Kopii, gradually becoming aware of his emotions, did not understand why he felt a strange relaxation in the dungeon. Walking higher and higher, he tirelessly killed all the monsters he happened to encounter. Along the way, the pain in his arms reminded him of that incident on the fifth floor, when he had lived through a real battle. Kopii, though he did not want to admit it, still felt some joy from that fight. After several minutes of pensive reflection, he finally understood why he felt such joy: he was simply tired of the endless goblins and kobolds. These small creatures had become too weak for him, while that monster was too strong.
Kopii no longer wanted just to survive; he wanted to taste the thrilling and sweet taste of victory, won in a hard and tense battle. However, suddenly, he stopped abruptly, not understanding how exactly he had changed so much. Descending into the dungeon, he had sought only strength and money, and although he took some pleasure in victories over monsters, he had never enjoyed battle so intensely. That was precisely why he had sought the most effective tactic to destroy monsters in a short period of time, without expending much effort on it.
He did not remember that he was a battle maniac.
He resumed his step again when he sensed the sound reminiscent of new monsters being born. Looking in that direction, he saw a group of goblins, and did not linger long with them. Having killed all the goblins, Kopii pondered another question: how had he, on such ridiculously weak monsters, managed to raise his stats so quickly? He still remembered the surprise on Miach's face.
Was this all the result of his constant training? Thought Kopii, picking up the magic stones from the bodies of the fallen enemies. Then he headed upwards again, but, unfortunately, the answers to his questions left him bewildered.
Exiting the Tower of Babel, he looked at the sky; the evening twilight had already begun to slowly descend. Kopii headed to the guild to exchange the magic stones and buy himself a new bow.
Having received his well-earned reward, Kopii, wasting no time, immediately headed to the counter to buy himself a new bow — this was already his third bow.
They were quite cheap, but, even so, the quality remained high, if, of course, counting from the bottom. After the successful purchase, Kopii glanced out the window.
«I still have time.» — He thought. He headed to the guild library to refresh his memory; thus he spent several hours in the library.
Kopii glanced out the window and began to understand that it was already late. Wasting no time, he quickly got up and headed for the exit. On the way home, his thoughts returned to his reflections again. Perhaps I really do have great talent, flashed through his mind. And Kopii involuntarily rejoiced at these thoughts; if this was true, then he might be more talented than he himself had assumed. With these thoughts, Kopii reached home; when he returned, he realized that Naaza and Miach were already asleep. He put his things in their usual place and went up to the second floor. Entering his room, he threw off all his clothes and lay down to sleep.
The next morning, Kopii woke up with new, full energy, when the bright rays of the sun broke through the loosely drawn curtains. He barely managed to unstick his sleep-weary eyes, feeling broken, as if he had been beaten all over his body all night. Fragments of yesterday's thoughts and vivid sensations still swirled in his head.
Kopii rose from the bed, feeling an aching pain in his muscles, as if they reminded him of the battles. He hastily washed up and went downstairs, where breakfast, prepared by Miach, was already waiting for him.
He always cooked very well and deliciously, but Kopii never doubted him; he was a god, after all.
Naaza, as always, was busy with her own affairs and merely nodded to him in greeting. Kopii silently ate his portion of food, trying not to draw unnecessary attention to himself, sinking into his own thoughts.
After breakfast, Kopii's decision was clear: he decided to return to the Tower of Babel. He needed to dispel his doubts and understand whether he had truly changed. He wanted to test himself in battle, find a worthy opponent, and again feel that violent surge of adrenaline that he had experienced on the fifth floor. Kopii took his new bow.
Kopii once again plunged into the dense labyrinth of the dungeon. Step by step, layer by layer, he advanced forward, as if possessed. The monsters that crossed his path posed no serious threat to him; naturally, they were just goblins; he dealt with them quickly and efficiently, but without the pleasure and enthusiasm that he was so seeking. In his movements, one could sense refinement and cold calculation.
«Maybe I should make the sword my main weapon again?»
He pondered, picking up the magic stones, but the more he thought about it, the more he understood that for now the bow was more effective.
Descending lower and lower, he tried to focus on his sensations in battle, so as not to lose control over his actions. Thus, in his reflexes and habits, he found himself on the fifth floor again, fully ready for anything. But then he suddenly heard a familiar sound, which made his heart beat faster. He saw a new monster — a dark humanoid creature with long arms and three claws, sharp as knives. It was a War Shadow, and Kopii was incredibly lucky that this elusive opponent had become available to him.
Kopii did not wait for the moment when the enemy would fully be born and shot at it from his bow, hoping to hit the target. However, Kopii missed. The War Shadow, noticing his miss, rushed into the attack; its long claws flashed in the semi-darkness, and Kopii quickly leaped aside, dodging the deadly blow. He began to understand that this opponent was far more dangerous than anyone he had faced before. In its movements, one could sense excessive speed and impressive strength, surpassing all those goblins Kopii had fought before.
A fierce and tense battle began on Kopii's part. Kopii, using his agility, swiftness, and mastery of archery, tried to keep his distance, showering the monster with a hail of arrows. But the War Shadow proved elusive. It easily dodged the arrows, leaving Kopii in complete bewilderment. Realizing that a ranged attack was ineffective, he cast the bow aside and quickly drew his short sword. Now he would have to fight face to face with this dangerous opponent. The War Shadow let out a deafening and menacing roar, anticipating the close fight. It lightningly closed the distance, delivering a series of fast and powerful claw strikes. Kopii deftly dodged and jumped aside, trying to completely avoid the blow.
Kopii understood that there was a moment when he could attack: he sharply turned in its direction with his sword, but the Shadow, having anticipated his move, dodged this blow. But Kopii had foreseen this and used the distraction. He rushed forward, using an arrow as a weapon, and with resolute intent pierced its chest through, breaking the magic stone in its body, thereby killing it.
Exhausted, but satisfied, Kopii staggered back from the body of the fallen monster. His breath was ragged, his heart pounded in his chest with such force as if mad. He glanced over his body, covered with scratches and abrasions. Despite all the manifestations of pain, Kopii felt a surge of strength and satisfaction. He had won!
Kopii sank to the ground, leaning his back against the cold stone wall. He closed his eyes, trying to order his thoughts and calm his frantically beating heart. Fragments of the battle rushed through his head, thrilling moments of tension and risk. Kopii realized that this was exactly what he had been seeking, and not just empty victories over weak opponents.
Analyzing the whole battle, Kopii understood that the bow had been completely useless in this fight. With the descent even lower, the bow's effectiveness had fallen. If there had been several of them, its effectiveness would have equaled zero.