Venerable Chapter 32: Chapter 32: Must Level up

Read chapter 32 of Venerable by Jade_White on NovelPedia.

The trio went their separate ways just after sunrise. They had slept early the night before, completely exhausted from the dungeon. Zac and Dustin headed toward the second dungeon in the desert tutorial ground, while Saya went her own way. Dustin and Zac did not ask why she refused to join them. It did not seem wise to force someone they barely knew. Their feet sank into the hot sand. "The sun rose just two or three hours ago," Zac complained, wiping a thick layer of sweat from his forehead. "It already feels like I am boiling alive." "Yeah, it is rough," Dustin muttered, barely looking at Zac. His focus was entirely on his floating system window. [ Physical Strength: 87 ] [ Vitality: 71 ] [ Agility: 90 ] [ Stamina: 75 ] [ Endurance: 67 ] [ Wisdom: 17 ] [ Intelligence: 34 ] Dustin was now level 30. He had seen the notification last night after escaping the dungeon and eating with the others. What bothered him now was his points. He had a good amount saved up, but he was torn. Should he upgrade a skill? Buy a better dagger? Save up for the next dungeon? From his past experience, he knew survival in special dungeons required a large safety net of points. "Let us see," Dustin analyzed internally. "I just upgraded my super sense. I do not think I will need silent steps right now. Shadow Heal is useless until I upgrade it a few more times, so that is out of the question. I am too broke for that anyway." He tapped his chin. "My current dagger works perfectly fine. Buying new skills is tempting, but the good ones will empty my pockets. Plus, I will get a free milestone skill at level 35. I just have to grind for it, which I kind of hate." "Saving these points is the smartest move. I need to be ready for whatever this next dungeon throws at me." Just thinking about the upcoming fights made Dustin's throat go dry. Gulp. Gulp. He pulled out his water skin and took a long drink. "Hey, another dungeon just got cleared," Zac said, interrupting Dustin's thoughts. "This one is from the Clouds tutorial grounds. That makes six dungeons so far." "Oh?" Dustin gave him a quick nod and opened the system window screen. "Six dungeons in five or six days," Dustin thought to himself. They had been in their dungeon for roughly a day and a half. "We are getting close to the transportation channel. Just a few more kilometers," Dustin said, closing his screen. "I guess it will take us about an hour. More dungeons will be cleared soon, so let us speed up our pace." By mid-afternoon, they finally arrived. "Thank god. We made it," Zac sighed happily as they approached the transportation channel near a large oasis. Quite a few people were gathered around the water, resting and trading before using the channel. "Well then, see you soon," Dustin said, waving at Zac. "Yeah, see you soon, man," Zac waved back. "Just like we promised, I will wait for you here for four days. If you do not show up, I am heading to the Ocean tutorial grounds." Last night, after Saya declined to join them, the two men had made a deal. Zac would wait for Dustin at the oasis while Dustin cleared his specific dungeon. Zac did not want to risk his life in a random dungeon for no reason, and four hands were always better than two. Waiting was the safest play. Dustin completely understood. Dustin walked until evening, eventually reaching his destination. "Not a single soul," Dustin whispered, looking around. The area outside this dungeon was completely deserted. Not even a bug was in sight. It felt wrong. At the last dungeon, a huge crowd had gathered long before they even arrived. Dustin slowly approached the entrance. DING. [ Would you like to enter the Dungeon: Y/N ] *Am I really the only one here this time?* Dustin wondered. "Obviously," he sighed, pressing the Yes button. Swoosh. A bright streak of light blinded him, and he vanished from the desert. When his vision cleared, Dustin quickly scanned his surroundings. This was not a room. It was far too massive to be called a room, and the