"Hey, damn it! How did I run into a lunatic from the Dark Faction right now?!"
Out of Rudra's sight, Charles clenched his chest, struggling to calm his racing heart. That confident façade just now? Probably all an act.
"This reminds me of the time I secretly helped my eldest sister-in-law unclog the sewer in front of my eldest brother. So thrilling!"
If not for the acting skills honed in his past life, Charles would've lost his life back there.
He reviewed his performance, unsure if any flaws showed before a god who could detect lies.
But no matter what—he had gotten rid of the brother who bullied him, secured five million valis startup capital, and stirred trouble for Zanis.
This crisis was 90% resolved perfectly.
"We can't be careless. Knowing the Dark Faction's style, the remaining 10% of the crisis will hit soon!"
Without stopping, Charles sprinted along the corridor, aiming for the usual route.
After turning four forks, a large blade suddenly slashed from the shadows.
Oh shit!
Charles stepped forward with his left foot, halting his sprint.
The sword smashed into the ground, shattering rocks.
At the passage's exit, two Arab-style thugs in white robes blocked the way—one on the left, one on the right.
"How did a bug sneak in?"
"Kill him."
The thugs' hollow, crazed eyes glinted fiercely.
Charles quickly turned and dashed toward another Aisle.
"Stop! Don't run!"
The Dark Faction—it had come as expected!
Rudra wouldn't appear here just because of me—they had their own agenda. This area was now blocked by them.
I see.
They want to take the money...
Is surviving the dungeon the test they set for me?
Calming his mind, Charles thought of countermeasures while running.
His combat strength relied on Drunken Rage, but it required alcohol. Without reserves, his power wasn't even level five.
Knowing the enemy had a tight blockade, he had to refresh his skills.
Here lay the problem.
Carrying the Burden let him wear heavy armor while moving fast. Deactivating it meant discarding his gear.
Not only would he lose possessions, but without armor, his resistance to divine wine vanished!
Yet now, he had no choice.
Unknown skills involved too many unpredictable factors—not the key to victory.
So... what were his chances?
Charles recalled Rudra's parting words, and a spark lit in his eyes:
Justice bitch?
Yes! The Astraea family! The seventh floor's area was as vast as Central Park. Because of Canoe's screams, they'd been alerted.
Normal adventurers wouldn't be foolish enough to enter and rescue, but they'd call the police! If lucky, they might fight!
This was his escape route!
Grasping the situation...
Charles swung his battle axe backward.
The narrow passage could only fit the length of two battle axes. The two white-robed men raised their weapons, trying to block him.
Charles seized the chance, putting distance between himself and them once more.
Dangdangdang—
While retreating, Charles threw his sword, armor, and helmet behind him one by one. The obstacles slowed the two pursuers effectively.
Clutching the gold sack tightly, Charles rounded another corner, hearing the distant sounds of fighting grow louder.
Though not far, the maze-like passages forced a longer detour than expected.
Charles prayed silently, "I need a skill to keep me alive! A life-saving skill!"
"No more waiting! Pandora! Refresh me!"
A scorching light radiated behind him, and Charles's soul felt chaotic once again.
Skills and magic derived from Charles's instrument—but [Pandora of the Second Dimension] rewrote the very expression of the instrument at its root!
A miracle from the underworld!
After a brief dizziness, a new grace message appeared in Charles's mind.
…
Charles Lv1
Strength: 150 → 178
Durability: 160 → 157
Dexterity: 180 → 197
Agility: 150 → 166
Magic: 0 → 0
…
Magic: [ ]
…
Skill:
[Crispy College Student]
Continuous activation.Combat endurance, death resistance.Durability overrange reduced; more vulnerable to damage.
PS: Physical collapse won't stop you from wanting to leave. Your ancestors will plead for you in the underworld.
[Go Wherever You Want]
When health is low, resist control and negative effects (bleeding, disability, etc.).
Strength increases based on health lost.
When attacked, blood converts into chemical tanks to restore health and boost recovery speed.
Significantly increases health regeneration rate.
PS: Mundo, go wherever you want!
…
Charles stared dumbfounded at the skill description.
What was this?
Crispy College Student?
What even was that?
The second skill was no surprise—Mundo's passive from League of Legends. But the first…
"Is this a joke? Can this be called a skill?"
Charles's understanding of his cheat code expanded again. It didn't just refresh powerful game abilities; it could also refresh skills with drawbacks?
Reduced super-domain durability was practically a downgrade!
Charles already felt his strength draining rapidly. His running slowed, and he began panting after just a few steps—like when he was exhausted after 996 hours at work.
But…
"Tsk, hahahaha…"
Rather than despairing, Charles burst into laughter.
Though [Crispy College Student] rapidly depleted his physical fitness, it had serious bugs—
Combat endurance and death resistance.
These seemingly simple effects, combined with the story behind this joke skill in Charles's past life, made him realize how terrifying it was.
"Back then, a brave man promoted this skill. His platelet count was 1, and corpse spots covered his body. He went on a trip and came back alive. Legend says he's still alive!"
The only downside:
No healing effect. If blown to pieces, no medical skill in Orario could save him.
But…
[Go Wherever You Want] erased Charles's last worry.
Life restoration per second was almost like a weaker [Self-Regeneration]—he now recovered almost like a monster!
Lock blood! Super-speed regeneration!
How could he die?
Totally impossible.