Chapter 44: Feast of Monsters!

Using killer ants for fishing-rod enforcement was a method Liang Yue was quite familiar with, though he had never expected it to remain effective upon reaching the current floor.

Instead of swiftly executing the small devils, he utilized their massive numbers and stealthy nature to hone his combat techniques.

This unintended action inadvertently triggered a "Monster Feast" within the tenth-floor area, as he watched the creatures continuously converge toward this location.

"Once I finish off this wave,"
"and push today's rigorous training through to the end, breaking my Status up to S-rank should be a piece of cake, right?"

Liang Yue was well aware that sheer numbers could cause a qualitative change, but watching the monsters constantly gathering only filled him with anticipation.

He did not wait for them to finish congregating and maximize the danger.

The mist did not entirely obscure the massive frames of the Orcs; their silhouettes loomed faintly as he analyzed the battle situation and swiftly locked onto his target.

Employing the skill "Three-Stage Slash" for a surging dash, Liang Yue initiated an attack right ahead.

Bolstered by the sword aura attachment effect of Guard-style Ghost Swordsmanship, he plowed through the withered bushes and tree trunks blocking his path, shattering them upon impact.

Covering a distance of nearly ten meters, Liang Yue achieved an instantaneous assassination effect. His devastating sword slash sliced through the Orc's thick hide, exposing a gruesome cross-section.

Instantly, blood spurted out like a geyser.

Yet, due to the Orc's bulky frame, he could not slay all these monsters simultaneously. A peripheral Orc noticed Liang Yue's figure charging right before its eyes.

Wielding a giant axe in both hands, it brought the weapon down heavily in his direction, parting the mist.

Pre-sensing the impending danger, Liang Yue executed a crisp and decisive backstep. The moment the monster's attack missed, he raised his hand once again.

A dual-wielding cross-slash with short swords erupted into sword aura, diagonally unleashing a "Cross Slash." Its terrifying cutting power split the stone axe in half without losing any momentum.

Hitting a vital spot, the monster dissolved amid a dispersion of black dust.

"This kind of combat intensity is actually pretty nice..."

Having cleanly and decisively eliminated the two Orcs without a moment's pause, he first dealt with the targets that were easier to attack.

Next... he would handle the greater numbers of small devils and bat monsters!

Any hesitation would be an act of disrespect toward the massive crowd of monsters before him. Feeling his bodily cells boil with excitement, Liang Yue launched his offensive once more.

At this moment, he was like a sharp blade, tearing open the encirclement formed by countless monsters!

***

The exhilarating combat process caused Liang Yue to gradually lose track of time as he finished off the Orc monsters blocking his path.

Thanks to the "Monster Feast" special event, monsters drawn in by the combat quickly stepped up to fill the vacant spots on the battlefield, which perfectly aligned with his desire for rigorous training and advancement.

No matter what kind of creature stood directly in his path, Liang Yue paid no heed to its species. All he did was dodge attacks and deliver the most fatal slashes in the gaps between them!

Alongside the consumption of physical stamina came the steady increase of experience points.

Setting aside the overall strength of the monsters for a moment, the experience gains truly brought Liang Yue a huge pleasant surprise; sheer monster numbers had forcefully rocketed his level up to 23!

By the end, he could no longer remember how many monsters he had killed during this feast; he simply kept repeating a warning to himself:

If the monsters weren't thoroughly wiped out, he couldn't stop moving! Otherwise, he would end up meeting his demise right here!

"How many are left?"

The mist blanketing the current floor had not dissipated, severely impeding vision and leaving Liang Yue unable to determine the remaining number of monsters on-site.

After hacking off an Orc's arm, his left white ghost hand crisply and decisively swung upward, executing a sword-draw that took down the final monster before him.

The sweeping slash stirred the air, parting the mist slightly.

Looking out, he saw only a vast quantity of dark purple magic stones littering the ground, with no prominent traces of surviving monsters to be found.

"Hoo..."
"..."

The high-intensity, continuous combat left Liang Yue's chest heaving as he panted heavily, his throat feeling as though it were about to catch fire.

As the effects of adrenaline gradually receded, a burning muscle soreness swept across his entire body.

He forced himself to remain standing purely out of safety considerations, wishing to avoid any surprise attacks from small devils hiding in the bushes.

Only after confirming a brief moment of safety did he pull out the water flask tied to his waist and gulp down several mouthfuls of cold water.

His right hand, still gripping the short sword, hung naturally at his side to give his muscles a brief relaxation.

When several minutes passed without a single monster appearing, confirming that the Monster Feast had indeed concluded, he sat down on a fallen, withered tree trunk.

Liang Yue worked hard to control his breathing, letting it return to a normal rhythm.

Having finally broken free from the taut, combat-ready state, this wave of mental exhaustion felt even more excruciating than the physical muscle pain.

Even so, it could not conceal his genuine smile.

There were many reasons for this. First, truly dangerous and challenging battles provided training that boosted Status values far more significantly.

Second, the countless monsters lured in by the "Monster Feast" not only brought massive amounts of experience points, but the magic stones they dropped, when sold to the Adventurer Guild, could effectively ease his financial woes.

***

After taking a brief respite to effectively soothe his muscle soreness—enough at least to retain self-defense capabilities if faced with monsters—he set about collecting the dropped items. The overall weight felt heavy and substantial.

"The danger level of a Monster Feast is vastly higher than using killer ants for fishing-rod enforcement!"
"No wonder Eina specifically emphasized this point."

With the surrounding monsters cleared out, a fleeting peace returned to the area. The consequence of physical stamina depletion was a ferocious wave of hunger.

As he took out the prepared lunch bento to replenish his energy, Liang Yue finally understood why Eina's attitude had been so serious yesterday, explaining down to the smallest detail the dangers lurking from the tenth floor onward.

If it were a lucky adventurer exploring solo, and they genuinely encountered the "Monster Feast" special event without having mastered highly effective skills or magic, trying to escape...

would probably be nothing more than wishful thinking, right?

Standing from the perspective of an ordinary adventurer, Liang Yue's mind drifted as he recalled the earlier clash against the Monster Feast.

"If calculated by the criteria for Feats,"
"should an ordinary adventurer facing the overwhelming horde of a Monster Feast, who manages to clear out all the enemies through combat, also be considered to have accomplished a Feat?"

Whether it would count as a Feat or not was a question for another time.

If he truly had to define this behavior, Liang Yue would rather call it "daily cultivation"—at the very least, the enhancement to his Status values would undoubtedly be immense!

Having polished off the lavish lunch and feeling his energy steadily recovering, after a brief rest, he prepared to continue his exploration.

All of his Status metrics had been effectively elevated, with the sole exception of the Magic attribute.

"Continue raising the Status values."
"As for the Magic attribute... the Soul Bender template doesn't seem to provide skills in that area. Once I get the chance, should I try getting my hands on a magic book?"

This particular system was a unique product of the Dungeon world; if an opportunity arose to master it, Liang Yue certainly wouldn't let it pass him by.

What mattered more right now, however, was raising his Status!

There was no need to worry about Level progression; after all, with two Feats under his belt—the Blue Butterfly swarm and the Monster Feast—if worst came to worst, he could just trigger another one.

"Next, I'll do the absolute best I can."

Liang Yue hoisted his weapon and pressed forward once again, a deep anticipation stirring within his heart. With his full energy invested in this high-intensity dungeon training...

Just how far could his Status values be pushed?!