Ethan activated [Inferno Leap (D)] again, landing amidst a cluster of golems and disrupting their formation with a fiery explosion. His movements were precise and powerful, each swing of his sword leaving a trail of destruction.
As they fought, the golems fell one by one until none were left standing. The ground was littered with rubble and the remnants of their foes, a testament to their hard-fought victory.
To their relief, they finally triggered monster drops this time. Ethan's keen eyes spotted three active skill books on the ground, glowing faintly with a mystical light.
"Look!" Cedric called out, picking up the glowing books. "We got some skill books!"
The group gathered around, their faces lighting up with excitement. Cedric took one of the books and examined it closely.
"Whoa! These are all active skills, and there are three of them," he said, his voice filled with wonder. "Active skill books will definitely fetch a good price. Let's see what we've got."
They carefully opened the books, revealing the skills contained within. The first book held a skill called [Rock Shield (E)], which allowed the user to summon a protective barrier of stone.
The second book contained [Earthquake Stomp (E)], a powerful ground attack that could knock enemies off balance.
The third book revealed [Stone Grip (E)], a skill that could immobilize opponents by encasing their feet in rock.
"Does anyone want to equip one of these, or should we store them in our bag to sell them later on?" Cedric asked. They all looked at each other, but no one was eager to waste their precious skill slot by equipping these.
Ethan was also not interested. The only useful skill he found among them was Earthquake Stomp; however, he already had a similar type of skill: Inferno Leap.
If he was alone, he could have synthesized them and made them more useful. But he was not alone, and everyone had a share in it.
Moreover, he was not interested in getting skill books anymore. He could just buy them from the market anytime. After the deal with Ilyana, it should be very easy for him to get a good amount of money for his needs.
Finding no one eager, Cedric put them in the cloth bag and headed deeper into the fourth floor.
After some effort, they cleared the 4th floor and the 5th floor as well.
"Ding!"
[ Congratulations! You have leveled up ]
[ Congratulations! You have leveled up ]
As the last stone golem fell, Ethan received his level-up notification once again.
After clearing the first five floors and destroying nearly 100 golems, his rank increased by two levels.
On the other hand, his party members also leveled up once.
Ethan leveled up twice most likely because of his contribution, or simply because of his talent, both of them could be the reason.
He distributed his stat points and took a glance at the system panel:
[Status:]
[ Name: Aengus Degaro (Ethan Smith)]
[ Occupation: Hunter ]
[ Race: Human ]
[ Level: 12 ]
[ Class: None ]
[ Age: 18 ]
[ Strength: 30 ]
[ Agility: 27 ]
[ Defense: 25 ]
[ Mana: 5,950/8,070) ]
[ Attribute points: 0]
[ Skills:]
[ Active: Inferno Leap-3 (D), Berserker's Might (D) Azula Sword Strike-2(E), Paralyzing Breath (E)]
[ Passive: Blaze Guard-2 (E), Fire Serpent's Digestion (E), Predator's Instinct (E)l
[ Special skills: Monster Breeding (Level-1), Blood Regeneration(level-1)]
[ Unique Skills : Appraisal (Basic), Skill Absorption (Mythic), Universal Synthesis (Ultimate)]
[Equipment: Holy Dragonian-blade (C)]
*****
"Let's take a break, everyone. We need to eat and rest, and recover our mana before we continue deeper," Cedric said, seeing the exhaustion on their faces.
"Finally!"
Iris and Lenora exhaled a breath of relief, while Yona, though silent as always, looked relieved to have a chance to rest.
Murcus was also tired and strained. He looked at Ethan and found him completely fine as if he can go for a few rounds more. He found it astonishing. He saw with his very eyes that Ethan used active skills one after another, so why did he look so fine?
"How much Mana Reserve does Ethan have?" he wondered.
What he didn't know that Ethan had barely consumed near 2,000 Mana points out his vast Mana Reserve of 8,070.
If he knew, he might had to be bedridden for a while because of the shock.
They found a relatively safe corner in the cavern and set up a temporary camp. Cedric started a small fire, and they prepared a simple meal. The warmth of the fire and the aroma of cooking food brought a sense of comfort and normalcy in the otherwise harsh environment.
Ethan sat down, his back against the rocky wall, and closed his eyes for a moment.
"Here, Ethan" Iris said, handing him a bowl of steaming stew. "You need to eat this and regain your strength."
"Oh, thanks, Iris." Ethan opened his eyes and accept the bowl of stew.
As they ate, the conversation naturally drifted toward personal matters—family, relationships, and more.
Cedric, Iris, and Marcus, all between the ages of 15-17, casually mentioned their romantic relationships. In this world, it wasn't unusual for young people to start forming bonds early, as their growth and maturity rates differed from those on Earth.
On the other hand, Yona, Lenora, and Ethan remained single, a fact that didn't escape the group's notice.
"Ethan, don't you have any girlfriend?" Iris asked suddenly, her question drawing the attention of the others.
"Yeah, tell us about your girlfriend," Cedric added, his curiosity piqued.
Ethan smiled slightly, shaking his head. "Nah, I don't have any girlfriend yet."
"What? No girlfriend yet?" Cedric echoed, finding it hard to believe. "You're so talented and handsome, yet no girlfriend? It doesn't add up."
Ethan gave a wry smile. As the words left Cedric's mouth, a thought briefly crossed his mind—Aria's face. Her gentle nature and caring personality had left an impression on him, but he quickly pushed the thought aside, not wanting to dwell on it.
"Forget about that," Marcus interjected, his curiosity shifting. "Do you have any Class? I noticed you using three Active Skills. Does your third skill come from your special Class? How are you so powerful?"
By this point, Marcus's previous grudge against Ethan had completely evaporated. The heat of battle had forged a bond between them, turning what was once animosity into mutual respect and camaraderie. Now, instead of viewing Ethan as a rival, Marcus was genuinely interested in his abilities.
Ethan considered his response carefully. He couldn't reveal too much about his unique skills or the secrets behind his power, but he also didn't want to lie outright. "No, I don't have any Class," he finally said. "I've got four natural active skill slots and a decent Mana Reserve."
"What?!" Everyone's eyes widened in shock.
Marcus couldn't believe what he was hearing. He himself only had two active skill slots, while Ethan had double that amount. The realization hit him hard, and only then did he understand how foolish it was to compare himself with Ethan. Ethan was incredibly talented—a freak of nature.
Marcus looked at him with a newfound awe and respect, though he felt conflicted about not being able to be Ethan's worthy rival. Well, At least, they were friends now.
"Whoa, that's incredible, Ethan. You're going to be a powerhouse in no time."
Cedric commented, giving Ethan a firm pat on the shoulder. "Just don't forget about us when you're reach the top."
Iris and Yona exchanged astonished glances, while Lenora seemed relieved, her earlier confidence in Ethan now fully justified.
Ethan shook his head wryly. "A powerhouse? I've got a long way to go. Who knows what could happen between now and then?"
"So, do you guys have special Classes? Do you know how to get one?" Ethan asked, his curiosity piqued. It was something that had been on his mind for a while.
Hearing his question, they all shook their heads, indicating that none of them had a class.
"We don't have classes, Ethan," Cedric replied. "But Lenora might have some Bloodline Skills." He glanced at Lenora for confirmation.
Ethan looked at Lenora waiting for her to confirm.
Lenora nodded, a hint of pride in her expression.
"There are two types of classes, Ethan," Lenora explained. "First, there's the Inherent Class: the nobilities and aristocrats are born with these. Then there's the Attained Class: these are granted by the system when you achieve something extraordinary, though they often come with specific conditions. Sometimes, it's a matter of luck, and other times, it's about courage."
"I see," Ethan nodded, absorbing the information.
The meal and their lively conversation lifted their spirits. They felt rejuvenated and set off deeper into the cave, remaining vigilant as they ventured toward the fifth floor.
As they descended, the air grew colder, and the darkness around them thickened. Eventually, they reached the fifth floor, where the dim light revealed moss-covered walls, and yellowish vines.