Bully Lord

Part-232

James stood over its lifeless body, panting heavily. He felt a familiar rush, a mix of exhilaration and fatigue. It had been a grueling fight, but it was worth it. As he watched the creature disintegrate into black smoke, a notification popped up:

**[You have defeated the Ratling Scavenger. Reward: +1500 EXP]**

"One more to go," James muttered, gripping his sword tighter.

For the next several hours, James repeated the process. He returned to the dungeon entrance, rested briefly, and faced the Ratling Scavenger again. Each battle was more challenging than the last as his stamina wore thin. Sweat dripped from his brow, and his vision blurred, but he pressed on. His determination drove him forward, each fight pushing him closer to his limit.

Finally, after his fifth and final battle, he collapsed to the ground, completely drained. The system notified him once more:

**[You have earned 2 unallocated stat points. Nearly a third point before dungeon fatigue reached maximum.]**

Breathing heavily, James allowed himself a moment of rest. He knew he couldn’t push any further today. As he slowly rose to his feet, every muscle in his body screamed in protest, but a small smile crept onto his face. He had grown stronger, and that was all that mattered.

---

Back in his room, James sat on his bed, staring at the floating screen in front of him. The glow from the screen illuminated the dark room, casting shadows on the walls. It was time to allocate his newly earned stat points. He considered his options carefully, replaying the battles in his mind.

He could feel the fatigue in his body and knew that his strength was what had kept him alive in the dungeon. Without hesitation, he allocated both points to STR, watching as the numbers shifted:

- **STR**: 50 → 52

- **CON**: 55.1

- **DEX**: 44.9

- **INT**: 53.5

- **WIS**: 50.4

- **CHA**: 99

Seeing his stats updated brought a sense of accomplishment, but he was also aware of how far he still had to go. He needed to be stronger, faster, and more resilient. He was aiming to master his swordsmanship, and these stats were just a small step in that direction.

James closed the screen with a sigh and lay down on his bed. The adrenaline from the dungeon battles had worn off, leaving him mentally and physically exhausted. He considered heading to the gym but decided against it. For today, he'd rest. Tomorrow would be another battle, and he needed all the strength he could muster.

---

The next morning, James arrived at the martial art center where Carlos conducted his training. The instructor stood in the center of the training yard, his arms crossed, eyes sharp and focused. James bowed respectfully and picked up the sword Carlos had laid out for him. It wasn’t the lightweight practice sword he had used previously; this one was heavier, requiring more strength to wield.

Carlos gestured toward a marked line on the ground. "Today, you’ll swing 100 times. Each swing must be executed at a consistent interval of 2 seconds. If you miss the rhythm, you start over."