SWNOVELXO Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Friends
"You are doing good, Granger! Get 'em!" Steven clapped while sitting on a large stone.
Cynthia and Desmond sat next to Steven, while Eily leaned against the stone, yawning.
[Leaf Raccoon: Level 2]
A green, one-meter-tall raccoon leaped toward Granger, scratching the barrier.
Granger pushed the barrier back against the Leaf Raccoon.
He slashed at the Leaf Raccoon with his sword.
The Leaf Raccoon screeched and jumped at Granger.
Granger activated Pulse Wave. A shockwave around the barrier pushed the Leaf Raccoon back.
Unlike the Slimes, the Leaf Raccoon was much heavier, so the push wasn't as strong.
Granger took the opportunity to slash the Leaf Raccoon's neck, finishing it off.
The Leaf Raccoon collapsed on the grassy floor.
Granger sighed. "I can't believe how much stronger the monsters on the second floor are compared to the first."
He sheathed his sword at his waist.
Granger picked up the loot dropped by the Leaf Raccoon—a shiny leaf.
[Shiny Leaf: Common.]
Steven walked up to Granger, clapping. Eily, Cynthia, and Desmond cheered as well.
"Not bad for a beginner, Granger."
"Thanks."
"It seems like you know how to handle fights in this kind of situation. Are you familiar with dungeon crawling?" Steven asked curiously.
Granger laughed. "Yeah, I learned from playing RPG games back home."
"RPG games?"
"Yes. Video games."
"I've heard those terms a few times since I got to Agrasia, but I still don't really get what RPG games or video games are."
"They're pretty popular in my world."
Steven turned away. "I see. Sounds fun, though."
Eily approached Granger and gently tapped his shoulder. "You're doing great."
"Thanks."
Granger smiled at Eily, who returned a sweet, innocent smile.
"Don't just flirt in front of us like that. Show some respect for the single ones here," Cynthia said in a serious but joking tone.
Desmond laughed.
Granger scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. "I'll get back to fighting now."
He jogged toward the nearest Leaf Raccoon.
Eily, Steven, Cynthia, and Desmond watched him.
"Honestly, he's not bad at combat. We didn't even need to teach him anything," Cynthia said, watching Granger.
"He's better than most newbies I've seen. Must be something about people from his world... What's it called again? Earth? Sounds like a fun place," Desmond said.
Eily stayed silent, her curious eyes darting between the speakers.
"Too bad he ended up as Edrina's champion," Steven said.
"I don't think it's a bad thing," Eily said innocently.
Steven smiled. "You're right. I take it back."
Granger kept fighting Leaf Raccoons. He noticed the experience points required to level up had increased since it took five Leaf Raccoons this time.
[You leveled up.]
[You have received 3 stat points.]
[Your stamina, HP, and MP have been replenished.]
"Finally reached level four," Granger said.
He sat down and began allocating his stat points.
He added one point each to Strength, Dexterity, and Agility.
•••••
[STAT POINTS]
STRENGTH: 4
CONSTITUTION: 4
INTELLIGENCE: 3
DEXTERITY: 3
AGILITY: 3
CHARISMA: 1
•••••
"Maybe I should start putting some points into my Charisma stat."
"You don't have to worry about that yet, Granger. It's a good stat, but it's not very useful in combat. Raising Charisma is helpful, but as a beginner, it should be the least of your concerns for now."
Steven offered his hand to Granger.
Granger took it, letting Steven pull him up.
"If you keep leveling at this pace, it will take too long for you to join us on the lower floors. We should aim for faster leveling now," Steven suggested.
"But I don't think I can handle stronger enemies. I'm already struggling with the monsters here."
"What are you talking about? That's why we're here. You're part of our party." Steven stood straight. Behind him, the other members smiled.
Steven walked toward the other side of the floor, followed by the group.
Granger smiled as he followed. He thought he had finally found friends he could rely on.
Their smiles reassured him.
Now, his only fear was losing these kind friends.
The party entered a tunnel that led to the third floor.
What greeted them was a path filled with deep holes. The only way across was a narrow stone bridge.
"Be careful here. Falling into one of the holes would be fatal," Steven warned, skillfully leading the way.
Cynthia, Desmond, and Eily crossed the narrow bridge without any trouble.
The area was isolated, silent, and dark.
Granger spoke his thoughts. "I heard the lower floors are dangerous because the gods can't see what's happening there."
"What you heard is true. On the lower floors, monsters aren't the only danger. You also have to be careful of other players and the natives of this world," Steven said, slowing down to walk beside Granger.
"Player killing is common down there," Desmond added with a serious tone.
"Why do they do it? Is there a reward for killing another player?" Granger asked.
Steven looked Granger in the eye. "You don't gain anything from killing another player—no experience points, no loot. Some do it because of conflicts, competition, or just because they feel like it."
"I see," Granger said with a nod.
"But there are some exceptions."
"Like what?"
"Sometimes gods are petty enough to secretly put bounties on certain champions. Why? It could be for any reason—anger, jealousy, envy, or greed," Steven explained before stopping.
"That's a messed-up thing to do just to win," Granger said.
"Sometimes, it's not even about winning. Winning is just a bonus. For some gods, it's about stripping a rival goddess of her power." Steven shrugged. "Have you ever wondered why none of the Goddess of Ascension's champions have reached the 10th floor?"
Granger felt a chill run through him.
"A god put a bounty on us," he guessed.
Steven's smile faded. "Not just one god. Almost all of them. They conspired to bring her down."
Before Granger could react, Steven rushed at him, his dagger aimed at his heart.
Granger activated his barrier, but Steven's overwhelming attack broke through it, cutting into his chest.
"You have the entire pantheon as your enemy."