Adam sat in his Garden Sanctuary looking at his herbs; being surrounded by his growing herbs relaxed Adam in a way he never knew he needed. Being forced into this dungeon and looking for a way out was stressful; he's handled it well so far, but he wanted to push through and get out of here. Instinctive Awareness and Battle Instincts, together now, gave him a sense of connection to his surroundings, a feeling of knowing before he acted. He was more in tune with the world around him than he had ever been before. Adam opened his eyes after a few long minutes, his body feeling restored from the bruises and exhaustion of the fight. His mind was sharper, and the tension from the Behemoth battle had disappeared. He reached out and gently touched the Nourishment Vines and Sustenance Roots he had planted earlier. They had already begun sprouting, their vibrant colors signaling new growth. He gave them a quiet nod of approval before standing up and stretching, the last bit of fatigue slipping away.

  Adam opened his eyes outside of his garden sanctuary. He began to make his way down the winding corridors, keeping his senses alert and the environment around him clearer thanks to his instinctive awareness. The deeper he ventured, the more apparent the danger became. He wasn’t sure what to expect—every time he thought he had a handle on things, the dungeon would throw something unexpected his way, but Adam figured he should expect it. The legendary difficulty upgrade and whatever sucked him in here. His skills were growing, and his body was adapting. Even so, there was a creeping unease in his gut.

  The faint rustle ahead grew louder, a skittering sound that made his hair stand on end, the familiar weight of his blade reassuring in his hand. Adam decided to wait on moving forward and apply his toxin on his blade just to make sure it was still effective. Then, just as he rounded a corner, a flicker of movement exploded from the darkness. A creature, half-hidden in shadow, lunged at him, a blend of insect and reptile with multiple legs and glowing eyes reflecting the dim light-like glass shards. Its body was sleek, built for speed, and its pincers clicked menacingly as it moved.

  [SYSTEM MESSAGE]

  Inspecting Target: Venomous Dungeon Scuttler

  Creature Type: Insectoid / Reptilian Hybrid

  Level: 10

  Rarity: Uncommon

  HP: 180/180

  Letting out a breath, he regretted instantly as it lunged at him; with a swift dodge, he rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the creature's bite. The air hissed as its mandibles snapped shut, missing his arm by mere inches. He was already on his feet, moving fast. The air hissed as its mandibles snapped shut, missing his arm by mere inches. He was already on his feet, moving fast. It darted around him, its legs scuttling rapidly across the stone floor, trying to get its jaws on him. As Dodge came off cooldown, he used it and spun around, landing a blow on the creature's back. The beast froze mid-lunge, its glowing eyes widening. It staggered, its movements slowing as the toxin took hold. Adam didn’t waste a second. With a quick leap, he closed the distance between them and precisely struck the creature’s exposed side. His blade sunk deep into the soft tissue, and the beast screeched, rearing back before collapsing into a heap. The creature twitched for a moment before dying.

  [SYSTEM MESSAGE]

  Dungeon Scuttler Defeated

  100 XP

  Loot Dropped:

  

  
• 1x Scale plate.


  
• 25 Coppers


  

  Adam nodded to himself. It wasn’t much Money, and XP Was always useful. looking at the plate, he thought it might be for crafting, but no, It was literally a dinner plate made from the Scale of the creature. He would have a whole dinner set when he was done with this dungeon. He quickly stowed the loot away in his inventory and moved on. As he continued deeper into the dungeon, he kept a lookout and harvested some herbs, most again what he had already found, but one new one he was going to plant in his garden when he was done tonight.

  Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

  [SYSTEM MESSAGE]

  Herb Identified: Sanguine Fern (Common)

  Effect: Can be eaten or brewed into a basic healing potion that restores HP over time.

  Another healing plant is always nice. He also fought a few more of the same scuttler creature, just dropping some copper coins and XP for a total of 50 copper and 300 XP.

  Respectively sitting at Class: Herbalist (Level 5) 1970/4000

  Until the next level.

  —

  The days started to blur together in the dungeon, harvesting any herbs he came across and killing anything he thought he could win or that got the drop on him. To relax, he tended his garden and crafted potions and toxins when he could. Working with a limited supply of jars and potion vials was his real limiting factor, but his hard work paid off with everything that was going on.

  Reviewing his notifications over the past few days. He had leveled up his class and most of his skills; he really liked the new skills he had earned.

  Skill Learned: Leap: (Active) Level: 1

  Effect:

  Leap allows the user to perform a powerful jump to quickly cover ground or avoid attacks.

  Range: 10 meters

  Cooldown: 15 seconds

  Stamina Cost: 15

  Skill Learned: Pain Resistance (Passive) Level: 1

  Effect:

  Allows the user to resist more significant amounts of pain.

  Pain Resistance He unlocked and leveled up in the same fight. An acid slime had attacked him when he was already in a fight with another creature and burned off most of the skin on his right arm and chest, making him drop his blade. He barely had time to grab it again and run.

  Another thing: when he leveled up in his class, his Wisdom hit 25 And got him a trait

  Trait Gained: Enlightened Mind

  Congratulations! You have reached Wisdom 25 and gained the trait of an Enlightened Mind. This trait dramatically enhances your mental clarity, perception, and decision-making abilities.

  Enlightened Mind:

  

  
• Mental Clarity increases one's ability to think and make decisions more effectively, especially under pressure or in stressful situations.


  
• Longevity of Knowledge: Understanding the world around you deepens, allowing you to retain and recall information more efficiently.


  

  This trait will allow you to grow as a more well-rounded individual in combat and your quest for knowledge and understanding. The effects of your wisdom will continue to shape your path in life.

  Altogether, he was growing stronger, and he liked almost all of it.

  Name: Adam

  Class: Herbalist (Level 6) 935/5000

  Subclass: Race: Human

  Patron: Airmed

  Titles: Master of a Legendary Class, Giant Slayer, Overkill

  Traits: Slowed Aging, Enlightened Mind

  Current Status:

  

  
• HP: 350/350 (4.6/min)


  
• MP: 250/250 (4.8/min)


  
• Stamina: 190/190 (6.5/min)


  

  Abilities:

  

  
• Herb Identification (Passive) – You can identify and analyze any plant or herb nearby.


  
• Alchemy (Active) level 7 – Can craft with herbs


  
• Garden Sanctuary You create a personal garden space that allows you to plant, grow, and nurture herbs and plants at an accelerated rate.


  

  Skills:

  

  
• Inspect (Active) Level 3


  
• Taunt (Active) Level 3


  
• Small Blades Level 6


  
• First Aid (Passive) Level 3


  
• Negotiation (Passive) Level 2


  
• Instinctive Awareness Level 2


  
• Dodge (Active) Level 4


  
• Cultivation (Passive) Level 2


  
• Leap (Active) Level 1


  
• Pain Resistance (Passive) Level: 2


  

  Attributes:

  

  
• Strength: 11


  
• Intelligence: 23


  
• Dexterity: 19


  
• Wisdom: 25


  
• Vitality: 35


  
• Attribute points: 0


  

  Adam shakes his head, thinking about that acid slime creature. He hated this place. Taking a deep breath, Adam continued deeper into the dungeon.