"This is... an addition?"
The symbol looked quite similar to a mathematical symbol, Kain wondered, but he still wasn't too sure.
A cross can represent many things.
However, when placed next to the numbers, a mathematical addition was the most feasible thing that Kain could think of.
But what is the addition here? Add magic skill?
In disbelief, Kain tried focusing his thoughts on the (+) symbol as he had done with the other lines to see if anything would happen.
When Kain activated (+) next to the [Thunder Bullet level 0] line, the 0/1 number changed to 1/1. At the same time, he suddenly felt new memories being stuffed into his head.
Kain raised his hand, small lightning appeared from the air and swirled to form a small ball of lightning.
It was clearly a very new experience, but Kain was strangely familiar with doing it, as if he had practiced it a hundred times.
+[Thunder Bullet level 1] 0/2
-[Enhancement Magic ★]
Not only did the magic skill [Thunder Bullet] increase from level 0 to level 1, but the [Level] section at the top of the system panel also decreased to 0.
Could it be because the points in [Level] were used to upgrade his magic skill?
Kain wasn't too sure, but he knew this wasn't a coincidence.
Besides, to confirm whether this is true or false is very simple, just kill more monsters.
Kain re-threw the arrow, pulled out the dagger still stuck in the Zombie's head, and continued forward.
He remembered that normal Zombies usually appeared in clusters, even when they were separated, the distance between each Zombie would not be too far. The Zombie he just killed might have accidentally separated a nearby Zombie cluster.
Now, having magical power in his hands, even if just a little, filled Kain with confidence.
He was also extremely surprised, because he had never encountered such a strange method of enhancing magic.
After walking straight for a few hundred meters, Kain heard some growling sounds again.
There were a few zombies lurking ahead. Kain counted and counted, and found that there were about ten of them. This was a bit too many for Kain to handle at once, but Kain wasn't about to do anything stupid. His plan was to separate them so that he could easily take them out one by one.
Kain targeted the Zombie closest to where he was standing, which was also the farthest from the center of the Zombie cluster. He used a small rock as bait and skillfully threw it near the Zombie's feet, causing the monster to be attracted by the movement the rock caused.
Just like that, Kain gradually pulled this Zombie away from the other Zombies.
The process was quite boring and time consuming, but Kain was not impatient.
Because he has always been an excellent hunter.
Once the distance was far enough, Kain aimed his bow straight at the Zombie's eye socket.
The arrow pierced through the air, since the target was the eye socket instead of the skull, it didn't take much effort for the arrow to pierce through a Zombie's head.
Seeing the Zombie fall, Kain breathed a sigh of relief.
Luckily, the Zombie's normal movement speed is quite slow.
After killing the Zombie, Kain eagerly activated the system to see the change in [Level]. But contrary to Kain's expectations, what appeared before his eyes was still [Level]: 0.
"I can't increase [Level]? Or do I need to kill more monsters?"
Kain speculated, but he quickly gave up on thinking it was useless.
It's easy to verify, just like the old way he said.
So Kain continued to wear down the Zombies by repeating the same trick. After killing the fifth Zombie, he finally saw [Level]: 0 transform into [Level]: 1.
"I see, it takes five Zombies just to gain one level."
Seeing this, Kain couldn't help but feel worried. The first level up only needed one Zombie, the second level up needed five Zombies. If this continued, the third time he wanted to level up he would need to kill 25 Zombies, the fourth time he would need to kill 125 Zombies.
A full five times, at some point, the number would reach a level even Kain could not imagine.
But now is not the time to think about such things.
[Thunder Bullet level 1] 1/2
The challenge became more difficult, as the remaining five Zombies were standing quite close together, Kain could no longer lure out just one Zombie alone.
So, it was time for him to use magic.
Kain quietly approached a suitable position, with an arrow already knocked on the bowstring.
When the moment came, Kain sprang from his hiding place with a tightly drawn bowstring, the arrow released instantly piercing through a Zombie's skull as easily as an apple.
Seeing their comrades killed, the four remaining Zombies became agitated and charged towards Kain's direction.
Kain had predicted this, a ball of lightning appeared in his palm and shot straight towards the nearest Zombie, instantly paralyzing the monster.
Taking advantage of this precious moment, Kain stabbed the knife into the eye socket of the Zombie who was unable to fight back.
Kain then quickly retreated.
His strategy was to utilize the paralysis ability of [Thunder Bullet], combined with the knife in his hand. The goal was to take down the nearest Zombie, then quickly retreat to prevent being surrounded. This continued until the last monster was destroyed by him.
+[Thunder Bullet level 1] 1/2 (+)
-[Enhancement Magic ★]
Seeing this, Kain felt relieved.
It seems the number of monsters needed to kill to increase [Level] remains unchanged, and the first time seems more like an unexpected stroke of luck.
+[Thunder Bullet level 2] 0/3 (+1)
-[Enhancement Magic ★]
As the level of [Thunder Bullet] increases, Kain gains new memories of practicing this magic skill.
He raised his hand, the small lightning bolts spun and condensed into a ball of lightning. Only this one's shape was larger.
Kain dispelled the magic, then collected the used arrow and continued to delve deeper into the Dungeon.
The cave was very deep, and the steeper it got, the more Kain would occasionally encounter wandering zombies, all of whom without exception would die under Kain's dagger or arrow.
+[Thunder Bullet level 2] 2/3 (+1)
-[Enhancement Magic ★]
Just one more skill point and [Thunder Bullet] can level up again.
At last, Kain saw light, not the faint glow of glowing grass, but a much more intense light.
Kain excitedly ran to the end of the cave. However, at the end of the cave was a door that connected to another, larger cave, with a ceiling that was nearly ten meters high, and the light that Kain saw was the glowing grass that grew densely on it.
It would be a lie to say Kain wasn't disappointed, but this couldn't discourage him.
There are two ways to exit the Dungeon.
The first way is to get in the same way you got out.
The second way is to conquer the Dungeon, or at least one floor of the Dungeon.
Because this Dungeon is quite small, the number of monsters is small, and the only type of monster that appears is Zombie. So Kain thinks this is the weakest type of Dungeon.
Conquering this Dungeon is not difficult.
Although Kain observed no danger, he still did not step out of his small path.
Because the vast cave in front of him was most likely the residence of the guardian monster.
Guardian monsters, as their name suggests, are monsters used to block the exit, and are also the strongest monsters on that floor.
This was not something Kain could treat as lightly as he treated Zombies.
Only his eyes couldn't catch any monsters. There was only glowing grass, dirt, and rocks.
Kain's brows furrowed. He picked up a stone, tentatively tossing it to a random spot in the cave.
As the stone hit the ground and caused a slight vibration, a giant mouth suddenly rose from the ground and swallowed the stone whole.
Kain was terrified, the mouth was wide enough to swallow a cow whole.
He shivered, fortunately he had carefully probed beforehand. Otherwise, he would have been in the monster's belly by now.