The King Slime's death woes soon cried throughout the murky, seemingly-endless tunnel behind us. Just like with the rest, it too, saw its end. Nothing that Tony Stark and I couldn't handle.
"You really didn't give that boss any mercy.", Tony said, putting the Crude Pistol away back into his clothing.
"I mean, should I have? What we fought against aren't humans or anything. Monsters are meant to be killed, as far as I'm aware.", I said, and shrugged my shoulders.
Some moments later, lots of damage numbers appeared over the King Slime. It only launched one or two of its Skills at most before it met its end, like I just stated. I was able to overwhelm it with a lot of critical hits, taking the King Slime down with ease. I'm pretty sure I shouldn't have 29 STR right now if this played out normally, but that's the beauty of Points Doubler.
Tony didn't have to lift any of his fingers. The best part? The King Slime didn't even activate Poisonous Mist a second time!
The result was clear as day.
And with that, the Gamer Notifications came rolling in.
[Ding! You have felled Level 2 Slime x3.]
[Ding! You have felled Level 3 Slime x1.]
[Ding! You have felled Level 4 King Slime x1.]
[Ding! The Skill Proficiency of Quick Shot has increased!]
[Ding! The Skill Proficiency of Basic Firearm Mastery has increased!]
[Ding! Quick Shot's Level has leveled up!]
[Ding! Basic Firearm Mastery has leveled up!]
[Ding! Quick Shot Lv2 (0.0%)]
[Ding! Basic Firearms Mastery Lv2 (0.0%)]
[Ding! You have obtained 31 EXP.]
[Ding! Half of the obtained experience has been given to Tony Stark.]
[Ding! Tony Stark has received 15 EXP.]
[Ding! Tony Stark has leveled up!]
[Ding! Tony Stark's Level: 2 (10/20.]
[Ding! Tony Stark's Field Skill, Lofty Genius, has triggered.]
[Ding! Tony Stark's Field Skill, Weapon Designer, has triggered.]
[Ding! Tony Stark's INT has increased by 2!]
[Ding! Tony Stark's WIS has increased by 2!]
[Ding! Tony Stark's DEX has increased by 2!]
[Ding! Tony Stark has received 6 Points.]
[Ding! You have obtained 16 EXP.]
[Ding! Points Doubler has triggered.]
[Ding! You have obtained 32 EXP!]
[Ding! Your Current Level: 4 (32/80)]
[Ding! Your Total EXP: 102.]
[Ding! You have obtained Weapon Box (Purple)(Random) from the King Slime!]
[Ding! You feel lucky.]
[Ding! Your loot from the King Slime has doubled!]
[Ding! Weapon Box (Purple)(Random) x2 has been deposited into your Inventory.]
[Ding! Your Wallet: $490 USD.]
[Ding! Your Status has been updated and is ready to view.]
"...What?", I questioned.
Talk about a stroke of luck right there! I know I said LUK can affect Item drops from Monsters, but to think it can even increase loot too...
"Something wrong, kid?", Tony asked, seeing me frown. The battle had ended, and we were now alone in the large, encased area.
"Nah, just a little surprised. That's all.", I said, calmly shaking my head. "More importantly, that battle should have given you enough experience to level up. Do you feel different, Tony?"
"So that feeling just now was leveling up. It was as if I had just stepped out of a sauna, muscles fully relaxed. It was quite a refreshing feeling. And you're telling me you get to experience this every time you level up?", Tony asked.
"Basically, yeah. See, it even got that stupid slime off my clothes.", I responded.
I looked over the hoodie I was currently wearing. The green slime that covered the frontside could no longer be seen. It has some wear and tear from the Skills used against me. I didn't go unscathed.
"Haha.", Tony said, letting out a rare laugh. "I'm sold. Are you sure you don't want to turn this into a business?"
"Hell no. But I am not against future cooperation. That is, if there is a next time. You're THE Tony Stark after all, while I'm just a nobody. The world in which we live are two different worlds. You shouldn't even have encountered this Instance Dungeon to begin with.", I explained.
"That is very true. And yet, somehow it happened. If this isn't considered a stroke of fate, then I don't know what is. I guess I'll ask, are you tied down to any particular place right now?", Tony decided to ask, making me pause my train of thought. Where is this going?
"Not exactly, no.", I shook my head. "I recently drifted into LA trying to land a job. This whole situation sprung up pretty randomly."
I won't exactly say it's only been two freaking hours since I crossed into the MCU. No one should know about that, unless someone happens to overcome the Soul Protection Skill I have in place. It just gave me a stark reminder to get a mind protection Skill somehow or some way, no pun intended. I do not want anyone reading my memories, or know that I came from another world. Would parallel world be the accurate term here?
I mean, I'm not exactly lying here, right?
Seeing the honesty in my eyes, Tony could only accept what I said just now.
"And now you have to deal with your life suddenly turning into a game. Honestly, it sounds like quite a pain if you ask me. But it is quite a good excuse to give Happy later.", Tony chuckled. "Tell you what kid, I'll bring you back to Long Beach and Happy can get you situated at Stark Headquarters. If you need a job, even if it's just desk work, we've more than plenty to offer."
"I mean, I was considering hunting for more jobs, but would you believe me if I tell you I can make an earning by dungeon diving?", I said, grinning.
"You've got to be kidding me.", Tony retorted.
"Do I have a reason to lie?", I said, shrugging my shoulders. "You've experienced monster hunting first-hand. I went ahead and retrieved all the loot the monsters dropped. That includes money. I made half a grand doing this."
"Half a grand by fighting some low-level Slimes? Now that's the worst joke I've heard all day---!?", Tony tried to respond. They say actions speak louder than words, so I simply activated my Inventory, and took out all the cash that dropped from this Instance Dungeon.
A huge pile of cash appeared before our very eyes.
"...", Tony tried to say, but couldn't find any words. As for me, I just had a wide grin on my face.
"I wasn't lying. Count 'em up if you want.", I suggested.
I saw a hint of greed appear in Tony's eyes. Sure, half a grand was equivalent to a penny in Tony's eyes, but he still went ahead and approached the pile of cash.
"It actually is half a grand...", Tony said. He usually kept a cool head most of the time, but I saw genuine shock in his eyes. "How many times can you do these Instance Dungeons?"
"It depends on the Monsters. I have the Slime Tunnel ID registered. It's permanent. Not sure how many slots it can hold, or if it registers ID depending on how I grow. I won't go into personal details but I can create thirteen instances right now. And you saw how I wiped out most of those slimes. With my Level now, it'll be a cinch clearing these Dungeons again.", I grinned.
"Thirteen times...", Tony uttered, doing a quick calculation in his head. "Holy shit, that's over five grand!"
"It'll take time, but I don't think time actually runs in this place...", I murmured, causing Tony to pause in his tracks.
"Time doesn't flow in here?", Tony remarked, becoming surprised. Maybe I said too much there. I noticed every time I checked my Status Window, the time remained at 9:00 AM. Not a single second passed since we arrived here.
Talk about absurd.
"Let's leave the talk at that. Give and take, yeah? I let you experience something out of this world, and I got some Skills out of it. I think we're even, even though it sounds like you're planning on giving me a ride. Where to again?", I said, changing the topic.
"Now hold on a moment. You can't just drop that bombshell on me and change the subject just like that!", Tony exclaimed.
"Take it or leave it bub. Give me five seconds and I'll be out of your sight for good. It'll be as if this never happened.", I said, becoming more serious.
"Being able to cause time to stop is much more important about knowing that monsters exist...", Tony uttered, before sighing. "But you're right. I've already taken you more for granted than I likely should have. My instincts as an engineer just want to see how this place got constructed, alright? It doesn't matter if you want a job at Stark HQ or not. Is there anything you particularly want?"
"You're giving me the freedom to choose?", I asked, raising my eyebrows.
"If it's within possibility, kid. I may be a billionaire, but don't expect the impossible. It'd look too weird if LA suddenly got a kid like you driving through downtown in a Ferrari or something.", Tony retorted.
"Haha! That'd definitely be a sight for sore eyes.", I laughed. "But no. I have zero plans to do that."
I took a moment to ponder, knowing that it's 2006 right now, and devices such as smartphones aren't really a thing yet. The closest cousin to it would be the flip phone. Besides that, there's a very, very notorious brand around this time.
The Nokia...
Shuddering for a moment, I wiped that thought from existence. No way in hell am I getting a Nokia, even if it is known for it being the most indestructible monstrosity on the face of the planet.
"I don't exactly have a phone yet to reach out to people, so that'd be a problem if you decide to reach out to me again, Tony.", I explained.
"Just that?", Tony mused. "I was already planning on having Happy drop by the nearest store to pick one up for you. I've put too much investment now into these dungeon things that I want a personal return on this. So your offer is denied. Next?"
"...What?", I exclaimed. "I'm getting a free phone out of this regardless of what I do!?"
Let's take it a step up from there. Not like actually owning a business or anything. Something smaller.
"How about an apartment within distance of Stark HQ, then? You don't have to buy me the thing outright. I just want a place to call home for the time being. I don't want to walk away with it scot-free either. I want actual contract terms. One a normal tenant would have.", I suggested.
"Even though I could buy out whatever I want within its vicinity?", Tony said, and shrugged his shoulders. "But it's your call. I'll have Happy draw up a contract for you to sign later. You registered with LA County?"
"I should be, yes.", I nodded.
If the Gamer System really did my identity right, then I wouldn't have to worry about any of the logistics that follow with it. Getting paperwork to rent an apartment is included with all of that, and so is getting a car insured in the state of California. That may be one goal I work up to. Dungeon diving until I can buy my own ride. How cool would that be?
"Then let's ditch this joint. I see it requires no further business from our end.", Tony responded. "Besides, I don't want to smell like a sewer rat any longer. This place sucks."
"Haha!", I laughed. "On that part, I can agree with you. And for the last time, stop calling me a kid. I'm eighteen!"
"Heh. I just keep saying that cause it's easy to push your buttons, Myles.", Tony replied, smirking at me. Hearing that, I sighed. They do say friendships bloom quickly in the midst of combat. Is that what this feels like?
Still, I did a motion of my hand, even though I didn't need to. I was very satisfied with the rewards I received from this one Instance Dungeon. I've a couple loot boxes to open. I reached Level 4, and earned quite a bit of Skills, all thanks to Tony Stark somehow wandering into this place. I'll review the rest of my powered up Status later once I'm able to. It looks like I'll even get my own room as part of the deal!
"ID Escape!"