Opening up his inventory, Aslan focused on the name 'Weapon Aura'.
A powerful technique that would help him hunt monsters even more efficiently? There was no reason for Aslan to refuse.
"Yes."
[You have acquired the skill Weapon Aura]
The moment Aslan acquired the new skill, his body began to emit tiny orbs of light, gently flickering around him, like he was surrounded by a swarm of glowing fireflies.
Sorin and Marthel noticed this and had to ask, "Did you just… learn a new skill?"
"Yes, I did."
Marthel wore a dumbfounded look on her face as she continued to ask, "How…?"
"From a Skill Book that I'd just obtained."
"What?! But none of the monsters you defeated dropped a Skill Book!" Marthel exclaimed.
There was no way she could've overlooked such a valuable find. Aside from divine blessings from the Gods and Class advancements, Skill Books were the only known method for Awakeners to acquire additional skills.
"Oh, I acquired it from a quest," Aslan explained, unaware of Skill Books' true value.
"Quest?! You have a quest?!" Sorin exclaimed, her eyes lighting up with awe and excitement. "Does that mean you're sponsored by a God?"
Only Gods could grant quests—and even then, not all of them had the power to do so.
It required a certain level of divine authority, possessed only by the more powerful deities.
[The Gods watching you expressed surprise after learning this information, wondering which God had given you a quest.]
Marthel swallowed nervously before asking, "Do you mind sharing the name of this God…?"
If the God sponsoring Aslan turned out to be a renowned one, it could change everything for him, and his lackluster background would no longer matter.
However, before Aslan could respond, a notification was sent to him.
[??? sends you a private message: Unless you want to be hunted by the Gods, never reveal details about your quest, mention 'All-Encompassing', or my existence.]
Aslan swallowed nervously the ominous message.
He turned to look at Marthel and said, "Honestly, I don't know, since the God who gave me the quest has their name hidden."
"An anonymous God, huh? How did you acquire the quest, then?"
A bittersweet smile appeared on Aslan's face as he sighed, "I think the God took pity on my worthless existence and gave me the quest when I was at the lowest point in my life."
"That's…" Marthel didn't doubt him. After all, she knew about his background and how he'd lost his family to several sudden invasions.
"Also, I am not sponsored by this God. They gave me a quest and disappeared right afterward," he added.
"What an eccentric God…"Sorin muttered.
"Anyway, I think I have recovered enough stamina. Let's continue hunting monsters, shall we?" Not wanting to continue this topic, Aslan changed the subject.
"If you say so." Sorin nodded.
They packed their stuff and resumed their journey shortly later.
Aslan had planned to use Weapon Aura on the next monster they encountered, but to his surprise, their next opponent was vastly different from the Skeleton Warriors and Archers they'd faced so far.
The monster was still a skeleton, but its frame was nearly twice the size of a normal one.
It wore battered, dented armor and wielded a massive two-handed sword.
"Level 20? The highest level I've encountered so far is only level 15…"
"That must be the Dungeon Boss!" Sorin exclaimed.
"A boss, huh? The perfect monster to test my new skill on…"
Without hesitation, Aslan activated Weapon Aura.
In the next moment, the Nameless Sword was engulfed in a silver aura, its surface pulsing with profound energy, radiating power that seemed to stir the very air around it.
"Th-That skill!" Marthel exclaimed in a shocked voice after seeing Aslan's skill, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"You recognize that skill? What is it?" Sorin asked.
"If I'm not mistaken, that skill is Weapon Aura, an S-Rank skill! However, that's a skill only reserved for those who have achieved their fourth Class advancement!"
"Fourth Class advancement?! Isn't that for those who have reached level 120?!" Sorin's eyes widened with shock.
Marthel nodded, a cold sweat forming on her brow.
"If a God really gave him that skill… then that God must be incredibly powerful and highly influential."
After all, not even the most generous Gods would hand out an S-Rank Skill Book to someone like Aslan without asking for anything in return.
[The Gods watching expressed shock after seeing a Level 10 wielding Weapon Aura, and they wondered which God was crazy enough to gift such a powerful skill to a newbie.]
"Wow…" Aslan murmured, gazing at his glowing sword in awe.
The energy radiating from it surged through him, making him feel utterly invincible.
Meanwhile, the Skeleton Knight recoiled at the sight of the silver aura. To everyone's surprise, it turned on its heel and began to flee, driven by instinctual fear.
"T-The boss is running away?!" Marthel exclaimed. Despite her vast experience with dungeons, she'd never seen a boss attempting to flee before.
"Aslan! The boss is getting away!" Sorin shouted, snapping him out of his daze.
"What?" Aslan's expression darkened as he spotted the fleeing monster. Without hesitation, he gave chase.
"Aren't you supposed to be the strongest monster in this dungeon? Get back here!" he yelled, sprinting after the Skeleton Knight.
He quickly closed the distance, and the moment he was within striking range, Aslan swung his sword with all his might.
Whoosh!
The Nameless Sword sliced clean through the Skeleton Knight's massive weapon and armor, like a sharp knife through tofu.
But it didn't stop there. The silver aura burst forward in a radiant arc, cutting through everything in its path for ten meters, leaving a glowing scar in the earth behind it.
[Skeleton Knight defeated]
[You have gained some experience]
[You have cleared 'Skeleton Graveyard']
[Congratulations! You have cleared your first dungeon! You have been awarded 10 Achievement Points!]