Ultimate Level 1

“Oh my gosh, these are amazing!”

[Baker] Wright turned and looked at his daughter, who was licking the icing off her finger. “I would say these are acceptable but amazing? Really?”

After cleaning her finger with her tongue, Aimee nodded and grinned toward Max.

“He is a bit jealous when it comes to praise from me, but Seth, are you sure you aren’t a [Baker] in disguise?”

A slight cough came from Max as he smiled and motioned to the other two sets of cupcakes. “A real [Baker] wouldn’t need to make three different ones, hoping one was right.”

“Exactly!” her father exclaimed as he set the half-eaten cupcake down. “Now, I am impressed, but I’m not sure I am ready to offer Seth a job.”

Shrugging, Aimee traded her half-eaten cupcake for one of the other sets, moaning again after taking a bite.

“So gud,” she repeated, bits of cupcake coming from her mouth as she chewed and spoke simultaneously.

With a sigh, Max held out his hand toward [Baker] Wright.

“Thank you for letting me have some fun and bring back some memories. If you would allow it, I wouldn’t mind trying again when I’m not in the dungeons.”

The older man shook his head after having shaken Max’s hand.

“I might be open to that, but don’t be expecting me to pay you.”

How the [Baker] looked at him told Max that Mr. Wright was having difficulty believing he was an adventurer.

“Thank you,” Max said as he pulled his adventurer token from his pouch after fishing it from under the apron. “I hope to get to the D rank in another month or so.”

Aimee and her father looked at his token and then at each other.

“He wasn’t lying,” Aimee said quietly. “An adventurer and a frickin [Baker].”

Waving his hands at the both of them, Max shook his head.

“I’m just an adventurer who likes to bake. Two different things.”

[Baker] Wright let out a roar of laughter as he wiped his hand on his apron.

“Alright. I’ve seen enough to know how impressed I am with you. I’ll send these cupcakes with the order to Big D. Now it’s time for me to take care of a few things so we can close for the night.”

Big D had been impressed with Max’s cupcakes and given him a few extra ales on the house because of the free desserts he had received with his order. A few patrons even came up to Max and mentioned how great his dessert had tasted.

Another night of reading left him beginning to understand how the levels and stats worked. The stats adventurers gained provided increased damage and durability. The higher one's strength, the more they could lift or move, but it also affected their ability to penetrate the natural defenses of higher-level monsters. He would gain natural protection against weaker foes as his constitution and strength increased. Their weapons wouldn’t pierce or cut him as easily or deeply.

The monsters, likewise, experienced the same gains, explaining why the orcs had resisted his attacks slightly. In the end, once his strength went up and combined with the bonus damage of his spear, he could overpower their defenses.

Magic worked the same way as a caster's intelligence and wisdom increased. Their spells packed a bigger punch, and their wisdom helped to improve their natural regeneration rate.

Max stood at the looking-for-a-group board in the guild hall the following day. He had already cleared the orc dungeon and was now taking the only option to get stronger. The two dungeons he could fight in alone would not help him get stronger. With no increase in stats or experience gains, he was stuck.

“Alright, I have you on the board, Adventurer Seth.”

Max nodded and moved to some chairs set up nearby. He had been listed as a damage-dealing warrior with the ability to off-tank.

Definitely don’t want to be the main tank and have to deal with all the questions again.

Knowing at some point he would have to answer questions, Max decided the best way was to announce from the beginning his spear provided a chance to heal when killing a monster.

“Seth Pendal!”

“Seth Pendal! Last call for a group!”

Realizing he was being paged, Max closed his book and got up, waving his arm and moving toward the counter before the group board.

A few people nearby snickered at his name, but Max ignored them, knowing it would be that way for the rest of his life.

Or until I can finally find a way to announce who I am…

“I’m Seth!” he said as he got close, seeing a group of three standing by the attendant who had helped him earlier.

There was a dwarven warrior with a shield on his back, wearing chain armor and a decent-sized hammer hanging from his hip.

Next to him was an elf woman in robes, her brown hair tied in the usual braid most elves had and her green eyes watching him intently.

Last was a dwarven woman in robes, holding a staff Max recognized as one a healer used.

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“Still want that group?” the warrior asked. His low voice surprised Max.

“I do. Sorry, I was reading and missed the first time you called out.”

“You’re level thirteen?”

Max looked at the elf and felt a slight tremor of fear he hadn’t expected come over him.

“Uh… yah. Why?” He had to cough before responding, ensuring his voice didn’t crack or waver.

“You aren’t carrying any weapons. Are we going to have to wait for you to retrieve it?”

Looking at them all again, Max saw they each had a backpack on the ground near them.

Smiling, Max activated his storage and pulled his spear out, watching the three of them nod their heads, obviously impressed that he had such a thing.

“Well… that changes things,” she said, smiling. “Sorry for doubting.”

“No offense taken. I just arrived and realized I would much rather join a group and perhaps make a few long-term friends. I’ll be here for a month or more.”

The healer nodded, and the warrior stepped forward and held out his hand.

“I’m Fowl, the elf is Tanila, our resident mage, and that beautiful dwarf is Batrire.”

Smiling, Max shook his hand and grinned at the rest.

“Seth, your spear-wielding, damage dealing, prefer not to tank, but I can do whatever you need at your service.”

Fowl chuckled and nodded as he reached over and tapped the shield on his back.

“I understand that. We were planning on going to the lizardman dungeon if you are interested.”

“Absolutely!”

Max let out a small whistle as his eyes adjusted to the new dungeon.

“Is this real?”

Fowl nodded. “Seems impossible, but it is. It can be a pain of a dungeon, but that's how level fifteen-tier monster dungeons are. They aren’t like the lower-level dungeons at all. Know anything about them?”

Max nodded as he spun around. He looked at the grass field that seemed to stretch on as far as he could see. There were mountains far off and a sky with what looked like a mid-morning sun burning in it.

“High defenses due to their skin, fast, smart, and dangerous.”

“Seems all that studying was paying off,” Tanila stated as she moved up next to Max. “These things can be hard to deal with, especially if we find a group of four or more. I’ll do what I can to slow them down but you may need to play off tank more than you want.”

“I’d prefer if you can not get hit,” Batrire added as she began casting a spell. “I got three different heals, but I’m assuming you know one is only for emergencies.”

Max saw her watching him as she finished her spell, a glow surrounding the group.

“Your special heal is on a twenty-four-hour cooldown once used,” Max replied. “I can help with the healing some, though. I don’t like to brag but my spear has an enchantment that can sometimes heal me if I kill something.”

Fowl started coughing and pounding his chest as Batrire and Tanila began blinking rapidly.

“I’m sorry, what?” his healer asked, “Your spear can heal you?”

Groaning, Max nodded as he tapped the bottom of it into the grass.

“I don’t like talking about it, but yes. I got a very rare drop from a boss. It’s bound, and other than that enchantment doesn’t do anything else but it has been better than anything I could imagine.”

Tanila glanced at Fowl and shook her head, her eyes still blinking faster than usual.

“That’s a very rare enchantment,” she murmured. “Can I ask what boss gave that to you?”

“Uh… I can answer that later if we hit things off. The woman who had to use an advanced identify on it told me not to talk much about it. Does that make sense?”

Her head moved side to side and then she finally nodded.

“Let’s see how that thing works,” Batrire called out as she banged her staff against the ground. “My buff is ticking and I want to enjoy not having to work as hard if what Seth says is true.”

Grunting, Fowl pulled his shield off and got ready to lead the way as Max pulled his shield from storage and followed behind him.

“A weapon that heals… imagine that.” Max heard Tanila say from behind him to Batrire.

Gods, I hope this doesn’t go sideways… I’ll never get a group if I can't figure this out.

“Follow behind me and take the one on the right!”

Fowl took off running once he saw Max nod, aiming for the pack of three lizardmen they found in the open grass area.

They hissed, charging at the dwarf, shields and swords ready to attack.

“Melees!”

Max followed just a few steps behind the dwarf, glad their first encounter was with just the normal lizardman. The three different kinds of lizardmen he had learned about from his book were all dangerous in their own way. It had left him a bit nervous about what they would find in here.

The dwarf swung his hammer at the closest one, hitting its shield as it blocked the attack and staggered back.

The one on the left of Fowl came toward the dwarf, moving slightly to his left. It slashed with its sword, aiming for Fowl’s chest but finding the dwarf’s shield blocking the way.

Max dashed forward, moving past Fowl and engaging the third lizardman a few steps behind its allies. He thrust his spear, testing the speed at which the brown-skinned lizard could react, impressed at how quickly it had shifted its shield to block the thrust at its leg.

It returned a strike aimed at Max’s spear, missing as Max pulled his weapon back.

Max never slowed down. Having drawn out the creature's attack, he slammed into it with his shield, the two colliding as their shields crashed.

The lizardman lost the exchange as Max appeared to overpower it, knocking it off its feet for just a moment. Flying backward, it twisted mid-air, using its tail to right itself, and landed on its feet a good ten feet from where they had impacted.

The sound of weapons and shields impacting each other caused Max to glance over his left shoulder for a second.

“Rooted!”

He saw Fowl moving back a few steps, the one he had initially attacked moving after him while the one on his left appeared stuck, unable to move as vines coiled and twisted up from the ground, entangling its feet.

Max saw the one he had attacked, waiting to see what he did, having not expected to lose that initial collision.

Realizing the opportunity he had as the lizardman waited to see what was going on, Max planted his feet and drove back toward the creature engaged with Fowl. With its back turn and only about seven steps from him, Max drove his spear into the creature's back, a shriek coming from it before Fowl used his hammer and smashed the creature in the face, dropping it to the ground.

Yanking his spear out, Max spun to the left, just in time to see the one he had initially engaged right on top of him. Its sword was coming at him but he read the attack, bringing his shield up and deflecting the strike as he swung his spear around, aiming for the creature’s head.

It raised its shield, preparing for the strike, only to find Max kicking it in the knee, his spear attack having just been a feint. The crunch of bones being destroyed rang out as the leg went backward, sending the creature pitching forward.

As it tumbled forward, Max brought his shield down, slamming the edge of it into the lizardman’s right shoulder as it hit the ground. The sound of more bones breaking filled Max’s ears, but he still heard Tanila shout.

“Three seconds!”

As his opponent writhed on the ground, Max didn’t hesitate to drive his spear into its neck, killing it as the metal tip pierced all the way through to its throat.

A chill poured through him, making him almost miss a step.

[ 1 Dexterity Consumed ]

[Consume has successfully learned a skill]

[Would you like to learn [Swordmanship]?]

[ Yes / No]

Choosing yes, Max felt the knowledge of how a sword should be held and used raging through his mind as he turned to face the last lizardman.

Holy dwarf balls… another weapon skill.

Smiling, Max moved toward the lizardman about to meet its death, as Fowl had already engaged it.