Chapter 98: Exploring Dungeons for a Fast Pace Progression!

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Progression walls are a common occurrence between any of the living beings in Kritias that share the System.

Whenever someone begins to grow exponentially faster without stopping, it will sooner or later hit such a progression wall.

Progression walls are not something created by the System, but something within the soul of a person.

To begin with, the System itself is a divine creation given to the intelligent races to boost their growth in strength, offer corrections, and also the possibility to improve faster. So they could have a chance against the endless hordes of monsters that quickly began to fill the world of Kritias as dungeons spawned one after another.

The monster ended up benefitting from it due to the intervention of the Demon Gods, which made things even more complicated for the intelligent races, but that is a different story.

The System of Kritias and the Samsara System which copies it does not offer power out of thin air to their users but offers them a way to grow their already latent potential to greater heights through hard work.

It is said that the potential of one's soul is what keeps one growing through the system. Within the mind and the soul, techniques, skills, and spells are stored, while the physical body harbors the majority of the user's stats, which to an extent, are also influenced by the soul.

When the soul is cleansed from its memories and reincarnated through transmigration systems, their previously learned skills disappear and it is often impossible to exert the same talents that the user once had in its previous life, as it doesn't have the memories of such powers, stats are reset when the soul leaves Kritias System and when it enters again as a 'new' soul, its stats will not come back again.

However, the Samsara System was done to be different in this regard, the initial intention was to let the user retains their memories when reincarnating their souls alongside most of their stats, skills, techniques, and spells.

Veronica's case is special, as her soul was split in half. Her previous life powers were reset, and she could only transfer the skills that were imprinted into her soul by the God of Transmigration that created the Samsara System at the beginning of her death before reincarnating as Anastacia.

But thanks to the intervention of two mysterious authorities, both of her souls were able to successfully reincarnate in the Mirror world of Kritias, Mirror Kritias, while also possessing a copy of the Samsara System each, alongside the copied imprinted skills of their souls.

And thanks to the intervention of these entities and their mysterious blessings, which Veronica and Ervas are unaware of, they can cross through progression walls as if they were walking through the park without any problem at all.

Despite other people having to go through more than a year to complete a job, they usually get it done in days. They can acquire skills easier and also level them up faster.

This is thanks to the blessings of these two mysterious gods of the original Kritias.

God's Blessings or Divine Protections are special gifts from the gods themselves, entities above mortals that possesses great power.

Receiving the Divine Protection of a god will often result in the user to be able to easily break through progression walls and advance further on their growth… and because these two entities blessed Ervas and Veronica at the same time and also made sure that their new Samsara Systems were 'improved' to make their progression even faster, they were outstanding individuals amongst outstanding individuals.

However, this could not be the case for the rest of the tribe, and many of the tribe members were now experiencing their first progression wall after getting their fourth or third Job…

In almost three weeks, they had received the help of Ervas and Veronica to level up at an incredible rate, but now we're facing some difficulties.

However, because they gathered enough strength already, they were more ready to explore dungeons with stronger monsters, and there was also always the help of Veronica's clones and golems and Ervas's plants.

Ismene alongside Amelia, Acathea, Pekorina, Anna, and many others were guided to a different nearby dungeon that Veronica and Ervas discovered through their 'cleaning' of the Devil Forest, where they used their clones, golems, and tamed monsters to completely clean the surroundings of monsters nests.

Such dungeon was a bit larger than the Earth Worm's Hive, having five floors. The internal biome and environments were also fairly different.

Unlike the caverns filled with minerals and jewels, this dungeon was ten floors of forests and swampy ponds, where the common monster was of Rank 3, going up to Rank 6.

There, the group of girls was butchering piles of different monsters, from giant amphibians to lizards and various goblin variants.

"Phew, exploring a new dungeon is always an easy task with Veronica and Ervas!" said Amelia as she finished to butcher a giant frog which entrails were eaten by Nidhogg and which body was then wrapped in threads and saved by Charlotte.

"Gishishishi" agreed on Charlotte.

"Vertical Slicing Axe Slash!" roared Anna as she swung her axe over the head of a Hobgoblin Warrior, a Rank 4 monster, a powerful version of a Goblin that learned how to wear leather equipment and wielded bone and stone weapons. However, against Anna's mighty axe and powerful Level 5 Techniques, it was nothing but a practice dummy.

"Gygyaaa!"

Slash!

The Hobgoblin was sliced in half entirely by Anna's might, both halves falling to the right and left almost comically.

"Well, that was a letdown," she said.

"And also, Anna, of course!" said Pekorina at Amelia's side.

"I never knew that Anna was so strong, I knew that she was once a respectable warrior of the tribe until she lost her eye and leg… but I never thought that she would have a Level 5 Technique Skill!" said Acathea with a baffled expression each time she saw the previously gloomy and depressed Anna slice Rank 4 monsters as if they were nothing but flies vigorously.

"Oh? That is nothing, I used to bring Wyvern meat from the faraway dungeon for dinner every day for the tribe… If I practice enough and get used to my abilities again, it shouldn't be so far before I can do it again, haha" laughed Anna, since she was given a prosthetic leg by Veronica, she had been training diligently, slaying monsters day and night with the company of Veronica or her clones. She changed Jobs from Blacksmith to Warrior and then Axe Warrior, which let her level her Axe Technique to level 5.

An individual with a weapon Technique of Level 5 could be already considered to be a C-Rank Adventurer in the societies of intelligent races. If this were coupled with the bonuses to her stats given by passive skills such as the 'Self-Enhancement: Following' that Ervas and Veronica gave to almost everyone in the tribe, she could be near B-Rank.

Naturally, killing Rank 4 or 5 monsters was as easy as breathing, she swung her axe, and they were simply killed.

"I want Wyvern meat! Do you want some too, Salamander, Gnome?"

Amelia, the daughter of Ismene who showed a strong talent with magic had recently been taught Spirit Magic by Veronica and Ervas two weeks ago, and after practicing diligently, she managed to make a bond with two spirits, the Spirit of Fire Salamander, and a Spirit of Earth Gnome.

Of course, every spirit was always different, and they were never the same. The Salamander she had resembled a lizard covered in flames, while her Gnome, different than Jason's had the shape of a scarlet ruby.

"Gisha, gisha" said Salamander, it was a 'wild' spirit that seemed to imitate the nature of monsters, due to this, it lacked ways to communicate with words, but as long as it kept its bond with Amelia, it would naturally learn how to talk properly with her.

"Amelia, we spirit cannot eat. I think it is useless to ask us something like that" said Amelia's Gnome, who had the voice of a petty princess.

"But wouldn't you like it? I wonder what flavor it has!" laughed Amelia as she commanded both of her spirits and combined their powers with her Fire and Earth Attribute Magic to create rivers of hot lava that completely blasted any monster that met her sight. Of course, she had to be extra careful not to fire this near her allies. And the monsters that she killed would often be completely burned to a crisp, without even their meat being consumable.

"We cannot lose to our seniors, Pekorina!" said Acathea.

"Yeah, we gotta show her that the new generation will surpass her!" said Pekorina.

Both girls ran through the dungeon while unleashing their Unarmed Fighting Techniques with great talent. Pekorina used her swift speed, jumping strength, and rabbit legs to release strong kicks that blew the monster's heads or at least broke several of their bones, while Acathea used her powerful strength and long bear claws to slice or blast their heads or limbs with ease.

However, whenever they fought a Rank 4 monster or above, they needed to team up and often receive the assistance of one of Veronica's clones, the tamed monsters, or the other members.

"Blazing Bind! Piercing Light Sword!"

Ismene conjured arcs of flames that coiled over the Hobgoblin Warriors and Mages, trapping them while burning their flesh, and then she conjured sword-shaped piercing light, finish a party of five Hobgoblins in seconds.

"Uwah! Mommy is the best!" said Amelia as she admired her mother outstanding magic capabilities, she was a mature woman within the tribe that had been talented in magic since a young age, even without Jobs, she reached a level of strength similar to Anna but in magic.

"Are you girls having fun? I think we might be approaching the last floor… Hm, Veronica and Ervas are still going on it?" said Ismene as she glanced ahead of her, where Ervas and Veronica fought against a Giant Goblin, a Rank 5 monster.

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[Name: Acathea

[Race: Bear-type Half-Breed Beast-person (Mother: Squirrel-type Beast-person)

[Age: 10

[Titles: None.

[Type: Beastmen/Demi-Human

[Job: Bear Warrior.

[Job History: Apprentice Warrior, Warrior.

[Level: 001/100

[Health Points: 370/370

[Mana Points: 93/93

[Strength: 307

[Defense: 184

[Magic: 92

[Resistance: 81

[Agility: 180

[Passive Skills]

[Night Vision; Level 2]

[Health Points Enlargement; Level 3]

[Superhuman Strength; Level 2]

[Self-Enhancement; Following (Ervas); Level 2]

[Self-Enhancement; Following (Veronica): Level 2]

[Increased Defense while Equipped with Metal Armor; Small; Level 2]

[Enhanced Body Parts; Bear Paws; Level 2]

[Detect Presence; Level 1]

[Active Skills]

[Butcher; Level 2]

[Cooking; Level 2]

[Gathering; Level 2]

[Unarmed Fighting Technique; Level 3]

[Club Technique; Level 2]

[Armor Technique; Level 2]

[Shield Technique; Level 2]

[Throwing Technique; Level 1]

[No-Attribute Magic; Level 1]

[Mana Control; Level 1]

[Earth Attribute Magic; Level 1]

[Coordination; Level 2]

[Surpass Limits; Level 3]

[Unique Skill]

[Vigorous Bear Body; Level 1]

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[Name: Pekorina

[Race: Forest Rabbit-type Beast-person

[Age: 12

[Titles: None.

[Type: Beastmen/Demi-Human

[Job: Kicking Fighter.

[Job History: Apprentice Warrior, Warrior.

[Level: 001/100

[Health Points: 285/285

[Mana Points: 145/145

[Strength: 192

[Defense: 82

[Magic: 102

[Resistance: 75

[Agility: 300

[Passive Skills]

[Night Vision; Level 3]

[Agility Enlargement; Level 2]

[Mental Resistance; Level 2]

[Enhanced Hearing Sense: Level 3]

[Detect Presence; Level 2]

[Poison Resistance; Level 2]

[Self-Enhancement; Following (Ervas); Level 2]

[Self-Enhancement; Following (Veronica): Level 2]

[Increased Agility while Equipped with Leather Armor; Small; Level 3]

[Increased Strength while Unarmed; Small; Level 2]

[Enhanced Body Parts; Legs; Level 2]

[Active Skills]

[Silent Steps; Level 2]

[Hardworking; Level 2]

[Butcher; Level 1]

[Housework; Level 1]

[Cooking; Level 2]

[Gathering; Level 2]

[Unarmed Fighting Technique; Level 3]

[Armor Technique; Level 2]

[Shield Technique; Level 1]

[Dagger Technique; Level 1]

[Throwing Technique; Level 1]

[Archery; Level 1]

[No-Attribute Magic; Level 1]

[Mana Control; Level 1]

[Coordination; Level 2]

[Surpass Limits; Level 2]