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As Daichi walked up the stairs he checked his status page and skill list. His thoughts drifted to the speed of his progress.

'Now I'm at level 42. But my level progression has considerably slowed down. Looks like until I become a Genin and take missions I won't have many ways to increase my EXP other than dungeons. And this is the last Key dungeon I have at the moment. I haven't found any more.'

Daichi looked ahead and saw that he was almost at the entrance to the next floor.

'Even though the enemies were almost 20 levels higher than me, I defeated them without any lethal injury to myself. The passive skills are doing a great job. But that alone wouldn't have been it! Their stats must not be that high compared to their level. It's the only explanation I can think of…'

Daichi reached the top of the stairs and opened the door to the next floor.

The room was large just like the one in the previous floor. Daichi glanced at the mini-map and saw no red dots.

'My map isn't registering any enemies. Looks like these guys can hide from the Mini-Map. But it's a good thing I have other ways of finding my opponents.'

Daichi immediately used Mana scout. Along with that skill and his exceptional senses he was able to deduce that there were 9 enemies in the room. All hidden waiting for their chance to strike him.

'Never give your opponent the chance to dictate the battle. Make the first move Daichi.'

Daichi created 3 clones and the next moment all 4 of them were evading shuriken projectiles. Several shuriken appeared between Daichi's fingers and he threw them at 4 of the enemies hidden in the shadows of the room.

The next second several black shadows moved and the dungeon ninjas appeared before Daichi.

'9 of them in total. And all of them are Level 59. And it seems there are swordsmen.'

Daichi quickly analyzed them and the battle began.

Each ninja had two swords strapped to them. Daichi took out his sword and clashed with his opponent. This time there was a change in the battle tactic. Daichi would battle alone while his 3 clones would work as a team.

Daichi thought about this as a way to improve his coordination so he can fight better alongside his clones when he goes up against stronger ninjas.

Sparks flew and the sounds of swords clashing could be heard everywhere. The dungeon ninjas didn't use Ninjutsu or Genjutsu but their Taijutsu and sword play was impressive.

Daichi was able to narrowly avoid serious lethal injuries to himself but there were some small cuts on his body. He deflected a strike with his sword and evaded another and punched the dungeon ninja closest to him.

Daichi's speed allowed him to get inside their defenses and he unleashed several lethal strikes. In seconds the first guard ninja of the second floor was destroyed.

[Enemy killed.]

+850 Exp.

+127.5 Exp.

[Enemies killed: 11/55]

Unlike Daichi, his clones used everything they had. From Taijutsu to Genjutsu and Ninjutsu. Since one precise blow from the enemy could reduce them to smoke they were careful. This also helped them increase the level of skills such as body flicker jutsu, Telekinesis, chakra enhancement, chakra flow and more.

A clone would restrain the enemy with chakra threads while another deliver finishing blows or they would use telekinesis to shift the trajectory of the sword swings helping them evade it easier.

[Enemy killed.]

+850 Exp.

+127.5 Exp.

[Enemies killed: 12/55]

Daichi and his clones slowly but steadily defeated their opponents and reduced them to smoke. It took time and effort but after an hour of battle it was over. Daichi had to create new clones a few times but it was expected. In the end he was the last one who was left standing on the second floor.

[Enemy Killed.]

+850 Exp.

+127.5 Exp.

[Enemies killed: 19/55]

[You have cleared the second floor. You can now move to the third.]

As the battle came to an end a wall slid open to reveal the path to the next floor.

Daichi closed the notification boxes and sat down on the ground and meditated. As his meditation skill activated, his wounds slowly began to heal.

A few hours went by and Daichi had restored his CP, HP and SP.

'All my injuries are gone and I'm back to full health and chakra. Man this gamer ability is awesome. Only 9 and half years old and I'm stronger than most chunins.'

Daichi sat there thinking about the battle he went through.

'In the first floor there were 10 ninjas and here there were 9. So if the pattern holds then the next floor should have 8 enemies and the one above should have 7. But as the number of opponents decrease, their strength would no doubt increase. Maybe I could use my clones like this for another two or three floors but can they hold on for more before they get taken out?'

Daichi let out a sigh and stood up. 'One step at a time Daichi.'

He climbed the stairs and soon reached the entrance to the next floor. Before entering he created 4 clones.

"Make sure not to get dispelled too soon." Daichi told his clones.

Daichi changed his battle style and fought alone because in addition to his clones learning to coordinate attacks, he wanted to learn to fight and defend against attacks coming from his blind spots as well. He didn't want to create any negative habits or anything even close to it by even slightly letting his guard down by thinking he would have a clone watching his back.

He pushed open the doors and slowly stepped inside the room. His sense of smell, hearing, Mana scout and Chakra sensing alerted him to the presence of his enemies.

'I was right. I can only sense 8 ninjas in this room. And since it's unlikely that they can evade Mana scout skill, I'm pretty sure I'm not missing anyone.'

The fight on the third floor soon began. Daichi and his clones battled the dungeon ninjas but this battle lasted for much longer than the others.

Daichi blocked a punch aimed at his midsection and retaliated with a swift kick. 'These guys are all level 60. And their stats are much higher when compared to the first floor ninjas.'

There were ninjas using swords, daggers, kunai, shurikens and some fought using Taijutsu.

Daichi battled 2 ninjas while the clones took on 6. Daichi had to create new shadow clones more than the last time but due to his larger chakra reserves he was able to endure it.

[Enemy Killed.]

+1100 Exp.

+165 Exp.

[Enemies killed: 27/55]

[You have cleared the third floor. You can now move to the fourth.]

It took over three hours for Daichi to defeat them all but he was successful in the end. Daichi breathed hard and sat down.

'This tactic won't work for much longer… Even though the numbers are reducing, the guards are getting stronger and stronger.'

Daichi meditated and while his body healed and his stamina and chakra replenished, he thought of ways he could fight more effectively. Maximizing the utility of his skills. At that moment, a memory of a certain ninja came to his mind.

'If I can use that skill like he did, then I would undoubtedly be able to win my battles. Or at the very least not die.'

When he was ready Daichi headed to the fourth floor. This time he created only 2 clones. Reaching the entrance he stopped.

"You two know what to do! Buy me some time and make sure to keep most of the enemies at bay. We'll finish this one by one." Daichi spoke.

His clones nodded and all three entered the room. The moment they did, several kunai and shuriken were coming their way.

Daichi saw the spinning stars and knives coming at him and he slightly smirked.

'You won't get us like that.'

He flooded his body with chakra and supercharged his muscles. It was using his chakra the same way he would use the body flicker jutsu but this was more controlled and precise.

Daichi and his clones vanished in an instant and they appeared at the other side of the room.

'Shisui the Teleporter. His use of the body flicker was so great it allowed him to battle multiple, powerful enemies. I'll be borrowing your tactics, Shisui. I'm not proficient in this jutsu yet so I have to be careful.'

Daichi immediately sensed his surroundings and found that there were 7 ninjas this time.

'I was right. The number decreases the more you climb but the strength will definitely be increasing.'

Daichi used 'Observe' on one ninja that appeared out of the shadows and saw that they were level 62.

The fight began with Daichi's clones using genjutsu and short range ninjutsu to distract most of the enemies while Daichi fought the others in hand to hand combat. He used chakra to supercharge his cells and muscles and he easily evaded the multiple strikes of his enemies.

Daichi used a dagger and landed several critical strikes in seconds on his opponents. The dungeon guards had a hard time landing a successful strike on Daichi due to his new speed.

Daichi landed several strikes on a ninja and decapitated the head while dodging a spear aimed at his heart the next second.

Due to his powerful senses Daichi was able to accurately keep track of his surroundings.

While the dungeon ninjas fought back they were unable to completely keep up with Daichi's speed. Before long the outcome of the battle was decided.

Daichi and his clones also used the body flicker technique to increase their speed and Daichi and his two clones were able to defeat the enemies much faster than the last time.

[Enemy Killed.]

+1300 Exp.

+195 Exp.

[Enemies killed: 34/55]

[You have cleared the fourth floor. You can now move to the fifth.]

Daichi checked his exp status.

[Level : 42] (30265/46300)

'A little over 16000 more and I'll be able to go up another level. Not to mention the reward exp once I clear this dungeon. That's another level. Looks like I'll be level 44 or at most 45 by the time I leave here.'

Daichi had been going without sleep for over 14 hours. His Mana was down to a lil less than 600 points.

While Daichi's HP, CP, SP can be regenerated through meditation his Mana points can only be restored through sleep. After giving it some thought he came to a decision.

'I'll sleep after I'm done with the battles one the next floor.'

Once Daichi was ready he created 2 clones and headed upstairs.

Daichi reached the fifth battle ground and looked around the place. The decorations were more unique and stylish than the other four floors.

He quickly sensed the guards hidden in the room.

'6. I'll have to be careful.'

Daichi went through several hand-seals and fired several small fire bullets at the hidden ninjas near him.

The shadows moved and easily evaded the Ninjutsu and sent several strikes at Daichi. Thus the battle on the fifth floor began.

[LV.64][5th Floor Guard - 5]

HP: 6270 CP: 6044

[LV.63][5th Floor Guard - 6]

HP: 6139 CP: 6002

.

.

.

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[LV.64][5th Floor Guard - 1]

HP: 6322 CP: 6166

When Daichi used 'Observe' on them he found that unlike the floors these ninjas vary in level, chakra and health.

'Their outfits are also different. Some wear armor while some are wearing normal kimonos. And two of them don't even have weapons.'

[Mental intrusion detected….]

[Unyielding spirit has neutralized the foreign attack.]

Daichi's analysis of his enemies was correct. There were ninjas capable of using genjutsu on Daichi. But due to Daichi's skills the mental attacks didn't affect him.

'I was right. These guys can use more than just Taijutsu and swordsmanship.'

The battle began and it wasn't just genjutsu but ninjutsu as well was used by the floor guardians.

Daichi used the earth wall to defend against fire and wind bullets and the moment he was out of their sight Daichi used the Body flicker jutsu and swiftly moved to their location. Due to his senses he was able to accurately ascertain their positions and was able to launch attacks from their blind spots.

But the dungeon ninjas were capable. They were able to defend against Daichi's attacks and for a short while it was as if the two sides were in a stalemate.

Due to the strength and speed of the ninjas, Daichi's clones weren't able to do much damage and they got destroyed by the ninjas quickly. Daichi had to create more to buy himself time. As the battle continued Daichi used his sword and dagger and this activated the dual mastery skill and its effects.

.

.

.

It was a difficult battle but he endured and pressed forward. Daichi mainly used guerrilla tactics. He created several stone walls inside the large room obstructing the view. But due to Daichi's senses he was able to ascertain everyone's position. He and his clones were able to take out 3 and reduce the health of the other three but the battle was getting more and more difficult for Daichi.

His chakra was rapidly decreasing and he was beginning to feel his muscles strain from the constant use of the body flicker technique. The floor guards fought hard and pressed Daichi to his limits.

When Daichi's health lowered to less than 25% the 'Persistence' stat activated.

Due to the 16 points in the persistence stat Daichi got a 16% boost to all his other stats for 3 minutes.

And with this increase in strength he was able to defeat all his opponents and he finally cleared the fifth floor after 4 hours.

[Enemy Killed.]

+1550 Exp.

+232.5 Exp.

[Enemies killed: 40/55]

[You have cleared the fifth floor. You can now move to the sixth.]

Daichi had a ragged breath as he closed the blue system messages. He looked at his progress.

Level : 42 (41565/46300)

'Damn! I thought this level would have helped me in reaching 43… Whatever. I need some sleep right now.'

Daichi let out another tired breath and took out his small mattress from his inventory. He took out some gauze and wrapped them around his wounds.

'Don't want the bed to get too bloody.'

That was Daichi's last thought as he went to sleep.

Author’s Note:

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