Chapter 29: Level Orb

Leon stood amidst the drifting ash, his gaze fixed on the strange, smooth sphere resting in his palm. The Underworld Level Orb was surprisingly heavy, carrying a dense, internal heat that seeped through him and into his skin, as if it contained the compressed essence of a small sun. Faint ribbons of violet and crimson light swirled beneath its polished surface, shifting in lazy, hypnotic patterns.

Ding!

[Item: Underworld Level Orb]

[Item Rarity: Mythic (Zone-Restricted)]

[Description: A crystallized core of condensed realm energy, formed only when a massive concentration of underworld entities is eradicated in a single unbroken sequence. The orb contains pure, unaligned dimensional experience and physical enhancement properties.]

[Effect 1: Upon absorption, instantly increases the user’s Level by +6. (Bypasses standard EXP requirements for the affected levels).]

[Effect 2: Upon absorption, permanently increases all of the user’s base attributes (STR, AGI, CON, INT) by +10.]

[Notice: This item is consumed upon use. Would you like to absorb the Underworld Level Orb?]

[Yes / No]

Leon stopped breathing for a fraction of a second.

He read the notification a second time, just to ensure his mind wasn’t playing tricks on him in the ash-choked air of the dungeon. Six levels. Instantly. And a flat increase of ten points to every single one of his core attributes.

For an ordinary player, gaining six levels could take weeks of grinding, risking their life in dozens, if not hundreds, of battles against increasingly dangerous monsters. And the attribute boost? Ten points across four stats was forty attribute points—the equivalent of eight level-ups worth of raw power, completely free of charge.

Lucky Fate wasn’t just bending probability in his favor anymore. It was practically rewriting the rules of the system on his behalf. Encountering a swarm of eighty-seven Level 22 rats should have been a death sentence for a lone player. Instead, because of his perfect counter-build, it had become the catalyst for a Mythic-tier drop.

Leon didn’t hesitate.

"Yes."

The moment he confirmed the prompt, the Underworld Level Orb dissolved in his palm. It didn’t shatter or crumble; it simply lost its physical form, turning into a torrent of searing violet liquid light that rushed directly into his skin.

Ding!

[Underworld Level Orb absorbed.]

A shockwave of raw, unadulterated power slammed into Leon’s core. It wasn’t painful, but the sheer intensity of the energy was staggering. He gasped, his back arching slightly as the heat flooded his veins, rushing through every muscle, every bone, and every nerve ending in his body.

He could feel his muscle fibers tearing and instantly rebuilding themselves, growing denser and vastly more resilient. His perception of the world stuttered, then sharpened with terrifying clarity as his Agility and Intelligence spiked simultaneously. The air around him seemed to hum, the static charge of his own expanding mana pool kicking up the ash at his feet in a slow-moving vortex.

And then came the cascade of notifications, ringing out in his mind like a symphony of pure progression.

Ding!

[Congratulations, you have leveled up to Level 20!]

[You have gained 5 Stat Points and 2 Evolution Points.]

Ding!

[Congratulations, you have leveled up to Level 21!]

[You have gained 5 Stat Points and 2 Evolution Points.]

....

Ding!

[Congratulations, you have leveled up to Level 25!]

[You have gained 5 Stat Points and 2 Evolution Points.]

The glow slowly faded from his skin, leaving Leon standing in the silence of the outer threshold. He exhaled a long, shaky breath, opening and closing his hands. The difference was staggering. The sheer physical density of his body felt completely foreign. The +10 to all attributes had fundamentally altered his baseline existence. He felt lighter, yet vastly more grounded. When he turned his head, the world didn’t blur; his eyes tracked the microscopic drifting of ash flakes with absolute, effortless precision.

"Mira," Leon murmured to the empty air, a faint, amused smile tugging at his lips. "If you could see me now, you’d probably demand to check my pulse."

He had entered this dungeon at Level 19, an anomaly by all rights, yet technically under-leveled for the Zone.

Now, he was Level 25. He was exactly at the cap of the dungeon’s recommended threshold.

Leon opened his status panel. He had a massive amount of unspent resources to process before taking another step.

First, he looked at his available Stat Points. He had gained 30 points from the six level-ups. Combined with the flat +10 across the board from the orb, his base stats were already heavily inflated.

He didn’t need to think too hard about the allocation. His strategy remained exactly the same: prioritize the attributes that multiplied the effectiveness of his skills and survivability.

He dumped 15 points into Intelligence, further turbocharging his spell damage, lifesteal, and petrifying gaze. He put 10 points into Constitution, ensuring his physical bulk could match his magical output. The last 5 points went into Agility.

Next, he turned his attention to his Evolution Points.

[Extra: Evolution Points: 16, Talent Fragments: 5 (Lingering Curse)]

Sixteen points. He had saved 4 from his previous grinding session, and gained 12 from the massive level jump.

He scanned his list of talents. His offensive skills, Arcane Requiem and Verlimon’s Judgment, were already at Gold and Platinum respectively. They were devastating enough for now. What he needed was to reinforce his utility and defense as he ventured deeper into the Underworld Realm.

"Evolve Stoneskin," Leon commanded.

Ding!

[6 Evolution Points consumed.]

[Stoneskin has evolved: C → B]

[New Talent: Obsidian Carapace (B)]

[Description: Temporarily harden the user’s skin and underlying tissues into a dark, obsidian-like structure. Vastly increases resistance to physical trauma, piercing, and slashing damage. Passively reflects a minor portion of blunt-force physical damage back at the attacker. Effectiveness scales heavily with the user’s Constitution.]

Leon nodded in satisfaction. A damage reflection property on a defensive skill was a massive upgrade.

"Evolve Petrifying Gaze."

Ding!

[6 Evolution Points consumed.]

[Petrifying Gaze has evolved: C → B]

[New Talent: Gorgon’s Decree (B)]

[Description: Allows the user to project a cone of supernatural petrification. The effect no longer requires direct eye contact, instead affecting any target caught within the user’s line of sight that fails to resist. Petrification spreads 40% faster. Retains the Deathless Effect, bypassing standard immunities.]

No longer requiring eye contact was a game-changer. Against beasts or constructs that didn’t have eyes—or were smart enough to look away—he could simply look at them and the effect would still take hold.

He had 4 Evolution Points left.

"Evolve Windcore."

Ding!

[4 Evolution Points consumed.]

[Windcore has evolved: D → C]

[New Talent: Gale Weaver (C)]

[Description: Allows the user to generate, manipulate, and compress wind-based energy with greater precision. Can now be used to briefly suspend the user in the air, create minor localized vacuums, or enhance the speed of physical projectiles.]

Leon closed the evolution sub-menu and pulled up his fully updated status panel to review the final numbers.

[Status]

Name: Leon Wes

Role: Support

STR: 25

AGI: 35

CON: 50

INT: 75

Stat Points: 0

Level: 25 (0/32,000)

Rank: Initiate

HP: 1,020/1,020

MP: 1,400/1,400

Skills: Arcane Requiem (Lvl. 25, Gold), Verlimon’s Judgment (Lvl. 25, Platinum)

Role Talent: Vitalis Mend (S)

Talents: Poison Howl (A), Obsidian Carapace (B), Gorgon’s Decree (B), Alpha’s Roar (C), Gale Weaver (C), Quillcore Projectile (D)

Inventory: Stormcaller’s Conduit (Gold), Bloodfang Edge (Silver), Fanghide Battleplate Set (Gold), Pendant of the Undying Ember (Artifact), Band of Deflection.

Extra: Evolution Points: 0, Talent Fragments: 5 (Lingering Curse)

Leon stared at his HP and MP pools. Crossing the 1,000 HP threshold felt like a monumental achievement. His mana pool was utterly absurd for a Level 25 player, and with Eternal Mana, it effectively meant he had an infinite reserve of high-tier destructive capability.

"Alright," Leon said quietly, dismissing the glowing blue panels. "Let’s see what else this dungeon has to offer."