Francis and the others had gotten used to staying in that dungeon, so they could come with precision how much time had passed since they entered. According to them, two days had passed. So, Billy decided to let everyone take a short nap. Sleeping inside the dungeon was too uncomfortable, so it wouldn't help much, but a short and deep nap probably could. In any case, Billy only checked his stuff since he was too used to his soft bed and while he occasionally could take naps inside the dungeon, it was hard to do so when he was the only one truly alert.
After two hours of rest, the group began to move again, and thanks to that, Billy noticed that his blast of cold could only last for around three hours. Still, calling blast of cold was pretty lame… He decided to improve that for a shorter name, and a cooler one, but in the end, it seemed that he only got something more complicated. Fortunately, something unexpectedly good happened. It was pretty fun as well, so Billy decided to continue...
"Let's call it… Niflheim," Billy said.
You have learned the skill Niflheim.
"Eh?" Billy thought. "So, I can do this much with the system, huh... how could have known?"
Niflheim: it creates a large field of ice that causes damage over time to the enemies in the area and decreases their speed according to the level of the spell.
Cost: 100 mana
It was a version a lot weaker than Billy had been using. Still, it might come in handy in some battles. Unfortunately, it wasn't the case right now since the monsters wouldn't freeze with their current level of power… Regardless, that kind of thing gave Billy some ideas. While he knew a lot of magic, he didn't know many spells per se. Manipulating and controlling the elements was recognized by the system as a spell, but it was different… In any case, Billy decided to enhance his arms and then…
"Let's call it… Strength Support," Billy says.
You have learned the skill Strength Support.
Strength Support: buffs the target's strength by three points per level. The buff will last for sixty seconds.
Cost: 20 mana
"Hehe, this is quite fun," Billy said.
"What is?" Alexander asked.
"Nothing… I just came up with a new spell," Billy said.
"Right now?" Alexander frowned. "Nothing fazes you, huh… To think of a new spell right here…"
The spells also worked on him, so it was a good idea to level up those buffs. Since their cost wasn't high, Billy could use it on several people. The only downside was that he had to touch the target… In any case, Billy decided to test the other versions later since he had work to do, and he couldn't waste his mana.
Billy froze in the first area of the eighth floor, and then his friends and the Adventurer began to move and fight the monsters. Things continued like that for around six hours, and then the parties stopped.
"From here on out, it is unknown territory to all of us," Francis said.
"Why do you usually didn't pass this point?" Alexander asked.
"There are many reasons, exhaustion, lack of resources, piled up damage…" Franci replied. "However, we are a lot better than any of the times we reached this place before, so we can proceed."
Although that was fine, Billy was the one who was getting angry and losing focus… Three days away from home was quite annoying. Fortunately, Billy learned a way to avoid dead ends and save time. By looking at places where the path split, he could judge. On the paths the ice was thicker, Billy and the others would find a dead end ahead, and on the places where the ice was thinner, they would find the right path… Because the cold wind would go further instead of freezing a single area… thanks to that, they found the entrance to the ninth floor after fifteen hours of exploration. However, they found something else there as well. A sword, a shield and a breastplate.
"What the hell…" Billy said.
"You look strangely surprised… Isn't it normal for magic weapons and items to be found inside a dungeon?" Alexander asked.
"Dumbass… It is normal, but no one reached even close to arriving at the ninth floor," Billy replied. "So those are items that have been here for a long time… But that shouldn't be possible since the dungeon is new…"
Alexander finally realized that… a group of adventurers found the dungeon a long time ago? That didn't make any sense… There weren't even bones around those items, so hundreds of years had passed since their owners perished. Still, it was also impossible to believe that the dungeon existed for so long without the monsters escaping.
"Do you know much about dungeons?" Billy asked while facing Francis. "Is it possible for a dungeon to enter a hibernation state or something?"
" I never heard of that…" Francis said.
"What about a dungeon that ceased existing after breaking, becoming active again?" Billy asked.
"I thought that was impossible… I have heard that the cores explode when the dungeons break completely," Francis replied.
Billy had heard that too. Actually, he had read it in a book… He had done a lot of research over the years about dungeons. Still, something like that was beyond his knowledge and everyone else's, apparently. That was worrisome, but it didn't change the fact that their goal was the same.
Critical Spear
It makes your attack cause twenty percent more damage according to the endurance of the target.
Strength + 45, Speed + 55
Durability: 33/50
Frozen Chestplate
Decreases the power of ice attacks by forty percent.
Endurance + 70
Durability: 70/80
Offensive Shield
It grants you the power to use Shield Smash, which causes blunt damage and may stun the enemy if you cause more than ten percent of the target's health in a single attack.
Endurance + 40
Durability: 44/55