I checked the items sold at the first floor and just like before, all the shops were only selling the basic stuff. When I asked the shopkeepers if they knew anyone who could make new items, they just shrugged their shoulders.
"We don't need blacksmithing to make these weapons and they are enough to hunt for the monsters when we need them."
"... You guys have slot for skills as well? I suppose that would explain why you wouldn't try to learn those skills. Still, don't you want to see the next floor?"
"No, a lot of people went to challenge the floor boss, none of them returned. We can't tell if they won or not, but since the way back clearly isn't available, we don't want to take those risks."
That make for the people here… I talked with a bunch of them and they didn't sound like they were programmed to do that since they gave different answers. One said that everything that they needed was already there. Another said that they were too old to head to the next floor and another said that they needed to keep the family's business going.
I couldn't ask them directly, but I could tell that they didn't gain experience as fast as me. I saw the guys fighting the same boars from the previous day several times over the course of the week, but they always seemed to be struggling a bit. Even with the best gear that they could buy on the floor. Or maybe there was something else that I was missing….
In any case, the last time, we had one month to get stronger before facing the boss of the floor. Still, we didn't have the chance to get as strong as possible since a lot of people kept fighting over the best spawning spots.
However, after just one week, I was back at the level and had the same equipment when we faced the boss. The previous knowledge helped with that. However, was that enough to challenge the creature?
'I will need to keep fighting for longer periods and also on the most dangerous spots. They are made for parties, but they will make me gain experience faster and also train Battle Healing…'
I needed to accept some risks now instead of avoiding them, that would be the same as increasing the risks when it comes to facing the boss. That would be the worst thing that could happen.
That was tiresome and painful, the sense of pain was sharp in this world, actually a bit more realistic than before. Still, all that hard work at least allowed me to return to the inn and then I would fall asleep quite fast. That was the only thing that I could do to fight the anxiety…
Over the following weeks, I began to realize that most of the townspeople kept their distance from me. They didn't treat me poorly, no open hostility or refusal to trade, but there was a constant air of wariness in how they looked at me. A stranger among the familiar. When I passed by, conversations paused, glances were exchanged, and then silence returned. They fulfilled their roles, sold me goods, rented me rooms, but there was no warmth in their interactions. I was an outsider, and they made no effort to hide it.
At one point, I seriously considered trying to recruit a few of them. Even one or two companions could make a world of difference in a boss fight, especially one designed to challenge entire parties. I hoped that, if I could convince them of the danger or the purpose of reaching the upper floors, someone might step forward. But every attempt to speak about leaving this floor, or about the dungeon itself, was met with indifference, or something colder. They either refused to talk about it or made excuses that they had responsibilities in town. It became clear: none of them had any intention of joining me.
Whatever they truly were, AI programmed to evolve, fragments of old players, or something else entirely, they wouldn't be my allies. Their lives had settled into something static, a routine they had no desire to break. In the end, I was alone, just like in the beginning. And if I wanted to progress—if I wanted to escape—I'd have to face the first floor boss by myself. No help, no party, just my blade, my instincts, and everything I remembered from the last time I was here.
By the time I reached level forty, the experience gained and the leveling up speed dropped considerably, even my battle healing aura wasn't making that much progress, even though I was suffering damage all the time. By this point, I was already facing three monsters in the dungeon at once.
'At least I am making money and that will help me save time gearing up in the next floor…'
I had to try to see things from the good side in order to keep my sanity, but by the time a month had passed, I began to lose my composure.