This was the longest boss fight I had experienced so far. It wasn't that I had a particularly hard time defeating the creature, but I had intentionally used the encounter as a live testing ground. I had applied several different tactics during the various phases of the fight, and the experience had been invaluable; I learned many things about my own physical limits and the underlying mechanics of the dungeon's combat logic.

  Initially, I had been fighting as defensively as possible, keeping my iron shield locked in front of me to reduce the risk of a lucky strike from the goblin's jagged blade. However, I soon realized that my extreme caution was actually creating more risk by dragging out the encounter. When I finally shifted my approach and began to fight more actively—using my shield to bash and my sword to pressure the goblin's guard—I gained a definitive, overwhelming advantage. The fight ended almost immediately after the change in pace.

  I realized then that I should strive to fight more aggressively from now on, unless I found myself in an entirely unfamiliar or high-level situation. Proactive combat allowed me to dictate the flow of the battle, preventing the enemy from finding their own rhythm.

  As I wiped a stray drop of green ichor from my steel blade and returned it to its scabbard, I watched the massive body of the boss goblin begin to dissolve into the familiar dark vapor of the dungeon. In the center of the dissolving mist, a single coin fell to the stone floor with a sharp, clear ring.

  It was a peculiar sight. Based on the previous floors, I had fully expected a shower of one hundred copper coins to drop from the boss. To my surprise, the dungeon had produced a single silver-copper coin. Or rather, it was a silver Obscura coin. This was a significant discovery regarding the dungeon’s internal economy. I recalled the "mana tax" at the inn, where merging 105 copper coins was required to create a single silver. Yet, when the currency dropped directly from a boss monster, it manifested as a silver coin immediately, bypassing the five-percent loss. This was undeniably a more profitable way to accumulate wealth.

  I had reached today’s goal by defeating the boss monster of the fourth floor. It was a successful day by any measure. Now, all that remained was to officially unlock the fifth floor before returning to the inn to rest. I checked my leather pouch and felt the comforting weight of the copper I had accumulated in the corridors. If I merged them now, I estimated I would have approximately five silver and forty copper coins. I had surpassed my daily spending by a large margin today, making the delve a resounding success.

  After merging the loose copper into silver and securing the new boss drop, I turned toward the exit door. I still had some of the rations I had bought from Stephen in my inventory, and I was certainly starting to feel the gnawing pull of hunger, but I was already within reach of the surface. I decided I would much prefer to eat a warm, albeit bland, meal in a decent inn rather than squatting on the damp, glowing stone of a monster-infested labyrinth.

  I pushed open the door to the fifth floor and stepped inside. It looked much like the entrances to the previous levels: dim, irregular, grayish lines of glowing ore pulsed within the stone walls, providing just enough light to navigate. Even though I had seen this aesthetic several times now, it remained an intriguing and slightly alien sight. It was a constant reminder that I was no longer in the world of men.

  Having officially registered my progress on the fifth floor, I decided to finish today’s hunt. I walked toward the stone wall on my right. In my previous tests, the 'Dungeon Walk' skill and the 'Warp' spell had always required a solid surface to manifest, though I hadn't yet tried to cast them in open space. I could have simply walked back to the fourth-floor exit, but I had a specific, high-stakes test I wanted to perform before leaving.

  “Warp!” I commanded.

  I had already verified that the spell functioned within the dungeon, but I wasn't trying to move to a different floor this time. I focused my mind on a very specific destination: my room at the inn.

  A shimmering, vertical passage manifested against the stone wall. I took a deep breath, centered my focus, and stepped through the light. In an instant, the scent of damp stone was replaced by the smell of aged wood and clean straw. I was standing in the center of my rented room at the inn.

  This was exactly what I had wanted to verify. The 'Dungeon Walk' skill was a powerful tool, but its utility was strictly confined to the interior of the dungeon. The 'Warp' spell, however, was clearly a superior class of magic. It functioned as a true teleportation gate, bridging the gap between the labyrinth and the outside world. I had heard that high-level adventurers could travel between various cities and landmarks using similar magic, with the distance dictated by the size of their mana pool.

  Considering all this, the 'Warp' spell was a unique and incredibly valuable asset. If I utilized it properly, it could serve as the ultimate escape or a clandestine way to move wealth and equipment. It, along with my experience multipliers and the 'Extra Job' skill, formed the foundation of my growth. My progress was already impressive, but if I kept this pace for a few years, the potential was staggering.

  And, of course, there was the 'Player Window' skill itself—the core of my existence in this world. It allowed me to manipulate my very being, changing jobs, adjusting stats, and swapping equipment with total freedom as long as my point pool allowed for it. It was, in every sense of the word, a bliss. I had dreamed of being in a fantasy world, and I had been granted the ultimate cheat-like ability to survive it. What more could I possibly ask for?

  “Whoops! I’m getting over-excited again,” I whispered, forcing my heart rate to slow down.

  I realized it would be incredibly suspicious if I were to suddenly appear in my room out of nowhere. If Stephen or another guest saw me materialize, I would have a difficult time explaining how a "Villager" was performing high-tier teleportation magic. I decided it was better to use the still-open passage to return to the dungeon and exit through the front gate like a normal raider.

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  I stepped back through the shimmering portal and found myself back on the fifth floor. I walked to the entrance and pulled up the interface.

  ***

  Targashar Dungeon

  Exit

  Floor 1

  Floor 2

  Floor 3

  Floor 4

  ***

  I selected the ‘Exit’ option. My vision blurred for a heartbeat, and then I was standing outside, the massive, hollowed rock of the dungeon looming behind me. The sun was dipping toward the horizon, painting the sky in deep streaks of amber and violet. It was close to dinner time, and the evening air was beginning to take on a sharp, pleasant chill.

  The guard currently on duty was a different man than the one from this morning. He didn't even look up as I emerged, his eyes fixed on the horizon as he leaned against the rock. I walked past him and headed back toward the heart of the city.

  The streets were more alive than they had been when I arrived yesterday. I saw scores of other raiders and explorers exiting the dungeon at this hour. Some were covered in dust and dried blood, heading straight for the local taverns to wash away the day's stress with ale. Others were carrying heavy sacks of loot toward the blacksmiths and equipment shops on the western side of the street. It seemed that this was the natural rhythm of the city: the morning was for the delve, and the evening was for the aftermath.

  I realized I didn't need any new gear today, but there was one item I had forgotten: a map. I was currently registered for the fifth floor, and I intended to clear at least the sixth floor tomorrow. Navigating without a guide had worked so far, but it was time-consuming. I turned toward the Dungeon Raiders Guild.

  The building was significantly more crowded than it had been the day before. The line for the reception desk stretched back toward the communal tables. While I waited, I pricked up my ears, listening to the conversations around me. Raiders were talking about the day’s kills, the specific quests they had completed for the Lord, and the difficulty of finding reliable party members for the deeper floors.

  I realized then that I had been so focused on the singular goal of grinding experience that I had neglected the other facets of this world. There were quests, social hierarchies, and professional networks I hadn't even begun to explore. However, those things took time and careful investigation. For now, my simple path of combat and self-improvement was the most efficient way forward.

  Eventually, it was finally my turn at the desk. A black-haired receptionist, whom I hadn't seen before, greeted me with a tired but professional smile.

  “Welcome, sir. How may I help you?”

  “Thank you,” I said, leaning against the counter. “I want to buy a dungeon map.”

  “Certainly. Which floor are you currently exploring?”

  “I’m heading to the fifth floor next, and I’ll likely push into the sixth tomorrow. I’d like to buy the maps for both,” I explained.

  “I see,” she replied, reaching under the desk. “Standard floor maps are one silver coin each. However, since you are planning to go further, I would suggest one of our package deals. It is much more economical for a serious raider.”

  “Package? What’s the difference?” I asked, intrigued by the prospect of saving a bit of gold.

  “We sell the maps in bundles of five,” she explained. “You can buy the map for the fifth floor individually for one silver, or you can buy the bundle for floors six through ten for four silver coins instead of five. If you buy both today, the total will be five silver coins for the next six maps.”

  Makes sense, I thought. I’m going to need them eventually, and I might as well save a silver coin while I have the cash.

  “Okay. Here are five silver coins,” I said, counting out the metal from my pouch. I didn't like buying things separately if I could handle them all at once.

  “Thank you, sir.” She took the coins, verified their weight, and handed me a small roll of tied parchment. She offered a polite bow as I tucked them into my inventory.

  I left the guild and made a beeline for the inn. Physical fatigue was finally setting in, despite my high endurance stat. It wasn't just my muscles that were tired; the mental effort of navigation and the constant alertness required in the dungeon had left me drained. By the time I reached the inn, I was already half-asleep on my feet.

  “Welcome back, Mr. Han,” Stephen said as I entered.

  “Dinner, please,” I requested, not even stopping at the desk.

  It took about five minutes for the meal to arrive, and I dug into the bread and stew with the desperate hunger of a wolf. The food was just as plain as always, but in that moment, it was the finest meal I could imagine. Once the plate was clean, I dragged myself upstairs to my room.

  A routine was firmly establishing itself: I would return to the inn, eat my dinner, retreat to my room, and clean the day's grime off with the hot water and towel Stephen provided. Only then would I allow myself to fall into the deep, dreamless sleep that my body craved.

  When morning came, Stephen would knock on the door to wake me for breakfast. I would eat, check my gear, and head back to the dungeon with a renewed enthusiasm for the new floors and the discoveries that awaited me. It was a simple cycle, and I planned to follow it until a significant reason forced me to change my path.

  As I lay on the straw bed, the warmth of the wash still tingling on my skin, I decided to check my job levels one last time before the darkness claimed me.

  ***

  Equipped Jobs:

  Swordsman Level 15

  Warrior Level 6

  Dungeon Raider Level 6

  Hunter Level 19

  Villager Level 19

  ***

  Every single job has increased by three levels today. The growth was incredibly fast, a direct result of the high-density combat on the third and fourth floors and my 36x experience multiplier. With these levels, I felt a tangible increase in my strength and awareness.

  I certainly deserved a good sleep tonight. As I looked at the translucent blue screen of the Player Window, my eyelids grew heavy. The screen flickered and vanished as I finally fell into a deep sleep.

  [Edited]