someone. However, things can change in the future.” Arthur answered his earlier proposal. He didn't want to follow anyone, ever, but it wouldn't hurt to have some connection.
”Here's my card, call me when you feel like it.” Tyrin left with these words. It seemed he was uncomfortable after the words Arthur said, and the latter felt slightly sorry.
Arthur pocketed the card and looked at the golem breathing its last. It seemed that its mana was dwindling fast, as it was barely struggling anymore. Arthur kept observing its usage of the vegetation runes, but it soon died before he could fully learn it.
[You have leveled up.]
He threw his extra two points into mana and absorbed the monster, getting two more. He decided to learn the vegetation rune today and head home, so he went and looked for another golem.
This time Arthur cut off its legs and kept a distance between him and it. The golem tried to use the trees on its body to attack, and Arthur slashed at the root of the tree to see the runes. Repeating what he did earlier, he learned the rune after almost half an hour of dodging.