LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 189:
Salt Attack Strikes Twice, Causing A Shiver!
Today, I spend the whole day meditating alone.
My skill growth has halted, and I've been experiencing restless days. But here, I've come to one enlightenment. Yes, it's written as "Gogirol," but pronounced as enlightenment.
The dungeon is a special place. Defeating monsters allows you to steal their life energy, surpassing human limits and enabling growth beyond. Moreover, even supernatural powers like skills can be obtained in this place.
However… because of such a strong impression, I had forgotten. Nevertheless, the fact that there are limits for humans.
Through the battle with the Queen of Flies, I had once reached the limit. Yes, it was the barrier of ability values of 500. ‘Strength, Stamina, Intelligence, Spirit, Agility,' all five ability values had stopped at a maximum of 500.
Of course, this may not be the limit, and it cannot be denied that there is potential beyond that. For some reason, only the feeling of ‘frustration' effortlessly crossed the barrier of 500.
But still, there's no way to confirm it at the moment.
And this time, I've reached the limit point where even the growth of my skills has stopped. Is this something to rejoice over or to mourn? It should be something to rejoice over. There's a limit to the number of skills in games, as well as in manga and novels of other worlds. It can be considered that I've obtained all skills up to the limit.
Wait? Ah, sorry, I was meeting gods. I received the skill [Salt] from the tiny Salt God. But it's just one, and it was in a dream.
Anyway, there are limits to human growth.
Humans are born, grow, and eventually age. Ancient people used to say this. Four legs in the morning, two in the afternoon, and three at night. Or something like that. Or maybe it's a riddle from the Sphinx, where if you can't answer, you'd get killed in a death game.
And the answer is ‘human.'
A newborn baby can only crawl. That's four legs. But as the body grows and becomes an adult, they can stand on two legs. But as they age, their legs weaken, and they can't stand without a cane. That's three legs, including the cane. In other words, the Sphinx asked about a human's lifetime in a day.
Let's remember this firmly in case we bump into the Sphinx around a corner.
Ah, no, well, forget about the Sphinx. The idea that I've been getting infinitely stronger and acquiring skills endlessly due to the benefits of the dungeon was a mistake.
Like how plants sprout and grow in spring, only to wither and wilt in autumn. Humans also reach the limit of growth and then wither.
But this is not a resigned acceptance. It's the law of nature, the essence of life. To accept things as they are and live to the fullest. Isn't that the way to live as a human?
Thinking like this, I could see the future direction. I have stopped growing, and have reached the maturity stage in life.
This is like likening it to a master teaching young disciples.
A master surpasses young disciples in many aspects. If there were no superior aspects, the young disciples wouldn't follow. But since the master is already old, they are no longer physically superior to the young disciples. So what compensates for that difference in ability? It's skill and experience.
If the master excels in skill and experience over the young disciples, the prestige of being a master is maintained.
(That's right. I should learn some skills…!)
Ruu, Serai-san, and the others have ‘special treatment', jobs that come with growth bonuses. So even if I work just as hard as them, they will grow faster.
But this isn't all bad.
The fact that they grow stronger means that even when I can't be there for them in times of trouble, they have a greater chance of survival. So let's not imitate them out of jealousy for my pride.
And yet, I, who have always thought that I'm not suited for it, somehow ended up with the job of ‘teacher.'
Then let's aim for it! A master with abundant skill and experience!!
From the day I vowed to aim to be a master, I drastically changed my training menu. I reduced the time spent on strength training and devoted it to meditation and mastering skill manipulation.
In meditation, I focus on enhancing my spirit and quickly refining my magic and aura.
Yes, speed is power. It goes without saying that in the Wild West, a gunslinger's quick draw determines the outcome of a battle. For dungeon delvers, being able to quickly refine magic and activate skills will be the key to victory. Rapid refinement of magic and aura is equivalent to quick-drawing a gun.
But no matter how fast the gun is drawn, it's meaningless if the bullet doesn't hit. That's where skill mastery training comes in.
I practice tying butterfly knots at the limit of stretched mucus or making a card tower out of salt created within the same limit of the control range.
But this is surprisingly mentally taxing, even for someone like me who has cleared numerous crappy games and is used to difficult training.
"[(Squeeze…!)]"
(Oh! Failed again! Ugh. It's frustrating! So frustrating!!)
…..
Amid grueling training, I calm my mind with meditation and contemplate various aspects of my skills.
[Acid] is a powerful attack skill. When it becomes [Strong Acid], it becomes even more potent. Thanks to this skill, I didn't have much trouble until the 5th underground floor.
However, on the other hand, it can also be very crude. It can be used as ‘pseudo lemon water', but it's only suitable for attacks and therefore quite dangerous to handle due to its nature. If you only focus on attacking enemies, it's very effective.
But what about the skill [Mucus]?
At first glance, it seems like it can only be used for small things like sticking enemies or making them slip and fall. However, its potential is unlimited depending on how it's used.
Since obtaining the skill [Mucus], the range of battles has expanded, making fighting much easier. Sticking enemies or making them slip and fall may seem insignificant, but that brief moment is very helpful for someone fighting solo to readjust their stance.
Not only that. But mucus can also replace the simple defensive formations I used to carry around, and it can stick to walls and ceilings like a ninja.
Mucus nets can capture enemies like spider webs, and mucus ropes can move like Tarzan or pick up things far away like a frog's tongue. Furthermore, it doesn't stop there. If you wrap a room or a treasure chest with mucus, most traps can get neutralized. a remarkable skill indeed.
That's why I prioritize mastering the skill [Mucus]. With this much versatility, it might not be an exaggeration to say that ‘he who controls the mucus controls the dungeon!'
And similarly, the skill [Salt] is also the same.
When I received this skill from the tiny Salt God, I thought, "Huh, why?" I understood the reason for receiving it, but still, I thought, "If only you could give me a more amazing skill!"
But that was a mistake. This skill [Salt] is truly precious and wonderful! Now that I've realized that, I'm extremely grateful to that tiny Salt God.
Because the salt created by the skill [Salt] naturally has a holy attribute. An attribute attack, and a holy one at that! It's obviously ‘purifying salt.'
Undead monsters bathed in it crumble away like slugs sprinkled with salt. There have only been examples of zombies and lesser ghosts so far, but at this rate, even stronger undead wouldn't stand a chance against salt.
Furthermore, salt naturally has strong toxicity against plants. It's salt damage.
So when plant-type monsters are attacked with salt, they wither away in no time. It's like reversing the before and after photos in ads for cosmetics or health foods.
Yes, salt is incredibly toxic. Even for an adult human, ingesting 200g of salt can lead to death by poisoning. Even if other toxins could cause death with just 0.1g, it doesn't matter when it comes to salt if you pound in enough quantity.
In addition, salt attacks strike twice. It's important, so let me repeat, salt attacks strike twice, causing a shiver!
What does that mean? When a living being gets attacked, their body momentarily stiffens from the shock or pain. This is not an exception even for monsters in the dungeon. That's the first shiver! However, in a salt attack, salt seeps into the wound, causing another shiver later.
This timing is also wonderful. When the attacked monster momentarily stiffens from the pain of being wounded, it immediately tries to retaliate. But just at that moment, the salt seeps into the wound, causing the second shiver!
Yes, this dampens the enemy's fighting spirit. The wound stings even more when they think they'll retaliate as the salt seeps in. That's the terrifying aspect of salt attacks.
And the skill [Salt], like [Mucus], also holds high versatility.
It can be used in cooking, and what other skills can be used as weapons or armor? Moreover, it's delicious, and the weapons and armor made from it are sturdy. Yes, with the skill [Salt], you can fight without worrying about the damage to your weapons and armor. Even if they get dull or scratched, you can repair them on the spot and create as many as you want.
With a holy attribute and strong toxicity against plants, its toxicity extends somewhat to other monsters. Furthermore, it can be used as weapons and armor, so [Salt] can be called an almighty skill.
If I can fully utilize these skills and their power, I can protect Ruu and the others, and challenge the dungeon's depths.