-----


    As we walked into the woods, everyone followed my lead. It wasn''t as if they didn''t knew how to move themselves around the woods, as they had gone on their own expeditions before, and their parents/protectors had taught them well how to orientate themselves within the enormous forest that surrounded our vige. As for Erika, as her father was too old, she had learned almost everything from me. At this point it felt like she was always my little sister. And while we were at it, I checked my status.


    -----


    Name: ke Hunter Goathorn.


    Race: Human


    Spirit Orb Realm: Rank 1 (Peak Stage)


    Physique: Vampiric Blood Emperor Physique (Tier 2: Rank 5)


    Job ss: [Invoker: ★]


    Subss: [Alchemist: ★]


    Level: 7/30 -> 9/30


    EXP: 35400/90000


    < Health Points: 493/493 -> 546/546 >


    < Mana Points: 945/945 -> 1012/1012 >


    < Strength: 512 -> 563 >


    < Agility: 372 -> 418 >


    < Vitality: 382 -> 431 >


    < Intelligence: 627 -> 688 >


    < Dexterity: 412 -> 461 >


    Spirits (1/1): [Half-Vampire: Eleanora (Rank 1 Peak Stage)]


    Physique Abilities: [Tier 1: Body Strengthening (+Demonic Arm)] [Tier 1: Enhanced Senses] [Tier 2: Vampiric Eyes (+Demon Eyes of Paralysis)]


    Link Skills:


    [Link (Eleanora): [Shadow Sneak: 3]


    Passive Skills: [Acrobatics: Lv4] [Robust Body: Lv4] [Hard Worker: Lv2] [Hawk Eye: 4] [Gifted Magic Apprentice: Lv4] [Heavy Drinker: Lv2], [Intimidation: Lv2]


    Active Skills: [Throwing Technique: Lv4] [Spearmanship: Lv3] [Butcher: Lv3] [Alchemy: Lv2] [Brewing: Lv1] [Synthetize: Lv1] [First Aid: Lv4], [Command: Lv2], [Cooking: Lv2] [Agriculture: Lv1]


    Magic Skills: [Blood Edge: Lv2] [Create/Delete Familiar: Lv2] [Summon/Unsummon Familiar: Lv2] [Familiar Storage Expansion: Lv2] [Familiar Synthesis: Lv2] [Apprentice Alchemist Recipe Book: Lv1] [Spirit And Master Connection: Lv1]


    Title Skills: [Beast yer: Lv2] [Demon yer: Lv2] [Savior: Lv2] [ughter King: Lv1] [Dragon yer: Lv1] [Kin yer: Lv1]


    Avable Stat Points: 20


    Avable Skill Points: 10


    Can gain 10 Stat Points and Skill Points with each Level.


    Curses:


    EXP required to level up x100


    Proficiency required to learn techniques and skills x100


    Mana/Qi/Aether Recovery speed decreased by -50%


    -----


    My MP has finally reached 1k, and my other stats had increased quite nicely as well. My skills had stagnated in level, but they''ll soon level up as I''ve been training them nonstop diligently.


    "Ugh, this is boring, when are we finding a monster?" Wondered Erika.


    We had been walking for roughly and hour nonstop, but Erika seemed to be growing bored already.


    "Come on, Erika, you can''t expect monsters to appear at every corner of the damn forest." Said Chris.


    "Yeah, be more patient." Said Eric.


    "Ugh, both of you are so boring." Sighed Erika. "ke, can''t we mount your wolves to get there faster?"


    "No, walking is a good exercise to raise Strength and Vitality Stat, so we are walking with our legs, exercise your muscles, everybody. Also even your stats increase over time, Erika. The more you use your soul, the higher your Mana and Intelligence will rise." I said. Although Erikacked muscture to develop through exercise, by moving her body using her soul, like a muscle, her soul develops too. The more her soul grows stronger, the more Mana and Intelligence she gains.


    "Uuuggh…" Erika groaned.


    "Well, I guess this is a good opportunity for all of us to talk about we had been doingtely." Erdrich said, he was always bringing out new topics when things got staled.


    "Hm!" Elizabeth nodded. "Last week we went to the wilderness with papa and the other priests!" Elizabeth said as she began to talk about what they didst week.


    "You did?" I wondered. "Which area?"


    "The londs! They wanted us to level up so we wouldn''t be behind you in terms of leveling. Papa said he wanted me to Awaken my Talent as soon as possible." Said Elizabeth.


    "I see- Wait, I''ve never known what''s your Talent all this time." I said.


    "Oh, my talent? Well, it is Priestess! It is only one star though, but papa said it has the potential to evolve into the [Saint] Talent, a three-star talent!" Said Elizabeth.


    "A [Saint]?!" Chris asked. "Aren''t those the women of legend that brought healing and happiness to the kingdoms in the past? It is said that a Saint is born every hundreds of years, usually because a great catastrophe is about toe to this world… they''re like the hope of the people or something, alongside those with the [Hero] Talent." Chris added.


    "Interesting, so there are legends regarding talents…" I said.


    "Eeeeh? I don''t think I am THAT important, after all I wasn''t born a Saint." Said Elizabeth.


    "That''s right…" Chris said, quickly calming down.


    "Well, what did you hunted?" I wondered.


    "We went to an abandoned vige which was being taken over by a group of Goblins, there are a surprisinglyrge amount of tribes of them." Said Erdrich. "We had to exterminate this Goblin Settlement which was too close to our vige here. It wasn''t anything too difficult because we had Ellergest with us, and the goblins were less than a hundred, but I''m pretty sure I "Leveled up" as you call it, a couple of times."


    "Yeah! We learned new Skills too." Elizabeth said. "I''ll show them to you whenever there''s an opportunity."


    "I see, well, I am looking forward to that."


    The moment I said such words, I felt a strange odor quickly reach my nostrils, as I looked into the distance using [Hawk Eyes], spotting arge concentration of ck essence with a toxic, acidic smell. This was miasma, it seems we have finally reached our destination.


    "We are here."


    I quickly made everyone stop, as Erika''s eyes shone the brightest the moment she realized what was happening.


    "We are finally in the swamp?!"


    "Yes we are here… Stop for now, I need to inspect if it is actually safe to get inside, miasma can intoxicate our bodies."


    I quickly walked forward and inspected the area using Falco, Familiars seemedpletely immune to the miasma, and so was Eleanora. I directly entered the range of the miasma, but nothing seemed to be happening to me. It was diluted enough to not be toxic as long as we keep our noses high above the ground.


    "It should be safe as long as you don''t directly smell the source of the ck fog, let''s get in."


    Everyone nodded silently, as we began to advance.


    However, quickly after, we sensed several bushes shake, as creatures quickly crawled out of their nests the moment they sensed our presences.


    It was a gray-furred group of wolves.


    "Oh, it''s just Gray Wolves, easy peasy~" Erika said. However, the wolf that emerged first suddenly opened a third and then a fourth eye over its face, alongside its tail, which was thrice as long and ended in a de-like bony tip.


    "GROAR!"


    "…Wait, those aren''t normal Gray Wolves at all!" Eric cried.


    "Demonic Beasts! They are way closer to the vige than I imagined…!" I said, quickly taking out my spear Gluttony from my shadow. "Let''s kill them quickly! There might be more groups nearby!"


    -----