《Adrenaline Junkie》
Ch 1 - The Beginning
It was a beautiful Saturday morning with the sun shining through the window of the bedroom. Its glorious golden rays landed on a man who looked blissful as though he was having the greatest sleep of his life. Unfortunately, a shrieking sound tore him from the blissful silence.
The man lazily inched his arm forward and swiped his phone to turn off his alarm.
¡°Ugh¡ I forgot to remove Saturday from my alarm schedule,¡± Archie grumbled.
After a couple of seconds of basking in the warmth of the sheets, Archie tore himself from his bed and headed towards the restroom to complete his morning routine.
Entering the restroom, he looked at himself in the mirror above his sink trying to see any improvements that could have occurred from going to the gym the day before. Short messy brown hair, an average-looking face dotted with a few freckles, and a moderately lean body with decent definition showing efforts of dedication from going to the gym.
Looking at his torso, Archie grimaced at the deep, gnarled scar, about five inches in length, starting just below his right rib cage.
¡°Daniel and I shouldn¡¯t have listened to Doug,¡± Archie whispered to himself while splashing water on his face in an attempt to wipe away his somber mood.
After washing up, Archie left the restroom and headed towards the kitchen.
On his way, he smiled at the small sumo robots, airplane models, and handcrafted doodads scattered across the shelves.
"Hmm... Milk... Oats... I guess I¡¯m making oatmeal," Archie muttered, rummaging through the kitchen in search of ingredients. ¡°Not my favorite, but it is what it is.¡±
After eating breakfast, Archie went to his computer and checked to see what had changed since last night.
¡°Work email is ¡empty? That¡¯s surprising. Huh, I guess I finally have some free time,¡± Archie said with a faint smile.
¡°Whelp, I¡¯ll game for a bit before getting groceries,¡± Archie said before placing headphones atop his head.
***
A couple of hours later, Archie turned off his computer while grumbling, ¡°Another dogshit team, why do I keep playing this game? It always ends with me being pissed off¡Oh right, it¡¯s because I¡¯m addicted.¡±
Archie got up from his chair and headed towards his room to grab his clothes and shoes before heading out his door. He greeted the apartment complex staff members he saw while walking out of the building.
Walking around his neighborhood was one of the few joys of his normal weekday routine due to the peaceful commute from his home to work. The small IT company he worked for is situated in the opposite direction from where other people commute to work, allowing him to walk to the subway and enter an almost empty cart, completely avoiding the busy streets above and busy subway carts.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
***
Archie eventually made his way to the grocery store and exited with both arms covered in bags and a smile on his face. He had managed to snag an entire apple pie for 10 dollars, a steal, in his opinion.
Looking up at the trees and feeling the crisp wind hitting his face, Archie let out a smile, ¡°Fall is coming soon¡±
Archie hailed a taxi and set off for his home.
After entering his apartment building, his phone started to ring. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have any calls from work on a Saturday, so it¡¯s probably Mom,¡± Archie guessed.
After looking at the caller ID it was indeed his mother, ¡°She always seems to know whenever I enter my apartment. Probably another one of her Mom''s instincts or something,¡± Archie murmured.
¡°Hey Mom, what¡¯s up?¡± Archie answered his phone.
¡°What¡¯s up? Who am I, some random person you just met?¡± accused Archie¡¯s mother.
¡°Sorry, how are you Mom?¡± Archie replied with a sigh.
¡°Better. I am fine, thank you for asking.¡± Archie¡¯s mother replied before softening her voice. ¡°How are you feeling? Does...it still hurt?¡±
¡°I¡¯m good. Is there something you need me to do or something?¡± Archie asked while placing his groceries atop the kitchen table, trying to move the conversation onto something else.
¡°Henry and Maria are getting married on the first Tuesday of next month at the Church nearby. Are you able to come?¡± Archie¡¯s mother asked him, her tone turning joyful at the news of her son getting married.
¡°Oh! Yeah, sure I¡¯ll be there, gonna let my boss know that I¡¯ll be taking that week off then.¡± Archie informed his mother while placing his groceries in their respective locations. ¡°Good thing I¡¯ve saved my days off. Henry told me it was gonna be sometime this year, but never when. So, I just held onto my days off.¡±
¡°Great! Arrive in business casual clothes, white shirt and black pants.¡± Archie¡¯s mother informed him.
¡°Would James say anything about Maria already being pregnant?¡± Archie asked with a smile and eyes filled with mirth.
Archie¡¯s mother huffed, ¡°Father James won¡¯t have an issue about it. I have to go now, I just heard Henry on speakerphone mentioning to Maria, how he wants fish to be served at the wedding...I should have never let your father take you boys fishing.¡±
¡°I love you,¡± Archie¡¯s mother said softly.
¡°Love you too Mom,¡± Archie replied with a soft smile.
Closing the phone, Archie grabbed a slice of apple pie from its container and walked towards his sofa.
Tossing himself over the sofa, Archie said, ¡°Damn younger brothers. As soon as my nephew gets born, Mom is gonna pester me even more to find someone.¡±
¡°At the very least I can teach my nephew all the ways to piss off Henry,¡± Archie consoled himself with a piece of pie.
Looking at his phone, he saw the time; 12:29 pm. ¡°Time to head to the gym,¡± Archie said, pulling himself out of the sofa and scarfing down the pie.
Just as he was about to enter his bedroom, he heard a loud noise resounding in his head.
DING!
The sudden noise exploding in his mind startled him, causing him to trip, but he quickly caught himself on the doorframe.
¡°Ugh!¡ What the hell?¡± Archie exclaimed, grabbing onto both the doorframe and his head in pain.
Congratulations!
Your universe has successfully met the minimum requirements to join the Multiverse and the commencement of the 72nd cycle. The Introduction and Tutorial phase will begin shortly.
Archie looked at the blue floating text box in confusion before falling to the ground and blacking out.
Ch 2 - The Integration
Archie groggily opened his eyes and was met with what looked like a white room. Looking around the room he saw what looked like a white outline of a human. But the ¡®human¡¯ did not have any features at all; the ¡®human¡¯ looked like one of those wooden artist dolls but white.
Archie pinched himself, trying to see if he was having a tripped-out lucid dream. Feeling the pain and feeling his stomach sink. Archie approached the ¡®human¡¯, ¡°Hello? Where am I? What¡¯s going on?¡±
¡°Greetings newly integrated Human. You are in the pre-tutorial phase of the introduction of the system. I shall oversee your introduction into the tutorial.¡± The white ¡®human¡¯ introduced. When the ¡®human¡¯ spoke it sounded neither masculine nor feminine, rather it spoke in the most monotone voice Archie had ever heard.
¡°Tutorial? For what? Who are you?¡± Archie asked confusedly as he sat down across from the ¡®human¡¯.
¡°Your Universe has reached the minimum threshold to be integrated within the multiverse starting the 72nd cycle. The Introduction was introduced after the 5th cycle and was made for those who are newly integrated within the multiverse. Previously without the Introduction, older universes who have been a part of the multiverse for a much longer time typically invade and take most of the records that should have gone to the newly integrated races. As such the tutorial was made to prepare newly integrated races for the multiverse. I am an aspect of the system introducing you to your beginner class and choice for your tutorial.¡± The system aspect responded
¡°Okay, thanks¡Do you know where my family is? Can I go to them?¡± Archie asked.
¡°After choosing your class, you get to choose which type of tutorial you get sent to either a group tutorial or solo tutorial. If your family was nearby by where you previously stood, then they shall be in the Group Tutorial,¡± The system aspect responded.
¡°Shit. I live in Illinois, and they live in Arizona, that¡¯s probably way too far.¡± Archie mumbled out while grabbing the lower half of his face with this hand.
¡°What¡¯s the difference between the Group and Solo Tutorial,¡± Archie asked.
¡°The Group Tutorial will be comprised of 1250 humans with each group spawning within five kilometers of another group, each group will contain five humans. Their goal is to survive and collect Tutorial Points. The Solo Tutorial will take place in a separate setting where you are to survive by your lonesome and collect tutorial points, but eventually you will be merged with a random group tutorial.¡± The system aspect answered.
¡°Okay, it¡¯s probably best for me to choose the Solo Tutorial to take the chance that I might merge with my family¡¯s group tutorial. No way my family would choose the Solo Tutorial especially when they all live close to each other.¡±
¡°Solo Tutorial chosen. Please select one of the following classes.¡± The system aspect asked before five text boxes appeared before Archie.
Healer:
One of the basic starting classes. A Healer can mend bones and flesh, cure disease, and apply effects to both their allies and themselves. The class provides minimal combat abilities, but when surrounded by allies various buffs shall be applied to those around them. Abilities Granted: Mana Manipulation (Initiate), Heal & Minor Stamina Enhancement. Granted A Basic Staff, A Dagger, Healer robes & 3x Mana, Stamina, and Health potions (Common). Stats per level: +2 Wis, +2 Int, +1 Will, +1 Free Point.
Mage:
One of the basic starting classes. A Mage can call upon the Arcane to attack foes and protect themselves. The class focuses on magical combat, preferring to stand afar to rain destruction upon their foes due to their meager defensive capabilities. Abilities Granted: Mana Manipulation (Initiate), Manabolt & Mana Shield. Granted A Basic wand, A Dagger, Mage robes & 3x Mana, Stamina, and Health potions (Common). Stats per level: +2 Int, +2 Wis, +1 Will, +1 Free Point.
Archer:
One of the basic starting classes. An Archer uses a bow and arrow to attack foes from afar. The class focuses on ranged combat, preferring to stand afar from their enemies due to their meager defensive capabilities and rain arrows upon them. Abilities Granted: Basic Archery (Initiate), Archer¡¯s Vision (Initiate) & Arrow Generation (Beginner). Granted A Basic Bow, Quiver, Dagger, Leather armor & 3x Mana, Stamina, and Health potions (Common). Stats per level: +2 Agi, +2 Per, +1 Str, +1 Free Point.
Warrior:
One of the basic starting classes. A Warrior uses One-Handed Melee Weapons and a Light-Shield to attack foes up close. This class focuses on high melee damage and moderate defense, preferring to stand in the forefront of combat. Abilities Granted: Basic One-Handed Weapon Mastery (Initiate) & Basic Light-Shield Mastery (Initiate). Granted: A Basic Broadsword, A Light-Shield, A Dagger, Plated chain-mail armor & 3x Mana, Stamina, and Health potions (Common). Stats per level: +2 Vit, +2 Str, +1 Agi, +1 Free Point.
Vanguard:
One of the basic starting classes. A Vanguard uses One-Handed Melee Weapons and a Heavy-Shield to attack foes up close and prevent their enemies from approaching their allies. This class focuses on high defense and moderate damage, preferring to stand in the forefront of combat. Abilities Granted: Basic One-Handed Weapon Mastery (Initiate) & Basic Heavy-Shield Mastery (Initiate). Granted: A Basic Broadsword, A Heavy-Shield, A Dagger, Iron armor & 3x Mana, Stamina, and Health potions (Common). Stats per level: +2 Vit, +2 Str, +1 End, +1 Free Point.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
¡°Okay, that¡¯s a lot to take in,¡± Archie said, looking over the five text boxes that covered his vision.
¡°Being a Healer allows me to heal any wounds I have, but provides zero combat ability, so healer is off the table. Being a Mage would be cool, but I don¡¯t see myself surviving early on by my lonesome when I run out of mana.¡± Archie mumbled to himself before asking, ¡°Can I learn magic, healing, or any of the other trades even if I pick a different class?¡±
¡°Yes. Basic starter classes do not lock you from learning other skills or abilities, they simply start your Journey.¡± The system aspect replied
¡°Journey? What do you mean by Journey?¡± Archie questioned
¡°Your Journey is your Journey.¡± The system aspect answered.
¡°What does that mean? Archie asked, furrowing his brows at the system aspect¡¯s non-answer.
The system aspect did not respond.
Sighing Archie mulled over the other three classes. ¡°Archer would be a smart pick, sniping enemies from afar, but like the other two; too squishy. Besides what happens if I run out of arrows? So, I¡¯m left with Warrior and Vanguard, Bruiser vs Tank. Looking at the point distribution between them, the Vanguard tanks the enemies and attacks while the Warrior bobs and weaves in between attacks¡ I¡¯ve always liked playing melee classes in games.¡±
¡°I choose Warrior as my Basic Starter Class,¡± Archie decided.
You have obtained the Warrior Class!
Gained Skill: [Basic One-Handed Weapon Mastery (Initiate)]
Basic One-Handed Weapon Mastery (Initiate):
One of a warrior¡¯s closest allies, for it shall slay your foes. Grants knowledge of Basic One-Handed Weapon Mastery with most One-Handed Weapons.
Gained Skill: [Basic Light-Shield Mastery (Initiate)]
Basic Light-Shield Mastery (Initiate):
One of a warrior¡¯s closest allies, for it shall protect you from those who wish you harm. Unlocks Basic Light-Shield Mastery with most Light-Shields.
Suddenly a table with a satchel filled with nine potions and a dagger appeared in front of him. And to the sides of the table were floating weapons and shields. On the right side of the table were swords, maces, and many other one-handed melee weapons. On the left side of the table were light shields of all shapes and colors.
Archie, having no knowledge of how to use any of the weapons and shields offered to him, decided to go for the classic broadsword and heater shield combo.
Looking down at himself he noticed his previous clothes were replaced with plated chain-mail armor, without gloves or a helmet.
Strapping the satchel around his back and awkwardly holding his sword and shield, Archie looked at the new notification that popped up.
Gained Skill: [Identify (Initiate)]
Identify (Initiate):
A basic identification skill, given to all the myriad races. The skill allows you to see the history of items and identify creatures. Limited to your racial grade limit.
¡°Can I see my own Status Screen?¡± Archie asked, but as the words left his mouth a screen appeared in front of his face.
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human F-Grade Lv 0
Class: Warrior Lv 0
Profession: *Empty*
Health: 80/80
Mana: 70/70
Stamina: 90/90
Stats:
Vitality: 8
Strength: 9
Endurance: 9
Agility: 8
Intelligence: 8
Wisdom: 7
Willpower: 8
Perception: 7
Free Points: 0
Skills:
Basic One-Handed Weapon Mastery (Initiate)
Basic Light-Shield Mastery (Initiate)
Identify (Initiate)
¡°Why is the word F-Grade next to my race? And why is it at level 0?¡± Archie questioned before joking, ¡°Was I not a human before?¡±
A screen appeared in front of Archie once more, giving him even more questions.
Human (F-Grade):
The lowest grade of human within the multiverse. Human (F-Grade) are only found within newly initiated worlds, due to their bodies not being imbued with mana from conception. Humans are widely spread within the multiverse and are known to be the most balanced race amongst the myriad races within the multiverse, but far from the strongest. Stats per level: All Stats +1, +1 Free Point.
¡°How do I get a higher racial grade?¡± Archie asked, his brow furrowed in thought. ¡°Do I have to do things that humans do? Like build a fire and hunt?¡±
But once again Archie was met with an awkward silence as the system aspect refused to answer. Leaving Archie to click his tongue and look back at his status page.
¡°Alright, what about my profession?¡± he questioned, noticing its Empty state. Yet, the silence persisted.
¡°Okay then, what happens now? Do I go back to Earth?¡± Archie asked, trying to pry at least some information from the system aspect.
¡°Earth is currently being terraformed. You shall arrive back on Earth after the completion of the Tutorial.¡± The system aspect replied, breaking its previous silence.
¡°Is there some sort of enemy against the system that I should be preparing for? Like some sort of eldritch horde?¡± Archie asked. Some of the novels and games he played had such concepts of where some sort of higher power supporting a character to fight for them on their behalf. Similar to most stories in mythologies where gods provide boons to their champions to fight in their name.
¡°No,¡± the system aspect answered plainly. ¡°There is no such thing.¡±
¡°Then what is your purpose?¡± Archie questioned, confused as to what the whole point of integrating his universe. Was it¡bored? Why even integrate universes together if you just do¡this?
The system took a second before responding to Archie¡¯s question. ¡°The system¡¯s purpose is to spread into a universe and merge them into the multiverse.¡±
¡°Then what is your purpose for existing?¡± Archie pushed, still confused by its answer. ¡°Why do any of this? What do you gain from doing this?¡±
¡°What is your purpose for existing?¡± the system aspect replied calmly, turning the question back on him.
Archie froze, the weight of his own words sinking in. He realized, with a flush of embarrassment, just how hostile his questioning had become.
A brief silence filled the air between them before the system aspect continued. ¡°The system has always existed even before the beginning. The existence of the system is the existence of everything.¡±
Archie waited a second before responding, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for coming at you like that. You¡¯ve been answering my questions and I¡¯ve been an ass.¡±
¡°That is alright, the questions you¡¯ve asked are very common among new initiates,¡± The system aspect replied.
Rubbing the back of his neck, Archie asked; ¡°How do I start the tutorial?¡±
In response, a large ice-blue rectangle appeared two meters away from where Archie stood.
A Portal? Archie questioned.
Grabbing his gear Archie walked towards the portal. Just before he entered, he turned back to the system aspect and said, ¡°Thanks for your help. Will I ever see you again?¡±
¡°If your Journey deems it so,¡± replied the system aspect, its tone still monotone.
It¡¯s like I¡¯m back in high school all over again, Archie thought while rolling his eyes in mirth, anxious about his future. With a final step, Archie walked through the icy blue portal, excitement evident on his face.
Ch 3 - Awakening
Stepping out of the portal, Archie¡¯s boot was met with the soft crunch of snow. Looking around Archie took in his new environment; light snow falling from the sky, a couple inches of snow-coated grass, a forest of whitebark trees covered in frost with blue leaves, various snow-covered hills, and large imposing snow-covered mountains overshadowing his vision in all directions.
After taking in the large snowy mountain, a screen suddenly popped into Archie¡¯s vision.
Solo Tutorial
The 72nd cycle has begun; thus, a tutorial is needed to increase the survivability of the newly integrated myriad races. The Hoarfrost Highlands is filled with various creatures from across the universe, each providing Tutorial Points upon their death to their killer. After the Solo Tutorial is completed, all Solo Tutorial Participants will be teleported into random Group Tutorials. Tutorial Points will be used to gain rewards after the full tutorial is completed.
Completion Criteria: Survive for 30 days.
Time Remaining: 29 days & 23:59:30.
Taking in the announcement, Archie started to look around his immediate surroundings trying to find any creatures around him.
Finding nothing, Archie looked at trees and decided to use his new ability, Identify.
Hoarfrost Pine Tree:
A tree imbued by the severe Tundra biome, such trees are perfect home for small creatures and those looking for sap.
¡°Severe¡ I should find a cave for shelter. All those short survival videos I¡¯ve watched, mention the importance of finding shelter in the coldest of environments because you need to be safe and warm by night else you freeze to death.¡± Archie reasoned while rubbing his hands together, already feeling the chill seep into his bones.
And so, Archie headed towards the nearest hill, in hopes of finding a cave for shelter.
Approaching the nearest hill Archie did in fact find a small hole within the hill. But, small in this case was relative, as the ¡®small hole¡¯ was in fact more than double his own height and the size of three office cubicles deep.
¡°Perfect place for a starter base. Hopefully all those survival games I¡¯ve played haven¡¯t lied to me with the premise of weaker enemies living around the outskirts of the forest, and tougher enemies deep inside the forest and up the mountains¡± Archie commented looking around his new base while touching the stone walls of the cave.
Placing his potion satchel on the ground of his new home, he headed outside of the cave intending to find enemies to raise his levels and get some food.
He left the potion satchel behind due to his worry of them breaking when in a fight. Afterall nothing should be harmful to him at the outskirts of the forest¡right?
Archie¡¯s eyes shined with joy after finally finding his first source of both food and levels; The mighty bunny, ten meters away from where he currently stood.
¡°Identify,¡± Archie murmured, intently staring at the white fluff ball.
[Hoarfrost Rabbit Lv 3]
Inching closer towards the rabbit with his dagger drawn and cocked back, Archie launched his dagger towards the rabbit.
Crunch!
The dagger landed two meters away from where the rabbit was nibbling on some fallen leaves. The sudden noise behind it made the rabbit abandon its meal and dash deeper into the forest. Its tiny paws left faint imprints in the snow, but the constant snowfall quickly erased them, leaving Archie with no chance to track it down.
¡°God damn it¡¡± Archie sighed as he made his way to grab his thrown dagger.
¡°I still can¡¯t throw for shit...¡± Archie said dejectedly while marching in a random direction. Another reason why it was good I didn¡¯t choose to be an Archer: I¡¯d probably end up shooting myself in the ass while aiming at something three meters away.
Archie crouched behind a tree, five meters from his new target¡ªa brown-coated doe. A couple of hours had passed, and his stomach was growling loudly, urging him to focus. He was fully intent on not messing up again.
Getting an idea, Archie decided to climb the tree and once he got onto a high enough branch, he would jump and land on the doe with his sword. Archie could not rely on attacking from range, due to his abysmal dagger throwing skills.
Silently placing his shield on the ground, and his sword firmly grasped. Archie slowly scaled the large tree, praying that his armor wouldn¡¯t make any noise and scare off the doe.
Archie eventually found a branch sturdy enough to stand atop of, looming over the doe, which was currently eating fallen blue leaves, completely unaware of the possible danger its in.
Identifying the doe Archie further cemented his decision to kill it. If he killed it he would surely level up more than once.
[Hoarfrost Doe Lv 6]
Adrenaline started to pump through Archie¡¯s body in anticipation for his first kill. Archie jumped off the branch, falling atop the doe. His sword piercing through the doe¡¯s back, the sheer force of a man falling from a 3-meter drop onto a small doe instantly killing it and producing a ding.
*[Hoarfrost Doe Lv 6] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 6 Tutorial Points given*Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
*Your Class has reached Lv 1 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Class has reached Lv 2 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Race has reached Lv 1 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Race has reached Lv 2 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
Adrenaline still coursing throughout his body, Archie looked towards the various system messages, then towards the fallen doe; a small blood puddle staining the snow. A smile appeared across his face, as he finally succeeded.
¡°Status,¡± Archie said with the smile on his face widening even more at the sight of his increase in stats.
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human F-Grade Lv 2
Class: Warrior Lv 2
Profession: *Empty*
Health: 140/140
Mana: 90/90
Stamina: 105/110
Stats:
Vitality: 14
Strength: 15
Endurance: 11
Agility: 12
Intelligence: 10
Wisdom: 9
Willpower: 10
Perception: 9
Free Points: 4
Skills:
Basic One-Handed Weapon Mastery (Initiate)
Basic Light-Shield Mastery (Initiate)
Identify (Initiate)
Tutorial Points:
6
¡°Do Tutorial Points scale with level?¡± Archie asked himself. The doe had been level 6 and gave 6 Tutorial Points. Would a level 50 give 50 points? Archie wondered.
Not getting a response from the system, Archie walked back towards his shield and placed it upon his left arm, fully equipped once more.
Archie walked back towards the doe and noticed the small blood puddle had grown larger, the heat of the deer¡¯s blood melting the snow around the corpse.
¡°I should let the blood drain out to prevent a blood trail leading to my new home and inviting unwelcome guests.¡± Archie reasoned to himself, not wanting some pack of wolves to follow him home.
After waiting for the blood to finish draining from the doe, Archie hefted it over his shoulders and began the trek back to his new home. His stomach grumbled loudly, eager to finally eat something after hours of trekking through the forest with a grumbling stomach.
Placing the doe onto the stone floor, Archie walked out of his new home and into the forest. I need sticks and use them to make some friction to start a fire. Thank god for the hours I spent watching random survival videos at 2 am. Archie joked while scavenging for fallen dried branches.
Tossing the last of the sticks he¡¯d scavenged into the far corner of his cave, Archie surveyed his newly organized space. In one corner, a large pile of sticks; in another, three-quarters of a doe carcass; and in the center, a medium-sized campfire roasting a leg of the doe.
Staring at the roasting doe leg with a clear view of the sun setting, it felt calming. Tomorrow I should try to hunt more creatures and focus on just leveling rather than hunting for food, Archie decided. Best to have a surplus of resources than not have any at all.
Using his dagger, Archie sliced pieces of venison and began eating while listening to the wind whip around the cave and various animal noises within the forest. It reminded him of the days he¡¯d spent camping.
After finishing the doe leg, Archie¡¯s eyes began to droop, and his head felt heavy. Grabbing a couple of sticks, he tossed them onto the campfire, keeping the flame alive.
Archie placed his sword and shield upright next to a wall of the cave, then curled himself next to the campfire and slept.
A loud growling sound and a sharp pain jolted Archie awake from his sleep. His vision was bleary, revealing nothing but darkness, yet he could feel pain arcing across his chest.
The small embers from within the campfire providing very little light within the cave, provided Archie with very limited vision.
Archie tried to find his sword and shield, but could not see where it was, feeling despair at the missing feeling of protection his sword and shield provided.
Remembering the dagger attached to the right side of his hip, Archie pulled it out of its sheath, all the while still looking around the cave trying to figure out where the growling sound came from and what caused him pain.
Out of the corner of Archie¡¯s vision, an eye was shown, only due to one of the few embers remaining within the campfire. Archie immediately turned towards the eye that he saw and focused on it. Slowly taking in the shape of a four-legged creature.
It had an outline similar to a large dog¡¯s. He could hear the panting the creature made. He could see himself somewhat reflected off the creature¡¯s eyes.
Archie kept trying to keep the creature in sight, but the creature wouldn¡¯t stay in one place, constantly shuffling around the cave. As though it understood that its sneak attack was compromised and would need to go for the kill, it pounced towards Archie.
Caught unexpectedly, Archie stumbled backward, raising his left arm in the direction of the creature. The force of the lunge caused Archie to fall onto his back.
Pain raced across his left arm as it was in between the jaws of the creature. The sound of claws raking across his plated chain-mail armor, trying to rip out his guts.
Struggling to keep the creature¡¯s maw away from his face, Archie stabbed the side of the creature with the dagger he kept within his right hand.
Feeling the creature shudder, and start to bite down harder on his arm, Archie pulled out the knife and plunged his dagger back into the creature. The creature¡¯s maw released Archie¡¯s arm as it stumbled away from Archie.
BUMP!
Adrenaline surged through Archie''s body at an even faster pace. He could feel his heart pounding erratically with every passing millisecond; surprisingly, it did not bring him worry but instead grounded him. His muscles expanded, his focus sharpened, and his mind felt clearer than ever. Emboldened by the rush, he leapt toward the creature, dagger in hand.
Landing atop the creature, Archie felt its limbs struggle to push him away, but he powered through. His shouts and the creature¡¯s growls echoed around them, intertwining with the sounds of their fierce struggle.
He kept stabbing the creature repeatedly until its growls became fainter and fainter, the power in its limbs slowly weakening. Moments after hearing the final growl and feeling its body go limp, a series of dings echoed in his head.
*[Hoarfrost Wolf Lv 9] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 9 Tutorial Points given*
*Your Class has reached Lv 3 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Class has reached Lv 4 - Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Race has reached Lv 3 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Race has reached Lv 4 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Bloodline has awoken*
Loud huffing came from Archie as he stared at the faint outline of the creature he stabbed to death. The system messages brought Archie some comfort knowing that the immediate danger had passed. He only looked at the first message before realizing the creature was a wolf. Wolves move in packs, Archie thought, goosebumps prickled across his back.
Stumbling towards the walls of the cave and walking backward towards the sticks he had foraged. I can¡¯t see shit; I need a fire now.
Grabbing some dry branches, Archie created fire once more, lighting up the cave. Now able to see clearly, he stared at the creature that ambushed him at night. It was a grey wolf, standing three to four feet tall, its torso marred with various puncture wounds.
Looking at his arm he noticed the plated chain-mail was slightly dented, taking the brunt of the wolf¡¯s fangs. He grabbed his sword from the wall across the cave and stood at the end of the cave staring into the darkness past the entrance of the cave.
Archie had his shield in one hand covering the lower half of his face and torso and his sword in the other slightly slanted forward, both shaking. The realization that this wasn¡¯t a game hit him hard.
Ch 4 - Oliver
¡°Why are you doing this?¡± a woman screamed, thrashing around in a chair. The room was dimly lit with a singular swinging headlamp, showcasing a tear-stricken woman with short brown hair, large hoop earrings, and clothes caked in dirt and grime.
Across the room stood a lone brown door; the rest of the space was in shambles¡ªripped wallpaper, holes scattered across the walls, and stains covering the floor. Next to her chair was a metallic tray with various instruments, including Metzenbaum scissors, alcohol swabs, a scalpel, and a saw.
The doorknob turned with a sharp creak, the noise stopping the woman¡¯s cries. The door opened revealing a man wearing a surgical mask and a raised brow. The man appeared to be in his late twenties, with windswept brown hair, a lean build, and a calm smile that didn''t quite look right. All in all a handsome-looking man. As he stepped inside, he slipped on a pair of surgical gloves, closing the door with a tap of his heel.
¡°Now, now, Cathrine. No need to scream.¡± The man smiled, his gaze cold and detached. ¡°We¡¯re too far away for anyone to hear you anyway. So, why scream?¡±
¡°Please, you don¡¯t have to do this!¡± Cathrine pleaded, shrinking back in the chair. ¡°I won¡¯t tell anyone about this¡about you. Please!¡±
The man lightly chuckled at Cathrine¡¯s words, reaching into his lab coat pockets and pulling out a syringe in one hand and a sealed vial containing a dark green liquid in the other.
Cathrine¡¯s back prickled with goosebumps, her focus moving from the man to the syringe he injected into the vial and slowly pulled back the plunger. The syringe¡¯s barrel now filled with a dark green liquid that looked far too ominous to be anything good.
He stepped closer, placing a cold finger under her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. ¡°I want the best for you, Catherine. You¡¯re sick, and I will help you.¡±
"Let... me... go." Her tear-streaked eyes met his with desperate hope. "Please. I''ll do anything!"
"Okay," he replied, turning to the metallic tray. For a moment, disbelief and hope flickered across Catherine''s face. "Thank you! Thank you!"
But instead of releasing her, he cut her sleeve with the scissors, pushing the fabric away before swabbing an exposed vein with alcohol.
¡°What¡are you doing?¡± Catherine gasped, eyes wide with confusion and terror. ¡°I-I thought you said you would let me go?¡±
¡°Hmm?¡± The man questioned, picking up the syringe filled with dark green fluid and flicking it with his middle finger before looking back towards Catherine. ¡°Yes, I will let you go. Once I get enough data, of course.¡±
"This isn''t fair," Catherine sobbed, coughing between words and struggling against her restraints. ¡°Stop, please!¡±
He clicked his tongue in annoyance, placing the syringe back on the tray. Stripping off his right glove, he tossed it aside. With a sudden, brutal motion, he struck her, silencing her cries.
The man took out another white surgical glove and slipped it on his right hand. ¡°Better.¡±
The man picked up another alcoholic swab and rubbed it on her wrist vein once more. ¡°Honestly woman, you¡¯re thirty-five. Stop crying, it¡¯s unbecoming of a lady.¡± The man chided.
Catherine¡¯s right cheek started to turn an ugly purple color, contrasting with her sickly pale skin.
"Don¡¯t worry," he whispered, pressing the needle to her vein. "You¡¯ll thank me for this." The dark green liquid slowly emptied into her arm. Her eyes rolled back, and she went limp as the injection finished.
The man stepped back, placing the syringe down and pulling out a notepad to document her reactions. Within moments, Catherine''s body began convulsing. Her limbs writhed against the restraints, her head banging against the chair.
The man documented the reactions Catherine had, eyes full of wonder and a sickly smile growing on his face.
A few minutes later, Blood trickled from her nose and eyes before she fell limp once again. He sighed, closing his notepad and clicking his pen shut. Another dud, he concluded.
Making his way back towards the door, the man clicked the lights off and opened the door, slamming it shut behind him.
A single tear traced a path down Catherine¡¯s bruised face.
The man closed the door to his basement with an annoyed expression on his face. I thought I was close this time.
He was about to head to the second floor when the sound of the doorbell caught his attention. ¡°Hello, Oliver?¡±
¡°I saw your car parked in the driveway and wanted to bring you some of my homemade potluck,¡± the voice continued.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
The man huffed before heading to the front door. Plastering a bright smile on his face, he opened it. ¡°Hello, Mrs. Evelyn! It¡¯s great to see you.¡±
The door revealed an elderly woman holding a white porcelain bowl wrapped in ceramic film. ¡°It¡¯s great to see you too, dear.¡±
¡°What can I do for you?¡± Oliver smiled, eager to get to the point.
¡°I made some of my famous potluck and wanted to share some with you.¡± Evelyn smiled, holding the pot between her oven mitts.
¡°Oh!¡± Oliver smiled, taking the pot from her hands. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to. You¡¯re too kind, Miss Evelyn. Your food is to die for.¡±
Evelyn chuckled, lightly slapping Oliver¡¯s robbed shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re too kind.¡±
¡°I mean it. You should really open a restaurant.¡± Oliver insisted, though seeing her nervous expression, he added, ¡°I¡¯ll become your first investor.¡±
Evelyn chuckled more, making Oliver frown slightly. ¡°I mean it, I make good money as a scientist. And trust me when I say, this is to die for.¡±
¡°Thank you, dearie.¡± Evelyn chuckled again, patting her chest to calm herself. ¡°Now, be safe.¡±
¡°You too,¡± Oliver replied, turning to head back inside. But a noise from Evelyn stopped him.
¡°Are you okay, dearie?¡± Evelyn asked with concern, causing Oliver to look at her with confusion. ¡°Your shirt¡ªthere¡¯s a bloodstain.¡±
Shit. A chill ran through Oliver for a moment, but he quickly recovered. ¡°Sorry about that. I¡¯ve been sneezing all week and got a bad case of nosebleeds from the pollen. You know, with spring coming soon.¡±
¡°If you¡¯re sure you¡¯re okay, dearie,¡± Evelyn said, eyeing him with concern.
¡°I¡¯m fine. I grabbed some medication for it a few hours ago but got too caught up in work and forgot to take it. I guess I just dripped everywhere,¡± Oliver joked.
¡°Okay, but don¡¯t forget to take your medicine,¡± Evelyn said, turning and walking off the porch toward her house down the road.
Oliver stared at Evelyn as she started to walk to her house, his smile vanishing.
Closing the door behind him, Oliver headed into the kitchen, placing the pot on the countertop. Grabbing a few utensils, he ripped open the ceramic wrap and grabbed a bottle of water before heading up towards the second floor.
Upon reaching the second floor, he entered his office, turned on his computer, and sank into his chair. He took a bite of the potluck and frowned. Nothing, still.
The computer opened to reveal various medical files and documents. The words Jack and Moslow¡¯s Pharmaceutical United Foundation were written in bold.
Those idiots don¡¯t understand the importance of my research, Oliver grumbled, glaring at the photos of Jack and Moslow with disdain. All I asked for was test subjects¡ªmy experiments passed with flying marks. We just needed to try them on humans, but no, it¡¯s too inhumane, he mocked, rolling his eyes.
After finishing his potluck, Oliver turned his chair around and stared at the various awards and certificates hung across his wall. A faint smile appeared on his face, his previous frown disappearing.
A testament to my genius, Oliver thought, smiling as he looked over his awards. But suddenly, a dark feeling filled his stomach, causing his eyes to widen.
In a panic, Oliver rushed down the hall to the bathroom, covering his mouth.
Upon reaching the bathroom, he vomited into the sink. Looking down, he saw a large amount of blood mixed with the contents. A sheen of sweat covered his body as he began to burn up.
Tearing his clothes off, he dashed into the standing shower, turning it to full cold in an attempt to cool himself down. He stared at his reflection in the reflective plastic shower door.
The feeling of disgust filled him. ¡°Fuck¡ I¡¯ve been wasting too much time,¡± Oliver muttered, punching the shower wall in anger. ¡°I need to finish my research. I barely have any time left.¡±
After exiting the shower, Oliver headed into a room filled with vials and flasks, each meticulously labeled and arranged by content and purpose. The air was tinged with a faint, complex mix of chemical scents. The shelves on the right were filled with various acidic-looking chemicals and materials, while the shelves on the left were stocked with blood vials. The table in the center of the room held various solutions in Erlenmeyer flasks, an array of pipettes, and a single laptop.
Oliver walked past the desk and stared at his bulletin board, which was covered with notes and images on the topic of genetics. In the center of the board was an image of a bald, weak, and feeble child, with the caption: Glioblastoma Survivor!
¡°How did he get cured? What¡¯s so special about him?¡± Oliver shouted, slamming his fist onto his desk, and shaking the items. ¡°He¡¯s done nothing! I¡¯ve advanced humanity more than any other. I¡¯ve gotten more awards than anyone in history in chemistry, yet he gets to live, and I don¡¯t!¡±
Oliver stormed out of the lab, taking a couple of empty vials and syringes with him. He stormed into the basement, staring at the lifeless corpse of... whoever she was. Oliver had long since forgotten the trivial details. Taking out his syringes, Oliver carefully extracted several vials of the corpse¡¯s blood and began taking tissue samples.
Standing over the corpse, Oliver grabbed the saw from the metallic tray and started to saw apart her skull. I need the brain samples to see if there was any benefit the brain received from the drug.
Upon extracting the brain, Oliver released a genuine smile. He held it with shaking hands¡ªthe brain was intact and healthy.
Oliver had implanted the same cancer he had into his test subjects and always checked to see if the drugs he concocted would cure his ailment.
¡°YES!¡± Oliver exclaimed, finally making progress in his research. ¡°After eight years of painstaking research, I¡¯ve done it!¡±
He caressed the brain with unbridled joy. He knew he still needed to iron out a few kinks from the test, but now, he had tangible proof that he was on the right track. He was going to be cured. ¡°I knew I was right! The looks I will receive after I publish this will be worth it. Jack and Moslow¡¯s expressions¡Mmm¡I can taste it already¡¡±
Oliver gently placed the brain on a sterilized disk on top of the medical tray. He quickly moved toward his lab room¡ªtime was of the essence, and he needed to store the brain in a medical ice box.
The clock beside the staircase showing the time; 12:29 pm.
Just as he was about to reach his lab, a loud ding exploded in his head.
DING!
The sudden noise made Oliver stumble, causing him to drop the metallic tray onto the ground. He ruined all the samples he had collected, and, most importantly, damaged the brain.
Congratulations!
Your universe has successfully met the minimum requirements to join the Multiverse and the commencement of the 72nd cycle. The Introduction and Tutorial phase will begin shortly.
Ch 5 - Boar Hunting
Light started to pierce through the darkness that covered the Hoarfrost Highlands. The nocturnal creatures that roamed around looking for prey started to head back towards their dwellings.
One creature that spent the night awake, that remained awake even after the darkness had disappeared from the sky, a human called Archie.
Eyes bloodshot, staring at the entrance of his cave fixed in the position that he had stood in after the surprise attack that awoke him from his slumber. The wolf that had attacked him remained in the same spot, dried blood surrounding its corpse, was the only company for Archie watching the entrance.
As a ray of sunlight touched the slightly frosted face of Archie, Archie felt warmth for the first time in a long time; the branches that he brought for fuel that he expected to last a few days had run out a few hours ago.
The warmth of the sun caused Archie to release a sigh of relief. The tenseness of his body vanished; his shield and sword fell out of his hands and thumped onto the floor.
Sliding down the wall, he collapsed onto his side with a thud. Archie¡¯s eyes closed and fell asleep. Finally.
Archie¡¯s eyes slowly opened, slowly pushing himself off the floor of the cave and into a sitting position with his back against the wall.
Looking confused as to where he was, he looked at the sword and shield on the floor beside him. As he did, the memories of the day before and the surprise attack from last night suddenly flashed through his mind.
Archie¡¯s head placed in his palms realizing the realness of the situation that he was now in and said, ¡°Fuck¡Fuck¡FUCK!¡± shouting by the end.
¡°I¡¯m so fucking stupid, why did I cook food in a cave without finding something to close the entrance, when there are fucking wolves and god knows what outside!¡± Archie berated himself while curling himself further into his legs, feeling the pit in his stomach act like a black hole getting larger.
Memories slowly replayed in his mind; Henry and him as kids running around shooting each other with water guns, his dad and him lounging side-by-side in front of the fireplace reading books, his mom berating him over his grades, Daniel...
Tears welled up, falling onto the ground.
¡°I¡¯m going to survive¡I swear it.¡± Archie swore to himself looking at the now bright forest, wiping the tear marks across his face. Grabbing ash from the campfire, Archie rubbed the dried blood with it, intent on getting rid of the scent of blood filling the cave and replacing it with the scent of ash.
Strapping his potion satchel around the back of his waist, Archie grabbed his shield and sword off the ground fully equipped. He then grabbed the wolf¡¯s corpse and carried it into the forest, ensuring that no creature would be drawn into his home by its lingering scent.
Status, Archie thought as he trekked further into the forest of the Hoarfrost Highlands. He had learned that there wasn¡¯t a need for him to verbalize a skill a few hours back while messing around.
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human F-Grade Lv 4
Class: Warrior Lv 4
Profession: *Empty*
Health: 315/315
Mana: 110/110
Stamina: 130/130
Stats:
Vitality: 30
Strength: 21
Endurance: 13
Agility: 16
Intelligence: 12
Wisdom: 11
Willpower: 12
Perception: 11
Free Points: 8
Skills:
Basic One-Handed Weapon Mastery (Initiate)
Basic Light-Shield Mastery (Initiate)
Identify (Initiate)
Bloodline:
Adrenaline Junkie (Unique) [+5% to Strength and +5% to Willpower]
Titles Collected:
Bloodline Patriarch [+10 Vitality, +5% Vitality]
Tutorial Points:
15
¡°I¡¯ve recovered from last night, but that¡¯s not enough. I need to level up,¡± Archie muttered, scanning the area between the trees for his next target after dismissing his status page. ¡°Thankfully, it looks like it''s midday. So, there should be some weaker beasts around.¡±
But suddenly, he came to a full stop. Wait, I didn¡¯t have these stats last night, he thought. Then it hit him¡ªhe had forgotten about the notifications he had dismissed the night before.
¡°Bloodline? Titles?¡± Archie read aloud, staring at the notifications he had overlooked in confusion.
Adrenaline Junkie (Unique):
A unique bloodline originating within Archie Gracefield awakened due to an overwhelming rush of adrenaline. Your unending adrenaline courses within you; throughout your life adrenaline has been a constant companion. When adrenaline courses throughout your being, your physical prowess and mental fortitude are enhanced. Enhancing Strength and Willpower: +5% to Strength and +5% to Willpower.
Bloodline Progenitor:
Gained by originating a bloodline. You have awakened a bloodline that laid dormant within you. Deeply ingrained within your records, your bloodline is uniquely yours. For your bloodline starts with you and shall be passed on by all those who descend from you. Gain: +10 Vitality and +5% Vitality.
¡°Holy Fuck! That¡¯s an insane stat boost. Also, the hell?... I¡¯ve always had this? Even when everything was normal?¡± Archie muttered in disbelief, staring at the notifications. ¡°I mean I might have been a bit too much into mountain biking, but I stopped before entering college.¡±
Reopening his status page, he saw his stats had changed.
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human F-Grade Lv 4
Class: Warrior Lv 4
Profession: *Empty*
Health: 315/315
Mana: 110/110
Stamina: 130/130
Stats:
Vitality: 30(31)
Strength: 21(22)
Endurance: 13
Agility: 16
Intelligence: 12
Wisdom: 11
Willpower: 12
Perception: 11
Free Points: 8
Skills:
Basic One-Handed Weapon Mastery (Initiate)
Basic Light-Shield Mastery (Initiate)
Identify (Initiate)
Bloodline:
Adrenaline Junkie (Unique) [+5% to Strength and +5% to Willpower]
Titles Collected:
Bloodline Progenitor [+10 Vitality and +5% Vitality]
Tutorial Points:
15
Looking at the numbers, he noticed his Vitality, Strength, and Willpower not adding up.
¡°It shows that I have 315 health, meaning I do have 31.5 Vitality, but it doesn¡¯t show stats in decimal form. I can see these percentages increasing my stats by an obscene amount when I reach higher levels.¡± Archie reasoned, pushing aside a snowy tree branch.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.
¡°Wait, are the bonuses from my bloodline still active? I thought they activate when I get an adrenaline rush?¡± Archie asked, his voice tinged with confusion. He then recalled the exact wording of the notification, rubbing his forehead in frustration while grumbling, ¡°I¡¯ve got adrenaline constantly coursing through me. Guess I¡¯m not well-rested enough to think at 100%.¡±
Looking back around him, to his right he saw a river a few minutes away from where he was currently standing. The sound of rushing water caused his lips to smack; his throat parched.
¡°I should go there; animals need water and so do I. That way I¡¯ll be killing two birds with one stone,¡± Archie reasoned and headed towards the river.
A couple of minutes into his trek towards the river he noticed movement a few meters ahead of where he currently was, revealing a grey fat boar; a fourth of his height with a single tusk half as long as his own sword digging into the bottom of a tree, feasting on the roots of a tree. Since when do boars eat roots?
[Hoarfrost Boar Lv 6]
Attacking up front would be stupid, it¡¯s probably twice as strong as a normal boar, and I¡¯ve heard of people dying to them. I need to surprise attack it, Archie reasoned with a hard expression contorting his face.
Archie slowly shuffled toward the boar, which was completely focused on gorging itself on tree roots, letting out snorts every few seconds.
Once Archie was directly behind the boar, he poised his sword to strike. Just as he was about to lunge at the boar, a loud squealing pierced the air from behind him.
Archie whipped his neck so quickly; it felt as though he had whiplash. The adrenaline coursing within him started to slightly spike; goosebumps prickling across his back and a smile growing on his face.
Archie saw two more boars emerge from behind the bushes, their eyes locked on him as they prepared to charge from ten meters away. One had two thick tusks protruding from the sides of its skull and the other had one thick tusk protruding from the top of its skull.
Archie immediately turned back to the boar he was behind and drove his sword deep into its upper back. The tip of his sword pierced through the boar''s hide with ease and emerged from its stomach. The boar squealed in pain from the sudden attack and instinctually jerked its head into the tree roots it had been gorging on; two roots, in particular, sharpened from its teeth pierced through its eye.
Archie quickly ripped his sword out of the boar and lunged to his right, narrowly dodging the two boars. They slammed into the corpse of the now-dead boar, their charge spearing through its body and driving it into a tree.
Archie stood up from where he lunged as fast as he could trying to get into a fighting stance; legs firmly planted on the ground, his left arm holding the shield in front of his body and his right hand firmly holding his sword, looking at the two boars.
One of the boars¡¯ tusks was firmly stuck into the side of the tree he previously was next to. The other boar squealed loudly in pain as its lone tusk became lodged in the tree, snapping off from the force of its charge. Nevertheless, the boar was still standing, its fury directed at Archie for the pain it was currently having. Filled with rage, it charged at him once more, intent on making him pay for its suffering.
The snow that was on the ground started to fly into the air due to the power of the boar¡¯s charge.
Emboldened with his enhanced Vitality and Strength stats, Archie lowered his shield and crouched slightly, fixing his feet into the ground, intending to take the boar¡¯s charge directly. Adrenaline surged with every stomp the boar made as it charged at Archie, its pace quickening with each step.
THUD!
The boar¡¯s head slammed against the shield, unable to pierce the iron shield with a broken tusk. Archie, using all the strength in his left arm, shoved the boar''s head off his shield, pushing it away from him. With his right hand, he swiftly stabbed into the side of the boar.
Archie quickly yanked his sword from its torso and across its neck, spraying blood onto the snow.
Looking at the last remaining boar still stuck in the tree, Archie made his way towards it; not giving the newly dead boar another glance. His armor clinking with every step he took towards the boar.
The twin-tusked boar was still lodged in the tree, desperately trying to free itself, but to no avail, as its tusks were firmly stuck in the tree¡¯s base.
Taking heavy breaths, he stabbed into the two tusked boar similarly to when he killed the first boar. But the sword did not pierce through the boar completely, stopping only a couple of inches deep.
The two tusked boar squealed in pain, its bones and muscles were dense enough to stop Archie¡¯s sword from piercing deeply.
Archie yanked the sword out, pivoted to its side and stabbed again where he assumed the heart or left lung would be.
Hearing another ding, adrenaline coursing throughout him falling into a lull, causing him to breathe a sigh of relief while wiping his forehead with his right hand. Looking at the three boars he killed he smiled in accomplishment, before deciding to climb up the tree the boar got stuck in.
I don¡¯t know if the fight attracted even more boars or other creatures to wander over. Archie thought to himself, better safe than sorry.
Looking at his notifications he saw:
*[Hoarfrost Boar Lv 6] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 6 Tutorial Points given*
*[Hoarfrost Boar Lv 9] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 9 Tutorial Points given*
*[Twin-Tusked Boar Lv 13] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 26 Tutorial Points given*
*Your Class has reached Lv 5 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
¡
*Your Class has reached Lv 7 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Race has reached Lv 5 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
Smiling at his levels, he pulled up his status:
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human F-Grade Lv 5
Class: Warrior Lv 7
Profession: *Empty*
Health: 388/388
Mana: 120/120
Stamina: 100/140
Stats:
Vitality: 37(38)
Strength: 24(25)
Endurance: 14
Agility: 20
Intelligence: 13
Wisdom: 12
Willpower: 13
Perception: 12
Free Points: 12
Skills:
Basic One-Handed Weapon Mastery (Initiate)
Basic Light-Shield Mastery (Initiate)
Identify (Initiate)
Bloodline:
Adrenaline Junkie (Unique) [+5% to Strength and +5% to Willpower]
Titles Collected:
Bloodline Progenitor [+10 Vitality and +5% Vitality]
Tutorial Points:
56
¡°Huh, killing the level 13 boar gave me twenty-six Tutorial Points, instead of 13¡If my math is correct, does that mean for every ten levels a monster has, the Tutorial Point multiplier increases?¡± Archie wondered out loud.
Looking around the area where the fight took place, he waited a couple of minutes before jumping down after seeing nothing approach the area where the fight took place.
Landing on the ground with a thud, he continued his journey towards the river.
Archie slowly crept between the trees trying not to alert any hidden creature around him. Looking at the river now, fully encompassing his view, he saw many creatures lounging around and drinking from the river.
Oddly though, these creatures seemed to ignore one another, perhaps due to the large packs they were in.
Identifying a creature in each group:
[Hoarfrost Goats Lv 8]
[Springed Hare Lv 10]
[Caribou Charger Lv 12]
[Snow-striped Leopard Lv 15]
[Stout Marmot Lv 11]
Each group consisted of around three to five pack members, except for the leopard, it stood by its lonesome.
It seemed that after reaching level 10, beasts began to mutate. The level 13 boar I killed had two tusks so that was its mutation, the beefy reindeer gained a lot of muscle and larger antlers, and the squirrels look...roided as hell...does every beast get some sort of steroid mutation? Maybe something similar happens to me when I reach level 10, Archie thought, whilst intensely observing the beasts.
I¡¯ll start with goats, Archie decided while heading towards their direction, he still had a couple hours of sunlight left for the day.
Ch 6 - Surprises
Archie was crouched behind a couple of trees, watching the goats.
Two of the four goats were drinking water, one was eating the snowy grass and the last was sleeping. The goats all looked identical; two long horns atop their heads, white fur, three feet and a half tall; a similar height to the boars.
How can I just fight the goats without the beefed-up reindeer, the roided-up squirrels, or the leopard joining in? Archie contemplated as he stared at the herd of goats.
The distance between the five different beast groups wasn¡¯t small, nor was it large either: around fifty-ish meters between each of the groups.
On my right side, there are three roided-up squirrels and to the left, there are six rabbits. Archie analyzed. While the leopard and Caribou are too far away to join in.
¡°Fuck it,¡± Archie mumbled, unsheathing his dagger and cocking it back as he aimed the most vulnerable goat, the sleeping one, and launched it at its vulnerable neck. Praying that his enhanced dexterity would help his shitty aim.
The dagger flew through the air and into the neck of the goat, the sound of the dagger alerted the other goats of danger.
Hearing a ding, Archie charged at the three remaining goats, sword and shield drawn, his adrenaline starting to move from its lull.
The goat closest to him previously eating grass was now charging at him horns first.
Archie stopped running and held a guarding stance, bracing for the impact of the goat¡¯s charge.
THUD!
The charge of the goat was weaker than that of the boars he previously fought, allowing Archie to push the goat off his shield and stab into the neck of the goat with his sword.
Pulling his sword from the neck of the goat, he heard another ding.
Looking at the two remaining goats, he saw that they were already charging at him, barely three meters away from him.
Eyes wide, Archie hastily put up a guarding stance, bracing for the impact of two goats.
The first goat¡¯s impact caused Archie to slide backward a few inches, but the second goat made him lose his footing, and fall onto his back. His shield went flying from his left hand and landed a few feet away. Due to headbutting Archie''s iron shield, the acceleration of the goat was halted, causing it to land atop Archie in a daze.
Winded, Archie grabbed the goat¡¯s right horn with his left hand and stabbed his sword into its stomach, before dragging it upwards, spilling out the goat¡¯s innards.
Another ding resounded in his head; Archie pushed the now dead goat off him. Sitting up in a crouch, he saw the last goat charging at him once more. The adrenaline rushing throughout his being spiked, filling Archie with excitement and anticipation. He quickly rolled out of the way of the goat¡¯s charge, causing the goat to crash into a tree instead.
Archie sprang to his feet and dashed toward the winded goat, snow scattering with every step he took as he charged.
Archie¡¯s sword pierced through the goat¡¯s neck, and due to the momentum of his charge, the blade sank deep into the flesh. However, a fifth of the sword was now firmly lodged into the tree.
Hearing another ding, Archie leaned against the tree and exhaled deeply, feeling the rush of adrenaline coursing through his body recede. A faint smile on his face, from the rush.
Looking around, trying to see where the rabbits and roided squirrels went after the fight with the goats. Archie saw the rabbits hopping away from where they previously sat and into the forest.
The marmots simply stared from afar and chewed on tree roots. One marmot in particular stared at Archie and chewed on a root while pissing on the ground.
Pulling his sword from both the goat and the tree, Archie chuckled to himself at the sight of the roided-up squirrel eating and pissing whilst staring at what he¡¯d done.
Archie went around the goats to grab his shield and dagger, then headed towards the river, took a handful of water, and sipped it.
What started as a sip soon turned into gulps, as Archie realized how parched he had become.
After a few minutes of gulping down water, Archie stopped and said with a chuckle, ¡°I didn¡¯t think I was that thirsty." Now with the goats dead and no other group attacking him, he looked at his notifications.
*[Hoarfrost Goat Lv 6] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 6 Tutorial Points given*
*[Hoarfrost Goat Lv 7] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 7 Tutorial Points given*
*[Hoarfrost Goat Lv 9] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 9 Tutorial Points given*
*[Hoarfrost Goat Lv 8] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 8 Tutorial Points given*
*Your Class has reached Lv 8 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Race has reached Lv 6 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
Archie opened his status page and saw:
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human F-Grade Lv 6
Class: Warrior Lv 8
Profession: *Empty*
Health: 370/420
Mana: 130/130
Stamina: 110/150
Stats:
Vitality: 40(42)
Strength: 27(28)
Endurance: 15
Agility: 22
Intelligence: 14
Wisdom: 13
Willpower: 14
Perception: 13
Free Points: 14
Skills:
Basic One-Handed Weapon Mastery (Initiate)
Basic Light-Shield Mastery (Initiate)
Identify (Initiate)
Bloodline:
Adrenaline Junkie (Unique) [+5% to Strength and +5% to Willpower]
Titles Collected:
Bloodline Progenitor [+10 Vitality and +5% Vitality]
Tutorial Points:
86
¡°Hmm¡ I should put points into strength and endurance, three and five respectively. I could have handled two goat charges if I was a bit stronger and not have been as winded as I was,¡± Archie said as he placed the free points into their respective field.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human F-Grade Lv 6
Class: Warrior Lv 8
Profession: *Empty*
Health: 370/420
Mana: 130/130
Stamina: 110/200
Stats:
Vitality: 40(42)
Strength: 30(31)
Endurance: 20
Agility: 22
Intelligence: 14
Wisdom: 13
Willpower: 14
Perception: 13
Free Points: 6
Skills:
Basic One-Handed Weapon Mastery (Initiate)
Basic Light-Shield Mastery (Initiate)
Identify (Initiate)
Bloodline:
Adrenaline Junkie (Unique) [+5% to Strength and +5% to Willpower]
Titles Collected:
Bloodline Progenitor [+10 Vitality and +5% Vitality]
Tutorial Points:
86
Dismissing his status page, Archie looked at the horizon and saw the sun still brightly hanging above him and decided to grind a little bit longer. Looking at the three roided squirrels, Archie decided to ambush them before retiring for the day.
Archie stared at the marmots from behind another tree; the closest marmot was next to a tree clawing at its roots and the remaining marmots were drinking water from the river. The beefy marmots were large enough that Archie felt he could hit them with his dagger.
Taking a deep breath, Archie threw his dagger at the marmot. If it didn¡¯t hit, hopefully, it would at least catch its attention, Archie thought as he charged toward it.
As the dagger flew through the air, it stabbed into the side of the marmot, it squealed in pain alerting its two packmates and gaining a smile from Archie.
Upon reaching the marmot, Archie spartan kicked its head, making it fall onto its side concussed. Then Archie swiftly stabbed downward into the downed marmot¡¯s lower stomach and dragged his blade upwards, gutting it.
Hearing yet another ding today, Archie charged the two remaining marmots. Deciding to do something risky, Archie threw his shield at the closest marmot, causing it to become dazed as he continued his charge at the furthest marmot.
Angling his sword with the marmot charging him, fleshy neck met metal, the force of both Archie charging and the marmot rushing into the blade, caused the blade to smoothly sink into its thick hide and out its neck.
Hearing the ding from the system, Archie pulled out his sword and looked back at the still-dazed marmot.
Wanting to end the fight as soon as possible, Archie ran up to the marmot and stabbed it through its back. Not hearing another ding, Archie pulled the sword out of its back and into its neck.
A final ding resounded through Archie¡¯s head, notifying him that all marmots died.
Ignoring the system notifications, Archie looked around trying to see where the leopard and caribou were, but upon looking for them, they were nowhere to be seen.
Feeling wary, Archie decided to end his hunt for today. After grabbing both his dagger and shield, Archie¡¯s stomach started to growl. He then looked at the marmot he just killed, kneeled beside it, and cut out a large chunk of marmot meat.
Sheathing his sword and dagger, Archie carried the marmot meat with his right hand and made his way back to his cave.
Entering his cave, Archie noticed the doe he had killed the day before was still there.
¡°Ah¡ Right, I forgot about the doe¡¡± Archie mumbled. ¡°Oh well, more meat for me then; the leg from last night wasn¡¯t that bad if I do say so myself.¡±
Dropping the marmot meat next to the doe, Archie went to gather wood for his campfire.
After his fifth trip back to his cave hauling sticks, Archie dumped the sticks in his arms into the large pile of sticks now taking up 1/3 of the cave¡¯s space.
¡°Now that I have a bit more firewood, I need to find a way to block the entrance of the cave,¡± Archie said while looking at the forest in front of the cave.
As Archie trekked through the forest, he noticed a glint of light shine under an overgrown tree root. A bit curious, Archie made his way towards the tree with the shiny root.
Upon reaching the tree and crouching, Archie pushed the dirt away from the root, revealing a metallic jewelry box.
Identifying the chest, Archie read:
Sealed Oak Chest:
A sealed chest, created for the 72nd cycle¡¯s tutorial, containing an item.
¡°Finally, a treasure chest!¡± Archie cheered.
Grabbing the lock between his hands, Archie snapped it open. Grin widening, Archie opened the small chest to reveal a small wooden axe.
Identifying the axe:
Steelwood Hatchet (Uncommon):
A small hatchet made of steel and forged by an unknown F-Grade blacksmith. When in a forest the sharpness of the hatchet increases. Effects: Self-repair, Soul-Bound, Woodland Sharpness. Status: Perfect. Requirements: Lv 5+ & Humanoid Race.
¡°Oh! Just what I needed!¡± Archie exclaimed while picking the hatchet out of the chest. Just as he pulled the hatchet from the chest, the chest vanished. Archie blinked a few times, staring at the empty spot where it had been, his mouth slightly agape. ¡°Huh?¡±
Crouched on the floor, Archie tied the third and final vine-like branch connecting five eight-foot logs together. Giving a firm kick, Archie took notice of minor wiggling, but nothing else. With that complete he lifted his makeshift door, placed it in front of the cave¡¯s entrance and took a step back. At the very least, if it falls, I¡¯ll wake up before anything jumps on me, Archie smiled. Dusting off his hands from the remnants of sap he gained while hauling the logs.
Grabbing the doe and marmot meat, Archie pushed his new door aside and started a new campfire fifty meters away from the entrance of his cave, intent on cooking food away from where he slept.
After starting the fire and placing both the doe and marmot meat onto the fire, Archie decided to open the system notifications that he had previously ignored.
*[Stout Marmot Lv 11] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 6 Tutorial Points given*
*[Stout Marmot Lv 10] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 6 Tutorial Points given*
*[Stout Marmot Lv 12] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 6 Tutorial Points given*
*Your Class has reached Lv 9 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Class has reached Lv 10 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Race has reached Lv 7 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
Skill Upgrade: [Basic One-Handed Weapon Mastery (Initiate ¡ú Common)]
Basic One-Handed Weapon Mastery (Common):
One of a Warrior¡¯s closest Allies, for it shall slay your foes. Due to showing proficiency with One-Handed Weapons, One-Handed Weapons become more familiar to use.
Skill Upgrade: [Basic Light-Shield Mastery (Initiate ¡ú Common)
Basic Light-Shield Mastery (Common):
One of a Warrior¡¯s closest Allies, for it shall protect you from those who wish you harm. Due to showing proficiency with Light-Shields, Light-Shields become more familiar to use.
*Warrior Class Skills Available. Choose one of the options*
[Warrior¡¯s Charge (Common)]: A Warrior might not be able to fight an enemy from up close, thus requiring a way to get closer. Allows a Warrior to Charge forward in a straight line closing the gap between them and their enemy.
[Ambush Strike (Common)]: A hidden blade striking from the shadows is often a better way to face a stronger foe or thin out enemies. Allowing the user to stay hidden from perceived enemies and enhancing your next attack.
Looking at the two options, Archie debated between the two skills, both offering very different ways of combat. Perhaps it even revealed the two paths he could take as a fighter: a direct or a stealthy one.
Warrior¡¯s Charge would propel him to fight more aggressively, allowing him to close the gaps between his enemies. Ambush Strike would make him want to attack enemies one by one, taking them out while sneaking in the shadows.
Considering his bloodline, Adrenaline Junkie, fighting from the shadows would provide adrenaline, but not as much compared to frontal attacks.
Fighting like an assassin would eventually have me control my emotions, but I¡¯m not sure if that would be possible with my bloodline. While I can just let loose when charging in the frontlines.
Biting into the marmot meat that looked a bit too well done, Archie slowly chewed and selected Warrior¡¯s Charge.
As he gazed at the slowly rising moon, Archie¡¯s thoughts drifted to two things: how his family was coping with the integration and how he could get his hands on a robot model kit¡ªany kit, even a simple one¡ªas long as his only source of entertainment wasn¡¯t watching the wind blow leaves.
Ch 7 - Monkey Trouble
Archie sat up, huddled beside the small campfire within his cave, and rubbed his eyes. Through the gaps in his door, he saw the sun''s rays shining through the forest that covered the cave''s entrance.
Strapping his potion pouch around his back, he placed his new hatchet in between the straps of the pouch. Remembering the rarity of the hatchet, Archie Identified his sword and shield.
Iron Heater Shield (Common):
An iron-rimmed Light-Shield issued to those who select the Warrior starting class. Effect: Soul-Bound. Status: Slightly beaten. Requirements: Humanoid Race.
Iron Broadsword (Common):
An iron broadsword issued to those who select the Warrior starting class. Effect: Soul-Bound. Status: Slightly dull. Requirements: Humanoid Race.
¡°Huh, no self-repair, I mean it being slightly dull makes sense with how much wood I had to hack at with it initially. At the very least if it does break, I can just use the hatchet. Archie said while dismissing the notifications and pushing past his door.
Suddenly he asked himself, ¡°Soul-Bound again? What does that mean?¡± but to his dismay, the system did not respond.
Sighing, he opened his status page, he saw his new skill added to his skill list.
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human F-Grade Lv 7
Class: Warrior Lv 10
Profession: *Empty*
Health: 472/472
Mana: 140/140
Stamina: 210/210
Stats:
Vitality: 45(47)
Strength: 35(36)
Endurance: 21
Agility: 25
Intelligence: 15
Wisdom: 14
Willpower: 15
Perception: 14
Free Points: 9
Skills:
Basic One-Handed Weapon Mastery (Common)
Basic Light-Shield Mastery (Common)
Identify (Initiate)
Warrior''s Charge (Common)
Bloodline:
Adrenaline Junkie (Unique) [+5% to Strength and +5% to Willpower]
Titles Collected:
Bloodline Progenitor [+10 Vitality and +5% Vitality]
Tutorial Points:
86
¡°I guess, I got to find some creatures to test my new skill out,¡± Archie said, venturing into the forest once more.
I¡¯ve been walking around for a couple of hours now, but I haven¡¯t seen anything. Archie grumbled in annoyance while kicking the snow at his feet.
As though the universe responded to his thoughts, Archie was greeted with something slamming into his face. An ice-filled snowball had slammed into Archie¡¯s face leaving some snow remains across his face and a bloody nose.
Stumbling backward, he raised his shield, covering his face, wary of another ice-filled snowball.
All Archie could see was snow, trees, and more snow¡ªbut no sign of any creature. Confused, he scanned the area, unable to spot whatever had thrown the ice-filled snowball.
Seeing something move within his peripheral vision, Archie spun on his heel, blocking the incoming ice snowball. Looking up from his shield, Archie saw what flung the ice snowball at him and used Identify on it.
[Flinger Monkey Lv 11]
The Flinger Monkey had bright pink skin, snow-white fur, and a normal monkey tail¡ªexcept at the tip, which was shaped like an ice cream scooper.
Archie took into account his limited ranged capabilities and sheathed his sword and swapped to his dagger instead.
As Archie analyzed the monkey, he realized that it needed to reach the ground to throw another ice-packed snowball at his face, it couldn''t just make one magically.
The monkey was only ten meters away from Archie. Confident in his aim, Archie threw his dagger at the head of the monkey and sprinted toward it at full speed.
Seeing a projectile being thrown at its face, the monkey looped its tail around the branch and fell backward. Making joyful monkey noises and clapping, seemingly proud of its dodging skills with its back turned against Archie, but this was a fatal mistake.
Archie charged towards the monkey and used Warrior¡¯s Charge once he was five meters away from the monkey. Swinging his shield at the monkey¡¯s head caused it to fall on its back, writhing and squealing in pain.
Archie unsheathed his sword and stabbed the monkey.
*[Flinger Monkey Lv 11] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 22 Tutorial Points given*
*Your Race has reached Lv 8 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
¡°Huh, I guess I was just on the cusp of a level up,¡± Archie said, flinging the blood off his sword onto the snow.
Feeling as though he was being watched, Archie looked around. His gaze shifted to the tree branches, and he immediately regretted it. Dozens of monkeys leaped across the surrounding branches, heading straight toward him.
¡°Fuck,¡± Archie uttered as he raised his shield to protect as much as he could of his body from the inevitable barrage of ice-filled snowballs.
Moments later, Archie¡¯s shield and lower half were bombarded by a barrage of ice-filled snowballs. Shuffling backward, he searched for the nearest tree to take cover behind.
Upon reaching the nearest tree, Archie ducked behind another ice-filled snowball and maneuvered around it, finally able to catch his breath.
But the monkeys weren¡¯t going to let Archie hide and catch his breath; Archie saw one of the monkeys jump onto the branch of a tree in front of where he currently faced.
Activating Warrior¡¯s Charge, Archie closed the distance between him and the monkey, somehow charging vertically up the tree. At his apex, he ran his sword through the monkey and landed on the branch where the monkey previously stood as he flung it off his blade.
*[Flinger Monkey Lv 10] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 20 Tutorial Points given*
Archie slightly swayed on the branch, getting accustomed to his new footing. Looking at the monkeys jumping on the branches he counted eight of them, his Adrenaline that was previously at a lull, now started to quicken in its pace.
A slight smile started to spread across Archie¡¯s face as he stared at the eight remaining monkeys that stood against him, uncaring of the odds against him.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.
Looking at his stamina, he saw that he had more than enough to charge into them closing the distance, but still he needed to get a bit closer to be able to charge at them.
Thus, beginning the dawn of Archie¡¯s tree-hopping ninja days. Archie, with a bit of hesitance, jumped onto the next branch effectively close enough to use Warrior¡¯s Charge
on the nearest monkey.
Just as effectively as before, the monkey was shocked at the sudden speed of Archie, failing to dodge, and ending up decapitated.
***
Archie pulled his sword from the last monkey that attempted to jump him after hearing the cries of pain from its pack mate. Adrenaline, now back at its previous lull, the small smile he wore transformed into a full one; the rush of accomplishment filling him with a euphoric sense of victory.
Looking at his notifications, he saw:
*[Flinger Monkey Lv 11] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 22 Tutorial Points given*
¡
*[Flinger Monkey Lv 11] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 22 Tutorial Points given*
*[Flinger Monkey Lv 13] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 26 Tutorial Points given*
*[Flinger Monkey Lv 12] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 24 Tutorial Points given*
*[Flinger Monkey Lv 10] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 20 Tutorial Points given*
*Your Class has reached Lv 11 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Race has reached Lv 9 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Class has reached Lv 12 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Race has reached Lv 10 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
Opening his status page he saw:
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human F-Grade Lv 10
Class: Warrior Lv 12
Profession: *Empty*
Health: 528/546
Mana: 170/170
Stamina: 140/240
Stats:
Vitality: 52(54)
Strength: 42(44)
Endurance: 24
Agility: 30
Intelligence: 18
Wisdom: 17
Willpower: 18
Perception: 17
Free Points: 14
Skills:
Basic One-Handed Weapon Mastery (Common)
Basic Light-Shield Mastery (Common)
Identify (Initiate)
Warrior''s Charge (Common)
Bloodline:
Adrenaline Junkie (Unique) [+5% to Strength and +5% to Willpower]
Titles Collected:
Bloodline Progenitor [+10 Vitality and +5% Vitality]
Tutorial Points:
308
Smiling at both his levels and tutorial points, Archie jumped down the tree branch he currently stood on and onto the snowy grass below.
¡°Wait, I¡¯m level 10 in my race and 12 in my class yet nothing happened to me, like those other creatures,¡± Archie analyzed. ¡°I guess humans have different racial evolution caps compared to other creatures, or we just don¡¯t gain extra body parts.¡±
Landing on the ground he looked around for the path he took from his cave. Retracing his steps, Archie eventually found the first monkey he killed lightly coated with snow, the same snow that seemed to never stop falling from the sky.
Upon seeing the monkey, he remembered the dagger he threw, eyes went wide trying to find where it landed.
After a couple of minutes of searching, Archie found it embedded in a tree a couple of meters away from where it missed the monkey. Before sheathing the dagger, he used the direction where the dagger landed to confirm the path to his cave.
Walking down the path to his cave, Archie managed to see a cave hidden between the trees. Curious, Archie headed toward the cave in hopes of finding another treasure chest.
Entering the cave Archie was greeted with the intense smell of feces. Wincing back in disgust, Archie surveyed the cave, his eyes scanning the surroundings. Dark brown stains marked the stone floor and walls, while patches of white fur were scattered throughout the area, hinting at past inhabitants, most likely the monkeys.
However, what drew his attention the most was a large, circular opening at the far end of the cave. Beyond the scattered fur and stains, this mysterious hole in the back seemed to lead into a tunnel, but from where Archie stood, he could only make out the gaping entrance, leaving the depth of the passage shrouded in darkness.
Archie decided to go deeper into the cave, in an attempt to see where the tunnel led to. But once he got halfway towards the tunnel a large roar from behind him caused him to turn around, both shield and sword drawn.
A large white-furred, pink-skinned monkey stood on two feet at the entrance of the cave but calling it a monkey felt like an understatement; it was the size of two fully grown gorillas with bulging muscles.
Identifying the creature Archie was taken aback at what he saw:
[Juvenile Gorilla Lv 24]
Two thoughts went through Archie¡¯s brain, It''s level 24, that¡¯s the highest I¡¯ve ever seen¡¯ and That thing is a fucking child?
The gorilla tensed, its muscles rippling as a faint red hue spread across its white fur before it unleashed another deafening roar. The sound hit Archie like a wave, his body locking in place, paralyzed by the sheer force of the beast¡¯s cry.
What? I can¡¯t move!
Archie¡¯s thoughts raced in panic.
The gorilla now started to charge at the now-immobile Archie.
Move! Move! MOVE! Archie shouted, Adrenaline, once a slow burn, now surged violently through his veins. With a final mental shout, drawing on every ounce of willpower, Archie forced his body to break free from the gorilla¡¯s paralyzing roar, snapping into a defensive stance.
But due to the speed and weight behind the gorilla¡¯s charge, Archie was body slammed against the cave¡¯s wall.
Archie slammed hard against the cave¡¯s wall, his head taking the full brunt of the impact without any protection, both shield and sword falling from his hands. It felt as if a train had run over him, and his vision blurred, leaving him unable to discern what was happening in front of him. All he could see was a massive, indistinct blob of white and pink fuzz moving toward him.
The Juvenile Gorilla, now on all fours, knuckle-walked steadily toward its fallen prey. As it reached Archie, it noticed with confusion that he hadn¡¯t spilled any red liquid. Determined to correct this oversight, the gorilla grasped Archie¡¯s shield arm and pulled him to its chest, with the intent of squeezing the life out of him.
Feeling himself being picked up, Archie¡¯s vision was overtaken by white fur. Suddenly, he felt his upper torso being squeezed from all angles as though it were a giant hydraulic press.
¡°AUGRRH!¡± Archie screamed in pain, fully awake now and struggling to push himself out of the gorilla¡¯s hydraulic hug.
¡°AHHHH!¡± he shouted as adrenaline rushed through his body at an unprecedented pace. Ignoring a dinging sound, Archie felt steam releasing from his body as he focused on breaking free from the grasp of the gorilla.
With strenuous effort, Archie managed to push himself far enough within the gorilla¡¯s hold to wedge his legs atop its chest. Groaning with effort, the steam gaining a red hue and producing yet another ding, he utilized both his arms and legs to break the gorilla¡¯s hydraulic hug, tumbling onto the cave floor.
Similarly, the gorilla fell backward, landing on its back two meters away from where it had previously stood when it had attempted to squeeze Archie to death.
Rolling into a crouch, Archie looked around for his sword and shield. To his left, he spotted both. He stumbled over to where they had fallen and donned them both, he then glanced at the back of the now-dazed gorilla.
Still releasing red-hued steam from his body, Archie rushed toward the vulnerable gorilla, activating Warrior¡¯s Charge mid-run. His sword sliced deeply across the back of the creature, causing blood to burst from the wound. A smile grew on Archie¡¯s face, unbeknownst to him.
Screaming in pain, the gorilla swung its arm wildly, using its body weight as the source of its power, slamming into Archie¡¯s shield. Archie managed to stand his ground against the swing, but after blocking it, his shield fell from his hand, and his left arm went limp.
The wild swing of the gorilla abruptly halted by Archie¡¯s shield caused it to fall face down onto the cave floor, due to its sudden imbalance.
Charging once more, Archie landed atop its back and began hacking away with his remaining good arm, producing yet another ding.
After what Archie considered to be an innumerable amount of hacking at its back, he stabbed his sword into the gorilla¡¯s left side, piercing both its heart and lung.
Upon hearing the ding, all the energy remaining within Archie vanished, causing him to fall to his knees and then off the gorilla, landing on the floor whilst lightly chuckling.
Looking at his notifications he saw:
*[Juvenile Gorilla Lv 24] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 72 Tutorial Points given*
*Your Class has reached Lv 13 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
***
*Your Class has reached Lv 15 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Race has reached Lv 11 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
***
*Your Race has reached Lv 13 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
Skill Gained: [Power Boost (Common)]
Skill Evolution: [Power Boost (Common) ¡ú Adrenaline Rush (Rare)]
Skill Evolution: [Warrior¡¯s Charge (Common) ¡ú Savage Charge (Rare)]
Deliriously staring at the notifications, Archie¡¯s eyes rolled back, and he collapsed on the floor beside the corpse of the Juvenile Gorilla.
Ch 8 - Dungeon?
Groaning in pain from his fight with the Juvenile Gorilla, Archie awoke, his body bruised, and his left arm dislocated. Looking at his notifications, Archie rolled his eyes.
Looking to his right, he saw the dead gorilla. ¡°That¡¯s a baby gorilla? I can¡¯t imagine how strong an adult one is,¡± Archie said, chuckling at the thought of a giant roided-up gorilla being considered as a baby. What else does this system have in store for me?
Glancing outside the cave, he noticed it was no longer noon, and the moon was beginning to appear.
¡°I wonder how much time has passed since the tutorial began,¡± Archie mumbled, staring at the moon.
Solo Tutorial
The 72nd cycle has begun; thus, a tutorial is needed to increase the survivability of the newly integrated myriad races. The Hoarfrost Highlands is filled with various creatures from across the universe, each providing Tutorial Points upon their death to their killer. After the Solo Tutorial is completed, all Solo Tutorial Participants will be teleported into random Group Tutorials. Tutorial Points will be used to gain rewards after the full tutorial is completed.
Completion Criteria: Survive for 30 days.
Time remaining: 24:20:37
¡°I was asleep for 2 days?¡± Archie shouted, his voice echoing within the cave.
¡°Was I that exhausted after the fight?¡± he mumbled to himself, still looking at the dead gorilla. Remembering his notifications just before he passed out, he opened his status to see:
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human F-Grade Lv 13
Class: Warrior Lv 15
Profession: *Empty*
Health: 178/640
Mana: 100/200
Stamina: 80/270
Stats:
Vitality: 61(64)
Strength: 51(53)
Endurance: 27
Agility: 36
Intelligence: 21
Wisdom: 20
Willpower: 21(22)
Perception: 20
Free Points: 20
Skills:
Basic One-Handed Weapon Mastery (Common)
Basic Light-Shield Mastery (Common)
Identify (Initiate)
Savage Charge (Rare)
Adrenaline Rush (Rare)
Bloodline:
Adrenaline Junkie (Unique) [+5% to Strength and +5% to Willpower]
Titles Collected:
Bloodline Progenitor [+10 Vitality and +5% Vitality]
Tutorial Points:
380
Checking his health and stamina, Archie took out the potions he had received from the system aspect before entering the Solo Tutorial. Upon reaching into his pouch, he noticed the potions undamaged from the fight before. ¡°Huh¡Are they unbreakable or something?¡± Archie wondered, looking at the undamaged glass bottles, he was sure that he was tossed around like a rag. While he was grateful they hadn¡¯t cracked, shouldn''t at least one of them have broken?
Identifying the three different bottle types he saw:
Potion of Health (Common):
A potion provided from the System to a new initiate Warrior class. This potion when drunk fully restores a total of 500 Health. Adverse effects will occur if one drinks another Potion of Health before the cooldown expires. Indestructible to anyone below E-Grade. Cooldown duration: 1 hour.
Potion of Stamina (Common):
A potion provided from the System to a new initiate Warrior class. This potion when drunk fully restores a total of 500 Stamina. Adverse effects will occur if one drinks another Potion of Stamina before the cooldown expires. Indestructible to anyone below E-Grade. Cooldown duration: 1 hour.
Potion of Mana (Common):
A potion provided from the System to a new initiate Warrior class. This potion when drunk fully restores a total of 500 Mana. Adverse effects will occur if one drinks another Potion of Mana before the cooldown expires. Indestructible to anyone below E-Grade. Cooldown duration: 1 hour.
Drinking both the Health and Stamina potions, he saw that both his health and stamina pools were now fully restored. Satisfied, he placed the two empty potion bottles back into his pouch and decided to look at his skill notifications.
Skill Gained: [Power Boost (Uncommon)]
Power Boost (Uncommon):
By channeling your inner strength, temporarily boost all physical stats by 10%. After use, you will feel temporary physical and mental exhaustion.
Skill Evolution: [Power Boost (Uncommon) ¡ú Adrenaline Rush (Rare)]
Adrenaline Rush (Rare):
For a period of time, you experience a surge of adrenaline, enhancing all physical attributes by 25%. However, the intense exertion puts a strain on the body, leading to temporary exhaustion once the effect wears off. The records of the skill have been heavily touched by the records of Adrenaline Junkie.
Skill Evolution: [Warrior¡¯s Charge (Common) ¡ú Savage Charge (Rare)]
Savage Charge (Rare):
You charge forward with explosive speed, crashing into a single target with devastating force. Upon impact, the strike deals significant damage the following attacks deal increased damage. Maximum distance is calculated by half of your Agility stat. The records of the skill have been heavily touched by the records of Adrenaline Junkie.
¡°Nice! Two rare skills!¡± Archie smiled. "Hmm... they both were enhanced by my bloodline...I wonder how that works."
Looking away from the system notifications, he glanced again at the dead gorilla, still smiling. But his brow furrowed, and his smile faded into a frown.
¡°Wait, why am I happy? I almost died in that fight,¡± Archie said, confused. ¡°Last time I had a fight to the death, I broke down afterward... but now I¡¯m happy. Why? Is the system turning me into some kind of killing machine who gets pleasure from killing?¡± he muttered, pacing around the cave, trying to make sense of what caused him to act like this.
¡°Ah,¡± he said, suddenly stopping. ¡°My bloodline...I got two rare skills because of my bloodline. Who''s to say it can''t change the way I think? Or if it hasn''t already?¡±
As the thought settled, he recalled what his bloodline entailed. Voice dropping to a murmur, he muttered, ¡°Adrenaline is constantly coursing through my body. Adrenaline kicks in during threatening or exciting situations... and my bloodline tells me I¡¯m addicted to it. Meaning I¡¯ll instinctually be throwing myself into dangerous situations to do¡my next fix...¡±
Archie stared at the moon, as if hoping for an answer on what to do next.
Slapping both sides of his face, Archie shook his head and said, ¡°It is what it is. I can¡¯t change my bloodline; the best I can do is work with it and turn it into a strength. I get stronger in intense, dangerous situations¡ªremember the first couple of days in this tutorial? Remember falling off that cliff and surviving!¡± He pumped himself up, snapping out of his earlier gloom.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Looking at his status page again, Archie allocated ten points each to Strength and Endurance.
Donning his sword and shield, he headed into the forest, glancing at the rising sun as he gathered firewood to cook some gorilla meat before exploring the tunnel in the cave.
¡°A bit chewy, but edible,¡± Archie muttered, sitting next to the glowing embers of his small campfire, tossing a large bone aside.
With his belly full of gorilla meat and snow water, Archie grabbed a large stick and stuck one end in the fire. Now holding a makeshift torch, he turned toward the tunnel, ready to explore.
As he entered, he realized the tunnel was much deeper than he had initially thought. He had already walked over 10 meters and still hadn¡¯t seen anything but rock and tufts of snow-colored moss.
A few more meters of walking revealed something glowing dull brown in the shape of a door. Archie tried to identify it but failed.
¡°Looks like a brown portal, like the one the system aspect made,¡± he thought.
Curious, Archie reached out and touched the strange brown portal and was immediately met with a system message.
Dire Wolf Dungeon
Objective: Purge all wolves from within the dungeon
Reward: ? & ?
Requirements: Below Level 25
Would you like to enter?
¡°Wolves huh¡ I never thought I would have to face them again so soon after my first night¡ I should fight them, if nothing else to get over any phobia I could have gotten from that wolf.¡± Archie mumbled to himself, tightening his grip on both his shield and sword with a determined look on his face.
¡°Yes, I would like to enter the Dire Wolf Dungeon¡± Archie confirmed.
Not a second later, the dull glowing from the dungeon entrance disappeared, Archie, taking the hint, decided to pass through.
Entering the dungeon, Archie was greeted with the stench of wet dog fur. Slightly taken aback, he shook his head once more in an attempt to shake the effects of the smell, besides, the monkey cave he was in smelt almost as bad.
Looking around he saw a not unsimilar sight from the monkey den, fur matted the floor with brown stains dotting the floor and a doorway across from him. The doorway looked to be sealed as a light blue hue blocked his view inside the doorway.
Aside from the Dungeon¡¯s interior, Archie saw many dark grey wolves staring at him with their large teeth barred. The wolves stood at a height of two and a half feet but looked thin; like they hadn¡¯t eaten in days, and he was going to be their next meal.
Steeling himself, he Identified both the sealed doorway and one of the wolves.
Sealed Dungeon Doorway:
Objective 1: Slay all wolves within the cave 0/13
[Dire Wolf Lv 19]
¡°With this amount of them, my shield is useless; even if I do block one, the other wolves would pounce on me. I should just focus on kiting them with both my hatchet and sword: charge at one, attack, jump back, and repeat.¡± Archie said while analyzing how to kill the wolves.
Placing his shield on the ground and taking out his hatchet, Archie stared at the thirteen hungry-looking wolves with a hatchet in one hand and a sword in the other. Archie felt his adrenaline move from the lull it previously flowed at and start to ramp up, vanishing his worries and filling him with confidence.
¡°Time for some grinding,¡± Archie said before running towards the wolves and activating Savage Charge once he was fifteen meters away from the wolf pack.
Seemingly turning into a blur, Archie appeared in front of the pack, hatchet easily slicing through the wolf¡¯s neck and his sword stabbed in another¡¯s eye socket. Archie pulled his sword from the wolf¡¯s skull and towards the nearest wolf that lunged at his face, while his hatchet found itself slicing through the maw of another one.
Archie jumped backward from the wolf pack, preventing himself from being piled on.
Archie decided to use Savage Charge once more into the right side of the pack, crashing into another wolf and lopping its head off, he sliced his sword into another wolf¡¯s neck. ¡°I¡¯m liking this new skill already,¡± Archie smiled.
¡°That was fun¡±, Archie said breathlessly, taking both his hatchet and sword out of dire wolf corpses.
Looking at his system notifications he saw:
*[Dire Wolf Lv 19] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 38 Tutorial Points given*
***
*[Dire Wolf Lv 19] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 38 Tutorial Points given*
*Your Class has reached Lv 16 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
***
*Your Class has reached Lv 18 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Race has reached Lv 14 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Race has reached Lv 15 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
Opening his status page, Archie saw:
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human F-Grade Lv 15
Class: Warrior Lv 18
Profession: *Empty*
Health: 724/724
Mana: 220/220
Stamina: 260/390
Stats:
Vitality: 69(72)
Strength: 69(72)
Endurance: 39
Agility: 41
Intelligence: 23
Wisdom: 22
Willpower: 23(24)
Perception: 22
Free Points: 5
Skills:
Basic One-Handed Weapon Mastery (Common)
Basic Light-Shield Mastery (Common)
Identify (Initiate)
Savage Charge (Rare)
Adrenaline Rush (Rare)
Bloodline:
Adrenaline Junkie (Unique) [+5% to Strength and +5% to Willpower]
Titles Collected:
Bloodline Progenitor [+10 Vitality and +5% Vitality]
Tutorial Points:
874
Archie smiled at his stats and looked at the sealed doorway, which now disappeared, and in its place was an entrance to the next part of the dungeon.
Archie placed his hatchet into the straps of his pouch and walked to where he placed his shield on the ground. After properly equipping his shield, he made his way into the next area of the dungeon.
After entering the next section of the dungeon Archie noticed two similar things, a sealed door and another pack of wolves.
The sealed door had a similar light blue hue preventing Archie from passing through. The wolves stood three feet tall, with lean physiques and dull matted coats.
Sealed Dungeon Doorway:
To break the seal, all the Guardian Wolves within this room must be killed 0/4
[Guardian Wolf Lv 26]
These wolves were two levels higher than the Juvenile Gorilla, but Archie felt confident as he tightened his grip on his sword and shield. Kicking off the ground, he charged at the four Guardian Wolves. After all, he was now collectively eleven levels stronger than when he had faced the Juvenile Gorilla.
When Archie was twenty meters away from the nearest wolf, he activated Savage Charge. Smashing his shield upwards into its neck, the wolf¡¯s head snapped up to face the sky, allowing his sword purchase into its neck.
Before Archie could pull his sword out, a wolf on his right side snapped its jaws onto his arm. In response, Archie smashed the crown of his shield into the skull of the wolf, causing the wolf to jerk its head back and release Archie¡¯s arm from its maw.
Jumping back before the other two wolves pounced on him, Archie unslung his hatchet, aiming for the discombobulated wolf, and used Savage Charge once more. Upon reaching the wolf, he cracked its skull with the hatchet producing a ding, raising his shield to block another wolf¡¯s lunge, pulled his sword from the first wolf, and stabbed it into a wolf trying to jump on him from above.
Deciding to try something for the first time, Archie activated Savage Charge into the wolf that he blocked. The Savage Charge into a point-blank foe caused the wolf to fly four meters away from where it previously stood.
The wolf that tried to pounce on him was on the ground sword now fully ran through him with the tip protruding through its back. Hearing the ding, Archie grabbed his hatchet and walked toward the dazed wolf, before chopping its head off hearing the fourth ding.
The seal blocking the next doorway now released, Archie looked at his notifications:
*[Guardian Wolf Lv 26] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 78 Tutorial Points given*
***
*[Guardian Wolf Lv 26] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 78 Tutorial Points given*
*Your Class has reached Lv 19 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Class has reached Lv 20 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Race has reached Lv 16 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Warrior class skills available. Choose one of the options*
Ch 9 - Frostiron Wolf
*Warrior class skills available. Choose one of the options*
[Power Strike (Common)]: With a surge of raw strength, a warrior channels their stamina into a single, mighty strike. This move is the embodiment of brute force, designed to overwhelm foes in a head-on confrontation. This skill can be used on all melee and martial weapons.
[Retaliation (Uncommon)]: A warrior endures the pain of their opponent¡¯s blow, absorbing the impact with their mighty resolve. In a moment of fierce vengeance, they channel the energy of the attack back at their foe, doubling the force and fury of the initial strike.
[Warrior¡¯s Resilience (Rare)]: A warrior¡¯s body is a fortress hardened by their countless battles and relentless endurance. Their undying will to fall when their enemy is at their forefront, enables them to fight long after others have fallen. Regenerate 1.5% maximum health per second while in combat, additionally when health drops below 25%, regeneration increases by 50% for a minor period of time.
[Taunt (Common)]: A warrior¡¯s presence on the battlefield garners the attention of others, but when issuing a taunt, it is a deliberate challenge that no foe can ignore. With a deep guttural roar that shakes the battlefield, drawing the attention of their foes, daring them to attack. Grabbing the attention of all enemies within a Perception-USU circle.
¡°Hmm¡ Power Strike is a generic enhanced attack, useful for most attacks. Retaliation is an enhanced parry doubling damage, great for sword-shield combat. Warrior¡¯s Resilience is a passive ability boosting health regeneration, I don¡¯t have a passive regeneration ability. Taunt is a taunt, nothing more to say.¡± Archie said while mulling over the warrior skills.
Walking over to the skewered dead guardian wolf, Archie pushed aside the wolf with his boot and pulled out his sword.
¡°I¡¯m not going to pick Taunt; I don¡¯t think I¡¯m strong enough to properly take on hordes of enemies at a time¡At least for now. Power Strike seems to be a simple enhanced attack, if I manage to channel stamina into an attack, I can just replicate it.¡± Archie said while pacing around the cave, before kneeling beside a dead wolf and using its fur to clean his blade.
¡°So, I¡¯m left with two options: Retaliation and Warrior¡¯s Resilience. Enhanced attack or health regeneration.¡± Archie said while dismissing the other two skill options
¡°I¡¯m going to go with Warrior¡¯s Resilience; I¡¯d rather live longer if I get in a fucked-up situation. Considering the world is now going to have monsters like that Juvenile Gorilla in mass, combat health regeneration is needed.¡± Archie reasoned before selecting Warrior¡¯s Resilience as his warrior class skill.
Opening his status he saw:
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human F-Grade Lv 16
Class: Warrior Lv 20
Profession: *Empty*
Health: 777/777
Mana: 230/230
Stamina: 260/400
Stats:
Vitality: 74(77)
Strength: 74(77)
Endurance: 40
Agility: 44
Intelligence: 24
Wisdom: 23
Willpower: 24(25)
Perception: 23
Free Points: 8
Skills:
Basic One-Handed Weapon Mastery (Common)
Basic Light-Shield Mastery (Common)
Identify (Initiate)
Savage Charge (Rare)
Adrenaline Rush (Rare)
Warrior''s Resilience (Rare)
Bloodline:
Adrenaline Junkie (Unique) [+5% to Strength and +5% to Willpower]
Titles Collected:
Bloodline Progenitor [+10 Vitality and +5% Vitality]
Tutorial Points:
1,186
Nice, Archie smiled while looking at his health. His grin widened as his eyes fell on his three rare skills. With renewed confidence, he strode past the previously sealed doorway.
The doorway led into a smaller room, but within that room contained one creature 20 meters away from the entrance. The creature was a four-and-a-half-foot white-furred beast standing on its hind legs and a muscular frame. But the weirdest thing about the wolf was its icicle-like claws.
Identifying the large wolf, Archie saw:
[Frostiron Wolf lv 30]
¡°Wolf my ass, that¡¯s a fucking werewolf,¡± Archie nervously chuckled while strengthening his grip on his sword and shield. ¡°It¡¯s a damn good thing I picked health regeneration.¡±
Using Savage Charge toward the wolf, Archie attempted to ram into the wolf shield first, but just before the attack connected, the wolf hopped to the side dodging the shield bash completely.
Unbalanced from the failed attack, Archie¡¯s guard was wide open, allowing the Frostiron Wolf¡¯s paw purchase to rake across his armored back producing a shrill screech and sending Archie tumbling across the cave. Where the Frostiron Wolf¡¯s paw raked against the armor, deep gashes were left behind, and ice began to creep across the torn metal and onto his skin.
Archie got over his surprise and quickly pushed himself off the floor and into a defensive stance, eyes focused on the Frostiron Wolf. Adrenaline started to flow throughout Archie at a rapid pace, pushing the pain he felt aside and helping him focus on the fight.
Exhaling through his nose, Archie started to charge toward the Frostiron Wolf, eyes constantly locked onto it. When Archie was five meters away from the Frostiron Wolf, it started to charge towards him.
Icicle-like claws scratched his shield with the weight of a freight train, Archie skidding back an inch in response to the sudden weight. But Archie did not stay still, activating Savage Charge at point blank at the Frostiron Wolf. He bashed his shield on its paw causing its paw to be thrown back, due to the sudden force unbalancing it.
Taking advantage of the now unbalanced wolf, Archie gritted his teeth and activated Adrenaline Rush causing steam to rise from his body, and then activated Savage Charge once more at the Frostiron Wolf. Stabbing his sword into the stomach of the wolf and raising his shield upwards blocking the Frostiron Wolf¡¯s maw from chomping down on his exposed head.
But due to the quickly timed shield block, Archie¡¯s shield was now lodged in the Frostiron Wolf¡¯s jaw. Archie smiled as he let his shield go, unstrapped his hatchet, and swung it into the side of its neck. Archie then kicked his sword¡¯s hilt deeper into the Frostiron Wolf¡¯s stomach, the force of the kick caused it to fall onto its back, whimpering in pain.
Not hearing a ding, Archie walked up to the prone wolf, grabbed his sword¡¯s hilt, gritted his teeth, and tensed his arms as he dragged his sword across its stomach, revealing its innards to the world. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.
Finally hearing the ding, Archie deactivated Adrenaline Rush causing the steam that rose from his body to dissipate. With a tired huff, Archie fell onto his back, exhausted.
Looking at the notifications, he saw:
*[Frostiron Wolf Lv 30] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 120 Tutorial Points given*
*Your Class has reached Lv 21 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
***
*Your Class has reached Lv 23 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Race has reached Lv 17 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Race has reached Lv 18 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
Dire Wolf Dungeon
Objective: Purge all wolves from within the dungeon ?
Reward: Upgrade Medallion (Uncommon) & Frostiron Necklace (Uncommon)
Dungeon will automatically close in 0:03:59:42
When the system prompt appeared in front of his face, a fist-sized whitish gold circular coin and a necklace made with claws that looked similar to the Frostiron Wolf¡¯s claws, suddenly appeared atop his chestpiece.
Identifying both items, he smiled at his rewards.
Upgrade Medallion (Uncommon):
A system made one-time use medallion, allowing items below the rarity of Uncommon to become Uncommon rarity. Requirements: F-Grade & Tutorial Participant.
Frostiron Claw Necklace (Uncommon):
A necklace made from the claws of the Frostiron Wolf, given as a reward for clearing the Dire Wolf Dungeon. Increases resistance against ice elemental attacks. Requirement. Enchantments: Self-repair. Provides +10 Strength & +5 Agility. Requirement: Lv 18+ & Humanoid Race.
Pushing himself off the ground, Archie donned the necklace and placed the upgrade medallion in his potion pouch, intending to deal with the token later.
Looking at the corpse of the Frostiron Wolf one last time, Archie smiled, ¡°That was fun.¡±
As Archie stepped out of the dungeon, its portal began to shudder violently before imploding in on itself, leaving nothing but a smooth wall behind. Watching the collapse, Archie thought, Thank god I left before it closed.
Walking through the cave, Archie walked past the gorilla''s corpse and outside the cave, looking at the early noon sun shining over the Hoarfrost Highlands.
Looking at his status page, he saw:
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human F-Grade Lv 18
Class: Warrior Lv 23
Profession: *Empty*
Health: 625/861
Mana: 215/250
Stamina: 148/420
Stats:
Vitality: 82(86)
Strength: 92(96)
Endurance: 42
Agility: 54
Intelligence: 26
Wisdom: 25
Willpower: 26(27)
Perception: 25
Free Points: 13
Skills:
Basic One-Handed Weapon Mastery (Common)
Basic Light-Shield Mastery (Common)
Identify (Initiate)
Savage Charge (Rare)
Adrenaline Rush (Rare)
Warrior''s Resilience (Rare)
Bloodline:
Adrenaline Junkie (Unique) [+5% to Strength and +5% to Willpower]
Titles Collected:
Bloodline Progenitor [+10 Vitality and +5% Vitality]
Tutorial Points:
1,306
Smiling at his strength stat, Archie dismissed his status page and continued to explore the Highlands, hoping to find more loot.
Running across the densely packed snow of the Hoarfrost Highlands was easier than ever for Archie due to his increased stats. Smiling at the feeling of the cold air whipping around his face as he traversed the snow-filled forest, jumping over roots and sprinting through the snow.
Archie has been running for a few hours now, constantly on the lookout for shiny chests. Fortunately, Archie¡¯s vigilance was finally met with reward; at the top of a small hill was a tree that shimmered silver, not unlike the root that hid his first chest.
Easily jumping over the small hill and next to the tree, Archie scaled the tree, reached inside, and pulled out a familiar-looking sealed chest. Identifying the sealed chest, he read:
Sealed Oak Chest:
A sealed chest created for the 72nd cycle¡¯s tutorial, containing an item within.
Prying the lock open was an easy task given Archie¡¯s current strength task, allowing him to glimpse into what was hidden inside the chest, a pair of gauntlets.
Frostiron Gauntlets (Rare):
These gauntlets are forged from Frostiron, a rare metal found exclusively in highlands with sub-zero ¡ãUST climates. Any attacks imbued with mana shall become imbued with ice elemental effects. Effect: Self-Repair, Soul-Bound & Lesser Ice Reinforcement. Provides +10 Agility & +10 Intelligence. Status: Perfect. Requirements: Lv 18+ & Humanoid Race.
Looking at his bare hands, he finally had something to cover his hands with, placing them on, he noticed that they fit perfectly. Realizing that he never Identified his armor, Archie decided to rectify that:
Plated Chain-mail Chestpiece (Common):
A Plated Chain-mail Chestpiece, provided to those who have chosen the Warrior starting class. Effect: Soul-bound. Status: Moderately beaten & slashed. Requirements: Humanoid Race.
Plated Chain-mail Leggings (Common):
Plated Chain-mail Leggings, provided to those who have chosen the Warrior starting class. Effect: Soul-bound. Status: Slightly beaten. Requirements: Humanoid Race.
Plated Chain-mail Greaves (Common):
Plated Chain-mail Greaves, provided to those who have chosen the Warrior starting class. Effect: Soul-bound. Status: Moderately worn. Requirements: Humanoid Race.
Plated Chain-mail Sleeves (Common):
Plated Chain-mail Sleeves, provided to those who have chosen the Warrior starting class. Effect: Soul-bound. Status: Moderately beaten. Requirements: Humanoid Race.
¡°Sadly, no bonuses, nor any self-repair. Should I use my medallion on my chestpiece or my shield?¡± Archie wondered looking at his heavily scratched shield.
Iron Heater Shield (Common):
An iron-rimmed light-shield with a wooden base, provided to those who have chosen the Warrior starting class. Effect: Soul-bound. Status: Heavily beaten & slashed. Requirements: Humanoid Race.
¡°I don¡¯t know if this medallion will give a self-repair effect or not, but what the hell, I¡¯ll just put it on the shield, I¡¯ve blocked more than I¡¯ve taken blows to the chest,¡± Archie said plainly.
Groaning with an exhale, looking exasperated, Archie said, ¡°Thank god, no one heard that.¡± Shaking his head, Archie pulled out his upgrade medallion and placed it on his shield.
Looking at his medallion above his shield, he awaited a flash of light to appear transforming his shield. After a few minutes of waiting, nothing changed.
¡°How do I activate the medallion?¡± Archie wondered while poking the token with his finger.
As soon as Archie uttered those words, both the shield and medallion started to glow. Moments later, the medallion shattered into tiny motes of light and disappeared, while the shield remained unchanged.
Identifying his shield, Archie read:
Iron Heater Shield (Common):
An iron-rimmed Light-Shield with a wooden base, provided to those who have chosen the Warrior starting class. Effect: Soul-bound & Self-repair. Status: Heavily beaten & slashed. Requirements: Humanoid Race.
Archie looked at the self-repair status effect, confused as to why the shield wasn¡¯t repairing. Remembering that his hatchet had a self-repair status effect, he took it out and identified it.
Steelwood Hatchet (Uncommon):
A small hatchet made of steel and forged by an unknown F- Grade blacksmith. When in a forest the sharpness of the hatchet increases. Effects: Self-repair, Soul-Bound. Status: Moderately used. Requirements: Lv 5+ & Humanoid Race.
Archie¡¯s eye started to twitch, ¡°Am I being scammed? Why isn¡¯t it working?¡± Archie asked himself confusedly. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t it be self-repairing while I left it alone?¡±
Exasperated, Archie placed his hatchet between the straps of his pouch and continued to explore the Highlands.
Ducking under a tree branch, two things caught Archie¡¯s attention: a giant hexagonal dome and a weird-looking boulder with a door smack dab in the middle with lanterns hanging on the sides of the door.
Archie using Identify on both, he gulped.
[Giant Frostiron Tortoise Lv ??]
Archie did not get a prompt about the door, so he was only left with one option, getting close enough to the door without waking up the five-meter-tall giant tortoise whose level was higher than what he could see.
Ch 10 - Hippie Activity
Archie was fifty meters away from the arched door, currently hiding in the shrubbery beside a tree looking at the only threat in sight; the tortoise sleeping in front of the mysterious door.
Looking at the five-meter-tall tortoise, Archie did not want to be the cause of making it awaken from its slumber, due to its high level. Curious as to why he couldn¡¯t see its level, he looked at his Identify skill¡¯s description.
Identify (Initiate):
A basic identification skill, given to all the myriad races within the multiverse. The skill allows you to see the history of items and identify creatures. Limited to your racial grade.
¡°Ah, the tortoise is a higher racial grade than I am,¡± Archie whispered¡Shit.
Archie continued to creep around the tortoise using both the trees and shrubbery until he reached the door in the boulder. Finally getting a closer look at the door, it looked like a dark oak arched door with what looked like an iron door pull handle on its right side.
Still not able to identify the door, Archie kept moving toward the door, the only other thing Archie failed to identify was the Dire Wolf Dungeon. So, he had hopes that the door led to another dungeon providing him an opportunity to receive levels and get better loot.
Finally able to touch the door Archie was shown a prompt:
Profession Challenge Dungeon
Objective: ?
Reward: Shaman Profession, ? & ?
Requirements: Tutorial Participant & Must not have a Profession
Would you like to enter?
¡°Profession Challenge Dungeon? Wait, I can get a profession from this?¡± Archie whispered to himself, before opening his status.
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human F-Grade Lv 18
Class: Warrior Lv 23
Profession: *Empty*
Health: 861/861
Mana: 250/250
Stamina: 420/420
Stats:
Vitality: 82(86)
Strength: 92(96)
Endurance: 42
Agility: 64
Intelligence: 36
Wisdom: 25
Willpower: 26(27)
Perception: 25
Free Points: 13
Skills:
Basic One-Handed Weapon Mastery (Common)
Basic Light-Shield Mastery (Common)
Identify (Initiate)
Savage Charge (Rare)
Adrenaline Rush (Rare)
Warrior''s Resilience (Rare)
Bloodline:
Adrenaline Junkie (Unique) [+5% to Strength and +5% to Willpower]
Titles Collected:
Bloodline Progenitor [+10 Vitality and +5% Vitality]
Tutorial Points:
1,306
¡°What do shamans even do?¡± Archie asked himself with a confused expression painting his face. ¡°Aren¡¯t shamans just like cracked-up psychos?¡±
THUD!
Goosebumps grew across Archie¡¯s back at the loud sound coming from behind him, he slowly turned his head to see a giant turtle head looking directly at him fully awake.
The Tortoise raised its clawed paw and swung it at Archie in an attempt to squash him. Archie shouted, ¡°I WANT TO ENTER THE DUNGEON!¡±
Just as Archie shouted the last few words, the clawed paw of the giant tortoise crashed onto his chest, ripping into his plated chain-mail and tearing into his chest.
As the tortoise¡¯s clawed paw was lodged halfway into his chest, Archie¡¯s body vanished from where he currently stood.
Waking up with a gasp, Archie¡¯s eyes, unfocused and hazy, found himself staring at a cave ceiling, unable to move any of his limbs.
He laid on the cold stone ground, body drenched in sweat, every breath that came out was a rasping shallow imitation of a true breath. His chest piece in tatters, blood congealed across the chest piece.
He mentally called his status page to read:
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human F-Grade Lv 18
Class: Warrior Lv 23
Profession: *Empty*
Health: 54/861
Mana: 250/250
Stamina: 48/420
Stats:
Vitality: 82(86)
Strength: 92(96)
Endurance: 42
Agility: 64
Intelligence: 36
Wisdom: 25
Willpower: 26(27)
Perception: 25
Free Points: 13
Skills:
Basic One-Handed Weapon Mastery (Common)
Basic Light-Shield Mastery (Common)
Identify (Initiate)
Savage Charge (Rare)
Adrenaline Rush (Rare)
Warrior''s Resilience (Rare)
Bloodline:
Adrenaline Junkie (Unique) [+5% to Strength and +5% to Willpower]
Titles Collected:
Bloodline Progenitor [+10 Vitality and +5% Vitality]
Tutorial Points:
1,306
¡°Fuck¡¡± Archie groaned, his voice barely audible.
Knowing he needed to drink his stamina and health potion, Archie needed to use his remaining strength to flip himself to reach for his potions.
With a faint groan, he gathered what little strength remained, pushing against the ground with his trembling arms. Every fiber of his body screamed in protest as he willed his limbs in motion. His arms, limp and heavy, refusing to obey at first, but the adrenaline weakly pulsating through his being gave his arms enough energy to push himself on his side.
Shakily reaching into his potion pouch, Archie pulled out both his stamina and health potions. Archie brought the health potion to his mouth as he tore the cork from the bottle, some of the liquid spilled onto the floor as he downed the potion.
After finishing the potion, Archie dropped the empty potion bottle on the ground, ripped the cork from the stamina potion, and downed the stamina potion.
Archie opened his status page to see:
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human F-Grade Lv 18
Class: Warrior Lv 23
Profession: *Empty*
Health: 554/861
Mana: 250/250
Stamina: 420/420
Stats:
Vitality: 82(86)
Strength: 92(96)
Endurance: 42
Agility: 64
Intelligence: 36
Wisdom: 25
Willpower: 26(27)
Perception: 25
Free Points: 13
Skills:
Basic One-Handed Weapon Mastery (Common)
Basic Light-Shield Mastery (Common)
Identify (Initiate)
Savage Charge (Rare)
Adrenaline Rush (Rare)
Warrior''s Resilience (Rare)
Bloodline:
Adrenaline Junkie (Unique) [+5% to Strength and +5% to Willpower]
Titles Collected:
Bloodline Progenitor [+10 Vitality and +5% Vitality]
Tutorial Points:
1,306
Looking at his health he saw it was over 60% full and stamina fully replenished, Archie closed his eyes exhausted from overexerting himself.
Archie¡¯s eyes snapped open, his head slightly throbbing, as he remembered what happened before he passed out. He slowly got up from the ground pushing aside the empty potion bottles next to him.
Looking down at his chest, he saw his chestpiece ripped apart, allowing him to see his torso. Archie¡¯s already scarred torso now bore four new large gashes that had partially healed and scabbed over. No doubt this would be added to his growing collection of scars on his body.
¡°I lived,¡± Archie chuckled with a stupid smile on his face. ¡°My bloodline gave me enough health to live and gave me the boost to grab my potions¡±
Looking at his notification he read:
Profession Challenge Dungeon
Objective 1: Connect with the spirits around you.
Reward: Shaman Profession
Confused, Archie asked himself, ¡°How does one connect with spirits?¡±
¡°I knew this was some bullshit hippie¡shit,¡± Archie said, shaking his head.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
Looking around the cave he saw that the cave was large, easily ten times the size of his first cave. Scattered across the ground and ceiling were glowing crystals, they produced soft hues of blue, green, and violets casting enough light to make the entire cave visible.
In the center of the cave, stood a dark oak cabin ¨C something seemingly utterly out of place yet perfectly in place. The cabin¡¯s wood was aged and weathered; the dark oak looked almost ebony-colored. Its walls were rough-hewn, with intricate carvings of serpents, ravens, and many strange symbols etched deeply into the wood.
Visible through the windows of the cabin, the light produced a yellow-orange hue. Walking towards the cabin, Archie walked up to the door and pushed the door open allowing him to see what the cabin kept hidden.
The interior of the cabin was sparse, yet every element within exuded an air of deep purpose. At the center of the space stood a single desk, weathered and worn, its surface covered in strange symbols similar to those on the cabin¡¯s exterior. ¡®Some magic symbols probably¡¯ Archie thought
Atop the desk lay two worn books with the titles, Connecting with the Spirits and A Guide to Shamanism both by the same author, Myrddin Oaken. Beside the books was a single silver knife, its handle similarly covered in symbols, looking unsettlingly sharp.
Beside the desk was a lone chair, symbols covering the chair, intricately designed as though it belonged to royalty.
In the far corner, a bed rested against the wall, its frame polished and beautifully designed with symbols carved across the sides and the headboard. The mattress and sheets looked to be softer than anything he had ever seen.
Opening Connecting with the Spirits symbols glowed before transforming to English. Slightly bewildered, Archie spoke aloud the first few words, eyes widening as he read, ¡°I am Myrddin Oaken a B-Grade Elf, born during the 13th cycle.¡±
Continuing he read, ¡®This dungeon was created to spread druidism to newly initiated worlds, with the initial aspect being Shamanism. I understand that what I might be speaking about Shamanism might seem to be hogwash, you might think of spirits as fiction. But a close friend of mine grew up during the time of his universe¡¯s integration, and he spoke about how during his world¡¯s history magic was a fictional concept.¡¯
Archie nodded at what he read. ¡®Connecting with the spirits is a very personalized and intimate action. By infusing mana in your surroundings and trying to commune with the echoes of the spirits around you. An easy way to connect with the echoes of the spirits is to infuse your mana into the area around you and directly into one of the crystals scattered across the cave surrounding the cabin.¡¯
¡°Oh, ok. Now I just have to figure out how to use mana.¡± Archie said finally glad he found out how to complete the dungeon objective.
Continuing on he read, ¡®After connecting with the spirits for the first time, you should unlock the Shaman Profession which grants you the passive ability to connect with the spirits around you when channeling your mana into your environment without the need of the crystal.¡¯
After the final sentence, Archie turned the page only to find no more sheets.
¡°The hell? That was short. I guess these symbols etched into the leather of the book were designed to prolong the lifespan of the notebook.¡± Archie reasoned
Placing the book down, Archie left the cabin and walked a good few meters away before sitting down. As he sat in a meditative position, According to both game and fantasy lore, you access mana for the first time by meditation.
Archie closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind from the thoughts that came to him. His breathing deepened and slowed, imagining himself becoming one with the environment around him.
¡°I knew that this meditation thing was fake,¡± Archie complained, annoyed that he spent what felt like hours doing nothing.
Feeling bored, he opened the Tutorial page, to see:
Solo Tutorial
The 72nd cycle has begun; thus, a tutorial is needed to increase the survivability of the newly integrated myriad races. The Hoarfrost Highlands is filled with various creatures from across the universe, each providing Tutorial Points upon their death to their killer. After the Solo Tutorial is completed, all Solo Tutorial Participants will be teleported into random Group Tutorials. Tutorial Points will be used to gain rewards after the full tutorial is completed.
Completion Criteria: Survive for 30 days.
Time remaining: 19 days & 16:04:54
¡°Five days! I slept for five days?¡± Archie shouted, astonished at how much he slept.
¡°I wasted five days just sleeping, I can¡¯t be wasting time screwing around anymore.¡± Archie said as he stood from his ¡®meditative form¡¯.
Archie opened his status page trying to figure out how to channel his mana, reading each skill description one skill stood out.
Adrenaline Rush (Rare):
For a period of time, you experience a surge of adrenaline, enhancing all physical attributes by 25%. However, the intense exertion puts a strain on the body, leading to temporary exhaustion once the effect wears off. Heavily Touched by the records of Adrenaline Junkie.
Activating Adrenaline Rush, Archie watched as the steam emitted from his body¡ªa visible sign that his skill activated and caused him to check his mana reserves to confirm that his mana had indeed drained slightly. His heart raced as a new idea formed in his mind. What if he could feel how the mana moved within him? Determined, he began to rapidly toggle Adrenaline Rush on and off, focusing on the strange, intangible energy that powered his skill.
With each activation, a pulse of heat surged through his core, fleeting and elusive, as if the mana itself was alive¡ªdancing through his veins like a gust of wind slipping through his fingers. He concentrated harder, trying to feel the flow of the energy inside him. When he deactivated the skill, he caught a glimpse of it¡ªa sliver of warmth, a delicate thread within his body that he hadn¡¯t noticed before.
Archie inhaled deeply and focused on that warmth, his mind reaching for it. He imagined grasping the thread, pulling it toward him, guiding it¡ªbut just as quickly as he felt it, the warmth vanished, slipping from his mental hold like sand through his fingers.
¡°Damn it,¡± he muttered, clicking his tongue in frustration. His breath came out in short huffs, but he wasn¡¯t ready to give up. His senses heightened, his body still thrumming with adrenaline, Archie steeled himself for another attempt. This time, he promised himself, he would not let it slip away.
The next attempt Archie made was met with a similar failure, but not disparaging Archie soldiered on; his mind focused on trying to control his mana for the first time.
***
Slightly tired and mana reserves almost empty, Archie tried once more to sense mana, activating Adrenaline Rush once more. He felt the sliver of mana travel from his navel and spread across his body, deactivating the skill, he held on to the mana strings that spread throughout his body and slowly allowed them all to return to his navel except for one.
Successfully retaining the singular mana string, he decided to extend the string out from his body and into the air. As a result, two dings echoed within his head, making Archie smile.
Looking at the notifications, he saw:
Skill Gained: [Meditation (Uncommon)]
Meditation (Uncommon):
By clearing your mind of the outside world and silencing all stray thoughts, you achieve meditation. While in meditation, Health, Stamina, and Mana regeneration are enhanced.
Skill Gained: [Mana Manipulation (Common)]
Mana Manipulation (Common):
You have gained the ability to tap into the raw energy of mana. As a novice, your control is still unrefined, allowing you to clumsily manage your own mana flow. This skill provides foundational knowledge, enabling you to progressively enhance your ability to channel, control, and shape mana.
Upon reading the new skill descriptions, Archie gritted his teeth as unfamiliar knowledge poured into his head.
After a couple of minutes, his headache faded, allowing him to properly assess what just happened. Slowly, bits and pieces of new knowledge filtered through, such as better ways to control his mana strings as well as how to exude his own mana.
Feeling confident now with his newly gained mana manipulation skill, Archie created a mana string with surprising ease and connected the mana string with his newly Uncommon rarity shield. Testing his theory he had mulled over when trying to control his mana, ¡®Maybe mana is needed to activate the self-repair.¡¯
As he connected the mana string to the shield, he felt the shield drain his mana reserves, he identified his shield.
Iron Heater Shield (Common):
An iron-rimmed light-shield with a wooden base, provided to those who have chosen the Warrior starting class. Effect: Soul-bound & Self-repair. Status: Moderately beaten & slashed. Requirements: Humanoid Race.
Archie smiled once more remembering the previous status of the shield. Finally glad on both figuring out how to control his mana and repair his shield.
All that¡¯s left is to grab a crystal, and imbue mana inside it and into my surroundings. I should probably fill my mana reserves and increase my mana reserves before imbuing the crystal. Archie thought before placing ten points into Intelligence.
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human F-Grade Lv 18
Class: Warrior Lv 23
Profession: *Empty*
Health: 554/861
Mana: 28/250
Stamina: 420/420
Stats:
Vitality: 82(86)
Strength: 92(96)
Endurance: 42
Agility: 64
Intelligence: 46
Wisdom: 25
Willpower: 26(27)
Perception: 25
Free Points: 3
Skills:
Basic One-Handed Weapon Mastery (Common)
Basic Light-Shield Mastery (Common)
Identify (Initiate)
Savage Charge (Rare)
Adrenaline Rush (Rare)
Warrior''s Resilience (Rare)
Bloodline:
Adrenaline Junkie (Unique) [+5% to Strength and +5% to Willpower]
Titles Collected:
Bloodline Progenitor [+10 Vitality and +5% Vitality]
Tutorial Points:
1,306
Archie took out a mana potion and downed it in one go before tossing it to the ground. Archie then decided to walk towards a violet crystal that produced a hue of violet light.
Ch 11 - Shaman
"Here goes nothing," Archie muttered and settled beside the violet crystal. He placed his hands on its crystalline surface and felt a faint warmth pulsating from within. Closing his eyes, in an attempt to focus, he began to release his mana, letting it flow from within his body and into the world around him.
His mana now intertwined with the ambient mana of his surroundings, while the violet crystal pulsed lightly in response to his mana injection. As his mana reserves dropped to 50%, suddenly, everything went dark.
All Archie could see was darkness, not even his hands were visible. Then, faint lights appeared; many small and colorful specks of light were shimmering through the darkness. A myriad of colors sparkled, like stars scattered across a night sky. Twinkling softly, they danced around him in what appeared to be a joyous fashion. The sight reminded him of when he went stargazing with Henry, and Father back when they went camping.
Archie sensed many different types of energy coming from the glowing lights, subtle yet calming. The sensation was soothing, like the gentle rhythm of a distant heartbeat.
As suddenly as they came, the colorful specks disappeared, seemingly vanished from existence. The sudden disappearance caused Archie to jolt from his position, eyes darting around trying to figure out what broke his connection with the lights.
Upon looking down at the violet crystal he saw that it was no longer purple, rather it became translucent. Shocked, Archie tried looking at his notifications in hopes for an answer.
Profession Challenge Dungeon
Objective 1: Connect with the spirits around you. ?
Reward: Shaman Profession
You have obtained the Shaman Profession!
Shaman:
A Shaman draws upon the spirits and elemental forces of nature to perform various effects. Central to their power is effigy carving, artifacts that offer a myriad of effects. Abilities Granted: Spirit Link (Epic) & Effigy-Carving (Initiate). Stats per level: +2 Int, +2 Per, +1 Agi, +1 Free Point.
¡°Hmm, nice distribution across my mental stats. Now I only need to worry about Willpower, Wisdom, and Endurance. ¡± Archie said while overlooking his profession¡¯s description.
Gained Skill: Spirit Link (Epic)
Spirit Link (Epic):
Through deep meditation, you enter the spirit realm of your current surroundings. By entering the spirit realm, you are able to connect with the spirits on a more intimate level and manipulate them. Linking with the spirits around you, your mental and physical capabilities are enhanced. The effectiveness of Spirit Link is based on your Intelligence and Willpower stats.
¡°An Epic skill, nice! Hmm¡ So those lights were the surrounding spirits.¡± Archie replied seemingly happy at identifying what those lights were.
Skill Evolved: [Meditation (Uncommon) ¡ú Deep Meditation (Rare)]
Deep Meditation (Rare):
By clearing your mind of the outside world and silencing all stray thoughts, you achieve a state of deep meditation. While in meditation, the regeneration of Health, Stamina, and Mana is deeply enhanced. However, while meditating, your connection to the physical world fades¡ªyour senses completely shut down, leaving you unable to see, hear, or feel anything around you.
¡°This sounds both good and bad. I get enhanced regeneration in all my resource pools, but when I use this skill, I become comatose.¡± Archie analyzed before deciding to only use meditation when he is isolated from any potential danger.
Gained Skill: [Effigy-Carving (Initiate)]
Effigy-Carving (Initiate):
Effigies are the most basic crafting abilities of a Shaman, allowing them to create unique effects when in use. Grants basic knowledge of wood carving. Effigies crafted will provide a minor bonus when activated, but after a certain period of time they crumble.
¡°What are effigies? Some sort of wooden sculpture?¡± Archie wondered aloud.
¡°Wait! I can make wooden sculptures that could give me stat bonuses? That¡¯s broken!¡± Archie realized.
Profession Challenge Dungeon
Objective 2: Create four effigies: Wrath, Healing, Endurance, and Stealth (Common+)
Reward: ?
¡°How do I craft an effigy? Or get wood?¡± Archie wondered, remembering the book from within the cabin ¡®A Guide to Shamanism¡¯, Archie got up from where he sat and headed toward the dark oak cabin.
Pushing the cabin door open, Archie saw the book ¡®A Guide to Shamanism¡¯ and picked it up.
¡°Shamanism cannot be explained in quick and easy terms, for shamanism is different for everything and everyone. For example, shamanism for some people is a way to get revenge against their enemies and cause destruction, another would be shamanism is a way to bring harmony to spirits and use them for others. But the origin is the same; shamanism is the act of using spirits, be it of elemental, celestial, demonic, etcetera. I personally have a connection with nature, thus use the spirits of nature to empower both my magic and craft. But that does not mean I ignore other spirits; I also use spirits of the elements and healing as well. Once again, shamanism is using spirits, be it forcibly or gently, to do what you wish.¡± Archie read out loud, nodding along to Myrddin Oaken¡¯s description of shamanism.
¡°Regardless, basic and essential ways to connect with spirits as a new Shaman is by crafting effigies and by utilizing your Spirit Link.¡± Archie read aloud, eyes narrowing at the mention of effigies.
¡°Effigies are simple carvings made by imbuing a carved object with a respective spirit. For example, to make a wrath effigy you need to complete three steps; First, create a sculpture that you think personifies wrath, second imbue your personal emotion/feelings of wrath within the sculpture and third manipulate the spirits in your surroundings to empower the effigy.¡± Archie read aloud finally getting an answer on how to make an effigy, specifically for wrath.
¡°The spirits I refer to are not ones of nature, rather they are non-sentient lesser elemental spirits. As you evolve you will be able to perceive spirits of higher degrees, but for now you can only perceive lesser spirits. Now you might be wondering how to create an effigy without wood, as there are no trees within the cave. The answer for that is to look behind the cabin.¡± Archie read, almost feeling the smirk from the author.
Sighing at his own stupidity for not properly exploring the cave, Archie decided that he needed to rest to properly reset his own mental. But before he headed for the bed, he decided to open his status page.
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human F-Grade Lv 18
Class: Warrior Lv 23
Profession: Shaman Lv 0
Health: 861/861
Mana: 5/250
Stamina: 420/420
Stats:
Vitality: 82(86)
Strength: 92(96)
Endurance: 42
Agility: 64
Intelligence: 46
Wisdom: 25
Willpower: 26(27)
Perception: 25
Free Points: 3
Skills:
Basic One-Handed Weapon Mastery (Common)
Basic Light-Shield Mastery (Common)
Identify (Initiate)
Savage Charge (Rare)
Adrenaline Rush (Rare)
Warrior''s Resilience (Rare)
Deep Meditation (Rare)
Mana Manipulation (Common)
Spirit Link (Epic)
Effigy-Carving (Initiate)
Bloodline:
Adrenaline Junkie (Unique) [+5% to Strength and +5% to Willpower]
Titles Collected:
Bloodline Progenitor [+10 Vitality and +5% Vitality]
Tutorial Points:
1,306
¡°Ah, that¡¯s why Spirit Link stopped working¡± Archie chuckled to himself while looking at his almost empty mana reserves.
Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.
As Archie sat on the bed, he felt as though he was on a cloud, it was softer than anything he had ever touched. As he fell on the bed, he felt the cushioning perfectly mold itself to him. As such Archie slept peacefully for the first time since the tutorial began.
Waking up from the greatest sleep of his life, a refreshed Archie left the sheets of the bed with a smile and a spring in his step.
Now fully awake Archie realized he had not done probably the most important thing he should have, Identified stuff.
Looking at the desk, books, and the knife he read:
Sigil Ridden Desk (Common):
This dark oak desk has been etched with many sigils invented by Myrddin Oaken to preserve its integrity throughout time and crafted by a C-Grade Carpenter. Due to the passage of time, all effects on the desk are gone, rendering all sigils on the desk as ornate designs. Status: Moderately used.
Sigil Ridden Chair (Common):
This dark oak chair has been etched with many sigils invented by Myrddin Oaken to preserve its integrity throughout time and crafted by a C-Grade Carpenter. Due to the passage of time, all effects on the desk are gone, rendering all sigils on the desk as ornate designs. Status: Moderately used.
Sigil Ridden Book (Rare):
¡®Connecting with the Spirits¡¯ by Myrddin Oaken. This leather book has been heavily inscribed to withstand the passage of time, but without proper maintenance, its condition has semi-deteriorated. Effects: Time Preservation & Translation. Status: Moderately used.
Sigil Ridden Book (Rare):
¡®A Guide to Shamanism¡¯ by Myrddin Oaken. This leather book has been heavily inscribed to withstand the passage of time, but without proper maintenance, its condition has semi-deteriorated. Effects: Time Preservation & Translation. Status: Perfect.
Silver Carving Knife (Uncommon):
A silver carving knife made from Silver (Rare) but with the efforts of [Redacted] it became a silver carving knife (Epic). Due to the effects of time, the rarity has dropped by multiple tiers. Effects: Soul-Bound, Self-Repair & Sharpness. Requirements: Humanoid Race. Status: Perfect.
Sigil Ridden Bed (Uncommon):
A dark oak bed etched with many sigils etched by Myrddin Oaken to preserve its integrity throughout time and crafted by a C-Grade Carpenter. The mattress, pillows, and sheets are filled with the wool of a D-Grade Cloudhopper. Due to the effects of time, the rarity has dropped by multiple tiers. Effects: Time Preservation & Enhanced Recovery. Status: Perfect.
¡°So that¡¯s how those runes became English and why this bed is impossibly soft.¡± Archie said but then said, ¡°I''ll pocket this carving knife to carve up some effigies. I¡¯m not gonna touch the redacted thing with a ten-foot pole.¡± While placing the silver carving knife in the potion pouch.
Walking out the cabin door Archie analyzed the translucent crystal and a violet crystal.
Essence Crystal ¨C Shaman:
Affinity crystals are physical manifestations of condensed essence towards a specific archetype, role, class, profession, or element. The chance to find an essence crystal grown naturally within the multiverse is infinitesimally small. Effect: Shamanic Essence.
Essence Crystal ¨C Empty:
Affinity crystals are physical manifestations of condensed essence towards a specific archetype, role, class, profession, or element. The chance to find an essence crystal grown naturally within the multiverse is infinitesimally small. This affinity crystal is empty and does not provide any effects but can be used in rituals. Effect: Empty.
¡°Huh, I might grab a couple of them to take with me considering how rare they are,¡± Archie said.
Remembering his damaged chest piece, he Identified it.
Plated Chain-mail Chestpiece (Common):
A Plated Chain-mail Chestpiece, provided to those who have chosen the warrior starting class. Due to taking more damage than it could handle it has broken, rendering it useless and deadweight. Effect: Soul-bound. Status: Broken. Requirements: Humanoid Race.
Upon reading the description of his chestpiece, he sighed and took it off. At the very least without the chestpiece, I feel lighter. Archie thought while making his way to the back of the cabin.
Behind the cabin was an arched doorway, the doorway was made from grey brick, contrasting with the rough walls of the cave. Through the doorway, it looked as if it led to a new world. Luscious grass swayed gently by an unseen breeze, and a vast forest painted the background, trees larger than anything he had ever seen.
Looking around the forest Archie could only chuckle and think, ¡®A pocket dimension in a pocket dimension.¡¯
Unslinging his hatchet, Archie walked toward a large oak tree and swung.
Looking at the large pile of chopped logs around him, and the stumps showing evidence of his massacre against trees, Archie smiled, finally able to start carving.
Sitting down with his back against a stump, Archie pulled out his carving knife and grabbed a chopped log.
¡°Hmm¡ Wrath. What symbolizes wrath to me? A wolf? No. Hmm¡¡± Archie said with a frown marring his face, unable to find a symbol of wrath.
¡°I should come back to wrath; healing should be easier for now. A symbol for healing¡. A health potion should work.¡± Archie decided, moving from trying to make a wrath effigy towards a healing effigy.
Placing a health potion on the ground in front of him, Archie started to carve out a health potion.
Archie clicked his tongue as he nicked his thumb with the carving knife, staining bits of the log with his blood. This is gonna go well, Archie sarcastically thought while licking his bloody thumb.
Looking at his first successful potion carving, Archie smiled with joy. Around him lay a scattered collection of discarded carvings; some cracked from excess pressure, others chipped from inefficient hand coordination, and many of them disfigured beyond recognition.
Identifying the carving, Archie read:
Wooden Miniature Sculpture (Initiate):
A rough wooden carving made from oak depicting a distorted potion bottle.
Smiling at the system acknowledgement, that his carving was considered to be in the design of a potion bottle, no matter how crappy it looked.
¡°Now I have to imbue the feeling of healing within the sculpture. Should be easy enough, self-mutilation and waiting for it to heal on its own.¡± Archie smiled, finally happy to move on to the next step.
Pulling out his dagger and gritting his teeth, Archie deeply cut his bare abdomen, drawing blood, and then started to use his Deep Meditation in an attempt to focus on his regeneration of health.
Everything turned dark as the skill activated, everything around Archie vanished leaving him surrounded in darkness and isolation. Archie started to envision his body, tracing his form ¨C starting with his limbs, then his torso. Then he focused on his internal components ¨C the intricate network of veins and blood flowing within them.
Feeling his vital energy travel with increased speed and purpose towards his injury. With Deep Meditation active he instinctively knew what he had to do to heal his injury. Archie continued to feel the increased regeneration of his health, until his health reached full, causing him to exit his Deep Meditation.
Focusing on the feeling of healing, he then started to imbue both it and his mana into the potion carving. Identifying the carving he then saw:
Imbued Wooden Miniature Sculpture (Initiate):
A rough wooden carving made from oak depicting a distorted potion bottle. Now imbued with the feeling of healing belonging to an F-Grade human.
Archie then activated Spirit Link, causing him to be surrounded by darkness once more, but now with many small colorful dots, spirits, he corrected himself. Now with the skill Spirit Link, Archie was able to feel his connection with the spirits strengthen, and slowly started to drag a few of them within the imbued potion carving.
Just as the last spirit he controlled disappeared into the carving, he canceled Spirit Link. The galaxy of spirits that filled his mind now faded away, leaving Archie on his lonesome within the forest, with his senses fully returned.
Identifying the potion carving he read:
Effigy of Healing (Initiate):
An oak wood healing effigy made in the design of a disfigured Potion of Health, imbued with the feeling of healing belonging to an F-Grade human and empowered with lesser elemental spirits. Allows minor increased health regeneration for 2 minutes for the one who activates the effigy. Effects: Minor Increased Health Regeneration. Requirement: Lv 1+.
*Your Profession has reached Lv 1 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Race has reached Lv 19 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
¡°Yes!¡± Archie shouted, he had finally created his first effigy and received his first level into his profession. Proof that he was on the right track. The elation he received from making his first effigy rivaled that of when he built his first plastic cubed castle as a kid.
He missed making models and robot miniatures.
Riding off the dopamine rush, he got back on the effigy-carving grind.
Ch 12 - Bear
The once bright and sunny sky, hovering above the forest, was now dark and starry with a moon in place of the sun. Archie, still sitting in the large field of stumps, looked at his greatest masterpiece.
Effigy of Healing (Common):
An oak wood healing effigy made in the design of a Potion of Health imbued with the feelings of healing belonging to an F-Grade human and empowered with lesser elemental spirits. Allows lesser increased health regeneration for 10 minutes by the one who activates the effigy. Effects: Lesser Increased Health Regeneration. Requirement: Lv 10+ & Humanoid Race.
*Your Profession has reached Lv 8¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Race has reached Lv 21 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
Archie looked at his first-ever Effigy of Healing (Common) within his palm, completely drained of stamina and mana. Looking around him, ignoring the scattered wood shavings, he saw to his right a large pile of Effigies of Healing (Initiate) easily around twenty of them.
To his left he saw the even larger piles of broken effigy statues, looking at the pile he shivered a bit remembering the explosion of wooden shrapnel turning him into a human porcupine.
Archie had finally carved a Wooden Miniature Sculpture of Common quality and had just finished imbuing it with the feeling of healing. The only step left was to empower it with spirits, using Spirit Link. As darkness enveloped Archie, he was once again sent into the spirit realm for the 43rd time today.
Within the spirit realm Archie might have been a bit impatient, instead of slowly manipulating a few spirits into the Imbued Wooden Miniature Sculpture of Initiate quality, he grabbed a large handful of them forcefully and shoved them into the effigy.
Upon leaving the spirit realm, Archie said, ¡°Uh oh¡± as he felt the Effigy start to crack; the imbued wooden sculpture of initiate quality unable to handle the power of 30 spirits.
Archie was unable to toss the sculpture spirit bomb far enough causing his hands, face, and abdomen to be stabbed with jagged splinters. Thankfully Archie had enough time to cover his eyes from being pierced like olives causing him to retain his vision.
The aftermath of the explosion covered both him and the area around him in wooden shavings. Coughing Archie looked at the explosion site that covered his makeshift effigy carving workshop, then at the splinters that covered the upper half of his body.
Sighing, ¡°Me and my impatient ass,¡± Archie mumbled as he started to pluck the jagged splinters from his body.
Archie then looked at the one Effigy that lay alone in front of him, he identified it once more.
Effigy of Harm (Common):
An oak-wood harm-inducing effigy made in the design of a Potion of Health, imbued with the feelings of anger and frustration belonging to an F-Grade human and empowered with lesser elemental spirits. Allows lesser health degeneration for 10 minutes for all within a 10 USM circle, except for the one who activates the effigy. Effects: Lesser Health Degeneration. Requirement: Lv 10+ & Humanoid Race.
¡°I still don¡¯t know exactly how I made that one,¡± Archie admitted, his tone tinged with both annoyance and confusion. ¡°I was just pissed and annoyed that I hadn¡¯t managed to create a Common rarity Effigy of Healing yet, and somehow, I ended up making a Common rarity Effigy of Harm instead. I modeled it after a Potion of Health, so how the hell did it become an Effigy of Harm?¡±
¡°Whelp I¡¯m gonna head to bed, my brain feels like mush,¡± Archie said, gathering up as many effigies as he could and heading back into the cabin.
Waking up once more from the greatest bed in existence, Archie opened his status page to see:
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human F-Grade Lv 21
Class: Warrior Lv 23
Profession: Shaman Lv 8
Health: 892/892
Mana: 280/280
Stamina: 450/450
Stats:
Vitality: 85(89)
Strength: 95(99)
Endurance: 45
Agility: 75
Intelligence: 65
Wisdom: 28
Willpower: 29(30)
Perception: 44
Free Points: 14
Skills:
Basic One-Handed Weapon Mastery (Common)
Basic Light-Shield Mastery (Common)
Identify (Initiate)
Savage Charge (Rare)
Adrenaline Rush (Rare)
Warrior''s Resilience (Rare)
Deep Meditation (Rare)
Mana Manipulation (Common)
Spirit Link (Epic)
Effigy-Carving (Initiate)
Bloodline:
Adrenaline Junkie (Unique) [+5% to Strength and +5% to Willpower]
Titles Collected:
Bloodline Progenitor [+10 Vitality and +5% Vitality]
Tutorial Points:
1,306
¡°Nice, but I should increase willpower by eleven points and place two points into wisdom, making them improve my Effigy-Carving skill. Albeit I¡¯m unsure how wisdom could help, more stat points in my mental class could only mean good things.¡± Archie said before using his free points.
After placing those free points, Archie¡¯s stomach grumbled. ¡°I hope there is something to hunt while in the forest,¡± Archie mumbled lightly afraid of eating random berries or tree bark, especially the berries within this forest.
Any bright-colored thing in the wild is poisonous, Archie remembered his father telling him once when he tried to eat a red berry on a hiking trip. His father had grabbed his arm just before he popped the berry into his mouth, his voice stern yet calm as he explained how anything bright in the wild is most likely very dangerous.
After passing through the doorway and into the forest, Archie saw his wooden shaving-covered makeshift workshop and got an idea, ¡°When I hunt for food I can learn the feeling of stealth, and I can use that for the Effigy of Stealth.¡± Archie said with a smile on his face at the chance to hit two birds with one stone.
Archie was currently staring at his hunt atop a tree. A few meters below Archie was a large black bear, nibbling on some black berries and bark oblivious to everything around him. But the bear cub was not his target, rather it was the four green goblins who stalked the brown bear cub.
Identifying the goblins and black bear, he read:
[Goblin Lv 29]
[Goblin Lv 31]
[Goblin Lv 28]
[Goblin Lv 33]
[Bear Cub Lv 28]
That¡¯s a bear cub? That¡¯s easily two meters tall, Archie thought. What¡¯s with the system and roiding-up baby beasts? First the gorilla and now this?
Archie then stared at the goblins; they wore mixed mashed fur armor, but they weren¡¯t completely covered in armor; feet, heads, shins, and arms were uncovered. They resembled generic goblinoids, with thin, leathery-textured skin, hooked noses, bald heads, and a height of four and a half feet. Two goblins carried stone-tipped spears, and the other two goblins had slings made from vines and a piece of leather.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
The spearman goblins started to approach the bear cub spears parallel to the ground, while the slingshot goblins stood in the back each loading rocks into their slings.
One of the goblin spearmen stepped on a twig causing the bear cub to stop eating and face his stalkers. Standing on its back legs it roared in defiance toward the four goblins, the goblin spearmen gave up their stealth attack and charged at the bear cub.
One spear stuck into the lower left abdomen of the bear cub, while the other stuck into its lower middle abdomen. The swiped down with its left clawed paw across the skull of the level 29 goblin, causing it to let go of the spear handle and grab at its face.
The level 33 spear goblin pulled out its spear and thrust its spear into the bear cub¡¯s unprotected neck. Unfortunately for the goblin, the fur and thick muscles on the bear cub¡¯s throat stopped the thrust of the spear from going deeper than a few centimeters into its neck.
The bear cub lunged at the goblin spearman, but then its face was knocked to the side as rocks punctured into its face. Roaring in pain the bear cub fell to the ground, and both the level 33 and 29 goblin spearmen, the former now up from the ground, jumped atop the bear cub and started stabbing the bear cub to death.
The four goblins squealed in joy and started to dance around the corpse of the bear cub. After a couple of minutes of dancing, they started to cut apart the bear cub. One goblin, in particular, took a bite of some bear meat but then got hit in the face by another. Soon enough a fight broke out between the two goblins while the remaining two goblins continued to take apart the bear cub''s corpse.
Archie watched the whole fight from afar completely hidden from both the bear cub and four goblins, fully submerged in trying to stay hidden from the combat. Confident that he understood the feeling of stealth, he was about to jump down and attack the four goblins.
Just before Archie jumped from the current branch he stood on, Archie heard stomping, loud stomping fill the forest.
The goblins stopped whatever they were doing and grabbed their weapons, as the stomping became louder and louder. But then Archie heard it, the most chilling sound he had ever heard.
ROOOOOOAAAARRR!
Goosebumps covered Archie¡¯s entire body, Adrenaline spiking, Archie stood crouched on the tree branch and witnessed a slaughter that would permanently etch itself in his mind.
A large black bear standing easily at a height of 4 meters, its black fur across its body was covered in scars, muscles rippling with every step it took. Archie Identified the bear:
[Hulking Black Bear Lv 49]
Upon reaching the group of goblins, it squashed the level 33 goblin easily, the level 33 goblin¡¯s body crushed like a can under a hydraulic press, causing its yellow blood to splatter everywhere. The three remaining goblins still in shock haven¡¯t moved an inch, the large black bear swung its paw once more, claws cutting deep across the body of a goblin.
The remaining two goblins, finally able to move, turned back to run away from the bear, scared out of their minds. But just as they started to run the bear lunged forward and slammed one goblin into the ground and chomped down on its head. The last goblin ignored the death of its group and run full speed trying to escape the bear, the bear not oblivious to the last goblin it chased after him.
Now alone from where the massacre took place Archie quietly chuckled, a grin unnervingly painted across his face as he thought, I guess I found the feeling of wrath I was looking for and what I¡¯m going to base my Effigy of Wrath on. Archie then jumped down, grabbed a few large chunks of bear meat the goblins had collected, and headed back to his makeshift workstation.
Back at his makeshift workstation, Archie stared at the effigies he had just created:
Effigy of Stealth (Common):
An oak wood stealth effigy made in the design of a cat, imbued with the feeling of stealth belonging to an F-Grade human and empowered with lesser elemental spirits. The user¡¯s presence is harder to detect for a period of time for the one who activates the effigy. Effects: Lesser Presence Suppression. Requirement: Lv 10+.
Effigy of Wrath (Uncommon):
An oak wood wrath effigy made in the design of a Hulking Black Bear, imbued with the feeling of rage and anger belonging to an F-Grade bear that heard the dying cries of its cub and empowered with lesser elemental spirits. Low increase in strength for a period of time for the one who activates the effigy. Effects: Low Increased Strength. Requirement: Lv 15+.
Surprisingly he had just taken a single attempt at crafting them both, seemingly gotten more skilled at effigy carving. Looking at the Effigy of Wrath, he felt melancholic as the only reason he was able to make it was due to a mother losing her child. Shaking his head in an attempt to get rid of the somber mood that fell upon him, he looked at the notifications that he ignored while being fully focused on creating the two effigies.
*Your Profession has reached Lv 9 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
***
*Your Profession has reached Lv 15 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Shaman Profession Skills Available. Choose one of the options*
*Your Race has reached Lv 22 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Race has reached Lv 23 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
Skill Upgrade: [Effigy-Carving (Initiate ¡ú Common)]
Effigy-Carving (Common):
Effigies are the most basic crafting abilities of a Shaman, allowing them to create unique effects when in use. Due to improved proficiency in wood carving, wood becomes easier to shape. Effigies crafted will provide lesser bonuses.
Looking at the Shaman profession skills, a few caught his immediate attention.
[Hex of Weakness (Common)]: The shaman calls upon the spirits to drain an enemy¡¯s strength, weakening their attack. The weakening of the attack is proportional to the mana you use when casting the hex.
[Shatter Spirit (Common)]: The shaman calls upon the spirits to attack their foe¡¯s soul, fracturing it minorly. Nevertheless, due to the fragility of the soul, your foe¡¯s magical connection is disrupted.
[Material Insight (Uncommon)]: The shaman taps into their connection with nature to identify and locate materials for their crafts.
¡°The first two are great for combat, but I think I can handle combat just fine so far. Material Insight is probably best. If I can find any better materials for effigies, I get some cool added effects on all my effigies.¡± Archie said while choosing Material Insight.
Archie placed the two effigies into his potion pouch, grabbed some chopped logs and set them alight. Placing the bear meat on the fire he opened the dungeon objective tab and saw:
Profession Challenge Dungeon
Objective 2: Create 4 effigies: Wrath, Healing, Endurance, and Stealth (Common+) 3/4
Reward: ?
Smiling, he decided to make his final effigy, Effigy of Endurance.
GROWL!
Sheepishly, Archie looked at his stomach, I¡¯ll make it after I eat some food.
Squinting from the bright sun as he passed through the doorway, Archie walked through the forest until he found his ¡®workshop¡¯. Sitting down, back to the same stump as always, started to carve out a turtle, with his Effigy-Carving skill now at Common rarity, he managed to finish carving the turtle in a few minutes.
Wooden Miniature Sculpture (Common):
A wooden carving made from oak depicting a Frostiron Tortoise.
Holding the Frostiron Tortoise miniature within his palms, he remembered his first night entering the tutorial. That night was the worst he had ever endured in his life, both the fight with the wolf and when he stayed up the whole night in the freezing cold, forcing himself to stay up.
Imbuing the Frostiron Tortoise miniature with his memory of his first night during the tutorial, he then activated Spirit Link. Upon entering the spirit realm, he noticed that the spirits were somewhat larger and brighter than when he had entered before when gathering spirits for the Effigy of Wrath.
Not seeing anything else different with the spirits, continuing with effigy making, he manipulated the spirits into the Frostiron Tortoise miniature.
Upon leaving the spirit realm he Identified the effigy that he now held.
Effigy of Endurance (Common):
An oak wood endurance effigy made in the design of a Frostiron Tortoise, imbued with the feelings of Endurance belonging to an F-Grade human and empowered with lesser elemental spirits. Increased stamina regeneration for a minor period of time for the one who activates the effigy. Effects: Lesser Stamina Regeneration. Requirement: Lv 10+.
Hearing a system ding, he read the notification:
Profession Challenge Dungeon
Objective 2: Create 4 effigies: Wrath, Healing, Endurance, and Stealth (Common+) ?
Reward: Spatial Ring (Rare)
*Your Profession has reached Lv 16 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
Ch 13 - Goblins
Still sitting down against the tree stump, Effigy of Endurance still in his left hand, the silver carving knife in his right hand, and a silver band ring lying on the grass in between his legs. Identifying the ring, he read.
Spatial Ring (Rare):
A silver band ring made by an unknown Spatial Mage. The spatial effect of the ring creates a 2x2x2 USU cube that can store any non-living being or item within. Effects: Soul-Bound, Self-Repair & Spatial Storage. Provides: +10 Wis & +5 Int. Status: Perfect. Requirement: Lv 23+ & Humanoid Race.
¡°Nice! An inventory,¡± Archie smiled as he put on his new ring on the middle finger of his right hand. Looking up, he noticed a new notification that appeared after he completed the second objective.
Profession Challenge Dungeon
Objective 3: Kill all the goblins 0/30 and the goblin Shaman that live within the goblin village 0/1
Reward: ?
Putting on his Frostiron Gauntlets, Archie got up from the ground and tried to figure out how he could put his Effigy of Endurance into his spatial ring. Creating a mana string he wrapped it around the effigy and placed the end of the string onto the ring, channeling mana through the string, the effigy disappeared from his left hand.
Channeling mana through his spatial ring, he subconsciously saw the effigy within a 2x2x2 meter cube, upon thinking about taking it out, it appeared back into his left palm. Archie smiled while repeating the same motions of making the effigy disappear and reappear.
After a few minutes of using the spatial ring, he went back into the cabin and filled it up with all his valuables. The spatial ring housed; 22 Effigies of Healing (Initiate), 1 Effigy of Healing (Common),1 Effigy of Harm (Common), 1 Effigy of Stealth (Common), 1 Effigy of Wrath (Uncommon),1 Effigy of Endurance (Common), all his potion bottles, some pieces of cooked bear meat and his broken plated chain-mail chest piece.
Archie now fully stocked up on effigies, left the cabin and headed out into the forest intent on trying to find the goblin village.
Archie stood atop a tree, twenty meters above ground hidden by leaves overlooking the goblin village, filled with goblins who were gathered in their own cliques.
The goblin village was surrounded by log walls with pencil-like tips, the walls forming a large circle. From what he observed while circling the outside, there was only one opening in the wall that acted as both an entrance and exit. Inside the village, there were several tiki tents made from various pieces of beast fur and bones. One tiki tent was as large as three normal tents combined, and atop it sat a giant bear skull. At the center of the village was a large campfire, surrounded by broken bones and rotting pieces of meat.
Opening his status page, he saw:
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human F-Grade Lv 23
Class: Warrior Lv 23
Profession: Shaman Lv 16
Health: 913/913
Mana: 420/420
Stamina: 430/470
Stats:
Vitality: 87 (91)
Strength: 97 (101)
Endurance: 47
Agility: 85
Intelligence: 88
Wisdom: 42
Willpower: 42 (44)
Perception: 62
Free Points: 24
Skills:
Basic One-Handed Weapon Mastery (Common)
Basic Light-Shield Mastery (Common)
Identify (Initiate)
Savage Charge (Rare)
Adrenaline Rush (Rare)
Warrior''s Resilience (Rare)
Deep Meditation (Rare)
Mana Manipulation (Common)
Spirit Link (Epic)
Effigy-Carving (Common)
Material Insight (Uncommon)
Bloodline:
Adrenaline Junkie (Unique) [+5% to Strength and +5% to Willpower]
Titles Collected:
Bloodline Progenitor [+10 Vitality and +5% Vitality]
Tutorial Points:
1,306
Identifying the goblins, he took note that they were on average between levels of 29 ¨C 38, wearing similar mix-mashed fur armor as the goblin group from before. The only goblin that was above level 38 was the goblin shaman; the shaman wore a patchwork of random fur pieces, crude-looking bone pieces protruding from shoulder guards, a bear skull covering the goblin¡¯s face, and it wore no pants.
Okay, I need to kill them in small groups, Archie thought. Divide and conquer.
As soon as the thought passed by his head, just a few minutes later, a small group of four goblins rushed from the forest and into the village. The group of four goblins started shouting, garnering the attention of all the goblins, including the shaman, within the village.
Soon enough, twenty goblins grabbed their weapons; spears, and slings, and rushed out of the village in groups of four. The remaining ten goblins stood guard around the village as the goblin shaman yelled something unintelligible to Archie before heading back into his tent.
As the sun disappeared and the moon rose; darkness started to engulf the forest, Archie watched as the groups of goblins disappeared into the forest holding torches and shouting at the top of their lungs.
The goblins who rushed into the village probably found the corpses of the other goblins, Archie thought, dashing across branches following a random group of goblins. And it looks like they¡¯re going to avenge their fallen comrades. Looks like this is the perfect time to hunt them down.
Archie from atop his branch, saw the five groups of goblins scattered in the forest, torches lighting the forest. Looking at the group of goblins below him, he identified them.
[Goblin Lv 35]
[Goblin Lv 32]
[Goblin Lv 29]
[Goblin Lv 30]
Archie stored his potions into his newly acquired spatial ring, took out an Effigy of Stealth, and channeled mana through it, both a cool sensation filled his being as well as his adrenaline slowly rose. Pulling out his sword and shield, he jumped down the tree, landing on the level 35 goblin, Archie¡¯s sword sank into its neck killing it instantly.
Archie pulled out his sword from the goblin¡¯s neck and sliced it into the neck of another goblin. The remaining goblins, startled by the sudden noise, looked to see their two strongest group members dead in an instant and screeched, alerting the other groups about Archie.
Wasting no time Archie activated Savage Charge to close the distance between him and the level 29 goblin, easily slicing him in half. Raising his shield, he blocked the spear of the remaining goblin, pushed aside the spear, and stabbed into the stomach of the last goblin in the group. After the fight, Archie took notice of how easily he killed the four goblins; I guess goblins don¡¯t have a high vitality stat, given how easily I cut through them¡But if they don¡¯t have tough skin or some sort of enhanced durability, why fight without armor?
Flicking the blood off his blade, Archie glanced at his notifications.
*[Goblin Lv 35//Spearman Lv 25//Fisher Lv 18] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 140 Tutorial Points given*
*[Goblin Lv 32//Spearman Lv 28//Lumberjack Lv 16] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 128 Tutorial Points given*Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
*[Goblin Lv 29//Slingman Lv 26// Fisher Lv 12] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 87 Tutorial Points given*
*[Goblin Lv 30//Slingwoman Lv 25//Tailor Lv 18] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 120 Tutorial Points given*
*Your Class has reached Lv 24 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
***
*Your Class has reached Lv 28 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Race has reached Lv 24 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
***
*Your Race has reached Lv 26 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
This is different. Whenever I killed something, it only showed me their race level on the kill notification. Is it because these goblins are sentient? They have a village, and judging by their professions, jobs. Archie pondered, staring at the goblin corpses. Even Identify didn¡¯t show anything other than their racial level. Hmm¡Maybe if I can upgrade it in some sort of way, it would show me that.
Shaking off his curiosity, Archie dashed towards the nearest frantic group of goblins, easily covering the fifty-meter distance between them. He quickly used Identify and confirmed that this group was of a similar level to the one he had just defeated. However, to Archie¡¯s misfortune, another group of goblins had joined the one he was targeting. Now, he faced eight goblins at once¡ªeach of them at a higher level than him.
Activating both Adrenaline Rush and Savage Charge, he stabbed into the neck of the closest goblin and sliced through the cartilage with ease and into the next goblin. Upon killing the second goblin the six remaining goblins got their bearings together, four stayed back dropping their torches and pulling out their slings, while the other two held their torches in one hand and spears in the other.
Archie blocked the stones shot at him, but due to the raised shield, he did not see the goblin spearmen¡¯s spears, until he felt them stab into his unprotected side. Archie¡¯s eyes widened as pain erupted from his torso, adrenaline surging through him and snapping him back into focus. Gritting his teeth, he raised his sword high and swung it down, severing the shafts of the spears¡ªthough their tips remained lodged in his flesh.
The spearmen goblins, now left with only one-foot sticks, tossed their broken spears to the side and lunged at Archie as the slingshot goblins hurriedly reloaded their slings with rocks. Archie hurled his shield at one of the goblin spearmen, knocking it off balance, and skewered another with his sword.
Without hesitation, he charged at the four slingshot goblins. He dodged one incoming stone, but another struck his clavicle with a sickening crack, sending a jolt of pain through his body. The final two stones slammed into his armored thigh, bruising the flesh beneath.
Archie threw his sword at the furthest goblin, the blade sinking into its chest, easily bypassing its poorly made hide armor. The creature died instantly, teetering on its feet before collapsing. Using the momentum of his throw, Archie delivered a powerful spartan kick to its body, sending it hurtling into the second-nearest goblin, knocking it to the ground.
Shoulder tackling the closest goblin with Savage Charge he launched it into the tree, then pulled out his hatchet and threw it at another decapitating it. Breathing heavily, Archie walked over to the head of the still-dazed and knocked-over goblin, pushing all his strength into his right foot, and squashed the head of the last remaining goblin. Hearing the final ding, Archie fell on his back groaning in pain, chewing his inner lower lip, he reached towards the embedded spear tips still lodged within his torso with both hands and pulled them both out, screaming in pain.
Pulling the spear tips out and letting them fall onto the ground. As they fell Archie released a sigh of relief and deactivated Adrenaline Rush. He took out a health potion, but as he did, he noticed that he only had one healing potion left. Trying to see how much he needed the potion; he opened his status screen and saw:
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human F-Grade Lv 30
Class: Warrior Lv 32
Profession: Shaman Lv 16
Health: 896/1176
Mana: 380/490
Stamina: 328/540
Stats:
Vitality: 112 (117)
Strength: 122 (128)
Endurance: 54
Agility: 101
Intelligence: 95
Wisdom: 49
Willpower: 49 (51)
Perception: 69
Free Points: 40
Skills:
Basic One-Handed Weapon Mastery (Common)
Basic Light-Shield Mastery (Common)
Identify (Initiate)
Savage Charge (Rare)
Adrenaline Rush (Rare)
Warrior''s Resilience (Rare)
Deep Meditation (Rare)
Mana Manipulation (Common)
Spirit Link (Epic)
Effigy-Carving (Common)
Material Insight (Uncommon)
Bloodline:
Adrenaline Junkie (Unique) [+5% to Strength and +5% to Willpower]
Titles Collected:
Bloodline Progenitor [+10 Vitality and +5% Vitality]
Tutorial Points:
2,869
Looking at the notifications from killing the goblins
*[Goblin Lv 35//Spearman Lv 29//Forager Lv 18] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 140 Tutorial Points given*
***
*[Goblin Lv 35//Spearwoman Lv 29//Cook Lv 17] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 140 Tutorial Points given*
*[Goblin Lv 30//Slingman Lv 32//Fisher Lv 10] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 120 Tutorial Points given*
*[Goblin Lv 32//Slingman Lv 35//Lumberjack Lv 10] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 128 Tutorial Points given*
*[Goblin Lv 37//Spearwoman Lv 29//Courier Lv 18] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 148 Tutorial Points given*
*Your Class has reached Lv 29 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
***
*Your Class has reached Lv 32 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Race has reached Lv 27 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
***
*Your Race has reached Lv 30 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Warrior class skills available. Choose one of the options*
¡°I guess pain doesn¡¯t equate to reflected damage,¡± Archie groaned while putting back his healing potion and pulling out an Effigy of Healing of Initiate quality and activating it.
¡°I should have chosen an attack spell from the Shaman skills, not Material Insight. I still haven¡¯t found a single thing in this forest that sets it off.¡± Archie said regretfully.
After a few minutes of activating the effigy, Archie pulled himself off the ground and gathered the weapons that he had thrown. He had opened the Warrior class skills menu and saw:
*Warrior class skills available. Choose one of the options*
[Taunt (Common)]: The warrior¡¯s presence on the battlefield alone garners the attention of others, but when issuing a taunt, it is a deliberate challenge that no foe can ignore. With a deep guttural roar that shakes the battlefield, the warrior draws the attention of their foes, daring them to attack. Grabbing the attention of all enemies within a Perception-USU circle.
[Power Strike (Common)]: With a surge of raw strength, a warrior channels their stamina into a single, mighty strike. Power Strike is the embodiment of brute force, designed to overwhelm foes in a head-on confrontation.
[Retaliation (Uncommon)]: A warrior endures the pain of their opponent¡¯s blow, absorbing the impact with their mighty resolve. In a moment of fierce vengeance, they channel the energy of the attack back at their foe, doubling the force and fury of the initial strike.
[Shield Wall (Uncommon)]: As the warrior raises their trusty shield; their trusted companion¡¯s dimensions lengthen, allowing more area of protection. Now able to hold their ground against the overwhelming odds, protecting themselves from the onslaught of blows.
¡°Taunt isn¡¯t what I need right now. Power Strike is something I should have created by now, seeing as how I¡¯m able to sense Stamina. Shield Wall is useful but compared to Retaliation which I see myself using more often especially considering what just happened.¡± Archie said to himself while selecting Retaliation.
Looking into the forest he saw the remaining two groups of goblins, both in opposite directions. Looking at the group at his two o¡¯clock he started to run after them.
Sun just starting to rise, Archie pulled out both his sword and hatchet from the sides of the last goblin in all five search groups, Archie read his notification messages:
*[Goblin Lv 37//Spearman Lv 35//Cook 14] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 148 Tutorial Points given*
***
*[Goblin Lv 37//Spearman Lv 35//Tanner Lv 14] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 148 Tutorial Points given*
*[Goblin Lv 38//Slingwoman Lv 39//Tailor Lv 14] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 152 Tutorial Points given*
*[Goblin Lv 36//Slingman Lv 35//Courier Lv 13] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 144 Tutorial Points given*
*[Goblin Lv 33//Slingman Lv 31//Forager Lv 13] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 132 Tutorial Points given*
*Your Class has reached Lv 33 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
***
*Your Class has reached Lv 35 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Race has reached Lv 31 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Race has reached Lv 32 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
After placing his hatchet into the empty satchel behind him, Archie sheathed his sword and picked up his shield. Feeling mentally drained, Archie headed back to the cabin.
Ch 14 - Goblin Village
Waking up beneath the impossibly soft covers, Archie opened the tutorial page he saw:
The 72nd cycle has begun; thus, a tutorial is needed to increase the survivability of the newly integrated myriad races. The Hoarfrost Highlands is filled with various creatures from across the universe, each providing Tutorial Points upon their death to their killer. After the Solo Tutorial is completed, all Solo Tutorial Participants will be teleported into random Group Tutorials. Tutorial Points will be used to gain rewards after the full tutorial is completed.
Completion Criteria: Survive for 30 days.
Time remaining: 14:02:57
¡°14 days till the Solo Tutorial ends and I get sent to a Group Tutorial... I know it¡¯s wishful thinking, but I hope I could be in the Group Tutorial with my family.¡± Archie said as he begrudgingly pushed himself out of the bed and headed out into the forest.
Archie reopened his dungeon notification and checked his current progress.
Profession Challenge Dungeon
Objective 3: Kill all the goblins 20/30 and the goblin Shaman that live within the goblin village 0/1
Reward: ?
¡°There are only 10 goblins left in the village and the shaman,¡± Archie said while looking at the screen.
Remembering that most of the goblins that stayed were around levels 29-31, Archie grimaced, ¡°Killing anything lower than my level doesn¡¯t give enough XP for a level up.¡±
Archie grabbed a couple of chopped logs and sat atop one of the stumps that decorated the front of the cave doorway. Chewing on some bear meat, Archie started to craft more effigies as he had used up his only Effigy of Stealth and wanted to create more Common rarity effigies seeing the major improvement between Initiate and Common rarities.
Archie placed his pile of effigies and carving knife in his storage ring; 10 Effigies of Healing (Common), 6 Effigies of Wrath (Uncommon), 5 Effigies of Endurance (Common), 3 Effigies of Stealth (Common), and a singular Silver Carving Knife deposited in his spatial ring.
Placing his gauntlets back on, he looked at the notifications and read:
*Your Profession has reached Lv 17 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
***
*Your Profession has reached Lv 25 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Race has reached Lv 33 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Race has reached Lv 34 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Shaman Profession Skills Available. Choose one of the options*
[Hex of Weakness (Common)]: The shaman calls upon the spirits to drain an enemy¡¯s strength, weakening their attack. The weakening of the attack is proportional to the mana you use when casting the hex.
[Shatter Spirit (Common)]: The shaman calls upon the spirits to attack their foe¡¯s soul, fracturing it minorly. Nevertheless, due to the fragility of the soul, your foe¡¯s magical connection is disrupted.
[Hex of Enfeeblement (Uncommon)]: The shaman calls upon the spirits to drain an enemy¡¯s physical prowess and weaken their willpower. The hex also decreases resistance to other hex effects and overall combat effectiveness. The strength of the hex is proportional to the mana you use.
¡°Hex of Weakness looks like a worse version of Hex of Enfeeblement. Shatter Spirit seems a bit...useless at the moment, seeing how I haven¡¯t found a spell-slinging creature. So, I guess Hex of Enfeeblement it is.¡± Archie debated before selecting the skill.
Looking at his status page, Archie smiled in pride at his four triple-digit stats.
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human F-Grade Lv 34
Class: Warrior Lv 35
Profession: Shaman Lv 25
Health: 1281/1281
Mana: 201/530
Stamina: 548/580
Stats:
Vitality: 122(128)
Strength: 132(138)
Endurance: 58
Agility: 117
Intelligence: 117
Wisdom: 53
Willpower: 53(55)
Perception: 91
Free Points: 56
Skills:
Basic One-Handed Weapon Mastery (Common)
Basic Light-Shield Mastery (Common)
Identify (Initiate)
Savage Charge (Rare)
Adrenaline Rush (Rare)
Warrior''s Resilience (Rare)
Deep Meditation (Rare)
Mana Manipulation (Common)
Spirit Link (Epic)
Effigy-Carving (Common)
Material Insight (Uncommon)
Retaliation (Uncommon)
Hex of Enfeeblement (Uncommon)
Bloodline:
Adrenaline Junkie (Unique) [+5% to Strength and +5% to Willpower]
Titles Collected:
Bloodline Progenitor [+10 Vitality and +5% Vitality]
Tutorial Points:
4,037
¡°I wonder what level I need to reach before reaching E-Grade,¡± Archie wondered while staring at his levels. A hundred? That''s a pretty standard number for some games for a rank-up.
Looking at his Free Points, he decided to place twenty-two points into his Endurance and nine into Perception stats, bringing them up to eighty and one hundred points respectively. Archie adding twenty-two points into Endurance, which previously was about 37% of his previous Endurance all at once, caused him to tense and slightly squirm. Flexing his stomach slightly, he took notice that it became more defined, and upon touching his stomach it felt the same. Getting an idea, he nicked his stomach with his iron dagger, and to his surprise, not only did the nick barely draw any blood, but it started to knit right before his eyes.
Although it wasn¡¯t instantaneous¡ªor anything near that realm¡ªit was far faster than anything humanly possible.
Smiling at the outcome of his experiment, Archie got up from the stump and headed toward the goblin village, intent on finishing the dungeon before nightfall.
Archie from atop a tree looked over the walls of the goblin village, from what he saw five goblins stood around the campfire screeching at one another. The remaining five goblins stood around the entrance of the village, seemingly awaiting the twenty goblins to arrive. The shaman goblin was nowhere in sight, Probably in its tent.
Jumping down from the tree, Archie ran around the perimeter of the goblin village while still being thirty meters within the forest. After a minute of running, Archie saw a side of the wall that was out of view from the goblins manning the entrance. Running towards that side of the wall, Archie took out his Effigy of Stealth and placed it in his potion pouch next to his hatchet while activating it, feeling the familiar cooling sensation fill his being.
Crouching and shuffling against the wall, Archie made his way towards the entrance of the village.
Peeking over from where he crouched, he saw two goblins heading his way. Slightly backing up, Archie waited until they walked to where the other three goblins wouldn¡¯t be able to see them.
Just as they made the bend, Archie activated Savage Charge, decapitating both goblins with a single slice. Both the heads and bodies of the goblins fell onto the floor, their weapons falling with them.
Grabbing both bodies and their weapons, he pulled them to where he stood, hiding them completely from the other three goblins. Crouching once more Archie peeked over the bend once more, he saw the three goblins cackling to each other, two of them had their backs to him.
While crouching, Archie ran at full speed, while hugging the wall, towards the goblins that were seventy meters from where he initially peeked at them.
When he was about sixty meters away from the goblins, he activated Savage Charge, feeling his calves burn at the distance of the charge, Archie pushed through the pain.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.
Archie¡¯s sword sliced the neck of the goblin closest to the wall and continued through the neck of the goblin beside him, producing two dings. The last guard goblin looked at him in shock, but before it could screech, Archie threw his shield at its chest, knocking the goblin on its back.
Activating Savage Charge, Archie was atop the goblin and stabbed his sword in its neck, producing the fifth ding as he sheathed his sword.
*[Goblin Lv 29//Spearman Lv 29//Farmer Lv 12] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 87 Tutorial Points given*
***
*[Goblin Lv 29//Spearman Lv 31//Breeder Lv 10] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 87 Tutorial Points given*
*[Goblin Lv 30//Slingwoman Lv 35//Tracker Lv 10] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 120 Tutorial Points given*
¡°Not even a level¡Well, it was easy,¡± Archie shrugged.
Peering into the village, Archie spotted five goblins gathered around the campfire in the center, still engrossed in conversation. The campfire was about a hundred meters away from the entrance¡ªtoo far for Archie to charge without being noticed. To make matters worse, the pathway leading from the entrance to the center of the village was completely exposed, with all the tents positioned along the sides near the walls, offering no cover.
Archie decided to scale the side of the wall where he could jump in and use the tiki tents as cover.
Archie made a quick run towards the three o¡¯clock of the village¡¯s wall. Looking up he estimated that it was seven meters tall, How the hell did they lift a seven-meter-tall log? Archie wondered. Archie threw his shield over the wall, thankfully the grass muffled its landing.
After taking a few steps backward, Archie ran towards the wall, kicking off of it for a boost, Archie¡¯s hands grabbed the pencil-like tips of the log walls. Unfortunately for Archie, the tips were roughly cut, causing splinters to enter his hands and blood to seep and his weight caused them to dig deeper into his hands.
Ignoring the pain, Archie pulled himself up atop the wall. Looking down, the five goblins still had not noticed him and the shaman goblin had not yet appeared.
Archie jumped from where he stood on the log wall and softly onto the grass below, beside his shield. Without wasting time Archie ducked beside multiple poorly made tiki tents, getting closer to the campfire.
The closest tiki tent to the campfire was about thirty meters away from the closest goblin. Just as Archie was about to charge at the nearest goblin, the Effigy of Stealth crumbled. Thankfully it produced no sound, but Archie could feel that the pouch on his back got noticeably lighter.
Archie decided to use one of the Effigies of Wrath, upon activating it Archie¡¯s muscles surged in strength and anger started to rise within him and took charge. ¡°Fuck it,¡± Archie whispered, anger lacing his tone, while placing his shield down and holding his hatchet in his left hand, he then activated Adrenaline Rush, steam rising from him.
Archie activated Savage Charge at the nearest goblin, sword slicing through its neck. Archie threw his hatchet at the furthest goblin on the other side of the campfire. The hatchet easily cut through the wood of the large campfire and sunk deep into the goblin¡¯s skull. The three remaining goblins started to squeal loudly but couldn¡¯t fight back as they had no weapons, Archie ignoring their squeals, pivoted and cut down another goblin just within his reach.
Archie then faced the remaining two goblins and saw them start to run away. Activating Savage Charge, Archie reached the furthest goblin and sliced one in half, easily cutting through its spine. Using the momentum of the slice and pivoting, Archie downward stabbed into the back of the last goblin.
Just as Archie pulled out his sword from the goblin¡¯s spine, he heard a loud shout. Quickly turning around, Archie faced the goblin shaman who was currently standing in front of its tent.
Identifying the goblin shaman, he read:
[Goblin Lv 46]
But before Archie could charge at the goblin shaman, a purple bolt of magic hit him on the chest. Staggering backward, his limbs felt like lead and a large chunk of his stamina disappeared from his reserves.
As Archie was recovering from the goblin shaman¡¯s attack, the shaman started to prepare its next attack. Veins appeared across Archie¡¯s body as he pushed through the shaman¡¯s hex, the adrenaline flowing through him started to move from its previous lull.
Archie made it five meters closer to the shaman but was hit once more by it. A small sickly black bolt hit Archie across his chest, when the spell splashed onto him, Archie¡¯s right peck gained a few black specks.
The black specks grew in size and as they grew, he felt pain, he felt as though his body was rotting. Warrior¡¯s Resilience quickly took effect, regenerating his health pool, but the current rate at 1.5% was not enough to push back against the rot.
The adrenaline that was coursing through his being, skyrocketed. Archie¡¯s brain felt as though it was running a thousand miles a second. Archie channeled more mana and stamina through his Adrenaline Rush, as he did, he could feel more power enter his limbs, increasing the boost to 27%, the steam tinging red.
Still not being enough, Archie channeled even more mana and stamina through his limbs, at 29%, blood started to become visible across his chest and face. Archie kept moving forward, currently twenty meters away from the goblin shaman, Archie stared at the shaman who started to cackle at him.
Roaring in both anger and pain, Archie started to channel even more mana and stamina through the Adrenaline Rush pushing it past 30%. This caused blood to start to escape from his skin and slide across his body, the steam exuding from his body to turn dark red as blood was being boiled. Finally able to move into a slow walk, he shot out Hex of Enfeeblement; the hex was shot out of his palm, its color was a teal green color and looked like a watery icicle.
The hex splashed onto the chest of the laughing goblin shaman, causing it to immediately gain a gaunt look and take out a huge chunk of its stamina reserves.
Taking advantage of the opening, Archie activated Savage Charge and Retaliation appeared in front of the shaman, his sword started to glow a light green as overflowed energy from his body into his sword.
Stabbing into the goblin shaman, Archie¡¯s sword¡¯s blade exploded within the shaman¡¯s chest, causing a large hole to appear. Archie let go of his sword¡¯s hilt and started to choke the shaman with his hands. Archie¡¯s gauntlets¡¯ Lesser Ice Reinforcement activated; ice started to spread across the goblin shaman¡¯s neck. Channeling all his anger into his hands, a loud crack filled the air.
A ding resounded in Archie¡¯s head, causing him to fall on his back, breathing heavily, turning off Adrenaline Rush, causing the dark red-hued steam to cease.
Looking at his chest, ignoring the blood splotches, the black specks covered his entire right peck. Staring at his right peck, he noticed the rot had stopped growing, and the flesh starting to flake.
Looks like it stopped after the goblin shaman died, Archie thought, utterly exhausted.
Looking at his status he saw:
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human F-Grade Lv 36
Class: Warrior Lv 39
Profession: Shaman Lv 27
Health: 589/1386
Mana: 194/550
Stamina: 134/800
Stats:
Vitality: 132(138)
Strength: 142(149)
Endurance: 82
Agility: 125
Intelligence: 123
Wisdom: 55
Willpower: 55(57)
Perception: 106
Free Points: 33
Skills:
Basic One-Handed Weapon Mastery (Common)
Basic Light-Shield Mastery (Common)
Identify (Initiate)
Savage Charge (Rare)
Adrenaline Rush (Epic)
Warrior''s Resilience (Rare)
Deep Meditation (Rare)
Mana Manipulation (Common)
Spirit Link (Epic)
Effigy-Carving (Common)
Material Insight (Uncommon)
Retaliation (Uncommon)
Hex of Enfeeblement (Uncommon)
Unstable Power Strike (Uncommon)
Bloodline:
Adrenaline Junkie (Unique) [+5% to Strength and +5% to Willpower]
Titles Collected:
Bloodline Progenitor [+10 Vitality and +5% Vitality]
Tutorial Points:
5,194
Looking at the notifications, he saw:
*[Goblin Lv 28// Thief Lv 3//Builder Lv 30] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 84 Tutorial Points given*
***
*[Goblin Lv 28//Thief Lv 3//Carpenter Lv 30] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 84 Tutorial Points given*
*[Goblin Lv 29// Thief Lv 3//Fisher Lv 28] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 87 Tutorial Points given*
*[Goblin Lv 30//Porter Lv 3//Fisher Lv 29] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 120 Tutorial Points given*
*[Goblin Lv 46//Spearman Lv 5// Shaman Lv 40] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 230 Tutorial Points given*
*Your Class has reached Lv 36 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
***
*Your Class has reached Lv 39 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
* Your Profession has reached Lv 26 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Profession has reached Lv 27 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Race has reached Lv 35 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Race has reached Lv 36 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
Skill Upgrade: [Adrenaline Rush (Rare ¡ú Epic)]
Adrenaline Rush (Epic):
For a period of time, you experience a huge surge of adrenaline, enhancing all physical attributes by 40%. However, the intense exertion puts a strain on the body, leading to temporary exhaustion once the effect wears off. Activating beyond 30% will cause heavy physical damage and mental exhaustion. Heavily touched by the records of Adrenaline Junkie.
Skilled Gained: [Unstable Power Strike (Uncommon)]
[Unstable Power Strike (Uncommon)]:
With a surge of raw strength, a warrior channels a large amount of stamina into a single, destructive strike. Unstable Power Strike is the embodiment of a devastating strike, designed to overwhelm foes in a head-on confrontation. If the weapon cannot handle the large amount of stamina coursing through it, it will shatter. Adds a low bonus to Strength when using Power Strike.
Ch 15 - A Bears Gratitude
Archie, still on the floor next to the corpse of the goblin shaman, took out his Effigy of Healing (Common) and channeled mana through it. As the Effigy of Healing (Common) activated, the Effigy of Wrath (Uncommon) turned to dust in the pouch behind his back.
¡°Well, it did its job,¡± Archie said, witnessing his wounds start to viably heal itself.
With his wounds healing, Archie got up and saw a blue panel appear in front of him and felt something enter into his spatial ring.
Profession Challenge Dungeon
Objective 3: Kill all the goblins 30/30 and the goblin Shaman that live within the goblin village 1/1?
Reward: Soul Crystal (Epic)
Dungeon will automatically close in 0:10:59:40
Taking a look inside his spatial ring, Archie saw a small blue crystal. Taking the crystal out of his ring, he Identified it.
Soul Crystal (Epic) ¨C Empty:
A crystal made out of solidified mana and attuned for housing a spirit. When channeling the spirit of a recently slain foe into the crystal, the soul stores their Soul. When filled, the Soul Crystal can be used for a large variety of rituals. Effects: Soul-Holding. Requirements: 50+.
¡°Ok, so rituals are also a thing in Shamanism...I wonder if I can use it to make a pet of some kind? Something that can hunt with me,¡± Archie wondered as he placed the soul crystal back in his spatial ring.
Looking at the shaman¡¯s tiki tent, Archie decided to enter it, interested in seeing what possible loot the shaman held within his home. Pushing aside the fur tiki tent flap, Archie entered the Shaman¡¯s home.
Looking around the tent Archie saw a leaf pile on the floor, ¡¯Probably a bed¡¯ Archie thought, a large bear fur rug with a stone knife and some miniatures on top and a weird-looking staff.
Identifying the items in the room, Archie read:
Fur Rug (Initiate):
A roughly made rug created from the fur of an F-Grade black bear and tufted by an F-Grade goblin.
Stone Carving Knife (Common):
A sharp piece of stone embedded into the tip of a stick and tied together with vines. A knife made with the only purpose of being used for carving soft oak logs into miniatures. Effect: Soul-Bound. Currently bound to Dungeon Goblin Shaman. Requirement: Humanoid Race.
Effigy of Mana Regeneration (Initiate):
An oak wood effigy made in the design of Moonglow, imbued with the feeling of Mana Regeneration belonging to an F-Grade goblin, and empowered with lesser elemental spirits. Increases Mana Regeneration for 5 minutes for the one who activates the effigy. Effects: Minor Mana Regeneration.
Effigy of Magic Power (Common):
An oak wood effigy made in the design of a Staff of Nature, imbued with the feeling of Magic Power belonging to an F-Grade goblin, and empowered with lesser elemental spirits. Increases Magic Power for all attacks within 10 minutes for the one who activates the effigy. Effects: Lesser Increase in Magic Power.
Voodoo Doll of Harm (Uncommon) ¨C Filled:
Oak Wood twigs formed together, depicting an outline of a bear, imbued with the feeling of hatred and pain belonging to an F-Grade goblin, and filled with the fur of a black bear and empowered with lesser malevolent spirits. Damage inflicted upon the voodoo doll will affect the entity whose essence is trapped within. Effect: Low Harm Infliction. Requirement: Lv 30+.
Staff of Nature (Epic):
A staff made from a two-hundred-year-old mana mahogany tree and a peak E-Grade Tree Ent core. Due to the nature-attuned material, the staff is filled with the essence of nature, granting the ability to enhance nature-based abilities. Effects: Soul-Bound, Enhanced Nature-Attuned Skills & Abilities. Requirement: Lv 50+, Nature Affinity, Humanoid Race.
Archie read the descriptions of all the items and was taken aback at what he found. Archie found two new effigies that he could use as models for his own, a voodoo doll that he could use as a model for creating one, and a staff that he could use when he reached level 50 and gained a nature affinity.
The Staff of Nature itself looked like a piece of art. It stood at four feet, made of dark, smooth spiral mahogany wood, with faint green-gold veins running beneath the surface. Towards the top, the mahogany wood tip curled inwardly. Inside the curled tip of the staff laid a vibrant green orb, producing a faint aura.
Archie placed the Effigies, voodoo doll, and the Staff of Nature in his spatial ring. Archie then tried to place the Stone Carving Knife in his spatial ring, as an experiment of placing a soul-bound item of someone else in his storage. But as he held it, he felt as though it didn¡¯t belong to him. But at the same time, he knew that it didn¡¯t belong to the goblin shaman either. Why was it even here then?
Tossing the knife on the ground, Archie exited the goblin shaman¡¯s tent and saw the corpses of the six goblins with yellow blood staining the previously green grass before Archie¡¯s sneak attack. Walking around to where he threw his hatchet, Archie pulled out his hatchet from the skull of a goblin and started to channel mana through the hatchet as he noticed some cracks and chips on the blade.
After repairing the hatchet with his mana, Archie placed it in his back pouch, he then walked over to where he placed his shield and equipped it. Archie then gained an idea; he walked back inside the goblin shaman¡¯s tiki tent and rolled up the bear rug.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!
Archie then grabbed the goblin shaman¡¯s arm and started to drag him out of the village and into the forest.
Archie currently stood in the same area where he saw the group of goblins kill a bear cub in the forest. The dead goblin shaman lay beside where he stood, but instead of the shaman having just a large hole inside him, scrapes and dirt covered the dead body as it was dragged from the village to where he currently stood.
Clearing his throat, Archie then activated his Effigy of Wrath, feeling anger encroaching on his mind, he released a guttural roar.
ROOOOOAAAARRR!
The ambient noise of the forest vanished the instant Archie released a guttural roar, and after it finished not a single noise was heard within the forest.
But not long after Archie¡¯s roar, another roar filled the forest.
ROOOOOOOAAAAAAARRRRR!
Stomps shook the forest, and loud stomping sounds filled the forest, each step sounding louder than the other.
A few seconds later, a familiar large black bear standing easily at a height of 4 meters with countless scars covering its muscles and fur stood in front of Archie huffing.
Identifying the bear, Archie saw:
[Hulking Black Bear Lv 49]
With only a few meters between both the bear and him, Archie tossed the dead goblin shaman, which still wore the skull of a bear atop its head, towards the giant bear.
The Bear¡¯s eyes narrowed at the corpse of the goblin shaman, Archie then tossed over the bear rug, causing the bear to close its eyes. Standing on its two feet, the bear started to wail loudly within the forest.
Archie looked towards the ground, a somber mood filling him, overtaking the feeling of anger that the Effigy of Wrath created.
After the bear stopped wailing, it grabbed the bear fur rug with its mouth and started to walk back to where it came from, but before walking more than a meter it looked at Archie. The bear motioned with its head for Archie to follow her, Archie curious, followed the bear.
Archie currently stood at the entrance of a cave, while the bear placed the bear fur rug onto the floor of its cave. The bear went deeper into the cave and reappeared in front of Archie carrying a large green gold colored tree branch with its mouth, Material Insight signaling him of the importance of the tree branch.
Archie noticed the bear looked skinnier, like its previously muscle-filled body now looked a bit anorexic. Dropping the tree branch at the feet of where Archie stood, it looked at him once more before disappearing back into the cave.
Archie, taking the hint, picked up the branch and headed back towards the doorway of the cave that led to the forest.
Identifying the green gold tree branch, Archie read:
Sapling of Nature (Rare):
This sapling pulsates with an aura of nature and spirit. Imbued with the blessing and spirit of a mourning mother bear, for her anger had been quelled with your act of returning the corpse of her child. The Sapling of Nature grants Lesser Affinity of Nature and a permanent increase in Endurance. Effect: +10 Endurance & Lesser Nature Affinity. Requirements: Lv 30+.
Upon reaching the entrance of the doorway into the crystal cavern, Archie sat down at the entrance of the forest and started to channel mana through the Sapling of Nature and activated Deep Meditation.
Within Deep Meditation, Archie felt the green gold energy slowly transfer from the sapling and flow through his mana and into him. Greenish gold energy entered through the tips of his fingers, flowing through his veins, looping throughout his body.
Attuning to nature mana felt like...home, which was weird seeing how Deep Meditation should have stopped all of his senses. The crisp flow of forest air rushing through the trees, clearing Archie¡¯s mind from all worries. Beneath his feet, he felt the ground, the dense immovable strength beneath it. All around hi,m he felt the forest come alive, every spirit within jumping around him with joy.
Opening his eyes, Archie¡¯s previously brown eyes took on a brown-green color, and they were greeted with system prompts.
Greater Nature Affinity (Epic):
You have gained a Greater Nature Affinity. The Lesser Nature Affinity unlocked your slumbering Nature Affinity, allowing you to create and manipulate nature mana with ease. Empowers all Nature skills at the cost of permanently transforming a large majority of your mana reserves into nature mana. Enhances all records.
Skill Evolved: [Deep Meditation (Rare) ¡ú Nature¡¯s Meditation (Epic)]
Nature¡¯s Meditation (Epic):
By clearing your mind and connecting with the nature-attuned mana within you or your surroundings, you become one with nature. While in meditation, Health and Stamina regeneration are enhanced, while Mana regeneration is enhanced greatly. While in Nature¡¯s Meditation, connection with the spirits and nature deepens.
Opening his status page, Archie saw:
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human F-Grade Lv 36
Class: Warrior Lv 39
Profession: Shaman Lv 27
Health: 1386/1386
Mana: 550/550
Stamina: 800/800
Stats:
Vitality: 132(138)
Strength: 142(149)
Endurance: 92
Agility: 125
Intelligence: 123
Wisdom: 55
Willpower: 55(57)
Perception: 106
Free Points: 33
Skills:
Basic One-Handed Weapon Mastery (Common)
Basic Light-Shield Mastery (Common)
Identify (Initiate)
Savage Charge (Rare)
Adrenaline Rush (Epic)
Warrior''s Resilience (Rare)
Nature¡¯s Meditation (Epic)
Mana Manipulation (Common)
Spirit Link (Epic)
Effigy-Carving (Common)
Material Insight (Uncommon)
Retaliation (Uncommon)
Hex of Enfeeblement (Uncommon)
Unstable Power Strike (Uncommon)
Bloodline:
Adrenaline Junkie (Unique) [+5% to Strength and +5% to Willpower]
Affinity:
Greater Nature Affinity (Epic)
Titles Collected:
Bloodline Progenitor [+10 Vitality and +5% Vitality]
Tutorial Points:
5,194
Smiling at his Epic rarity on Adrenaline Rush and better stats, Archie got up from where he meditated and headed into the cave.
Entering the dark oak cabin, Archie proceeded to dump the bed, chair, table, and books into his spatial ring. Walking towards the Empty Essence Crystal, Archie squatted and tried to pull it out, confident in his 149 Strength.
To no avail, Archie was unable to pull the crystal from the ground. Huffing in exhaustion, Archie took out an Effigy of Stealth and activated it while placing it in his back pouch in preparation for stealthing around the Frostiron Tortoise.
Looking at the golden glowing door in front of him, he stepped forward.
Upon exiting the Profession Challenge Dungeon, Archie was greeted by the sight of the Hoarfrost Highlands once again. Snow-filled ground, large Hoarfrost Pine Tree forests surrounding him, and large mountains and hills covering the skyline.
Hearing the Dungeon implode on itself, Archie took notice of only one thing that was out of place, the Frostiron Tortoise was missing.
Ch 16 - Henry I
It was just a normal day for Henry. He got up early, careful not to wake the woman beside him, dressed, grabbed a snack, and went to the gym. After finishing his daily workout for the day, he went back home to take a quick shower before getting ready for work, but before he left, he kissed his fianc¨¦e.
Henry agreed that his life was great, he had a perfectly functional family, a good job in a field he was proficient in, good credit, a fianc¨¦e, and a child on the way. What more could he ask for? Another bit of blackmail he could use against his brother? Well, he wouldn¡¯t say no to that.
A few hours into working with his team on a new project that was dropped on them; a building on Main Street was going to be taken down, and replaced with a castle¡a medieval one. While I don''t understand why...It was a cool feeling to be designing a medieval castle, one smack dab in the middle of Main Street.
Glancing at his phone, he noticed a message from both his fianc¨¦e and mother in the family group chat informing him that dinner was going to be at his family house.
¡°I guess it''s Italian today,¡± Henry muttered with a smile; it was always Italian food when family dinner happened. It started when Maria, his fianc¨¦e, managed to convince his mother to try more of her culture¡¯s cuisine.
A miracle, he chuckled. His Mother was the most stubborn person alive, something that his Father loved. I guess DNA doesn¡¯t lie. The only time he¡¯d ever seen his mother out-stubborned was when Archie managed to convince her to give him her blessing to strike out on his own and leave the nest early. He wanted to help Daniel, who had abandoned his family after he was abandoned by them.
Just the thought of how Daniel was treated hit him hard, especially with how he was soon to be a father. The thought of abandoning his child and letting them suffer in the way Daniel did was...
Shaking his head from the dark thoughts that were creeping into his mind, he focused back on the project he and his team were discussing.
Just as the clock hit noon, a message went off not just on his phone, but his coworkers¡¯ as well. Reading the message he smiled, Half day?... Well, I won¡¯t say no to leaving early.
Henry glanced up from his phone to see similar smiles on his team¡¯s faces. Chuckling, he quickly gathered his things and waved them off as he headed toward his car.
Tossing his laptop case and outerwear onto the seat beside him, Henry strapped himself in and drove off towards his family house. If he was finishing work early, he might as well help out at home.
After making a turn, he parked his car on the driveway of his family¡¯s house. Getting out of the car, he walked atop the stone walkway carefully so he didn¡¯t touch the grass, lest he face his mother¡¯s wrath.
Looking at the beautiful Tulips and Violas covering the lawn beds as well as the crisp green real grass, rare for Arizona. Upon knocking on the door, not a second later it was opened by his fianc¨¦e giving him a bright smile.
Just as he was about to go in for a hug, a loud ding reverberated through his mind, and everything went white.
Henry found himself in a forest surrounded by four other individuals; two were covered in robes, one was covered by leather armor with a bow and quiver across their back and the last one looked to be wearing plated-chain-mail armor.
Upon observation, one of the robed individuals was a male and the other was a female, both carried wands attached to their sides, one of which had a blue tip and the other was tipped white. ¡®Mage and Healer.¡¯ Henry assumed.
The one wearing a bow and arrow across their back was obviously an archer. Upon their turning around, Henry took notice that it was a male.
The warrior, he assumed, was the second female within the group. She wore plated-chain-mail armor, carrying a small shield and a sword.
He, himself wore heavy iron armor that covered his entire body except his head. In his left hand, he carried a large wooden studded shield, easily four feet in length. On his left, he carried an iron broadsword.
Looking at the only female mage, his heart stopped for a moment, ¡°Maria!¡± Henry shouted, breaking her from her stupor.
¡°Henry!¡± She exclaimed, charging at him and wrapping her arms around him.
Henry wrapped her in his arms, holding her tight, as though if he let go, she would disappear yet again.
¡°Sorry to break the mood but we''re here too,¡± A female warrior snarked looking at the couple with annoyance written across her face. Another one he did not recognize.
Looking around, Henry took in the three individuals. They all looked to be around his age and equally confused about what to do.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Pulling himself from the hug, Henry approached the three individuals and introduced both himself and Maria.
From afar, a crow observed them from atop a tree. Staring at them intensely, lingering on Henry and Maria for moments longer before flying away.
It had been a couple of days since their group had first formed, and since then they made camp around a river. It provided them with fresh water and a source of food if they couldn''t find anything to hunt. But considering that at least three different beasts tried to jump on them in the past hour, their previous worry about running out of food vanished.
The camp itself was nowhere near what he considered to be a modern one. The beds consisted of many thin leaves and the only pillows were their arms. Each of the beds surrounded the campfire in the middle, which currently roasted a large boar.
It was currently midday, and the group looked to be worse for wear. The warrior¡¯s armor was dented, and her face sported a few freshly healed cuts. The mage, healer, and archer were in similar shape, their ¡®light armor¡¯ had rips and tears due to trekking through the forest.
Henry¡¯s armor was in worse condition, his armor was dented heavily, due to tanking most of the beasts¡¯ blows. Due to him taking charge of the first few fights that happened upon them, the group considered Henry to be their leader, quickly disregarding the female warrior, Sandra¡¯s disagreement.
Getting up from the ¡®bed¡¯ he lay on, he approached the roasting boar, intent on ripping off a leg for both him and his fianc¨¦e to share. However, just as he was about to crouch beside the campfire, he heard rustling from the bushes in front of him.
Henry quickly stood up and held his shield in front of him in the direction of the rustling noise. He activated a skill he¡¯d gained the night before called Reinforced Barrier and slowly made his way toward the rustling bush.
¡°Hey! Don¡¯t attack!¡± Henry¡¯s group heard, also focusing their weapons on where they heard the noise. This could be some type of beast that mimicked voices as they hadn¡¯t seen any humans ever since the Group Tutorial began other than themselves.
Coming into view was a group of ten other humans, the group consisted of three vanguards, three warriors, two archers, a healer, and a mage. They looked significantly better than themselves, equipment clean of blood, and stronger than themselves if his Identify skill was working right.
Regardless, they all kept their weapons focused on the large group in front of them, unsure of what to do. They couldn¡¯t be sure if they were here to raid their group or not.
¡°I¡¯m Henry. What brings you here?¡± Henry spoke to the large group in front of him. He actively shifted himself to cover Maria from the view of the large group in front of him.
A man standing in the front of the group raised both his arms, in a placating manner, before saying, ¡°Hello! My name is Gabriel. The people behind me are part of my group. We are currently looking for the other humans in the tutorial.¡±
¡°Why?¡± Henry questioned, keeping his shield raised and sword pointed at Gabriel and his large group.
Henry¡¯s group slowly shifted themselves, their eyes darting to Gabriel and his party and gripping their weapons tightly, seemingly just remembering to Identify them and not liking what they saw.
¡°Why not? Humans should stick together. The main group consists of a couple hundred people,¡± Gabriel answered.
Everyone in Henry¡¯s group, including himself, grew shocked expressions at Gabriel¡¯s announcement. Henry¡¯s shock quickly vanished as he darkly thought, Could be some sort of trap.
¡°We want to invite you to join the group, humans together, survive together,¡± Gabriel said with a small smile growing across his face.
Still feeling anxious, Henry asked, ¡°This feels a bit too good to be true. A couple of days have passed since the start of the tutorial and a couple hundred people have already started to band together?¡±
Chuckling a bit, Gabriel then said, ¡°You still don¡¯t recognize me, Henry? I kicked you out of class plenty of times when you were younger.¡±
Furrowing his brows, Henry stared at Gabriel, trying to remember where he possibly could have seen him before.
Henry¡¯s eyes suddenly widened as memories suddenly surged, ¡°Mr. Gabe? What are you doing here?¡± A smile grew across Henry¡¯s face as he slightly lowered his shield and sword, garnering confused looks from his team. This was the man who taught him History in elementary school. He was the one who inspired him to become an architect.
¡°Everyone in the neighborhood got sent into the tutorial. The only reason as to why the main group got together so fast was because of the HOA team,¡± Gabriel answered.
Turning back to face both Maria and the rest of his group, he said, ¡°I¡¯ve known Mr. Gabe since the 6th grade. He has mean eraser-throwing skills, but he¡¯s trustworthy.¡±
Henry¡¯s team lowered their weapons slightly, still wary of the large group, but following Henry¡¯s command. They trusted him, even Sandra who constantly butted heads with him.
¡°Have you seen my parents anywhere? I didn¡¯t teleport here with them,¡± Henry asked Gabriel. According to the system aspect, they should have been close by when they spawned within the Group Tutorial, but he hadn¡¯t seen so much as a hair from another group.
¡°No, I haven¡¯t seen Robert or Eve since last May, I¡¯ve been too busy this year to catch up,¡± Gabriel replied softly, he had known Henry¡¯s parents for years now. He had been friends with Robert for decades now, fishing brothers and all. ¡°Maybe another search group found them before ours or they¡¯re in another group tutorial, I don¡¯t know to be honest.¡±
Gabriel¡¯s response brought a complicated expression to Henry¡¯s face, casting a somber mood over the group. His other teammates had also been searching for their friends and families but hadn¡¯t encountered another human group until now. Hearing that a group of over a hundred people hadn¡¯t found their leader¡¯s family only deepened their growing anxieties about not being able to find their friends and family.
¡°Come, we¡¯ll take you to the main camp,¡± Gabriel said, trying to pick up the somber mood that fell on Henry and his team. He stared at Henry with the same hopeful expression he always gave him when he¡
Snapping himself from his memories, he turned back towards his team. Henry nudged his head towards the now-leaving group and urged them to follow, hopeful for the chance of finding their friends and family.
Not four days later after Henry and his team joined the larger group and properly situated themselves, people started to die quicker than before. Most notably being Gabriel. He had died on a hunt in the forest with his team and had come across a much higher-level beast that burnt them to a crisp.
Henry himself led the raid team that killed the Level 32 Ignis Shade who killed Gabriel and his team.
Ch 17 - Mountain Hike
Archie continued to look around the forest in a panic, trying to find the Frostiron Tortoise.
¡°It was like five meters tall, where the hell could it have gone?¡± Archie questioned himself.
All that was left as a hint that the tortoise was here was the dried blood that stained the exterior of the rock, the large claw marks that were etched into the rock, and small pieces of whitish navy-blue keratin that shed from the tortoise¡¯s shell.
¡°It probably left because I disturbed its rest and went to go somewhere else after I disappeared into the dungeon,¡± Archie concluded while scanning the sea of trees around him. ¡°I should try to find higher-level creatures to level up and kill, to prepare for my fight with the tortoise. I am not letting it go scot-free with it almost killing me, just because I woke it up.¡±
¡°But, before I leave, I should get those pieces of its shell, because it would be useful to put inside a voodoo doll,¡± Archie said after dumping a few pieces of the whitish navy-blue keratin in his spatial ring.
¡°Huh, I just realized that I¡¯m not feeling that cold, even though I¡¯m missing my chestpiece.¡± Archie realized.
Archie then started to walk toward the largest mountain in sight, intent on finding a better challenge, as the area around him was too low leveled for him.
At the base of the mountain, Archie saw a couple of creatures eating the corpse of a snow deer. The creatures resembled mountain goats, their dense, snow-white coats offering protection from the harsh mountain winds, horizontal pupils, stood at a height of five feet and twin curled horns on the sides of their heads. But the only difference from what he could tell between normal mountain goats and the creatures in front of him were their icy blue hoofs, which seemed to generate ice whenever they moved.
Identifying the creatures, he read:
[Icehoof Goat Lv 34]
[Icehoof Goat Lv 36]
[Icehoof Goat Lv 35]
¡°Fitting,¡± Archie commented while shrugging before placing his shield in his spatial ring.
Grabbing his hatchet and unsheathing his sword, Archie kicked off the ground and activated Savage Charge, slicing through the necks of two goats and fluidly slicing the neck of the final goat.
*[Icehoof Goat Lv 34] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 136 Tutorial Points given*
*[Icehoof Goat Lv 36] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 144 Tutorial Points given*
*[Icehoof Goat Lv 35] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 140 Tutorial Points given*
Flicking the blood from both his hatchet and sword onto the now blood-stained snow.
After sheathing his sword and placing his hatchet in his pouch, Arche began his hike up the mountain.
Archie realized how easy hiking became after the tutorial began, back when everything was normal, hiking up trails with a bike was miserable.
Reminiscing about the times he went hiking before the system integrated with their universe, Archie had a somber smile across his face.
Both he and Daniel spent many days and nights camping in the summer on mountain bike trails; early morning grumpiness of getting up the trail, afternoons filled with screams of joy when riding down, and s''more-filled nights.
More memories started to play in his mind, but unfortunately, his somber mood worsened as he remembered the worst of his life.
¡°Are you sure about this trail Daniel?¡± A younger-looking Archie asked while pushing up his bike through an uneven trail on a heavily forested hill. Alongside Archie was a thin, but tall Hispanic youth with dark curly brown hair, who stood at a height of six foot two.
¡°Yup, should be no problem, Doug said it was safe, ¡®It was fine when I went down it last week¡¯ is what he said,¡± Daniel replied while also pushing his bike up the hill.
¡°I know that, but the path feels off; Oof¡roots everywhere on it, path too un-walked and there is zero trash along the path,¡± Archie said, stumbling a bit as his foot got caught on a tree root. Where there were humans, trash always followed.
¡°I mean a bit, but it should be fine, we¡¯re almost at the top anyway. We¡¯ve already spent three hours up this trail already, it would be a waste to just turn back now.¡± Daniel reasoned to Archie, lifting his bike over a large tree root.
¡°I don¡¯t know, I guess. I¡¯m just feeling nervous, maybe it¡¯s pre-college stress or something.¡± Archie tried to reason with himself. He¡¯d just handed in his college applications a few days ago and hadn¡¯t done much other than stew in his anxiety and play video games. A cycle of anxiety really, especially considering his love-hate relationship with a certain game he was addicted to.
¡°I get you Archie, but look, with our scores, we can easily enter any college that isn¡¯t Ivy. Besides look ahead, we reached the end of the hiking part of the trail, and the beginning of the biking trail.¡± Daniel replied while sitting on his bike.
¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right, I¡¯m just stressed.¡± Archie conceded while getting on his bike as well.
Along the bike trail, Archie¡¯s mood improved, the feeling of wind hitting his face and the smell of the forest filling his nose. Daniel was in a similar state, a soft smile on his face as they biked up the trail.
But like all good moods, they end too quickly to appreciate, a growl resounded through the forest.
Goosebumps appeared across both Archie and Daniel¡¯s bodies, they both turned to each other and instinctually decided to neck it back to the car.
¡°Was that a fucking mountain lion we heard?¡± Archie shouted, looking around in panic.
¡°I don¡¯t know! What the fuck!¡± Daniel shouted, ¡°Doug said it was safe!¡±
¡°Fuck Doug!¡± Archie yelled, ¡°What the fuck are the rangers doing! Aren¡¯t they supposed to get rid of them?¡±The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
Archie and Daniel started to pedal faster through the biking trail, in an attempt to go further from where the growl came from.
After what felt like hours of frantically biking, but realistically 20 minutes, both Archie and Daniel stopped beside a ledge, panting hard.
¡°You¡ think we¡ lost it?¡± Archie gasped between labored breaths, sweat soaking through his shirt and dripping down his face.
¡°I¡ Think so¡¡± Daniel replied also in a similar state.
Suddenly a giant yellow brown blur tackled Daniel off his bike. Archie yelled in shock and Daniel screamed in pain.
The yellow-brown blur that jumped from atop the trees and charged into Daniel, revealed to be a mountain lion.
The mountain lion loomed over Daniel, its claws raking into his chest, his blood soaking his dark green shirt. Archie stood frozen, his heart hammering within his chest as he watched his friend being torn apart ten meters away from where he stood. His mind refused to accept what was happening, convinced it was all a nightmare, that both he and Daniel were safe.
The mountain lion slowly got off Daniel and made its way toward his neck, baring its teeth, revealing sharp, glistening canines.
Then, a resounding snap echoed within Archie''s mind, as if a taut string had suddenly broken. Like lightning, the sound jolted through him, covering his entire body in goosebumps. Snapping him out of his stupor and bringing him back to reality.
Adrenaline started to pump through Archie¡¯s body at an all-time high, this was a do-or-die situation. Archie moving out of sheer adrenaline ran full charge at the mountain lion and shoulder-tackled it. But what Archie forgot to take into consideration was that he was on a ledge, on a large hill.
Using all his weight he managed to tackle the two-hundred-pound mountain lion off his friend and off the ledge, but momentum also launched him off the hill and caused him to tumble down.
All Archie could remember was his head, limbs, and torso being constantly scraped and bruised by rocks and branches. What he did remember while tumbling down was Daniel yelling his name before blacking out.
¡°-ie¡Ar-¡. ARCHIE!¡± Daniel shouted startling Archie awake, head spinning.
¡°Huh? Ow¡ What¡¯s going on? Daniel?¡± Archie asked groggily covered in dirt, scrapes, and bruises, the area around him barely visible.
¡°Thank God! Listen, stay awake! I just called 911! We are going to live! it''s fine!¡± Daniel¡¯s voice became more focused now that Archie¡¯s brain stopped spinning, but his vision was still hazy.
¡°What¡¯s going on? What happened?¡± Archie asked, struggling to push himself up, desperate to find his friend, but pain shot through his body, making him stumble and fall back onto the floor.
¡°You saved me¡ Holy shit, man¡ You fell off the ledge... after pushing the mountain lion,¡± Daniel explained, his voice labored. "I came down...to find... you."
¡°What? Where is it now?¡± Archie asked, the memory of what had happened atop the ledge crashing into him like a truck. His body still refused to move, and his vision was blurry.
¡°Daniel?... Daniel! You there?¡± Archie shouted, his throat burning with the effort.
¡°Yeah¡ Archie¡ You know¡ I always¡ considered you¡ my brother¡ right?¡± Daniel whispered, the words barely audible, but still clear to Archie.
Panicked, Archie called out, ¡°Daniel? Daniel!¡±
No reply came.
Archie started to panic at his friend not responding, vision still hazy, Archie tried to push himself off the ground but failed due to the pain arcing across his body.
Tears welled up in Archie¡¯s eyes fearing the worst.
Roaring in both anger and pain, Archie moved his arms to push himself up, ignoring the pain that arced across his body. Forcing his legs to push himself from his plank position and into an upright position, Archie felt fire spread across his legs.
Finally standing up, his eyes regained focus, looking down at his stomach he saw a tree branch lodged just below his rib cage. Just as Archie was about to hyperventilate, an image of his friend flashed in his mind, causing him to focus.
Pain arced across his body with each step he took, helicopter blades whirring filled the air, but Archie ignored them. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his friend beside a tree laying on red-stained grass, Daniel was covered in dirt, and scrapes and bruises covered all visible skin. The wounds inflicted by the mountain lion were leaking a lot of blood.
Stumbling towards Daniel, ignoring the pain that wreaked havoc across his body, until he reached Daniel.
Standing above Daniel, Archie fell to his knees, ignoring the pain spiking all over his body, and tried shaking Daniel awake.
But Daniel did not wake up, Archie¡¯s tears became sobs, as Daniel¡¯s eyes refused to open.
¡°DANIEL!¡± Archie shouted into the dark sky.
A light from above shone down on both Archie and Daniel, but Archie barely noticed. His mind and body shut down, overwhelmed by the excruciating pain¡ªboth mental and physical¡ªone that he could no longer bear.
Archie currently stood atop various corpses of goats, similar to the ones he killed before hiking up the mountain, very confused about what had happened.
Seemingly coming out of a trance, Archie looked around and found himself atop the hill, hatchet, and sword covered in blood and a large number of snowy goat corpses surrounding him.
¡°The hell? How did I end up here, with like fifteen dead goat corpses around me?¡± Archie asked himself, greatly confused as to what he was doing.
Looking at his notifications, he saw:
*[Icehoof Goat Lv 36] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 144 Tutorial Points given*
***
*[Icehoof Goat Lv 41] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 205 Tutorial Points given*
*Your Class has reached Lv 40 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Class has reached Lv 41 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Race has reached Lv 37 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Race has reached Lv 38 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
¡°Hmm¡ I guess I was too distracted by memories and my body just moved on autopilot.¡± Archie reasoned with himself.
*Warrior class skills available. Choose one of the options*
[Taunt (Uncommon)]: The warrior¡¯s presence on the battlefield alone garners the attention of others, but when issuing a taunt, it is a deliberate challenge that no foe can ignore. With a deep guttural roar that shakes the battlefield, the warrior draws the attention of their foes, daring them to attack. Grabs the attention of all enemies within a Perception-USM circle.
[Shield Wall (Uncommon)]: The warrior raises their trusty shield, their trusted companion¡¯s dimensions lengthen, allowing more area of protection. The warrior now able to hold their ground against the overwhelming odds.
[Deadly Ambush (Uncommon)]: The warrior uses the element of surprise to deliver increased damage to their enemies. When the warrior is unseen by an enemy, all attacks are minorly enhanced.
Flicking his weapons clean, Archie looked at his Warrior class skills, ¡°Shield Wall is useless to me because I¡¯m dual-wielding both my hatchet and sword more often. Taunt I can see being useful with the stunning effect and Deadly Ambush is a good fight starter. Hmm¡ Deadly Ambush can¡¯t be used in all scenarios, but when in a fight I can just use Taunt to stun. So, I guess Taunt wins.¡± Archie reasoned to himself while choosing Taunt. ¡°Besides, what warrior would I be without Taunt? It''s a staple skill.¡±
Opening his status screen, Archie saw:
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human F-Grade Lv 38
Class: Warrior Lv 41
Profession: Shaman Lv 27
Health: 1449/1449
Mana: 570/570
Stamina: 900/940
Stats:
Vitality: 138(144)
Strength: 148(155)
Endurance: 94
Agility: 129
Intelligence: 125
Wisdom: 57
Willpower: 57(59)
Perception: 108
Free Points: 37
Skills:
Basic One-Handed Weapon Mastery (Uncommon)
Basic Light-Shield Mastery (Common)
Identify (Initiate)
Savage Charge (Rare)
Adrenaline Rush (Epic)
Warrior''s Resilience (Rare)
Nature''s Meditation (Epic)
Mana Manipulation (Common)
Spirit Link (Epic)
Effigy-Carving (Common)
Material Insight (Uncommon)
Retaliation (Uncommon)
Hex of Enfeeblement (Uncommon)
Unstable Power Strike (Uncommon)
Taunt (Uncommon)
Bloodline:
Adrenaline Junkie (Unique) [+5% to Strength and +5% to Willpower]
Affinity:
Greater Nature Affinity (Epic)
Titles Collected:
Bloodline Progenitor [+10 Vitality and +5% Vitality]
Tutorial Points:
7,574
Ch 18 - Voodoo Dolls
As Archie was about to walk past the corpses of the goats, he decided to chop off the ice hooves of the goats. Identifying them, he read:
Ice Hoof (Uncommon):
A hoof of an Icehoof Goat that lived in the Hoarfrost Highlands, imbued with the Lesser Element of Ice. Various uses in crafting.
¡°I can try to use this while in Soul Link to get the feel of a Lesser Element of Ice. Wait, I can also try to connect with nature and isolate the spirits of them both, maybe even create skills.¡± Archie realized, excited with the potential of creating ice and nature spells.
Archie¡¯s spatial ring housed ten Ice Hooves before looking at his sword, as when chopping off the eleventh hoof his sword produced a sound like glass slightly chipping.
Identifying it, he read.
Iron Broadsword (Common):
An Iron Broadsword provided to those who have chosen the Warrior starting class. Due to prolonged use without being maintained, it has become nothing more than a dull blade. Effect: Soul-Bound. Status: Dull & Fractured. Requirements: Humanoid Race.
Producing an Audible exhale, Archie tossed both his sword and sheath into his spatial ring.
¡°I guess I will use my hatchet as my main weapon and start reusing my shield with my off-hand,¡± Archie said.
Walking downhill a bit somber, Archie got a rather novel idea, running downhill. A smile blossomed across his face and adrenaline came out in full swing and a shout of joy echoed throughout the highlands.
Wind rushed past Archie¡¯s face, as he ran full speed downhill. With Archie¡¯s Agility and Perception stats, he was able to narrowly avoid all rocks, roots, and trees and continue at full speed.
¡°Ah¡I missed this feeling; the wind rushing past me, the possible danger, the rush. I guess my bloodline was always with me after all, I did a lot of stupid stuff like this a lot when I was younger.¡± Archie said as the rush he got from his run died down.
Walking beside a tree, Archie quickly scaled the tree and activated his Nature''s Meditation.
While in meditation, Archie saw new spirits alongside the ambient lesser elemental spirits. Most of these new spirits were shades of green, but some had flakes of blue, ¡®Nature-Ice hybrid spirits?¡¯ Archie assumed, thinking how different monsters in a certain game franchise had dual types, why couldn¡¯t spirits?
Touching the nearest nature spirits, Archie felt warmth go through his fingertips. A serene feeling filled Archie; I can see why the stereotype of peaceful druids is a thing. If I felt this all the time, I could never be pissed for long, Archie smiled.
Cupping a nature spirit, Archie started to coat his hands with his own mana in an attempt to not absorb the nature spirit. When the nature spirit landed on Archie¡¯s mana-coated hands, it floated in between, similar to a lily pad on water.
Archie tried his best to focus on the feeling, the nature spirit gave him serenity, but he could feel something else. Concentrating, Archie felt¡purpose, duty¡and life.
Wow. So, nature is really alive, like alive alive. Purpose and duty can only come from sentience if not semi-sentience, Archie thought, his mouth slightly agape at his discovery.
Gathering a couple of nature spirits, Archie infused them into his mana. Upon infusing them, Archie saw his mana gain a similar tint to the nature spirits, remembering that a major portion of his mana reserves had transformed into nature-attuned.
Leaving Nature¡¯s Meditation, Archie saw the tree branch he stood atop of gained a few new budding branches and slightly greener leaves.
¡°Go figure; looks like infusing plants with nature mana makes them grow. What if I use mana strings to manipulate vines to restrain a doe?¡± Archie wondered while cupping his chin.
¡°I¡¯ll figure that out later, I wanna focus on making a new effigy for now,¡± Archie said before hopping off the tree branch and taking out his hatchet.
Archie sat once again beside a tree stump with a chopped log in hand. Closing his eyes, Archie tried focusing on what object gave the feelings of serenity and life. Only one image stood out to him, an ironic one, a tree.
Taking out his carving knife, Archie started to carve out a Hoarfrost Pine, using the Pine in front of him for reference.
Looking at his new tree-shaped effigy, Archie identified it.
Effigy of Health (Uncommon):
A pine wood health effigy made in the design of a Hoarfrost Tree, imbued with the feelings of serenity and life of a lesser nature spirit, and empowered with lesser nature spirits. Restores a total of 750 health for the one who breaks effigy. Cooldown duration: 1 hour.
Archie then looked at his many notifications.
*Your Profession has reached Lv 28 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
***
*Your Profession has reached Lv 31 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Race has reached Lv 39 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
***
*Your Race has reached Lv 41 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Shaman Profession Skills Available. Choose one of the options*
[Hex of Weakness (Common)]: The shaman calls upon the spirits to drain an enemy¡¯s strength, weakening their attack. The weakening of the attack is proportional to the mana you use when casting the hex.
[Shatter Spirit (Common)]: The shaman calls upon the spirits to attack their foe¡¯s soul, fracturing it minorly. Nevertheless, due to the fragility of the soul, your foe¡¯s magical connection is disrupted.
[Connection with Fauna (Common)]: The shaman¡¯s bond with wildlife allows them to soothe animals, making them easier to handle and more responsive.
[Floral Extraction (Initiate)]: When imbuing a plant with nature-attuned mana, the shaman can collect components of the plant without causing harm to the plant. This skill both preserves the health and fosters future growth of the plant. Grants insight into the plants around you.
[Imbue Soil (Common)]: When imbuing soil with an infusion of both spirits and nature-attuned mana, the shaman increases the quantity and quality of the plants raised in that particular area. Enhancing the growth and quality of crop cycles after the skill is activated.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
¡°Imbue Soil is useless in my opinion, same with Connection with Fauna; the only animal I got along with would be that bear. Floral Extraction would be useful when harvesting plants and gathering wood for effigies since trees are plants. Between Shatter Spirit and Hex of Weakness, Shatter Spirit would be my choice because it would be my only way of fighting a mage from afar.¡± Archie mulled as he looked over his options.
¡°I guess Shatter Spirit due to my meager way of attack from afar and to counter a mage¡¯s spell.¡± Archie decided, selecting Shatter Spirit.
¡°Ok, so essentially a shaman¡¯s Potion of Health. Effigy of Healing is great with enhanced regeneration, but instantaneous health in a fight is invaluable.¡± Archie said while placing the Effigy of Health in his spatial ring.
¡°Alright, now it¡¯s time for voodoo making,¡± Archie said while taking out the Voodoo Doll of Harm from his spatial ring.
Looking at the doll, the doll fit perfectly within his palm, looking eerily similar to a stuffed bear. The doll was made from many tightly packed twigs forming a general outline of a bear with thin vines emphasizing the facial and body features. Archie could see fur tufts through the twigs of the ¡®bear¡¯s¡¯ torso, ¡®bear fur¡¯ Archie assumed, through the twigs of the ¡®bear¡¯s¡¯ torso. The doll was both burnt and stained, the stain was black, ¡®Possibly the rot hex¡¯ Archie assumed.
Realizing something, Archie said, ¡°Voodoo Doll of Harm¡Does that mean voodoo dolls could be used for other things?¡± left hand cupping his chin, thinking about possible uses of a voodoo doll.
Unable to think of any uses off the top of his head, Archie started to shave off thin strips of wood from a log to use as vines. A couple of minutes later, Archie got up from the ground and went around the forest to grab twigs and other materials needed for making voodoo dolls.
Archie sat back down against the tree stump with various piles of material beside him; a large pile of chopped logs to his right, an even larger pile of twigs to his left, and a medium-sized pile of thin wood strips in front of him.
Archie took a handful of thicker twigs and arranged them into a round shape, trying to form the tortoise¡¯s shell, his 136 Agility vastly improving his motor skills. Bending and shifting the twigs slightly, he formed the dome-like shell of the tortoise, with thin wooden strips locking in the shape of the dome around the edges.
Moving on to forming the body of the tortoise, Archie attached the upper shell with an oval-like shape of twigs symbolizing the torso of the tortoise. Taking out some of the pieces of keratin from his spatial ring and stuffed them into the torso of the semi-complete doll.
After placing the pieces of keratin within the twig doll, Archie formed the bottom shell of the tortoise. Archie then formed four oval-like stubs made of twigs and wrapped in thin wooden shavings and attached them to the doll.
Archie then identified the twig tortoise doll.
Twig Doll (Common) ¨C Filled:
Hoarfrost tree wood twigs formed together, depicting an outline of a tortoise and filled with the keratin of a Frostiron Tortoise.
The next step was to channel the anger and pain that he felt towards the tortoise. In an attempt to visualize his emotions of hatred and pain; Archie looked down at his chest and saw the claw marks that almost ripped him to shreds. Channeling those emotions into the doll, Archie identified the doll once more.
Imbued Twig Doll (Common) ¨C Filled:
Hoarfrost tree wood twigs formed together, depicting an outline of a tortoise, imbued with the feeling of hatred and pain of an F-Grade human and filled with the keratin of a Frostiron Tortoise.
The final step was to empower the doll with malevolent spirits. ¡°What the hell are malevolent spirits?¡± Archie wondered.
Activating Soul Link, Archie looked around and noticed the ambient elemental spirits that reside around him in the Hoarfrost Highlands for the first time. The spirits looked similar to the spirits he saw in the oak forest in the Shaman profession dungeon, but now the majority of spirits were a light blue color.
Unfortunately, Archie was not able to see, nor sense any malevolent spirits around him. Just as he was about to exit his Soul Link, Archie looked at the Voodoo doll of Harm and saw murky red spirits lingering around the doll.
I can try to funnel the spirits into the imbued twig doll. Archie thought while holding both the imbued twig doll in one hand and the Voodoo Doll of Harm in the other. That might do something.
Forming mana strings around the spirits within the voodoo doll, Archie tried dragging them into the imbued twig doll. Initially, the malevolent spirits within the Voodoo Doll of Harm showed resistance with the concept of leaving the voodoo doll, but after channeling more mana and concentrating, they gave in and went inside the imbued twig doll.
Exiting Soul Link, Archie identified both dolls.
Voodoo Doll of Harm (Common) ¨C Filled:
Hoarfrost tree wood twigs formed together, depicting an outline of a tortoise, imbued with the feeling of hatred and pain of an F-Grade human, filled with the keratin of a Frostiron Tortoise, and empowered with malevolent spirits. Damage inflicted upon the voodoo doll will affect the entity whose essence is trapped within. Effect: Lesser Harm Infliction. Requirement: Lv 30+.
Imbued Twig Doll (Common) ¨C Filled:
Oak Wood twigs formed together, depicting an outline of a bear, imbued with the feeling of hatred and pain of an F-Grade goblin and filled with the fur of a black bear.
¡°So, with the spirits leaving the bear voodoo doll, it became an imbued doll, makes sense¡I guess since the spirits I funneled into the tortoise voodoo doll were probably not ¡®fresh¡¯ it didn¡¯t become Uncommon.¡± Archie analyzed while placing the imbued bear doll in his spatial ring.
Getting an idea, Archie took out the remaining pieces of keratin from his spatial ring and activated his Soul Link once more. Looking down at the pieces of keratin in his palm, Archie saw some slightly darker blue spirits than the lesser-ice elemental spirits that surrounded him.
Grabbing both spirits from the keratin and from the environment around him, Archie manipulated them to enter the new Voodoo Doll of Harm.
Deactivating his Soul Link, Archie Identified the doll.
Voodoo Doll of Harm (Uncommon) ¨C Filled:
Hoarfrost tree wood twigs formed together, depicting an outline of a tortoise, imbued with the feeling of hatred and pain of an F-Grade human, filled with the keratin of a Frostiron Tortoise, and empowered with lesser malevolent and ice spirits. Damage inflicted upon the voodoo doll will affect the entity whose essence is trapped within. Effect: Low Harm Infliction. Requirement: Lv 40+.
Smiling at the Uncommon rarity on the voodoo doll, Archie looked at the notifications he had ignored throughout the process.
*Your Profession has reached Lv 32 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
***
*Your Profession has reached Lv 36 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Race has reached Lv 42 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
Skill Upgrade: [Mana Manipulation (Common ¡ú Uncommon)]
Mana Manipulation (Uncommon):
You have gained the ability to tap into the raw energy of mana. You have moved on from being a novice and have become adept at controlling mana within yourself and your surroundings. You have demonstrated proficiency in manipulating your mana into both spirits around you and spirits within items. This skill provides foundational knowledge, enabling you to progressively enhance your ability to channel, control, and shape mana.
Archie opened his status page and saw:
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human F-Grade Lv 42
Class: Warrior Lv 41
Profession: Shaman Lv 36
Health: 1491/1491
Mana: 523/610
Stamina: 950/970
Stats:
Vitality: 142(149)
Strength: 152(159)
Endurance: 98
Agility: 142
Intelligence: 147
Wisdom: 61
Willpower: 61(64)
Perception: 130
Free Points: 50
Skills:
Basic One-Handed Weapon Mastery (Uncommon)
Basic Light-Shield Mastery (Common)
Identify (Initiate)
Savage Charge (Rare)
Adrenaline Rush (Epic)
Warrior''s Resilience (Rare)
Nature''s Meditation (Epic)
Mana Manipulation (Uncommon)
Spirit Link (Epic)
Effigy-Carving (Common)
Material Insight (Uncommon)
Retaliation (Uncommon)
Hex of Enfeeblement (Uncommon)
Unstable Power Strike (Uncommon)
Taunt (Uncommon)
Shatter Spirit (Common)
Bloodline:
Adrenaline Junkie (Unique) [+5% to Strength and +5% to Willpower]
Affinity:
Greater Nature Affinity (Epic)
Titles Collected:
Bloodline Progenitor [+10 Vitality and +5% Vitality]
Tutorial Points:
7,574
After reading through his status page, Archie started to feel a bit hungry. I¡¯ve been focusing on my profession since the morning and it¡¯s almost evening time, Archie thought. Having left the goat corpses unattended on the hill since morning, they were most likely eaten or carried off by wolves or other predators. With another growl of his stomach, he headed into the forest, searching for something to eat.
Ch 19 - Sabertooth Tiger
Archie was currently walking through the forest looking for something to hunt, sadly for the past few minutes he had yet to find anything other than trees and snow. Well, he did find some berries, but a quick Identify revealed them to be poisonous.
Just as Archie was about to take another step, goosebumps flared on the back of his neck. Archie swiveled around with his shield raised, just in time to avoid an attack at his unprotected back.
The shield blocked the attack aimed at Archie, but as a result, it was cleaved in four, with the pieces falling onto the snowy ground.
Archie took in the creature that turned his shield into ribbons, Is that a fucking saber-tooth tiger? Archie mentally shouted, both mouth and eyes wide open.
The saber-tooth tiger had white fur with black and grey stripes along its body and red-amber eyes and nose. Two large sharp upper teeth protruding out of its mouth that glinted both blue and white, looking about ten inches long. It stood confidently at a height of five-foot-three inches, body rippling with muscles with each step it took.
Backstepping, Archie dodged yet another swipe at his unprotected chest. Just as Archie dodged back, he Identified the saber-tooth tiger.
[Swift Frostiron Smilodon Lv ??]
Archie tightened his grip on his hatchet, adrenaline moved from a lull, and began to pick up speed.
Archie activated Adrenaline Rush at 35% and Savage Charge, and in an instant, red-hued steam rose from his body as his adrenaline surged. With a burst of power, he vanished from his previous position, moving faster than the eye could follow. Archie angled his hatchet to cut into the Smilodon¡¯s neck, but just as it was approaching its neck the Smilodon reacted.
It caught Archie¡¯s hatchet in its jaws, stopping the force of Archie¡¯s swipe. Panicking, Archie channeled more mana and stamina into his Adrenaline Rush as well as activating Unstable Power Strike into his hatchet.
The sound of metal grinding against each other filled the forest, Archie''s hatchet and the Smilodon¡¯s teeth were at a deadlock.
How the hell am I not able to cut through its teeth? Archie questioned, sweat started to coat his body alongside the bits of blood that started to leak from his skin. I have a 35% boost.
Both the Smilodon and Archie were in a deadlock, both unwilling to back down. The Smilodon¡¯s jaw strength evenly matched Archie¡¯s full power combo, but a cracking sound echoed throughout the forest.
Both Archie and the Smilodon became unbalanced and fell on their sides, both in opposite directions. Archie looked at his hatchet and saw a large chunk missing and cracks appearing across the remaining parts of the blade as well as the handle.
The Smilodon spat out the pieces of steel from the hatchet it chomped out of and began to circle Archie.
Archie sent the hatchet into his spatial ring, remembering the self-repair enchantment on the hatchet. Activating Savage Charge, Archie launched himself at the Smilodon with his right fist cocked back and smashed it across the side of the Smilodon¡¯s skull.
The Smilodon took the hit head-on and angled its head to get into the guard of Archie, once in Archie¡¯s guard it swiped its claws into Archie¡¯s torso.
Archie¡¯s torso started to spill blood onto the snow below, his inner organs being held in by the remaining strips of flesh across his torso, Warrior¡¯s Resilience automatically activating at the maximum health regeneration.
The adrenaline coursing through Archie¡¯s being kept him from most of the pain, but the small bits of pain that he did feel almost made him drop to his knees. Tears fell from Archie¡¯s eyes and rolled down his face and he shouted, unintentionally triggering his Taunt.
The guttural shout stopped the Smilodon from lunging at his neck and caused its body to lock up. Archie¡¯s brain went a thousand miles a second; he took out an Effigy of Health and cracked it with the same mana string, rapidly filling his almost empty health reserves.
Archie then activated Retaliation and cocked his fist once more at the Smilodon¡¯s head activating Unstable Power Strike into his right fist. The sound of Archie¡¯s fist smashing into the Smilodon¡¯s skull produced a sound akin to a thunderclap.
The sheer power into the strike launched the Smilodon ten meters away from Archie as well as causing a cracking sound from the Smilodon. Getting some breathing room, Archie quickly took out his Effigy of Healing and activated it while placing it in his back pouch.
His muscle fibers in his torso were healing at a visible rate, due to the combination of his large Vitality and Endurance stats as well as both the Effigy of Health and Effigy of Healing.
Archie shot out the Hex of Enfeeblement at the Smilodon¡¯s torso. Upon hitting the Smilodon¡¯s torso it looked winded, giving Archie an opportunity.
Archie quickly opened his status page and allocated twenty-five points to Strength and Vitality each. Needing the free points he placed on the back burner now.
After allocating the stat points, Archie dismissed the status page and looked back at the Smilodon and saw it staggering, but slowly picking itself up. Blood and what Archie assumed to be pieces of cracked teeth, fall from the Smilodon¡¯s mouth and stain the snow beneath it.
Archie activated Savage Charge at the Smilodon, using Taunt once more, causing the Smilodon to lock up once more, and Archie¡¯s vocal cords to strain.
Smashing his right fist into the face of the Smilodon, Archie then immediately uppercut the Smilodon with his left fist, lifting both its head and upper body into the air. But Archie did not let up, activating Unstable Power Strike into both of his fists, he started to pummel his fists into the torso of the Smilodon.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.
Blood started to erupt from the torso of the Smilodon, its rib cage cracking, blood and bone shards coating both the snowy ground and Archie.
Archie felt his fists destroy the Smilodon¡¯s ribcage as well as its lungs, but he did not care, he kept punching. Archie heard the dings from the system, but he did not care, he kept punching into the Smilodon¡¯s body below him.
After what felt like hours, Archie was on his knees atop a mangled bloody flesh blob. Blood and pieces of fleshy mush coated the area around Archie, leaving not a single unbloody stain within a five-meter radius around him.
Archie ran out of energy to keep punching what remained of the Smilodon, his Adrenaline Rush ending long ago. The adrenaline that rushed through him slowed to a lull, causing the dopamine that flooded his brain to come to a halt.
With bleary eyes, he looked at his status page and saw he had only seventy-one stamina points remaining in his reserves, his Effigy of Healing had long since finished healing him to around 90%.
Looking at his fists, he saw the gauntlets were barely attached to his fists, his skin peeled and bones showing. He took out an Effigy of Endurance and activated it, using the same mana string that took it out to place it back into his back pouch. What felt like cold water trickling down his back, Archie slowly got up from atop the mangled corpse of the Smilodon and started to head back to his cave home.
Along the path toward his cave home, bloody footprints followed his every step.
Pushing aside the door to his home, and closing it behind him, he fell to the floor, completely exhausted from the fight with the Smilodon.
Walking up bleary-eyed, Archie was greeted by the small rays of light that came out of the door. Looking at his naked torso, he saw it covered with dried congealed blood and bone shards.
Swiping the congealed blood and bone shards aside, Archie felt the raw skin beneath, relieved that his inner organs were no longer at risk of spilling out. He let his hand flop into the ground, the anxiety he hadn''t realized he was carrying dissipating into thin air.
Looking to the side Archie saw the notifications that he ignored.
Skill Evolved: [Unstable Power Strike (Uncommon) ¡ú Unstable Consecutive Strikes (Rare)]
[Unstable Consecutive Strikes (Rare)]:
With a surge of strength, you continuously charge large amounts of stamina into multiple, devastating strikes. Unstable Consecutive Strikes is the embodiment of unyielding destruction, designed to overwhelm foes in head-on confrontations. The skill can be channeled throughout your body as well as the weapons that you hold, however; if the weapons cannot handle the large amount of stamina coursing through it, it will shatter.
Skill Gained: [Basic Martial Combat Mastery (Initiate)]
Basic Martial Combat Mastery (Initiate):
When without a weapon, what other weapon can you rely on except your body? Grants knowledge of basic martial combat.
*[Swift Frostiron Smilodon Lv 53] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 530 Tutorial Points given*
*Your Class has reached Lv 42 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
***
*Your Class has reached Lv 45 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Race has reached Lv 43 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Race has reached Lv 44 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
¡°Level 53, huh¡ I¡¯m gonna assume that level 50 is the level I need to reach to become an E-Grade.¡± Archie said, his voice barely audible, his throat still sore from using Taunt twice in a row.
Opening his status page he saw:
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human F-Grade Lv 44
Class: Warrior Lv 45
Profession: Shaman Lv 36
Health: 1858/1858
Mana: 630/630
Stamina: 1000/1000
Stats:
Vitality: 177(185)
Strength: 187(196)
Endurance: 100
Agility: 148
Intelligence: 149
Wisdom: 63
Willpower: 63(66)
Perception: 132
Free Points: 6
Skills:
Basic One-Handed Weapon Mastery (Uncommon)
Basic Light-Shield Mastery (Common)
Identify (Initiate)
Savage Charge (Rare)
Adrenaline Rush (Epic)
Warrior''s Resilience (Rare)
Nature''s Meditation (Epic)
Mana Manipulation (Uncommon)
Spirit Link (Epic)
Effigy-Carving (Common)
Material Insight (Uncommon)
Retaliation (Uncommon)
Hex of Enfeeblement (Uncommon)
Unstable Consecutive Strikes (Rare)
Taunt (Uncommon)
Shatter Spirit (Common)
Basic Martial Combat Mastery (Initiate)
Bloodline:
Adrenaline Junkie (Unique) [+5% to Strength and +5% to Willpower]
Affinity:
Greater Nature Affinity (Epic)
Titles Collected:
Bloodline Progenitor [+10 Vitality and +5% Vitality]
Tutorial Points:
8,104
¡°Man, I gotta figure out how to organize my skills, ''cause it looks like shit, to be honest.¡± Archie criticized, hoping that the system would give him a hint on how to organize it.
Sadly, no response came.
Picking himself from the ground, Archie pushed aside his door and saw that the sun was showing that it was around noon. Looking at himself, he desperately needed a bath.
¡°When was the last time I bathed? Is the reason why I can¡¯t find anything to hunt is because of my scent?¡± Archie questioned himself.
¡°Whelp, off to the river then.¡± Archie shrugged while walking towards the river.
Suddenly his eyes widened, ¡°I should repair my hatchet along the way,¡± Archie said as other than his fists, he had nothing to fight with.
Pulling out his broken and cracked hatchet, Archie began channeling mana through it, slowly repairing its broken state.
Looking around the river, Archie saw many creatures surrounding the edges of the river, some familiar. He then used Identify on one creature from each group.
[Stout Marmot Lv 13]
[Charging Elk Lv 13]
[Springed Hare Lv 12]
[Snowveil Fox Lv 14]
[Swift Pika Lv 11]
[Iceclaw Eagle Lv 16]
¡°I take back what I said about the marmots, they aren¡¯t roided squirrels, those Pikas are,¡± Archie mumbled to himself while chuckling.
The pikas looked like a crossbreed of a squirrel and a bunny, but densely packed with muscle. They had light blonde fur, black eyes, square-shaped noses, and small paws, but their head and torso were connected, without a neck. Quite jarring in his opinion.
The foxes looked like normal snow-colored foxes but with green noses and five eyes. Squinting slightly, Archie then realized the other creatures didn¡¯t seem to notice them at all. Do they have the ability to passively camouflage? Can I see them because of my high perception stat? Archie thought.
The highest level between the groups were the eagles, they looked like normal bald eagles, but judging from their name, Archie assumed that their talons were probably metallic.
Archie went into the river, ignoring the fact that the other animals constantly stared at him. Sinking into the water, Archie started to take off pieces of his armor and started to clean them from the dried blood and bits of bone.
After cleaning his armor, he then tossed them onto the riverside and started to clean himself.
Feeling refreshed, Archie got out of the river and eyed the fat hares beside him. After putting on his armor, he stared at the elk and started to feel his hunger come back in full.
Archie took out his dagger and quickly launched it at an elk, easily tearing through its neck and producing a circular hole with a diameter of at least four inches. The elk fell to the ground, causing the rest of the herd to run into the forest, afraid of the sudden death of their strongest pack member.
*[Charging Elk Lv 13] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 26 Tutorial Points given*
Upon reaching the dead elk, Archie sheathed his dagger, hoisted the elk onto his back in a fireman''s carry, and hung it on a sturdy tree branch.
After it was drained of most of its blood, Archie hoisted it onto his back once more in a fireman''s carry and made his way back to his cave.
Ch 20 - Jungle Temple I
Archie was walking up another rocky hill while munching on the leg of the elk he killed. But unlike the previous ones he''d walked up, barely any creatures were on this one. And the ones that were on this hill barely reached level 20.
¡°Still a bit charred, but it is what it is,¡± Archie said in between bites. "I wish I had some salt though."
At the top of the hill, Archie saw a white portal in the middle of the hill. It looked very out of place, there was no boulder surrounding it, no tunnel, not even a tree around it. Just a white portal out in the open.
Upon touching the portal, a system prompt appeared, and Archie read:
Profession Challenge Dungeon
Objective: ?
Reward: Painter Profession, ? & ?
Requirements: Tutorial Participant & Must not have a Profession
Would you like to enter?
Archie, curious about what would happen, said, ¡°I would like to enter.¡±
Another system prompt appeared, and Archie read:
Relinquish Profession:
Do you wish to relinquish your Shaman Profession? If so, you shall experience a major loss in your records as well as the removal of several skills.
¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡± Archie shouted after reading the second prompt, panicked at the potential of losing all his progress.
Sighing in disappointment, Archie started to walk down the hill. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a glint from beneath the snowy grass on his five-o¡¯clock.
Brushing the snow from where he saw the glint, Archie saw a familiar oak lockbox. Identifying the lockbox, he read:
Sealed Oak Chest:
A sealed chest, created for the 72nd cycle¡¯s tutorial, containing an item.
Snapping the lock open, Archie saw grey leather and white fur stuffed within the lockbox. Pulling out the item within, it was revealed to be pants.
The pants were grey leather pants and white fur similar to the fur on the snowviel foxes. The pants came with a belt attached to them, as well as brown leather straps going around each thigh. Perfect place for my hatchet, Archie thought as he saw the brown leather straps had holes large enough to a hilt. Touching the fur on the shins of the pants, he felt metal.
Identifying the pants he read:
Frostiron Fur Leggings (Uncommon):
Grey leather pants made from the hide of an arctic bear, reinforced with frostiron plating, and decorated with Snowviel fox fur. Crafted with the hide of an arctic bear, Snowviel fox fur, and frostiron ingots by an F-Grade Leathersmith. Effects: Soul-Bound, Self-Repair. Provides: +15 End & +10 Vit. Status: Perfect. Requirement: Lv 40+ & Humanoid Race.
Looking at his own pants, he read:
Plated Chain-mail Leggings (Common):
Plated Chain-mail Leggings provided to those who have chosen the Warrior starting class. Effect: Soul-bound. Status: Moderately beaten. Requirements: Humanoid Race.
Archie proceeded to strip off his plated chain-mail leggings and change into the Frostiron Fur Leggings, uncaring about his surroundings.
¡°Oh! These feel great; perfectly soft and they don¡¯t feel restrictive to move in¡± Archie said, while moving down the mountain.
*Your Profession has reached Lv 37 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Profession has reached Lv 38 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Class has reached Lv 46 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
A couple of days later, nothing much really occurred other than Archie killing a few creatures, gaining around 456 Tutorial Points, and making a couple of effigies gaining a few levels in both his class and profession.
However, a thought had been rearing its head in between each crafting session, This is getting a bit boring. Making effigies is cool, but it''s been getting a bit boring as of late. The initial joy he gained when crafting effigies had started to wane.
Archie was running up the largest mountain in the Hoarfrost Highlands, when he remembered to check how many days were left in the Solo Tutorial.
Solo Tutorial
The 72nd cycle has begun; thus, a tutorial is needed to increase the survivability of the newly integrated myriad races. The Hoarfrost Highlands is filled with various creatures from across the universe, each providing Tutorial Points upon their death to their killer. After the Solo Tutorial is completed, all Solo Tutorial Participants will be teleported into random Group Tutorials. Tutorial Points will be used to gain rewards after the full tutorial is completed.
Completion Criteria: Survive for 30 days.
Time remaining: 09:12:24
¡°It¡¯s been a couple of days, and I still haven¡¯t found the tortoise,¡± Archie grumbled.
Looking around as he was running up the mountain, he saw a weird-looking tree. Stopping, he took in the tree, it wasn¡¯t like the other Hoarfrost Highland trees, which had white bark, and blue leaves, with a diameter of two feet, and stood at a whopping fifteen feet in length.
This tree in particular had a rich mahogany color and bright green leaves, it stood at a height of seven feet in length, less than half of a normal Hoarfrost Highland tree, it was wide, like fifteen feet wide. All in all, it was completely out of place.
Archie tried to Identify the tree but was met with nothing, similar to when he tried to Identify a portal.
Archie walked around the tree, hands crossed, staring at the tree trying to see what to do. After a bit of staring and nothing happening, Archie decided to touch the tree, prompting a system prompt.
Gauntlet Challenge Dungeon
Objective: Survive
Reward: ?
Requirements: Must be F-Grade.
Would you like to enter?
¡°Gauntlet? Like fighting enemies in waves? Would they scale to my level?¡± Archie questioned.
After contemplating for a moment, Archie decided to enter. These past few days had been bland and, to be honest, a bit boring. "As much as I enjoy peace and quiet, I''ve... grown fond of fighting," Archie mused with a smile. It was surprising for him when he came to this realization, especially considering that just a few weeks ago, he had preferred spending his free time gaming, reading, or building miniature plastic robots. Now, fighting seemed to have taken over that role.
"Well, I''d still kill for a robot kit, hell a puzzle would do it," Archie chuckled, looking around for any potential ambushes from the Hoarfrost fauna. Once he found none, he answered.
¡°I would like to enter the dungeon,¡± Archie answered confidently, making him vanish from atop the hill.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
Within a luscious forest, a being woke from its slumber from atop a lake and observed a panel-like screen that appeared in front of it. The screen displayed in front of the being buzzed to life, revealing a curious Archie, looking around an empty white space.
A tall form that looked like it was sculpted from stone, bark, and moss, seamlessly blending earthy tones of brown, grey, and green. Vines naturally grew across her form, winding around her limbs and torso, giving her a sense of life and growth. Her face looked smooth and serene, with glowing mineral veins running through her stone-like skin.
Her deep-set eyes shimmered like molten lava. Her hair cascades in the form of vines and leaves, with flowers that crowned her head in a natural display of beauty.
¡°Hmmm¡ It seems as though a new challenger has arrived... A human,¡± the being said, staring at Archie.
¡°Oh¡ He seems to have a Nature Affinity¡ Quite a powerful one as well. This should be interesting.¡± the being said eyes laying on Archie¡¯s confused form.
Archie looked around the bright white room, confused about what should be happening when suddenly, a prompt appeared in front of him.
Gauntlet Challenge Dungeon
Objective 1: Protect the jungle temple from the invaders 0/12
Reward: ?
¡°Jungle temple?¡± Archie questioned, looking around and still seeing the bright white room.
A second after questioning, the environment of the room seemingly disappeared instantly.
Archie found himself suddenly in a jungle. The air around him became thick and heavy, carrying the rich scent of damp soil and plants. Sunlight slips through gaps in the tall trees above, casting dappled patches of light on the ground, where shades of green ¨C ferns, moss, and vines ¨C cover every surface. Bird calls and distant rustling filled the thick jungle air, but Archie¡¯s attention was elsewhere.
Before him was a massive stone temple, its ancient structure looming high above the surrounding foliage. Weathered steps lead up to crumbling terraces, nearly hidden beneath a tangle of vines and roots. Intricate carvings of strange creatures adorned the stone.
To Archie, it felt both majestic and foreboding, as if it guarded long-buried secrets.
Remembering his objective, Archie focused on trying to find where the twelve invaders were. Hearing a snap behind him, Archie turned around to see six people staring at him with their weapons drawn.
Three of them looked to be normal humans, two of them were men dressed in leather armor and wielded greatswords and the last human was a female dressed in white and stood in the back. Two warriors and a healer, Archie concluded.
Two of the six looked to be blue-colored two-legged lizards covered in leather armor, both wielded nothing but had sharp claws from what Archie could see.
The last of the six was what looked to be a bonafide Orc; packed with muscles, white lower jaw tusks, purple loin cloth, and wielded a giant axe.
Identifying them, Archie read:
[Human Lv 25]
[Orc Lv 30]
[Human Lv 28]
[Human Lv 32]
[Tharki Lv 27]
[Tharki Lv 31]
They look like a fantasy story adventurer party¡ Which means they¡¯re sentient, Archie thought while looking at them, a confused expression on his face, unsure of what to do.
Previously when killing the goblins, he never really cared if he¡¯d kill them, after all, every game he¡¯d played or fantasy book he¡¯d read all described them to be disgusting creatures that needed to be put down. Otherwise, they would raid and plunder border towns that lacked a proper militia.
But now that he was tasked to kill the invaders, some of which were human and the rest were not. All in all, they looked like some medieval fantasy adventurer¡¯s party that he¡¯d read about. Nevertheless, he felt hesitant. Maybe I can convince them to leave, and that will count as me getting rid of them?
They started to shout at Archie, but Archie could not understand what they said. The sounds they made and the way their faces contorted, put Archie on edge.
¡°Hello? I¡¯m Archie, can you leave?¡± Archie said, trying to appear non-threatening.
Dodging to the side, Archie dodged what looked like a purple liquid projectile that made the ground where he previously stood start to bubble melt. Looking at the group he saw one of the Tharki with its mouth open, revealing its long purple tongue that dripped a dark purple liquid.
Archie sighed before steeling himself for what he was about to do. Kicking off the ground, he activated Savage Charge and Unstable Consecutive Strikes once he got close to the Tharki, smashing his fist into the side of the skull of the Tharki that tried to melt him. The Tharki was launched into the side of a tree, cracking it.
Archie then smashed his other fist onto the top of the other Tharki¡¯s head, caving it in, and making it drop to the ground.
The Orc and two human warriors charged at Archie, all three coming at different angles; the Orc swiped its axe from Archie¡¯s right side, one human warrior came from in front of Archie and the last came from Archie¡¯s left side.
Archie jumped, slightly caught off guard as he had jumped ten meters high, dodging all three of their attacks.
He sent out a Hex of Enfeeblement at the highest leveled human and used Savage Charge instantly killing him with a punch to his face. The other human warrior¡¯s face blanched, taken aback by its comrade¡¯s sudden death, and shouted something Archie did not understand.
Taking into account the scared-looking human warrior, Archie channeled his stamina into his right arm and punched into the torso of the human warrior. Archie¡¯s fist easily penetrated through the thin leather armor of the warrior and into the human¡¯s chest cavity.
The female human screaming illegibly, as a result of her teammates suddenly dying.
Archie quickly tore his hand out of the human warrior¡¯s chest and blocked the axe of the orc. Archie was sent slightly skidding back from the force of the orc¡¯s swing.
Archie activated Savage Charge and punched the orc on its abdomen, but was unable to pierce through, but it left some bits of ice where he punched.
Suddenly the wound Archie left on the orc started to glow green, Archie looked back to see the female human raise her wand at the orc, Healer indeed, Archie confirmed.
Sensing possible danger, Archie shifted his focus and used Savage Charge at the healer, easily crossing the distance and punching through her ribcage and out her back, from her right side.
Archie turned his focus back on the orc before channeling stamina into both of his fists and started to pummel the orc, activating Unstable Consecutive Strikes. The orc barely provided any resistance against the onslaught of Archie¡¯s fists and turning to mush.
Not even winded, Archie stared at the corpses, mainly at the three humans. He started to breathe heavily, the reality of what he just did sinking in.
¡°I just killed people¡ And I didn¡¯t even hesitate.¡± Archie''s voice barely came out as a whisper.
Adrenaline started to flow through his being, catching his attention. Archie slowly came out of his panic and started to take clearer breaths.
¡°They¡came at me with intent on killing me, I just defended myself¡I¡¯m fine¡everything is good¡± Archie reasoned with himself, now calmed down.
Looking at the notifications, Archie read:
*[Tharki Lv 27//Mage Lv 24//Cook Lv 25] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 81 Tutorial Points given*
*[Tharki Lv 31//Mage Lv 28//Painter Lv 26] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 124 Tutorial Points given*
*[Human Lv 32//Warrior Lv 30//Farmer Lv 20] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 128 Tutorial Points given*
*[Human Lv 28//Warrior Lv 26//Farmer Lv 22] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 84 Tutorial Points given*
*[Human Lv 25//Healer Lv 23//Tailor Lv 26] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 75 Tutorial Points given*
*[Orc Lv 30//Warrior Lv 30//Smith Lv 23] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 120 Tutorial Points given*
*Your Race has reached Lv 45 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
Looking at his status page and system prompt, he read:
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human F-Grade Lv 45
Class: Warrior Lv 46
Profession: Shaman Lv 38
Health: 1903/1995
Mana: 640/640
Stamina: 1150/1150
Stats:
Vitality: 190(199)
Strength: 190(199)
Endurance: 116
Agility: 152
Intelligence: 154
Wisdom: 64
Willpower: 64(67)
Perception: 137
Free Points: 10
Skills:
Basic One-Handed Weapon Mastery (Uncommon)
Basic Light-Shield Mastery (Common)
Identify (Initiate)
Savage Charge (Rare)
Adrenaline Rush (Epic)
Warrior''s Resilience (Rare)
Nature''s Meditation (Epic)
Mana Manipulation (Uncommon)
Spirit Link (Epic)
Effigy-Carving (Common)
Material Insight (Uncommon)
Retaliation (Uncommon)
Hex of Enfeeblement (Uncommon)
Unstable Consecutive Strikes (Rare)
Taunt (Uncommon)
Shatter Spirit (Common)
Basic Martial Combat Mastery (Initiate)
Bloodline:
Adrenaline Junkie (Unique) [+5% to Strength and +5% to Willpower]
Affinity:
Greater Nature Affinity (Epic)
Titles Collected:
Bloodline Progenitor [+10 Vitality and +5% Vitality]
Tutorial Points:
9,198
Gauntlet Challenge Dungeon
Objective 1: Protect the jungle temple from the invaders 6/12
Reward: ?
Not seeing any other party approaching the entrance of the temple, Archie walked past the dead adventurer group and walked toward the temple.
He flicked the blood that was covering his gauntlet onto the wet grass below him, steeling his resolve.
¡°Hmm¡Looks like this was his first time spilling sentient blood... He¡¯s also displayed more strength than what should be normal for an F-Grade at his level, especially that skill.¡± The being said looking on as Archie entered the temple. A smile grew on its face as it leaned closer to the screen, "Very interesting."
Ch 21 - Jungle Temple II
Archie walked through the entrance of the temple and felt an instantaneous difference; the air within the temple felt different, Fresher? Archie thought with a confused expression on his face.
Shafts of weak sunlight cut through the cracks in the walls and ceiling, revealing patches of moss creeping along the stone. The floor was uneven, littered with fragments of broken statues and fallen tiles.
Looking at both the right and left wall, he saw the doorways were caved in by rubble and many of the columns had fallen and or were badly cracked. The only path available for Archie to tread was the large mahogany wooden door with metal studs, in front of him, slightly ajar.
Crouching, Archie approached the slightly ajar door, trying not to reveal his current location to the invaders possibly hidden behind the door.
Peeking through the gap in the door, Archie saw the remaining invaders; Similar composition to the previous group, Archie analyzed.
Two humans in the group looked to be mages, both wore robes and carried different color-tipped wands. The one wearing a white robe carried a similar-looking wand as the female healer from before, white. While the other wearing a red robe carried a red-tipped slightly larger wand. Both stood in the middle of the group.
Two Tharki, Lizard people, Archie noted. They wore leather torso armor, leather metal studded skirts, metallic bracers, and hoods. Both held daggers and had a bow and quiver on their backs staying in the back of the group.
Two Orcs stood in front of the group wearing a similar colored loincloth as the previous orc, and wielded axes.
Identifying them, Archie read:
[Human Lv 35]
[Human Lv 32]
[Tharki Lv 33]
[Tharki Lv 32]
[Orc Lv 35]
[Orc Lv 34]
Slightly stronger than the previous group. Is this the normal level to be in the multiverse, at my age? Archie thought, I¡¯ve barely been inside the multiverse for twenty days and I¡¯ve surpassed all of them¡Maybe it''s harder to gain levels as a kid.
They were currently speaking to each other in an unfamiliar tongue to Archie while pointing around the temple room. Refusing to separate from each other, in fear of randomly setting off another trap. Especially considering how they were in the treasure room.
The room within the temple looked more furnished than the entrance room, atop the stone floor was a royal green colored carpet, many stone statues scattered across the room, and various stained-glass murals framing the walls and ceiling.
In the middle of the room lay a white marble altar. Atop the altar was a cube of frosted glass, hiding an object from view.
The group of six looked at the frosted glass cube pointing and prodding at it.
From where Archie hid, he took out an Effigy of Wrath and activated it while placing it in his pouch. Then, he took out his dagger and threw it at the back of the healer¡¯s head. The healer jerked forward and fell to the ground dead, causing the rest of the group to stop discussing with each other and look around trying to figure out who or what killed their teammate.
Archie lunged forward and activated Savage Charge and Adrenaline Rush causing him to appear in front of the level 33 Tharki with steam rising from his body, smashing his fist into its skull.
The remaining Tharki swung his dagger at Archie, aiming in between his ribcage. Archie, seeing the fastest way to kill the Tharki, took the dagger to the ribs and channeled stamina through his fists, activating Unstable Consecutive Strikes, shattering its jaw and breaking the bones in its face.
Archie dodged the swipes from the axes of the orcs and saw the red-robed mage chanting a spell for a large fireball, he quickly used Shatter Spirit and aimed his palm at the human mage. The hex had no color and produced no shape, rather the mage¡¯s spell that was chanting stopped and exploded in his face.
The mage fell on his back screaming in pain, facing the backlash of failing his spell; frying the mana that flowed through his body, and causing the incomplete fireball to explode in his face, melting the skin on his face and bits of bone.
Archie ripped the dagger in his rib cage and threw it into the eye of the level 34 orc. The level 35 orc took advantage of Archie¡¯s various openings after throwing the dagger and sliced Archie across the chest, digging deeply.
Archie quickly activated Retaliation and Savage Charge, charging at the orc, the pain he delft from the axe digging deeper into his chest. Archie channeled stamina into his fists and released a flurry of blows onto the level 35 orc.
With a final punch, the level 35 orc crumbled onto the ground, its previously green torso now a bruised purple color. With a grunt, Archie ripped out his axe that dug into his chest and tossed it onto the ground.
Walking over to the last orc with a dagger in its eye, currently trying to get up from the ground. Archie lifted his foot into the air, channeled stamina through it, and activated Unstable Consecutive Strikes causing a green tint to shine over his foot, and crushed the orc¡¯s head with his foot.
A system prompt and various notifications appeared, causing Archie to glance over.
Gauntlet Challenge Dungeon
Objective 1: Protect the jungle temple from the invaders 12/12?
Reward: Mask of the Jungle (Epic)
Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.
*[Human Lv 32//Healer Lv 30//Tailor Lv 27] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 128 Tutorial Points given*
*[Tharki Lv 33//Rouge Lv 24//Cook Lv 25] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 132 Tutorial Points given*
*[Tharki Lv 32//Rouge Lv 29//Tailor Lv 27] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 128 Tutorial Points given*
*[Human Lv 35//Mage Lv 32//Farmer Lv 22] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 140 Tutorial Points given*
*[Orc Lv 35//Warrior Lv 32//Porter Lv 26] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 140 Tutorial Points given*
*[Orc Lv 34//Warrior Lv 30//Smith Lv 23] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 136 Tutorial Points given*
*Your Profession has reached Lv 39 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
Hearing the sound of glass cracking, Archie looked at the altar and saw frosted glass shards fall to the ground and reveal what he assumed to be the ¡®Mask of the Jungle¡¯.
The mask depicts a face with a mischievous expression, glowing green eyes, and a wide grin, and surrounding the mask are large jungle leaves. Intricate swirls and patterns are decorated across the mask, giving it an ancient, ritualistic feel, or so Archie felt.
Identifying the mask, Archie read:
Mask of the Jungle (Epic):
A mask carved with both precision and skill, capturing the playful spirit of the jungle, its sly grin, and glowing green eyes within the mana-infused Mahogany Ent core. The edges of the mask are decorated with large jungle leaves, hinting at its origins deep within the untamed jungle. The mask grants a 5% increase in mana regeneration and enhances nature-attuned skills and abilities while worn. Effects: Soul-Bound, Self-Repair, High Mana Regeneration & Enhanced Nature-Attuned Skills and Abilities. Status: Perfect. Requirements: Nature Affinity & Lv 40+ & Humanoid Race.
Wide-eyed at the effects of the mask, Archie grabbed the mask and placed it on his face, invisible mana strings attaching around his head. Keeping the mask firmly attached to his face.
Opening his status page, he saw:
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human F-Grade Lv 45
Class: Warrior Lv 46
Profession: Shaman Lv 39
Health: 1457/1995
Mana: 548/640
Stamina: 986/1150
Stats:
Vitality: 190(199)
Strength: 190(199)
Endurance: 116
Agility: 153
Intelligence: 156
Wisdom: 64
Willpower: 64(67)
Perception: 139
Free Points: 11
Skills:
Basic One-Handed Weapon Mastery (Uncommon)
Basic Light-Shield Mastery (Common)
Identify (Initiate)
Savage Charge (Rare)
Adrenaline Rush (Epic)
Warrior''s Resilience (Rare)
Nature''s Meditation (Epic)
Mana Manipulation (Uncommon)
Spirit Link (Epic)
Effigy-Carving (Common)
Material Insight (Uncommon)
Retaliation (Uncommon)
Hex of Enfeeblement (Uncommon)
Unstable Consecutive Strikes (Rare)
Taunt (Uncommon)
Shatter Spirit (Common)
Basic Martial Combat Mastery (Initiate)
Bloodline:
Adrenaline Junkie (Unique) [+5% to Strength and +5% to Willpower]
Affinity:
Greater Nature Affinity (Epic)
Titles Collected:
Bloodline Progenitor [+10 Vitality and +5% Vitality]
Tutorial Points:
10,002
Taking out an Effigy of Healing, Archie activated it, causing the Effigy of Wrath to turn into dust, and placed it in his pouch.
Gauntlet Challenge Dungeon
Would you like to proceed to stage 2?
Time Remaining: 23:58:34
Archie rested for a bit before mentally accepting, his vision blurred as his surroundings twisted around him ¨C one moment, he was in the temple room, next he was in the heart of pure chaos.
Looking around, his breath was caught in his throat. Carnage was everywhere, clashing with weapons forged from steel, magic being fired from all around covering the skies. The air came alive with shouts of fury, metal clanging, the hum of spells being cast, and boots squelching in the mud below.
The battlefield stretched far and wide, an open plain shattered by the fury of war. Deep trenches and jagged scars tore through the ground, craters filled with smoldering embers and broken weapons. The mud¡ªwas thick with blood, shattered armor pieces, alongside fallen banners stained with mud and blood.
Makeshift barricades of wood and stone spread out like broken bones across the battleground, offering fleeting cover from arrows and spells that rained down like deadly storms. Nearby, fragments of siege engines lay in ruin¡ªcatapults split in half, their wheels still spinning in place, and shattered trebuchets resting in tangled webs of rope and wood.
Many different scents filled Archie''s nose, the crackling fire releasing a thick, choking smoke that mingled with the coppery scent of spilled blood and scorched flesh.
Looking around the battlefield, two swordsmen danced in deadly combat to his left, their blades sparking with every strike. Just beyond them, a mage wrapped in tattered robes chanted in an unknown language to him, hands glowing with arcane light. A swirling orb of green energy grew between his palms, then shot forward, slamming into a nearby soldier¡¯s chest and sending him flying. The soldier¡¯s armor sizzled, and he writhed momentarily before going still.
Looking to his side he saw a new system prompt:
Gauntlet Challenge Dungeon
Objective 2: Kill the Juggernaut 0/1
Reward: ?
Archie looked around the battlefield to find the juggernaut in question. Scanning around he mumbled, ¡°Mages, soldiers, knights, more soldiers, an assassin, oh¡. That¡¯s a big boy.¡±
The big boy in question was a bulky, 3-meter-tall humanoid creature with thick, scarred grey flesh with long wild ashen hair. Its imposing, muscular frame showcased its broad shoulders and powerful limbs.
The humanoid creature wore minimal armor¡ªdark, jagged plates covering its chest, shoulders, and legs¡ªwhile its massive arms remained exposed, highlighting its strength. Its right hand held a greatsword, nearly the same height as the creature, marked with scratches that tell of long use. It stood confidently with a solid posture atop a fallen soldier, with its greatsword firmly embedded in the fallen soldier¡¯s body as though it were a pedestal.
Identifying the creature, Archie took in a deep breath.
[Gorath Lv ??]
¡°I did say I wanted a better challenge,¡± Archie said while activating another Effigy of Wrath and placing it in his back satchel. Taking notice of his now full health reserves.
Activating Savage Charge towards the Gorath, seventy meters away from where Archie stood.
Mid charge, Archie activated Adrenaline Rush and Unstable Consecutive Strikes causing a dark red hue to surround his body and a tint of green around his fists.
Just as Archie was ten meters away from the Gorath, the Gorath twisted its head in Archie¡¯s direction as it sensed incoming danger. It quickly raised its arms in an X form trying to hastily defend itself against the surprise attack from Archie.
Archie crashed into the Gorath and started to wail on it with a flurry of blows, but the Gorath quickly adjusted, and spartan kicked Archie¡¯s midsection, creating distance.
Archie skidded back a couple of meters from the obscenely strong kick from the Gorath, looking down at his midsection he saw a dark purple footprint-sized bruise forming.
Looking up he saw the Gorath, covered in light purple bruises across its torso, quickly dashing to where its greatsword was embedded in the fallen soldier.
Both Archie and the Gorath stared at each other, sizing each other up, the Gorath knew Archie was weaker himself but still gave him his full attention.
The Gorath tensed his throat, ready to shout. Archie, sensing what the Gorath was about to do, also let out a shout.
Both Taunts from Archie and the Gorath filled the battlefield, causing everyone on the battlefield to become stunned; silence filled the battlefield, warning others of the second coming battle of David vs Goliath.
Ch 22 - Gorath
The Gorath charged at Archie, greatsword in hand in a side-chopping motion, intent on cleaving Archie in two.
Dodging to his side, Archie activated Savage Charge, closing the short distance between himself and the Gorath in an instant. Now inside its guard, Archie activated Unstable Consecutive Strikes and delivered a flurry of jabs at its unprotected midsection.
Ducking under a swipe at his head, Archie funneled the stamina he surged into his fist towards his right leg before he spartan kicked the Gorath away in an attempt to gain enough time to recover from the backlash of his attack.
Both sets of Archie¡¯s knuckles were skinned raw from activating his skill, and a slight numbness spread through his right foot. Normally, using Unstable Consecutive Strikes wouldn¡¯t result in such backlash so quickly. However, the abrupt and excessive surge of stamina Archie transferred from his fists to his right leg, magnified the backlash, locking his body up.
Skidding across the ground, the Gorath activated a skill, shrouding its body in a reddish-gray steam while its upper body swelled. The now even more muscular Gorath roared, spittle spraying from its now hardened gray mouth, before kicking off the ground and hurtling toward Archie, closing the two-meter gap in less than half a second with its greatsword flailing in its right hand.
Archie, completely caught off guard by the Gorath¡¯s sudden charge and sudden skill activation, froze in confusion. He has a skill similar to my own? Archie questioned. It had been the first time he had seen someone activate a skill so similar to his version of a power boost.
Due to the small distance between the Gorath and Archie, the Gorath smashed its fists across Archie''s face with its left hand, sending him flying across the battlefield.
Archie flew through the air, brain-rattling in his skull, before crashing and tumbling into the ground, in pain. Upon crashing and tumbling into the ground, the only thought that went through his head was pain, a lot of it.
His jaw, shoulders, arms¡ªeverything, really¡ªached with pain, but as the pain grew so did his adrenaline. Goosebumps rippled across his body as adrenaline surged through his being, injecting liquid excitement into his brain. A wide smile grew across his face as he righted himself midair.
His feet dug into the ground as he funneled more stamina into them, to stabilize his landing. He quickly turned toward a random mage who hovered in the air, twenty meters away on his three o''clock before activating Savage Charge and quickly deactivating it before he almost crashed into said mage.
Previously where Archie stood, the Gorath slammed into the ground, creating a cloud of dust.
Archie flipped himself midair, before landing on the mage''s back, foot first, kicking off him, and activating Savage Charge at the still kneeling Gorath, with his right fist cocked back. Ignoring how the mage was launched toward a lightning spear that swallowed the mage whole.
The Gorath held its greatsword¡¯s flat side towards Archie, intent on letting its sword take the brunt of the damage from Archie¡¯s punch. His blade was made from the finest Deepslate Steel around, how would an F-Grade human be able to damage it?
Archie channeled more mana and stamina through his Adrenaline Rush pushing it a bit over 30%, turning the steam that shrouded his body, dark red. Archie''s fist smashed into the Gorath¡¯s greatsword, producing a thunderclap that resounded throughout the battlefield, one that silenced all other lightning blasts during the moment of impact.
Archie¡¯s gauntlet created a thumb-sized spike patch of ice on the front of the greatsword just before impact. Granting Archie the chisel he needed. The impact created spiderweb-like cracks all along the face of the blade.
The Gorath''s eyes widened in surprise from both the damage to his greatsword and the force of the blow that transferred from the blade and into its body.
The Gorath, unable to regain its balance, stumbled backward, leaving its guard wide open for Archie to exploit. And exploit he did.
Archie reached around with his left hand and grabbed onto the Gorath¡¯s long, wild ashen hair, and yanked it toward himself while cocking back his right fist.
Archie started to repeatedly smash his right fist into the Gorath¡¯s face activating Retaliation with every hit. The sheer strength of Archie''s blows shattered the bones in the Gorath''s face, sending blood and spittle splattering everywhere.
But as Archie kept punching the Gorath¡¯s face, his left hand failed to keep its grip on the Gorath¡¯s hair from the sheer amount of blood and spittle that covered it. Not to mention how his fist kept slipping off the Gorath''s face.
Archie fell to the floor beside the Gorath, his legs unable to support his body. He tried to push himself off the ground with both hands, but a sharp pain flowed through his right hand. Looking down at his right hand, he only was able to see gushing blood and broken bone, not a hint of unblemished skin. Heaviness filled his heart as he felt the pain rush at him. Tears welled up in his eyes, before shouting in rage, instinctually activating Taunt and blasting the Gorath at point blank.
He looked at the downed Gorath, he threw himself atop the Gorath, channeling Unstable Consecutive Strikes into his left fist, and slammed it into its face repeatedly all the while shouting in rage.
Archie, now out of breath, stared at the bloodied, unrecognizable face of the Gorath.
He had been punching with his left hand, for what felt like an eternity, making it end up in the same situation as his right... well, to call it a fist would be generous. Looking down at the mangled face of the Gorath, its brain was now exposed from its thick skull, but its body was already starting to recover.
"This is fucking bullshit," Archie''s voice barely a murmur.
Archie could do nothing as slowly saw its body heal and would eventually recover enough to kill him, while he, himself, currently couldn¡¯t move as he felt his stamina reserves bottom out.
Helplessness and despair started to fill his mind, the Effigy of Wrath had long since run out, unsure of what to do now with no hands and stamina remaining within him. But, as though a sign from God arrived, a glint of light shined from his peripheral vision.
Turning around, Archie saw it, The greatsword, Archie remembered. The tool he needed.
Archie, now filled with hope, used all the remaining stamina within his body to scramble off the Gorath and towards the greatsword. Looking at the handle of the greatsword and his nubbed hands.
"Fuck it," Archie growled.
Archie grabbed the crossguard of the greatsword with his forearms and staggered towards the Gorath, the tip of the blade dragging across the ground.
Upon reaching the Gorath, he saw that its face which he had mangled had almost healed, but its brain was still somewhat visible. Quickly as he could, Archie placed the tip of the greatsword into the section of the Gorath¡¯s skull where the brain was visible, but due to its hyper regeneration, the skull regrew around its brain, pushing the greatsword¡¯s tip away.
But the skull wasn¡¯t fully grown, it was still fragile. Archie cast Hex of Enfeeblement with his right arm, the hex launching from his broken radius and splashing atop the head of the Gorath. Gritting his teeth he repeatedly slammed his shattered right arm atop the pommel of the greatsword, digging deeper into its skull.
With a final slam onto the pommel of the greatsword, a ding resounded within Archie¡¯s head, filling him with untold relief before falling onto the ground. Archie¡¯s eyes rolled to the back of his head, and darkness filled his mind.
Opening his eyes, Archie saw both the grey-blue sky of the battlefield as well as system prompts. A cracked chuckle released itself from Archie as the memory of what happened replayed itself in his mind.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.
*[Gorath Lv 62//Hulking Juggernaut Lv 60//Adept Commander Lv 55] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 682 Tutorial Points given*
*Your Class has reached Lv 47 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
***
*Your Class has reached Lv 49 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Race has reached Lv 46 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
Skill Upgrade: [Basic Martial Combat Mastery (Initiate ¡ú Uncommon)]
Basic Martial Combat Mastery (Uncommon):
When without a weapon, what other weapon can you rely on except your body and unrelenting anger? Grants knowledge of basic martial combat.
Quest: Flawless Evolution
As an F-Grade sentient human, you have the option of evolving your class or profession as soon as your race reaches level 49. Doing so will allow you to evolve your race to E-Grade and allow your class or profession to evolve and receive a bonus in stats. However, if you choose to prolong your evolution until you reach level 49 in both your class and profession, you shall receive a substantial boost in both records and stats. All XP gained by class or profession actions will be funneled into race when max level within they reach their respective maximum level.
Do you accept this quest?
Looking at the sudden lengthy quest prompt with bleary eyes, he had to reread the system prompt a few times before understanding what it entailed.
¡°I accept the quest,¡± Archie replied, his voice barely audible.
Flawless Evolution
Objective: Reach max level in Race, Class, and Profession before evolving 1/3
Reward: Flawless E-Grade Evolution title.
Looking at the final system prompts, Archie sighed in relief.
Gauntlet Challenge Dungeon
Objective 2: Kill the Juggernaut 1/1 ?
Reward: Nature-Attuned Class Skill Book (Uncommon)
Gauntlet Challenge Dungeon
Would you like to proceed to the final stage?
Time Remaining: 15:42:18
Opening his status page, he blanched at what he saw.
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human F-Grade Lv 46
Class: Warrior Lv 49 [Evolution Pending]
Profession: Shaman Lv 39
Health: 257/2068
Mana: 27/650
Stamina: 32/1170
Stats:
Vitality: 197 (206)
Strength: 197 (206)
Endurance: 117
Agility: 157
Intelligence: 157
Wisdom: 65
Willpower: 65 (68)
Perception: 140
Free Points: 15
Skills:
Basic One-Handed Weapon Mastery (Uncommon)
Basic Light-Shield Mastery (Common)
Identify (Initiate)
Savage Charge (Rare)
Adrenaline Rush (Epic)
Warrior''s Resilience (Rare)
Nature''s Meditation (Epic)
Mana Manipulation (Uncommon)
Spirit Link (Epic)
Effigy-Carving (Common)
Material Insight (Uncommon)
Retaliation (Uncommon)
Hex of Enfeeblement (Uncommon)
Unstable Consecutive Strikes (Rare)
Taunt (Uncommon)
Shatter Spirit (Common)
Basic Martial Combat Mastery (Initiate)
Bloodline:
Adrenaline Junkie (Unique) [+5% to Strength and +5% to Willpower]
Affinity:
Greater Nature Affinity (Epic)
Titles Collected:
Bloodline Progenitor [+10 Vitality and +5% Vitality]
Tutorial Points:
10,684
¡°That was¡close,¡± Archie exhaled, his Warrior¡¯s Resilience skill not triggering due to combat ending after the Gorath died.
While lying on the ground he activated Nature''s Meditation, intent on trying to heal as much as he could before the time ran out.
Exiting Nature¡¯s Meditation, Archie looked at his arms and saw that his right hand was almost healed. His right hand looked just as it did before but now with a striking shade of pink.
Archie¡¯s left hand unfortunately was still in the middle of regrowing. Looking at his status page once more, he saw that his health, mana, and stamina reserves were back at 100%.
¡°I guess missing limbs don¡¯t really affect the health pool,¡± Archie mumbled to himself while taking out and activating an Effigy of Healing. ¡°Maybe they only start to heal when my reserves are topped off?¡±
Getting up from where he lay, he remembered that he received a skill book as a reward.
After a few minutes of looking, the skill book wasn¡¯t anywhere around him. Getting an idea, Archie checked his spatial ring and saw the skill book, causing him to pull it out and Identify it.
Nature-Attuned Class Skill Book (Uncommon):
A skill book containing a nature-attuned class skill at Uncommon rarity. Grants the skill Thorns.
Opening the book with his right hand, a glowing green light erupted from the pages, blinding Archie for a moment.
Shaking his head and blinking, he noticed that the book in his hand vanished and a rush of knowledge flew into his brain.
Skill Gained: [Thorns (Uncommon)]
Thorns (Uncommon):
You are able to conjure transparent vines atop your limbs, and when channeling mana into said vines, translucent thorns will emerge atop them. When striking a foe with Thorns active, bonus physical damage is dealt with every strike. The damage of the Thorns is proportional to the amount of mana imbued in them.
Looking at the time remaining, Archie saw that he had an hour left until time ran out and decided to wait out as much as he could until his left hand regenerated in full.
His left hand now fully regenerated, Archie mentally accepted to jump to the final stage.
The battlefield vanished around him and brought him into a familiar bright white room. Looking around, he saw nothing in sight. That was until he heard a soft cough behind him.
Twisting his body so fast and giving himself minor whiplash, Archie saw the most beautiful being he had ever seen.
The being looked too beautiful to exist, easily a billion times more beautiful than the most beautiful celebrity, but he sensed something from it, something he could not explain.
The being opened its mouth and started to speak, but all Archie heard was gibberish. Seeing the confusion on Archie¡¯s face, the being stopped.
Identifying the being, Archie blanched.
[?]
Archie¡¯s eyes went wide when he heard the words, ¡°Hello there human,¡± from within his mind.
Am I going insane? Archie questioned, taken aback at the sudden female voice in his head. He had heard such a thing happening to those who watched too much of those ¡®unique¡¯ cartoons. But he had never watched them¡well he might have watched only a few¡
The being in front of Archie placed its hand atop its mouth and released a soft giggle that resounded within Archie¡¯s head.
¡°I am speaking into your mind as you do not understand the U.S.L, Universal Standard Language.¡± The being spoke into Archie¡¯s mind.
Huh?...Oh, ok¡Archie answered the being, before gaining his bearings. Who are you? What are you?
¡°I am Thalindra a Litharri,¡± the being responded. ¡°Who are you?¡±
I am Archie, a human¡ Archie answered.
After a few seconds of silence, Archie tried to break the silence by asking, So¡Uh¡What now?
Thalindra smiled and responded, ¡°I am the dungeon¡¯s creator, and you have completed the gauntlet dungeon.¡±
Cool¡ Archie said while scratching his head. Now what happens?
¡°Technically you could leave now, but I wish to speak a few things to you before you leave,¡± Thalindra answered.
Ask away, Archie replied, this was the first human¡interaction he¡¯d had since meeting with the system aspect, he¡¯d missed talking to someone other than himself. Humans are social creatures after all.
¡°You have performed exemplarily well within the gauntlet challenges. So well, in fact, I replaced the original second stage with the final stage,¡± Thalindra complimented, a smile growing on her face. ¡°Any Thoughts you wish to share on it?¡±
Nodding in gratitude at her compliment, he answered, The jungle temple stage was pretty easy, to say the least¡Once I got over the killing part. But while painful... The Gorath fight was amazing.
Thalindra started to walk around Archie and asked, ¡°Would you mind telling me the rarity of your Nature Affinity.¡±
You could tell that I have a Nature Affinity? Archie questioned with a surprised expression on his face, one that she seemed to be able to see by her growing smile. Probably a skill of sorts.
¡°Kinda of,¡± Thalindra answered noncommitted before responding to his first question, ¡°Any being with a Nature Affinity can instinctively know when another has one, no matter the rarity.¡±
Oh, is that what I felt from you? Archie asked and received a nod from Thalindra.
I have a Greater Nature Affinity at epic rarity, Archie answered while reading off his status page.
Thalindra visibly looked taken aback... A Greater Nature Affinity at epic rarity? That¡¯s¡You are an F-Grade, correct?
Gaining a curious expression, Yeah, that is the requirement to enter the dungeon. Archie replied, confused at her question.
¡°But¡That¡¯s¡I¡¯ve never heard of anyone having such a high affinity at F-Grade. Even if they were from a newly integrated universe.¡±
I was in a Shaman Profession Dungeon made by someone called Myrddin Oaken and by helping a bear I got a Sapling of Nature. After absorbing it, the system said it unlocked my slumbering nature affinity. Archie replied, explaining how he got his affinity unlocked.
¡°Hmm¡Even then getting a greater affinity in anything is rare, even at my grade. In my grade alone probably only a couple thousand people have the same affinity you do at the same rarity.¡± Thalindra replied
¡°So, it¡¯s not that rare, then? If a couple thousand people have it, it should be pretty common, right?¡± Archie asked, his voice laced with confusion.
¡°You misunderstand due to being newly integrated, a thousand people in the multiverse is nothing. There are planets that house a myriad of races in the sextillions, and those planets are considered small."
"A thousand people within the multiverse is less than a drop of water in the ocean,¡± Thalindra emphasized.
Oh¡That¡¯s something, Archie said, trying to wrap his mind around the number of people that would be living in the multiverse.
Wait, what is your grade? Archie asked remembering what she said a few seconds prior
¡°I am an A-Grade being,¡± Thalindra answered.
Oh wow¡ Archie once more looked taken aback. How strong was she?
Staring into Archie¡¯s eyes, causing him to get a bit uncomfortable, Thalindra asked him, ¡°Would you like to join the Nature¡¯s Covenant? A faction ruled by Yggdrasil, the first God of the Multiverse. It can help cultivate your growth by offering a multitude of resources and mentors.¡±
Ch 23 - Thalindra
Yggdrasil? Isn¡¯t that tree connecting like seven worlds in Norse mythology? Archie asked, confused.
¡°Norse mythology? There is no such faction related to Yggdrasil¡¡± Thalindra replied, her eyes furrowed, before widening momentarily, "The records of great beings often seep into new universes that will be integrated into the multiverse. Mind you, this process doesn¡¯t occur in mere seconds or months; it unfolds throughout millenniums. As this occurs, the records of these great beings intertwine with the fabric of the universe, binding themselves to similar concepts to properly integrate. So this... Norse mythology might have a connection with Yggdrasil, but not in a way you believe."
Archie somewhat understanding nodded his head in acceptance, I can see how that would work. I assume this is done so that once a new cycle starts it doesn¡¯t immediately explode due to the sudden influx of records from these great beings.
¡°It¡¯s more complicated than that, but you are somewhat right. Nevertheless, saying things that are untrue about a God or some other powerful entity in charge is often met with death and or torture as a kindness. I understand that this might seem weird to you, but that is the law of the multiverse; power is everything.¡± Thalindra said, her face growing hard towards the end, conveying the severity of her words.
That¡¯s...something. We have equality in my world, where all are equal. We¡¯ve advanced as a society to not follow the law of the jungle anymore. Archie replied, taken aback at the harshness of her voice.
¡°Equality means nothing. It never works out, no matter the race or time. Once a being gains power, their word is law. Tell me on your planet, are there Kings? Money? Non-sentients? If so, then you cannot tell me that there is not a separation in power within your world. Kings signify a superiority in terms of status, beings with money flaunt their superiority over those who are poor and do the sentient beings care about the opinions of non-sentients, even though with the system they eventually become fully sentient.¡± Thalindra said, her voice raising towards the end.
Archie paused, staring into Thalindra¡¯s eyes silently as he took in everything she said.
She wasn''t wrong.
Some countries do have dictatorships, rich flaunt over the poor in every country. All three of those were different forms of power and segregation, the law of the jungle never left. Hell, even social media follows it.
No, you are right¡I guess I¡¯m just realizing that the law of the jungle still existed in society; I never realized it before. Archie said, backing down from his defensive attitude.
¡°That is alright, many newly integrated universe beings end up learning the hard way that power is above all,¡± Thalindra said with an understanding tone. ¡°Keep that in mind as you progress down your Journey.¡±
¡°Nevertheless, would you join the Nature¡¯s Covenant? We welcome all who have a Nature Affinity and provide resources to all members.¡± Thalindra asked once more.
I doubt that they offer them for free, to all members. Archie inquired, he didn¡¯t believe that he had anything much to offer for a membership, especially one on a multiversal scale.
¡°Of course not, all members can do quests made by others within the covenant and get rewarded with usually points which can be exchanged with resources. Unless you have a patron within the covenant who can shower you with resources, which I might be able to help you with.¡± Thalindra answered with a wink.
How so? Archie asked, intrigued about getting potentially free resources to help him out. But suddenly a realization came to him, I¡¯m getting a sugar daddy?
Thalindra blinked, owlishly for a few moments before covering her mouth and looking away, her shoulders shaking. After a good minute, she turned back to face Archie. ¡°Ahem, my patron within the covenant is the god, Bralmir the Forgefather, the greatest smith as well as the greatest father in the multiverse. I shall grant you an item and once you leave the dungeon, break it. It shall inform both my father and my original body of what I recorded, including this conversation and If I¡¯m alive I become your sponsor, else my father will.¡±
Wait, what did you mean by if you¡¯re still alive? You¡¯re right here, in front of me right now. Archie asked, just now realizing what she said.
Thalindra chuckled a bit before saying, ¡°I am a soul imprint, created for this dungeon to interact with those who have completed the dungeon and provide them a reward. As such I do not know anything my main body has done after my creation.¡±
After a light pause, Thalindra continued, ¡°My imprint¡¯s body masks my current grade with that of an F-Grade, this is the only reason why you are not crushed by the weight of my aura. Another reason as to why equality is not truly possible is that those with lower racial grades instinctively view themselves as lesser to those with higher racial grades.¡±
Nodding to her words, Archie did a mental recap before responding, Alright, I guess I can join the covenant so long as I am not forced to do anything.
¡°The covenant has two types of members, inner and outer members. Outer members only have to follow the basic etiquette rules, such as no killing within the covenant''s domain and they must complete quests to gain points. While inner members of the covenant gain both responsibilities and rewards. Such benefits include point multipliers per quest difficulty and various other rewards. But the responsibilities vary between raising a few plants and committing genocide on the enemies of the covenant.¡± Thalindra explained calmly, gaining an owlish look from Archie.
Seeing such a look she continued, ¡°This is a common thing among all factions throughout the multiverse.¡±
I think I¡¯ll stick with the free membership when joining, Archie replied. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ready for such a commitment yet. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
¡°Excellent!¡± Thalindra replied, producing a green orb in between her fingers.
Archie attempted to Identify the orb but was met with nothing.
Smiling at Archie¡¯s attempt to Identify the marble-like object, she answered his unspoken question; ¡°This was created by a B-Grade crafter, so you cannot observe it nor use it, however with assistance from the system based on an agreement with Yggdrasil and the system it can be used by you once you leave the dungeon.¡±
Thalindra passed the green orb to Archie, and Archie rolled it around his fingers for a bit before placing it in his spatial ring.
What cycle do you remember last? Archie questioned.
¡°The 23rd cycle,¡± Thalindra responded with a wistful look.
Oh, wow. The system said this is the beginning of the 72nd cycle, Archie replied, shocked at her answer.
Thalindra closed her eyes with a complicated expression on her face upon hearing Archie¡¯s words.
Archie felt uncomfortable realizing that everyone Thalindra loved was probably dead by now, probably her original body as well, and he was the one to tell her.
I apologize for my words, Archie said while looking at the bright white ground. I have a habit of talking out of my ass.
¡°It is all right, I appreciate your concern¡Please pass me the orb, I wish to add a few things to it.¡± Thalindra softly spoke while opening her eyes.
Sure, Archie said as he took out the orb from his spatial storage and gave it back to Thalindra.
Thalindra started to channel something within the orb causing it to gain a molten red hue, that perfectly mixed in with the original green color, producing a golden color.
After a bit of channeling, Thalindra passed back the orb to Archie, who in turn placed it in his spatial ring.
As soon as Archie put away the orb, he gained a system message.
Gauntlet Challenge Dungeon
Objective: Survive ?
Reward: Mask of the Jungle (Epic), Nature-Attuned Class Skill Book (Uncommon), Transmission Orb (?)
Archie then saw motes of light start to appear all around him as well as from Thalindra.
¡°It¡¯s been nice speaking with you Archie; I wish you luck on your Journey,¡± Thalindra said while she started to slowly disappear into motes of light.
Thank you! It was great meeting you, Thalindra! Archie shouted as everything around him started to glow gold and then a bright flash of white encompassed his vision.
¡°Oof!¡± Archie produced as he found himself launched from within the portal and ten meters away from where it previously stood underneath the snow.
Looking up Archie saw the cloudy night sky.
Getting up, Archie took out the now golden orb from his spatial ring and rolled it between his fingers.
Archie then placed pressure on the orb with his fingers and it easily shattered, creating a scene he would never forget.
Upon the shattering of the orb, a beam of gold emerged from the broken orb and pierced the cloudy night sky, to reveal the stars hidden behind the clouds.
The beam lasted for only a few moments before vanishing.
Archie continued to stare at the place where the beam previously shined, for he was still in awe. That beam was the most ethereal thing he had witnessed throughout his whole journey through the tutorial.
¡°A craftsman made that in B-Grade? And all it does is relay information?¡± Archie said as he stared into the night sky wondering what he could potentially be making when he reached B-Grade.
High atop a towering mountain, where the winds bite with cold fury and the sky is painted with streaks of storm clouds, a massive being stood within a cave, staring at a frozen-over forge. At the top of the forge was a framed core that had the color of a dark green that was cradled in between rich mahogany roots, that emitted a warm glow.
A being with eyes that glowed a dim fiery-orange color stood, fixed in front of the frozen-over forge. The being¡¯s tree-branch-like horns spiral outward like ancient oaks, dripping with glowing moss, swaying gently despite the harsh winds. Runes pulse across the twisted wood of his horns, their red-orange glow beating like a heart, casting flickering light against the walls of the cave. His beard¡ªa wild tangle of braided vines¡ªembedded with chunks of ore and vine.
The being¡¯s body appears to be formed from spiraling wooden tendrils that shimmer with veins of molten bronze, moving with heavy precision. The cracks between the tendrils reveal glowing embers that pulse like molten rivers beneath the bark-textured surface of his body.
Beside the being is a massive hammer, half his size in length, and an intricately crafted tool, that looked to be perfect for forging and war. Its handle looked to be made from living wood, strong yet flexible, adorned with vines and leaves that seemed to shift and grow with every swing. The hammerhead''s surface was etched with runes that pulsated with untold power. Veins of ember trailed across its form, not unlike the ember-like veins atop the being¡¯s body.
The being exhaled through its nose, producing a large puff of steam, and turned its body intent on leaving the cave.
Just as the being was about to leave the cave, a golden orb appeared in front of it.
"Hmm, what is this?¡± the being said, its deep masculine voice reverberating throughout the cave and brow furrowed. His gaze lingered on the strange orb until a flicker of recognition softened his expression¡ªan aura, familiar and unmistakable, pulsed gently from within.
In an instant, the orb was nestled in his massive right hand, with a subtle breath, he sent mana through his fingertips. Motes of light spiraled upwards from the orb, tracing their path into his forehead.
As the motes entered his forehead, his dim fiery-orange-colored eyes widened.
A singular orange-colored tear fell across his cheek as he inhaled deeply, the weight of old emotions stirring within him. The tear landed on the ground and melted straight through the stone of the cave.
"Thalindra¡my child¡even after death you try to comfort me,¡± Bralmir muttered, his voice filled with emotion. ¡°I did not deserve you¡¡±
Looking out the cave and staring at what seemed to be a random place within the stars, he observed a human male running down a hill with a smile sprawled across his face.
Bralmir sent a surge of mana throughout the multiverse that rocketed toward the 72nd universe to join the multiverse.
"For providing me the blessing of hearing my daughter¡¯s voice once more, I shall provide you a blessing of my own,¡± Bralmir announced, heading back into the cave.
Gazing at the green core entwined with mahogany roots, he felt his resolve harden, his dim fiery-orange eyes and the embers that trailed across his body ignited themselves, turning into something akin to magma. Bralmir grabbed the hammer that stood beside him, its veins of magma igniting at the touch.
Walking out of the cave, Bralmir rubbed the cave¡¯s side before vanishing.
Archie was running down a hill when his body suddenly cramped mid-run, causing him to miss his footing and tumble down the hill.
Sprawled across the snowy ground with scrapes covering his midsection, Archie stared in confusion at the system prompts that suddenly appeared mid-tumble.
*Blessing Granted*
Blessing of the Forgefather (Moderate):
Granted by Bralmir, the Forgefather, the one who paved the forging Journey for all the myriad races. You have proven your worth through the eyes of the Forgefather as such you gain his blessings. Through your connection with Bralmir, the strength and endurance of the Forgefather flows within you. Grants: +5% Strength and +5% Endurance. Enhances all records & Opens many Journeys for you to venture down.
¡°Is this what Thalindra said when she would help me out?¡± Archie looked at the system prompts in shock, a smile growing across his face. But that smile quickly vanished as he realized what the blessing meant.
Thalindra was dead.
Ch 24 - Unexpected Meeting
Archie stared at the ceiling of his cave, just waking up from atop the impossibly soft bed he ¡®rightfully earned¡¯ from the Profession dungeon.
Opening his status page, he read:
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human F-Grade Lv 46
Class: Warrior Lv 49 [Evolution Pending]
Profession: Shaman Lv 39
Health: 2068/2068
Mana: 650/650
Stamina: 1228/1228
Stats:
Vitality: 197(206)
Strength: 197(216)
Endurance: 117(122)
Agility: 157(164)
Intelligence: 157
Wisdom: 65
Willpower: 65
Perception: 140
Free Points: 15
Skills:
Basic One-Handed Weapon Mastery (Uncommon)
Basic Light-Shield Mastery (Common)
Identify (Initiate)
Savage Charge (Rare)
Adrenaline Rush (Epic)
Warrior''s Resilience (Rare)
Nature''s Meditation (Epic)
Mana Manipulation (Uncommon)
Spirit Link (Epic)
Effigy-Carving (Common)
Material Insight (Uncommon)
Retaliation (Uncommon)
Hex of Enfeeblement (Uncommon)
Unstable Consecutive Strikes (Rare)
Taunt (Uncommon)
Shatter Spirit (Common)
Basic Martial Combat Mastery (Uncommon)
Thorns (Uncommon)
Bloodline:
Adrenaline Junkie (Unique) [+5% to Strength and +5% to Willpower]
Affinity:
Greater Nature Affinity (Epic)
Blessing:
Blessing of the Forgefather (Moderate) [+5% to Strength and +5% to Endurance]
Titles Collected:
Bloodline Progenitor [+10 Vitality and +5% Vitality]
Tutorial Points:
10,684
Getting up from the bed, Archie stored it away in his spatial ring and made his way outside the cave and out into the Highlands Forest.
After clearing another section of the forest, Archie got to work on making more effigies.
¡°I should get rid of all the Initiate rarity effigies and replace them all with Common ones. Definitely should make more health effigies, instantaneous health would be great when I find that tortoise.¡± Archie reasoned to himself while grabbing a log and taking out his carving knife.
Archie dumped the Initiate quality effigies that remained in his spatial ring to his left side and filled the spatial ring back up with the pile of Common rarity effigies on his right.
Now his spatial ring was filled with: 10x Effigy of Health (Uncommon), 10x Effigy of Healing (Common), 8x Effigy of Wrath (Uncommon), 5x Effigy of Endurance (Common), 3x Effigy of Stealth (Common), 1x Effigy of Harm (Common), 1x Voodoo Doll of Harm (Uncommon) ¨C Filled, 1x Imbued Twig Doll (Common) ¨C Filled, 1x Effigy of Mana Regeneration (Initiate), 1x Effigy of Magic Power (Common), 1x Dagger, 1x Iron Broadsword & sheathe (Common), 1x Staff of Nature (Epic), 1x Broken Plated Chain-mail Chest Piece (Common), 1x Silver Carving Knife (Uncommon), 1x Sigil Ridden Desk (Common), 1x Sigil Ridden Chair (Common), 1x Sigil Ridden Bed (Uncommon), 1x Soul Crystal (Epic) ¨C Empty, 2x Sigil Ridden Book (Rare), 9x Empty Potion Bottles and 10x Ice Hooves.
Needless to say, the spatial ring was full.
Looking at the system notifications he ignored, he saw:
*Your Profession has reached Lv 40 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
***
*Your Profession has reached Lv 45 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Race has reached Lv 47 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Race has reached Lv 48 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Shaman profession skills available. Choose one of the options*
[Hex of Weakness (Common)]: The shaman calls upon the spirits to drain an enemy¡¯s strength, weakening their attack. The weakening of the attack is proportional to the mana you use when casting the hex.
[Hum of the Wild (Common)]: By attuning their senses to the rhythms of nature, the shaman becomes aware of nearby fauna. This awareness allows them to better understand the habits of creatures in their surroundings. Maximum distance: Per/2.
[Connection with Fauna (Common)]: The shaman¡¯s bond with wildlife allows them to soothe animals, making them easier to handle and more responsive.
[Floral Extraction (Initiate)]: When imbuing a plant with nature-attuned mana, the shaman can collect components of said plant without causing harm to the plant. This method both preserves the health and fosters future growth of the plant. Grants insight of plants around you.
[Imbue Soil (Common)]: When imbuing soil with an infusion of both spirits and nature-attuned mana, the shaman increases the quantity and quality of the plants raised in that particular area. This enhances growth and also increases the quality of the crops.
¡°Let''s see... I can ignore Imbue Soil, Connection with Fauna, and Hex of Weakness due to them being useless to me at the moment. Thus, leaving me with Flora Extraction and Hum of the Wild¡ Both are very useful, one for gathering materials and the other for detecting animals around me.¡± Archie spoke while analyzing his options.
Clicking his tongue, Archie took out his dagger and tossed it high into the air.
If it lands on its tip I take Flora Extraction, else I take Hum of the Wild. Archie thought as the dagger reached its apex. Was a bit more in favor of Hum of the Wild? Most definitely, but Archie didn''t really know a better way to see which was better as his throwing skills had much to be desired.
A few seconds later the dagger dug into the ground, the blade of the dagger facing the sky.
Picking up his dagger and placing it in his spatial ring, Archie selected Hum of the Wild.
¡°Only four levels until I max out my profession and one level until I max out my race,¡± Archie smiled.
¡°I guess if I try to make a few effigies of mana regeneration, I should be able to quickly gain those levels.¡± Archie reasoned to himself while taking out both the Effigy of Mana Regeneration and his silver carving knife from his spatial ring.
After carving out a Moonglow miniature, Archie then activated Nature''s Meditation, concentrating on the feeling he felt when his mana pools regenerated.
While meditating, Archie felt both his stamina and mana reserves begin to fill. At the same time, he focused on the sensation of his mana regenerating, concentrating on how the ambient mana around him flowed through him.
Archie felt ambient mana start to enter his body through his pores, circulate within his body, and flow into his core. But when circulating the mana within his body, he felt something he hadn¡¯t felt before.
Hmm¡ What¡¯s this? Archie questioned.
Upon prodding it with a string of mana, he felt something akin to a muscle twitching on the back of his head.
Archie prodded it again, but nothing else happened other than the back of his head twitching.
Archie exited Nature¡¯s Meditation and muttered, ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Confusion was evident on his face. He''d never felt that before in his body whenever he circulated mana throughout his body when using Nature''s Meditation.
Getting an idea, Archie activated Spirit Link, now able to see both the lesser nature and elemental spirits around him.
But he also noticed something else: in the center of his chest, there was an orb the size of his fist. This orb itself is composed of two colors: molten red and vibrant green. The two colors swirled and shifted within the orb like oil and water, never merging but instead maintaining their respective colors.
Archie decided to tug at it, the same way he manipulated the spirits around him.
At the same moment, he tugged at the core, the world around him dissolved into nothingness¡ªevery color drained in an instant.
At the same moment, he tugged at the core, the world around him dissolved into nothingness¡ªevery color drained in an instant.
Then, just as swiftly as the emptiness swallowed him, vibrant hues burst back into existence. Archie blinked, disoriented, now sitting on the forest floor. But this wasn¡¯t the Hoarfrost Highland¡¯s snowy forest or the dungeon oak forest, it was something else entirely.
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The trees looked like normal oak trees, with brown logs, and green leaves, yet an unsettling sensation clung to them. Even the grass around him felt¡off.
Archie touched a blade of grass, but it felt the same as what a normal blade of grass felt like. I can¡¯t place my finger on it, but something feels off about this forest, Archie thought as he got up from the ground.
He then started to walk through the forest, intent on trying to find out where he was. He knew how he got here; he tried manipulating the orb in his chest with Soul Link.
Suddenly Archie stopped and said, ¡°Did I accidentally try to manipulate my soul and die?¡±
Archie then started to pinch his stomach, which caused him some pain. ¡°Okay, I still feel pain, so I guess I¡¯m still alive.¡± He analyzed
¡°What are you doing here?¡± A loud voice boomed behind him, causing Archie to flinch and goosebumps to flare across his body.
Quickly turning around, Archie saw a large, masculine-shaped being towering over him. The being looked to be a fusion of both wood and fire. Its body was made out of dark, gnarled wood, cracked and seeping with glowing veins that pulsed like embers beneath charred bark. Thick patches of moss clung to its limbs, and tufts of grass sprouted from its shoulders, as though the forest had grown into and become one with it.
The being¡¯s head was crowned with twisted, root-like horns, burning with fiery fissures running along their length. A wild, flowing beard of silver cascaded down to its chest, shifting gently like an ancient river of hair. In its eye sockets were two glowing orbs that burned like lit coals, flickering with deep reds and oranges.
Identifying the being, Archie was met with a similar response when he tried to Identify Thalindra.
[?]
Gathering his wits, Archie said, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just randomly got sent here when I tested something.¡± Before asking, ¡°Who are you?¡±
¡°I am Bralmir. I will ask again; how did you get inside my domain?¡± Bralmir both responded and asked, his voice resounding throughout the forest.
¡°You¡¯re that guy who gave me a blessing!¡± Archie shouted, and in response, he got a nod from Bralmir as well as an expression that said, ¡®and?¡¯
¡°When I activated my Soul Link skill, I saw this red and green orb in the middle of my chest for the first time and tugged at it. Then, I found myself here in this place.¡± Archie continued
¡°Hmm¡not once did you think, ¡®Would it be a good idea to manipulate something that shined within your body when activating Soul Link?¡¯¡± Bralmir said with a condescending tone.
Behind the mask, Archie¡¯s face gained an embarrassed expression. Scratching the back of his head he said, ¡°I¡uh¡forgot about that. It¡¯s just that, I hadn¡¯t seen it before the past few times, I used Soul Link so I got curious.¡±
¡°So, what now?¡± Archie questioned.
¡°You, leave now,¡± Bralmir responded with annoyance lacing his tone
¡°How?¡± Archie asked confusedly
Bralmir¡¯s brows furrowed as a sudden flash of red filled Archie¡¯s vision, causing him to close his eyes due to the brightness of the color.
After a few seconds, Archie opened his eyes to see nothing changed, he was still stuck in the weird forest with a giant talking tree god...person.
¡°Hmm¡I am not sure. I personally cannot send you away¡the system forbids it.¡± Bralmir spoke while rubbing his chin, just as confused as Archie. "I assume until Soul Link ends, you are stuck here."
After what felt like an eternity of uncomfortable silence, Archie tried to break the ice by saying, ¡°So, I guess I¡¯m stuck here with you then. You¡¯re a smith, right? Got anything cool?¡±
Bralmir released a tuft of smoke from his mouth before shrugging, and turning around, ¡°Follow me.¡±
Archie followed Bralmir deep into the forest, along the path Archie found many empty glass bottles sprawled around the forest, and not the potion kind. ¡°So, what¡¯s the deal with this forest? Why does it feel so weird?¡± Archie asked, hoping to start a new¡ non-awkward conversation.
¡°Hmm? You could sense that? It seems that you told Thanlindra the truth,¡± Bralmir commented while turning back to look at Archie. ¡°I assumed you had lied about your Affinity, but I was wrong it seems.¡±
¡°Why would I lie? My affinity says, ¡®Greater Nature Affinity (Epic)¡¯.¡± Archie stated, confused as to why Bralmir assumed he was lying. After hearing Archie¡¯s answer, Bralmir paused momentarily, releasing yet another tuft of smoke from his mouth.
¡°...Right. I keep forgetting you are a newly initiated human. You don¡¯t know the dos and don¡¯ts of the multiverse yet.¡± Bralmir answered as though that should have answered Archie¡¯s question. As though he could see through Archie¡¯s mask, he exhaled and said, ¡°You should never tell anyone you don¡¯t trust fully with either your stats, affinity, or blessing. It¡¯s a private matter.¡±
¡°Oh. So, I guess skills, bloodline, and title are fine then?¡± Archie asked, trying to gather more information about the multiverse from him.
Suddenly Bralmir stopped, he then turned around to face Archie and stared at him intensely. ¡°You have a bloodline?¡± he asked Archie
¡°Yeah, doesn¡¯t everyone? I assume everyone gets one when they find something to trigger it.¡± Archie answered. ¡°But, looking at your expression, I assume not.¡±
¡°You are correct. Most denizens of the multiverse do not have a bloodline, only one in a hundred trillion do. The bloodline section of your status page only appears when you unlock yours.¡± Bralmir answered then added, ¡°Never tell anyone about it, unless you trust them with your life. It matters not if it only provides bonuses, cosmetic effects, or even a curse, bad things happen to those with a bloodline and no strength to protect themselves. I tell you this as both a bloodline holder and as your now patron.¡±
Turning back around and continuing to walk deeper into the forest, Bralmir then said, ¡°Titles and skills are fine to tell in a sense, but I assume you know to keep the private ones private.¡±
Nodding, Archie then asked once more, ¡°So why does the forest feel off?¡± as he looked around the forest, intent on finding out what caused it to feel off.
¡°I created this forest from metal and imbued it with nature spirits granting life to everything,¡± Bralmir said nonchalantly while looking around the forest.
¡°Y-You created life? You made normal metal alive?¡± Archie shouted with his eyes wide, and jaw dropped. ¡°Do they transform or are they like normal trees?¡±
¡°Yes, they function and act as normal trees. It was a bit finicky, but they were interesting to forge in my youth.¡± Bralmir answered while rubbing the side of his head as though he was trying to soothe a headache.
Archie felt as though his brain did a factory reset and continued to walk beside Bralmir, when all of a sudden, the forest in front of him vanished, and he was greeted with what looked to be an impossibly large armory.
Along the walls were various weapons and armors that eclipsed every fantasy-esc design he had ever seen. The weapons ranged from daggers to hammers, and their sizes ranged from as small as a finger to as large as ten times his size. The various armors that filled the impossibly large armory were also in similar sizes and came in various shapes, not just the standard human physique; some were shaped for what he assumed to be giants while others looked to be for hounds and other four-legged beasts.
Archie went wide-eyed looking at them all, ¡°Wow! This is just¡wow!¡± was all Archie could mutter while trying to take them all in. He did not even attempt to Identify them; he instinctively knew that everything in the room was well above his own grade.
¡°Are you done looking around?¡± Bralmir asked, breaking Archie from his astonishment.
¡°You made all of these?¡± Archie asked, gesturing with his arms at the weapons and armors adorning the impossibly large room.
¡°Yes, I made them in my youth, before I became a god,¡± Bralmir answered while summoning a large sofa behind him and sitting in it. At the same time a bottle of what Archie assumed to be beer appeared in Bralmir¡¯s hands.
¡°So, how does one become a god? What even is a god?¡± Archie asked while staring at the now-sitting Bralmir.
¡°A god is someone who surpasses S-Grade and gains immortality. Just keep leveling and doing what you have been doing so far and don¡¯t stop. The Journey to godhood is like forging metal¡ªrush it, and it becomes brittle; take too long, and it shatters. You are metal, go at your pace, think not of the pace of others.¡± Bralmir replied after taking a swig from his bottle.
¡°Is the Journey to godhood the same as what the system meant by Journey?¡± Archie questioned, still confused as to what the system aspect meant. ¡°Or is the Journey something else?¡±
¡°Both,¡± Bralmir said before taking another swing from his bottle. ¡°A being undergoes two journeys throughout their existence, the first of which is the journey to reach godhood and once they¡¯ve reached godhood they begin the second journey. Right now, like every other mortal, you¡¯re on your journey to reach godhood. Where everything you have done and everything you have accomplished paves the road that you walk on throughout your journey.¡±
¡°Looks like I have a long road to pave for myself.¡± Archie joked, getting a small smile from Bralmir, before asking another question; ¡°Is giving a blessing an important thing for a god?¡±
Nonchalantly waving his hand, Bralmir said, ¡°As a god, I can hand out thousands of blessings like nothing. However, when a god hands their blessings to a being and said being does something of recognition from the system, the god also benefits from said being¡¯s achievement.¡±
¡°What prompted you to give me your blessing?¡± Archie asked, getting to his main question.
Exhaling from his nose, Bralmir patted the seat on the sofa next to him, inviting Archie to sit down. Taking the hint, Archie leaped onto the giant sofa and sat near its edge, beside Bralmir.
¡°The orb you shattered, while it gave me the information Thalindra had collected from within the dungeon, it allowed me to listen to my daughter''s voice once more,¡± Bralmir answered, as a somber mood now filled the armory. "And I thank you for that blessing."
¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss,¡± Archie said as he tried to put his left hand on the side of Bralmir¡¯s giant right arm, but an invisible force prevented him from patting his arm.
Bralmir turned to face Archie and said, ¡°Thank you for your words¡ I apologize for acting standoffish, I haven¡¯t spoken with others in a long time.¡± A soft expression painted his face.
¡°I won¡¯t say I understand what you¡¯re feeling, but I know how it feels to lose family. I lost my best friend¡ someone I thought of as my brother. I refused to speak to anyone other than family for years¡I still think about him to this day.¡± Archie confided to Bralmir, who gained a look of understanding.
Glowing motes of light started to flake from Archie, causing him to say, ¡°I guess, this is a sign of me going back.¡±
¡°So, it is¡ Archie, if you need anything, just mention my name and I¡¯ll answer.¡± Bralmir said as he observed Archie start to turn into motes of light.
¡°A god thing I suppose?¡± Archie chuckled with a smile growing on his face, but an answer did not come due to his vanishing from Bralmir¡¯s armory, leaving behind small golden motes in his place.
Looking at where Archie vanished, for the first time in many cycles, a smile grew on Bralmir¡¯s face, ¡°Yeah.¡±
Ch 25 - E-Grade Evolution
Archie¡¯s head tilted right, his brows knitting tightly in a dazed expression before he jolted violently. His eyes snapped open, wide with disbelief¡ªwhat had just happened? The memory of meeting Bralmir loomed vividly in his mind.
Looking around he saw system notifications.
*Your Profession has reached Lv 46 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
***
*Your Profession has reached Lv 49 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
*Your Race has reached Lv 49 ¨C Points allocated, +1 Free Point*
Flawless Evolution
Objective: Reach max level in Race, Class and Profession before evolving. ?
Reward: Flawless E-Grade Evolution title.
E-Grade Race Evolution Requirements Met
Your body and soul have synchronized with the essence of the multiverse; you now are a denizen of the multiverse. For denizens of the multiverse, evolution is the key to survival, with each evolution molded by the Records collected on your Journey.
Do you wish to proceed?
Warning: It is advisable to conduct this within a secure environment.
Upon reading the prompt, Archie quickly got up from where he sat and headed toward his first cave. Along the path, Archie thought, "I guess trying to connect with a god with a spirit manipulation ability and succeeding grants a lot of levels." A smile grew on his face.
Minutes later, Archie entered his cave and closed the door behind him. Sitting in the middle of the cave, Arche mentally accepted the prompt to evolve before immediately blacking out once more today.
Archie once again found himself in a void reminiscent of his time using Deep Meditation. Similar to when he first used Deep Meditation, Archie envisioned his body, tracing his form¡ªstarting with his limbs and then his torso. Then, he focused on his internal components¡ªthe intricate network of veins and blood flowing within them.
While doing so, he felt his body start to change, which caused him to open his eyes, which he subconsciously closed. Looking down at his body he saw his muscles ripple, he could see bones cracking and shifting. But he felt no pain, only numbness.
Looking around, he saw spirits, both nature and elemental, as well as various other types of energies, flowing into his being.
He both saw and felt them enter his body, as though his skin and flesh provided no resistance. The different energies continued to gather in the middle of his body, and after what felt like hours, the last bit of multiversal essence stopped funneling into his body.
The condensed essence orb drifted toward his heart, and as it hovered above it, it began to envelop it. Archie¡¯s heart thumped, each beat reverberating through his entire being. With every pulse, more of the essence fused into his heart.
When the final bit of essence fused into his heart, the changes that occurred within his body stopped.
As a result, the void that surrounded him disappeared and he found himself back in his cave. Ignoring the system messages that appeared, he felt something moving throughout his being. The feeling wasn¡¯t uncomfortable, rather it felt as though he was wrapped in a warm hug. Instinctually he knew it was his adrenaline that flowed throughout his being.
Getting up from the floor and leaving the cave, with each step feeling lighter than before, anticipation filled his heart as he gazed into the Hoarfrost Forest as he stepped out of his cave.
Somehow, it felt different than before, it felt brighter even¡ªmore alive, more... something. Yet, what truly caught his attention was the ambient mana. For the first time, he could feel its presence surrounding him without needing to manipulate it.
Suddenly he remembered a detail of the prompt that appeared when he was an F-Grade human; an F-Grade human was not imbued with mana. I assume that¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t sense the mana around me before; I had no mana within me to begin with. Archie thought.
Finally, Archie looked at the notifications he ignored.
*Your Race has Evolved Successfully*
Human (E-Grade):
A Human who has attuned to the flow of mana, their body now in harmony with the energies of the multiverse. Humans are widely spread within the universe and are known to be one of the most balanced races amongst the myriad of races within the multiverse. Thus, allowing them to be able to walk down many Paths. Stats per level: All Stats +2, +3 Free Points.
*Your Race has reached Lv 50 ¨C Points allocated, +3 Free Points*
Title Gained: Flawless E-Grade Evolution
You have reached the maximum level in your Race, Class, and Profession as an F-Grade. Thus, granting you a flawless evolution to become an E-Grade human. Effect: +10 all stats.
¡°Wait, that¡¯s not ten free points. That¡¯s ten points in all fields! Holy shit! That¡¯s like ten levels instantly when I was an F-Grade human.¡± Archie widely smiled at the free points granted by the title.
Reading the three other notifications, Archie smiled at the increased status points per level. While 3 more status points per level might seem like nothing, another 50 levels would grant him a bonus of 150 extra points than what an F-Grade human granted him.
Suddenly a new system message appeared, which caught his immediate attention.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
*Your Bloodline has Evolved Successfully*
Adrenaline Junkie (Unique):
A unique bloodline originating within Archie Gracefield awakened due to an overwhelming rush of adrenaline. Your unending adrenaline courses within you; throughout your life adrenaline has been a constant companion. When adrenaline courses throughout your being, your physical prowess and mental fortitude are enhanced. Enhancing Strength and Willpower: +10% to Strength and +10% to Willpower.
Archie¡¯s eyes went wide, a 5% increase in both Strength and Willpower was insane, causing a thought to pop into his mind. Do I get a 5% increase every evolution?
¡°Assuming S-Grade comes right after A grade then, by the time I reach S-Grade I will get a +35% to both Strength and Willpower.¡± Archie chuckled in amazement, My bloodline is amazing.
Is this why Bralmir said to never mention that I have a bloodline? Archie questioned. Because people with bloodlines essentially get a growing percentage amplifier?
Clenching his fists, he could feel the adrenaline move throughout his being at a faster rate than before. If he had to describe it, when he was in F-Grade it was always noticeable whenever he got into fights and when he wasn¡¯t fighting the adrenaline flowing through him felt faint. But now at E-Grade, it did not feel faint at all, rather as he mentioned before it felt like he was constantly being given a warm hug.
I wonder how it will feel when I start fighting, He wondered.
Opening his status page, he saw things that initially made him smile before becoming shocked.
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human E-Grade Lv 50
Class: Warrior Lv 49 [Evolution Ready]
Profession: Shaman Lv 49 [Evolution Ready]
Health: 2226/2226
Mana: 800/800
Stamina: 1386/1386
Stats:
Vitality: 212(222)
Strength: 212(243)
Endurance: 132(138)
Agility: 182
Intelligence: 192
Wisdom: 80
Willpower: 80(88)
Perception: 175
Free Points: 31
Skills:
Basic One-Handed Weapon Mastery (Common)
Basic Light-Shield Mastery (Common)
Identify (Initiate)
Savage Charge (Uncommon)
Adrenaline Rush (Rare)
Warrior''s Resilience (Uncommon)
Nature''s Meditation (Epic)
Spirit Link (Epic)
Effigy-Carving (Common)
Material Insight (Common)
Retaliation (Uncommon)
Hex of Enfeeblement (Common)
Unstable Consecutive Strikes (Uncommon)
Taunt (Uncommon)
Shatter Spirit (Common)
Basic Martial Combat Mastery (Uncommon)
Thorns (Common)
Hum of the Wild (Common)
Bloodline:
Adrenaline Junkie (Unique) [+10% to Strength and +10% to Willpower]
Affinity:
Greater Nature Affinity (Epic)
Blessing:
Blessing of the Forgefather (Moderate) [+5% to Strength and +5% to Endurance]
Titles Collected:
Bloodline Progenitor [+10 Vitality and +5% Vitality]
Flawless E-Grade Evolution [+10 all Stats]
Tutorial Points:
10,684
¡°Why did most of my skills go down a rarity?¡± Archie muttered under his breath in disbelief. ¡°Why is Mana Manipulation gone?¡±
¡°Uh¡Bralmir? I got a question¡kinda important¡So, if you can hear me, please answer.¡± Archie said still in disbelief at the decreased rarity in most of his skills.
A weight of pressure fell upon Archie¡¯s shoulders as soon as he asked Bralmir for assistance, along with a familiar voice.
¡°Yes? What do you need from me so soon?¡± Bralmir asked, Archie could feel the sigh Bralmir released even though he couldn¡¯t see him.
¡°Uh¡my skills dropped in rarity right after I evolved my race,¡± Archie told him, feeling a bit embarrassed for calling him not long after their previous call. ¡°And my mana manipulation skill is gone entirely.¡±
Releasing a long sigh, Bralmir responded, ¡°¡Right, you are experiencing your first evolution. That¡¯s completely normal, so no need to worry. As you evolve your body becomes better, which increases your potential; what you previously thought was too difficult, is now easier. For example, an Epic rarity skill at F-Grade is equivalent to a Rare rarity of the same skill at E-Grade, if not lower. The functionality of the skill is the same, but now due to your improved race, you have a higher rarity cap, so to speak.
¡°Okay, but what about some of my other skills that didn¡¯t drop in rarity? And why my Mana Manipulation skill is gone entirely.¡± Archie asked, now understanding why most of his skills dropped in rarity.
¡°Skills that you have used often and are proficient in remain the same, so long as you¡¯ve been proficient with them,¡± Bralmir answered. ¡°As an E-Grade human, your body is now attuned to the flow of mana within the multiverse, thus you are now able to manipulate mana inherently. Previously as an F-Grade human, you didn¡¯t have a way to control the mana within you as such the system regulated it for you when using skills. Think of it like the system removing the training wheels on your bike, and you now need to control your bike alone.¡±
¡°Oh, okay. One last question¡for now. How do I organize my status page? It''s like reading from a long scroll, with how everything is stacked atop of each other.¡± Archie asked, curious about how to solve the problem of his ever-growing status page.
¡°Will it,¡± Bralmir told him plainly.
¡°Will it?... The hell does that mean?¡± Archie asked flabbergasted at Bralmir¡¯s answer.
¡°When you view your status screen, visualize how you want it to appear and impose that image onto it. However, you can only adjust the layout, not alter the information, as the status page is a reflection of yourself. Unless you have a skill for that of course.¡± Bralmir shared yet another piece of common knowledge within the multiverse¡ªsomething entirely new to Archie.
¡°Oh, okay¡thanks,¡± Archie replied, somewhat understanding what Bralmir meant. ¡°Might bother you again when I go through my class and profession evolutions.¡±
¡°No problem,¡± Bralmir said before the pressure around Archie¡¯s shoulders lessened.
Feeling the pressure on his shoulders let up, Archie started to imagine how he wished his status page would look. Instead of everything being stacked on each other, he imagined everything being sectioned off and organized. Skills are now separated and organized into General Skills, Class Skills, and Profession Skills.
Opening his status page, he saw the change take place.
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human E-Grade Lv 50
Class: Warrior Lv 49 [Evolution Ready]
Profession: Shaman Lv 49 [Evolution Ready]
Health: 2226/2226
Mana: 800/800
Stamina: 1386/1386
Stats:
Vitality: 212(222)
Strength: 212(243)
Endurance: 132(138)
Agility: 182
Intelligence: 192
Wisdom: 80
Willpower: 80(88)
Perception: 175
Free Points: 31
General Skills: Identify (Initiate), Nature''s Meditation (Epic)
Class Skills: Basic One-Handed Weapon Mastery (Common), Basic Light-Shield Mastery (Common), Basic Martial Combat Mastery (Uncommon), Savage Charge (Uncommon), Adrenaline Rush (Rare), Warrior''s Resilience (Uncommon), Retaliation (Uncommon), Unstable Consecutive Strikes (Uncommon), Taunt (Uncommon), Thorns (Common)
Profession Skills: Spirit Link (Epic), Effigy-Carving (Common), Material Insight (Common), Hex of Enfeeblement (Common), Shatter Spirit (Common), Hum of the Wild (Common)
Bloodline: Adrenaline Junkie (Unique) [+10% to Strength and +10% to Willpower]
Affinity: Greater Nature Affinity (Epic)
Blessing: Blessing of the Forgefather (Moderate) [+5% to Strength and +5% to Endurance]
Titles Collected: Bloodline Progenitor [+10 Vitality and +5% Vitality], Flawless E-Grade Evolution [+10 all Stats]
Tutorial Points: 10,684
¡°That¡¯s a lot better now,¡± Archie said before clicking the evolution section next to his class.
Ch 26 - E-Grade Class Evolution
Upon clicking the Evolution Ready button next to his class, he was greeted with many system prompts.
E-Grade Class Evolution
You, a newly initiated human warrior, have shown a high amount of talent having slain various beasts and creatures, sentient and non-sentient. Your undying will to stay alive and fight against foes far higher from your level and survive by the skin of your teeth has been forever etched into your Records. You have shown proficiency in killing with various forms of melee combat, One-Handed Weapons as well as Martial Combat, however, your Shieldsmanship has been neglected. As a result of all you have accomplished within F-Grade, you are presented with 5 Class Evolutions.
¡°Well, I guess I have been finding shields useless recently; I mean why block when you can hit them before they hit you?¡± Archie reasoned to himself.
Ironbound:
The Ironbound is a rugged, no-nonsense fighter who relies on raw toughness and unyielding strength. Their straightforward approach leaves little room for finesse, relying instead on sheer power and durability to overpower opponents. The Ironbound thrives in direct engagements, shrugging off injuries that would slow others, using persistence as both a weapon and a shield. Ironbound warriors thrive on straightforward tactics¡ªhit hard and endure harder. This class focuses on brute strength and endurance, prioritizing absorbing damage and delivering heavy blows. Stats per level: +4 End, +4 Vit, +3 Str, +2 Agi, +3 Free Points. Warning: Some class Skills linked to the Warrior class will be likely removed and or replaced.
The first option was a decent pick, to be honest, Archie had quickly taken up using Retaliation akin to a fish in water. He wholeheartedly agreed with the tactics of the Ironbound, ¡®hit hard and endure harder¡¯, but he also felt like they should be swapped, ¡®endure hard and hit harder¡¯.
Do they have the Retaliation skill always active? Do they remove my Shield Mastery skill? Such thoughts filled Archie¡¯s mind as the last sentence did not go unnoticed. As well as the 16 stats per level, 10 more than what he currently received from his Warrior class. While he didn¡¯t know if that was a good stat increase, it was better than what he had.
Either way, I have four more options to go through, Archie thought before putting the Ironbound option to the side and continuing to the next option.
Bloodreaver:
A Bloodreaver is a brutal warrior who thrives in the heat of battle, embracing chaos and destruction. Fueled by primal rage, they transform into unstoppable forces on the battlefield, striking fear into the hearts of their enemies. Bloodreavers wield their rage like a weapon, turning pain into power, however, they easily lose rationality when in combat. This Class focuses on aggression and relentless combat, prioritizing brutality and ferocity. Stats per level: +5 Str, +5 End, +4 Will, +4 Vit, +4 Free Points. Warning: Some class skills linked to the Warrior class will be likely removed and or replaced.
¡°The hell? Turning pain into power? What is this masochistic crap?¡± Archie asked bewildered, did the system think the way he fought was masochistic?
The second option had both benefits and drawbacks, from what Archie could analyze. 22 stats per level is insane. However, losing rationality when fighting feels too dangerous to be considered to be beneficial. Especially since I¡¯ll be entering the Group Tutorial soon.
What also crossed his mind was what caused him to even get such an option? Sure, he enjoyed fighting, but he never went on a drunk rampage before.
Suddenly a memory surfaced which caused Archie to click his tongue, ¡°Was it when I killed those goats atop the hill? That¡¯s the only time I can remember zoning out when in a fight.¡±
Putting the option to the side, Archie continued to read the next option.
Nature-Attuned Pugilist:
A Nature-Attuned Pugilist channels nature-attuned mana into their strikes, dealing both physical and magical damage. By infusing their strikes with natural energy, they become formidable close-combat fighters, drawing strength from the world around them. Their fists are not just weapons but conduits for nature-attuned mana, enabling them to fight with both fluidity and power. This Class focuses on combining both magic and martial skills when in combat, abandoning your previous pursuit of One-Handed Weapons and Shields. Stats per level: +4 Str, +4 End, +3 Vit, +3 Agi, +2 Int, +4 Free Points. Warning: Some class skills linked to the Warrior class will be likely removed and or replaced.
This option looks more appealing compared to the other two, Archie thought, 20 stats per level but without any drawbacks. He had come to the realization that weapons break, and when broken, skills attached to them become useless. But his fists, no matter how broken they became, they always came back healed. Thus reaffirming his belief that fists were supreme.
This option was definitely at the top of his list of classes he considered picking. Nevertheless, he read the next option.
Experienced Warrior:
An Experienced Warrior is a Warrior who has honed their skills through various battles, adapting to various combat situations with ease. They blend offense and defense, using their knowledge to strike at the right moment while absorbing incoming attacks. Experienced Warriors are respected for their resilience and tactical insight, often leading allies into battle with confidence. This Class focuses on adaptability and mastery of combat techniques, prioritizing strength and tactical prowess. Stats per level: +4 Str, +3 End, +3 Vit, +2 Agi, +3 Free Points.
A generic evolution for whoever chose the Warrior class, Archie thought, it wasn¡¯t bad at all, granting 15 stats per level. However, it did not add anything else to the table, no mentions of magic or his Nature Affinity.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.
He wasn¡¯t being biased toward the previous option at all¡Besides he didn¡¯t have a sword anymore, what''s the point of choosing this class, but being unable to use it? Conveniently forgetting the fact he had a hatchet stashed in the pouch behind his back.
Moving on, Archie thought while moving onto the last option.
Silentblade:
The Silentblade is a practitioner of stealth and precision, blending seamlessly into the darkness. They strike from the shadows, dealing devastating damage before retreating, waiting for another opportunity. Their lethal mix of speed, silence, and timing makes them deadly assassins, capable of eliminating targets without a trace. This Class focuses on stealth and precision, prioritizing quick and decisive strikes to eliminate their foes. Stats per level: +4 Agi, +4 Per, +4 Str, +2 End, +3 Free Points. Warning: Some class skills linked to the Warrior class will be likely removed and or replaced.
Reading the last option, Archie saw that this Class offered 17 stats per level and had a focus on stealth over frontal combat.
¡°I guess this evolution option makes sense, with all the stealth kills I¡¯ve done,¡± Archie acknowledged. He had skilled a lot of both sentient and non-sentient beings with stealth attacks throughout his time in the tutorial.
¡°And to be honest, I don¡¯t think I would stop. Unless I¡¯m 100% sure about a fight, I¡¯ll always try a stealth attack.¡± Archie reaffirmed, nodding his head and crossing his arms.
Nevertheless, even though he liked the concept of stealth attacks and tree hopping, he could not see himself only doing that.
Looking at the five options once more, Nature-Attuned Pugilist clearly stood out as the best option for him. It merged his affinity with nature alongside his preference to fight with his fists over sword and shield.
Selecting Nature-Attuned Pugilist, all system prompts disappeared, and new prompts appeared in their place.
*Your Class has Evolved Successfully*
New Class: [Nature-Attuned Pugilist]:
A Nature-Attuned Pugilist channels nature-attuned mana into their strikes, dealing both physical and magical damage. By infusing their strikes with natural energy, they become formidable close-combat fighters, drawing strength from the world around them. Their fists are not just weapons but conduits for nature-attuned mana, enabling them to fight with both fluidity and power. This Class focuses on combining both magic and martial skill when in combat, abandoning your previous pursuit of Swordsmanship and Shieldsmanship. Stats per level: +4 Str, +4 End, +3 Vit, +3 Agi, +2 Int, +4 Free Points.
*Your Class has reached Lv 50 ¨C Points allocated, +4 Free Points*
Skill Lost: [Basic One-Handed Weapon Mastery (Common)]
Skill Lost: [Basic Light-Shield Mastery (Common)]
Skill Change: [Warrior¡¯s Resilience (Uncommon) ¡ú Pugilist¡¯s Grit (Uncommon)]
Pugilist¡¯s Grit (Uncommon):
The pugilist thrives under pressure, using sheer willpower to stay on their feet no matter how brutal the fight is. Regenerate 2% of maximum health per second while in combat. When health drops below 30%, regeneration doubles for a short duration, empowering the pugilist to outlast their enemies through relentless endurance.
Skill Evolution: [Unstable Consecutive Strikes (Uncommon) ¡ú Relentless Flurry (Uncommon)]
Relentless Flurry (Uncommon):
Drawing on your stamina reserves, you unleash a rapid series of powerful strikes, each blow flowing seamlessly into the next. The energy surges through your muscles, amplifying your attacks with relentless force. While active, Relentless Flurry grants a low bonus to Strength.
¡°As I assumed, both One-Handed Weapon Mastery and Light-Shield Mastery disappeared. However, this new skill Relentless Flurry solved my issue with Unstable Consecutive Strikes ¨C every time I used it before, it caused a lot of damage to both my arms and legs.¡± Archie smiled, glad that now he was able to properly use such a core skill.
Opening his status page he smiled.
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human E-Grade Lv 50
Class: Nature-Attuned Pugilist Lv 50
Profession: Shaman Lv 49 [Evolution Ready]
Health: 2257/2257
Mana: 800/800
Stamina: 1428/1428
Stats:
Vitality: 215(225)
Strength: 216(248)
Endurance: 136(142)
Agility: 185
Intelligence: 194
Wisdom: 80
Willpower: 80(88)
Perception: 175
Free Points: 35
General Skills: Identify (Initiate), Nature''s Meditation (Epic)
Class Skills: Basic Martial Combat Mastery (Uncommon), Savage Charge (Uncommon), Adrenaline Rush (Rare), Pugilist¡¯s Grit (Uncommon), Retaliation (Uncommon), Relentless Flurry (Uncommon), Taunt (Uncommon), Thorns (Common)
Profession Skills: Spirit Link (Epic), Effigy-Carving (Common), Material Insight (Common), Hex of Enfeeblement (Common), Shatter Spirit (Common), Hum of the Wild (Common)
Bloodline: Adrenaline Junkie (Unique) [+10% to Strength and +10% to Willpower]
Affinity: Greater Nature Affinity (Epic)
Blessing: Blessing of the Forgefather (Moderate) [+5% to Strength and +5% to Endurance]
Titles Collected: Bloodline Progenitor [+10 Vitality and +5% Vitality], Flawless E-Grade Evolution [+10 all Stats]
Tutorial Points: 10,684
Looking at the tutorial page, Archie kissed his teeth.
Solo Tutorial
The 72nd cycle has begun; thus, a tutorial is needed to increase the survivability of the newly integrated myriad races. The Hoarfrost Highlands is filled with various creatures from across the universe, each providing Tutorial Points upon their death to their killer. After the Solo Tutorial is completed, all Solo Tutorial Participants will be teleported into random Group Tutorials. Tutorial Points will be used to gain rewards after the full tutorial is completed.
Completion Criteria: Survive for 30 days.
Time remaining: 5 days & 04:00:03
¡°Less than a week left and I have yet to find that damn tortoise,¡± Archie said while kicking some snow, frustrated at where the tortoise went. He spent a large majority of his time ever since he left the Shaman profession dungeon trying to locate the tortoise, but still had not been able to even find a single clawprint.
¡°I guess I should just get my profession evolution over with,¡± Archie said as he hovered his finger over the Evolution Ready button next to his profession.
But just before Archie could press it, another prompt appeared in front of his face.
Quest: Solo Tutorial Boss
You have survived the Hoarfrost Highlands for 25 days now and you have dominated most of the races that exist within it. However, the ruler of the Hoarfrost Highlands has now awoken and found their domain molested. The ruler of the Hoarfrost Highlands will now be actively roaming their domain in search of you. Reward scales with your performance.
Requirements: Survive or Kill the Giant Frostiron Tortoise
Reward: ? & ?
You cannot decline this quest.
Archie¡¯s eyes went wide, ¡°At least now I know where it went.¡± His fists clenched as he remembered how he was almost killed by a single swipe of its claws.
Archie steeled his eyes as he pressed the Evolution Ready button.
Ch 27 - E-Grade Profession Evolution
Upon clicking the Evolution Ready button next to his profession, he was greeted with a similar number of system prompts as his Class Evolution.
E-Grade Profession Evolution
You, a newly initiated human shaman, have shown a degree of talent in the field of spiritualism. You have demonstrated proficiency in the art of crafting effigies that provide self-enhancing effects rather than Debilitating ones and Hexes. As a result of all you have accomplished within F-Grade, you are presented with 5 Profession Evolutions.
¡°Nothing incorrect so far, I haven¡¯t really used effigies of harm, nor have I used Hexes for anything other than combat.¡± Archie acknowledged, Wait¡could I have learned how Hexes are made by analyzing them? Like how I learned how to make a Voodoo Doll.
Nevertheless, Archie looked at the first option that appeared in front of him.
Adept Shaman:
An Adept Shaman has taken their first steps into the path of spiritualism and seeks to immerse themselves into the realm of spiritualism. Grants the knowledge on how to make effigies, rituals, and totems. Abilities Granted: Totem-Carving (Initiate) & Ritual Crafting (Initiate). Stats per level: +5 Int, +5 Per, +3 Wis, +2 Agi, +2 Free Points.
The first option sounded like just a straight-up generic upgrade from his current Shaman profession, just like the Experienced Warrior class option he received. Nonetheless, it provides 17 stats per level, 11 more stats than what he currently receives.
I hope the other options are more interesting, Archie thought while pushing the option to the side and looking at the second option.
Upon reading it, Archie looked confused.
Novice Forgesmith:
As the one with the blessing of the Forgefather, you gain the ability to forge items producing various effects. Your crafts are then imbued with runes that grant various effects. Provides knowledge on Smithing and Rune Scribing. You are now able to create multiple shamanistic crafts simultaneously. Abilities Granted: Forgesmith¡¯s Flame (Initiate), Smithing Mastery (Initiate) & Rune Scribing (Initiate). However, all skills pertaining to the Shaman profession will be lost. Stats per level: +5 Vit, +4 Str, +4 End, +2 Per, +4 Free Points.
¡°Wait, so I lose everything I gained from the Shaman profession, but in return gain a brand-new Profession?¡± Archie noted as he read the last part of the option.
By giving up his current profession, he would gain a brand new one completely unrelated to Shamanism. Albeit, it provided more stat points than the generic upgrade of the Shaman profession, 19 stats per level.
The memory of being in awe of Bralmir¡¯s armory and seeing everything he crafted, as well as his desire to move on from crafting the same type of effigies, made him hesitant to disregard the option. He¡¯d always loved creating new and cool things.
¡°Ah, Bralmir, what do you think about this?¡± Archie questioned while contemplating if the change would be worth it.
A familiar weight descended atop his shoulders, informing him that Bralmir heard him.
¡°Could you clarify what you are referring to?¡± Bralmir asked Archie in confusion.
¡°Can you not see my evolution options?¡± Archie asked confusedly
¡°No, the system does not allow such a thing, unless system-mandated contracts are involved,¡± Bralmir briefly explained. "Only then can another person other than yourself look at your system panel."
¡°Oh, okay. So, I was given a Profession change opportunity to become a Novice Forgesmith and I am hesitant about what to do. I like the idea of creating cool things, but I don¡¯t wanna lose fifty levels worth of progress.¡± Archie informed him.
Humming in understanding, ¡°As the one who paved the pathway to godhood with Forgesmithing, it is a robust and well-paved path to tread throughout your Journey. However, I do understand your hesitance to abandon your current profession, you would be essentially discarding everything you ever learned as an F-Grade.¡± Bralmir acknowledged
¡°However, if you chose to be a Novice Forgesmith, where would you forge? You have no forge or tools.¡± Bralmir informed. ¡°Although if you wait until you reach the Group Tutorial, you will be able to work with a forge with the help of the Assistants there.¡±
¡°Assistants?¡± Archie questioned.
¡°Yes, in every Group Tutorial, there exists a small village inhabited by denizens of the multiverse who assist newly initiated sentient races. Typically, five main Assistants offer basic training and a variety of tips regarding starter classes. In addition to these primary Assistants, several others help newcomers acquire basic Professions such as Smithing, Tailoring, Leatherworking, and more. As well as providing them the tools necessary to start.¡± Bralmir informed Archie, causing him to look both surprised and annoyed.
¡°I¡¯m regretting having chosen the Solo Tutorial.¡± Archie huffed, annoyed at the amount of time he wasted trying to learn how to fight by himself when he could have learned from a proper warrior.
Suddenly a thought popped into his mind, ¡°Could I combine what I¡¯ve learned about spiritualism with forging?¡± Archie asked.
A reply did not come right away, but after a few seconds of silence, Bralmir responded, ¡°With what you know now? No. However, there are aspects of forging where you can imbue your crafts with spirits and provide various effects. But not like that of effigies, not until later down on your Journey, if you wish to become a Forgesmith.¡±
Archie looked downtrodden at what Bralmir informed him.
¡°Read your other options, before making a choice. Perhaps an option will appear that meshes best with you.¡± Bralmir advised, giving Archie a modicum of hope.
Nodding, Archie looked at the next evolution option.
Druidic Shaman:
The Druidic Shaman is a purely nature-focused practitioner of shamanism. You are now able to sense and manipulate nature-attuned spirits, allowing them to empower your magic and crafts even further when crafted with nature mana. As a Druidic Shaman, you are now able to access and harness the untamed forces of flora. Provides knowledge on crafting effigies, crafting totems, and flora manipulation. Abilities Granted: Totem-Carving (Initiate) & Flora Manipulation (Initiate). Stats per level: +5 Int, +5 Wis, +3 Will, +2 Vit, +3 Free Points.
Looking at the evolution option, Archie was reminded about Myrddin Oaken who wished to spread druidism across the multiverse. The profession provides 18 stats per level and grants him the ability to create totems as well as control plants. However, it did not provide ritualism, Archie noticed.
¡°Weird how rituals aren¡¯t mentioned here? I thought druids performed rituals.¡± Archie wondered out loud.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
¡°Some do, some don¡¯t; it¡¯s a point of debate within the druidic communities,¡± Bralmir interjected.
¡°Ah, okay,¡± Archie said before moving to the next option.
Gifted Shaman of Nature:
A Gifted Shaman of Nature has mastered the very basics of Shamanism and seeks to delve deeper using their nature affinity in their craft and magic. You have used your nature-attuned mana into your crafts and abilities connecting to both spirits of nature and elemental. Grants the knowledge on how to make effigies, rituals, and totems. Abilities Granted: Totem-Carving (Initiate), Flora Manipulation (Initiate) & Ritual Crafting (Initiate). Stats per level: +5 Int, +4 Per, +3 Agi, +3 Wis, +5 Free Points.
¡°Oh! Here¡¯s the ritual version of the previous one,¡± Archie noticed it gave 20 stats per level, two more than the previous evolution option.
Other than the addition of crafting rituals, and two more stats per level, nothing really differed between the two. Causing Archie to move on to the last option.
Shamanistic Craftsman:
The Shamanistic Craftsman specializes in the art of crafting effigies and totems. Their crafts involve creating effigies and totems that can provide a large variety of effects both enhancing and debilitating. Grants the knowledge on how to craft totems. Abilities Granted: Totem-Carving. However, some skills pertaining to the Shaman Profession might be lost. Stats per level: +4 Int, +4 Wis, +4 Per, +3 Agi, +2 Free Points.
This option was a more crafting-focused evolution, while also providing 17 stats per level. He did prefer to build things, his proof would be the ten giant boxes filled with foot-destroying plastic bricks within his new home in Illinois.
¡°Looking at this just makes me even more indecisive about what to choose.¡± Archie sighed clearly stressed about what to pick. He liked the idea of crafting things, especially new ones, but he did not want to just throw away almost a month¡¯s worth of work as well as ignore his Nature Affinity.
¡°I genuinely don¡¯t know what to pick, Bralmir,¡± Archie sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve always liked creating things, but I don¡¯t want to just make effigies and totems, carving effigies has gotten stale over this past month. But I also don¡¯t want to pick Forgesmithing and ignore the benefits I get from shamanism with my Nature Affinity.¡±
¡°Archie, let¡¯s take a minute to think about this. As an E-Grade human, you can live up to 250 years, and every time you evolve your lifespan increases exponentially. A month¡¯s worth of work going to waste is nothing much to be concerned about,¡± Bralmir calmly informed Archie, trying to ease his mind. "Besides, have you forgotten which faction we belong to? I also have a Nature Affinity which I incorporate into my craft, you just have to figure out how to utilize it. Don¡¯t overthink things. Take it one step at a time. If you stumble back three steps, push yourself forward four."
¡°Thanks man¡I guess you¡¯re right, a month¡¯s worth of work going to waste isn¡¯t the end of the world. As you said, I can try to incorporate what I¡¯ve learned while being a shaman into forging.¡± Archie replied softly.
Archie started to chuckle a bit before saying, ¡°This whole thing reminds me of a meme, where a friend gives you the best flirting advice, however, when he does it himself, he fumbles everything. And in this scenario, I¡¯m the friend.¡±
Bralmir chuckled a bit before saying, ¡°Yes, I understand the analogy quite well. Such a thing transcends race, time as well as the system apparently.¡±
Now sensing Archie¡¯s worries vanishing, Bralmir receded his presence atop Archie¡¯s being and went back to observing Archie from within his domain.
*Your Race has reached Lv 51 ¨C Points allocated, +3 Free Points*
Archie, now in a better mood, chose the second option given to him, Novice Forgesmith.
*Your Profession has Evolved Successfully*
New Profession: [Novice Forgesmith]:
As the one with the blessing of the Forgefather, you gain the ability to forge items producing various effects. Your crafts are then imbued with runes that grant various effects. Provides knowledge on Smithing and Rune Scribing. You are now able to create multiple shamanistic crafts simultaneously. Abilities Granted: Forgesmith¡¯s Flame (Initiate), Smithing Mastery (Initiate) & Rune Scribing (Initiate). Stats per level: +5 Vit, +4 Str, +4 End, +2 Per, +4 Free Points.
*Your Profession has reached Lv 50¨C Points allocated, +4 Free Points*
Skill Lost: [Spirit Link (Epic)]
Skill Lost: [Effigy-Carving (Common)]
Skill Lost: [Hex of Enfeeblement (Common)]
Skill Lost: [Shatter Spirit (Common)]
Skill Lost: [Hum of the Wild (Common)]
Skill Gained: [Forgesmith¡¯s Flame (Initiate)]
Forgesmith¡¯s Flame (Initiate):
The flame of a Forgesmith is an essential skill throughout the forging process. This flame is the embodiment of your will made manifest, serving as a reflection of your spirit. Refining one''s flame is a long and demanding journey. The Forgesmith can summon a flame, capable only of emitting heat, as it is not a tool for combat but a focused force for creation.
Skill Gained: [Basic Smithing Mastery (Initiate)]
Basic Smithing Mastery (Initiate):
Mastery over the forge begins with understanding the basics. This skill allows for the crafting of various Initiate-quality items through smithing. Proper materials and equipment are required to smith items successfully.
Skill Gained: [Basic Rune Scribing (Initiate)]
Basic Rune Scribing (Initiate):
The art of rune scribing opens the door to enchanting and imbuing objects with magical properties. An initiate rune scriber learns to etch basic symbols that can provide various benefits to the object. This skill allows for the creation of simple runes with various effects. Appropriate materials and tools are necessary for scribing runes.
Skill Evolution: [Material Insight (Common) ¡ú Material Insight (Common)]
Material Insight (Common):
The Forgesmith taps into their connection with nature to identify and locate materials for their crafts. When Identifying and analyzing materials, additional information is revealed.
Archie looked at the many system prompts that covered his vision, with a bittersweet smile. Even though he was sure of his choice, he couldn¡¯t help but remember the joy he got whenever he successfully crafted new effigies.
But soon, Archie was jolted out of his melancholic mood by a sharp pain arcing across his brain.
Clenching his fists, scrunching his face, and gritting his teeth, he fought to suppress a shout. Knowledge of how to handle a forge and use basic smithing tools¡ªsuch as hammers, chisels, and tongs¡ª flooded his mind, accompanied by an array of basic runes and their properties.
After an unknown amount of time, Archie was able to gain his bearings and call upon his status page, observing the changes that it had undergone.
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human E-Grade Lv 51
Class: Nature-Attuned Pugilist Lv 50
Profession: Novice Forgesmith Lv 50
Health: 2331/2331
Mana: 820/820
Stamina: 1491/1491
Stats:
Vitality: 222(233)
Strength: 222(255)
Endurance: 142(149)
Agility: 187
Intelligence: 196
Wisdom: 82
Willpower: 82(90)
Perception: 179
Free Points: 42
General Skills: Identify (Initiate), Nature''s Meditation (Epic)
Class Skills: Basic Martial Combat Mastery (Uncommon), Savage Charge (Uncommon), Adrenaline Rush (Rare), Pugilist¡¯s Grit (Uncommon), Retaliation (Uncommon), Relentless Flurry (Uncommon), Taunt (Uncommon), Thorns (Common)
Profession Skills: Forgesmith¡¯s Flame (Initiate), Smithing Mastery (Initiate), Rune Scribing (Initiate), Material Insight (Common)
Bloodline: Adrenaline Junkie (Unique) [+10% to Strength and +10% to Willpower]
Affinity: Greater Nature Affinity (Epic)
Blessing: Blessing of the Forgefather (Moderate) [+5% to Strength and +5% to Endurance]
Titles Collected: Bloodline Progenitor [+10 Vitality and +5% Vitality], Flawless E-Grade Evolution [+10 all Stats]
Tutorial Points: 10,684
Wistfully looking at his meager Profession skill list, Archie kissed his teeth. He needed to fill that out to at least make it look just as full as his Class skill list.
Looking at the moon raised high above him, he ventured into the forest, intent on killing the tortoise.
At the same time Archie steeled himself and ventured into the forest, Bralmir stopped observing Archie and entered his forge room.
The forge room was a chaotic mess. Glass bottles littered the floor¡ªsome half-full, others completely empty¡ªand shards of broken glass crunched underfoot, glinting in the dim light. The walls and floor were lined with warped metal armor and shattered weapons, while deep, fist-shaped dents in the walls told stories of the rage that had once consumed the space. In the center, the forge remained defiantly untouched, a relic of its past glory. Its mouth, cold and empty, had not seen flame in ages, as if it had been waiting for the fires of creation to return.
Bralmir looked at the chaotic mess, his gazing lingering on the cold and empty forge in front of him. Steeling himself, he picked up an empty glass bottle and sent it to a spatial storage.
One step at a time, Bralmir reminded himself.
Ch 28 - Oliver II
Profession Challenge Dungeon
Objective: ?
Reward: Alchemist Profession, ? & ?
Requirements: Tutorial Participant & Must not have a profession
Would you like to enter?
Oliver stared at the system notification that appeared in front of him with interest. He already had an Alchemist profession, the same one everyone received who learned from the Alchemist assistant.
Choosing the Alchemist profession was the easiest choice among the ten other Professions offered within the assistant village. His deep familiarity with chemistry and biology made it a natural fit. His various awards and certificates could attest to his superior prowess overall within his field.
And then there was the allure of mana¡¯s applications within alchemy.
The act of controlling magic felt¡ euphoric, to say the least. It was difficult for him to recall what life had been like without it, even though it had been less than a month since he first began wielding it.
When he was summoned in front of the system aspect, within moments he realized something had changed fundamentally within him. He felt lighter, fresher, pain-free¡ healthy, for the first time in years.
When he asked the system aspect about his Glioblastoma, he was told how it was removed upon his integration. Every being during the integration of the universe into the multiverse would be cured of all physical ailments and disabilities that they¡¯ve had before integration.
When he asked why, the system responded, ¡°A gift to those whose Journeys might have ended before the integration.¡±
That moment was one of the very few moments throughout his life where he felt some sort of warmth in his chest. Gratitude, he reminded himself. He¡¯d only felt that way towards his mother, but ever since her death, it had been effectively erased from his vocabulary.
When he asked how it was possible to cure everyone from their illnesses the system aspect did not respond. Pushing further only provided him with a similar response.
When looking through the classes he was offered, the Mage class stood out to him. Magic had been something that was missing on earth. When asking the system aspect about the limitations of magic he was told there were none. The response only reinforced his choice to pick the Mage class.
The last part of the integration was picking either the Group Tutorial or the Solo Tutorial. The choice was honestly one of the easiest ones he¡¯d made, where would he get human test subjects in a Solo Tutorial?
Before leaving the integration, he asked about the purpose of the system and was met with some generic badly written prompt about how it always existed and had no enemies.
He didn¡¯t believe it.
Why would you give random people power? He understood why he was given the opportunity to gain power, but giving power to those lesser than him? To be fair? Unfathomable.
Nevertheless, he thanked the system aspect for curing him and entered the light green rectangular portal in front of him.
Focusing back on the system notification in front of him, he felt amused. The mana surrounding the seemingly random wooden door within a cave full of mutilated rats was different.
The viscosity and potency of the mana surrounding the door was far more overwhelming than anything he¡¯d felt before, even the mana he felt from Cyric the Mage Assistant.
Curious, he decided to accept the dungeon¡¯s invitation, his thin smile widening at the new notification.
Relinquish Profession:
Do you wish to relinquish your Alchemist Profession? If so, you shall experience a major loss in your records as well as the removal of several skills.
Whatever the dungeon held was something that surpassed that of a higher Grade Mage like Cyric. Using that logic, that meant the reward it held was far more valuable than what it seemed. The alchemist profession it offered was most likely a higher tier than its base counterpart. ¡°Yes.¡±
You have relinquished your Alchemist Profession!
Skill Lost: [Alchemical Flame (Initiate)]
Skill Lost: [Potion Brewing (Initiate)]
Skill Lost: [Poison Brewing (Common)]
Skill Lost: [Herbology (Initiate)]
Oliver trembled, nearly collapsing onto the ground before catching himself. He took a deep breath and glanced briefly at the three notifications. The sudden loss of the stats he¡¯d grown accustomed to shook him greatly, more than he expected.
¡°I would like to enter the dungeon,¡± Oliver declared, licking his dry lips and gripping his wand tighter as his vision wavered. The door sealing the dungeon flickered dark purple for a moment before swinging open. This had better be worth it, Oliver grumbled as he hobbled into the dungeon.
Entering through the door revealed a large cavern, which seemed to act as some sort of main hub. He considered it to be a main hub due to the various tunnels that were connected to it, with various signs atop their entrances. Some tunnels were made of stone, while others were entirely composed of glass.
The glass-encased tunnels revealed various greenhouses containing various herbs and fungi. One in particular holding various insects.
The main area contained a singular ornate, circular stone table, a similar-looking chair, and various similarly ornate golden candles that hovered around the room. Held by some type of magic, Oliver deduced as he enveloped a candle with his mana and sent some sort of barrier.
Why would a class that emphasized mana control have normal strings hold candles up? Oliver dismissed.
He initially thought it was an invisible string, before vanishing the idea as he had to remind himself that magic existed. The only reason why he thought of it as such was the subtlety of how mana was used to hold the candles, as the only subtle magic he''d done was imbuing his mana into his cauldron and lifting small objects with his Telekinesis.
As Oliver took a few steps in, the door behind him produced a loud bang as it slammed shut. The noise made Oliver slightly flinch, still affected by his loss of stats. With a deep inhale, Oliver made his way to the door and tried to pull it open but found it unbudging.
He hadn¡¯t expected the dungeon to be one of where he was trapped once entered. Turning back, Oliver found four bright purple, large spheres atop the stone table.
Profession Challenge Dungeon
Objective 1: Simultaneously manipulate all four spheres using only your mana to lift above the table for a period of time.
Reward: Alchemist Archetype Profession
I knew it, Oliver mulled as he took a swig out from his leather water pouch, that he then stored into his robe¡¯s pocket. This was some sort of higher-tiered Alchemist profession.
Wiping the sweat off his forehead, Oliver calmed himself before flexing his mana. He formed many strings of mana, cording them with one another to form four human-like hands.
The hands moved towards the four spheres and wrapped themselves around them. Once firmly wrapped, Oliver manipulated his mana to lift them into the air and stared at them as they hovered.
Around twenty kilograms each, Oliver noted as he held up the spheres and slowly made them fly around him. As always, this feels¡euphoric, Oliver smiled as magic rippled across his skin and filled him with a sense of serenity.
He had gotten his Mana Manipulation to Uncommon a few days ago, and it had felt as though color had been reintroduced into his life. As though the life he lived previously was dull and colorless.
Not to mention the experiments he was able to do with his improved mana manipulation capabilities.
Initially, when he arrived in the Group Tutorial he was grouped with two warriors, a vanguard, a healer, and an archer. He recognized them as his neighbors, the vanguard, and the two warriors were related to one another, father and his two sons, living in the house to his right. The archer and healer were living in the house to his left.Stolen story; please report.
Their names¡unimportant, but he stayed with the group for three days before he got bored. Within the first few minutes, he cast his first spell; Manabolt. At that moment, he experienced mana flowing into his body for the first time.
The Manabolt was a light blue color that shot in a straight direction towards a tree, creating a baseball-shaped indent.
When casting Manabolt, mana traveled through his left arm and into the wand until it reached the light blue crystal tip. From there, a small sphere of mana was created and increased in size until it reached the size of a baseball. After it reached that size, it immediately shot in the direction where the crystal tip was pointed.
By the end of the first day, he had begun experimenting with how to improve his Mana Manipulation skill. He noticed the limitations of Manabolt; it could only fire in a straight line, it took five seconds to cast, and it took far too much mana for it to be viable to use as often as he wished.
Mana Shield was a bit different when cast it; a light blue twenty by twenty centimeter 2-D square appeared from the tip of his wand. The shield had no weight and when moving the wand, the shield followed. Unlike the Manabolt, Mana Shield required mana to constantly be channeled into the shield. The only issue that he noticed was that it was very fragile, a level 4 boar¡¯s charge shattered it with ease when he attempted to block one that escaped his vanguard.
But during his experiments, he learned that he could control the rate at which the mana flowed from him and into the spell. By doubling the amount of mana used, he could increase the durability of the shield by one and a half times.
By the end of the second day, he gained a skill called Meditation, when he was analyzing how his spells worked. From there he learned how to manipulate the mana within his own body and slowly exuded it, producing his first mana string.
He advanced his Mana Manipulation skill to Common that day. That day he learned that skills could be upgraded, but at the same time, he was peeved. He¡¯d spent two full days studying and practicing his mana control but was received with an ordinary rarity? Unacceptable.
It was that night that he began to experiment on his ¡®team¡¯ with his mana. He learned a great many things that night; you can cover a person¡¯s body with your mana and nothing would happen, however, injecting a concentrated amount of your mana into another being¡¯s body is akin to poison.
Not to mention the effects that happened when injecting them into different parts of their bodies, it even differed from person to person.
Oliver glanced at the system notifications that appeared in front of him before dispersing the mana around the spheres and letting them crash onto the ground below.
Profession Challenge Dungeon
Objective 1: Simultaneously manipulate all four spheres using only your mana to lift above the table for a period of time. ?
Reward: Alchemist Archetype Profession
You have obtained the Alchemist of Lilith Profession!
Alchemist of Lilith:
An alchemist brews potions, poisons, elixirs, and a myriad of other concoctions that provide a myriad of effects. The alchemist archetype: The Alchemist of Lilith, specializes in brewing elixirs and poisons. Abilities Granted: Alchemical Flame (Initiate), Potion Brewing (Initiate), Poison Brewing (Initiate) & Elixir Brewing (Initiate). Stats per level: +2 Int, +2 Wis, +1 Vit, +1 Free Point.
Skill Gained: [Alchemical Flame (Initiate)]
Skill Gained: [Potion Brewing (Initiate)]
Skill Gained: [Poison Brewing (Initiate)]
Skill Gained: [Elixir Brewing (Initiate)]
Oliver smiled at the system notifications, glad to see that he was correct in his assumption about the dungeon containing a higher-tiered Alchemist profession. While the stat points looked the same, the skill he gained caught his eye. He¡¯d been offered the Elixir Brewing skill when he reached level 10 in his previous alchemist profession but opted to choose the Herbology skill instead.
After reading through his new skill description, Oliver read his next objective.
Profession Challenge Dungeon
Objective 2: Brew two different poisons and a singular elixir (Common+) and place them atop the table 0/3
Reward: Cauldron of the Journeyman
"Where do I...?" Oliver mumbled, scanning the cavern for an alchemy set. His gaze shifted to the various tunnels branching off from the main hub, and he spotted a sign with an image of a cauldron brewing.
The end of the tunnel revealed an alchemy set¡ª a single cauldron, a mortar and pestle and a few hundred glass bottles. With his alchemist equipment now found, all he needed were ingredients. From what he''d seen in the greenhouses, he had more than enough.
Skill Upgrade: [Potion Brewing (Initiate ¡ú Common)]
Skill Upgrade: [Poison Brewing (Initiate ¡ú Common)]
Skill Upgrade: [Elixir Brewing (Initiate ¡ú Common)]
Cytotoxic Poison (Common):
A Cytotoxic poison brewed by Oliver Blair, an F-Grade Alchemist of Lilith. Brewed with Nerium oleander, Digitalis purpurea, and an F-Grade Witherfang Arachnid. Upon contact with biological material, the poison rapidly spreads, destroying tissues and cells. The bottle is indestructible to anyone below E-Grade.
Neurotic Poison (Common):
A Neurotic poison brewed by Oliver Blair, an F-Grade Alchemist of Lilith. Brewed with Conium maculatum, Aconitum napellus, and an F-Grade Dire Scorpion. When injected into the bloodstream of a being, the poison will cause paralysis for a period of time. The bottle is indestructible to anyone below E-Grade.
Elixir of Endurance (Common):
An Endurance-based Elixir brewed by Oliver Blair, an F-Grade Alchemist of Lilith. Brewed with Rhodiola rosea, Pfaffia paniculata, and Ironbloom. The bottle is indestructible to anyone below E-Grade. Effects: +10 Endurance when consumed. Requirements: Lv 35+.
Oliver placed the third and final brew atop the table in the center of the main hub, it had taken him around four days, but he completed his task. Oliver waited a moment before the poisons and elixir disappeared and in its place was an ornate cauldron.
Profession Challenge Dungeon
Objective 2: Brew two different poisons and a singular elixir (Common+) and place them atop the table 3/3 ?
Reward: Cauldron of the Journeyman
Profession Challenge Dungeon
Objective 3: Meeting with Lilith
Reward: ?
Just as Oliver began to read the last system notification, everything went dark. His senses became muted, and useless as all he could see around him was darkness. He couldn¡¯t even tell if he was upright. He was helpless.
The feeling was sickening.
In mere moments, Oliver¡¯s senses returned. He looked around, finding himself not within the cave, rather he was in a room that radiated luxury. What was once stone flooring was now decorated with carpets of gold and velvet, with ornate symbols and sigils laced within the carpets.
The stone walls were replaced with galaxies, planets orbiting around their suns aimlessly throughout the walls that surrounded him. Ornate furniture decorated the vast room he found himself in, their colors richly meshing with the colors that pulsed throughout the room.
In the center of the room was a luxurious deep velvet bed that covered the room and seemed to span infinitely. And atop the bed lay a being whose presence captivated him almost immediately. Oliver''s heart skipped a beat, taking in the being in her entirety.
From her head, a waterfall of hair cascaded, spilling across the velvet, like liquid midnight. Hidden within its strands were delicate, scaled tendrils that constantly intertwined themselves with her hair.
Her eyes were twin pools of rainbows, constantly flickering between colors with every passing moment. Her lips, a deep, bruised purple that made Oliver subconsciously focus on them.
Her clothes-
Suddenly Oliver snapped out of his stupor and released a growl of disgust. ¡°Get out of my head!¡±
The being stared at Oliver with surprised interest, the color of her eyes turning gold. The being produced a hum that sent shivers down Oliver¡¯s back, as her lips parted to reveal sharp predatory teeth. ¡°Oh?¡±
The being crossed her legs, parting her midnight-colored robes aside and leaning towards Oliver. ¡°I am not actively doing anything.¡±
How dare she, Oliver seethed as he glared at the being in front of him. It obviously did something to him; how else would it explain how he reacted? ¡°What do you want from me,¡± he demanded, while he knew obviously this being was powerful, he in fact did not give a damn. Nothing was to touch his mind.
¡°Me? Why would I want anything from you?¡± The being questioned tilting her head slightly backward whilst brushing back her hair. ¡°You, on the other hand, want something from me; you entered my dungeon after all.¡±
Oliver bit back his immediate response and controlled his emotions. He was acting unlike his normal controlled self, most definitely something due to the being, Lilith, in front of him. ¡°Why am I here? I already received the profession I was offered.¡±
¡°Hmm?¡± Lilith smiled, amusingly as though she read right through him. ¡°You have, but it seems as though you have gone above and beyond to complete the goals set for you as a new denizen of the multiverse. Thus, as the dungeon¡¯s creator, it falls upon me to reward you.¡±
Oliver looked at Lilith with a wary look, whatever she could offer was something that was dangerous. Every mention of a being called Lilith was that of a temptress, one that made others kneel before her and suffer. It would be best to just decline and leave. ¡°I want nothing, I have received satisfactory rewards already. Just send me back.¡±
¡°No, that will not do,¡± Lilith dismissed, a few of her hair tentacles moved from behind her hair and wrapped themselves around her body and face, alluringly so. ¡°I am not one to¡not reward someone for their actions,¡± Lilith replied, her long purple tongue glazing over her sharp teeth, making Oliver visibly grit his teeth and restrain his body.
¡°I shall reward you with¡¡± Lilith smiled, enjoying the reactions she gained from the mortal in front of her. He was trying his hardest to not react in the way his body commanded him to. Which was admirable to say the least, considering even the gods themselves would prostrate themselves beneath her for the attention she was giving to the mortal in front of her.
Albeit he was protected by the system from the aura she exuded. Nevertheless, her physical form should have made him grovel and become unresponsive. So, to see one, with a budding manipulative mind, react as such. It caught her attention, even more so when she first took notice of him on the third day before the integration of the system began.¡°¡A better way to command mana.¡±
Oliver¡¯s eyes widened fractionally at her answer, but he knew there had to be a catch to her reward. The way she teased him with her long response and her constant actions¡there had to be a catch. ¡°What¡¯s the catch?¡±
¡°Oh? Why would there be a catch?¡± Lilith smiled, her eyes turning a deep blue as she tilted her head slightly. ¡°I promise you a way to become close to mana itself, no strings attached.¡±
¡°How,¡± Oliver demanded as he stared at the being. If she did provide him a way to become closer to mana, the thing that made him feel alive, with no strings attached, then he¡¯d be stupid to throw away the chance.
Lilith leaned towards Oliver, her face mere centimeters away from his own, breaching the gap between them faster than light itself. ¡°Become my consort,¡± Lilith smiled, staring deeply into Oliver¡¯s eyes, her own turning a deep pink color. ¡°Shed your inferior human form and become that of a demon, a being intimately tied to mana itself, second to that of an elemental.¡±
Ch 29 - Giant Frostiron Tortoise
¡°For fuck¡¯s sake, where is that damn tortoise? I¡¯ve spent days running through the damn forest and up hills.¡± Archie huffed while staring into the campfire from atop a hill.
Poking the goat meat that was being cooked on the fire, Archie gained an idea. Taking out the Voodoo Doll of Harm filled with the keratin of the tortoise, Archie looked at it for a bit before tossing it into the campfire.
Suddenly, the fire within the campfire turned black and soared high into the sky. The voodoo doll released a shrill sound as it burned, but as quickly as it came, it vanished. The same happened with the black flames from the campfire.
Just as the roaring flames died out, a squeal resounded throughout the Hoarfrost Highlands, Archie quickly got up and looked at where the squeal started from.
Archie leaped from the hill and onto the trees below and dashed towards the source of the noise.
Archie looked at the tortoise and took it all in. It stood five meters tall on all fours, with a smooth, frosted, snow-colored shell. However, its legs were dark grey, contrasting the color of its shell.
A sheen of sweat covered its face, clearly exhausted from whatever the voodoo doll did to it.
Identifying the tortoise Archie was a bit shocked at what he saw.
[Giant Frostiron Tortoise Lv 73]
Its level was higher than what he thought, but he wasn¡¯t worried about it.
The tortoise looked visibly exhausted, worn down by whatever curse the voodoo doll had inflicted upon it. Who would have thought that the sensation of being burned alive could be so utterly draining?
Archie activated both Adrenaline Rush and Thorns. A dark red hue emanated around his body, while transparent green vines coiled around both of his arms, starting from his elbow and ending around his knuckles. Channeling mana through the vines, sharp thorns appeared all around the vines.
Archie then activated Savage Charge, appearing directly above the tortoise¡¯s head and slamming both his fists onto the top of its skull, making it fall to the ground.
However, landing on the snowy grass below, he did not let up. He activated Relentless Flurry and as per the name, released a flurry of blows to the right side of its face.
But the tortoise quickly gained its bearings and understood that it was being attacked. A large spike of ice appeared from mid-air and launched itself towards Archie.
Completely focused on dealing as much damage as possible to the tortoise¡¯s head, he didn''t notice the large spike of ice hurtling toward him until it slammed into him.
The ice spike launched Archie several feet to his left, sinking a few inches into his abdomen before being held in place by his muscles.
Gritting his teeth, Archie slammed both fists down onto the ice spike lodged in his body, shattering it into pieces, with a small shard still embedded in his stomach.
Archie activated Savage Charge once more, not letting the ice spike deter him from his goal of killing the tortoise.
Just as he was about to punch the tortoise, he activated Retaliation and Relentless Flurry causing a cracking sound to be heard as the sheer force and power of Archie¡¯s onslaught. Blood and fluid erupted from the tortoise as Archie landed a punch into its right eye.
The creature let out a piercing squeal, flailing its head back in distress. The sheer volume of the squeal forced Archie to cover his ears with both of his hands, his face contorting in pain as he endured the agonizing squeal at point-blank.
Slightly disoriented, Archie¡¯s vision was a bit hazy, but he could make out the tortoise¡¯s head sinking into its shell.
Shaking his head in an attempt to regain focus, Archie noticed a thick slab of ice forming, blocking the hole where the tortoise¡¯s head had vanished into.
Just as Archie was about to charge and punch the ice slab, he saw multiple ice spikes start to form all around him.
Archie¡¯s mind went a mile a minute trying to figure out what to do; he couldn¡¯t dodge them all, there were simply too many. Thus, leaving Archie alone with one course of action, face them head-on.
Archie channeled more mana through Adrenaline Rush, the dark red hue grew in size around him, and the adrenaline he felt coating his body started to flow faster around him. His eyes darted around as he tried to predict the angles from which the ice spikes would launch.
Two spikes were launched at him, one aimed at his chest and another at his right leg, causing him to dodge to his left. But as he did so, he noticed two ice spikes were launched, both aimed at his shoulders. The one aimed at his left shoulder was closer to him than the one aimed at his right. Archie quickly pivoted, punching one spike to the side, but he was unable to come out unscathed from the other.
He managed to angle his shoulder in a way where the spike sliced through his Plated chain-mail Sleeves and scraped his skin.
Everything became a blur to Archie, he kept dodging and punching the ice spikes aimed at him. All useless thoughts vanished as his brain only focused on telling him to either dodge or punch.
Eventually, the barrage of ice spikes came to an end, and the tortoise finally ran out of mana to use.
Archie¡¯s body and eyes kept darting around looking for the next spike of ice about to be launched towards him, but none came.
The barrage of ice spikes stopped, and Archie came out of it only sporting minor cuts and only one spike lodged into his left calf. His breaths came out in small bursts, his mind and body exhausted from dodging and punching.
Ripping out the spike in his left calf and throwing it to the ground, Archie took out an Effigy of Health before breaking it, feeling his wounds start to knit together. Archie then quickly took out an Effigy of Endurance and activated it before he placed it in his back pouch.
Archie then activated Savage Charge and started to release a flurry of strikes at the ice slab. With every punch he channeled more mana through the thorns of the vines as well, activating Relentless Flurry and Retaliation with every punch he threw. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
With each punch Archie delivered, Spiderweb cracks began to form across the ice slab, the loud cracking sounds echoing throughout the forest.
Finally, with a powerful shout, he shattered the ice, revealing the wide eyes of the tortoise within. Shoving his right hand through the shell, he yanked the tortoise''s head out.
Caught completely off guard by the relentless barrage of attacks and the destruction of its ice shield, the tortoise¡¯s muscles went limp.
Wrapping his left arm around its thick neck, holding it in place as he unleashed a flurry of punches with his right fist. Every time the tortoise tried to pull its head back, Archie kept it in place, continuing his relentless assault.
But after what felt like an eternity of punching, he was met with both the tortoise going limp and a ding going off in his mind.
Huffing, Archie let go of the turtle¡¯s neck and slowly slid against the tortoise¡¯s back, eyes closed, deactivating all of his active skills.
After minutes of doing nothing, Archie looked at the notifications that showed at the end of the fight.
*[Giant Frostiron Tortoise Lv 73] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 876 Tutorial Points given*
*Your Class has reached Lv 51 ¨C Points allocated, +4 Free Points*
***
*Your Class has reached Lv 55 ¨C Points allocated, +4 Free Points*
*Your Race has reached Lv 52 ¨C Points allocated, +3 Free Points*
*Your Race has reached Lv 53 ¨C Points allocated, +3 Free Points*
Quest: Solo Tutorial Boss
You have survived the Hoarfrost Highlands for 25 days now and you have dominated most of the races that exist within it. However, the ruler of the Hoarfrost Highlands has now awoken and found their domain molested. The ruler of the Hoarfrost Highlands will now be actively roaming their domain in search of you. Reward scales with your performance.
Requirements: Survive or Kill the Giant Frostiron Tortoise ?
Reward: Upgrade Medallion (Epic) & 100,000 Tutorial Points
¡°Holy shit¡I¡¯m exhausted,¡± Archie huffed after reading the messages.
Opening his status page, he smiled at his huge collection of tutorial points.
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human E-Grade Lv 53
Class: Nature-Attuned Pugilist Lv 55
Profession: Novice Forgesmith Lv 50
Health: 1931/2530
Mana: 462/860
Stamina: 985/1743
Stats:
Vitality: 241(253)
Strength: 246(282)
Endurance: 166(174)
Agility: 206
Intelligence: 210
Wisdom: 86
Willpower: 86(94)
Perception: 183
Free Points: 68
General Skills: Identify (Initiate), Nature''s Meditation (Epic)
Class Skills: Basic Martial Combat Mastery (Uncommon), Savage Charge (Uncommon), Adrenaline Rush (Rare), Pugilist¡¯s Grit (Uncommon), Retaliation (Uncommon), Relentless Flurry (Uncommon), Taunt (Uncommon), Thorns (Common)
Profession Skills: Forgesmith¡¯s Flame (Initiate), Basic Smithing Mastery (Initiate), Basic Rune Scribing (Initiate), Material Insight (Common)
Bloodline: Adrenaline Junkie (Unique) [+10% to Strength and +10% to Willpower]
Affinity: Greater Nature Affinity (Epic)
Blessing: Blessing of the Forgefather (Moderate) [+5% to Strength and +5% to Endurance]
Titles Collected: Bloodline Progenitor [+10 Vitality and +5% Vitality], Flawless E-Grade Evolution [+10 all Stats]
Tutorial Points: 111,982
How long till the tutorial ends? Archie wondered before opening the tutorial page.
Solo Tutorial
The 72nd cycle has begun; thus, a tutorial is needed to increase the survivability of the newly integrated myriad races. The Hoarfrost Highlands is filled with various creatures from across the universe, each providing Tutorial Points upon their death to their killer. After the Solo Tutorial is completed, all Solo Tutorial Participants will be teleported into random Group Tutorials. Tutorial Points will be used to gain rewards after the full tutorial is completed.
Completion Criteria: Survive for 30 days
Time remaining: 0 days & 05:20:08
¡°Great, now I gotta figure out what to do for the next five hours until I get sent to the group tutorial,¡± Archie complained.
¡°Hey, Bralmir? Got any idea what I should do?¡± Archie said, looking at the night sky above him.
¡°You should take parts of the turtle shell and place them in your spatial storage,¡± Bralmir answered as a familiar pressure rested atop his shoulders.
Furrowing his brows, ¡°How? My spatial ring is full, I can¡¯t even store a rock.¡± Archie questioned.
¡°I can tell, what I¡¯m referring to is using that upgrade medallion you got in your ring, it should give it a couple USUs more of storage.¡± Bralmir answered, ¡°USU stands for Universal Standard Unit, I know it sounds stupid because it should be MSU, but I did not make it.¡±
Taking out the upgrade medallion out of his spatial storage and placed it atop his ring, before funneling mana toward them both, causing his ring to shine a bit.
Taking a look at his new ring, he Identified it.
Spatial Ring (Epic):
A silver band ring made by a Spatial Mage. The spatial effect of the ring creates a 5x5x5 USU cube that can store any non-living being or item within. Effects: Soul-Bound, Self-Repair & Spatial Storage. Provides: +10 Wis & +5 Int. Status: Perfect. Requirement: Lv 23+ & Humanoid Race.
The stat bonuses stayed the same, however, the size of the ring more than doubled.
¡°Huh¡What do you know¡Are there any books or something where I can learn about general multiversal information? Cause I feel like there¡¯s going to be a lot more that I don¡¯t know.¡± Archie chuckled, ¡°And don¡¯t get me started when I start smithing things.¡±
¡°You can probably get general information from the Assistants at the Group Tutorials, however, I do recommend getting a couple of books about materials that you can use from the Tutorial Shop.¡± Bralmir answered but then quickly interjected, ¡°When you are at the Tutorial Shop don¡¯t purchase any crafting manuals, because if you only craft using those manuals as references it can negatively affect your evolutions. Focus on experimenting.¡±
¡°Okay, I get it; don¡¯t buy manuals explaining how to make things like armor or other tools, I need to figure out how to make that on my own. I understand¡it¡¯s like looking at the instructions for making models,¡± Archie responded.
¡°Alright, just call out my name if you''re confused about anything else.¡± Bralmir said, but added, ¡°Don¡¯t forget to get pieces of the shell, it will be of big help for your crafting skill.¡±
¡°Got it,¡± Archie answered, groaning as he got up from the ground and started to punch the shell of the now-dead tortoise.
After a couple of minutes, Archie stuffed what felt like a hundred pounds of solid Frostiron from the tortoise¡¯s shell into his spatial ring.
Looking at the tutorial page, he saw that he had a couple of hours left until he would enter a Group Tutorial. So, he decided to use Nature¡¯s Meditation to both recover and pass the time.
Bralmir stared at his forge room, now completely devoid of any trash, completely unrecognizable from the room that it was previously.
Bralmir approached the empty forge in the middle of the room and upon placing his right hand atop the metal forge, a roaring fire emerged from its heart.
For the first time in eras, the First Forge blazed to life, its radiant light a beacon felt by all within the multiverse, signaling the return of the Forgefather.
Bralmir looked at the now-lit forge with a somber look, with a smile slowly starting to spread.
However, Bralmir looked to his side to see a root come out from a plant situated in the corner of the room. When the root was three meters away from Bralmir, it released a warm aura washing over Bralmir¡¯s form.
¡°Thank you, Mother,¡± Bralmir said, with a soft smile.
¡°Are you feeling a bit better now, my son?¡± The root questioned, while it extended to caress Bralmir¡¯s cheek.
¡°Slowly¡ I don¡¯t think I can ever get over Thalindra¡¯s passing, however, I¡¯m not as depressed as I used to be.¡± Bralmir responded.
¡°That¡¯s great to hear, my little builder.¡± The root softly spoke, ¡°May I ask, what helped you?¡±
Bralmir chuckled a bit before saying, ¡°A friend.¡±
The root made a sound before saying, ¡°Do I know such a friend?¡±
Bralmir¡¯s smile covered his face before saying, "Probably not.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t keep me waiting then, tell me.¡± The root playfully slapped his shoulder
¡°He¡¯s an E-Grade human,¡± Bralmir answered
The root stilled before saying, ¡°A 72nd cycle human?...A mortal,¡± getting a nod from Bralmir.
¡°I¡¯d like to meet the boy who helped my son.¡± The root informed Bralmir, but the root suddenly stilled before saying, ¡°This plant is too weak for me to control, visit me so we can speak more face to face.¡±
Bralmir nodded as he started at the root that slowly retreated back into the corner of the room.
As he faced the forge once more, a thought flew through his mind. An E-Grade human will get the chance to meet with Yggdrasil, while other gods spend cycles without ever seeing a glimpse of her.
Ch 30 - Henry II
Weeks have passed since Gabriel¡¯s team had initially found Henry and his team, and Gabriel wasn¡¯t lying when he said a couple hundred people were gathered together.
However, now the 200-300 group of people eventually became a small town of around 1000 people, at least if the tutorial page were to be believed.
Group Tutorial
The 72nd cycle has begun; thus, a tutorial is needed to increase the survivability of the newly integrated myriad races. The Diacthrean Forest is filled with various creatures from across the universe, each providing Tutorial Points upon their death to their killer. Tutorial Points can be exchanged between individuals, as a form of currency. Tutorial Points will be used to gain rewards after the full tutorial is completed.
Completion Criteria: Survive for 60 days.
Number of Survivors: 987/1250
Time Remaining: 35 days & 00:09:32.
The town was divided into three distinct sections, with clusters of campfires burning at its center, casting a warm, flickering light across the dirt paths. One area was filled with rows of leather-patched tents, weathered but sturdy, acting as homes for the people who made up most of the town¡¯s population. Various noises carried throughout the town¡ªconversations, occasional laughter, the shuffling of feet, and other random noises.
Another section was more chaotic, crowded with makeshift stands where various vendors sold their services. Tailors sat hunched over, threading needles through the fabric, while leatherworkers shaped goods with quick, practiced hands. Scents of various cooked meat from food stalls lured most people within the town. Merchants used the attraction the chefs created to draw in potential customers.
The final section was reserved for trades that demanded focus and heavy labor, away from the chaotic crowds. Various smiths hammered metals into shape, their anvils ringing out sharp and clear, while carpenters sawed planks with a steady rhythm. Alchemists worked quietly atop sheets of leather, grinding herbs and tending to their small cauldrons.
Henry took in the sights of the town with a soft smile. Despite the system throwing them into every corner of this strange world and surrounding them with bloodthirsty creatures, the people here still found ways to laugh, smile, and carry on as if it were just another day.
Henry was pulled from his thoughts by his fianc¨¦e, passing him a wooden bowl filled with meat and greens.
¡°You¡¯ve been spacing out more and more often now,¡± Maria softly spoke, as she sat beside Henry on the log bench with a similar bowl of her own. ¡°Are you feeling alright?¡±
¡°Yeah¡I think I¡¯ve just gotten used to living like this,¡± Henry spoke in between bites, ¡°It just feels more calming. Ya know? Like, I don¡¯t have to worry about going to the company anymore, you don¡¯t have to teach 5th graders all day.¡±
¡°Yeah, but in return we have to worry about monsters eating us alive¡ Like just yesterday when I was out with a hunting group yesterday, a giant spider almost jumped on me.¡± Maria countered, disgust apparent on her face.
Henry started to laugh at Maria¡¯s expression, ¡°I guess I have James to thank for that.¡±
¡°Henry!¡± Maria slapped Henry¡¯s back, eyes wide and lips pursed, ¡°Is it too much to believe that I fended off the giant spider.¡±
Henry only started to laugh even harder, barely managing to keep both himself and his bowl from falling off the log.
Maria rolled her eyes and huffed in exasperation, her left land rubbing over her slightly larger belly. This action didn¡¯t go unnoticed by Henry as he started to bite the inside of his bottom lip. Maria¡¯s belly had started to balloon recently, faster than what was normal. She was supposed to be three months into her pregnancy, but she looked as though she was in her sixth.
All of a sudden, a message prompt appeared in front of everyone, causing all noise within the town to come to a stop.
Quest: Group Tutorial Mid-Boss
You have survived the Diacthrean Forest for 25 days and have bested most of its races. However, the king of the Diacthrean Forest has awoken and found their domain desecrated. The Vermillion Drake is now actively roaming its territory, seeking to eliminate you all. Your reward will be scaled based on your performance.
Requirements: Survive or defeat the Vermillion Drake
Reward: ?
Note: This quest cannot be declined.
Pandemonium spread like wildfire throughout the town, the previous mood of joy that covered the town vanished, replaced with panic and shouting.
A few minutes after the system message appeared, a booming voice echoed across the town; ¡°EVERYONE HEAD TO THE CAMPFIRES!¡±
After half an hour, everyone in the town gathered around the group of campfires, either seated or standing around staring at a large, grizzled man.
The man stood at a height of six foot five, broad-shouldered, beard unkempt, his eyes gray; all in all, a rugged-looking man. He wore a full suit of metal armor with a large greatsword adorned across his back.
¡°Listen, everyone! There is no need to panic, it¡¯s just one creature. We are a force of almost 1000 people! What do we have to worry about?¡± Shouted the man trying to elevate the mood of the town
A voice from within the crowd then shouted, ¡°Yeah, we get that we have a number advantage, Ezra. But remember what the Assistants said about system quests? They are supposed to be a challenge, especially when designated for a group.¡±
Ezra raised his hands slightly and nodded towards the voice, ¡°I hear you Adrian, but we can handle most of the creatures within the forest, the highest we¡¯ve seen are level 30s.¡±
A woman stepped forward, she wore a dark leather apron draped over her fitted leather armor, the apron marked with smudges of soot and singes. Her fiery red hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, emphasizing the fierce look her green eyes gave to Ezra.
¡°Aye, we get that but the majority of us here focus on our Professions, not Classes. You''re forgetting that most of us here haven''t fought the fookin¡¯ beasts outside the walls since the day we first arrived. We spent the first two weeks hanging around the Assistants¡¯ village, just waiting for the town¡¯s walls to go up.¡±
Ezra exhaled a bit before saying, ¡°I understand Liv, I didn¡¯t want to mention this now, but I have an announcement to make,¡± A large pause filled the air as Ezra tried to build anticipation. ¡°Jack, Kate, and I have gotten Epic rarity skills related to our Classes. So, that¡¯s what I mean when I say we shouldn¡¯t be worried.¡±
Cheers erupted from everyone congratulating the three of them. The previous chaotic mood disappeared into the wind.
Liv glanced at the people around her, a look of disgust twisting her features as she looked around. The carefree laughter and excitement only heightened her irritation. With a huff, she turned around and strode back toward her smithy, muttering under her breath about the stupidity of everyone.
Henry and Maria looked at each other, bothered by the sudden mood change of the group. Maria¡¯s left hand went down to hold her stomach, looking at Henry with shaky eyes, Henry pulled her in for a hug. Softly rubbing her back and whispering reassuring words in her ear.
Throughout this whole ordeal, a singular black crow sat atop a tree observing the debacle within the town.
It was a massacre, the Vermillion Drake killed more than half of the survivors in the tutorial before it was killed. The drake was too high of a level for anyone to even Identify, and by the end of it, they found out that it was level 63.
Everyone else who survived sported either claw marks or severe burn scars across their bodies. They were all heavily underprepared to fight the drake and they suffered the consequences of their decisions.
Even Henry was not left unaffected, he now sported large scars that started from his left arm and ended at the end of his torso. He gained them blocking a swipe from the drake, who was about to slice Maria into ribbons.
However, due to his insufficient strength, his shield was ripped to shreds and he was sent flying, crashing into a tree. Leaving Maria alone, in front of the Vermillion Drake.
Maria started to shuffle backwards in fear, as tufts of flame started to escape from its jaws. It inched towards her, releasing squeals with every step it took, seemingly gleeful at her reaction.
Unfortunately, Maria was not fast enough to dodge a torrent of flames that shot toward her, covering her body entirely in crimson flames, and making her fall to the ground screaming in pain. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Ezra activated Taunt on the drake, causing it to stagger before he charged toward it and thrust his greatsword into its side. Jake and Kate also used the distraction Maria gave, to channel their most powerful attacks.
Summoning every ounce of strength, Henry pushed himself toward the still-burning Maria, frantically patting out the stubborn flames clinging to her frame. He ignored the searing pain, his blistered, charred hands working desperately against the fire.
After what felt like hours, the flames had finally died out, but the damage was already done. Her robes had melted into her skin, leaving severe burns across the lower half of her body. The agony had overwhelmed her, and she had fallen unconscious.
The aftermath of the Vermillion Drake left the town in shambles; two main factions appeared from the ruins of the town.
One faction consisted of only Class-focused people led by Kate and her boyfriend Brian. Most members harbored resentment toward the Profession-focused people, blaming them for failing to assist in the battle against the drake.
The other faction consisted of the remaining Profession-focused people as well as a few of the remaining Class-focused people. Ezra succumbed to blood loss just minutes after the battle ended. The few surviving healers were drained of mana, and by the time they reached him, it was already too late.
Henry and Maria belonged to the latter faction.
Maria lay unresponsive in their hastily remade tent. Her breathing was shallow and her eyes flickered erratically beneath their closed lids, as though they were trapped. Every attempt to wake her proved useless, as though she were in some sort of a coma.
Watching over her was an exhausted Henry, his face pale and gaunt as he gazed at the still form of his fianc¨¦e. His heart felt as though it were gouged out. He kept repeating the same mantra in his head, She¡¯s alive, She¡¯s alive.
¡°Henry!¡± A voice shouted from across the camp, causing Henry to turn around looking away from the sleeping Maria and at a shouting Liv.
¡°...What¡¯s up Liv?¡± Henry replied with a tired look on his face, these past few days were sleepless nights overlooking Maria as she periodically gasped in pain.
Liv looked at Henry with a complicated expression before saying, ¡°...Listen, we barely have any food left and the rest of the Class-focused are still recovering. And before you ask, some of us Profession-focused folks have already started to hunt, but it¡¯s still too hard to do it alone. We need to have you with us to make sure we don¡¯t get ambushed by high level beasts.¡±
Henry had a pinched expression on his face and was about to say something, but before he could, Liv interjected, ¡°Look we¡¯ll keep an eye on Maria, we need you to take the alchemists with you to grab the herbs we need for the potions. We need her as much as you do, she is one of the few healers that survived the drake¡She¡¯ll wake, Aaron said she just needs to wake up on her own.¡±
Exhaling deeply, Henry steeled himself before responding, ¡°Okay...I¡¯ll do it.¡±
Liv smiled shouting, ¡°Be ready in 20 minutes then,¡± as she ran off to inform the group of Alchemists.
Henry once more looked over the prone form of Maria, his eyes lingering on her scarred and now lumped stomach. Henry tightly pursed his lips together and clenched his fists as he grabbed both his sword and shield. Fuck¡
Henry looked over the gaggle of alchemists who were raving about the random mushrooms and leaves they collected. Rolling his eyes at the sight, he never got over the sheer fanaticism Profession-focused people showed when it came to their craft. The act of 30-year-old men and women raving about mushrooms slightly brought him out of his dour mood, when previously they complained about their bones being ¡®too old¡¯.
The memory of the first time he questioned one still stuck with him to this day. He questioned a Chef who had planned to add iron shavings into a stew¡ªiron shavings!
Still to this day, his ears could never hear quite the same, after the earful he gained.
He was brought out of his thoughts when growling came from the bushes around them. The alchemists stopped their mutterings and grabbed the spears, pointing them at the beasts that came out of the bushes.
[Ember Hound Lv 23]
[Ember Hound Lv 24]
[Ember Hound Lv 22]
[Ember Hound Lv 23]
Henry looked at the hounds with annoyance, ¡®Not these guys again.¡¯ Henry complained.
The most an Ember Hound could do was set its claws alight; beyond that, they posed little threat to anyone who knew how to dodge their swipes and lunges. The only annoying thing about them is their reproduction capabilities, this had to be the fourth pack he¡¯d seen this week.
Looking at the alchemists, he said to them, ¡°Just poke them with your spears, I¡¯ll be here making sure they don¡¯t kill you.¡±
However, after he uttered those words, a large blast of fire emerged from the forest. Henry quickly raised his shield, blocking the fiery explosion from hitting the alchemist it was aimed at.
His shield still raised, ¡°RUN! Go back to the camp!¡± he shouted to the alchemists who froze in terror, causing them to rush back to the camp.
Identifying the creature, he kissed his teeth
[Ember Hound Lv 49]
The hound was thirteen levels above him and surrounded by the other hounds, while he was on his lonesome. He cursed his exhaustion. He could have handled the level 49 hound and maybe two other hounds if he was fully rested, but now¡He wasn¡¯t quite confident.
Reacting quickly, Henry activated Barricade Wall and Basic Elemental Weapon, covering his large shield in a dark blue color and setting his broadsword aflame. While using fire against fire beasts sounded very dumb to Henry, he needed all the damage he could get to kill them.
Henry immediately blocked lunges from three of the lower-leveled hounds, before backstepping and bashing his shield onto their heads and spearing his sword into one of their necks. Shallow and thin fiery scrapes, sliced into his heavily damaged steel heavy-shield. He¡¯d previously forgotten to repair it; the stress having gotten to him while looking after his fianc¨¦e.
He quickly raised his heavy-shield toward the level 49 hound, blocking another large blast of fire. The intensity of the heat made his Barricade Wall flicker before he reinforced it with more of his mana, simultaneously repairing it from its previous damage.
Henry quickly backstepped to evade a lunge from his side, slicing a lower-leveled hound in half with a swift jerk of his blade. But before he could regain his previous guard, the two remaining lower-leveled hounds pounced onto his unguarded left side.
Their claws raked painfully across his legs and lower torso, easily searing through his level 20 steel-plated armor with their ignited claws. He swiped at them in a desperate attempt to retaliate, but his strike missed completely.
Gritting his teeth, Henry quickly blocked a lunge from the higher-level hound, producing a loud thud, and buckling his arm slightly before flooding them with stamina. His Barricade Wall, still active, blocked the sudden charge of the higher-leveled hound completely.
Henry, quickly speared his sword its massive frame, before yanking his blade out. But as he yanked his sword free, one of the other hounds lunged at him, its weight slamming into his unbalanced form and sending him tumbling to the ground. His shield slipped from his grasp, clattering uselessly to the side.
Henry quickly shook off the hound, rolling instinctively where he lay to dodge a blast of fire that scorched the ground beside him. Before he could catch his breath, the other hound latched onto his left leg with ignited fangs. Gritting his teeth against the pain, Henry drove his right foot into the creature with all his strength, bashing it away. The hound let go, but not before tearing a chunk of flesh from his calf, leaving his leg in pain but useable. The flame encompassed fangs, cauterizing the wound.
Henry rolled to the side once more, narrowly dodging the other hound. He kicked off the ground, jamming his sword into its upper back, and felt it get caught on a thick piece of bone. Quickly thinking, he placed his weight onto his sword and pushed it down, hacking through its bone and tearing through its flesh. Exhaustion tearing through his being.
Henry quickly flipped onto his back just in time to block the higher-level hound''s lunge with his left arm. Its fangs sank deep into his flesh, tearing through muscle and bitting on bone, while its flame-like claws shredded into his armor and raked across his torso, tearing into his flesh. Pain erupted like fire in his mind, overwhelming his senses and bringing tears to his eyes.
Out of the corner of his vision, he saw a crow darker than night itself atop a tree, observing him silently. He saw himself within its eyes. He felt¡He felt a connection with it?
Henry felt something snap within him as his eyes flooded themselves with blood and filled him with some type of primal energy. His vision blurred as everything around him looked bleached in blood.
Then, cutting through the haze, a voice echoed within him¡ªgrating and jagged, like the sound of torn sheet metal grinding against itself.
Do you wish for the power?
Taken aback by the sudden energy flowing into his body, Henry¡¯s left arm buckled slightly, bringing the high-level hound closer to his face.
Henry¡¯s left arm struggled as he pushed it back, away from his face. His right arm shakily raised his sword, propping the hilt onto the ground.
To protect your family?
Yes, Henry thought, as he flooded his right arm with the energy coursing through him, encompassing it with a blood-red aura, and stabbed his entire sword into the hound¡¯s large torso, its hilt almost disappearing into the hound¡¯s torso.
To protect your lover?
¡°...Yes,¡± Henry whispered as he kicked the large hound off of him with a surge of that primal energy that flowed within him. Rolling off his back, he kicked off the ground, pouncing onto the large hound¡¯s back.
Grabbing the top of its head with one hand, he pulled it back, giving his other hand purchase around its neck.
To protect your child?
Goosebumps flared across Henry¡¯s back as he mumbled, ¡°Yes.¡±
Another surge of the primal energy flowed into his arms as started to strangle the hound, ignoring the searing of his exposed flesh from its aflamed body.
You have been invited to the Trials of Ragnar
Do you wish to accept?
"YES!" Henry shouted, his voice raw with desperation and anger.
Now with both hands, he gripped the hound''s neck, his fingers digging into its flesh as he squeezed with unrelenting force. He ignored the pain flooding his body as he felt the flames of the hound superheat his armor, melting onto his flesh.
The hound thrashed wildly within his grasp; throwing itself onto the ground and rolling, but Henry held firm. Rage filled his mind, refusing to let the hound get free.
As rage fully encompassed his mind, Henry released a guttural roar, silencing all within the forest. The roar stunned the hound momentarily as well as the other hound that tried to approach Henry in ambush.
That moment was all Henry needed as the primal energy surged a final time into his arms, and snapping its neck.
A resounding crack echoed through the forest as the hound within his grasp stilled before going limp. Henry''s eyes rolled to the back of his head, but before the last hound could capitalize on his vulnerable form, Henry vanished, disappearing from the Diacthrean Forest entirely.
Leaving the remaining Ember Hound alone surrounded by the corpses of its packmates.
End of Act I
Ch 31 - Emernigan Isle
Act II
A system ding brought Archie out of his Nature¡¯s Meditation, causing him to open his eyes to see a system prompt.
Solo Tutorial
The 72nd cycle has begun; thus, a tutorial is needed to increase the survivability of the newly integrated myriad races. The Hoarfrost Highlands is filled with various creatures from across the universe, each providing Tutorial Points upon their death to their killer. After the Solo Tutorial is completed, all Solo Tutorial Participants will be teleported into random Group Tutorials. Tutorial Points will be used to gain rewards after the full tutorial is completed.
Completion Criteria: Survive for 30 days.
Time remaining: 0 days & 00:00:01
As the last second passed, the Hoarfrost Highlands disappeared and in its place appeared something that he hadn¡¯t seen in a month, civilization.
Archie looked around and saw buildings made from cobblestone and wood, roofs shingled with dark tiles and green moss. Many of the buildings had signs written in a text, unknown to Archie, however, the symbols beside them gave him a general understanding. The mug filled with liquid was probably a tavern, the staff was probably a magic or healer thing, the sword and shield were probably a warrior and vanguard thing, and many other more.
But one thing stood out the most, the air tasted saltier? What used to be sharp and light, now had become humid and heavy.
Taking a step forward, the crunching sound of snow did not come, rather the sound of clacking was produced. Looking down he saw an honest-to-good cobblestone road, the first road he had seen in a while.
The opening of a door from the building in front of him took his attention from the road. Archie quickly put up a boxer¡¯s stance while facing the door, ready for a fight. Looking at the now open doorway, Archie was greeted by a being he had never seen before.
The being standing at the doorway had light-pink skin and stood at a height of two and a half meters. Its bald head accentuated its slightly elongated skull shape, its eyes were large and wide-set; both sclera and iris were inky black. It had a small, flat nose and thin lips.
Its broad shoulders and defined limbs were accentuated by its simple blue tunic and navy blue pants. Across its back was a large bronze halberd that looked to be around five and a half feet in length.
Is that an alien? Archie thought to himself before using Identify.
[Pincterian Lv ???]
Archie¡¯s eyes went wide, Triple digits.
¡°Hello there!¡± The Pincterian spoke with a smile while waving at Archie.
Archie, stunned by the warm greeting, got out of his fighting stance and responded back, ¡°¡Hello?¡±
¡°How are you? You look a bit confused with everything, I assume you came from the Solo Tutorial, considering it¡¯s been a month since the tutorial had begun.¡± The Pincterian asked while going down its porch and walking towards Archie.
¡°Yeah, I was meditating before I got sent here. Where am I?¡± Archie questioned while giving the Pincterian his full attention, warm greeting or not, it felt strong, far stronger than himself.
¡°Open your Group Tutorial page, it took the place of your Solo Tutorial page.¡± The Pincterian answered, one hand on its hip and the other to his side.
Opening the Tutorial page, Archie was greeted with a whole new message.
Group Tutorial
The 72nd cycle has begun; thus, a tutorial is needed to increase the survivability of the newly integrated myriad races. The Emernigan Isle is filled with various creatures from across the universe, each providing Tutorial Points upon their death to their killer. Tutorial Points can be exchanged between individuals, as a form of currency. Tutorial Points will be used to gain rewards after the full tutorial is completed.
Completion Criteria: Survive for 60 days.
Number of Survivors: 687/1250
Time Remaining: 29 days & 23:59:30.
¡°Almost half the people in this tutorial are dead?¡± Archie shouted, confused as to how they could have died.
The Pincterian pressed its lips together and turned his head downwards slightly, answering Archie¡¯s question.
¡°How? Sure, it was difficult at the start, but with a group, it should have been much easier.¡± Archie was still confused at how almost half the people in the Group Tutorial died. 20% might have made sense, but 50%...
¡°I cannot say for sure, but I assume overconfidence and being unprepared; that¡¯s the killer for almost everyone, no matter the race or grade.¡± The Pincterian answered, with a sigh.
A few seconds of silence went by before Archie decided to break the ice, ¡°Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I¡¯m Archie Gracefield, but you can call me Archie.¡± While putting out his right hand.
The Pincterian chuckled before shaking Archie¡¯s right with his own, ¡°My name is Xelgar T¡¯zok, but you may call me Xelgar.¡±
¡°You are quite strong for a fresh E-Grade,¡± Xelgar complemented while looking over Archie.
¡°Thanks! You¡¯re strong yourself, I can¡¯t tell what grade you are, but you feel strong.¡± Archie complemented back with a smile.
¡°Thank you.¡± Xelgar said before saying, ¡°Let me give you an explanation for the village¡¯s layout.¡±
Xelgar pointed at the various buildings towards his left, ¡°Those buildings to my left are for Professions. In each building resides a denizen of the multiverse who is willing to offer tips and assistance to gain their respective Professions. The images on the signs symbolize their craft; A potion bottle for alchemy, a hammer for smithing, a plate for cooking, etc¡¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Archie¡¯s eyes focused on the building to the far left of the village, with a hammer symbol on the sign and smoke coming out of its chimney.
Xelgar then pointed at the various buildings on his right. ¡°Those buildings over there are for Classes. Like the ones on the left-hand side, each building can provide assistance for each of the basic starter classes.¡±
¡°Can I visit them even though I¡¯ve evolved?¡± Archie asked, a bit worried that he wouldn¡¯t be able to question them. He really wanted to learn how to control mana better as well as learn how to fight better. Sure, his stats were high, and he could kill strong enemies with brute strength, but finesse is important, at least that¡¯s what every professional fighter said on TV.
¡°Yes, of course. Tutorials are made for the newly initiated races, so we Assistants are here to provide help.¡± Xelgar smiled, ¡°Within reason of course.¡±
Nodding, Archie then asked something that seemed off, ¡°Where is everyone else? Humans, I mean.¡±
¡°They¡¯ve created their own villages, two I think. Both in opposite directions of this village.¡± Xelgar answered while pointing in their respective directions.
Archie gained a confused look, ¡°Why? Would it not be safer to stay by you guys, being higher level and all?¡±
¡°As per mandated by the system, you will be kicked out by nightfall if you attempt to remain within the village,¡± Xelgar answered.
¡°I assume differing opinions between the two groups?¡± Archie asked fishing for information for Xelgar.
¡°I wouldn¡¯t know, I never asked, nor do I intend to. The squabbles of F-Grades are inconsequential to us Assistants,¡± Xelgar responded with a disinterested expression.
¡°Did any of them evolve yet?¡± Archie inquired, still trying to pry for some crumbs of information from Xelgar.
¡°I would not know, the majority of the humans have stopped showing up, after the first few weeks. The majority that still visit train their Professions by learning more theoretical knowledge. Which is good for their records.¡± Xelgar proudly smiled, evident he approved of their diligence in using the resources the system provided.
¡°Is that why you¡¯re here as well, records?¡± Archie questioned.
¡°Of course! Records are very important. Everything you do gains you records; from day-to-day activities, leveling your Class and Profession, relationships, etc¡ We Assistants are the same as you, we entered to play the role of Assistants to provide well, assistance to newly initiated races and get rewarded with records.¡± Xelgar exclaimed.
¡°Speaking of which, I¡¯ve taken much of your time, and you have less than a month to experience the Group Tutorial.¡± Xelgar continued, offering a handshake.
Shaking Xelgar¡¯s hand, Archie smiled, ¡°Thanks for your help, it was nice meeting you!¡±
¡°It was a pleasure,¡± Xelgar responded before heading back into his home.
He was a pretty nice guy, Archie thought before heading towards a building that had black smoke being released from its chimney as well as a hammer symbol on its sign.
Just as Archie reached for the door handle, shouting erupted from inside the building.
¡°If you¡¯re gonna act like that, then don¡¯t bother coming back!¡± a woman¡¯s voice snapped, sharp with anger.
¡°I ain¡¯t ever coming back to this shitty smithy! No wonder everyone who received the Profession ran off the first chance they got!¡± another voice retorted, growing louder as its owner stormed toward the door.
The door slammed open revealing a human with short black hair and fair skin, the man not even glancing at Archie as he stormed out of the smithy.
Archie peered into the smithy through the open door and saw a race he had only ever seen in fantasy novels and video games, an elf. Identifying her only confirmed his suspicions.
[Elf Lv ???]
The fair-skinned elf had silvery-blonde hair swept into a messy bun accentuating her long-tipped ears. She wore a white tunic paired with black pants, layered beneath a blacksmith¡¯s apron, dark leather gloves, and similar material for her boots. Standing at five foot eleven, she gripped a hammer in between her hands and sat atop a wooden chair with her feet propped up atop an anvil.
She glanced at Archie, with annoyance clearly visible on her face, but then it quickly changed into confusion.
¡°You there! Who are you?¡± asked the elf with a commanding voice.
¡°Uh, hello. I¡¯m Archie,¡± Archie introduced himself, confused as to her sudden aggression towards him.
The elf got up from where she sat and approached Archie, her brows furrowed. Upon getting closer to Archie, she jerked her head back with visible confusion. ¡°You have the blessing of the Forgefather!¡±
¡°You know Bralmir?¡± Archie asked with a smile, slightly shocked as to how she knew within moments of meeting him.
¡°You dare mention his name? Are you insane? He is a god!¡± The elf exclaimed clearly, taken aback, and looked around in worry, as though danger might come.
¡°Is there something wrong? He¡¯s a friend.¡± Archie asked confused as to why the elf started to act so weirdly the moment he spoke his friend¡¯s name.
¡°That is blasphemy! He is a god, and you are a mortal, to speak of his name with such disregard is an affront to all smiths.¡± The elf spoke with such vitriol in her tone, her grip on her hammer getting tighter.
¡°Woah, Woah. Calm down. Bralmir and I are friends, he sort of became my patron during the Solo Tutorial.¡± Archie said, trying to de-escalate the whole situation. ¡°Listen, why don¡¯t I go ask him to prove it.¡±
¡°What? Are you insane? Why would a god listen to you, an E-Grade?¡± The elf spat at Archie, anger fully evident on her face.
¡°Uh, Bralmir, some help please,¡± Archie said, slowly backing away.
Not a moment later a familiar pressure rested atop Archie¡¯s shoulders, the presence of Bralmir lighting up all the forges within the smithy.
¡°What do you need?¡± Bralmir asked confused as to why Archie called him, just mere minutes into his entrance into the Group Tutorial.
The elf¡¯s face blanched as she felt the presence of Bralmir throughout her forge, falling onto her knees and slamming her head onto the floor. ¡°Forgefather! I apologize for what I¡¯ve said. I meant nothing by it.¡±
Archie looked at the shivering kowtowing elf in confusion, ¡°Hey, get up. What are you doing.¡±
But Archie¡¯s response seemingly went over her mind as she refused to move from her position.
¡°What she is doing is normal for all who are not gods. The sheer pressure we, gods, release is simply too much for a mortal to withstand. Even if we mask it, once mortals realize that they stand before a god, the masking becomes useless.¡± Bralmir explained
¡°But I barely feel anything from you,¡± Archie was confused as to why he wasn¡¯t feeling the same pressure.
That is simply due to two things; one, you have my blessing, and the other thing I told you not to speak of. Bralmir whispered into his mind, ensuring that the elf wouldn¡¯t hear what he was hinting at. Archie was slightly confused as to what Bralmir meant by his bloodline helping him withstand his pressure. His bloodline was about adrenaline, not being resistant to the presence of gods.
Seeing his presence was not needed anymore, Bralmir left, releasing the pressure he placed within the smithy as well as atop Archie¡¯s shoulder. Bralmir¡¯s presence vanishing also caused the flames within the forges to extinguish.
Archie looked at the still shivering and kowtowing elf, getting on one knee and shaking her shoulder, ¡°You can get up now, he¡¯s gone.¡±
The elf looked up at him with a shaky expression, tears flowing down her face and her body shivering in fear. ¡°I-I¡¯m so s-sorry. I-I did not mean anything by what I said.¡±
Archie raised his hands slightly, trying to calm the elf down, ¡°It''s fine, no harm no foul. Please just calm down.¡±
The elf slowly and shakily got up from where she kneeled, tears still flowing down her face.
¡°Listen, we got off the wrong foot. I¡¯m Archie, what¡¯s your name?¡± Archie asked, trying to distract her from her current attitude.
¡°I-I am Syllia Glynvyre.¡± Syllia stammered, looking around in worry, tears welling in her eyes.
¡°Nice to meet you, Syllia. Why don¡¯t you go and freshen up, so we can have a normal conversation? You know to start anew,¡± Archie offered.
Shakily nodding, Syllia turned around and slowly made her way towards a door and disappeared within.
Archie blew out a breath he did not know he held, ¡°Got it, don¡¯t mention Bralmir in a casual sense at all around people who don¡¯t know about me and him.¡±
Looking around at the now-unlit smithies, Archie slowly walked up to one. ¡°This is going to be awkward as hell now.¡±
Ch 32 - Syllia
Archie saw Syllia leave her washroom, her previous tear-stricken face gone and back to how she looked before Bralmir¡¯s presence filled the smithy.
¡°So, what can I do for you? I¡¯m not sure my smithy or my skills can be of any use to someone blessed by the Forgefather.¡± Syllia¡¯s voice was meek, a stark contrast to her earlier demeanor. Her eyes were firmly fixed on the floor.
¡°Can you, uh, go back to how you were before? I kinda get how Bralmir might be a big deal to you, but I¡¯d prefer it if you could go back to how you acted before.¡± Syllia flinched as Archie casually mentioned the Forgefather¡¯s name heedlessly.
¡°H-How can you speak of the Forgefather¡¯s name casually? You have been blessed by the Forgefather, a being of great power and the one who forged the Path of Smithing, but you do not show reverence.¡± Syllia meekly questioned, eyes still trained onto the floor.
Archie grabbed the back of his neck and said, ¡°Listen, I get that Bralmir is a big deal in the multiverse, but he¡¯s just a friend in my eyes. Just a month ago I found out people worshiped a spaghetti god, so nothing can really phase me. Please just try to go back to how you were before, think of me just as another student.¡±
Syllia¡¯s eyes left the ground, and she looked at Archie¡¯s masked face, her expression still uncomfortable. ¡°I shall try my best. But I don¡¯t believe I have the skills to teach the one blessed by the Forgefather.¡±
¡°You do, I just got this Class a few days ago, and I¡¯ve never forged anything in my life. I got this evolution because it was better than my other evolutions from being a Shaman.¡± Archie said, trying to remove any potential confusion about his ¡®skills¡¯ in smithing.
Syllia opened her mouth but then closed it before nodding. She had given up asking for any more of an explanation, the answers Archie gave would only leave her even more confused.
¡°How about you give me some tips about how to forge? I would love to learn from you.¡± Archie asked, trying to prevent another awkward moment from happening, walking towards the smithy station to his right.
Syllia walked behind him and quietly explained each part of the smithy, beginning with the anvils. ¡°There are two main anvils within a smithy. The larger one is typically used for heavy work, shaping large plates and hammering weapons. The smaller one is typically used for more finer tasks, forging delicate pieces or resetting rivets.¡± Both anvils looked normal to him, and Identifying them revealed nothing different.
Heavy-Duty Anvil (Common):
This anvil was crafted from a chunk of iron by a D-Grade smith and is ideal for heavy-duty metalwork. Its broad surface is ideal for shaping larger metal pieces. Given to novice smiths, durable enough to handle any misuse of strength. Effects: Soul-Bound & Enhanced Durability. Requirements: Lv 25+ & Humanoid Race.
Precision Anvil (Common):
This anvil was crafted from a chunk of iron by a D-Grade smith and is ideal for precise metalwork. Its thin surface is ideal for intricate and detailed adjustments. Given to novice smiths, durable enough to handle any misuse of strength. Effects: Soul-Bound & Enhanced Durability. Requirements: Lv 25+ & Humanoid Race.
Syllia moved on to the next part of the smithy, the tools. ¡°The hammers and tongs will be your main tools as a smith. Similar to the anvils, we have two different hammers, one for heavy duty work and the other for delicate work. The tongs that you will use are of similar disposition, one for handling large pieces and the other for delicate ones.¡±
Heavy-Duty Hammer (Common):
This robust hammer is forged from steel and built to endure. Its broad face is ideal for shaping large metal bars or thick steel sheets. Given to novice smiths, durable enough to handle any misuse of strength. Effects: Soul-Bound & Enhanced Durability. Requirements: Lv 25+ & Humanoid Race.
Precision Hammer (Common):
This thin two-sided hammer is forged from steel and built for delicate work. A flat face for precise strikes, and a sharp slanted peen, for adding texture or shaping intricate details. Given to novice smiths, durable enough to handle any misuse of strength. Effects: Soul-Bound & Enhanced Durability. Requirements: Lv 25+ & Humanoid Race.
Heavy-Duty Tongs (Common):
These tongs are forged from steel and are meant to take a sustained heat from the forge. The jaws are wide enough to hold metal and have serrated edges on the inside to keep a grip during hard work. Given to novice smiths, durable enough to handle any misuse when handling metal. Effects: Soul-Bound & Enhanced Heat Resistance. Requirements Lv 25+ & Humanoid Race.
Precision Tongs (Common):
These tongs are forged from steel and are meant to take sustained heat from the forge. The jaws are thin and slightly curved, allowing them to apply a degree of control for smaller pieces with precision. Given to novice smiths, durable enough to handle any misuse when handling metal. Effects: Soul-Bound & Enhanced Heat Resistance. Requirements Lv 25+ & Humanoid Race.
Looking at Archie¡¯s gauntlets, ¡°Your gauntlets should be fine for you to use for forging, but I recommend you to find or buy better ones after you get used to forging.¡± Syllia¡¯s voice returned to normal, her previously meek voice having vanished during her explanation.
Pointing at the forge, Syllia explained its use, ¡°The forge is the heart of smithy. We place metal inside and heat it until it¡¯s soft enough to shape. As a smith, you use coal or charcoal for the fuel.¡±
Forge (Common):
A forge crafted from iron and brick. Sufficiently large enough to hold a steady flame, with air vents to funnel out the smoke. Though simple, it provides relatively constant heat for forging tools and weapons. Effects: Soul-Bound & Resistance to Environmental Wear. Requirements: Lv 25+ & Humanoid Race.
¡°Would it be possible to use Forgesmith¡¯s Flame instead of charcoal? Or would that still require wood as a starter?¡± Archie asked, remembering the new skill he gained when he changed his profession.
Syllia nodded. ¡°If you have the Forgesmith¡¯s Flame, that should be all you need to start a forge; there is no need for wood or coal.¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.
¡°Okay, nice. What about rune scribing?¡± Archie asked
¡°The table on the left will be where you do your rune scribing. Typically done with a rune scriber, but depending on your Race and Profession, runes can be etched in a multitude of ways.¡± Syllia explained while pointing at a thin metal pen.
Runic Scriber (Common):
A metallic pen forged by Syllia Glynvyre, a D-Grade Expert Runesmith. A reliable tool, built for precision when scribing runes atop metal. It is currently empty. Effects: Soul-Bound & Runic Etching. Requirements: Lv 50+ & Humanoid Race.
¡°When using the scriber, you must fill it with your mana, or another equivalent medium. Then you etch a rune and/or a runic script of your choice atop the metal.¡± Syllia explained.
¡°Where can I learn runic scripts? Are there any books?¡± Archie questioned.
"There is a manual covering the basics given to all smiths, but it contains just as much as you''ve learned from your Profession''s evolution... And advanced runic scripts aren¡¯t freely shared," Syllia replied, her voice softening toward the end. "All smiths guard them jealously¡ªthere have been many cases of spies and even fellow smiths stealing their work for themselves. Because of this, most smiths require their students to sign system-mandated contracts or even geasa, enforcing silence and forbidding them from using the runes against their masters. Most geasa are malicious, even more so than contracts."
¡°Probably for the best. I was talking with... the Forgefather about crafting manuals,¡± Archie said, adding his thoughts to the conversation. ¡°He told me not to rely on them since they could hinder my Journey if used often. I¡¯m guessing the same applies to rune scripts learned from manuals?¡±
Syllia flinched when Archie mentioned the Forgefather, but nodded, nonetheless. ¡°That is correct. To break things down, runes function as magical pathways ¨C when formed together they form a script providing certain effects.¡± Syllia noticed the confused look on Archie¡¯s face and said, ¡°From what I was told by someone from this Group Tutorial it is similar to the basics of circuits.¡±
¡°Ah,¡± Archie muttered. ¡°...Tell me if I¡¯m wrong but are rune scripts made up of multiple circuits combined harmoniously? Circuits consist of sources and loads¡ªresistors, transistors, diodes, capacitors, and so on¡ªand together, if I¡¯m correct, they make up a rune.¡± Syllia took in what Archie said and nodded, ¡°Yes¡the other human said something similar and was successful when he created his first runic tool.¡±
¡°Nice,¡± Archie smiled, grasping what Syllia had explained about runes. ¡°Thank god I took that electronics course.¡±
¡°Back to why they¡¯re not recommended: reading manuals is similar to looking at an answer sheet. You¡¯re being hand-fed answers, and while you can gain levels, eventually you¡¯ll hit a wall and reach the end of your Path prematurely,¡± Syllia continued, emphasizing the importance of not relying on manuals.
¡°Using that logic, if I analyze another person¡¯s runic script and understand how everything works, wouldn¡¯t that be fine?¡± Archie questioned.
¡°Yes, so long as you fully comprehend the runic script, then it should be fine,¡± Syllia confirmed, pleased that Archie grasped the barebone basic concept of runes.
Syllia grabbed a bar of metal and looked at Archie, ¡°Would you like to see how a smith forges?¡±
¡°Go ahead. The system just gave me generic info about how to handle a forge, but nothing more than the basics.¡± Archie answered, stepping a bit to the side to observe how Syllia would handle a forge.
Syllia snapped her fingers, setting the forge in front of her alight. She placed the metal bar between the heavy-duty tongs and inserted it into the forge, allowing it to heat up until it became malleable.
After a few minutes, Syllia pulled out the red-hot metal bar and placed it atop the heavy-duty anvil. Grabbing the heavy-duty hammer, she began to strike the now malleable metal. Each blow of the hammer produced a clear, loud clang that reverberated throughout the building.
Five minutes later, the metal bar transformed into a red, dull broadsword blade, not unlike the dull blade Archie held in his storage ring.
Syllia then placed the hot blade into a long tub of oil that was next to the etching table, letting it quench until it reached room temperature. Holding the dull blade upright, ¡°The next step is to etch a rune across the blade, until you master etching a singular rune, don¡¯t etch a runic script unless you are sure of it not exploding in your face.¡±
Syllia then walked toward the etching table and picked up the rune scriber. The gray metal runic scribe began to glow from the tip of the pen, the light traveling upward until it filled the entire length, as if it were filled with blue water. Is that liquid mana? Archie wondered, not wanting to distract Syllia from her etching.
Archie observed as Syllia etched a rune onto the flat of the blade; the rune looked like a sharp, diamond-shaped symbol with angular lines that formed a narrow, intricate structure. As she completed the etching, the rune glowed a vibrant electric blue, before dimming out.
That rune looks familiar¡ Archie thought, trying to remember where he had seen it before.
Snapping his fingers, he suddenly recalled where he had seen it before. That rune contains the base of air. The knowledge of basic elemental bases had been forcibly crammed into his brain when he acquired the Basic Rune Scribing skill, and although he hadn''t recalled them before, this moment triggered a flood of memories.
Archie continued examining the rune, noting the circles at the ends of certain lines¡ªsome hollow, others filled, and even a few full-stops in the middle of a path. He realized that the pathways resembled copper tracings on a motherboard, each line converging around the air base. This is going to need a lot of experimentation for me to even get started, Archie smiled.
¡°Now, all that¡¯s left is to sharpen the blade with a whetstone, be careful you don¡¯t damage the rune,¡± Syllia said.
Syllia produced a whetstone with a flick of her wrist and started to sharpen the broad sword. After Syllia sharpened the blade, Archie Identified it.
Iron Blade (Uncommon):
An iron blade forged by Syllia Glynvyre, a D-Grade Expert Runesmith. Etched upon the side of the blade lies a Lesser Sharpness rune scribed by Syllia Glynvyre. Effect: Lesser Sharpness. Status: Perfect.
¡°Now the blade is complete. You can add a cross guard if you want and wrap some leather to form a grip and for the system to identify it as a broadsword.¡± Syllia said as she looked at the new blade, a memory played in her mind.
¡°When I first started to sell my wares, there was a guy who once yelled at me saying how my runes did not work. I was so confused at first, but as he was yelling at me, I realized he did not know how to activate a rune. Once I asked him if he channeled mana through the rune, he stopped yelling and ran out my smithy completely red.¡± Syllia chuckled.
Archie was chuckling at the story Syllia said, but a moment of realization occurred. He was the same as that guy who yelled at Syllia, he didn¡¯t know that was how you activated a rune. Every time the Less Ice Reinforcement his gauntlets provided worked was when he covered them with both his mana and stamina.
Syllia noticed the sudden halt in Archie¡¯s laughter and realized he hadn¡¯t even recognized that was the way to activate runes. She covered her face with her hands and began to chuckle softly, her body began to shake.
¡°Yeah, Yeah. I know I¡¯m dumb.¡± Archie sighed, causing Syllia to laugh even louder. At least she¡¯s not terrified anymore.
After a few minutes of uncontrollable laughter, Syllia wiped the tears from her eyes and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I haven¡¯t laughed like this in a long time, and it all just came out.¡±
¡°At the expense of my pride, I¡¯m glad I made you smile.¡± Archie smiled.
¡°As a thank you, your goal is to make a sword similar to mine, rune and all.¡± Syllia smiled, ¡°If you do well enough, I¡¯ll give you a reward.¡±
¡°Where do I begin?¡± Archie clapped his hands, eager to start forging.
¡°I have a set of tools, anvils, and a forge in the back for you to bind,¡± Syllia said, as she headed towards a door in the back of the building. ¡°Follow me.¡±
Ch 33 - Forgesmithing Lessons
After binding the tools and equipment to his soul, Archie asked Syllia something that had been on his mind for a while, ¡°Is there a limit to binding things to my soul? Will there be any problem with the amount I already have Soul-Bound to myself?¡±
Syllia waved her hand, ¡°No, Soul-Bound items just mean only you can use them, as they create a link between your soul and itself. There is a limit that your soul can handle, but the threshold increases with every Racial Evolution. However, it is impossible to bind higher-grade items to your soul. But don¡¯t worry, your soul isn¡¯t close to being full¡±
Archie nodded at her answer, not wanting to ask about how she knew. Probably a skill she has, he mused.
Archie grabbed a bar of iron and placed it in between the heavy-duty tongs. Approaching the forge, Archie activated Forgesmith¡¯s Flame for the first time. A flame puffed into existence within the forge, the flame itself was the size of a campfire, and constantly took mana to stay alive.
The only difference between Syllia¡¯s flame and his own was that his had tinges of green. Probably my nature-affinity taking effect, since it changed a portion of my mana to nature-attuned, Archie reasoned.
Placing the entire bar of iron and the upper half of the tongs within the forge, Archie kept his eyes on the metal, ignoring the heat that came from his Forgesmith¡¯s Flame.
After the metal¡¯s previous grey color completely changed to a red-hot color, he took the now malleable bar out of the forge and placed it atop the heavy-duty anvil.
¡°Good. Now you must elongate the metal and hammer it to form into the shape of a sword.¡± Syllia commented from his right, resembling a hawk with the way she stared at Archie smithing.
Archie took out his heavy-duty hammer and started to hammer the metal. Clangs reverberated throughout the smithy, but they sounded a bit hollow.
¡°Put more strength into your strikes!¡± Syllia shouted, causing Archie to slam his hammer harder.
¡°Be more confident with every strike!¡± Syllia shouted once more.
After a couple of minutes of hammering, Archie grabbed the ¡®blade¡¯ he had made with his heavy-duty tongs and placed it in the oil vat beside him.
Taking It out, Archie looked at his ¡®blade¡¯. ¡°I hammered it inconsistently.¡± The blade itself looked wrong, parts of the blade looked warped and hammer marks were shown everywhere. The forging part was fine as there wasn¡¯t any overheating or cracks.
¡°Toss it out and start from scratch,¡± Syllia instructed. ¡°These blemishes can only be removed by practice. No one has ever made a perfect blade on their first attempt, not even their tenth. It takes constant effort.¡±
Archie tossed his ¡®blade¡¯ to the side and grabbed another bar of iron, not letting his failure get him down.
Taking out the red-hot bar of iron and placing it on the heavy-duty anvil, Archie began hammering. Each blow of his hammer produced a clear, loud clang that echoed throughout the building.
Archie was precise with every strike, ensuring the force was evenly distributed across each side of the metal to prevent any warping or cracks from forming.
After what he felt was enough, Archie grabbed the blade and placed it into the refilled vat of oil.
Taking the blade out, Archie identified it.
Iron Blade (Common):
A dull iron blade forged by Archie Gracefield, a Novice Forgemsith. Status: Perfect.
Smiling at his first properly made blade, ¡°Congratulations!¡± Syllia exclaimed, a beaming smile on her face.
Archie placed the blade on the table and was about to pick up his rune scriber before he heard Syllia clear her throat, causing him to turn around.
¡°Before you try to scribe a rune onto your sword for the first time, I recommend trying to practice on these iron sheets.¡± Syllia cautioned while producing a crate filled to the brim with thin metal sheets.
¡°Right,¡± Archie said as he grabbed a few sheets of metal and placed them on the table.
¡°Do you mind?¡± Archie said as he looked at the blade she placed, hinting that he wanted to analyze her rune.
¡°No, but don¡¯t forget to experiment and try to understand how they are made,¡± Syllia answered.
¡°Of course,¡± Archie said while picking up the rune scriber and starting to copy her Lesser Sharpness rune.
Archie examined the rune carefully. At the center was the rune base for Wind with numerous pathways connected to it and branching out and interweaving with one another. Various symbols were connected to these pathways: circles¡ªsome filled, others hollow¡ªhalf-moons, zigzags, and even straight lines that severed certain paths.
All in all, they looked like actual circuit components. ¡°Can you explain the functions of the symbols?¡± Archie asked, not wanting to jump to conclusions.
Syllia moved over to where Archie stood and started to point toward the zigzag symbol on her rune. ¡°This is called the Vizst and this symbol controls the flow of mana that flows within this pathway, reducing the amount that flows through it.¡±
Syllia then pointed at the circles, ¡°These are called Tir and this symbol stores and releases mana, stabilizing the mana channeled through the pathways. The filled Tirs are filled with mana and the empty ones are not.¡±
She then pointed at the half-moons, ¡°These are called the Xulths and they act similar to a switch or amplifiers for mana depending on how they are used. They control the flow of mana between two points.¡±
Syllia then pointed at the last symbol, the sudden perpendicular lines that cut through a pathway. "This is called the Dios and they allow mana to flow in only one direction, preventing mana from flowing back.¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
Okay. Vizsts act like resistors, Tirs act like capacitors, Xulths act like transistors and Dios act like diodes, Archie concluded, confidence filling him as he finally understood what the weird symbols meant. Simple enough.
He then started to explain to Syllia what he compared the symbols to, ¡°Yes, they sound about right. It seems circuitry and runes are very similar to one another,¡± Syllia responded, before looking off to the side in thought. ¡°From what I was taught, planets in new universes develop things similar to runes due to records from the multiverse seeping in.¡±
¡°Yeah, I thought as much; they sounded way too similar to be different,¡± Archie agreed. ¡°Whelp, better for me, I am an engineer.¡±
Archie filled the runic scriber with mana and began inscribing the rune onto the metal sheet. With each pathway he etched, he understood more¡ªthis was essentially an amplifier circuit. The runic base, Wind, would be amplified when infused with mana, creating a thin membrane around the blade that would enhance its sharpness.
Identifying the metal sheet, Archie smiled and showed the sheet to Syllia who looked shocked.
Iron Sheet (Common):
An iron Sheet forged by Syllia Glynvyre, an Expert Runesmith. A Lesser Sharpness rune has been etched by Archie Gracefield, a Novice Forgesmith. Effect: Lesser Sharpness. Status: Perfect.
Excited by his success, Archie then started to etch the rune on his blade and was met with a similar result.
Iron Blade (Common):
A dull iron blade forged by Archie Gracefield, a Novice Forgesmith. Etched upon the side of the blade lies a Lesser Sharpness rune scribed by Archie Gracefield. Effect: Lesser Sharpness. Status: Perfect.
Archie then placed the blade on the table and placed a smaller bar of iron in between the jaws of the heavy-duty tong.
The forge was still alight with his Forgesmith¡¯s Flame, as he had forgotten to turn it off, and placed the bar in the forge.
Taking out the red-hot bar of iron from the forge, Archie placed it atop the heavy-duty anvil. He then grabbed the precision hammer and flipped it where the sharp slanted peen was in the middle of the bar.
Using the precision hammer as a chisel and hammering it with the heavy-duty hammer, to create an ellipse-like hole in the middle of the bar. Keeping the precision hammer¡¯s tip in the hole, Archie then started to shape the cross guard, making it in the shape of a V.
After removing the precision hammer, Archie slid the cross guard onto the bottom of the blade and pushed it firmly until it held in place. Archie then turned off the forge¡¯s flame and activated Foregesmith¡¯s Flame once more, but instead of it appearing in the forge, it appeared in between the crossguard and blade.
Archie used the skill as though it were a soldering iron. After what felt like a good amount of time, he placed the bottom half of the sword in the vat of oil.
Syllia passed Archie a strap of leather, ¡°For the grip,¡± was all she said.
Taking the sword out of the vat of oil and wrapping the hilt with leather, Archie noticed a slab of stone Syllia held out for him. Whetstone, Archie noted.
After sharpening the sword he Identified it.
Iron Broadsword (Common):
An iron broadsword forged by Archie Gracefield, a Novice Forgesmith. The V-shaped cross guard provides protection for the wielder¡¯s hands as well as various other effects. Etched upon the side of the blade lies a Lesser Sharpness rune scribed by Archie Gracefield. Effect: Lesser Sharpness. Status: Perfect. Requirements: Lv 50+ & Humanoid Race.
Archie stared at the sword with a feeling of nostalgia, it reminded him of when he created his first effigy. Looking away from the sword he looked at the notifications that he ignored.
*Your Profession has reached Lv 51¨C Points allocated, +4 Free Points*
*Your Profession has reached Lv 52¨C Points allocated, +4 Free Points*
*Your Race has reached Lv 54¨C Points allocated, +3 Free Points*
Skill Upgraded: [Rune Scribing (Initiate -> Common)]
Rune Scribing (Common):
The art of rune scribing opens the door to enchanting and imbuing objects with magical properties. An initiate rune scribe learns to carve basic symbols that can provide various benefits onto the object. This skill allows for the creation of simple runes with various effects. Appropriate materials and tools are necessary for scribing runes. Adds a lesser increase to the effectiveness of runes based on Intelligence.
¡°Nice, my Basic Rune Scribing skill upgraded,¡± Archie smiled.
¡°Congratulations!¡± Syllia smiled, ¡°And with that, I do believe I owe you a reward.¡± Causing Archie to perk up when she said the word reward.
She placed her palm upwards, and a metal chest piece appeared in it. ¡°I was going to give you a piece of armor as a gift, and seeing how you were missing your chest plate, this felt like the right choice.¡± Syllia chuckled.
¡°I still have it with me, but it was considered to be useless by the system.¡± Seeing the confusion across Syllia¡¯s face, Archie explained what had happened to it, causing her to look at him in shock.
¡°You were incredibly lucky to have both survived and escaped from that tortoise,¡± Syllia said.
¡°Yeah.¡± Archie agreed before adding, ¡±I got some of its shell after I killed it.¡±
¡°That would be great material for you to make once you get the hang of forging armor pieces,¡± Syllia suggested.
¡°Bralmir said the same,¡± Archie said, causing Syllia to look uncomfortable once more.
Identifying the chest piece, Archie smiled.
Deep Iron Golem Chestplate (Uncommon):
A sturdy chest piece made from the corpse of an E-Grade Deep Iron Golem. Forged by Syllia Glynvyre, a D-Grade Expert Runesmith. The armor is highly resistant to physical attacks and is able to self-repair rapidly when in caverns. Effect: Soul-Bound, Self-Repair, Greater Physical Resistance. Provides +60 Vit & +45 End. Status: Perfect. Requirements: Lv 50+ & Humanoid Race.
Archie¡¯s eyes widened at the stat points the chestplate provided. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Archie was completely shocked at what Syllia offered him, this provided more stat points than he had ever seen.
Syllia chuckled at his expression, ¡°Yes, I am sure. Besides I can make better ones, the benefits of being a smith, I can never be under-equipped.¡±
Archie¡¯s jaw dropped, Choosing to be a Novice Forgesmith was the correct decision.
Archie equipped the chest plate and opened his status page.
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human E-Grade Lv 54
Class: Nature-Attuned Pugilist Lv 55
Profession: Novice Forgesmith Lv 52
Health: 3286/3286
Mana: 786/880
Stamina: 2000/2320
Stats:
Vitality: 313(328)
Strength: 256(294)
Endurance: 221(232)
Agility: 208
Intelligence: 212
Wisdom: 88
Willpower: 88(96)
Perception: 189
Free Points: 79
General Skills: Identify (Initiate), Nature''s Meditation (Epic)
Class Skills: Basic Martial Combat Mastery (Uncommon), Savage Charge (Uncommon), Adrenaline Rush (Rare), Pugilist¡¯s Grit (Uncommon), Retaliation (Uncommon), Relentless Flurry (Uncommon), Taunt (Uncommon), Thorns (Common)
Profession Skills: Forgesmith¡¯s Flame (Initiate), Basic Smithing Mastery (Initiate), Basic Rune Scribing (Common), Material Insight (Common)
Bloodline: Adrenaline Junkie (Unique) [+10% to Strength and +10% to Willpower]
Affinity: Greater Nature Affinity (Epic)
Blessing: Blessing of the Forgefather (Moderate) [+5% to Strength and +5% to Endurance]
Titles Collected: Bloodline Progenitor [+10 Vitality and +5% Vitality], Flawless E-Grade Evolution [+10 all Stats]
Tutorial Points: 111,982
¡°It¡¯s time for you to go,¡± Syllia said, motioning towards the now-setting sun.
¡°Can I take a crate of the bars and some sheets to practice on?¡± Archie asked.
Syllia simply summoned two crates, one containing numerous iron and steel bars and the other containing numerous metal sheets.
Throwing them into his spatial ring, ¡°Thank you.¡± Archie said as he headed out of the smithy.
Syllia did not respond, even after Archie left her smithy. She simply sat on a chair that she brought out from her spatial storage and smiled. ¡°The Forgefather, the first and greatest smith, is back. And our Workshop gaining a new Forgesmith, one with promise.¡±
She glanced at the door that led to her personal forgeroom, then rose from her chair, gripping a hammer in her right hand, eager to forge. The lingering touch of Bralmir¡¯s presence had flooded her with the urge to forge something, but was held back due to Archie''s presence.
Ch 34 - Michaels Camp
Archie sprinted northwards, toward a camp made up of other people from Earth. He¡¯d been running at full speed for about thirty minutes, his direction confirmed only by the campfire smoke and scattered flames marking his destination.
When he was about five hundred meters from the camp walls, a booming voice called out, ¡°Stop! State your business here!¡±
The sudden shout made Archie almost trip. He squinted at the walls, scanning for the source of the voice. ¡°Hello! I¡¯m new here¡ªI just finished the Solo Tutorial and got teleported over,¡± he shouted at the camp in front of him.
For a moment, there was only silence. Archie¡¯s eyes darted along the top of the walls, where he finally spotted movement. There was a narrow walkway atop the wall, hidden by the tips of the log walls, where heads bobbed back and forth in a frantic rush. One figure, however, stood still, intently watching him.
¡°Approach!¡± boomed the voice.
Archie slowly made his way towards the camp. Looking along the wall, he saw many archers and mages staring at him with wary expressions. Why is everyone so tense? Did something happen?
Reaching the entrance, Archie saw five people decked in armor and their hands holding their respective weapons.
[Human Lv 36]
[Human Lv 34]
[Human Lv 32]
[Human Lv 37]
[Human Lv 34]
Two of them looked to be warriors, the other two looked to be mages, and the last one looked to be a vanguard. From what Archie could see, one of the warriors and one of the mages were women, while the rest were men.
The warriors still wore the gear they got from the tutorial. However, some parts of the armor looked different, while others looked more shiny. They looked upgraded; they probably used the upgrade medallions on them, Archie thought. The different-looking parts, steel, if I''m not mistaken, were made by their smiths.
The mages wore similar robes compared to the humans he saw in the gauntlet dungeon in the jungle; however they looked a bit more shabby, and their wands looked thinner with different colored tips. The vanguard, however, wore full iron armor and wielded a large shield and a mace.
No one has a helmet, Archie analyzed with furrowed brows. I guess they''re unique in a sense. Maybe you can only get them from a dungeon reward or something.
The group of five guarding the entrance gripped their weapons tightly, ¡°Hello! What¡¯s gotten you guys all tense?¡± Archie asked with a confused smile.
¡°What do you want here?¡± The vanguard responded, his voice tense. His team responded in turn with guarded stances.
Archie looked at them with confusion, ¡°Nothing, I just came over because I was told there was a camp in this direction from Xelgar.¡±
The vanguard was about to respond, but the same voice that had previously told him to stop spoke again within the camp: ¡°Let him through.¡±
The five guards were a bit hesitant, but nonetheless, they stepped to the side and allowed Archie entry into their camp.
From within the camp, Archie saw many tents on the right-hand side, with various people leaving their tents and staring at him with a wary look. The left side of the camp was filled with various stands, Probably for Professions, Archie thought, remembering the many Professions Xelgar mentioned.
Within the stands, Archie saw people hunched over pots of various sizes and carefully stirring them. Nearby, others were sewing pieces of leather armor, and small wooden tanneries filled with animal hides were behind them. Further down, a single smith worked by his lonesome, hammering away at a piece of iron.
Not the same guy who ran out of Syllia¡¯s smithy, Archie noticed before looking around the camp.
Archie Identified most of the people in the camp and noticed one thing. No one here has a race level higher than 41.
¡°Who are you?¡± said the voice who invited him in.
Archie turned to face the person who had spoken. I stand corrected. The man stood tall, at six foot three, clad in a full suit of armor. Probably steel, Archie thought, noting its darker shade. Iron has a lighter color.
The man had short hair, a grizzled beard, and a firm expression on his face. A large two-handed greatsword rested on his back, no other weapon on his person was visible. He was the highest level within the camp, Lv 42.
¡°I¡¯m Archie,¡± he said, extending his hand for a handshake.
¡°Michael,¡± The man stepped forward, grasping Archie¡¯s hand with a firm shake. ¡°What brings you here?¡±
¡°I finished the Solo Tutorial and it teleported me to a random Group Tutorial. I got here this morning.¡± Archie explained after releasing Michael¡¯s hand. ¡°Where are you guys from?¡±
¡°Michigan. All of us here are from Michigan.¡± Michael responded with a faint smile. ¡°You?¡±
¡°Illinois¡We beat you last game.¡± Archie said with a growing smile, causing grumbles from the other men listening in on their conversation.
¡°That was a bullshit match,¡± Michael grumbled. ¡°That last three-pointer cost us everything.¡± Murmurs of the other Michigan residents agreeing with Michael caused Archie to start laughing.
¡°Have you visited the other camp?¡± Michael asked.
¡°I was at Assistant village all afternoon. I didn¡¯t have one at my tutorial, so I wanted to explore it a bit.¡± Archie answered.
Michael looked at him, puzzled. ¡°You didn¡¯t have one?¡± When Archie nodded, Michael exhaled sharply. ¡°Holy shit, man. We barely survived¡ªwith all the plants and beasts attacking us nonstop, especially at nightfall. If it weren¡¯t for the Assistants teaching us the basics of using our weapons and magic, a lot more of us would have died.¡±
¡°Yeah, I get it. I didn¡¯t take this tutorial thing seriously until I nearly got killed by a wolf when I was asleep,¡± Archie replied, recalling the memory with mixed feelings. He almost died due to his carelessness, but it also led to him unlocking his bloodline, something that has saved his life, time and time again.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
¡°After that night, I went ham on trying to get stronger,¡± Archie said, remembering the days after the wolf attack.
¡°I guess that explains how you got this strong,¡± Michael said, looking at Archie, but not focusing on him. He probably Identified me and couldn¡¯t see my level due to the Grade difference, Archie thought.
¡°You were saying something about if I went to the other camp, why?¡± Archie asked, causing Michael and the people around him to tense up.
¡°Fuck them all!¡± An archer shouted from atop the wall. Various other people started to shout similar obscenities about the people within the other camp.
Archie looked taken aback at the vitriolic shouts coming from everyone.
¡°Enough!¡± shouted Michael, causing everyone to slowly quiet down.
¡°Sorry about that,¡± Michael said, gaining Archie¡¯s attention. ¡°It''s just that¡the other camp is full of cultists.¡±
¡°What? Like Satanic worshiper cultists?¡± Archie asked, completely taken aback at the revelation. ¡°I know there are small groups of them across the states, but I thought they were just filled with emo kids?¡±
Michael gritted his teeth, ¡°I wish, but no; these people are actual killers.¡±
¡°But surely, people wouldn¡¯t join cultists? I mean it¡¯s in the name, cults aren¡¯t good.¡± Archie questioned.
¡°People aren¡¯t logical, a bunch of people were confused with the change the system brought, and others took advantage of their confusion,¡± Michael explained with a pained expression. ¡°Convincing others to follow the strength of a demon since this was ¡®obviously¡¯ the work of the devil himself as god would never punish us.¡± Michael¡¯s tone turning sarcastic towards the end.
¡°Okay, but surely, this Satanic cult couldn¡¯t fight against your numbers, you have like five hundred people here compared to their hundred. Why worry about them?¡± Archie reasoned.
¡°At the beginning, we had seven hundred people in this camp, but now we number five hundred,¡± Michael explained. ¡°Oliver, their leader, did something to them¡They didn¡¯t act like humans; they went berserk attacking everyone and everything in sight¡We think it was some type of brainwashing.¡±
Archie looked at Michael in shock, ¡°Brainwashing?¡±
¡°We don¡¯t understand it as anything else,¡± Michael said with a grim look. ¡°People we¡¯ve known for years suddenly going 180 and killing everyone in sight isn¡¯t normal. Especially when they were killing people, they started frothing at the mouth and screaming about demons.¡±
¡°When did this happen?¡± Archie questioned.
¡°It was around a week or so ago. It was a normal night, everyone was eating by the campfire, joking around. But all of a sudden Oliver said something that caused people to start frothing at the mouth and start killing people left and right. Not all of them were frothing, but nonetheless, they were killing people left and right as well.¡± Michael explained.
¡°By the time everyone got their bearings together, it was too late; too many people died. We managed to kill a good chunk of them, but Oliver and everyone else who started killing people escaped.¡± Michael said angrily.
¡°But that shouldn¡¯t be possible at F-Grade for him to do. Especially with how fast this all happened.¡± Archie said, still confused by what Oliver did to brainwash so many people so fast.
¡°Before any of this, some of the people who went berserk admitted to seeing Oliver during their hunting trips. They recalled blanking out afterward and later coming to, alone in the forest. We interrogated Oliver, but he always had an alibi.¡± Michael said as he stared at the campfire. ¡°It might not be brainwashing, but he did something to them¡to change them completely¡¡±
¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be on the lookout. Got a description of Oliver?¡± Archie asked, This sounds a bit off, like how can one guy manage to pick off people who move in groups and single them out as often as they say he did¡Then again with the System in place, maybe some skills can brainwash people. Might even be a bloodline; Bralmir said bloodlines can be anything. Who''s to say it can¡¯t grant people the power to brainwash people?
¡°Oliver is six foot one, has short blonde hair, green eyes, tan skin, has a Mage class, and is an Alchemist.¡± Michael described.
¡°Okay, got it. I¡¯ll be on the lookout for Oliver. In the meantime, you guys got any food? I¡¯ve been eating burnt goat for the past month.¡± Archie chuckled trying to bring up the somber mood.
¡°Come, follow me to where our chefs are,¡± Michael chuckled as he led Archie towards one of the stands off to the left.
Everyone who was observing Archie, the only E-Grade within the camp, soon returned to their previous mood, realizing he had no relations towards the cult camp.
As Archie and Michael approached one of the stands with a large stone oven and small campfires. In front of the stand stood a woman who looked to be in her 50s, her blonde hair threaded with streaks of grey. ¡°What can I do for you dearies?¡± She asked with a smile on her face when she noticed Archie and Michael.
¡°Hello, Mrs. Evelyn. How are you today?¡± Michael asked with a smile.
¡°I¡¯m fine thank you, Michael. Would you two like some chicken casserole?¡± She smiled.
Archie¡¯s eyes zeroed in on the casserole; his mouth watered as he stared at it. Michael chuckled at his expression, ¡°Can we have two large slices, my friend here hasn¡¯t eaten a meal other than unseasoned cooked meat for a month.¡± Michael chuckled
Evelyn lost her smile; she stared at Archie with horror in her eyes and put a hand atop her chest. ¡°Y-You poor dearie¡Please eat as much as you need.¡± Evelyn handed Archie a large plate of casserole and some wooden utensils.
Archie carefully used his spoon to grab a large scoop of casserole and placed it in his mouth.
Fireworks exploded in his head, his legs became weak, and his body shook.
Archie opened his eyes after he swallowed the casserole and immediately ate another scoop.
After Archie finished the plate of casserole, he looked at Evelyn with a face filled with gratitude. ¡°If you need anything at all, just ask. I mean anything.¡±
Evelyn softly smiled, ¡°Thank you, dearie. Tomorrow morning I¡¯ll make some omelets and at night I¡¯ll make kebabs.¡±
¡°Have you paid anyone with your Tutorial Points before?¡± Michael asked Archie in between bites of his similar-sized plate of casserole.
¡°No. How do I do that?¡± Archie asked as he had read that he could transfer Tutorial Points, but he hadn¡¯t done it yet.
¡°You tap the back of your palm against the back of the other person¡¯s palm and consciously think about how much you want to transfer to the person. A prompt will appear asking for confirmation after you do that.¡± Michael explained.
¡°Nice. How much do I owe you, Mrs Evelyn?¡± Archie asked.
¡°Everything should be 30 points, it¡¯s a bit pricey today, I used a lot of my vegetables and chicken meat to make them,¡± Evelyn answered.
Just 30? That¡¯s a steal, Archie thought, while tapping the back of her palm with his.
Payment Transfer
Do you wish to transfer 100 Tutorial Points to Evelyn Hill?
Archie mentally confirmed and saw 100 points disappear from his status page. Eveyln looked at Archie with worry, ¡°I think you sent the wrong amount dearie; this is too much.¡±
Archie waved his hand dismissively, ¡°Not at all. This was the greatest meal I¡¯ve eaten in a long time, and I¡¯ll be back for more.¡±
¡°Thank you, dearie. I¡¯ll be sure to give you an extra-large slice when you do.¡± Evelyn smiled as she took the plate from Michael. The grandma vibes are insane, Archie smiled.
Michael gestured for Archie to follow him as he walked towards the tents. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve noticed by now, but there aren¡¯t any kids within the camp. We have people of all ages, but no one under the age of 18.¡±
Archie nodded; he had noticed it when looking at the people within the camp. The youngest person he saw looked to be around 18-19 years old.
¡°We have an assumption that there is probably a separate tutorial for them, but we don¡¯t know for sure. We¡¯ve tried asking the Assistants, but they couldn¡¯t tell us anything other than that the kids were safe and nothing bad would happen to them.¡± Michael informed.
¡°Noah, my son¡ªhe¡¯s 12. I was just with him before the system teleported us away,¡± Michael replied, noticing the concern on Archie¡¯s face.
¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that,¡± Archie said, sympathetically as he placed a hand on Michael¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Since this whole tutorial seems designed to help us, I¡¯d assume it¡¯s doing the same for the kids. They probably have their own tutorial, with Assistants guiding them in a more hands-on way.¡±
¡°We can only hope.¡± Michael nodded, grateful for what Archie said.
Arriving at one of the larger tents, which looked to be three meters tall and six meters wide, both Archie and Michael walked in. Archie looked around and saw a leaf-filled animal hide mattress with a similar-looking pillow and blanket.
¡°Here¡¯s your tent, you can stay here if you want unless you have somewhere else to stay,¡± Michael said, causing Archie to chuckle.
¡°Thank you. Is there anything you need me to do, I assume that everyone has to pull their weight around here. And I don¡¯t wanna be a freeloader.¡± Archie asked.
¡°If you kill any high-level animals, try and trade their corpses to the tanners and chefs, or if you find anything interesting just say. Other than that, if we are attacked and you¡¯re here, we would appreciate your help.¡± Michael answered.
¡°No problem, I get a place to chill and eat great food, helping out is no problem at all.¡± Archie smiled
¡°Thank you.¡± Michael clapped Archie on the back and left Archie¡¯s tent, leaving Archie alone in an almost empty tent.
Once Michael¡¯s footsteps faded away, Archie summoned his bed and lay on it. Everyone here seems nice, I¡¯ll go check out that blacksmith tomorrow morning.
Ch 35 - A Jungle Excursion
Archie glanced at the light filtering through the tent flap, the early morning breeze was the only thing calming his agitated mood.
Archie knew he wasn¡¯t going to be able to sleep since he was in a new area that he didn¡¯t find completely safe, but he felt like he should have been able to at least get some shut-eye. Every time he tried to get some sleep there was always some noise beside his tent.
It''s either the camp trying to make sure I¡¯m not some type of spy from the ¡®cult¡¯ or someone from the ¡®cult¡¯ spying on me. Maybe both, I don¡¯t know, Archie grumbled. Either way, I¡¯m not gonna be sleeping in this camp anymore.
Archie stored his bed back into his spatial ring and walked out of the tent. The early morning sun was starting to show, casting a soft light over the camp. Barely anyone else was awake; the archers and mages that manned the walls were ending their shifts, replaced by those fresh from sleep. Chefs were preparing breakfast for the early risers, and various other people manned their stands. However, the vast majority of people were still asleep.
Remembering what Evelyn said about omelets being ready in the morning, Archie headed on over to her stand.
Looking around Archie noticed some farmland off to the side of the wall, with some farmers watering and tending to their plants. Probably where Evelyn got the ingredients to make that casserole, Archie thought, as he saw the various vegetables dotting the farmland.
Nodding to the many people who greeted him, Archie eventually made his way to Eveyln¡¯s stand. He saw Evelyn chopping away at some vegetables before throwing them into the various pans on her many makeshift grills.
Noticing that Evelyn was absorbed in her cooking, Archie coughed to try and get her attention.
Looking up from the chopping board, she noticed Archie and smiled, ¡°Good morning dearie.¡±
¡°Good morning Miss Evelyn. How are you?¡± Archie smiled. There was just something about grandmothers; no matter how upset you were, they always managed to brighten your day.
¡°I¡¯m fine thank you,¡± Evelyn said, as she flipped a couple of pans. ¡°And you?¡±
¡°I¡¯m fine, do you need any help with anything?¡± Archie asked, seeing her speed around the makeshift kitchen with speed that did not belong to an old lady.
¡°Thank you, but I¡¯m fine. Better really¡The system is something else,¡± Evelyn said wistfully. ¡°I can move much better now than I could a month ago.¡±
¡°Wait till you evolve, it gets even better,¡± Archie said, grabbing her attention.
¡°How does it feel? You¡¯re the only one here who has evolved. The Assistants only mentioned vague information about what happens when you evolve,¡± Evelyn said.
¡°That¡¯s because of the restrictions the system placed on them; they can only talk about certain things unless you know about them. At least that''s what I was told at least,¡± Archie explained, "Anyway, evolving felt incredible¡ªlike I¡¯d been running through sand my whole life, but now I could sprint on solid ground."
¡°Well then, I better push on,¡± Evelyn smiled, excited at the prospect of evolving and experiencing what Archie had described. If she felt thirty years younger now, how would it feel if she evolved?
Evelyn passed Archie a large plate of omelets and utensils. ¡°So, anyone I should be aware of in the camp?¡± Archie asked in between bites.
Evelyn nodded as she continued chopping vegetables. "Sarah¡ªthe head of the healers here¡ªhas blonde hair and green eyes. James is in charge of the hunting groups; he¡¯s got short black hair and a big build." She glanced around, noting a few others she hadn¡¯t mentioned. "Then there¡¯s Sophia and Daniel, our highest leveled farmers; they grow excellent vegetables. Angela and Eric, the camp¡¯s only smiths. However, everyone listens to Michael, he brought everyone together when all this happened, and ever since then he makes sure we are all alright."
¡°Alright, got it, I¡¯ll keep them in mind. Thank you for the meal.¡± Archie said while handing her his empty plate and paid Evelyn the same amount as last night. Evelyn thanked him as he walked away heading towards the only entrance to the camp.
Just as Archie was about to leave, he heard Michael¡¯s voice. ¡°Hey, Archie!¡±
Turning around he saw Michael run towards him. ¡°Mornin''!¡± Archie greeted.
¡°Morning to you too,¡± Michael asked Archie with a chuckle. ¡°You headin¡¯ out to hunt?¡±
¡°Yeah, might as well see whatever lives on the island right now and fight them. I dealt with mostly beasts in basically Antarctica, and I don¡¯t know what to expect on this island.¡± Archie said as he walked out of the gate with Michael to his side.
¡°Want me to join? I¡¯m not as strong as you, but I can pull my own weight,¡± Michael offered, shrugging his shoulders; gesturing to the greatsword on his back.
¡°Sure, you can tell me about what you know.¡± Archie shrugged, before asking; ¡°Where are all the strong beasts?¡±
Michael smiled before saying, "There are a bunch of them in the jungle.¡±
¡°Jungle? I thought rainforests were on islands.¡± Archie asked, confused by what Michael said.
¡°Welcome to the system, where spiders the size of wolves wander in droves.¡± Michael laughed as he saw Archie¡¯s face turned whiter than paper. Giant spiders?
***
¡°So, why didn¡¯t you choose the Group Tutorial when you were choosing your class?¡± Micheal asked while cutting through the thick vines blocking their path, trying to make some small talk.
¡°Family¡¯s in another state and never really got to know my neighbors. So, it was either trying to survive with people I don¡¯t know or on my own.¡± Archie explained while observing the tall trees around them, looking for any potential monkey business. He¡¯d dealt with enough monkeys to know how they acted
Michael nodded in understanding, ¡°I chose the Group Tutorial because of my son. I just finished a tour a few months ago and was spending some time with Noah when all of this happened. But when I arrived, Noah was nowhere in sight.¡± He explained with bitterness in his voice.
¡°How many tours have you done?¡± Archie asked.
¡°Three,¡± Michael answered somberly, the grip on his greatsword tightening.
¡°Thank you for your service.¡± Archie said, causing Micheal to smile at him, ¡°Thank you.¡± But then his smile vanished as he noticed that they weren¡¯t alone anymore.
Archie saw Michael¡¯s smile vanish and turned around to see what had caused him to turn serious. The trees and floor behind them were covered in giant green worms. Identifying them, revealed they were in fact not worms.
[Emernigan Leech Lv 23]
One didn¡¯t pose a threat, however when faced with at least 30 of them, each the size of a pitbull. They then became a threat.
A couple of the leeches spat a green liquid at Archie and Michael, but due to their reflexes, they¡¯d dodged their spit attack and charged at the leeches.
Archie activated Savage Charge and Thorns, causing him to appear in front of the nearest leech with transparent green thorns covering his arms and punched right through its gelatinous body.
Seeing how physically weak the leeches were, Archie decided to jump into the horde of leeches and activate Relentless Flurry.
As Archie jumped into the horde of leeches punching through them with ease, Michael was dealing with them in his own way. Due to his greatsword being inefficient in dealing with the sheer number of leeches one by one, he activated what seemed to be a power-up skill gaining a green hue around him and slicing through the leeches horizontally.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
Eventually, after a minute or two the fight ended with Archie crushing the last leach that attached itself to his forearm.
¡°Wow, looks like I really need to evolve,¡± Micheal said as he saw how easily Archie dealt with the leeches. Both of them were covered in leach guts, but only Micheal was slightly out of breath.
¡°The evolution is great, you become faster and far more responsive,¡± Archie said while looking at his notifications. ¡°But don¡¯t cut yourself short, you also did good. It was just a bad matchup with your weapon.¡±
*[Emernigan Leech Lv 23] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 69 Tutorial Points given*
***
*[Emernigan Leech Lv 25] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 75 Tutorial Points given*
He had killed around 20 of the leeches in the time Micheal killed around 10. Looking at his status page, he smiled. ¡®I don¡¯t know why Evelyn was shocked when I spent 100 Tutorial Points on a meal; they¡¯re easy enough to get. Does no one tip?¡¯
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human E-Grade Lv 54
Class: Nature-Attuned Pugilist Lv 55
Profession: Novice Forgesmith Lv 52
Health: 3286/3286
Mana: 880/880
Stamina: 2320/2320
Stats:
Vitality: 313(328)
Strength: 256(294)
Endurance: 221(232)
Agility: 208
Intelligence: 212
Wisdom: 88
Willpower: 88(96)
Perception: 189
Free Points: 79
General Skills: Identify (Initiate), Nature''s Meditation (Epic)
Class Skills: Basic Martial Combat Mastery (Uncommon), Savage Charge (Uncommon), Adrenaline Rush (Rare), Pugilist¡¯s Grit (Uncommon), Retaliation (Uncommon), Relentless Flurry (Uncommon), Taunt (Uncommon), Thorns (Common)
Profession Skills: Forgesmith¡¯s Flame (Initiate), Basic Smithing Mastery (Initiate), Basic Rune Scribing (Common), Material Insight (Common)
Bloodline: Adrenaline Junkie (Unique) [+10% to Strength and +10% to Willpower]
Affinity: Greater Nature Affinity (Epic)
Blessing: Blessing of the Forgefather (Moderate) [+5% to Strength and +5% to Endurance]
Titles Collected: Bloodline Progenitor [+10 Vitality and +5% Vitality], Flawless E-Grade Evolution [+10 all Stats]
Tutorial Points: 113,178
¡°Fair enough, I¡¯m close enough to the max level for E-Grade with my Class and Race,¡± Micheal said while looking over his stats and notifications.
¡°You get the Flawless Evolution Quest?¡± Archie asked, looking around for anything else that would jump at them.
¡°Yeah, I reached max level for my Profession a couple days ago but couldn¡¯t leave the camp to go and hunt due to tutorial mid-boss roaming around. If I left, all types of shit would go wrong in the camp, ¡± Micheal said as he signaled Archie to follow him as they continued their trek through the jungle. ¡°Is it worth it?¡±
¡°Yeah, I recommend you complete it, it gives you 10 points to all your stats,¡± Archie smiled, causing Micheal to look at him with an excited smile. ¡°You said something about a boss? Did you guys kill it already?¡± Archie asked.
¡°I don¡¯t know where it is, we¡¯ve been on edge waiting for it to come to us. Maybe Oliver and the others in their camp saw it, but the quest is still here.¡± Micheal said, looking at what Archie assumed to be the quest panel.
¡°If it hasn¡¯t disappeared, I assume it¡¯s still alive. When I killed my tutorial boss, the quest gave me rewards and vanished.¡± Archie said, but then he realized he never got a quest about killing the mid-boss when he arrived, he had only gotten the Group Tutorial page instead.
¡°That¡¯s weird though, I haven¡¯t received the quest yet. Seeing how it¡¯s still alive, I should have gotten it. Unless you guys only get the quest since you were here first,¡± Archie reasoned. Hoping that wasn¡¯t the case, since he wanted to both fight it and get some rewards.
¡°Maybe, I¡¯m pretty sure it would be hard to find a snake anyways, they¡¯re pretty sneaky,¡± Michael said nonchalantly.
¡°What do you mean by snake?¡± Archie asked confusedly.
¡°Oh right, the tutorial mid-boss is called the Verdant Serpent,¡± Michael answered, looking back at Archie trying to see if that caused a reaction.
¡°Oh, that¡¯s not that bad. With your comment earlier, I thought it was some type of giant spider,¡± Archie sighed, relieved at Michael¡¯s answer.¡°I¡¯d rather fight a giant snake than a giant spider.¡±
¡°Why would it be giant?¡± Michael questioned before a realization came to him. ¡°Ah, fuck! We¡¯re in a jungle. Every jungle movie always has a giant snake in it.¡±
¡°The boss I killed was called the Giant Frostiron Tortoise, it was five meters tall,¡± Archie explained. ¡°So, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the Verdant Serpent was also giant.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± Michael said as his face went white as he imagined a five-meter-tall spider chasing him. ¡°Yeah, I agree. I¡¯d take a giant snake over a giant spider.¡±
¡°So, what other things can I expect to fight here?¡± Archie asked while pushing a vine to the side.
¡°In the jungle, we¡¯ve found spiders, snakes, frogs, leeches, monkeys, lizards, jaguars, venus fly traps, and various other poisonous plants.¡± Michael explained, ¡°Outside the jungle are chickens, ducks, fish, and crabs.¡±
¡°Oh, so life outside the jungle is pretty safe then,¡± Archie said, seemingly deciding where he would set up camp in the Group Tutorial. Should find myself a cave overlooking the sea, far away from everyone.
¡°Not exactly,¡± Michael replied. ¡°Thing is, everything out here has mutated. Chickens with stone feathers, ducks with glass ones, fish are all piranhas and crabs? They¡¯re around three meters tall with exoskeletons tougher than steel.¡± He dropped into a combat stance, catching movement in his peripheral vision.
Archie noticed it too¡ªbut he had a clearer view. It was a jaguar, five at that, and they were all high-end of F-Grade.
[Shadowstalker Lv 45]
[Shadowstalker Lv 48]
[Shadowstalker Lv 46]
[Shadowstalker Lv 46]
[Shadowstalker Lv 47]
¡°Fuck,¡± Michael muttered as he quickly pulled out his greatsword as his eyes stayed focused on the shadowstalkers. While Archie looked at them with boredom, he had been expecting to see some E-Grades but had yet to see any. Nevertheless, it was something at the least.
Archie activated Savage Charge and Thorns once more, charging at the furthest jaguar and socking it with a punch to its jaw. The jaguar¡¯s jaw gained large puncture marks the size of a thumb causing it to leak blood.
The other jaguars were not idle; two went towards Michael while the other two pounced on Archie.
One of the two jaguars not attached to him lunged at him, but he managed to dodge just in time. However, in the process, his arm was caught in the jaws of the other jaguar, Its sharp fangs easily tore through his plated chain-mail sleeves and sunk into his flesh.
Ignoring the searing pain erupting from his right bicep, Archie swung his left fist at the jaguar¡¯s head, but the jaguar tilted its head, causing Archie to miss it.
It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s not doing much damage. I just gotta get it off, before it does something else, Archie thought, as he felt the adrenaline coursing through his body start to pick up speed.
The sudden agitation caused the jaguar to clamp down even harder on his bicep, causing even more pain to erupt from his arm. With the first jaguar lunging toward him and the one holding his arm still biting down, Archie knew he had to act quickly. He activated Thorns along his legs and delivered a spartan kick, sending the injured jaguar crashing into a tree with new puncture marks along its side.
As he sidestepped the other jaguar, he landed a sucker punch with his left hand, knocking it to the ground.
With a plan forming, Archie activated Thorns around his right bicep, channeling a large surge of mana through the vines. Translucent thorns erupted inside the jaguar¡¯s mouth, cutting through its tongue and the roof of its mouth, catching it by surprise.
The unexpected attack caused the creature to loosen its grip on his arm. Seizing the opportunity, Archie punched its midsection, sending it flying to the side and tumbling onto the jungle floor.
Then he activated Savage Charge and punched through the jaguar¡¯s chest. He glanced back at the first jaguar he had kicked¡ªit was stuck in the tree and limp.
Turning his attention to the second jaguar, still prone on the ground, Archie approached its head and brought down his foot with all the strength he could muster, crushing it with a sickening thud.
*[Shadowstalker Lv 48] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 240 Tutorial Points given*
*[Shadowstalker Lv 47] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 235 Tutorial Points given*
*[Shadowstalker Lv 46] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 230 Tutorial Points given*
Not a single level. Seems like you can¡¯t just kill things lower than your grade and gain a level, Archie complained.
Gonna get a new one from a leather worker and use it as a base for an iron one. Archie thought that overall, the fight went well other than his beginner sleeves getting ruined, he didn¡¯t really get hurt much.
Archie wiped the blood from the two puncture wounds on his bicep and watched as they began to heal, the skin already knitting itself together. E-Grade benefits Archie smiled.
Archie looked over at Michael and saw him kick one jaguar away as he swung his greatsword and beheaded the other.
¡°Need any help?¡± Archie shouted, not wanting to kill-steal from Michael, he wasn¡¯t like those shitty teammates from when he gamed online, he had manners.
¡°No¡ I¡¯m¡good¡± Michael replied in between breaths as he set his sword ablaze and chopped the last jaguar in half.
¡°Woah, that¡¯s cool as shit! How did you coat your sword in fire?¡± Archie exclaimed as he approached Michael.
¡°You don¡¯t know? It¡¯s a basic skill we all learned from the mage Assistant.¡± Micheal looked confused at Archie¡¯s confusion.
¡°I didn¡¯t have an Assistant camp in my Tutorial,¡± Archie said, causing Michael to look at him in confusion before remembering the night before.
¡°Cyric, the Mage Assistant, taught us how to use our mana, connect it with an element, and place it on a weapon to learn the Basic Elemental Weapon skill. It was a pain in the ass to get, but very useful nevertheless.¡±
"Well, another thing to add to my list of goals," Archie said, feeling a thrill at the thought of becoming a fire-punching badass. Wait¡ would that conflict with my Affinity? He wondered. I don¡¯t think so. I can use Forgemaster¡¯s Flame alright.
¡°We should head back. We¡¯ve been out for a couple of hours now,¡± Michael suggested, causing Archie to raise an eyebrow in confusion, before nodding in understanding. Right. He has to look after the camp and going off alone with a stranger whom they met last night who is a whole grade stronger than them might stir up some tension in the camp.
¡°Sure, I need to get upgrades for my sleeves, been rocking the basic ones, and I need an upgrade.¡± Archie said while placing the jaguars into his spatial ring, ¡°Know a good leathersmith?¡±
Michael shook his head in disbelief at the disappearance of the three jaguars Archie killed. ¡°Yeah, I do¡ how did you do that?¡±
Archie just laughed at Michael¡¯s reaction and continued toward the camp, already thinking about what snacks he might find once they got back.
Ch 36 - Cave
Standing in front of the camp, Archie turned toward Michael, ¡°Which side of the island has a beach?¡±
Michael thought for a bit before responding, ¡°West of the camp is a beach if you run for a couple of hours. Why?¡±
¡°Gonna do something there and don¡¯t want to cause a disturbance,¡± Archie said, even though Michael seemed to be a great guy, he wasn¡¯t close enough to tell him where he slept. Besides, there seemed to be a mind controller who was able to make people his puppets. And using that logic, he most definitely had sleeper agents within their camp.
Was Archie making assumptions based on the movies and novels he had read before? Yes.
¡°Well, I guess we split up here, Archie,¡± Michael said, as both he and Archie passed through the entrance of the camp.
¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll see you later,¡± Archie said but then took a second look at Michael and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to take those jaguars and sell them.¡±
Michael currently lugged both jaguars atop his shoulders, drenched in jaguar blood. Michael looked at him with annoyance, Archie did not have a drop of blood on him.
¡°Yeah, yeah¡wait till I get me one of those magical space things,¡± Michael grumbled as he walked towards his tent.
Archie chuckled before heading towards one of the stands that had a tannery behind them.
As he reached the stand, he stared at a man who appeared slightly older than himself, standing at about five foot seven with a stout frame. The man wore brown leather armor, multiple knives strapped to his hip, and a leather headband circling his bald head.
¡°Hello, what can I do for you?¡± the man replied in a gruff tone.
¡°Hey there, I got a couple of jaguars you can skin,¡± Archie said
¡°Jaguars? What level?¡± the man asked, placing a piece of untanned leather atop the tannery before facing Archie.
¡°48,47,46.¡± Archie said as he took them out of his spatial ring and placed them on the stand. The man shook his head muttering something before he took out a knife.
¡°I can pay 150 per jaguar,¡± The man offered. Archie nodded, any amount of points would be great since he would have just left them in the jungle. If he was being robbed blind, then so be it. Besides, if he could get a good meal for 30 points then, this was most likely the correct price he was paying, for a beast of that level.
Archie stared at the man skinning the jaguar, it was obvious that he knew what he was doing; every cut was smooth, with no hints of hesitation.
¡°Did you do some tanning or leather working before the system integration?¡± Archie asked, trying to make a bit of small talk as he waited.
¡°I¡¯ve hunted and cooked game for most of my life. Using what I know, when I started to skin these beasts, I was given the option to become a Tanner.¡± The man explained as he placed all three jaguar skins on a separate table.
So you can get Professions without any help from others if you¡¯re good enough at it, Archie learned as he stared at the man. The more you know.
Looking back at Archie he offered the back of his palm. Archie accepted the system message prompt and saw his tutorial points increase.
¡°You got any leather strips? Preferably around ten inches in length?¡± Archie asked as he sent the skinned jaguars back to his spatial ring.
The tanner nodded and rummaged through a few drawers before handing a handful of them to him, ignoring what Archie had done with the skinned jaguars. Archie offered him the back of his palm, but the tanner waved at him dismissively. ¡°Just come here when you wanna skin your game and I can offer you a discount.¡± The tanner saw Archie¡¯s confused expression and continued, ¡°You¡¯re one of the few here who can get me higher-leveled skins, and I like to continue to level up.¡±
¡°Yeah, sure no problem.¡± Archie said, sending away the leather strip and offering his right hand to the tanner, ¡°I¡¯m Archie.¡±
The man extended his own arm, accepting the handshake. ¡°Bill.¡±
After shaking hands with Bill, Archie went past a couple more stands to find Evelyn relaxing at her stand. She wasn¡¯t cooking or preparing anything, she was just observing everyone as they did their day-to-day activities.
¡°Hello, Miss Evelyn.¡± Archie smiled, causing her to look up at him and smile.
¡°Hello, dearie. What can I do for you? Do you want something to eat?¡± she asked while getting up from her chair.
¡°If you¡¯re offering, who am I to say no?¡± Archie said as Evelyn chuckled and pulled out an apple.
¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯m waiting for some meat to be delivered tonight so I cannot make any hearty meal at the moment. So, this apple will have to do for now.¡± Eveyln said, her tone apologetic.
¡°Well then, I think I just got the thing for you,¡± Archie said as he took out the skinned jaguars and placed them atop her table stand.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
The sight of three skinned jaguars suddenly appearing on her stand table caused her to flinch back. ¡°Oh my!¡±
Eveyln looked at the skinned jaguars and offered the back of her palm to Archie, intending on paying him.
Archie grabbed the apple and took a bite out of it. The crisp apple taste washed away the food cravings he had. ¡°This apple is plenty,¡± He smiled.
¡°I insist. I don¡¯t take charity from anyone.¡± Eveyln firmly stated.
Archie smiled, a memory surfacing of his own grandmother saying something similar. "The only payment I''ll accept will have to be a great meal."
Eveyln looked at him for a few seconds before huffing, ¡°Fine¡I expect you to be here by tonight.¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Archie smiled as he left her stand, hearing her mutter under her breath something about kids being too kind for their own good.
Archie headed back out of the camp and started to sprint towards the direction Michael gave him, intent on finding a cave to stay in before nightfall.
After an hour of sprinting across the island, he arrived at the beach, and sure enough giant crabs were scuttering across the sand. Their metallic exoskeletons glistened from the sun¡¯s rays.
The ocean looked beautiful, its waters a vibrant blue as waves flowed onto the beach and back again. All in all, ignoring the giant crabs that scurried about, this beach looked like the perfect beach.
¡°Hopefully there are cave entrances that I can access below the water,¡± Archie said as he started to swim into the ocean.
When he got around fifty meters away from the shore, he dove into the ocean. Looking towards the shore, he saw no cave. So, he had to keep going deeper.
As Archie kept going deeper, he saw various sea creatures that caught his attention. The fish themselves didn¡¯t approach Archie, rather, they simply stared at him from afar as though it was their first time seeing a human.
[Sand Squid Lv 14]
[Bubble Jellyfish Lv 32]
[Gulper Eel Lv 37]
[Snailfish Lv 34]
These were the few that caught his attention. But aside from those fish, he eventually found what he was searching for¡ªa tunnel.
The tunnel looked promising, wide enough to fit a car. Archie began to swim through, noticing luminescent pebbles along the sides that emitted a faint blue glow.
This is definitely leading towards a dungeon entrance, he thought as he continued swimming.
Thankfully, it seemed his race evolution had also enhanced his lungs. He¡¯d been swimming deep underwater for at least twenty minutes now and only felt a slight ache in his chest. Eventually, the glow from the luminescent pebbles faded, leaving him alone, surrounded in darkness.
I should have grabbed one of those pebbles, he complained. He had long since lost his sense of direction. His lungs burned, his limbs felt heavier than they ever felt before, and his heart pounded erratically as it struggled to supply his body with oxygen.
But Archie kept swimming. He¡¯d forgotten how long he¡¯d been pushing forward, ignoring the pain and fatigue.
And then he saw it¡ªa light shining above him. Hope surged through him as he forced his heavy limbs toward the surface.
Breaking through the water, Archie gasped, inhaling fresh air as he coughed, finally free of the tunnel.
Archie pulled himself up from the tunnel and crawled a few feet before rolling onto his back, exhausted.
Looking up, he saw a ceiling made of rock and stalactites staring down at him. But he also saw a large hole in the cave ceiling shining light throughout the cave.
Seeing no danger around him, Archie closed his eyes, mentally exhausted.
Waking up, Archie saw the sun that had shined light throughout the cave had been replaced by the moon. Rising from the sandy floor, he brushed the sand stuck to his arms and face and started to explore the cave he was now in.
The walls were lined with several large, upside-down U-shaped tunnels, each one a dark passageway with not a speck of light shining through them. Three tunnels in particular looked to lead towards the sea; two of which led in the same direction, and the other led towards his left.
He could see various large rocks jutting out from the seawater in front of him, covered in vibrant green moss. He could hear the rhythmic sound of the waves lapping against the sand and rocks as it echoed throughout the cave.
This is calming. Archie thought as he took in his new surroundings.
Archie looked at the hole at the top of the cave and got an idea. Approaching the wall, he took a few steps back and launched himself forward in a running jump, his hands easily digging into the wall of the cave.
For a couple of moments, he hung there and did not feel the stone around him crumble or move. Then he pulled his right hand from the wall and dug it a bit higher above him.
Seeing that he could easily climb the wall, he kicked off the wall and landed back on the sand.
Dusting off his hands, Archie took out his forging equipment and table and placed them on the sand. He placed his hammers, tongs, and scriber atop the table to avoid them being lost in the sand. He then placed the large crate of iron and steel bars next to the table.
Archie removed his chain-mail-plated sleeves, placing both the damaged and intact ones atop the table. He stared at them, intending to try to make his own sleeves and use them as a basis for any future metal sleeves.
The shoulder portion of each sleeve consisted of six plates: three wide plates on top, with one side extending over his chest and the other covering his shoulder blade, and three longer plates beneath that protected his bicep, ending about three inches below his elbow. Each of these plates were connected via nails, something he did not have at the moment.
The elbow itself was shielded by a couter, which is made of two plates particularly shaped to allow the wearer to bend and extend his arm without restricting any movement. The sleeve''s final segment was a forearm guard, covering around five to six inches of his forearm, protected further by his frostiron gauntlet.
Each section of the sleeve was intricately connected, with the entire sleeve secured to his body by leather straps that could be tightened around his bicep, forearm, and shoulder.
¡°So, I¡¯ll need to make two plates for the bicep, two for the couter, one for the forearm, and six for the shoulder,¡± Archie muttered to himself, examining the chain-mail plated sleeves he received when he chose his Warrior class.
It seemed manageable; he had more than enough steel to attempt crafting and shaping the plates. The narrow tip of his precision anvil would aid in bending and forming each piece. His Forgesmith¡¯s Flame would let him weld the parts together seamlessly.
The only challenging part would be shaping the couter¡ªit was shaped like a heart, with the end being an elongated tip to cover the elbow and a slightly outward protruding top to allow his elbow to move without restriction.
But in order to grow, one must face adversity, and only then will you grow. And Archie was not one to run away from adversity. ¡°If I have trouble and give up making a couter then how the hell am I supposed to make a bike?¡± Archie said with a smile, not to mention he hadn¡¯t forgotten trying to connect his forging with nature spirits.
Hell, maybe he¡¯ll make his bike run off of nature spirits, who said bikes can¡¯t be eco-friendly.
Ch 37 - Sleeves
Archie grabbed a bar of steel and iron and realized that he had never identified them despite having a skill called Material Insight, which should grant him knowledge about materials upon using Identify on them.
Steel Ingot:
A block of refined steel, known for its moderate tensile strength and versatility. This ingot can be melted at 300 UST and reshaped repeatedly without significant loss of purity. It also serves as a moderate conductor for mana, making it suitable for various applications in forging, runic crafts, and various other crafts.
Iron Ingot:
A solid ingot of purified iron, known for its balance between malleability. This ingot can be melted at 150 UST and forged into various shapes, though it is prone to cracking if reforged more than thrice. It serves as a moderate conductor for mana, making it suitable for various applications in forging, runic crafts, and various other crafts.
Archie nodded at the information; steel would be good for the frame of the bike, however, he would need to find something better for the engine, as it would need to run on his mana as fuel.
I¡¯ll try working with steel this time, as its moderate tensile strength would be great for armor. Archie thought while placing the iron ingot back in its crate.
Archie placed the steel ingot in between the jaws of the heavy-duty tongs and set his forge ablaze using Forgemaster¡¯s Flame.
After a few minutes of watching the steel ingot¡¯s grey color turn red-hot, Archie took out the ingot and placed it atop the heavy-duty anvil. Setting aside the heavy-duty tongs and grabbing his heavy-duty hammer, Archie started to flatten the ingot.
Once the ingot was flattened with a thickness of ? inches on all sides, he used his precision tongs and placed the steel plate onto the precision anvil. Archie used the narrow edge of the anvil as a ledge to bend the plate. He also made four small holes at the ends of the plate, allowing for leather to attach the armor to his arm.
After looking at the now cylindrical plate, he realized that he had no way of checking to see if it would fit his forearm. Archie did not have a cast of his forearm made. A frustrated string of curses escaped him as he kicked the sand beneath his feet.
However, as the sand flew in the air, an idea popped into his mind. Kneeling, Archie pressed his right arm firmly into the sand, lifting it to reveal an intact mold. He found his mold.
Archie placed the cylindrical plate in the mold, specifically where his forearm would be, and noticed that he needed to widen it a bit.
Placing the steel cylindrical plate into the forge once more and taking it out once it looked malleable. Archie then placed it atop the precision anvil once more and started to widen it slightly by using the precision hammer very lightly so as to not cause any cracking.
Satisfied once it widened, Archie walked to the edge of the seawater and plunged the steel into it. Steam billowed up as the cold seawater clashed with the heated metal, solidifying the shape and strength of the forearm bit.
Placing the forearm bit onto the table, he now started to work on the coater bit.
Archie took out a flattened steel plate and placed it atop the precision anvil. This piece would become the front half of the couter, thus it needed to be flexible, yet tough.
Archie started to lightly hammer one end of the couter-half, making it rounded to protect his elbow. Afterward, he started to shape heart heart-shaped end that would protect his inner elbow; he needed to slowly bend the heart tip outwards to allow for movement, but not cause any cracking.
Satisfied at the sight of the half-couter he plunged it into the sea beside him. After the steam vanished, he looked at the couter and frowned.
He noticed that small fractures had formed on the rounded bit of the couter. Archie tossed the ruined couter-half into his spatial ring. ¡®I¡¯ll smelt it back down once I gain a crucible and a cast for ingots.¡¯ He thought as he grabbed another steel ingot.
Archie stared at the now completed sleeves, he soldered the plates together ensuring that they wouldn¡¯t fall apart after a hit or two. And he made sure that the couter allowed for full movement of his elbow.
All that was left was to attach the leather straps and etch the runes atop the armor.
Taking out the leather straps he got from Bill, Archie placed them through the various small openings he made on each part of the sleeve bits.
Identifying the sleeve reminded him that he had yet to consider the sleeve as completed.
Steel Sleeve (Common):
A steel sleeve forged by Archie Gracefield, a Novice Forgesmith. The sleeve itself is comprised of three separate steel pieces fused together: pauldrons, couters, and forearm guards. This sleeve was made to perfectly fit Archie Gracefield. Status: Perfect.
¡°I need to add runes to them. But which?¡± Archie muttered while pacing around. ¡°I need to add a Soul-Bound rune and Self-Repair rune. Those two are a given, however, I want to try and make a new rune.¡±
¡°It would need to be centered around an Earth runic base¡I can combine a power amplifier circuit and connect it to the Earth runic base, with an emphasis on its protective aspects. Thus, creating a defensive rune!¡± Archie exclaimed while sending away the crate of ingots and placing the crate of metal slates in its place.
Archie then took off his chest plate and placed it atop the table. Looking on the inside of the chest plate he found the runes he was looking for; the Self-Repair rune as well as the Soul-Bound rune.
Both runes were the size of three inches in diameter and many magical pathways connected to their runic base. Looking at the runic bases, he noticed that they weren¡¯t the basic elemental runic bases, but other than that he couldn¡¯t tell what they were.
Unsure which was which, he started to slowly copy the rune on the right. Said rune had a runic base that looked like a crossbreed of the letters Y, Z, and G all combined into one with various magical pathways sprouting from it. The circuit surrounding it looked¡ familiar.
¡°Is that a feedback loop?¡± Archie said while looking at a specific part of the runic pathway. Connected to that loop was something similar to flip-flop circuits. This has to be the Self-Repair rune, Archie rationalized.
¡°The flip-flop circuit would activate, I assume, when mana gets channeled through the sleeve, and slowly iterates through every part of the armor trying to find any damage inflicted on it. The feedback loop would perform a type of recall and revert to its previous state, depending on the signal received from the flip-flop. This is the Self-Repair rune¡So, that would make the runic base be related to time.¡± Archie said while periodically activating the rune by channeling it with mana and observing the effects that occurred.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Archie then started to scribe the rune atop the metal sheet. As he drew the magical pathways, a thought appeared through his mind, How the hell is this runic base not abused? I mean if any basic smith can control and create something that can rewind time, what else can be done?
After finishing etching the metal sheet, Archie placed his scriber down and Identified his rune.
Iron Sheet (Common):
An iron Sheet forged by Syllia Glynvyre, a D-Grade Expert Runesmith. A Self-Repair rune has been etched by Archie Gracefield, a Novice Forgesmith. Effect: Self-Repair. Status: Perfect.
Smiling at his success, he looked at the Soul-Bound rune etched onto his chest plate. The runic base looked like spirals forming together inside a triangle. Looks like the triangle represents the body and the spirals inside it represents the soul, Archie analyzed. He wasn''t 100% sure, but he felt that that sounded right.
Connected to the runic base were various magical pathways forming bounded circuits as well as many other circuits he had never seen before.
I guess I¡¯ll just copy this rune. After I¡¯m done with etching runes on the sleeves, I¡¯ll redraw the rune and break it apart to figure out the circuits I don¡¯t understand. Archie conceded as he started to scribe the rune onto a metal sheet.
Iron Sheet (Common):
An iron Sheet forged by Syllia Glynvyre, a D-Grade Expert Runesmith. A Soul-Bound rune has been etched by Archie Gracefield, a Novice Forgesmith. Effect: Soul-Bound. Status: Perfect.
Placing the metal sheet off to his right, Archie pulled out a metal sheet and drew the Earth runic base atop it. Archie took a second to imagine the connection between the power amplifier circuit and the runic base. Calculating mentally, he would need to draw around two transistors, a couple of resistors, and a capacitor or two.
Archie started to etch the pathways connected to the runic base, but just as he drew the final capacitor the magic ink fizzled on the metal sheet and vanished. Leaving Archie confused with a clean metal sheet.
¡°What? Did I mess up somewhere?¡± Archie said, trying to remember what he did with a bewildered expression on his face. Was it the resistors? Archie thought.
¡°Ah fuck¡I forgot to adjust the Ohms for the resistors.¡± Archie groaned; he would have to redraw the rune until he got the Ohm ratios correctly. This was going to take a while.
Archie looked at the defensive rune he personally made without help with a smile.
Iron Sheet (Common):
An iron Sheet forged by Syllia Glynvyre, a D-Grade Expert Runesmith. An Impact Absorption rune has been etched by Archie Gracefield, a Novice Forgesmith. Effect: Impact Absorption. Status: Perfect.
It took a couple of hours to get the ratio correct, but it worked out for the best. Now all that was left was to etch the runes onto the sleeves.
Archie cracked his fingers as he finished etching the runes onto the inner pauldrons of the steel sleeves.
Steel Sleeves of Protection (Uncommon):
Steel sleeves forged by Archie Gracefield, a Novice Forgesmith. The sleeve itself is comprised of three separate steel pieces fused together: pauldrons, couters, and forearm guards. This sleeve was made to perfectly fit Archie Gracefield. Effects: Self-Repair, Soul-Bound & Impact Absorption. Provides +40 Vit & +25 End. Status: Perfect. Requirements: Lv 50+ & Humanoid Race.
Archie stared at his forged sleeves with pride. ¡°Hey, Bralmir, you there?¡± Archie asked, looking up from the runes he had etched on the finished sleeves.
A weight descended atop Archie¡¯s shoulders, informing him that Bralmir was indeed there.
¡°Yes, I am. Is there something you need?¡± Bralmir responded, his voice a lighter tone
Archie took a second to respond, ¡°How are you, man? You sound a bit better.¡±
¡°I have been getting back into forging as of late. Something I had been putting off these past cycles.¡± Bralmir replied, a light smile appearing on Archie¡¯s face as he heard his friend making progress.
¡°I¡¯ve been dabbling into forging myself; I just finished forging some sleeves and was about to etch some runes atop them,¡± Archie said.
¡°Hmm¡not bad for your first attempt at making plated sleeves. Eventually, you will forge with more malleable metals, allowing for seamless formation of armor. I think your civilization called them to be nanites.¡± Bralmir said while focusing on Archie¡¯s craft.
¡°Nanites! I don¡¯t think I¡¯m anywhere near ready to make nanites, I just figured out how Self-Repair runes work.¡± Archie joked.
¡°It''s a pretty basic thing to do,¡± Bralmir chuckled at Archie¡¯s response. ¡°Maybe, but soon enough you will find many materials to forge that work in different ways.¡±
¡°With how fun it¡¯s been so far, I can¡¯t wait. I already have a goal in mind that I want to complete before I evolve.¡± Archie smiled.
¡°That¡¯s for the best especially since your next evolution will be different.¡± Bralmir chuckled.
¡°What do you mean?¡± Archie asked, confused at what Bralmir meant.
¡°Now as an E-Grade, you are imbued with mana, correct?¡± Bralmir asked and got a nod from Archie. ¡°Now that you¡¯re imbued with mana, each Class and Profession evolution will contain trials for you to complete if you wish to evolve into that particular choice.¡± Bralmir continued gaining a shocked look from Archie.
¡°Oh! Is there a limit to how many times I can take the trial? What happens if I fail them all?¡± Archie asked.
¡°Typically, you receive two attempts for a trial. If you fail, you decrease in your Race level and your records take a hit. However, you can still evolve but the choices will be slightly worse than before.¡± Bralmir explained
¡°Two attempts are better than nothing. Thanks, Bralmir¡± Archie said, confident with the odds, he just had to prove that he could handle whatever trial he would face.
¡°No problem,¡± Bralmir said before leaving, releasing the pressure atop Archie¡¯s shoulders.
Putting the discussion he had with Bralmir at the back of his head, Archie looked at his notifications that he ignored and read through them while equipping his sleeves.
*Your Profession has reached Lv 53¨C Points allocated, +4 Free Points*
***
*Your Profession has reached Lv 56¨C Points allocated, +4 Free Points*
*Your Race has reached Lv 55¨C Points allocated, +3 Free Points*
*Your Race has reached Lv 56¨C Points allocated, +3 Free Points*
Skill Upgraded [Basic Smithing Mastery (Initiate ¡ú Common)]
Basic Smithing Mastery (Common):
Mastery over the forge begins with understanding the basics. You have begun your journey. This skill allows for the crafting of various Common-quality items through smithing. Proper materials and equipment are required to smith items successfully. Adds a lesser chance to improve the effectiveness of crafted items based on Willpower.
Skill Upgraded [Basic Rune Scribing (Common ¡ú Rare)]
Basic Rune Scribing (Rare):
The art of rune scribing opens the door to enchanting and imbuing objects with magical properties. An initiate rune scribe learns to carve basic symbols that can provide various benefits onto the object. This skill allows for the creation of simple runes with various effects. Appropriate materials and tools are necessary for scribing runes. Adds a moderate increase to the effectiveness of runes based on Intelligence.
The skill descriptions didn¡¯t change much, only increasing the chance for better quality items and increased rune effectiveness.
Looking up he saw the moon slowly start to set, suddenly he remembered what he told Evelyn. ¡°I¡¯ll leave the boots for another day,¡± Archie said when looking down at his plated boots.
Opening his status page, Archie decided to place 30 points each into Wisdom and Willpower and 20 points into Endurance and Agility.
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human E-Grade Lv 56
Class: Nature-Attuned Pugilist Lv 55
Profession: Novice Forgesmith Lv 56
Health: 3958/3958
Mana: 851/1220
Stamina: 756/3003
Stats:
Vitality: 377(395)
Strength: 276(317)
Endurance: 286(300)
Agility: 232
Intelligence: 216
Wisdom: 122
Willpower: 122(134)
Perception: 201
Free Points: 1
General Skills: Identify (Initiate), Nature''s Meditation (Epic)
Class Skills: Basic Martial Combat Mastery (Uncommon), Savage Charge (Uncommon), Adrenaline Rush (Rare), Pugilist¡¯s Grit (Uncommon), Retaliation (Uncommon), Relentless Flurry (Uncommon), Taunt (Uncommon), Thorns (Common)
Profession Skills: Forgesmith¡¯s Flame (Initiate), Basic Smithing Mastery (Common), Basic Rune Scribing (Rare), Material Insight (Common)
Bloodline: Adrenaline Junkie (Unique) [+10% to Strength and +10% to Willpower]
Affinity: Greater Nature Affinity (Epic)
Blessing: Blessing of the Forgefather (Moderate) [+5% to Strength and +5% to Endurance]
Titles Collected: Bloodline Progenitor [+10 Vitality and +5% Vitality], Flawless E-Grade Evolution [+10 all Stats]
Tutorial Points: 114,333
¡°I¡¯ll go to the camp after I meditate,¡± Archie chuckled
Ch 38 - Dead End Professions
Exiting Nature¡¯s Meditation, Archie felt his mana and stamina pools were now fully replenished. He looked up at the hole in his base''s ceiling and saw the sun now emerging.
Archie returned his forging equipment into his spatial ring and walked towards the nearest wall. He quickly began scaling the cave walls, leaving behind various five-digit holes across the walls of his new base. Upon emerging through his base''s ceiling, he paused, confusion flickering across his face as he surveyed his surroundings.
¡°Where am I? I was just by the beach.¡± Archie wondered aloud, taking in the jungle surrounding the top of his base.
The jungle foliage was too thick to see any hint of where he was, regarding the two places he knew, the Assistant village and Michael¡¯s camp. To ensure that he wouldn¡¯t forget where his base was, Archie started to mark the trees that he went past with his dagger.
Archie left a small ¡®x¡¯ on the base of the trees and started to walk through the jungle in a straight line. Unfortunately, his tree-jumping adventures would have to take a pause until he figured out where he was in regard to the two locations that he knew.
While walking through the jungle, Archie noticed something weird: not a single creature looked to be above level 20. Either the system had created a zone only for beginners, or something was killing anything above level 20, Archie poised. Either way, this was weird.
Pushing past an umbrella plant, Archie finally saw something that he recognized, the Assistant village.
Now that he knew where he was, Archie sprinted towards the village. Intent on asking Syllia where he could get a crucible and how to make some molds.
Knocking on Syllia¡¯s building door, Archie heard the words, ¡°Come in,¡± from Syllia.
Opening the door, Archie saw Syllia sitting on a chair, looking at a metallic tablet, and eating some type of weird-looking sandwich.
¡°Hello, Syllia,¡± Archie said while closing the door behind him.
Syllia looked up from her tablet and smiled when she saw Archie. ¡°Hello, Archie,¡± Syllia said while placing down her tablet and sandwich.
¡°How have you been?¡± Archie asked.
¡°I¡¯ve been great. How have you been?¡± Syllia questioned, tapping the side of her neck with two fingers.
¡°¡Good. What was that?¡± Archie asked, confused as to why Syllia randomly tapped her neck.
¡°What was what?¡± Syllia asked, confused as to what Archie meant until Archie started to mimic what she did.
¡°Oh, that? I just disconnected from my Aetherglass,¡± Syllia explained, but it seemed to draw an even more confused look from Archie.
¡°What¡¯s an Aetherglass?¡± Archie asked.
¡°It acts similar to a smartphone in your world,¡± Syllia responded garnering Archie¡¯s full attention.
¡°I don''t mean to be rude, but how do you know what a smartphone is? And where can I get one?¡± Archie questioned, now confused as to how Syllia knew about smartphones from Earth and where he could get one.
¡°Various factions gather information about new universes and sell their information. I found a broker who was willing to sell me everything that your world has about circuitry, so I can better understand those who mention it.¡± Syllia explained. "I purchased mine from the Workshop, so I guess you can purchase one from there as well."
¡°Oh, nice. What caught your attention?¡± Archie asked. ¡°You looked really interested at what was on your Aetherglass. Did you find anything cool?¡±
¡°Nothing circuitry, I was just watching a few shows I¡¯ve been stockpiling for a while now,¡± Syllia answered while getting up from her seat. ¡°So, what do you need?¡±
¡°I was wondering if you could teach me how to make a crucible and molds,¡± Archie asked.
Syllia smiled and asked Archie, ¡°What do you intend to do with the crucible and molds?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll use them to create weapons and armor faster as well as to recycle my scraps,¡± Archie explained, confused at her sudden question.
¡°This is your first smithing Profession, correct?¡± Syllia asked, getting a nod from Archie. ¡°Right now, you shouldn¡¯t be using molds or crucibles. You just started learning how to forge properly, which means using armor and weapon molds now will ruin your fundamentals. As an E-Grade, you gain levels quickly, but your records will be diluted since you wouldn¡¯t really be doing much of anything other than heating and pouring liquid metal into a cast¡That¡¯s a bad thing.¡±
¡°They would affect my evolution options.¡± A look of understanding dawned on Archie¡¯s face, ¡°Would my Profession have a focus on mass-producing items if I used molds and made a bunch of weapons and armor?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Syllia sighed, a weary expression on her face. ¡°It¡¯s not a good Profession, to say the least. Mass Production Professions are generally looked down on since the qualities of the items produced from them aren¡¯t¡great to say the least. I haven¡¯t heard of any Mass Production focused Profession getting past C-Grade, most consider it to be a dead end for your Journey.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Archie nodded, heeding Syllia¡¯s words. ¡°I should hold back on using molds and crucibles for now. I should just focus on making things that I find interesting and useful. But what should I do with any warped metal? How do I make them back into ingots?¡±
¡°Oh, you can use a crucible and mold for that and it will not influence your records. Making ingots with ore and melting back down ruined crafts is Basic Smithing 101.¡± Syllia said while producing a small crucible and an ingot mold and handing them to Archie. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
¡°Oh, I was meaning to get upgrades for my boots, but I¡¯d rather not make them out of metal. I was thinking about getting some leather boots and modifying them a bit, would that improve their stats.¡± Archie asked, he¡¯d been thinking about getting upgrades for his feet, however the idea of steel or iron boots felt like a hassle to make. He would have to make so many modifications to allow them to be as flexible as normal leather boots.
¡°Of course,¡± Syllia responded.
¡°Alright, thanks. I¡¯ll come back when I have some more questions,¡± Archie said as he sent the crucible and mold away and headed out the door. ¡°Take care.¡±
¡°Take care,¡± Syllia said as Archie closed the door behind himself.
Syllia quickly opened her Aetherglass and swiped a few times before a video started to play. ¡°Oh my¡¡± Syllia blushed as various scenes started to show up on the Aetherglass.
Archie entered the camp without issue. The only thing that grabbed his attention was the number of people patrolling around.
Looking around, within the camp, everything looked just as it did the day before. ¡®Was there always this amount of people patrolling the camp?¡¯ Archie thought.
Archie made his way towards Eveyln¡¯s stand and found her stirring a large pot with her usual smile.
¡°Hello, Miss Evelyn! How are you?¡± Archie asked.
Evelyn looked up from her pot and her smile widened, ¡°Hello Archie. Where were you last night? I had a large kebab tray ready for you.¡±
Archie rubbed the back of his neck and said, ¡°Sorry, I was doing something far away from the camp and lost track of time.¡±
Evelyn smiled at Archie¡¯s expression and got back to stirring her pot. ¡°I know that look. You did something reckless.¡±
Archie rolled his eyes, grandmas and mom always knew when you did something stupid. ¡°Do you have anything ready?¡±
¡°Come back in 10 and I¡¯ll have some soup ready,¡± Evelyn said, causing Archie to pout. Ever since he evolved, he¡¯d been feeling more and more hungry, but that could just be due to Evelyn and her amazing cooking.
Archie sighed before nodding and sadly walked towards Bill¡¯s stand.
Archie found Bill hanging up pieces of hide onto his tannery. ¡°Hey Bill.¡±
Bill turned around and looked at who called him, ¡°Hello, Archie. You use the straps?¡±
Archie chuckled and lifted his right arm, showing Bill the leather straps he used for his sleeves. Bill¡¯s eyes glowed green as he intensely stared at Archie¡¯s sleeves.
¡°Looks good from what I can tell. I¡¯m glad that my leather strips were of use. Next time, if you want, I can make them like small belts, but without the metal bits; you gotta do that yourself.¡± Bill said, his eyes returning back to their normal greys.
¡°I¡¯ll take you up on that offer.¡± Archie smiled, ¡°You got any decent boots?¡±
Bill reached under his stand and pulled out a pair of leather boots before placing them in front of Archie.
Shadowstalker Boots (Uncommon):
Dark leather boots made with the hide of a Shadowstalker. Crafted by Bill Evans, an F-Grade Novice Leatherworker. Due to the innate abilities of Shadowstalker hide, your footsteps are silent, enhanced when within the shadows. Effects: Soul-Bound, Self-Repair & Shadowstalker Steps. Provides: +25 Agi & +15 End. Status: Perfect. Requirement: Lv 45+ & Humanoid Race.
¡°These look great, but you sure they¡¯re gonna fit me?¡± Archie asked, picking up the boots.
¡°It shouldn¡¯t be a problem. So long as you¡¯re a humanoid they¡¯ll fit on you, due to system bullshittery.¡± Bill explained.
¡°Huh¡Thanks for the info. How much do I owe you?¡± Archie asked.
¡°Give me 275 for ¡®em,¡± Bill said, offering the back of his palm. Archie nodded and paid Bill the amount and sent the boots to his spatial ring.
¡°Take care, Bill,¡± Archie said before heading back to Evelyn.
¡°You too,¡± Bill replied, going back to tending to his hides.
Bralmir placed his hammer down and picked up the dagger he had been working on. He stared at it intently, its aura shining brightly. The dagger was 30cm long, and the hilt and grip looked to be made out of twisted tree roots. But the most interesting feature about the knife was its blade, it looked to be made out of light given physical form.
He tossed the dagger into a large pile of weapons, each radiating a similar aura. Just as Bralmir reached for a smaller pile of slightly rusted weapons, he paused, sensing a presence just outside his door.
¡°Come in Diana,¡± Bralmir said while picking up the dagger from the pile he threw it in, his back still facing the door.
The door opened to reveal a figure with long, flowing white hair that sharply contrasted against her dark, ebony-colored skin. A braided crown adorned her head, giving her an air of regal authority. She wore intricately detailed dark leather armor, adorned with elegant patterns, and a dark cloak flowed behind her, adding to her imposing presence. A quiver of arrows and a finely crafted bow rested on her back, hinting at her prowess as a skilled archer. Her eyes, resembling twin moons, stared intently at Bralmir.
"Hello, Bralmir. It¡¯s good to see you again." Diana said, a smile adorning her face.
Bralmir turned around, a small smile on his face and the dagger in his right hand. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you too. It¡¯s been far too long.¡± He saw a glint in her eye that caused him to quickly send the dagger away.
And just in time as Diana closed the distance between them and pulled Bralmir into a hug. After a while, Bralmir and Diana separated.
¡°Are you feeling better now?¡± Diana asked, with a somber look.
¡°I am,¡± Bralmir said before producing the dagger and handing it to Diana.
Diana accepted the dagger and looked at it fondly, ¡°I asked you to repair it almost 50 cycles ago. Do you even remember what I asked you to repair it with?¡±
¡°I repaired it using twin moons surrounding an uninhabited planet,¡± Bralmir responded.
¡°Have there been any sightings of any Veldrens lingering?¡± Bralmir asked, anger lacing his tone.
¡°That would be impossible,¡± Diana responded, softly patting Bralmir¡¯s arm. ¡°With the way you slaughtered everyone in their Pantheon.¡±
Bralmir looked at his forge, his anger slowly leaving him.
¡°You never did explain what you did to them for their race to go into extinction,¡± Diana said, looking at Bralmir.
¡°I shattered their evolutionary Journey to reach godhood,¡± Bralmir said, staring into his Forgesmith¡¯s Flame.
¡°I-,¡± Diana looked at Bralmir with wide eyes, before looking away and into the forge¡¯s flame. ¡°I assume the backlash was brutal.¡±
A large toothy smile spread across Bralmir¡¯s face, ¡°The joy I gained when I heard their screams¡Far surpassed any pain from the backlash I experienced.¡±
Diana leaned against Bralmir, ¡°Are you going to visit the Workshop? I hear poor Balgid barely has time to drink with all the work you¡¯ve piled on him. And for a dwarf, you know as much as I do that¡¯s akin to taking away oxygen from an E-Grade.¡±
Bralmir¡¯s toothy smile faded at the thought of his friend, ¡°I should. Does the multiverse know of my return?¡±
Diana released a chuckle before saying, ¡°With the way you started to forge again after 50 cycles? I¡¯d be surprised if any god didn¡¯t know you were back. You woke everyone up, even the Undead Queen and she¡¯s been sleeping for the past few cycles out of boredom.¡±
Bralmir chuckled, ¡°I guess I gotta finish these orders up soon. I¡¯ve been late on getting them repaired.¡±
¡°I can see Ragnvald¡¯s boots in that pile. If you hold them for any longer, he¡¯s gonna visit. I remember when he made you his test dummy for his ¡®food¡¯ experiments.¡± Diana teased, making quotation marks when she said food. Causing Bralmir to twitch a bit, muttering the words, never again, under his breath.
Diana chuckled before pulling Bralmir down and giving him a kiss. ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon?¡±
¡°When I¡¯m done. I¡¯ll make up for lost time.¡± Bralmir responded, causing a grin to appear on her face.
Ch 39 - Mage Assistant
Archie made his way toward the Assistant village, his stomach full of Evelyn''s vegetable soup. However, just as he was about to reach the village, he saw something peculiar off into the distance.
An orange-yellow rabbit with long ears and an overly muscular body, faced off against an overly buff-looking lizard. The two animals circled each other, their eyes never leaving one another. Suddenly, The rabbit suddenly let out a high-pitched squeal causing the iguana to respond in kind with a sharp hiss.
[Emernian Rabbit Lv 25]
[Emernian Iguana Lv 20]
Oh shit! Archie thought as he crouched down, eyes glued to the two animals about to fight. There was no way he was going to miss the first bit of entertainment he¡¯d had since the tutorial began.
The rabbit leaped into the air, easily reaching a height of four meters, its rear right paw aimed at the iguana¡¯s head. The iguana, however, was quick on its feet, sidestepping the rabbit¡¯s front kick with ease.
With a swift motion, the iguana slapped the rabbit aside with its spiked tail, slicing into its flesh and drawing the first blood.
Oh shit! Archie¡¯s eyes went wide as he covered his mouth. That iguana¡¯s got moves.
The rabbit bared its teeth, stomping the ground and kicking up a small dust cloud, covering the two. Moments later, the iguana was sent flying from the cloud, tumbling through the air before crashing to the ground. It shook its head, staring at the rabbit that emerged from the dust, a cut forming on its left cheek.
Thanks to Archie¡¯s high perception, he could clearly see what had happened. The rabbit extended the claws on its front paws, cutting across the iguana¡¯s cheek before leaping into the air to deliver a spinning back kick that launched the iguana away.
What the hell? Archie stared at the rabbit in disbelief. This rabbit has better moves than me!
The iguana hissed at the rabbit, causing the rabbit to bare its fangs and squeal angrily. My bro taunted it, Archie¡¯s jaw-dropping at the iguana''s actions. This is better than anything I¡¯ve ever seen.
The rabbit kicked off the ground and charged headfirst at the iguana. Seeing the rabbit off the ground, the iguana opened its mouth and spat a green liquid at it. The liquid splashed across the rabbit¡¯s face with a sizzling sound.
The rabbit lost balance mid-jump, tumbling to the ground with a painful squeal.
The iguana quickly scuttled toward the downed rabbit and pounced on it, its jaws snapping onto its neck. The rabbit flailed around, its limbs kicking at everything in an attempt to shake off the iguana, but the iguana¡¯s grip was unyielding.
A soft cracking sound echoed from the two, and the rabbit¡¯s body went limp. The iguana had won, and it now feasted on its spoils.
Archie stood up and began clapping loudly. This was the best thing he¡¯d ever witnessed.
The sudden noise made the iguana freeze, its eyes wide with fright. It turned to Archie, staring in fear, too cautious to move in case it provoked him.
Archie nodded with respect at the iguana before turning away, making his way toward the Assistant village.
The iguana stared at Archie¡¯s back with both fear and confusion, its jaws still latched onto the rabbit¡¯s neck.
Archie reached the Assistant village with a smile on his face. The fight between the rabbit and iguana was amazing.
Entering the village center, Archie found Xelgar sitting on a rocking chair on his porch looking at his Aetherglass with furrowed brows.
¡°Hello, Archie,¡± Xelgar said, looking up from his Aetherglass with a smile and tapping his neck. ¡°How are you?¡±
¡°Great and you?¡± Archie asked, a smile on his face.
¡°Great,¡± Xelgar said as he tossed the Aetherglass behind his back. Just as the Aetherglass passed by his head it vanished¡ªpresumably into his spatial storage.
Xelgar gave Archie a long, appraising look before sighing. ¡°You¡¯ve got spatial storage too, don¡¯t ya?¡± Archie smiled and nodded in confirmation. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe how many times I¡¯ve gotten looks of disbelief pulling that stunt with your fellow Tutorial Participants. Now that my ego has been hit, what¡¯s up?¡±
¡°I just witnessed the greatest fight of all time not far from here,¡± Archie said, excitement lighting up his face. Xelgar¡¯s eyes sparked with intrigue, his previously bummed demeanor disappearing in an instant.
¡°Do tell,¡± Xelgar urged, leaning forward with interest quickly closing the distance between the two of them.
¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe it,¡± Archie replied with a grin. He then launched into a vivid recounting of the battle he had seen just outside the village, his hands moving animatedly as he illustrated each moment of the fight.
After Archie finished, Xelgar looked at him with a deadpan expression, ¡°That rabbit did not do a spinning backkick.¡±
¡°I swear it did,¡± Archie said, both his tone and face were completely serious. Xelgar looked at Archie before looking off at the entrance of the village and grabbing the lower half of his face with his right hand, brows furrowed. ¡°I believe you.¡±
A thin strip of paper, adorned with intricate symbols, appeared between Xelgar¡¯s fingers as he spoke, his tone devoid of any humor. ¡°If you come across anything like that fight again during the tutorial, rip this.¡± he said, ¡°I need to see it.¡±
Archie accepted the piece of paper with a serious expression, ¡°I will.¡±
¡°So...Ahem¡What can I do to help you?¡± Xelgar said, clearing his throat.
Archie smiled at the obvious topic change. ¡°I wanted to say hi and ask where the mage Assistant teaches.¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
¡°Cyric lives four buildings to your right. It¡¯s the tower on the right, the one with yellow-tinted windows.¡± Xelgar said, pointing at the only cobblestone tower in the village.
¡°Thanks, man,¡± Archie replied with a smile. ¡°Take care,¡± he added, as he made his way toward the cobblestone tower.
Xelgar quickly took out his Aetherglass and went back to reading with furrowed brows. The Mechara Order started a war with the Celestial Choir? Why? They¡¯ve been allies for the past 65 cycles. His fingers danced over the surface of the Aetherglass, flipping through the text that sprawled across the screen, his confusion deepening. The Hivernex and The Scaled Dominion became allies? After 30 cycles of war? He squinted at the glowing script, reading over the alliance¡¯s details. What the hell is going on?
Archie knocked on the wooden door of the cobblestone tower. To his surprise, the door swung open immediately after his knock, but no one was there.
A confused look crossed Archie¡¯s face, but he shrugged and stepped inside. It¡¯s a tower owned by a mage; I¡¯d be surprised if it didn¡¯t open on its own. As soon as he passed through the doorway, he felt as though he had stepped into a vat of viscous liquid. What the hell is this?
Archie looked around and noticed that the tower was way larger than how it was portrayed to be. The inside of the tower looked to be the same size as his new cave base, and that was ignoring the staircase leading to a second floor.
The floors were a rich dark wood, and the walls were of a similar color. Various tapestries and paintings covered the walls, depicting various scenes of individuals bowing to a Woman with pale skin and blood-red hair.
Intricately carved chairs and heavy wooden tables were paired on one side of the room while plush velvet cushions and leather sofas were on the other. In the center of the room however was a large fireplace with a painting of a regal man with long inky black hair, a pointed goatee, and red-slitted eyes.
¡°Hello,¡± said a voice just beside him.
Archie jumped away from where he heard the voice. Looking at where he previously stood was a man who looked no older than him.
The man looked exactly like the one in the painting but without the goatee. Instead of the black cape with deep red highlights, the high-collared tunic with gold accents, black dress pants, and pristine shoes, he wore grey sweatpants and a matching grey hoodie. His hair was tied into a messy bun, and he was only wearing socks.
¡°Cyric, I presume?¡± Archie asked, calming down from the fight the man gave him.
¡°You presume correctly,¡± Cyric responded with a smile, walking towards the leather sofas. Once he laid on it, he released a sigh of relief and looked at Archie, ¡°And you are?¡±
¡°Archie. I came here because Xelgar told me you¡¯re the Mage assistant.¡± Archie said, looking at the man lounging on the sofa. Identifying the man put him on edge.
[?]
Cyric either wore something that blocked an Identify or had a skill that did something similar.
Cyric raised an eyebrow at Archie, ¡°Are you going to sit down?¡±
Archie made his way to the sofa opposite Cyric and sat down. ¡°So, what do you need help with?¡± Cyric asked, producing a glass of water on the table closest to Archie.
¡°Oh, thank you,¡± Archie said while taking a sip of water. ¡°I got a couple of questions I wanted to ask; some related to my Class, Profession and generic ones.¡±
¡°Ask away,¡± Cyric nodded at Archie.
¡°So, what can I do to improve my mana manipulation? Are there any exercises that I can do to improve it?¡± Archie asked, he really wanted to improve his mana manipulation as it still felt inefficient and clunky. If he was going to build a mana-run bike, then he¡¯d need to have pretty good control over his mana.
¡°There are many ways to improve your manipulation of mana; I shall give you four different exercises that are most common within the multiverse,¡± Cyric said, producing four 2D boxes atop the table between both him and Archie.
¡°First is, mana flow control. Practice speeding up and slowing down the flow of mana within your body.¡± One of the boxes had an outline of a human body with various arrows moving around. ¡°This exercise improves how fast your mana responds to your will.¡±
¡°Second is, mana shaping. Mold your mana into different shapes or forms using your focus.¡± The second box depicted a man forming a sword of mana in one hand and a shield in the other. ¡°If you create a sword, try to make it not shatter in a single strike. If you cast a spell, make it faster, stronger, larger.¡±
¡°Third is, mana threading. Create mana threads and make them perform various tasks.¡± The third box depicted a man sitting in a lotus position with many strings attached to his body, each performing a different task. ¡°I recommend starting with two or three strings and increasing the number when you feel confident. You can increase their strength by imbuing them with more mana.¡±
¡°Fourth is, mana meditation. Empty your mind and focus on the mana within you. Do nothing but feel it.¡± The last box depicted a man sitting in a lotus position atop a hill. ¡°Meditation is perfect for feeling and understanding how mana flows within your body.¡±
Archie took in everything Cyric explained, they seemed simple enough to emulate. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ve done a bit of mana threading, but nothing major. Would my Nature¡¯s Meditation skill change anything?¡± Telling Cyric about his skill didn¡¯t bother him, withholding potentially important information from the guy teaching him sounded stupid.
A slight smile grew on Cryric¡¯s face. ¡°You are the second person within the tutorial who has an affinity meditation-related skill. The only difference is that I recommend you meditate in places of nature.¡±
Archie gave Cyric a look of intrigue when he mentioned someone else having an affinity-related skill. Noticing this, Cyric chuckled and said, ¡°I was told of their affinity in confidence. And I give you my confidence that not a living soul will hear about it from me.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± Archie nodded in understanding. ¡°So, I was told that you taught people the Basic Elemental Weapon skill, and I was wondering how I can do that on my gauntlets.¡±
¡°It''s pretty basic, just channel your attuned mana into your gauntlets and imagine what you wish to envelop them. For example Earth; enveloping it on your fists would give it more ''oomph'' with every strike. Once you succeed in maintaining it for a minute or two you will gain the skill.¡± Cryric explained, his fists rising into the air as he said the word oomph.
Sounds reasonable enough, Archie thought.
¡°My last question pertains to my smithing profession. I was going to ask about making mana tools, but you answered that already.¡± Archie said with a smile, ¡°But, now I have a different one. What would happen if I were to imbue my mana into my smithing process, would it make the metal more nature-attuned? What if I don¡¯t want that, what would I have to do?¡±
¡°Mana smithing is a pretty common smith ability. Thus, it¡¯s very well explored and explained.¡± Cyric said, ¡°If you want the metal to be nature-attuned, imbue your nature-attuned mana onto it. If you want normal mana imbued into your metal, imbue it with your unattuned mana.¡±
How do I tell the difference between them¡Oh¡mana flow control and meditation, Archie gained a look of realization, understanding how important these mana manipulation exercises would be.
Cyric noticed Archie¡¯s understanding and continued with his explanation. ¡°When you imbue the metal with mana, you must carefully maintain the balance of both physical and magical elements within it.¡±
¡°Makes sense, don¡¯t wanna teeter the tip too close to one side otherwise it¡¯ll shatter or something like that.¡± Archie nodded at Cyric¡¯s explanation. ¡°Sorry last question, but what about spirits?¡±
Cyric hesitated for a second, but said, ¡°Unfortunately, I do not know much about spirits. My expertise is based around the elements, and not the spiritual. I apologize.¡±
¡°Nah, there is nothing to apologize for. You¡¯ve given me more than enough help with my questions on mana. Thank you for your help.¡± Archie said standing up from the sofa and offered Cyric a handshake.
Cyric smiled, getting up from the sofa and accepting Archie¡¯s handshake. ¡°It¡¯s been a pleasure.¡±
Archie made his way out of the door, but before Cyric closed it, he turned around. ¡°One last thing,¡± Archie said, gaining a curious look from Cyric. ¡°What race are you? I¡¯ve been making guesses at it this whole time and it¡¯s either a Vampire or some sort of Fae.¡±
¡°You guessed well,¡± Cyric smiled at Archie¡¯s question. ¡°I am a Vampire. My name is Cyric Bloodwyn.¡±
¡°Nice to meet you Cyric Bloodwyn, I¡¯m Archie Gracefield.¡± Archie smiled back.
Ch 40 - So much for talking
¡°Well, that was something,¡± Archie said aloud exiting the Assistant village, "If vampires exist, I guess that means other undead exist. How would a skeleton move though?.. Probably related to mana.
After walking for a few minutes beyond the Assistant village, Archie spotted a group of people making their way towards the village. No, wait¡ Are they heading towards me? Are they from the camp or the cult?
The group consisted of a female mage at the back left, a female archer at the back right, two male warriors in the middle, and a male vanguard leading at the front. They all wore armor slightly superior to the basic gear provided by the system, Archie noted. The mage had two distinguishing pieces of equipment that distinguished her from the mages he¡¯d seen at the camp; her ebony-colored wand with a purple tip and a cowl atop her head. While the vanguard carried a large shield that resembled the exoskeleton of the giant crabs found at the beach.
Archie stopped and waited as the group approached. When they reached him, they exchanged glances before the vanguard stepped forward and addressed him. ¡°You, Archie?¡± he asked in a rough voice as if he hadn¡¯t spoken in a long time.
Archie nodded. ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s up?¡±
¡°Our leader wants you to visit our camp,¡± the vanguard replied, staring directly into Archie¡¯s eyes, his shield arm trembling a bit.
Is he nervous? No...It''s something else, Archie thought. Glancing at the rest of the vanguard¡¯s team and noticed something peculiar: the archer¡¯s right eye kept drifting off to the side, while the warriors'' necks twitched erratically.
Something is definitely off here, Archie thought looking at the rest of their team. Michael wasn¡¯t exaggerating when he said that Oliver did something to them.
¡°Sure, I¡¯ll visit when I get the time. But I can¡¯t right now though, I have a couple of things I gotta do first.¡± Archie replied before Identifying them.
[Human Lv 44]
[Human Lv 45]
[Human Lv 46]
[Human Thrall Lv 52]
[Demonic Human Lv 53]
This isn¡¯t good, Archie thought as his eyes settled on the mage at the back. She was the only demonic human in the group¡ªand the only one not twitching. Instead, she had an unnerving smile on her face, her gaze locked directly onto him.
"You need to come with us. " The vanguard shook his head at Archie''s response, before making a move to grab Archie¡¯s arm. ¡°Now,¡± his tone was flat, leaving no room for discussion.
Archie narrowed his eyes, sidestepping the vanguard''s grab. The previously eerie mood flipped and became tense.
¡°You don''t grab someone like that. No one taught you that?¡± Archie replied, his tone dry as he stared at the vanguard.
The tension snapped in an instant. The archer raised her bow, an arrow ready. The mage¡¯s hands glowed with energy, and the warriors unsheathed their blades, all pointed straight at him. So much for talking, Archie thought, preparing himself for the fight ahead.
Archie quickly activated Adrenaline Rush and Thorns, a dark red hue emerging from his body and thorny vines wrapping themselves around his arms. Archie dodged the arrow and the blue bolt from the archer and mage before activating Savage Charge towards the mage.
Archie disappeared from in front of the vanguard to being directly in front of the mage. Her eyes widened at Archie¡¯s sudden appearance. Just as Archie was about to cave her head in, a blue translucent wall appeared between him and the mage.
Archie¡¯s fist struck the wall, creating a deep dent and sending spiderweb cracks racing across its surface. The mage¡¯s cowl¡¯s hood flew back revealing the face of the mage. She had long dirty blonde hair, blackened sclerae, and two horizontal healed claw marks under her right eye.
Just as he prepared to hit it again, he sensed movement behind him. Reacting instantly, he jumped upward, evading a slash from one of the warriors¡¯ swords.
The second warrior saw his chance, taking advantage of the brief opening as Archie hung in the air. With a burst of speed, he activated a skill, launching himself at Archie. Probably Warrior¡¯s Charge, Archie thought.
Archie twisted just in time to avoid the warrior¡¯s blade aimed at his face, though it left a shallow cut on his cheek. Without hesitation, Archie activated Retaliation and delivered a powerful side punch to the warrior¡¯s liver midair.
The impact sent the warrior hurtling twenty meters, crashing to the ground with the right side of his armor heavily dented and covered in various puncture marks, courtesy of Thorns.
Archie landed smoothly, but before he could regain his stance, an arrow struck his chest. The tip of the arrow bent, barely pushing him back, thanks to the Greater Physical Resistance effect granted by his chest piece. It caused no real damage.
The warrior he previously dodged lunged at his back once more while the vanguard that tried to grab him released a shout as he charged at Archie.
The sudden shout locked Archie in place for a second, it didn¡¯t really matter, to be honest. The warrior and vanguard were too far to have done anything, the Archer was pulling out another arrow from her quiver and the mage was muttering a long chant.
But it did not matter that the taunt barely did anything. No matter how minor of an effect, it did something. It reminded him of when he stood locked in place as his friend got mauled by the mountain lion. Maybe if he was a bit faster, maybe if he wasn¡¯t scared his friend wouldn¡¯t have bled to death.
A guttural roar erupted from deep within Archie¡¯s chest, raw and primal. The force of his Taunt rippled through the air. The mage coughed up blood, her chant cut off by the sudden surge of energy, pushing her back and locking her in place, causing a painful mana reflux. The others staggered, struggling to regain their footing as the Taunt¡¯s power shoved them away.
Archie activated Savage Charge at the warrior and released an arcing punch straight at his face. The force of Archie¡¯s punch struck the warrior¡¯s unprotected head, tearing it from his neck and sending it flying.
Archie quickly pivoted and activated Savage Charge, charging at the vanguard while they were still stunned. Just as he was about to deliver a punch, the vanguard raised his shield, having seemingly shaken off the lingering effects of Archie¡¯s taunt.
Archie activated Relentless Flurry, the shield started to crack from the blows, however, the vanguard seemingly activated a skill causing his large shield to glow an inky blue color. Archie¡¯s blows, previously creating cracks on the shield, were now dampened.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
Noticing this, Archie channeled more mana and stamina into Adrenaline Rush, causing the red hue to darken and small clots of blood to start to appear under his skin. Each blow dealt more damage, creating cracks once more, however, the vanguard wasn¡¯t done; a larger translucent dark blue shield projected itself atop his shield.
Definitely evolved into some type of shield-focused class, Archie thought as he kept up his flurry of punches. The mage and archer weren¡¯t idle either, the effects of Archie¡¯s Taunt seemingly wore off. The archer sent a charged-up attack at the side of his head while the mage cast a jet-black mana bolt at Archie¡¯s back.
Archie sensed the danger coming from the left side of his head and leaned backward, stopping his flurry of punches to dodge the arrow coming at him. However, he didn¡¯t notice the mana bolt coming at him until it penetrated through his armor and disappeared once it penetrated two inches into his upper back.
Archie took advantage of the mage¡¯s attack and quickly activated Retaliation and Relentless Flurry. His fists hammered against the vanguard¡¯s shield with relentless force, easily shattering it into pieces. Despite the shield''s destruction, Archie¡¯s punches maintained their momentum, effortlessly penetrating the vanguard¡¯s chest.
Archie quickly ripped his arm out of the now dead vanguard and faced his three remaining attackers. I¡¯ll leave the mage for last; she seems to be the only one who isn¡¯t badly affected by what Oliver did, Archie thought.
He kicked off the ground towards the warrior who struggled to push himself off the ground. Upon reaching the warrior, Archie front kicked his head, producing a loud cracking sound, sending him tumbling across the ground and going limp.
The archer began to shake as Archie turned his gaze toward her, tears welling up in her eyes. She spun around and bolted, screaming, ¡°No! Please!¡±
Archie dodged another mana bolt from the mage and activated Savage Charge, closing the distance in a flash. He appeared in front of the fleeing archer and crushed her head with a single punch. Now, only the mage remained.
The mage began to backpedal as Archie approached, her voice trembling. ¡°We can talk! I give up!¡± Her arms flailed wildly, desperation clear in her movements.
Just as Archie was about to reach her, she stumbled and conjured a magical dome around herself. Archie clicked his tongue in frustration and began pounding on the barrier. On the third strike, the dome shattered, and Archie grabbed the mage, lifting her before slamming her back into the ground.
¡°Why do you want me at your base?¡± he demanded, staring down at her tear-streaked face.
¡°No! Please stop!¡± the mage pleaded, but her cries went unheard.
Just as Archie prepared to strike her again, a wave of magic surged through him. His body burned with heat, his mind fogged, and his eyes grew heavy. Staggering backward, he felt disoriented, the world around him blurring and losing focus.
¡°You really thought you had me, didn¡¯t you?¡± The mage said, eyes wide.
A smirk crept across the mage¡¯s tear-streaked face as she opened her palm, revealing a shattered gemstone. She began chanting, forming a large jet-black mana bolt aimed straight at Archie¡¯s head.
¡°Too bad you never saw this coming!¡± She cackled as the bolt left her wand.
Goosebumps prickled along his spine, his heartbeat raced erratically, and his brain felt electrified as if he¡¯d injected a hundred cups of liquid caffeine into his veins. His adrenaline spiked, higher than ever before.
Color vanished. Sound vanished.
Time seemed to slow, everything around him moving at a crawl. Archie¡¯s gaze locked onto the jet-black mana bolt hovering inches from his face. If this hits me, I¡¯m dead, he thought.
Moving as slowly as everything else around him, Archie realized he couldn¡¯t dodge in time. His mind raced for a solution and settled on one desperate option. He decided to flood his active Adrenaline Rush skill with as much mana and stamina as it could handle.
Archie forced every drop of mana and stamina he could control to flood his limbs.
Blood started to poke out from under his eyes as he started to tilt his head to his left. It still wasn¡¯t fast enough. He needed to be faster. The bolt was milliseconds away from striking his face.
Archie pushed even more mana and stamina into the skill, he became faster, but now his ears started to bleed. The bolt would miss his brain, but he would still take damage. What would I lose? Lower right jaw. Acceptable, Archie thought, his brain overheating from the amount of mana and stamina flooding through it.
Color returned. Sound returned. Barely four seconds had passed since the mage launched her attack.
The girl burst into maniacal laughter as she watched the bolt pierce through Archie¡¯s head, knocking it back. Her laughter abruptly stopped when he straightened up, revealing the lower right side of his face was missing, yet his gaze remained fixed on her.
Her heart sank as Archie took a step forward. Then another. A puddle formed beneath her as fear gripped her body. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t mean it,¡± she stammered, shuffling backward in terror.
Archie loomed over her trembling form, then seized her leg with a swift motion and shattered it with a powerful kick. Her agonized scream pierced the air.
¡°Why did you want me at your camp?¡± Archie demanded, his voice guttural and filled with fury.
¡°W-We... O-Oliver w-was g-going t-to s-sacrifice y-you,¡± the mage choked out, tears streaming down her face. ¡°But I won¡¯t tell him anything! Just let me go!¡± Her eyes darted frantically as she pleaded.
Archie nodded, and for a brief moment, hope flickered in her eyes. Then, he lifted his right foot above her head. Horror returned to her face just before he brought it down, crushing her skull instantly.
Archie scanned the area, confirming no one else was around. He deactivated all his active skills except Adrenaline Rush and quickly pulled out an Effigy of Healing, cracking it with a mana string. His wounds started to mend quicker as Pugilist¡¯s Grit was still in effect.
Wasting no time, he gathered his fallen attackers'' bodies into his spatial ring and sprinted toward the Assistant village. If anyone was watching from a distance, I need to vanish now. Rest can come later, he thought.
Archie raced through the village, leaping over the central fountain before landing atop the nearest building. He dashed across rooftops until he reached the village walls, vaulting over and rolling upon landing before disappearing into the jungle¡¯s dense undergrowth.
***
Archie made sure he gave them the slip by zig-zagging in between the jungle foliage and disappearing into the tall leafy branches. He used his markings on the trees to locate his base. After running through the forest at top speed for an hour, Archie reached his base¡¯s open ceiling, and, making sure no one followed him, he jumped down.
Archie then went into one of the dark tunnels and deactivated Adrenaline Rush. Falling onto his ass, Archie tried to calm his erratically beating heart with deep breaths.
After a few minutes of deep breathing, Archie managed to calm his heart and look through his notifications.
*[Human Lv 44//Warrior Lv 42//Novice Leatherworker Lv 20] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 8024 Tutorial Points given*
*[Human Thrall Lv 52//Dark Bulwark Lv 50//Novice Tanner Lv 10] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 12956 Tutorial Points given*
*[Human Lv 45//Warrior Lv 44//Novice Potter Lv 25] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 8562 Tutorial Points given*
*[Human Lv 46//Archer Lv 30//Tailor Lv 27] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 9874 Tutorial Points given*
*[Demonic Human Lv 53//Dark Adept Lv 50//Novice Tailor Lv 16] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 15021 Tutorial Points given*
*Your Class has reached Lv 56¨C Points allocated, +4 Free Points*
*Your Race has reached Lv 57¨C Points allocated, +3 Free Points*
Skill Upgrade: [Adrenaline Rush (Rare ¡ú Legendary)]
Adrenaline Rush (Legendary):
For a period of time, you experience a huge surge of adrenaline, enhancing all physical attributes by 45%. However, the intense exertion puts a strain on the body, leading to temporary exhaustion once the effect wears off. Activating beyond 45% will cause heavy physical damage and mental exhaustion. Heavily Touched by the records of Adrenaline Junkie.
Skill Evolved: [Basic Martial Combat Mastery (Uncommon) ¡ú Wrathful Martial Combat Mastery (Uncommon)]
Wrathful Martial Combat Mastery (Uncommon):
Harness your fury to unleash devastating blows; your fists become relentless instruments of destruction. While in a wrathful state, each strike you land minorly increases the damage you deal.
Skill Upgrade: [Taunt (Uncommon ¡ú Rare)]
Taunt (Rare):
Your presence on the battlefield alone garners the attention of others, but when issuing a taunt, it is a deliberate challenge that no foe can ignore. With a guttural roar that reverberates across the battlefield, you shatter the wills of weak-minded individuals and disrupt even hardened foes. Forces all enemies within a Perception-USM radius to focus solely on you, stunning those with lesser resolve and briefly disorienting stronger opponents.
Title Gained:[Legendary Innovator]
Legendary Innovator:
Despite the fact that you are still in the early stages of your development, your achievements outperform those of prior generations within your grade. By developing a Legendary skill in E-grade, you have proved yourself as a truly Legendary Innovator. Effect: +20 to all Stats and +10% to all Stats.
¡°Holy crap,¡± Archie said after looking through his notifications.
Ch 41 - Michael
Michael woke up with a jolt, his body damp with sweat and his heart pounding erratically. He glanced out the tent flaps and saw the first rays of sunlight starting to peak over the camp walls.
Goddamn it, he thought, rubbing his face. Ever since the tutorial began, nightmares have been plaguing him. He kept fearing the worst for his son. Are the kids facing the same kind of battles as we did? Are they being personally handled by the Assistants? All the ones he met were nice people but were Noah¡¯s the same?
Every time he thought of Noah, he remembered the day his world cracked.
Michael had only recently ended his tour, finally setting foot back on home soil. He wiped away the hardened expression that had become second nature. He knew that he had to bury the memories of what he''d experienced overseas; it wouldn¡¯t be fair to burden his wife and child with his struggles. Too many of his brothers-in-arms returned home only to let the ¡°greater-than-thou¡± mentality tear their families apart¡ªmarriages shattered, bottles emptied. He''d seen enough to understand that truth.
So, Michael made the decision to bottle it all away. Life was supposed to be hard, and he was supposed to be even harder to survive it.
When he got to his room to gather his belongings, Michael called Juniper, his wife. She didn¡¯t pick up. He called again, but there was still no answer.
Worry started to creep in. He called his father to ask if something had happened. The response he got made his heart sink. His sweet Juni had been driving their son to school when they collided with another car. The other driver was speeding¡ªgoing forty miles above the limit in a school zone¡ªand drunk. Only Noah survived.
It had barely been a month since it happened, and Noah was still in the hospital.
Michael got into his truck and drove straight to the hospital where Noah was. Everything that happened until he reached Noah¡¯s room passed by in a blur. Visiting hours had supposedly ended, but Michael pushed past everyone and rushed to Noah¡¯s room.
He opened the door and immediately dropped to his knees, his heart sinking once again. Noah was awake, scrolling through his phone. When he saw his dad, Noah¡¯s eyes widened and grew a smile. He tossed his phone aside and slid off the bed. ¡°Dad!¡±
Noah limped across the room and wrapped his arms around his father and Michael wrapped him in return. The floodgates opened, and Michael began to cry. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Dad? Are you okay?¡± Noah asked, startled by his father¡¯s tears.
The question only made Michael cry harder. He held Noah even tighter, afraid that he might disappear. His son¡ªwho had almost died¡ªwas asking if he was okay. His son, who had lost his right leg, was asking if he was okay.
¡°Michael, are you awake?¡± asked a voice from outside his tent.
Michael snapped out of the memory of that day, brushing away the somber mood with a quick swipe of his palms before replying, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m up. Gimme a minute, Sarah.¡±
Michael grabbed his greatsword, secured it across his back, and stepped out of his tent. Looking to his left, he saw a smiling Sarah standing just as he had seen her yesterday afternoon.
Her curly brown hair was tied into a ponytail with a leather strap, and she wore the familiar healer¡¯s robe, a small wooden wand tipped with a white gem clipped to her hip. However, the dark circles beneath her eyes told a different story¡ªshe hadn¡¯t slept in a while.
Considering we saw each other yesterday, and with our level-ups, the need for sleep has decreased, Michael thought. But despite that, the exhaustion on Sarah''s face was undeniable. ¡°You okay, Sarah?¡± he asked, his voice tinged with concern.
Sarah was part of Michael¡¯s team when the tutorial started. Because of her young age, he treated her like his niece. She was passing through Michigan on a trip to visit college when she was sent to the tutorial.
¡°I¡¯m fine, Michael. I just had to work a bit overtime because of the recent attacks,¡± Sarah replied softly, smiling at Michael¡¯s concern.
The mention of the recent attacks furrowed Michael¡¯s brow. Last night marked the sixth attack from the cult. What the hell do they want from us?
Michael and Sarah stepped into the large white tent, where three others were already seated around a table. James, dressed in steel-plated leather armor and representing the hunting groups, sat on the right. He looked like he desperately needed a drink. Too bad we don¡¯t have any on hand¡ªI could use one myself, Michael thought.
Across from James was Daniel, the representative of the Culinary Provisioners. His leather armor was stained with grass, and his gloves were caked in dirt¡ªclear signs he''d been farming. He must have maxed out his level as a farmer by now, Michael mused. Despite being in his sixties, Daniel had outpaced everyone in farming proficiency.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
Beside Daniel sat Eric, who represented the Production Provisioners. His leather armor was marked with singes and ash, evidence of his craft. He wore a half-awake expression, and Michael guessed that Angela probably hadn¡¯t let him reach his bed before pulling him into the meeting. Can¡¯t blame her¡ªhe never sleeps until sunrise, always focused on his experiments.
¡°You¡¯re late; how¡¯s that fair?¡± Eric complained.
¡°Eric, you walked in a minute ago,¡± James replied with a deadpan expression, earning an eye roll from Eric.
¡°Semantics,¡± Eric shot back, prompting a groan from James.
Daniel chuckled at their exchange, smiling warmly at the two of them. Probably comparing them to his own children, Michael thought.
"My bad," Michael said, taking a seat at the head of the table. "Let¡¯s get started with the recent attacks from the cult. Any updates?"
¡°Just this morning, we dealt with the seventh attack,¡± James replied with a heavy sigh. ¡°We lost a few warriors and some mages.¡±
¡°How? The hunting groups operate in teams of ten,¡± Michael said, his confusion evident. James clicked his tongue in frustration.
¡°They have E-Grades now,¡± James revealed, causing most people at the table to look shocked.
¡°How? Are they perfect evolutions?¡± Eric asked, his tiredness suddenly replaced by sharp interest.
¡°No. They¡¯ve more or less abandoned their professions¡ªat least the ones who fight us. But judging by their gear, they probably have E-Grade crafters,¡± James explained and Eric narrowed his eyes. He¡¯s only two levels away from reaching max level on his race, Michael thought.
¡°They do, but the items are not that great.¡± Eric said, ¡°I looked at them last night, at most they were Common rarities. When I evolve in a day or two, I can make way better armors and weapons.¡± Getting smiles from James and Michael.
¡°Yeah, in a day or two I should evolve as well,¡± James added.
¡°What does a perfect evolution give?¡± Sarah asked, her curiosity piqued.
¡°Ten extra points in all stats,¡± Daniel responded, earning even more stunned expressions. ¡°I evolved last night.¡± Causing everyone to Identify him.
[Human Lv ??]
¡°Congratulations, Daniel!¡± Michael exclaimed, the somber mood in the tent vanishing. ¡°What did you get?¡±
¡°My Profession is called Mana Gardener, and my Class is Nature¡¯s Enchanter,¡± Daniel replied, his excitement evident. ¡°Apparently, you don¡¯t just have to kill with your class to gain XP. At least for a mage at the very least.¡±
That sparked interest from everyone around the table.
¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± Sarah said, leaning forward with curiosity. ¡°I¡¯ll try and see if I can do the same with my novice tailor Profession. Maybe I can make a bracelet that heals or something.¡±
¡°Speaking of E-Grades,¡± James interjected, eyes narrowing. ¡°Can we trust Archie?¡±
The question shifted the atmosphere in the room, and all eyes turned to Michael.
¡°Archie is trustworthy and doesn¡¯t like the idea of being brainwashed by Oliver,¡± Michael answered, voice firm. ¡°But then again, who would?¡± He leaned back, crossing his arms confidently. ¡°He¡¯s strong too. Took out leeches and three jaguars with ease. I don¡¯t even think he broke a sweat.¡±
James tensed his jaw at the new information, clearly weighing it in his mind. ¡°Is there something else you picked up on while talking to him?¡±
Michael paused, recalling his conversation with Archie. ¡°He¡¯s from Illinois.¡±
That simple answer caused everyone around the table to crack a smile, the tension easing a bit.
¡°I can vouch for him too,¡± Daniel chimed in. ¡°Evelyn¡¯s said nothing but good things about Archie. Bill said the same thing, but... a bit more gruffly.¡±
¡°I trust both of your judgments,¡± James said, his voice serious. ¡°Do you think Archie would be willing to stay with us, in our camp?¡±
¡°I can ask,¡± Michael offered, giving a confident nod. ¡°But, moving on to the next topic. Those who¡¯ve focused only on their Professions need to start leveling up their classes now. It¡¯s getting too dangerous with the cult now sending out E-Grades.¡±
James nodded in agreement. ¡°No problem. I can have some of the hunters watch over them while they focus on leveling their classes.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Michael said. ¡°Now, onto a lighter note. I¡¯m evolving later today.¡±
Gaining smiles from everyone at the table. The news of a second E-Grade within the camp was exactly what they needed to lift morale.
A few hours later, Michael emerged from the large tent and headed off towards Eveyln¡¯s stand. I need a bite to eat after all that, Michael thought as his stomach started to grumble.
On his way to Eveyln¡¯s stand, he saw the healer¡¯s tents filled to the brim with hunters. Michael pursed his lips at the sight, Oliver and his cult will get what¡¯s coming to them. And I¡¯ll be at the forefront of delivering it.
Michael reached Evelyn¡¯s stand and found her frying some fish for lunch. ¡°Hello Miss Evelyn,¡± Michael said, catching her attention.
¡°Hello, dearie,¡± Evelyn smiled warmly, offering him a plate of fried fish. ¡°Would you like a plate?¡±
¡°If you¡¯re making food, I¡¯ll always ask for a plate,¡± Michael responded, taking the plate Eveyln offered him and making her chuckle.
Suddenly, Evelyn¡¯s smile faded, and a somber look appeared on her face. ¡°Are the hunters, okay? I saw quite a few of them being brought to the healer¡¯s tent.¡±
¡°The cult is starting to attack now,¡± Michael said while scarfing down the last piece of fish. ¡°But don¡¯t worry about it. We will soon have quite a few E-Grades in the camp.¡±
Evelyn slowly nodded, processing Michael¡¯s words. ¡°And Archie? Is he okay? I haven¡¯t seen him around lately.¡±
¡°I haven¡¯t met him today, but I wouldn¡¯t worry about him. He¡¯s very strong.¡± Michael reassured her, easing her concerns.
¡°If you see him, tell him to come over,¡± Evelyn said as Michael paid for his lunch. ¡°Take care.¡±
¡°Take care, Miss Evelyn,¡± Michael waved before heading to his tent.
As he entered his tent, Michael pulled up the notifications he had pushed aside the night before.
Flawless Evolution
Objective: Reach max level in Race, Class, and Profession before evolving. ?
Reward: Flawless E-Grade Evolution title.
E-Grade Race Evolution Requirements Met
Your body and soul have synchronized with the essence of the multiverse; you now are a denizen of the multiverse. For denizens of the multiverse, evolution is the key to survival, with each evolution molded by the Records collected on your path.
Do you wish to proceed?
Warning: It is advisable to conduct this in a secure environment.
Michael sat atop his mattress, accepting the evolution. Not a moment later, everything went dark.
Ch 42 - Coming to Terms
Exiting Nature¡¯s Meditation, Archie felt his Mana and Stamina pools were now fully replenished from the attack a few hours ago. Opening his status page, he smiled at his stat increase as well as his Tutorial Point increase.
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human E-Grade Lv 57
Class: Nature-Attuned Pugilist Lv 56
Profession: Novice Forgesmith Lv 56
Health: 4623/4623
Mana: 1580/1580
Stamina: 3588/3588
Stats:
Vitality: 402(462)
Strength: 302(377)
Endurance: 312(358)
Agility: 257(282)
Intelligence: 240(264)
Wisdom: 144(158)
Willpower: 144(172)
Perception: 223(245)
Free Points: 8
General Skills: Identify (Initiate), Nature''s Meditation (Epic)
Class Skills: Wrathful Martial Combat Mastery (Uncommon), Savage Charge (Uncommon), Adrenaline Rush (Legendary), Pugilist¡¯s Grit (Uncommon), Retaliation (Uncommon), Relentless Flurry (Uncommon), Taunt (Rare), Thorns (Common)
Profession Skills: Forgesmith¡¯s Flame (Initiate), Basic Smithing Mastery (Common), Basic Rune Scribing (Rare), Material Insight (Common)
Bloodline: Adrenaline Junkie (Unique) [+10% to Strength and +10% to Willpower]
Affinity: Greater Nature Affinity (Epic)
Blessing: Blessing of the Forgefather (Moderate) [+5% to Strength and +5% to Endurance]
Titles Collected: Bloodline Progenitor [+10 Vitality and +5% Vitality], Flawless E-Grade Evolution [+10 all Stats], Legendary Innovator [+20 to all Stats and +10% to all Stats]
Tutorial Points: 168,495
Previously only four of his stats had bonuses, now all his stats had them. I need to get as many titles as I can, these stat boots are insane. I¡¯m now getting 60 extra points in Vitality and 75 in Strength, for free. This is insane, Archie thought.
Now it¡¯s time for a loot check, Archie thought as he took out the five people who attacked him. Hmm¡The warriors look to be wearing plated chain-mail armor but upgraded with medallions, the same with their weapons. The archer is just the same as the warriors; leather starter armor that was upgraded with tokens, but her bow and quiver were still the same starter version.
The Mage however had very interesting gear.
Hood of Shadows (Uncommon):
A lightweight hood and half-cloak combination, made from Shadowstalker hide. Crafted by Jack Dullard, an E-Grade Adept Leatherworker. The cloak extends down the shoulders and upper chest, granting a modest shroud across the wearer''s face in dimly lit or shadowy areas. While it does not render the wearer invisible, it aids in evasion and makes them harder to spot from a distance as well as granting a 2% increase in stamina regeneration. Effects: Soul-Bound, Self-Repair & Slight Increase to stealth within shadows. Status: Slightly Damaged. Requirements: Lv 50+, Dark Affinity & Humanoid Race.
Hmm, so headpieces don¡¯t provide stat points; instead, they seem to offer regeneration boosts and various benefits depending on the material used. And it looks like Shadowstalker hide is perfect for stealth-specialized classes, Archie thought. But then, confusion settled in. Why the hell did they attack me head-on instead of going for a sneak attack?
I guess they thought with two E-Grades on me they could kill me. Archie smirked, It¡¯s gonna take a lot more than that to kill me. Nevertheless, the headpiece was useless for him, thus it was going in the to-be-sold pile alongside everything else he saw so far, including the wand. Imagine waving a wand only to get punched before they can cast a spell, Archie chuckled.
Archie then looked at the other piece of gear that caught his eye that the mage wore, a ring.
Ring of the Ashenhound¡¯s Fury (Rare):
A robust, brass band ring crafted from the molten core of an Ashenhound. The ring boosts the wearer¡¯s Strength and Endurance by harnessing the primal strength of the beast. Effects: Soul-Bound & Self-Repair. Provides: +25 Strength & +15 Endurance. Status: Perfect. Requirement: Lv 45+ & Humanoid Race.
I guess she focused most of her points into her magical attributes and neglected her physical ones, Archie thought as he slipped the ring on.
The vanguard¡ªno, bulwark¡ªhe corrected himself¡ªhad standard steel armor. The shield was made from a crab¡¯s exoskeleton, but honestly, it was useless. I¡¯d just reforge the armor into ingots and sell the rest, Archie decided.
¡°Well, no time like the present to smelt this stuff,¡± Archie sighed, pulling out his forging equipment.
He stripped the armor off the bulwark and removed the leather straps holding it in place. ¡°The smith who made this didn¡¯t even bother with full sleeves or leggings. Why? It¡¯s simple enough: get the measurements, make the parts, then solder them together. Just make sure to account for joint maneuverability,¡± Archie muttered, confused about what the smith was thinking.
Archie easily ripped the chestplate in half, piling the steel scraps from the bulwark¡¯s armor and other steel scraps from previous works into a heap. He scooped up some of it, placed it into the small crucible, and used Forgesmith¡¯s Flame to set alight the forge. Using heavy-duty tongs, he grabbed the crucible and waited as it heated up, the steel glowing red as it began to melt.
Creating a mana string, Archie took out an ingot mold from his spatial storage and placed it on the table. Carefully, he poured the molten steel into the mold and let it rest. This is going to take a while, he thought.
Archie examined the ten freshly made steel ingots on the table before turning his attention to the boots he¡¯d received from Bill. He considered how to enhance them.
These boots reach up to my calves, so I¡¯ll need to add shin guards and toe protectors. Should be simple enough¡ªrather than using leather straps, I can solder them directly onto the leather, Archie mused.
He grabbed two of the newly forged steel ingots and placed them into the forge, waiting until they glowed a molten red. Once heated, Archie set them on the heavy-duty anvil and hammered them together until they fused into a flat piece, maintaining a thickness of two inches. Placing the piece on the anvil¡¯s horn, he carefully shaped it into a half-cylinder.Stolen novel; please report.
Once he was satisfied with the shape, Archie aligned the half-cylinder over the shin section of the right boot and used his Forgesmith¡¯s Flame to solder it in place. After he confirmed that the steel shin guard was securely attached, he prepared to craft a toe guard.
Archie grabbed the right boot and examined the area where his toes would go. He decided to create a full half-circle toe guard with three interconnected shingles, bent slightly upward to allow for ankle mobility.
He opted to start with the three shingles. He grabbed a singular steel ingot and repeated what he had done. Once he had crafted a smaller half-cylinder, he switched to his precision hammer and carefully split the half-cylinder into three even segments using the slanted edge of his anvil.
I''ll need some rivets to connect the shingles together and bend them a bit more, Archie thought. He grabbed four nail-like pieces of shrapnel and used his Forgesmith¡¯s Flame to quickly fashion them into rivets. Next, Archie bent each shingle slightly over the horn of his anvil, making slight unique adjustments to them.
Archie then soldered the shingles together with the rivets acting like hinges allowing him to move his foot up and down without issue. Placing the foot guard on the table, Archie quickly made a toe guard.
Archie then soldered the toe guard on the tip of the boot. Afterwards, he placed the bottom shingle with the toe guard and soldered the two together.
Placing the boot down, Archie took a step back and nodded at his creation. Now I gotta make the other pair, he thought.
Archie looked at his now-plated boots with a smile before taking out his scriber and quickly scribing the Impact Absorption rune on the soles of the boots. Hopefully, it should reduce the damage I take when jumping down something, Archie thought.
Identifying the boot made Archie smile and scratch the bridge of his nose. ¡°I didn¡¯t think that would happen,¡± Archie chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ve got a lot to learn and experiment with.¡±
Steel Plated Shadowstalker Boots (Rare):
Dark leather boots crafted from the hide of a Shadowstalker and reinforced with plated steel. Created by Bill Evans, an F-Grade Novice Leatherworker, and Archie Gracefield, an E-Grade Novice Forgesmith. Due to the innate properties of Shadowstalker hide, your footsteps become completely silent when hidden, with the effect further amplified when you are within shadows. Additionally, the Impact Absorption rune nullifies all footstep sounds, whether hidden or not, and cushions fall from certain heights. Effects: Soul-Bound, Self-Repair & Enhanced Shadowstalker Steps. Provides: +30 End & +25 Agi. Status: Perfect. Requirement: Lv 55+ & Humanoid Race.
"Well, at least I succeeded," Archie said, slipping on the boots. "I love how I''m slowly becoming a ninja as time goes on. My feet are lighter than clouds, I like jumping across trees and I like living in dark caves away from everyone.¡±
Archie then placed his forging equipment back into his spatial ring and started to practice his Mana Manipulation skill using the exercises Cyric gave him.
Archie decided to focus on the mana flow control exercise. Let¡¯s try using my Forgesmith¡¯s Flame, he thought, activating his skill. He cradled the flame in his palms, watching it intently. The tinges of green on the flame were just as they always had been.
Archie concentrated on channeling mana toward the flame. Increasing the mana made it stronger; reducing the mana made it shrink. Gradually, he brought the flame down to a sputter, using only the smallest amount of mana to keep it alive. Then, he pushed as much mana as he could into it, causing the flames to surge up to four feet high. Sweat trickled down his forehead. This is difficult.
Recalling a scene from a show he had once watched, Archie decided to try meditating while keeping the flame active. Activating Nature¡¯s Meditation, he visualized the pathways starting around his heart and extending to his palms. He saw how the flame was intrinsically connected to him¡ªnot by a string, but as if it were born from a cloud of mana.
I didn¡¯t create that cloud, Archie realized. The skill formed it as a foundation. This must be a highly advanced form of mana shaping, but I can only manage it because of the system¡ªand only for this skill.
Determined to experiment, he began synchronizing the flow of mana into his flame with his breathing.
Inhale¡ªincrease mana. Exhale¡ªdecrease mana.
Archie repeated this cycle, losing track of time. He was determined to master the fluid control of mana flow within this skill.
Archie opened his eyes, deactivating Nature¡¯s Meditation, and focused on the flame within his palm. The flame was no larger than a thumbtack, but in an instant, it surged to six feet high.
He deactivated Forgesmith¡¯s Flame and exhaled deeply. That was surprisingly easy when I visualized the flame¡¯s size with my breathing, he thought. I¡¯ve always imagined fire magic as something aggressive, fueled by anger. But this¡ this was calming. A small smile crept across his face.
¡°I wish I could have done this when Daniel passed,¡± he murmured, touching the spot where the tree branch had once been lodged, just below his ribs.
I still remember what those nurses said about me surviving because of an emergency transplant. I didn¡¯t even know whose organs I¡¯d received until just before I left the hospital. He recalled the sleepless nights spent sitting beside Daniel¡¯s grave, crying. Even in death, he still managed to help me.
Memories started to flood his mind, almost overwhelmingly so. Archie quickly closed his eyes and reactivated Forgesmith¡¯s Flame, letting its warmth steady him. He followed the same breathing rhythm as before, each cycle gradually calming him.
I need to come to terms with this. I need to accept what happened; he thought while deeply inhaling. Daniel could have survived if I hadn¡¯t thrown myself off that cliff. He only stumbled after me trying to find me. But he¡¯s dead, and I can¡¯t change that, Archie exhaled.
He called me his brother, and I¡¯m dishonoring his memory by wallowing in self-pity for so long. Archie let out a small chuckle. He would¡¯ve kicked my ass if he saw me like this.
He deactivated his skill and walked toward the seashore, where he studied his reflection for a while before washing his face. I may never go back to who I was before that day, he thought, but I can at least stand a bit taller now.
Turning to his notifications, he noted the level-ups in his race. It brought a small measure of comfort¡ªproof, perhaps, that he was becoming someone closer to who he was meant to be.
*Your Profession has reached Lv 57¨C Points allocated, +4 Free Points*
*Your Race has reached Lv 58¨C Points allocated, +3 Free Points*
*Your Race has reached Lv 59¨C Points allocated, +3 Free Points*
Skill Upgraded: [Forgesmith¡¯s Flame (Initiate ¡ú Uncommon)]
Forgesmith¡¯s Flame (Uncommon):
The flame of a Forgesmith is an essential skill throughout the forging process. This flame is the embodiment of your will made manifest, serving as a reflection of your spirit. As a Novice Forgesmith, you have already overcome a significant hurdle that has caused many others to falter and give up. However, remember that refining one¡¯s flame is a long and demanding journey. The Forgesmith can summon a flame, capable only of emitting heat, as it is not a tool for combat but a focused force for creation. When using the Forgesmith¡¯s Flame, it grants a low bonus to Willpower.
Ch 43 - Gorilla Trouble
Sometime later, Archie decided to work on the mana-threading exercise. He could easily create a mana string capable of cracking an effigy, which, to be fair, required minimal physical force. Archie generated a single mana string, letting it extend as far as possible while noting the results. The singular mana string was able to extend to a maximum distance of twenty meters, though maintaining it at that length for prolonged periods of time was very mentally taxing.
Next, Archie retrieved his heavy-duty hammer from his spatial storage and wrapped the mana string around it. Initially, the string struggled to lift the hammer more than a foot off the ground; its weight was too much. However, by channeling more mana into the string, the hammer rose into the air with ease. Once lifting the hammer with a mana string became easier, Archie created a second mana string to lift his heavy-duty anvil into the air.
This task proved to demonstrate how difficult mana threading is. As he began to lift the anvil, the first mana string holding the hammer dipped slightly. His improved mana flow control allowed him to regulate the mana flowing into both strings and prevent either item from falling. This highlighted an area in need of improvement.
I need to smoothly flow my mana to handle multiple tasks without one interfering with the other, Archie thought. While the mana cost for creating a single mana string was negligible, maintaining the minimum amount of mana necessary for consistent performance was the true challenge.
Archie then continued practicing by using one string to hold and move either his hammer or anvil while randomly creating another string to lift the second item. This helped him become accustomed to the transition and coordination of mana flow.
Once Archie became comfortable using a second mana string, he created a third. To make the exercise a bit more challenging, he decided to move around. This proved far more difficult than when he had been sitting and solely focusing on controlling the mana strings.
Archie found himself struggling to even take a step without his mana strings going limp, and his tools crashing to the ground. He closed his eyes and focused on the sense of calm he experienced during his Forgesmith¡¯s Flame meditation session. Releasing a deep breath, he took another step¡ªthen another.
Maintaining a calm attitude seems to be the key, Archie thought, as he slowly began to adapt to the complex coordination of movement and mana control.
Archie made it across the cave while perfectly maintaining control over his mana strings and they moved through the air.
Archie breathed a sigh of relief; I¡¯ll stop here for now and go visit the camp for a bit to sell the crap gear.
Walking through the camp, Archie noticed the somber mood that hung over everyone. The medical tents were packed with people bearing various injuries, and he could feel faint traces of mana surrounding them. The mana feels heavy and sickening¡No, dark.
Dark mana? Archie thought, recalling how it felt similar to the attacks by the mage and the bulwark¡¯s magic on his shield. As he looked at the wounds of those inside the tents, he realized that he wasn¡¯t the only one to be attacked by them as of late.
Eventually, Archie spotted Michael at one of the larger tents in the middle of the camp, speaking with a man who had short black hair and wore what appeared to be Shadowstalker hide armor. Not wanting to intrude on an obviously private conversation, Archie waited for their discussion to end.
The man quickly noticed Archie¡¯s gaze and spoke to Michael, who then turned to gesture for Archie to join them.
¡°Hello, I¡¯m James,¡± the man introduced himself, extending a handshake.
Archie accepted. ¡°Archie. How are you two doing?¡±
Both Michael and James frowned deeply and sighed. ¡°Oliver and his cult have started ambushing our hunting groups since yesterday afternoon. They¡¯ve been using E-Grades,¡± James explained.
¡°So, it wasn¡¯t just me who was ambushed then,¡± Archie said, drawing their attention. ¡°I was ambushed by five of them¡ªtwo E-Grades and three F-Grades.¡±
Michael and James scanned Archie¡¯s appearance, noting he was unscathed. ¡°How are you okay then?¡± James asked, his brows furrowed.
¡°They weren¡¯t strong,¡± Archie replied, puzzled by James'' expression. ¡°The only challenge was an attack by their mage. It felt like my body was on fire and my brain was in a blender.¡±
Michael and James exchanged thoughtful looks. ¡°You need to come with us,¡± Michael said, raising an eyebrow from Archie. ¡°That attack was a curse. Remember what I said about people encountering Oliver alone in the woods and then losing their memories?¡±
Archie nodded, slowly realizing the implication. ¡°It could be the same curse. But our head healer recently reached E-Grade and gained a skill to remove curses.¡±
¡°Alright, sure. Let¡¯s go meet this healer.¡± Archie then asked, ¡°By the way, do you know anyone who buys loot? I¡¯ve got some gear to sell.¡±
¡°You can sell it to me. We¡¯re in dire need of new equipment,¡± James replied quickly. ¡°Eric and Angela, our smiths, are overwhelmed.¡±
¡°I can forge some items for you guys if you need,¡± Archie offered, dumping both bodies and equipment from his spatial storage. He noted Michael and James¡¯ lack of surprise at the five corpses.
¡°Michael filled you in?¡± Archie asked, glancing at James, who nodded with a smirk.
¡°How much for all of it?¡± Michael inquired, examining the gear. ¡°Also, why is that guy naked?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know, just give me two thousand for them all.¡± Archie replied with a shrug, then looked at the dead bulwark, ¡°He was wearing steel armor, and I repurposed it .¡±
¡°Deal.¡± Michael shook Archie¡¯s hand. ¡°About commissions¡ would you be willing to make some armor and weapons for the camp?¡±
¡°I can, but not for everyone,¡± Archie replied. Seeing Michael¡¯s confusion and James¡¯ irritation, he continued, ¡°I¡¯d prefer commissions that are unique and interesting rather than mass-producing generic items. Not to mention, I like fighting, and I don¡¯t want to just forge things every day.¡±
James was about to object, but Michael interrupted. ¡°No problem. I want a fire-attuned greatsword, with the same dimensions as my current one.¡±
Archie examined Michael¡¯s greatsword. ¡°An inch and a half thick, seventy-inch blade, twenty-five-inch handle, double-edged.¡±
¡°Doable, but I don¡¯t have any fire-attuned materials right now,¡± Archie said, returning the sword. ¡°Funny enough, I have ice-attuned materials, but no fire. I¡¯ll make it when I find some.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
¡°Where did you get ice-attuned materials?¡± Michael asked. ¡°There hasn¡¯t been an ice area on the island that we¡¯ve found.¡±
¡°Killed a bunch of goats with ice hooves during my tutorial,¡± Archie explained. ¡°The environment was basically Antarctica, so everything was ice-related.¡±
Michael suggested. ¡°There¡¯s a volcano on this island. You might find fire-attuned beasts or ores there.¡±
Archie¡¯s eyes widened in mock pain. ¡°You knew there was a volcano and didn¡¯t tell me?¡±
¡°Why would you want to go to a volcano?¡± A voice asked from the side.
Turning, Archie saw a girl with curly brown hair, a white healer¡¯s robe, and a small wand. ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t want to explore a volcano?¡± Archie retorted. ¡°It¡¯s a volcano.¡±
¡°Archie, meet Sarah. Sarah, this is Archie,¡± Michael introduced. ¡°Sarah, can you check if he has a curse? He was ambushed by Oliver¡¯s cultists.¡±
Sarah chanted a spell, and Archie felt a warm breeze pass over him. ¡°No¡ he¡¯s perfectly healthy,¡± she said slowly. ¡°How did you survive an ambush by Oliver¡¯s cultists unscathed?¡±
¡°They were weak and overconfident,¡± Archie said with a shrug, then turned to Michael. ¡°Where exactly is this volcano? I haven¡¯t seen it.¡±
¡°Remember the jungle we passed through?¡± Michael asked. Archie nodded. ¡°Keep going another 80 kilometers.¡±
¡°Got it,¡± Archie said. ¡°Anything else?¡±
¡°Can I commission some steel daggers and a compound bow?¡± James asked.
¡°No problem,¡± Archie agreed. ¡°But, I¡¯m going to need some string¡±. This bow will be great practice for meshing forging with mechanical elements like pulleys. Making a bike will be even trickier, he thought, chuckling.
¡°Oh, I can have some ready for you when you come back¡ª300 points, though,¡± Sarah offered with a smirk.
¡°Sure, but cord them tightly,¡± Archie nodded, before turning to face Michael after seeing Sarah nod. ¡°Anything else?¡±
¡°Ah, one last thing.¡± Michael said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay in the camp?¡±
Archie scratched the back of his neck for a bit before answering, ¡°I just prefer to live alone and away from noise.¡±
¡°Alright, I won¡¯t push you to live here, but would you be willing to help us out if the cultists invade?¡± Michael asked, making James and Sarah turn to him.
¡°Of course. The camp¡¯s been good to me; it¡¯s only fair that I return the favor,¡± Archie replied, earning a grateful nod from Michael.
¡°Alright, take care then,¡± Archie said before heading towards Evelyn for a bite before he left towards the volcano.
Archie dashed through the jungle from atop the high tree branches, relishing the wind rushing past his face. The jungle was breathtakingly vibrant, filled with fascinating plants and fauna. He had even passed a plant the size of a moped that periodically released a green gas¡ªknown as a Dreamspore Bloom. When a Quillbackstalker, a porcupine-panther variant, had approached within its radius, it passed out within thirty seconds, allowing the Bloom¡¯s roots to emerge from the ground and latch onto the unconscious predator.
After covering forty kilometers through the jungle, Archie halted, landing gracefully on a thick branch. Something felt off. The jungle looked unchanged, but his gut was warning him that something was different.
Suddenly, he dodged to the right, nearly slipping off the branch as a whizzing projectile flew past the spot where he had just been standing. Archie spun to his left, scanning for the source of the attack. Nothing¡ nothing¡ nothing¡ªuntil he caught sight of movement.
[Poisontail Monkey Lv 55]
He identified at least ten of them scattered amongst the trees, blending almost perfectly with the branches. Only his Identify skill made it possible to detect their locations. The closest monkey was about a hundred meters away. Archie grinned as memories of battling similar creatures in the Hoarfrost Highlands came flooding back.
With a determined glint in his eyes, Archie activated Adrenaline Rush and Thorns. Steam rose from his body, but instead of the typical red aura, this time it was accompanied by thick, corded vines entwined around his limbs. He channeled mana through the vines, causing large green thorns to sprout, twice their previous size yet consuming only half the mana they once did.
Archie activated Savage Charge, targeting the monkey in the group''s center. Closing the distance in an instant, he grabbed the monkey by its tail as it was shoulder tackled off the branch and delivered a devastating punch to its head. The force of the blow shattered its skull, leaving five deep puncture marks across its face.
As Archie regained his balance, four other monkeys flung their poison-tipped tails at him, hitting both his chest plate and sleeves. However, their attacks barely scratched the surface of his armor. Archie released a guttural roar, activating Taunt and freezing the monkeys in place.
Archie quickly leaped toward the immobilized group and smashed their heads with brutal efficiency. Monkeys really have barely any vitality, Archie thought as he finished off the stunned foes.
After three seconds passed, the remaining four monkeys regained their senses and scattered in different directions, realizing that Archie was too much for them to handle. Just as Archie prepared to give chase, he heard a series of distant roars within the jungle and the sounds of stomping getting ever so closer.
Archie spotted in between the trees three massive gorillas charging toward him, their charge tearing up the ground and uprooting trees in their path. Each was packed with dense muscle, their bodies covered in dark fur. Towering at twice his height, the creatures bore a glowing symbol or two across their bodies, each marking pulsing with a familiar energy.
[Spiritglyph Gorilla Lv 66]
[Spiritglyph Gorilla Lv 67]
[Spiritglyph Gorilla Lv 65]
Archie clenched his jaw, then flooded his body with mana and stamina, surpassing the 40% limit on Adrenaline Rush. The thorns along his limbs grew an additional three inches in size. He inhaled deeply and unleashed an even louder guttural roar that reverberated throughout the jungle, freezing the gorillas in place for a few moments.
That was all the time Archie needed. He launched off the branch with such force it cracked beneath him. Activating Savage Charge, he appeared in front of the middle gorilla and delivered a powerful punch to its face, immediately following it up with Relentless Flurry.
By the time the other two gorillas broke free from their paralysis, the middle gorilla''s upper body was minced. The remaining gorillas charged at Archie, sigils on their right pectorals lighting up. Archie was ready to land another hit on the middle gorilla but quickly noticed the incoming attacks. He managed to dodge the right gorilla''s punch but was struck by the left, knocking him two meters back.
Archie smiled as he steadied himself. I will learn how to create that Greater Physical Resistance rune, he thought, eyes alight with excitement. As the Greater Physical Resistance rune essentially negated the damage from the gorilla¡¯s punch and let him deal with the force of the blow.
He lunged at the left gorilla and unleashed another barrage of strikes. This time, the gorilla¡¯s skin hardened visibly, gaining an earthy grey hue, and a glowing earthy grey sigil appeared on its back. Probably increases defense. I¡¯m going to need to study them later, Archie mused.
Pushing his boost to 45%, he cracked through the gorilla¡¯s hardened defense with his Relentless Flurry. Steam, now exuding a reddish hue. With a final strike, he punched through the gorilla¡¯s head.
Turning to face the last gorilla, he watched as it released a deafening roar and slashed itself across the sigil on its chest. A sickly, dark green liquid oozed from the wound and coated its body. Poison, Archie guessed.
He activated the Lesser Ice Reinforcement enchantment on his gauntlets, causing the tips of the thorns to take on a blue hue. Both combatants charged at each other. For every blow the gorilla landed on him, Archie retaliated with four more. The Greater Physical Resistance rune shielded him from most of the damage and only made him deal with the knockback.
Each of Archie¡¯s blows unleashed waves of ice, freezing the dark green liquid clinging to his fists. Despite his efforts, some of the toxic fluid splattered onto his armor, causing it to sizzle and melt. A few quick pulses of mana, however, restored his equipment to pristine condition.
Archie ducked beneath an overhead swing from the gorilla and countered with a powerful uppercut to its neck. A loud crack echoed through the jungle, silencing the wildlife around them.
Archie stared at the three dead gorillas and deactivated all his skills, lightly exhaling. "Not bad," Archie said while sending the three gorilla corpses into his spatial ring. He would use them to learn how spirit magic could be used for his forging.
Archie looked at his notifications and smiled.
*[Poisontail Monkey Lv 55] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 540 Tutorial Points given*
***
*[Poisontail Monkey Lv 56] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 560 Tutorial Points given*
*[Spiritglyph Gorilla Lv 65] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 715 Tutorial Points given*
***
*[Spiritglyph Gorilla Lv 67] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 737 Tutorial Points given*
*Your Class has reached Lv 57¨C Points allocated, +4 Free Points*
*Your Class has reached Lv 58¨C Points allocated, +4 Free Points*
*Your Race has reached Lv 60¨C Points allocated, +3 Free Points*
Ch 44 - Cores
Archie dashed across the tree branches of the jungle, the pungent smell of sulfur growing stronger with each leap. I¡¯m getting closer, Archie thought, a small smile spreading across his face. He quickened his pace, flying through the dense foliage at speeds that would put a supercar to shame.
Archie burst out of the jungle, his smile widening as he beheld the imposing volcano before him. It loomed at least five kilometers tall and spanned roughly thirty kilometers across. The jungle must have hidden it from view when I was above. How could I have missed something this colossal? Archie wondered, astonished.
The volcano''s slopes were caked in layers of volcanic ash and dirt, with rivers of lava snaking around and across its surface. Pools of molten rock dotted the landscape, home to various creatures both within and around their fiery depths. Smoke billowed constantly from the volcano¡¯s peak, while steam and lava geysers erupted with relentless energy.
Archie¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°This is just as amazing as I always envisioned it being,¡± he murmured, awe-struck.
The various creatures and minerals dotted his sight.
[Lava Wraith Lv 64]
[Igneous Golem Lv 75]
[Magma Hound Lv 69]
[Scoria Serpent Lv 59]
[Lava Slime Lv 72]
Using his Material Insight, Archie was able to identify the various minerals scattered across the volcano base. He smiled at the information he gleaned from them.
Pyrestal Ore:
A glowing, heat-resistant ore that emits a faint orange-red light. Pyrestal is known for its natural resistance against fire-based attacks. Commonly found near lava pools.
Magmasteel Ore:
A metallic ore that radiates a deep red light, often found bathed in lava pools. It has a strong affinity for retaining fire elemental mana when refined and infused, making it a favored material for crafting weapons and armor used by those with Fire Affinities.
Ignusite:
A mineral known for its ability to emit a steady and controlled heat. Once refined it serves as a reliable source of thermal energy and can be recharged by channeling mana once depleted. Ignusite is most commonly found in areas inhabited by Igneous Golems as well as within Igneous Golems themselves.
Cragforge Ore:
A dense, rocky metallic ore often discovered within volcanic crevices. If improperly handled it can release powerful bursts of kinetic energy. Its unique structure allows it to store latent energy, which can be unleashed with great force when needed.
Volthrinite Crystal:
A crystalline mineral known for its exceptional ability to conduct and channel fire-affinity mana. Frequently used to amplify fire elemental magic, it is often found near lava rivers.
¡°This place is a treasure trove!¡± Archie said excitedly. ¡°I can make the greatsword with Magmasteel as the base, and in its center, I can have a thin strip of Volthrinite. That will make it a perfect fire-attuned greatsword for Michael.¡±
¡°And everything here is perfect for building my bike. I¡¯ll use Cragforge on the suspension for an extra boost on the wheels, Ignusite for the batteries, and Pyrestal as an insulator,¡± he added. ¡°Not to mention, this place is ideal for grinding some levels in my class.¡±
Archie advanced toward the Lava Wraiths, who hovered above a pool of molten lava, the bubbling gurgles filling the air around him. He counted four of the wraiths encircling a deposit of Pyrestal. Each stood at a towering two and a half meters, their humanoid shapes crowned with bald, flame-wreathed heads. Wisps of fire flickered off their forms, while their faceless visages bore no eyes, ears, or noses. Their limbs were unnaturally long, draped in robes resembling molten magma streaked with glowing cracks of lava. Only their heads and arms were exposed, appearing human-like but entirely composed of flowing lava.
The wraiths floated effortlessly above the molten pool, and as Archie approached, they turned in unison, their glowing white eyes fixed on him with an intense, piercing gaze. He activated Adrenaline Rush, Thorns, and the Lesser Ice Reinforcement enchantment on his gauntlet, causing the tips of the thorns to gleam with an icy blue tinge. Pretty sure I¡¯m gonna need Ice to fight fire, Archie mused.
The wraiths wasted no time¡ªtwo unleashed fireballs toward Archie while the other two raised their palms, emitting crackling sparks of kindling energy. Archie dodged between the incoming fireballs and triggered Savage Charge, propelling himself in front of one of the fireball-shooting wraiths. He thrust his fist forward, expecting resistance, but instead passed clean through, nearly stumbling into the lava pool. Surprise flickered across his face as he turned back toward the wraiths.
The fireball-flinging wraiths retreated while their companions ceased chanting and thrust their palms forward, spraying arcs of molten lava. Archie leaped clear of the searing streams, channeling more mana into his gauntlet than ever before. Ice encased his fists, dyeing the thorns deep blue.
Archie kicked off the ground, launching himself at the wraiths once more. Just before striking, he released a burst of mana into his gauntlet, creating a concentrated spread of ice. This time, his fists met resistance as the ice solidified parts of the wraith. When his punch connected with its torso, the wraith doubled over, spittles of lava spraying across Archie''s chest plate and slightly melting it. Archie took advantage of its vulnerable state and followed through with a sucker punch, cracking its mask-like face and falling onto the ground. The remaining wraiths unleashed volleys of fireballs, forcing Archie to weave through the barrage. Although a few grazed him, he escaped serious harm.
The sounds of barking and howling joined the gurgling lava as Archie activated Savage Charge once more, closing the gap instantly. His fist crashed into a wraith''s face, cracking its mask, and sending it tumbling backward, shards of ice scattering from its falling form. Pivoting swiftly, he delivered a downward punch to another wraith, driving it into the ground and leaving a deep ice-encased imprint of his fist on its torso.
The last wraith sprouted large claws from its fingertips and lunged. Archie felt its intense heat as it closed the gap. He slipped beneath its wild slash and countered with a barrage of strikes, activating Relentless Flurry. The wraith was hurled into the air, its body riddled with ice-encrusted dents before it exploded in a fiery burst.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
Archie surveyed the remains of the wraiths as they all erupted into flames. ¡°Looks like these gauntlets will be a major help here. When I make better ones, I need to give them runes to handle different types of elementals.¡±
Approaching the remains, he noticed a fiery sphere amid the debris. It was round, with hardened stone encased in vibrant, pulsing reddish-orange lines resembling molten rivers. When Archie picked it up, it felt warm and throbbed with a steady pulse, leaving him thoughtful and intrigued.
Identifying the sphere caught Archie¡¯s attention instantly.
Lava Wraith Elemental Core:
An elemental core from an E-Grade Lava Wraith retaining fragments of its records, left behind after its death. Within its fragmented records, lies the will of the Lava Wraith. Can be used for various forging applications.
"Do all beasts drop this?" Archie wondered, pocketing the cores from the remains of the Lava Wraiths.
Just as he was about to check his notifications, a pack of magma hounds charged, their agitation stirred by the clash between Archie and the wraiths. The hounds were constructed of molten lava and cracked, smoldering rock, constantly emitting smoke and embers, with drops of magma splattering to the ground as they moved.
Archie launched forward with Savage Charge, slamming his fist into the snout of the nearest hound. Puncture marks from the thorns around Archie¡¯s fists made magma pour from its insides. The creature was hurled back, skidding across the ground for thirty meters before going limp, its skull cracked by the force of the blow. The hound was completely unprepared for Archie¡¯s sudden and brutal attack.
Archie released a guttural roar, activating Taunt, freezing the remaining five hounds in place. He then quickly unleashed a flurry of strikes on the hound closest to him. Its hardened skin cracked with each blow as shards of ice scattered from his fists.
The death of one of their packmates snapped the remaining hounds from their stupor. They lunged at Archie simultaneously. One attacked from his right, which he dodged; another leaped at him from behind, forcing him to jump. In mid-air, two more hounds exploited his vulnerable state and lunged at him.
Archie reacted swiftly, activating Savage Charge to appear in front of the first hound he had dodged. He avoided its snapping, magma-fanged jaws and delivered a powerful kick, sending it hurtling into a magma pool.
Suddenly, searing pain shot through his left leg. Glancing down, he saw another hound clamping its molten jaws around his leather pants. Gritting his teeth, Archie leapt away from the remaining hounds and grabbed the head of the one biting his leg. He drove his fingers into its eyes, crushing them and using the eye sockets as leverage to pry open its jaw. The hound clamped down harder in response, intensifying Archie¡¯s pain.
With a surge of mana and stamina channeled into Adrenaline Rush, Archie tore the upper skull from the hound, sending it flying and exposing its insides. The creature¡¯s lower jaw and body remained clamped onto his hamstring, but a quick tug removed it. Archie inspected his pants and the puncture wounds in his leg, already feeling his Pugilist¡¯s Grit begin to mend the charred flesh and damaged fabric.
The two remaining hounds lunged at him. Archie caught them by their necks, only to feel their bodies begin to heat up, glowing red. His eyes widened¡ªthey were about to unleash a fire blast. Pouring even more stamina and mana into Adrenaline Rush, Archie squeezed harder, feeling their windpipes crack. Flames erupted, engulfing his hands. "Damn it!" he shouted as his fingers burned.
Withdrawing his charred hands, he noticed his gauntlets had melted up to his upper palms. He quickly channeled mana into the gauntlets, watching as they slowly began to restore themselves. Pugilist¡¯s Grit also working to regenerate his scorched hands alongside him funneling his vital energy towards his hands to speed up the process.
Footsteps drew his attention¡ªit was the hound he had kicked into the magma pool. Though still intact, it bore spiderweb-like cracks along its left side. Pushing through the pain, Archie activated Savage Charge, channeling mana into his icy-blue thorns, and struck the hound''s cracked side with a half-formed fist. The creature staggered, but Archie pressed the attack, hammering it with a relentless barrage of icy punches. Activating Relentless Flurry, he continued until the hound''s hardened skin bore countless icy fist marks. At last, it fell limp.
Archie looked around and saw no other group of creatures around him. With an exhale, he deactivated his skills and fell on his ass. ¡°Note to self, don¡¯t stick your hands into a fire blast while it¡¯s being charged, it still hurts you,¡± Archie chuckled.
Wasting no time, Archie entered Nature¡¯s Meditation, needing to speed up the recovery of his hands.
***
Exiting Nature¡¯s Meditation, Archie got up from the group and looked at the notifications that he ignored previously.
Skill Upgraded: [Material Insight (Common ¡ú Uncommon)]
Material Insight (Uncommon):
The Forgesmith taps into their connection with nature to identify and locate materials for their crafts. When Identifying and analyzing materials, additional information is revealed.
*[Lava Wraith Lv 64] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 704 Tutorial Points given*
***
*[Lava Wraith Lv 64] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 704 Tutorial Points given*
*[Magma Hound Lv 69] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 759 Tutorial Points given*
***
*[Magma Hound Lv 70] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 840 Tutorial Points given*
Skill Upgraded [Thorns (Common ¡ú Uncommon)]
Thorns (Uncommon):
You are able to conjure transparent vines atop your limbs, and when channeling mana into said vines, translucent thorns will emerge atop them. When striking a foe with Thorns active, bonus physical damage is dealt with every strike. When elemental mana is channeled through the vines, they gain bonus elemental effects. The damage of the Thorns is proportional to the amount of mana imbued in them and the current elemental effects.
Skill Upgraded [Relentless Flurry (Uncommon ¡ú Rare)]
Relentless Flurry (Rare):
Drawing on your stamina reserves, you unleash a rapid series of powerful strikes, each blow flowing seamlessly into the next. The energy surges through your muscles, amplifying your attacks with relentless force. When elemental mana is channeled through your limbs while Relentless Flurry is active, the strikes will gain bonus elemental effects.
*Your Class has reached Lv 59¨C Points allocated, +4 Free Points*
*Your Class has reached Lv 60¨C Points allocated, +4 Free Points*
*Your Race has reached Lv 61¨C Points allocated, +3 Free Points*
*Nature-Attuned Pugilist class skills available. Choose one of the options*
Tactical Retreat (Common): Stomp the ground creating a large cloud of dust to swift retreat, boosting your defense and movement speed while avoiding incoming attacks.
Stone Shroud (Common): Create a layer of stone around your body that absorbs damage when struck. The amount of damage absorbed is based on the amount of mana imbued within the stone.
Nature''s Vigil (Uncommon): Temporarily connects with nearby plant life to increase awareness, granting heightened senses, boosted evasion, and an early warning of approaching threats.
Nature¡¯s Veil (Common): You blend with your surroundings, drawing on the natural energy around you to enhance your movement. While activated, your body becomes camouflaged within natural environments, allowing you to move silently and with increased speed.
Spirit Bond (Rare): Spirit Link''s lingering tether on your soul has left remnants of a connection to the spirit realm. Allowing you to temporarily bond with a spiritual entity using a medium, enhancing various stats based on the entity¡¯s most prominent attributes. The strength and nature of the connection may vary based on the quality of the medium used and the compatibility with the chosen spiritual entity.
Ch 45 - Nature Mana?
Archie examined the upgrades to his skills with intrigue. Material Insight remained unchanged, but both Thorns and Relentless Flurry received interesting enhancements. If I learn how to use other elements, I can imbue them into my skills for bonus effects, Archie analyzed.
Turning his attention to the first option in the skill list, Tactical Retreat, Archie was perplexed. Why would I even get this skill option? Is this a skill most Pugilists receive? Why choose this class if you¡¯re going to run away from a fight? He quickly dismissed the option, feeling a sense of distaste.
The next option, however, piqued Archie¡¯s interest. Stone Shroud¡ªnow that¡¯s more my style. Judging by the description, if I channel enough mana, maybe I can tank a nuke, he chuckled. It seemed like a solid defensive skill to have overall.
Nature¡¯s Vigil could be really useful, Archie considered. It would be my first perception-based combat skill and give me my own tingle sense,¡¯ he chuckled to himself. Plus, it would be boosted by my mask and affinity.
A new idea struck him. ¡°I could try to learn this on my own,¡± he mused aloud. ¡°It would be great practice for connecting with nature spirits and elements.¡±
His thoughts turned to the Nature¡¯s Veil skill. I just need to manipulate nature spirits and elements to cloak myself, essentially providing camouflage and enhancements.
This is a tough choice, he thought, weighing his options. Stone Shroud is something I don¡¯t know how to recreate, so it¡¯s up there on the skills I should get. But If I choose either Nature¡¯s Vigil or Nature¡¯s Veil, I can reverse engineer it to get the other, Archie thought.
Pushing those thoughts aside, Archie focused on the last option. ¡°W-What?¡± he stammered, reading it over. This skill would allow him to reconnect with spirits and open the gateway to the spirit realm. He didn''t think he would see a skill that would allow such a thing till at least D-Grade.
Without hesitation, Archie selected Spirit Bond as his skill of choice. This skill sounded perfect for him; this would allow him to connect with a spirit beast and access the spirit realm. All he needed was to find a medium to connect with a spirit beast.
He exhaled deeply, steadying himself. I can work on this once I¡¯ve gathered the materials and returned to my base, he decided.
Archie approached the nearest fallen Magma Hound and spotted its core nestled in its shattered remains. Similar to the Lava Wraith Elemental core, it was round with pulsing reddish-orange lines that resembled molten rivers, but instead of grey stone, it appeared as dark, charred charcoal.
Magma Hound Beastcore:
A beastcore from an E-Grade Magma Hound retaining fragments of its records, left behind after its death. Within its fragmented records, lies the will of the Magma Hound. Can be used for various forging and medium applications.
Archie¡¯s eyes widened as he read the last bit of text from the notification. I can use beastcores as mediums to activate my Spirit Bond. I guess this answers my previous question, Archie smiled.
Grabbing the core, Archie felt its pulsing energy in his palm. It was reminiscent of the Lava Wraith core, though now it felt heavier¡ªperhaps because he understood its potential better. He quickly stashed the beastcore away, recalling the vulnerability he¡¯d faced when Soul Link had temporarily muted all his senses.
Archie quickly gathered the remaining cores from the crumbling beast corpses and stored them away. Afterwards, he headed towards the lava pool to collect the Pyrestal and Magmasteel. He collected several large chunks of Pyrestal ore around the pool''s edge and stored them away.
With a few calculated jumps, Archie reached the small rocky island in the middle of the pool, grabbing several large chunks of Magmasteel ore and storing them away. He quickly noticed the stone beneath him beginning to crumble and immediately started hopping from stone to stone to avoid the bubbling lava pool below. With a final leap, he landed safely on the volcanic soil surrounding the lava pool, a smile spreading across his face.
His attention turned to three Igneous Golems patrolling around the lava pools around the volcano''s base. Standing at five meters tall, these golems had humanoid forms made of jagged rock fused with molten magma. Their legs were thick and powerful, though their thighs were comparatively slimmer. Their torsos tapered at the waist but expanded broadly at the chest. Each arm was solid and thick, without visible elbows. Instead of faces, they had faceless masks with a single molten hole that glowed ominously.
As Archie advanced, he noticed the golems suddenly stopping in front of a smaller lava pool. One of the golems crouched down, plunging its massive fist into the lava and extracting a chunk of Ignusite. It then moved slightly away from the pool, sat down, and began slowly pushing the Ignusite into the molten hole in its face. The other two golems positioned themselves to guard their seated companion.
I need to kill them now, while one of them is out of commission, Archie thought with determination.
Archie activated Adrenaline Rush pumping enough mana and stamina throughout his body to surpass the 45% limiter. The steam took a dark red hue as it exuded from his body. Archie activated Thorns and the Lesser Ice Reinforcement enchantment in his gauntlet, his thorns dying a deep blue color.
Kicking off the ground, Archie rushed toward one of the guarding golems. As he closed the distance, he activated Savage Charge, becoming a blur of motion, and unleashed a flurry of punches on the golem, activating Relentless Flurry. Each strike cracked the golem''s hardened stone chest and with each blow, ice began to spread across its chest.
With a final strike, Archie created a large hole in the golem¡¯s torso. Its upper body toppled backward to the ground while its legs crumpled to their knees before collapsing completely.
The other guarding golem suddenly appeared beside him and swung its arm at him. The crack of its impact echoed through the air, like a bat striking a baseball. The sheer force of the blow sent Archie tumbling thirty meters, his body flung through the air.
Dazed, Archie quickly rolled into a crouch, locking his gaze onto the golem that had sent him flying. It was standing over the golem he had already killed, touching its upper torso. The dead golem¡¯s body turned liquid, the molten material crawling across it before hardening once more. The golem''s form expanded, growing even larger, now towering at six and a half meters.
[Igneous Golem Lv 78]
Ah, fuck! Archie thought, his eyes wide as he stared at the now much larger golem. He had to act quickly before the other golem joined the fight. The adrenaline that coursed through him started to increase in pace, funneling an increased amount of dopamine.
Archie kicked off the ground, flooding his body with more mana and stamina, activating Savage Charge. Clots of blood appeared across his body, veins bulging across his arms.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
He blurred toward the golem, jumping over a wide swipe and delivering a crushing punch to its solar plexus, sending it crashing into the grounded golem. Both golems tumbled to the ground, motionless, but Archie didn¡¯t drop his guard. His eyes remained locked on them.
The golems began to turn liquid. Goosebumps prickled across Archie¡¯s back. He immediately charged toward them, not wanting to give them time to merge.
Archie grabbed the surprisingly dense metallic liquid golems and hurled them into the lava pool, watching it sink. Archie stared at the pool, his adrenaline flowing even faster, seemingly warning Archie of danger approaching. Bubbles began to form at the center of the lava.
Suddenly, the pool erupted. Lava splashed everywhere, some landing on Archie¡¯s armor, causing it to melt slightly. A massive figure landed in front of him, throwing a fist that launched him fifty meters away.
Archie righted himself midair, eyes locking onto the hulking golem.
[Igneous Golem Lv 80]
This is getting dangerous... Archie thought, bracing himself as he landed. The golem was nearly twenty levels above his race.
The golem slammed both arms into the ground, sending a shockwave outward. The explosion of air was followed by a line of massive earthen spikes that shot up from the earth, growing larger as they raced toward Archie.
Archie¡¯s eyes widened as he dodged the spikes, maintaining his speed. He activated Savage Charge, pumping even more mana and stamina into his body. His veins bulged further as some blood vessels burst.
He slid under the golem¡¯s wide swing, maintaining his momentum. Rolling smoothly, he charged at the golem. In a blur, he drew out an Effigy of Wrath from his spatial storage, snapping it with a mana string. His muscles swelled as a surge of power coursed through him. The feeling of rage didn¡¯t come, it was overwhelmed by a bit of nervousness and overwhelming excitement.
Archie ducked under the golem¡¯s guard and unleashed a flurry of punches, activating Relentless Flurry. Each strike created a concentrated spread of ice that hardened its semi-liquid skin.
The golem¡¯s liquid form seemed to gain structure, forming elbows that allowed it to grab Archie, hurling him away. Time seemed to slow as Archie left the golem¡¯s grasp, he mimed grabbing onto its arm as he slowly got further and further away.
A sharp spike of adrenaline surged through him, calming him down as he inched away from the golem¡¯s extended arm.
Within that calm moment, a loud snap echoed in his mind.
A burst of deep green mana erupted from a place beside Archie¡¯s heart. It flooded his body, rushing into his left arm, extending vines that latched onto the golem¡¯s arm. Archie barely processed the shock before he yanked himself back toward the golem, deactivating and reactivating the vines around his arm.
A guttural roar erupted from him as he released another barrage of punches, his arms covered in a deep green hue overtaking the deep blue hue on his thorns and fists.
The thorns wedged themselves through the cracks of its hardened skin. With each punch, thorns dug into the cracks of the golem¡¯s hardened skin, growing with each blow.
For the first time, the golem started to shake.
With a final surge of deep green mana, Archie drove his fists into the golem¡¯s body, causing the thorns inside to explode in size. They erupted from every crack, and a massive thorn emerged from the molten hole in its face.
The golem went still.
Archie¡¯s adrenaline high dropped suddenly, and exhaustion overwhelmed him. He barely caught himself before collapsing. His skills deactivated as he tried to catch his breath.
Gasping for breath, Archie grabbed his knees, blood dripping from small holes in his armor, sizzling as it hit the volcanic soil. He had boiled his own blood from supercharging Adrenaline Rush, using the effigy, and whatever the hell his bloodline had done to him.
His eyes widened as his brain caught up with what had just happened. He looked up at the golem, and to his surprise, a smile spread across his face¡ªwider than he realized. I did it... I don¡¯t know how, but I did it, he thought.
He looked at the notifications, breathlessly.
*[Igneous Golem Lv 75] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 900 Tutorial Points given*
Skill Evolution: [Thorns (Uncommon) ¡ú Thornscourge Expansion (Rare)]
Thornscourge Expansion (Rare):
You are able to conjure transparent vines atop your limbs, and when channeling mana into said vines, translucent thorns will emerge atop them. You are able to manipulate and rapidly extend the vines you have already conjured with a burst of nature mana. When striking a foe with Thornscourge Expansion active, bonus physical damage is dealt with every strike. When elemental mana is channeled through the vines, they gain bonus elemental effects. The damage of the thorns is proportional to the amount of mana imbued in them and the current elemental effects.
Skill Upgraded [Savage Charge (Uncommon ¡ú Rare)]
Savage Charge (Rare):
You charge with explosive speed, able to dodge incoming attacks while retaining momentum as you crash into a single target with devastating force. Upon impact, the strike deals significant damage the following attacks deal increased damage. Heavily touched by the records of Adrenaline Junkie. Maximum distance: Agi/2.
*[Igneous Golem Lv 80] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 1040 Tutorial Points given*
*Your Class has reached Lv 61¨C Points allocated, +4 Free Points*
*Your Class has reached Lv 62¨C Points allocated, +4 Free Points*
*Your Race has reached Lv 62¨C Points allocated, +3 Free Points*
¡°That deep green mana was nature-attuned mana?¡± Archie spoke aloud, with deep breaths. ¡°I thought most of my mana was nature-attuned already. My Forgesmith¡¯s Flame had tinges of green in it.¡± Confusion laced Archie¡¯s tone.
Archie still felt the echoes of the nature-attuned mana across his fists. Archie channeled mana through them and noticed a crucial difference. When he normally channeled mana, his mana looked sky blue with tinges of green, but now the opposite occurred. His mana was now dyed deep green with tinges of blue.
Did I just unlock my nature-attuned mana? Archie questioned as he stared at his now deep green mana that covered his fists. But I thought I was already using it.
Archie looked at his reserves and kissed his teeth, he was low on mana and stamina.
Health: 3085/5002
Mana: 148/1694
Stamina: 382/4542
I need to find some place to recover, Archie thought looking around him. It was too dangerous to run back into the jungle and potentially get ambushed while he was low on mana and stamina.
Archie scanned the area nearby and noticed a tunnel connected to a flowing lava river. The tunnel featured two elevated paths running along its sides, resembling walkways. Molten lava coursed through the lowered central channel, spilling out of the volcano and onto the volcanic soil, forming a long, winding river that stretched across the rugged terrain of the volcanic area.
¡°That¡¯s the only place where I see some shelter,¡± Archie said, as he gathered the cores from the crumbling remains of the golems.
The cores were similar to those of the Magma Hound, but at their center was a large indent that revealed an inner surface resembling the top of a miniature volcano.
Igneous Golem Elemental Core:
An elemental core from an E-Grade Igneous Golem retaining fragments of its records, left behind after its death. Within its fragmented records, lies the will of the Igneous Golem. Can be used for various forging and medium applications.
Archie grabbed the cores along with the top half of the large golem and stored them inside his spatial ring.
With his task complete, he made his way toward the tunnel, picking up pieces of Volthrinite crystals scattered along the riverbank. As he moved, Archie noticed Lava Slimes bobbing within the molten river, bouncing against one another as they flowed downstream. He felt a twinge of annoyance at their seemingly relaxed state but quickly dismissed it upon realizing they made no effort to get closer to him.
Archie stepped into the tunnel, where the lava flowing through the lowered central channel filled the space with a reddish-orange glow and the constant bubbling and gurgling of molten rock echoed around him.
He walked deeper until the entrance was out of sight, and no sign of any creatures appeared. Finding a spot, he sat down, activated Nature¡¯s Meditation, and focused on replenishing his reserves.
Archie exited Nature¡¯s Meditation once he felt his reserves were full. Rising from the floor, he continued down the path. It made no sense for a normal tunnel to be this long; it had to lead to a dungeon.
As he walked, Archie grabbed the Cragforge ore hanging from the tunnel ceiling and stored it away in his spatial ring.
After twenty minutes of continuous walking, Archie finally spotted something that looked very out of place¡ªa large door standing ominously at the end of the path.
Ch 46 - Dungeon of the Infernal Minotaur I
Archie stared at the door at the end of the tunnel. The door looked to be made out of charred wood, with thin veins of liquid magma forming the skull of a bull.
Archie touched the door and a system prompt appeared:
Dungeon of the Infernal Minotaur
Objective: Slay the Infernal Minotaur
Reward: ? & ?
Requirements: Must be a Tutorial Participant.
Warning: Only parties of up to five members may enter, and only one party is permitted at a time.
Would you like to enter?
¡°Oh, shit!¡± Archie exclaimed. ¡°I get to fight a minotaur!¡± Just as he was about to confirm his entry into the dungeon, he remembered to test out his new skill.
Archie took out a Magma Hound Beastcore and felt the pulsing energy in his palm. He channeled his mana into the core and activated Spirit Bond. Suddenly, everything went dark.
As quickly as the darkness came, it vanished. Archie found himself inside a cave with thin veins of magma snaking along its walls. The cave itself appeared empty, with only bits of char marks dotting the floor, but a low growl from behind caught his attention. He spun around and found himself face-to-face with a Magma Hound.
Do I have to make it submit to bond with it? Archie wondered.
No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than the hound lunged at him. Archie sidestepped the attack, grabbed its charred, molten tail, and slammed it onto the ground.
With his foot planted firmly on the hound¡¯s stomach, he tried to keep it in place, waiting for it to whimper and submit. However, the hound continued to growl and flail, desperately trying to break free from under his foot. I don¡¯t really want to hurt it, Archie thought. He had no idea what might happen if he injured the beast while inside the core. Would the core break? Would he suffer backlash? Or would he gain a small bonus? These thoughts raced through his mind.
Keeping the hound pinned, Archie leaned in until their faces were inches apart. He activated Taunt and released a guttural roar.
The hound¡¯s wild movements suddenly stopped. It stared at Archie with lowered eyes and began to whine.
Abruptly, Archie was back in the tunnel, the core in his hand now glowing brightly with reddish-orange veins.
Suddenly, a surge of heat coursed through him. As a result, his muscles swelled. Archie instinctively understood that the buff would last for thirty minutes before fading.
Archie quickly confirmed that he wished to enter the dungeon making the dungeon door vanish, allowing him entrance inside the dungeon.
Archie stepped through the doorway and found himself inside a large cave, illuminated by the reddish-orange glow of lava streams flowing in between the rocky terrain. Jagged rocks jutted from the cave floor and walls, with droplets of molten lava falling from above and splattering onto the rocks below.
As Archie looked around, he noticed two types of creatures moving about
[Magma Slug Lv 73]
[Blister Beetles Lv 68]
The magma slugs were massive, towering at two meters tall. Their charred backs were streaked with molten veins along their sides. When they inched forward, the undersides of their necks were exposed, revealing unprotected, molten-red skin. As they moved, they left molten trails in their wake.
The blister beetles, on the other hand, stood at one meter tall with black exoskeletons marked by fiery red lines tracing along the grooves of their shells. What captured Archie¡¯s attention most were the large sacs on their backs. He speculated that these sacs contained some kind of liquid, given the beetles'' name. The creatures clung tightly to the cave walls, avoiding contact with the ground.
After taking in the dungeon environment, Archie noticed a system notification he had previously ignored.
Dungeon of the Infernal Minotaur
Objective 1: Slay all creatures within the cave 0/15
Archie activated Thornscourge Expansion and the Lesser Ice Reinforcement enchantment on his gauntlets. There was no need to use Adrenaline Rush, as the boost from his Spirit Bond was already sufficient. Thick vines wrapped around his arms, and large, blue-tinged thorns emerged from them.
Kicking off the ground, Archie charged at the nearest magma slug, activating Savage Charge. He closed the distance just as the slug exposed the vulnerable underside of its neck and drove his fist deep into it.
With a quick pulse of his nature-attuned mana, the vines extended from his fists, burrowing deep into the slug¡¯s body. The blue-thorned vines tore through its molten innards, eliciting a pained squeal from the creature.
Archie yanked his arm back, ripping the vines free as the slug collapsed, leaking reddish-orange fluid onto the floor.
Suddenly, he dodged a spray of fluid secreted by one of the beetles clinging above him. With a swift motion, Archie thrust his hands upward and sent another pulse of his nature-attuned mana. Thick tendrils of vines shot up, wrapping around the large sac on the beetle¡¯s back.
With a powerful yank, Archie propelled himself upwards and tore the sac from the beetle; spilling its fluids onto the ground. The beetle flailed momentarily before crashing to the floor. Using his momentum, Archie wrapped his vines around a nearby beetle and repeated the maneuver, dodging the boiling liquid the beetles sprayed at him.
A shout of excitement burst from Archie as he began swinging from one beetle to the next, ripping out their sacs and sending them plummeting to the ground, twitching before turning limp.
After he killed the last beetle, Archie landed atop a magma slug, punching through its hardened back and making his thorns tear through its innards as they extended into its body.
Archie ripped the thorns from its body as he dodged a spray of lava from the second to last magma slug in the cave.
Archie quickly activated Savage Charge, extending his vines to wrap around their optical tentacles and propel himself faster toward the slug. Archie raised his right leg and axe-kicked the slug, slamming its head into the ground. He extended the vines from his right foot, penetrating the slug¡¯s body and rupturing its innards before yanking his foot back, tearing through its insides.
Archie dodged another spray of lava before sending a punch into the exposed underside of its neck. His thorns shredded through its innards, and with a quick yank, the creature fell limply to the ground, its fluids spraying across his chest plate.
Archie deactivated his active skill, wiping off the reddish-orange fluids off his chest plate. Glancing at the notifications, he sighed. Leveling up is getting harder and harder.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
*[Magma Slug Lv 73] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 876 Tutorial Points given*
*[Blister Beetles Lv 68] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 748 Tutorial Points given*
***
*[Blister Beetles Lv 68] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 748 Tutorial Points given*
*[Magma Slug Lv 73] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 876 Tutorial Points given*
*[Magma Slug Lv 73] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 876 Tutorial Points given*
*Your Class has reached Lv 63¨C Points allocated, +4 Free Points*
Simultaneously, a system notification appeared in front of Archie, and a fissure opened in the wall behind him.
Dungeon of the Infernal Minotaur
Objective 1: Slay all creatures within the cave 15/15?
Proceed to the next floor
Archie looked back over his shoulder and gazed at the wide fissure that revealed stone steps ascending toward the unknown. Cool, he thought, stepping through the fissure and beginning the climb. Along the charred walls, veins of magma snaked their way upward, casting a fiery glow that illuminated his path to the next floor.
At the top of the staircase stood a pair of double doors. They appeared to be made from charred wood, with thin veins of liquid magma forming the image of a familiar-looking bull skull.
Archie placed his palms on each door and pushed them open, revealing a cavern not unlike the floor he had just completed. However, instead of Magma Slugs crawling along the ground and Blister Beetles clinging to the ceiling, there were different creatures waiting.
[Magma Scorpion Lv 77]
[Magma Spider Lv 75]
The Magma Scorpions stood at a height of two meters, their bodies encased in an obsidian-colored exoskeleton crisscrossed with glowing, molten streaks. Their massive pincers looked powerful enough to crush stone, each large enough to wrap completely around his leg. Above their bodies, the scorpions'' tails arched menacingly, ending in stingers that glowed as if they were forged from pure magma.
Suspended from the cavern ceiling were the Magma Spiders, their thinner exoskeletons glowing with fissures of molten lava. Their fangs, as well as their spinnerets, burned with a fiery intensity, suggesting both lethal bites and scorching webs. Webs, resembling solidified strands of fire, stretched across the ceiling, casting a dim, otherworldly light over the cavern below.
Archie looked at the system notification that appeared.
Dungeon of the Infernal Minotaur
Objective 2: Slay all insectoids within the cave 0/10
Archie counted three scorpions roaming the cave and six spiders hanging from the ceiling. Nine? Where¡¯s the tenth? Archie thought, just as he heard chittering from his right. His eyes widened.
He rolled forward, dodging a stinger that struck the spot where he had been standing. Archie quickly activated Adrenaline Rush and Thorns, steam rising from his body as thick vines wrapped around his arms, with sharp thorns protruding from them. He kicked off the ground and, with his left fist, struck the small joint connecting the scorpion''s right pincer to its body. The thorns around his knuckles severed the connecting joint.
Within the same moment, Archie arced his right fist and punched, his blow landing squarely in the scorpion¡¯s eye, causing fluids to spray out and its right pincer falling on the ground. The scorpion flailed in pain, but with its stinger embedded in the ground, it was unable to move away.
Archie channeled nature-attuned mana into his vines, which grew within the scorpion¡¯s eye socket. The vines quickly burrowed through its innards, branching whenever they met a dead end. When they reached far enough, spikes erupted from the vines, tearing through the exoskeleton from within. The scorpion went limp and collapsed to the floor.
The sudden noise awoke the spiders suspended from the ceiling. Archie quickly flung his arms, wrapping vines around two spiders that were halfway to the ground. Yanking his arms back, thorns erupted from the vines, squashing them and turning them into pincushions.
Archie dodged the molten webs spewed by the spiders that had landed on the floor. The spiders'' rapid, machine-gun-like bursts of molten webs kept him dodging as he ran towards them. He kept his vines extended, still attached to the two spiders, essentially using them as makeshift flails, Archie crushed another spider, leaving him with three more to contend with. Meanwhile, the three scorpions were not idle, scuttling towards the sound of battle.
Two scorpions leaped from their positions, soaring over the spiders and toward Archie.
Archie reacted quickly, twirling his flails and wrapping them around the scorpions¡¯ pincers¡ªhis left arm¡¯s vines wrapping around the right pincer of the right scorpion, and his right arm¡¯s vines wrapping around the left pincer of the left scorpion. Crossing his arms, he yanked them back, causing the leaping scorpions to collide in midair. A burning sensation surged through his arms from the sudden movement. Shit, Soul Bond is ending in the next few minutes, Archie thought.
He dismissed his vines and dodged between the sprays of molten webs aimed at him. He thrust his fists into the maws of two scorpions, surging nature mana through his arms. Vines erupted from his thorns and tunneled through the creatures¡¯ insides. Once spread throughout their bodies, thorns emerged, rupturing their innards. With a quick pull, he shredded them from within.
Suddenly, something latched onto his face, plunging him into darkness and sending pain searing through his neck. Archie dismissed the thorny vines binding the scorpions and leaped backward toward the entrance of the cave floor.
With a pulse of mana, the vines across his arms and legs spread across his body, bursting with thorns. Archie ripped the now punctured magma spider that latched onto his face and threw it on the floor before crushing it with a stomp.
Archie suddenly staggered, his vision dotted with black spots. Grabbing the right side of his neck, he looked at his hand, now covered with flakes of burnt flesh and green liquid. I need to end this quickly, he thought.
Archie quickly surged more mana and stamina into Adrenaline Rush, the steam gaining a light red hue.
Archie kicked off the ground, and activated Savage Charge, going past the last scorpion and towards the last two spiders. But just as he was about to pass the scorpion he grabbed its tail using all his strength, hurled it to the end of the cave. His muscles felt like they were about to burst and his vision grew even more spotty.
Archie rolled on the floor, but continued his charge towards the last two spiders, dodging their spray of molten webs.
Just as he was about to reach the spiders, one jumped at him, fangs open ready to bite Archie. But Archie quickly dodged it, landing a punch on the grounded spider, crushing it with ease.
Archie then turned around, dodging a molten web, and crushed the last spider in the cave with his boot.
Archie quickly activated Savage Charge towards the last scorpion, who shook itself as it regained its focus.
Archie thrust his vines forward and around the pincers of the scorpion and pulled, propelling himself towards the scorpion. Archie¡¯s vision was getting worse, he could see about half as much as he normally could. Pugilist¡¯s Grit working in the background to regenerate as much damage as it could.
He dodged an extended stinger strike by moving his neck to the right, dismissed his vines, and plunged his fists into the scorpion¡¯s maw. Vines exploded within, spreading through its insides and puncturing its organs with thorns.
With one final yank and a backward jump, Archie watched as the scorpion fell limply to the ground, its fluids pooling around it.
Breathing heavily, he deactivated his skills and took out an Effigy of Health, cracking it in two, causing vital energy to rush through him. The spots blotting his vision began to recede, though they did not disappear entirely. He heard a snapping sound, and simultaneously, the intense heat that accompanied his bond with the magma hound faded, signaling the end of Soul Bond.
Archie quickly sat down and activated Nature¡¯s Meditation. He focused on regenerating the area in which he got poisoned. He felt a disgusting green ooze building up at the bite site and guided his vital energy to slowly push it out of his body.
A moment later, dark green ooze seeped from his neck and dripped onto the floor, where it began to melt the stone.
Archie exited Nature¡¯s Meditation with his reserves full and clear vision. ¡°Fuck spiders¡± Archie grumbled, looking at the notifications.
*[Magma Scorpion Lv 77] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 924 Tutorial Points given*
*[Magma Spider Lv 75] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 900 Tutorial Points given*
***
*[Magma Spider Lv 75] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 900 Tutorial Points given*
*[Magma Scorpion Lv 77] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 924 Tutorial Points given*
*[Magma Scorpion Lv 77] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 924 Tutorial Points given*
*[Magma Spider Lv 75] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 900 Tutorial Points given*
*[Magma Spider Lv 75] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 900 Tutorial Points given*
*[Magma Scorpion Lv 77] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 924 Tutorial Points given*
*Your Class has reached Lv 64¨C Points allocated, +4 Free Points*
*Your Race has reached Lv 63¨C Points allocated, +3 Free Points*
Dungeon of the Infernal Minotaur
Objective 2: Slay all insectoids within the cave 10/10?
Proceed to the final floor
Ch 47 - Dungeon of the Infernal Minotaur II
Archie got up from the ground and made his way towards the scorpions and spiders. Taking out his dagger, Archie stabbed the spider in its chest and carved its center, hoping to find a core, and when he did, he smiled before moving to the next Insectoid.
After Archie collected all ten cores from the spiders and scorpions, he looked upwards at the dimmer molten webs on the ceiling.
Molten Webs:
Webs made of solidified magma, spun by E-Grade Magma Spiders. Known for its malleability and various applications when activated with fire-affinity mana. This material can be used for various forging applications.
Archie reactivated Thorns, shooting vines upward from his shoulders to free up his hands as he gathered the molten webs hanging above him. After collecting a massive bundle of webs, he placed them inside his spatial ring. Maybe I can use these webs for wiring on the bike, he mused, envisioning them connecting different parts of the bike.
Archie then made his way toward the fissure leading upward to the final floor, where he assumed he would face the Infernal Minotaur.
The steps and walkway looked exactly the same as the one he had used to reach the second floor¡ªveins of magma snaked their way upward, threading through the charred walls. At the top of the staircase stood a pair of double doors, crafted from the same blackened stone and adorned with thin veins of molten magma forming the image of a familiar bull skull.
"Whoever designed this dungeon really needs to work on their creativity," Archie muttered, glancing around. "I mean, Thalindra put together an incredibly detailed jungle temple and a battlefield for her dungeon. What''s this designer''s excuse?"
Before opening the final door, Archie retrieved another magma hound beastcore and channeled mana through it. Transported to a familiar cave, he quickly located the magma hound and forced its submission with a Taunt.
Archie found himself back in front of the double doors with a newfound surge of heat coursing through him and his muscles swelling.
As he placed the glowing core into his back pouch, Archie noticed that the previous core was still there¡ªintact. Pulling it out, he saw its design had vanished, leaving only a translucent sphere in its place. I''ll look at it later; I don¡¯t want to waste the bonus from Soul Bond. Who knows¡ªmaybe it¡¯s a labyrinth, Archie thought, sending the translucent sphere into his spatial storage.
Archie placed both his hands on the doors and pushed them open, revealing a short path that led to a large, empty circular platform.
As Archie stepped onto the path, he noticed the magma surrounding both the walkway and the platform; though it was visible, it was far down¡ªlikely a kilometer or two beneath where he stood.
While walking toward the platform, Archie observed the intricate designs etched along the pathway. However, he quickly realized that they depicted only four unique scenes. The first showed a baby minotaur standing over the corpse of a deer. The second depicted the same minotaur but slightly larger being captured by people and having a brand seared onto its cheek. In the third scene, the minotaur stood in an arena, wielding a double-bladed axe as it battled lions. The fourth and final scene portrayed the minotaur seated on a throne, surrounded by skulls at its feet, with a bloodied axe resting against the side of its throne.
Just before Archie stepped onto the platform, he received a system notification.
Dungeon of the Infernal Minotaur
Objective 3: Slay the Infernal Minotaur 0/1
A small smile spread across Archie''s face as he read the system message. But when he looked around, there was no sign of a minotaur, his smile faded. Is the dungeon glitched? Archie wondered, scanning the platform with furrowed brows.
Suddenly, a blur from above slammed down onto the platform, creating a massive cloud of ash. Unlike the previous dust cloud caused by the rabbit, this one completely obscured Archie''s view of its source.
Without hesitation, Archie charged into the ash cloud, determined not to waste any more time. He activated Adrenaline Rush and Thornscourge Expansion, and midway through his charge, he activated Savage Charge.
His fist collided abruptly with the flat side of a double-bladed axe, dispersing the ash cloud around them and revealing its wielder¡ªthe minotaur.
Archie quickly found himself flung backwards, his boots scraping against the platform. Archie identified the minotaur, and a smile grew on his face.
[Infernal Minotaur Lv 85]
The minotaur stood at a height of four meters, its body covered in dark, charred fur with streaks of molten orange running through its muscular frame. The sides of its skull were crowned with large, sweeping horns, blackened and scorched at the tips, curving outwards. Its eyes were crimson red and just below its right eye was a brand mark, but different compared to the scene on the pathway. This brand depicts a symbol of twin spears below a crown while the one in the scene was one of a dog being whipped.
Archie activated Savage Charge again, narrowly evading the minotaur''s axe swipe and delivering a powerful punch to its torso. The impact forced the minotaur to stagger backward before retaliating with a downward punch. Archie sidestepped, countering with a strike to the minotaur''s unarmored thigh, but his fists met resistance akin to striking a wall¡ªits muscles were as tough as industrial cables used to support bridges. His thorns left only superficial scratches, similar to cat scratches.
As the minotaur lunged with its axe, Archie leaped back, landing ten meters away. But the beast was relentless; it kicked off the ground, charging at him.
Archie¡¯s eyes widened at the sudden skill. In retrospect, he shouldn¡¯t have been surprised due to the name of the minotaur¡¯s race. Archie''s back bent in a near-impossible arc to avoid the flaming strike, the leaves of his mask incinerated.
Snapping upright, Archie closed in once more, activating the Lesser Ice Reinforcement enchantment on his gauntlet and unleashing a rapid barrage of punches to the minotaur¡¯s right leg. He managed eleven strikes before retreating¡ªnot from a weapon, but a torrent of fire. The minotaur roared flames, catching Archie¡¯s back and left foot. Rolling quickly, he extinguished the flames on his back, but his foot wasn¡¯t as lucky¡ªthe heat had melted through his boot and nearly all of his foot. "Fuck!"If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Using his right foot, Archie maneuvered to dodge a storm of attacks. Fire-breathing interrupted every gap in the minotaur''s assaults, preventing any attempts to reenter its guard. Worse, his left foot was useless, its flesh and bone melted away. Pouring mana into regeneration, Archie began to repair his injuries, though it would take time. He directed mana to the vines wrapped around his injured foot, using them as makeshift support.
Archie kicked off the ground, dodging another axe slam, channeling more mana and stamina into Adrenaline Rush, the steam around him tinged red. He struck the axe, activating Retaliation, leaving a deep imprint of his thorn-shaped knuckles. An idea formed as he jumped back, narrowly escaping another flame attack.
He evaded swipes until the minotaur¡¯s axe struck the platform, giving Archie a chance to unleash Relentless Flurry. After the tenth punch the axe was covered in spiderweb-like cracks but still held together.
Archie just needed to land one more hit for the axe to break, and if anything, gaming had taught him that patience is a virtue, or something along that line, he never really listened to gaming advice.
Archie dodged its strikes, waiting for it to slam its axe down one more time. Eventually, the minotaur repeated its combo, ending with its axe slamming down. However, the moment the axe slammed down, it shattered, surprising both Archie and the minotaur.
Seizing the moment, Archie activated Savage Charge, appearing before the minotaur''s face. He channeled additional stamina into his strikes, unleashing a powerful flurry of ice-infused blows directly at the minotaur''s face.
This time his strikes left no scratches ¨C rather they left lacerations across its face.
Feeling the call of gravity, Archie landed on the ground for a moment before dodging backwards.
The minotaur cradled its face in pain, dropping its axe¡¯s handle on the ground. Archie quickly ran towards the handle and picked it up. Shit, this is heavier than I thought, Archie thought, making his way towards one end of the platform.
Archie then chucked the large wooden handle off the platform and watched it plunge into the magma below.
Archie quickly turned back to face the enraged minotaur, its fur now ablaze and its body growing larger. Oh, shit! Archie thought as it expanded to a towering ten meters in size, lifting its right foot high into the air.
With a powerful stomp, the third of the platform beneath its foot trembled and cracked. Archie dashed toward the center of the platform just as the minotaur prepared to slam his right foot again.
With a large crack, a third of the platform broke off and the minotaur looked winded. Archie quickly activated Savage Charge and flung his fists, vines wrapping around its horns and propelling him faster towards it.
Archie focused on making the thorns on his knuckles sharper as he released a flurry of punches at its face, puncturing through its thick skin with newfound ease. Archie quickly grabbed its large nose ring with his left arm just before he felt the call of gravity.
Using his new anchor, Archie drove his fist through the minotaur¡¯s right eye, relentlessly striking through its eye socket as its fluids covered Archie. He ignored its pained bleating and the surge of flames erupting across its body, focusing on maximizing as much damage as he could.
Suddenly, Archie felt himself being pulled away. However, he refused to leave empty-handed. With a final wrench, he tore the nose ring from the minotaur. Tumbling through the air, Archie hurled the ring into the magma below before landing in a crouch.
He activated Savage Charge and barreled straight at the minotaur, his fists pounding into its face. Ice-coated puncture wounds spread across the right side of its massive face. Suddenly, the minotaur''s body glowed with a red aura as it moved with renewed fury. It caught Archie with both hands. Focused on channeling mana into his attacks¡ªbalancing nature-attuned mana with normal mana for his ice enchantment and tending to his nearly healed foot¡ªArchie failed to notice the minotaur¡¯s sudden surge of strength.
The beast began to squeeze, crushing Archie¡¯s body. Archie flooded himself with more mana and stamina, straining every muscle to resist. Thorn-covered vines spread across his body, fed by nature-attuned mana and covered in ice, creating a protective barrier. As he struggled, time passed. For how long, he did not know. But Archie did not give up and eventually, it was rewarded. Archie noticed a gap below him widening; the minotaur''s hold on him was weakening.
With a final surge, he pried the minotaur''s hands apart just enough to slip through. Dropping to the ground, he sprang back up and, in a risky move, shot vines from his hands, anchoring them to the minotaur''s legs. He sprinted around the beast, keeping his distance and dodging blasts of flame, weaving his vines tighter and tighter until they wrapped around the creature entirely.
Archie yanked the vines with all his might, causing them to snap around its limbs and immobilize the minotaur. With another sharp tug, it toppled forward, slamming onto the platform, dazing it, and breaking its power boost.
Wasting any time Archie poured nearly all his mana into his gauntlets and vines, transforming his vines into hardened ice. From his storage, he retrieved an Effigy of Strength and shattered it with a mana-infused string, feeling a surge of adrenaline course through him. Grinning, he dashed toward the platform''s edge, dragging the struggling minotaur along.
With one final step, Archie leaped off the platform, pulling the minotaur along with him. The minotaur desperately tried to burn through the ice-encrusted vines, as its feet dangled over the edge.
As Archie fell, he arced beneath the platform, dangling upside-down and his vines still wrapped around the minotaur; straining his shoulders and biceps to their limits.
Releasing a guttural roar, he activated Taunt, momentarily stunning the minotaur. In that brief moment, Archie gave a final tug as the last remains of his Soul Bond was about to end. A loud crack echoed as the minotaur¡¯s shins snapped in two. The lack of resistance from the minotaur sent it plummeting off the platform.
Archie was not unscathed; both of his shoulders were dislocated, and his bicep muscles had torn. He now began to plummet headfirst toward the magma pit, unable to move his arms. Desperately, Archie extended vines from his feet, drawing on the last remnants of his mana reserves¡ªonly a few hundred points remaining.
As he fell, the ground rushed up to meet him. A hundred meters... sixty meters... twenty meters... ten meters... five meters... two meters...
Archie came to a sudden stop just one meter above the magma pool. A nervous chuckle escaped him as he glanced over his shoulder to see his legs anchored by a vine still attached to the platform. Checking his mana reserves, he let out a dry laugh¡ªhe had just four points left. Guess I¡¯m putting all my free points into Wisdom, he thought, chuckling at the irony.
***
Archie waited until his shoulders resocketed themselves and the torn tendons of his biceps repaired before beginning to climb back up. When he finally pulled himself back onto the platform, he collapsed onto his back, limbs splayed in a star-like position. Taking a few deep breaths, Archie turned his attention to the notifications he had previously ignored.
*[Infernal Minotaur Lv 85] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 1105 Tutorial Points given*
*Your Class has reached Lv 65¨C Points allocated, +4 Free Points*
*Your Race has reached Lv 64¨C Points allocated, +3 Free Points*
*Dungeon of the Infernal Minotaur*
Objective: Slay the Infernal Minotaur ?
Reward: Amulet of Infernal (Rare) & Minotaur Hide Leggings of Resilience (Rare)
Dungeon will automatically close in 0:9:29:42
Wondering where his rewards were, Archie looked on the platform where he saw both items lying on the floor.
Getting up from where he laid, he walked towards the items and Identified them.
Amulet of Infernal (Rare):
A crimson amulet filled with the blood of an Infernal Minotaur, pulsing with dark energy during combat. As the wearer takes damage, their physical defense will increase. Once the wearer¡¯s health drops below 30%, they become engulfed in Infernal Flames that damages all nearby, except the wearer. Effects: Soul-Bound, Self-Repair & Infernal Shroud. Provides: +50 Str, +20 End, +10 Vit. Status: Excellent. Requirements: Lv 60+ & Humanoid Race.
Minotaur Hide Leggings of Resilience (Rare):
A rugged, dark-hued pair of leggings crafted from the hide of a powerful Infernal Minotaur. The hide retains the minotaur''s natural toughness, offering exceptional physical defense and offense. Effects: Soul-Bound, Self-Repair & Minotaur¡¯s Resilience. Provides: +70 Str, +40 End, +20 Vit. Status: Excellent. Requirements: Lv 60+ & Humanoid Race.
Ch 48 - Offering Help to a Friend
¡°Holy crap!¡± Archie exclaimed, staring at the two pieces of equipment. ¡°80 points from the amulet and 130 from the pants.¡±
"I wonder what happens if I wear two necklaces?" he thought, placing the Amulet of Infernal atop his Frostiron Claw Necklace. Opening his status page, he saw no change.
"Oh well, worth a try," Archie mused, before putting the necklace away and replacing it with his new amulet. He then slipped on the new pair of pants.
"I look like an idiot," Archie joked to himself, glancing at his reflection in the iron sword he pulled from his spatial ring. I look like a knight who lost his pants and wore whatever he could find. Archie didn¡¯t even want to mention the mask covering his face, as that was a whole new can of worms that if addressed he wasn¡¯t sure how he was going to handle.
Suddenly remembering the promise he¡¯d made to himself, Archie opened his status page and dumped all of his free points into Wisdom.
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human E-Grade Lv 64
Class: Nature-Attuned Pugilist Lv 65
Profession: Novice Forgesmith Lv 57
Health: 3894/5382
Mana: 163/2497
Stamina: 2481/5244
Stats:
Vitality: 468(538)
Strength: 491(613)
Endurance: 456(524)
Agility: 318(349)
Intelligence: 272(299)
Wisdom: 227(249)
Willpower: 158(189)
Perception: 239(262)
Free Points: 0
General Skills: Identify (Initiate), Nature''s Meditation (Epic)
Class Skills: Wrathful Martial Combat Mastery (Uncommon), Savage Charge (Rare), Adrenaline Rush (Legendary), Pugilist¡¯s Grit (Uncommon), Retaliation (Uncommon), Relentless Flurry (Rare), Taunt (Rare), Thornscourge Expansion (Rare), Spirit Bond (Rare)
Profession Skills: Forgesmith¡¯s Flame (Uncommon), Basic Smithing Mastery (Common), Basic Rune Scribing (Rare), Material Insight (Uncommon)
Bloodline: Adrenaline Junkie (Unique) [+10% to Strength and +10% to Willpower]
Affinity: Greater Nature Affinity (Epic)
Blessing: Blessing of the Forgefather (Moderate) [+5% to Strength and +5% to Endurance]
Titles Collected: Bloodline Progenitor [+10 Vitality and +5% Vitality], Flawless E-Grade Evolution [+10 all Stats], Legendary Innovator [+20 to all Stats and +10% to all Stats]
Tutorial Points: 207,069
"More mana is good," Archie commented, admiring his larger mana pool. "Can I use mana when I shape metal?" he wondered, walking toward the dungeon exit.
As he stepped out, Archie glanced back, waiting for the doorway to explode like they normally did. But unlike the dungeons he completed in the Solo Tutorial, this dungeon did not implode on itself.
¡°The hell?¡± Archie vocalized his confusion as the doorway regained its door and brought up the same message as when he first read it.
"Is this because I¡¯m in the group tutorial now?" Archie mused. "I guess that would make sense. I¡¯m not alone anymore, and the system said this dungeon is for Tutorial Participants."
"I¡¯ll let Michael know about this dungeon. We can form a party, I''ll deal with the minotaur alone while he does the first and second floor," Archie said, a grin forming on his face. "I can already imagine the taste of a level 85 steak... Next time, I¡¯ll just beat it up instead of tossing it off the platform."
Walking from the giant volcano with a smile, Archie headed back towards the camp. He had to pick up the bowstring from Sarah. But he was going to do it the fun way.
Archie walked towards the outskirts of the volcanic area and flung his arms at the treetops in front of him. Vines shot out from his arms and latched onto the treetops, pulling them towards him.
Slowly walking backward until the tree bent far enough, Archie kicked off the ground and was catapulted deep into the jungle.
Shouts of excitement echoed from Archie as he flipped through the air, with brief moments of silence before he soared overhead, launching himself deeper into the jungle.
Archie arrived at the camp in record time; it barely took him fifteen minutes to get there. Looking around the perimeter, he noticed a larger number of people patrolling around and manning the walls.
The majority of them were low-level, very low-level. However, one or two in the groups seemed to be mostly in their high 30s or low 40s.
"Probably making the people who¡¯ve been hiding away in the camp all this time pull their own weight now," Archie guessed. Judging by the number of people tripping over their own feet and accidentally smacking themselves with their own weapons, he was most likely right.
"I wonder why they aren¡¯t going to the Assistant village for training from an expert?" Archie muttered. "Wouldn¡¯t it be better to seek advice from an expert if you''re lost? Speaking of which, I should go visit Xelgar later and see if he has any tips for me.
Walking through the camp, Archie noticed it was more active than usual. They had expanded the camp¡ªspecifically, the right side¡ªadding a sparring pit.
Many of the level 40s were training the level 20s, depending on their chosen classes. Higher-leveled mages taught how to cast spells, similarly leveled archers taught how to properly shoot a bow, and warriors and vanguards sparred with each other. However, there were also several level 40s sparring against each other as well.
From what Archie could see, they weren¡¯t bad at all, but none of them showcased any skills that really stood out. The only thing that caught his attention was the group of healers sitting off to the side, observing the fights and tending to those injured in the spars.
Walking over to the healers, Archie patiently waited in line until it was his turn. No matter who you were, respecting the line was a must. Besides, everyone waiting was injured, with the most serious being a severed arm and a few third-degree burns. While he was just fine, his left foot was already fully healed.
When it was finally Archie¡¯s turn, he stepped in front of Sarah, who was downing a mana potion like it was a shot. ¡°Hello, Sarah,¡± he greeted.
[Human Lv 53]
She¡¯s evolved recently too it seems, Archie noted.
After emptying her mana potion, she tossed the empty potion bottle into a half-filled crate of empty potion bottles. ¡°Hello¡Archie, was it?¡± Sarah asked, a bit embarrassed about having slightly forgotten Archie¡¯s name.
Archie chuckled softly before nodding. ¡°Yep, that¡¯s me.¡±
¡°Great, great. So, what¡¯s up? Need a heal?¡± Sarah asked, getting straight to the point.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
¡°Nah, I¡¯m good. Just wondering if I can get a spool of string, I¡¯ll need it to make James¡¯ bow.¡± Archie answered, causing Sarah¡¯s eyes to light up in remembrance.
¡°Oh, right! Yeah no problem,¡± Sarah answered before rummaging through her robe pockets pulling out a large spool of pink-colored string, and handing it to Archie. ¡°Here you go.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not going to ask why it''s pink,¡± Archie chuckled, sending the string to his spatial ring and paying Sarah, 300 Tutorial Points. ¡°James will get a nice surprise, to say the least.¡±
¡°Congrats on the evolve,¡± Archie said before leaving the tent.
¡°Thanks!¡± Sarah replied back before she yelled out, ¡°Next!¡±
After a few minutes of walking around camp, Archie found Evelyn cooking up a delicious meal. Definitely a Pot Roast, Archie thought while sniffing the scent.
¡°Hello Mrs. Evelyn, how are you?¡± Archie asked, sitting down on the new stools in front of her stand.
¡°Wonderful, thank you for asking dearie. And you?¡± Evelyn responded back, pouring the pot¡¯s contents into a large bowl and passing the bowl to Archie. ¡°It¡¯s Pot Roast.¡±
¡°Even better now that I¡¯m eating your food,¡± Archie responded in between large spoonfuls. ¡°Say-¡±
¡°Ask after you finish your food,¡± Evelyn interjected. A mirthful smile on her face at Archie¡¯s slightly embarrassed expression as she smacked Archie¡¯s fingers with her ladle.
Feeling his fingers sting a bit, Archie identified Evelyn for the first time.
[Human Lv 37]
Not bad, I¡¯m gonna guess that she¡¯s maxed out her Profession and it¡¯s her Class that¡¯s lagging behind, Archie thought.
Savoring the last spoonful, Archie passed Evelyn the empty bowl and paid her the 100 Tutorial points. ¡°So, you¡¯re not that far off with your class. What is your Class anyways, I just realized I never asked.¡±
¡°I chose to be a Healer,¡± Evelyn responded while placing the bowl into a basin of water. ¡°I used to be a nurse back in my youth, so choosing to be a healer felt fitting.¡±
¡°Do you need any help with leveling up your Class?¡± Archie offered, with the attacks on the camp from Oliver, Eveyln would most likely be rushing into the battlefield healing everyone. Out of the frying pan into the fire, indeed. Archie thought while looking at Evelyn.
¡°Oh, no I¡¯m fine,¡± Evelyn said, giving Archie a soft smile. ¡°I help out in the healer¡¯s tents every few days when they¡¯re understaffed. I gain my levels from there. Besides I would only hold you back, with my current level and all.¡±
¡°I insist, I wouldn¡¯t mind at all. There are times when I needed a healer badly.¡± Archie insisted before doubling down, ¡°Besides with Oliver sending more and more people to attack the camp, an all-out war is inevitable.¡±
Eveyln gained a pensive look, looking off into the distance for a few moments before facing Archie once more her expression steeled. ¡°Okay, are you free tomorrow? Noonish?¡±
Archie smiled at her response. ¡°No problem. I¡¯ll finish up a few things and meet you here tomorrow.¡± Then Archie got curious, ¡°Do you have a ranged healing skill?¡±
¡°No, I chose a skill that generated a field around me that boosts regeneration around me instead. But, I was told by the other healers that the ranged healing skill is always offered in every skill choice.¡± Evelyn replied.
¡°Okay, no problem. I¡¯ll go beat up some E-Grades and you¡¯ll heal me up.¡± Archie said.
¡°Are you sure? E-Grades are no joke,¡± Evelyn asked, concern lacing her tone.
¡°Yeah, no problem. I¡¯ve killed quite a few E-Grades already.¡± Archie replied, brushing off her concerns.
Eveyln looked at Archie for a few more seconds before nervously smiling. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll see you then.¡±
¡°See you tomorrow, Miss Evelyn,¡± Archie replied, leaving his seat and heading towards his base.
Archie landed in his base with a thud, kicking up a cloud of sand. Fanning the sand away, Archie took out his smithing equipment and a few ingots of steel.
I¡¯ll start with making the daggers first, Archie thought before setting his forge alight with his Forgesmith¡¯s Flame. Looking at the flame, however, made him stop for a second. Woah, it¡¯s almost entirely green now. I wonder if this changes anything when I smith things.
Archie placed a steel ingot into his heavy-duty tongs and placed it over the fire, waiting for it to turn malleable. After it became red-hot, Archie placed It on his heavy-duty anvil and snapped it in two. An ingot can make two daggers, Archie thought while snapping the ingot in two.
Afterward, it was a simple repeat of what he did for his broadsword, but instead of having a ¡®V¡¯ shaped hilt guard, he made a small horizontal one.
After Archie looked at the unsharpened dagger, he took out his whetstone and started to sharpen them. In the middle of sharpening them, Archie remembered about the leather straps he needed.
¡°Oh shit!¡± Archie said, looking through his spatial ring for any straps of leather. Upon finding a few strips that he had left over from when he made his sleeves and a few ripped scraps that he salvaged, he released a sigh. ¡°Just enough for six daggers and half the hilt of a greatsword¡I should really get some in bulk.¡±
Quickly sharpening the daggers and wrapping its hilt with leather straps, Archie stared at his work for a minute before etching onto it the runes for Soul-Bound, Self-Repair, and Lesser Sharpness.
Identifying his work, Archie noticed that his nature-attuned mana did not affect the process, but something else did.
Steel Dagger (Common):
An iron broadsword forged by Archie Gracefield, a Novice Forgesmith. Etched upon the side of the blade lies various runes; Soul-Bound, Self-Repair & Lesser Sharpness scribed by Archie Gracefield. Effect: Soul-Bound, Self-Repair & Sharpness. Status: Perfect. Requirements: Lv 60+ & Humanoid Race.
¡°Shit,¡± Archie said, looking at the dagger with faux sadness. ¡°Is this what it feels like to suffer from success?¡±
Archie then gained an idea, What if while I reforge the dagger, I focus on making the level I want it to be, level 50? I mean I willed my status page to sort, maybe that¡¯ll work.
Archie held the six fixed daggers in his hand with a smile. ¡°It worked, focusing on wanting it to be lower than my level worked perfectly, however, it didn¡¯t work when I wanted it to be a higher level than my own¡ guess that makes sense.¡±
Steel Dagger (Common):
An iron broadsword forged by Archie Gracefield, a Novice Forgesmith. Etched upon the side of the blade lies various runes; Soul-Bound, Self-Repair & Lesser Sharpness scribed by Archie Gracefield. Effect: Soul-Bound, Self-Repair & Sharpness. Status: Perfect. Requirements: Lv 50+ & Humanoid Race.
Now, onto making the compound bow, Archie thought as he envisioned how it would look. I need two cams, the riser, the riser-pulley connector, and to string it. I¡¯m not sure what type of extra rune to put on it... Probably just a basic amplifier with a Wind runic base. That should boost the speed of the arrows leaving the bow.
Archie grabbed a steel ingot, placed it between his heavy tongs, and set it in the forge. Once the steel ingot turned a glowing red-hot, he moved it to the heavy anvil. He hammered it into a long, semi-thin rectangle and then returned it to the forge for a few seconds to make it malleable again. This would allow him to shape the backbone and hollow it out slightly.
Next, Archie bent the riser over the anvil¡¯s horn, shaping it into a squashed letter ¡°C¡±. He placed the riser onto the precision anvil and began hollowing it out, just enough to provide stability when charging up a shot.
Afterward, Archie made sure to add the grip and arrow shelf to the bottom half of the riser, making it just large enough for his hand to fit and then a bit more, for adjustment.
Quenching the riser into the water, he watched as it released a burst of steam. He then placed it on the table, relieved that there weren¡¯t any cracks in the riser.
Now, the next part is going to be the hardest, making the cams. Archie thought. Cams were just another word for a specific type of pulley. However, these pulleys are a bit more complicated than normal. They need to hold a total of three different, interconnected strings and allow them to flow together seamlessly. This process is going to take up most of my time, especially with carving out the small screw holes and various-sized ovals to run the strings through.
Archie was about to grab another bar of steel when an idea suddenly struck him. What if I make a laser cutter? It should be a simple runic script.¡± He thought. I¡¯d just need to combine a fire-based rune with a regulator circuit, then connect it with another circuit featuring a fire rune surrounded by an amplifier circuit¡ªa high-spec one.
As he finished the thought, Archie smiled. He was going to make a laser cutter. Once that was complete, who knows? He might even make a laser sword.
Archie took out a chair, a couple of iron sheets, and his runic scriber, and got to work.
Ch 49 - Finishing up Comissions
Archie stared at the completed runic script in front of him with a smile. This crap took way too long to make, who would have thought making a regulator to ensure the tip of the carver wouldn¡¯t melt off would be difficult to design.
Iron Sheet (Common):
An iron sheet forged by Syllia Glynvyre, a D-Grade Expert Runesmith. A Thermal Regulator rune has been etched by Archie Gracefield, a Novice Forgesmith. This iron sheet was made for rune practice. Effect: Thermal Regulator. Status: Perfect.
Iron Sheet (Common):
An iron sheet forged by Syllia Glynvyre, a D-Grade Expert Runesmith. A Thermal Amplification rune has been etched by Archie Gracefield, a Novice Forgesmith. This iron sheet was made for rune practice. Effect: Thermal Amplification. Status: Perfect.
Now onto making the laser cutter but judging by the names of the runes, it¡¯s just gonna be a superheated carving knife. Archie chuckled, pulling out a small chunk of Pyrestal ore. It was going to be the handle for the cutter while the tip would be made out of a small piece of Volthrinite crystal.
Placing the small chunk of Pyrestal ore into the heavy-duty tongs Archie relit his forge with his Forgesmith¡¯s Flame and let it heat up.
Archie quickly noticed that it wasn¡¯t joking when the system said it has a natural resistance to fire. It took around thirteen minutes for it to even become slightly malleable.
After a while, Archie placed the now malleable Pyrestal ore onto his heavy-duty anvil and started to uniformly hammer it into a thin rectangle. Afterward, he moved it onto the horn of his precision anvil and lightly tapped it with his precision hammer.
After it took the shape of a small cylinder, Archie quenched the cylinder into the sea, taking notice that no cracks were formed. He then placed it atop the table before picking up the Volthrinite crystal with his precision tongs and holding it within the forge.
After a minute or two, the crystal started to glow red-hot. Archie quickly placed it atop his precision anvil and lightly tapped it into shape. The shape looked almost like a fountain pen¡¯s nib, but the tines were wonky looking.
I guess I can see if my mana strings can push the crystal into shape, Archie contemplated as he formed two thin strings of mana.
As he lightly pushed against the crystal, the string simply went through it and made it glow slightly. He needed to make the mana strings stronger and focused on them physically forming the crystal tip into proper fountain pen tines.
With that in mind, Archie sent out thicker mana strings to push against the crystal. And this time it worked.
After letting it sit for a minute, Archie quenched the crystal tines into the sea, and as he did a burst of water splashed in his face. Oh yeah¡This thing conducts fire really well, Archie remembered.
Archie connected the Pyrestal cylinder with the Volthrinite pen tip and soldered them into place with his Forgesmith¡¯s Flame.
Archie took his time etching the Thermal Regulator and Thermal Amplification runes, however, instead of writing them separately he combined them.
Archie carefully formed their pathways to channel towards the Volthrinite tip and ensured that the resistors were properly adjusted to completely stop the mana flowing into the circuit once the tip showed any signs of melting.
After etching the runic script and seeing no fizzing from the magic ink or it vanishing, Archie smiled. He just made his first runic script.
Archie then quickly etched the Self-Repair rune and Soul-Bound rune atop the carver and Identified his new craft.
Thermal Carver (Uncommon):
A carver in the shape of a fountain pen forged by Archie Gracefield, a Novice Forgesmith. This carver¡¯s body is made of Pyrestal, and the tip is made of Volthrinite. Etched with the runes of Soul-Bound, Self-Repair, and the runic script of Thermal Convergence. The tip of the carver can generate large amounts of concentrated thermal energy once channeled with mana, thus allowing it to cut through most materials effortlessly. Effects: Soul-Bound, Self-Repair & Thermal Convergence. Requirements: Lv 60+ & Humanoid Race.
With that now made, Archie got to work on making the cams.
¡°I hope I don¡¯t burn my fingers off,¡± Archie muttered as he powered the thermal carver on.
With the cams now completed, all Archie had to do was connect the risers and cams together with a limb on each side and set up the strings.
Cragforge would be great for the limbs, Archie thought. They can hold kinetic energy from the cams as they pull back and release it into the arrow once fired. I would have used it for the cams, but they wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the backlash and crack every couple of shots.
Archie grabbed a few thin pieces of Cragforge ore, placed them in his precision tongs, and waited for it to turn red-hot. Archie then carefully placed it on the precision anvil and lightly tapped it into shape.
After forming the limbs, Archie connected the riser, limbs, and cams together, all that was left was to run the string through the pulley. Which he quickly did.
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Archie picked up his runic scriber and etched the Soul-Bound and Self-Repair runes onto the riser but then flipped the riser and etched a custom rune onto the arrow shelf. Seeing the magic ink embed itself, Archie Identified his work.
Cragforge Steel Compound Bow (Uncommon):
A metallic compound bow forged by Archie Gracefield, a Novice Forgesmith. Etched with the runes of Soul-Bound, Self-Repair and Lesser Piercing. All arrows fired from the bow gain an enhanced piercing effect. The Cragforge limbs can store the power of three full draws and enhance the fourth shot¡¯s damage. Effects: Soul-Bound, Self-Repair & Piercing. Requirements: Lv 50+ & Humanoid Race.
Archie smiled at his work before sending it into his spatial ring and looking at his notifications.
*Your Profession has reached Lv 58¨C Points allocated, +4 Free Points*
*Your Profession has reached Lv 59¨C Points allocated, +4 Free Points*
*Your Race has reached Lv 65¨C Points allocated, +3 Free Points*
Now onto making the greatsword, Archie thought while taking out chunks of Magmasteel ore and a few pieces of Volthrinite crystals.
Reading the description of the Magmasteel ore once more, Archie got concerned. It has to be infused with mana. What happens if I infuse it with my mana when crafting? Does it replace its fire-attunement with that of a nature-attunement? Or does it make it both fire-attuned and nature-attuned?
Curious Archie grabbed a piece of Magmasteel ore, held it in his precision tongs, and placed it over the flame. After it was red-hot, Archie started to hammer the Magmasteel and with every strike of his hammer, he injected mana into the Magmasteel. Once it became uniform and in the shape of a sheet, Archie identified it.
Magmasteel Sheet (Common):
A Magmasteel sheet forged by Archie Gracefield, a Novice Forgesmith. This Magmasteel sheet was imbued with very potent nature mana during its forging process completely erasing the Magmasteel¡¯s natural Fire-Affinity. Status: Perfect.
¡°I thought as much,¡± Archie said, ¡°I didn¡¯t focus on channeling nature-attuned mana into the metal, yet, it still stuck to it... I guess I need to actively use my non-affinity mana, sounds obvious now that I say it out loud.¡±
Archie took out another piece of Magmasteel ore, and quickly repeated the process of hammering it into a sheet, but this time he consciously sent his non-attuned mana into the Magmasteel. Once it became uniform and in the shape of a sheet, Archie identified it.
Magmasteel Sheet (Common):
A Magmasteel sheet forged by Archie Gracefield, a Novice Forgesmith. This Magmasteel sheet was imbued with mana during its forging process priming the Magmasteel¡¯s natural Fire-Affinity. Status: Perfect.
¡°Okay,¡± Archie said, pulling out a chunk of Magmasteel, ¡°Greatsword making time.¡±
Placing the chunk of Magmasteel into heavy-duty tongs, Archie held it in the forge and waited for it to turn red-hot.
Archie then placed it over his heavy-duty anvil and started to hammer it while imbuing the blade with non-attuned mana. After hammering the Magmasteel to form the hundred-inch billet, Archie chucked the billet back into the forge.
After seeing the red-hot glow cover the billet, Archie tossed it back onto the heavy-duty anvil and hammered it uniformly to be 1.5 inches thick, then flipped it to its side to keep it even and smooth.
Afterward, Archie took out his precision hammer and used the slanted edge as a chisel and his heavy-duty hammer as well¡a hammer and cut the tip of the billet¡¯s side, giving it a pointed tip and hammering it to keep its uniformity. He then started to hammer out the bottom, making the handle twenty-five inches long. Now with the blade almost done, Archie started to taper the blade¡¯s edge.
After tapering the blade to have double-sided edges, Archie grabbed his thermal carver and carved about a quarter inch deep into the blade and forty inches long and it was half an inch wide. Perfect to set the Volthrinite, Archie thought.
Archie took out his crucible, placed the pieces of Volthrinite crystals in it, and placed it over the flame. After the crystals turned molten, Archie held it over the blade and steadily poured it over the newly carved-out section of the blade and waited till it hardened before he started to hammer it while infusing it with non-attuned mana, fusing it into the Magmasteel blade.
Afterward, Archie grabbed the blade¡¯s handle and let it quench within the sea, seeing the water bubble and releasing a lot of steam, reminding Archie that he was going to be waiting for the blade to reach room¡cave temperature.
¡°I think I made it a bit too Fire-Attuned,¡± Archie noted as he took out the blade from the sea and started to sharpen it. ¡°The sea was bubbling for an hour straight when I dumped it in.¡±
After the blade was sharpened, Archie grabbed a small chunk of Magmasteel and placed it into the forge with precision tongs. Once it got red-hot, Archie then placed it on the precision anvil and hammered it uniformly three inches wide and five inches long.
Grabbing his heavy-duty hammer and placing it above his precision hammer Archie flipped the almost completed hilt on its side and created a hole wide enough to fit in the greatsword¡¯s handle.
After quenching it into the sea, Archie slid it into the handle and soldered it into place with his Forgesmith¡¯s Flame. After securing the hilt, Archie took out the last leather strap he had and tightly wrapped it around the hilt, slightly melting it atop the hilt.
Now with the blade basically complete, Archie placed the greatsword on the desk and started the final part of forging; rune etching.
Archie etched out the Soul-Bound and Self-Repair rune along the base of the rune and added a simple fire amplification rune.
For the safety of everyone on earth, if I etched the Thermal Convergence rune on this greatsword and Michael dropped it¡I¡¯m pretty sure it would sink to the core of the planet, Archie joked, semi-seriously.
Volthrinite Magmasteel Greatsword (Uncommon):
A Magmasteel greatsword forged by Archie Gracefield, a Novice Forgesmith. Etched with the runes of Soul-Bound, Self-Repair, and Lesser Fire Amplification. The Volthrinite embedding enhances all attacks when imbued with fire-affinity mana. Effects: Soul-Bound, Self-Repair & Fire Amplification. Requirements: Lv 50+, Fire-Affinity & Humanoid Race.
¡°Nice,¡± Archie said, smiling at the description of the greatsword. ¡°I even managed to keep it at level 50.¡±
Looking at his system notifications he ignored, Archie¡¯s eyes widened.
Skill Evolved: [Basic Smithing Mastery (Common) ¡ú Mana Smithing Mastery (Common)]
Mana Smithing Mastery (Common):
Mastery over the forge begins with understanding the basics. Now you have learned to channel your mana into your smithing, enhancing both the physical and magical properties of your craft. This skill allows for the crafting of various Common-quality mana imbued items. Adds a lesser chance to improve the effectiveness of crafted items based on Intelligence and Wisdom.
¡°Hmm,¡± Archie said, ¡°It¡¯s a good thing I got this skill now and before I started practicing forging cores.¡±
*Your Profession has reached Lv 60¨C Points allocated, +4 Free Points*
*Novice Forgesmith profession skills available. Choose one of the options*
¡°Oh,¡± Archie said, ¡°I forgot about that.¡±
Ch 50 - Gaze of the Forgefather
Archie began reading through his skill options and the first one caught his eye.
Runic Mending (Uncommon): With this skill, you can repair a rune without replacing it altogether. By channeling mana into the rune¡¯s structure, you can restore its power and effectiveness, ensuring that even heavily used items maintain their magical properties over time. Runic Mending is a vital skill for keeping runic gear in top condition over the sands of time and heavy use.
"Wait, runes degrade?" Archie said aloud. "I mean, it makes sense, to be honest, with the faded sigils in Myrddin''s cabin. But I wonder¡ªdo all runes need to be repaired? Does the Soul-Bound rune need maintenance, even though it''s linked to your soul?"
A solid skill to have, Archie thought, before moving on to the next skill.
Rune Extraction (Rare): With this skill, you can safely extract a rune from an item you''ve crafted or own. This skill opens up the opportunity of reusing powerful runes that may have been bound to previous gear.
"Meh," Archie muttered, glancing at the skill. While it was Rare in rarity, it felt like nothing more than a glorified cut-and-paste ability.
"Why would I want to reuse a rune from an item I¡¯ve crafted before¡ªjust to save time?" Archie said. "I mean, I can see the appeal of copying interesting runes from a runic item you find and putting it on a different item. That might be useful. But I''d rather study the rune and learn it on my own, without copying it."
The only rune Archie had copied blindly was the Soul-Bound rune, but every time he etched the rune his understanding of how it worked grew. Now, he was 80% sure of how the rune worked. With a dismissive wave, Archie moved past the option and turned his attention to the third one.
Rune Removal (Uncommon): This skill allows you to safely remove a rune from an item you''ve crafted or own without causing harm to the item itself.
¡°Oh, I really haven¡¯t thought about removing a rune before,¡± Archie said. ¡°I guess based on the first skill, I can just wait for it to degrade over time or just spam use the rune until it fades away.¡±
A decent skill, Archie thought, already thinking about various applications of using such a skill; testing out slight alterations on runes with different items. Perfect for experimentation.
Rune Erosion (Uncommon): This skill, when active; allows you to channel your mana into runes and gradually erode their magical pathways, making them inert. The longer you maintain focus, the more the rune weakens, though you must be careful¡ªthis process can also destabilize nearby runes.
¡°So a slower, worse version of Rune Removal,¡± Archie commented, but quickly realized a difference. ¡°Wait¡It¡¯s not limited to items I own or crafted. So, I can mess with other people¡¯s runes¡This is insane, especially when I fight with other people who have runic gear.¡±
This skill and Runic Mending are twin opposites of each other. If I chose one, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to reverse engineer the other, Archie thought before moving to the last option.
Gaze of the Forgefather (Epic): The gaze of the Forgefather is known to spot even the smallest imperfections on forged items. Allows the Novice Forgesmith to transform their own eyes to spot the imperfections on forged items. Whether it¡¯s a slight imperfection in a rune or item, you are able to see it clearly while forging.
¡°Bralmir, you free for a quick question?¡± Archie asked, still transfixed by the skill¡¯s description.
¡°Yeah, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Bralmir replied, his voice accompanied by the weight of a hand settling on Archie¡¯s shoulder.
¡°I got a skill with your name in it,¡± Archie said.
¡°Oh? Which one?¡± Bralmir asked, his tone mildly curious, which threw Archie off slightly.
¡°Gaze of the Forgefather,¡± Archie answered before adding, ¡°How many skills do you have with your name in them?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve got a decent amount,¡± Bralmir replied casually. ¡°Your skills will be similar as you evolve and affirm your Journey.¡±
Archie blinked. ¡°Wait, really?¡±
Bralmir made a sound of acknowledgment. ¡°Gaze of the Forgefather is a great skill for you as a forgesmith, especially for perfecting your forged items. Most Forgesmiths only get a downgraded version of it since they follow the well-paved path I''ve created throughout my mortal and immortal Journey, but because you¡¯ve been blessed by me, you have the superior version.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± Archie muttered, trying to process the significance. ¡°So... will I get more skills with your name in them?¡±
¡°Probably not,¡± Bralmir answered. ¡°The few people I¡¯ve blessed have, at most, received one or two named skills from me. It¡¯s a system limitation, though I¡¯m not entirely sure why. Every being connected to a god can only receive a maximum of one or two skills named after that deity.¡±
¡°Huh,¡± Archie mused. ¡°So... you recommend I take this one instead of holding out for something better?¡±
Bralmir¡¯s voice turned flat and Archie could feel his deadpan gaze on his form. ¡°Wow... you¡¯re offered a skill that I¡¯ve personally crafted and honed over cycles, one that every smith in existence would kill to obtain, and you¡¯re asking me if there might be something better?¡±
Archie¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment as he quickly replied, ¡°Sorry, man. I didn¡¯t mean it like that.¡±
¡°I know,¡± Bralmir chuckled. ¡°I still recommend you take it. It¡¯ll help you forge better items¡ªway better than the ones you¡¯ve made so far.¡±
¡°Asshole,¡± Archie said with a laugh. ¡°Alright, thanks, man.¡±
¡°No problem,¡± Bralmir replied before making the weight on Archie¡¯s shoulder vanish.
Gaze of the Forgefather it is, Archie thought, selecting the skill.
Curious, Archie immediately activated Gaze of the Forgefather and examined his boots. His eyes transformed into globes of fiery-orange, unnoticed by Archie. Thin cracks along the metal became magnified and highlighted, while the runes etched into them shimmered with a similar effect.
¡°Hmm... I used way too much strength here, and too little there... I blotted the magical pathways a few times and extended them too far,¡± Archie mumbled, tracing the highlighted imperfections with his eyes.
Very useful indeed, Archie thought with a satisfied nod.
Archie reached the camp an hour before he had to meet up with Evelyn. Looking around the camp, Archie noticed Evelyn¡¯s stand was bare; pots and pans missing. Probably getting ready, Archie thought.
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But upon seeing her stand, Archie remembered to grab more leather straps from Bill. After buying about thirty pieces of them and becoming 40 Tutorial Points lighter, Archie continued to wander the camp.
While wandering around the camp, Archie found James standing behind a few archers who were doing target practice.
¡°Hey, James!¡± Archie shouted, gaining James¡¯ attention and the attention of the other archers.
¡°Continue what you were doing!¡± James shouted at the archers before he made his way to Archie. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±
Archie met him halfway and said, ¡°Got your stuff ready.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t keep me waiting,¡± James smiled, ¡°Show ¡®em.¡±
Archie held the compound bow in one hand and the six daggers in the other and passed them both to James.
¡°Oh,¡± James said, looking at the steel daggers and compound bow. ¡°These are great.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± Archie said. ¡°You wanna give them a try?¡±
Without hesitation, James unslung his old bow, notched an arrow, and aimed at one of the targets. With a practiced release, the arrow soared through the air and pierced clean through the target.
¡°It shoots great,¡± James said, facing Archie with a smile. ¡° How much do I owe you?¡±
¡°A thousand for everything, sounds fine?¡± Archie asked.
¡°Reasonable,¡± James answered before paying Archie. ¡°These will last me a while.¡±
¡°Appreciate it,¡± Archie said, ¡°By the way, do you know where Michael is? I¡¯ve got his greatsword ready.¡±
¡°He¡¯s over by the vanguards, giving them a few tips,¡± James replied. He waved for Archie to follow. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll take you to him.¡±
After walking for a bit, Archie and James found Michael standing in front of three sprawled vanguards clutching their heads in pain.
¡°Take it easy on them Michael!¡± James chuckled, grabbing Michael¡¯s attention.
¡°Take five,¡± Michael commanded the three sprawled vanguards and getting groans of pain in return.
¡°Hello,¡± Michael smiled. ¡°To what do I owe the occasion?¡±
Archie raised a brow, ¡°You forgot too? You commissioned a weapon from me.¡±
Michael chuckled before rubbing the back of his neck, ¡°Sorry, it slipped my mind.¡±
Archie smiled before taking the greatsword from his spatial storage and seeing the look of surprise from both Michael and James.
¡°Holy crap, this is great,¡± Michael breathed as he held the greatsword and gave it a few test swings.
As Archie was looking at Michael swinging his greatsword around, the Magmasteel reminded him of the volcano dungeon. ¡°Oh, yeah. I found a dungeon in the volcano when I was getting the material for your weapons. It was cool as hell.¡±
Archie¡¯s words made Michael stop mid-swing and James slowly turned towards him.
¡°Volcano Dungeon?¡± James questioned, ¡°I didn¡¯t see one when I was there. Where was it exactly?¡±
¡°You sure? You know the long lava river running around the volcano?¡± Archie asked and got a nod from James. ¡°It¡¯s connected to a tunnel and in the tunnel was the dungeon.¡±
¡°I saw the tunnel before, but from what I could see from afar; it was just empty. But then again, I didn¡¯t really get close enough to it. Too many E-Grades around to fully check it out¡± James said.
¡°I walked around a kilometer until I found the dungeon door in the tunnel. It was called ¡®Dungeon of the Infernal Minotaur,¡¯ Archie continued. ¡°The lowest level creatures there were level 68, and the highest one was 77. The boss was level 85.¡±
¡°You killed the boss?¡± Michael asked, eyes wide. ¡°But you had to have been at least 20 levels under it!¡±
¡°It was challenging, but fun as hell,¡± Archie smiled. ¡°Not to mention the gear I got from it.¡±
¡°What type of gear?¡± James asked his tone a little too sweet sounding. Archie explained the gear he received from killing the Infernal Minotaur and enjoyed the jaw-dropped looks he gained from them.
¡°We can do it all together, once you guys are strong enough to tackle it.¡± Archie offered. ¡°I really want to try some minotaur steak.¡±
Michael was about to ask a question but was interrupted by someone behind them.
¡°Hello, dearies,¡± Evelyn called out to them, making the three of them turn around and greet Evelyn.
Instead of Evelyn¡¯s normal attire, she was now dawning on her white robes, a wand in one hand and a straw basket in the other.
¡°Are you ready to go Archie?¡± Evelyn asked, making Michael and James confused, but it wasn¡¯t their business, so they didn¡¯t pry.
¡°Yeah,¡± Archie said. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
Archie dodged a swipe from above, grabbed his attacker¡¯s left foot, and pulled it toward his face. Archie ignored the scraping claws, cutting through his gauntlets, and Identified their attacker.
[Razorbeak Roc Lv 57]
Archie grabbed the creature¡¯s neck with his free hand and swiftly snapped it, its lifeless body crumpling to the ground. Turning, he found Evelyn staring at what he assumed were her system notifications.
¡°Did you get XP and Tutorial Points from the kill?¡± Archie asked, drawing her attention.
¡°Yes, I did,¡± Evelyn confirmed, before casting another healing spell. The scratches on the back of Archie¡¯s right palm knit themselves together under the soft golden light.
¡°I just reached level 24 in my Class,¡± Evelyn added with a small smile.
"That''s good progress," Archie commented before glancing at the sun. "We should be able to get you to level 30 in your Class before nightfall"
"Alright, but don''t push yourself too much," Evelyn said, concerned, looking at Archie.
"Don''t worry about me, I can handle anything this part of the jungle could offer." Archie chuckled.
Evelyn¡¯s confused expression made him pause. ¡°The jungle¡¯s divided into two parts,¡± Archie explained. ¡°This area has high-level F-Grades and low-level E-Grades. Go about 30 kilometers deeper, and you¡¯ll start seeing higher-level E-Grades.¡±
Before Evelyn could respond, a cacophony of shouts and screams erupted from the jungle. Archie¡¯s smile vanished as the ground beneath them began to tremble.
¡°What was that?¡± Evelyn asked, worry etched across her face as she scanned their surroundings.
Archie frowned. ¡°Me and my big mouth,¡± he muttered before turning to her. ¡°Hop on my back. A stampede¡¯s coming, and the camp¡¯s too far to reach in time. I spotted a cave about 15 kilometers behind us earlier.¡±
Evelyn hesitated but then nodded, climbing onto his back.
¡°Hold on tight!¡± Archie shouted as he kicked off the ground, launching into a full sprint. The sudden acceleration nearly unseated Evelyn, but she tightened her grip just in time. Moments later, the clearing they¡¯d just vacated exploded with creatures of every kind, tearing through in a frantic stampede.
Archie dashed through the forest, weaving under branches, leaping over roots, and dodging other terrified beasts. The wind whipped past his face as the chaotic sounds of the stampede closed in behind them.
Shouts and screams from various beasts resounded from just behind them and a few from his sides giving him purchase to quickly Identify them.
[Canopy Reaver Lv 65]
[Sunscale Anaconda Lv 62]
[Murkstalker Panther Lv 57]
[Poisontipped Raptor Lv 52]
The last beast made Archie do a quick double-take. Was that a dinosaur? There are dinosaurs in the jungle?... The fuck?
Archie felt the breaths of the beasts behind him, he knew they were less than a meter away from reaching the both of them. The cave he remembered was now in sight, just three hundred meters away on his 10 o¡¯clock.
Archie quickly ducked, dodging a lunge from a scaled creature. Archie quickly leaped over it as it tumbled across the jungle floor, followed by pivoting off a tree branch and launching both himself and Evelyn towards the direction of the cave.
Archie quickly covered the distance between them and the cave.
Archie quickly scanned the cave and found an abandoned den. Probably ran out due to the stampede, Archie assumed.
¡°Stay on my back,¡± Archie told Evelyn as he saw some beasts who followed him into the cave.
Eveyln did not give a verbal response to Archie, rather he felt her grip on his shoulders tighten and a light golden glow surrounded the both of them and a feeling of warmth touched his heart.
Archie did not have any time to Identify the beasts, rather he activated, Thornscourge Expansion and Relentless Flurry, punching at any beast that tried to enter through the caves¡¯ entrance.
The first couple dozen beasts that burst into the cave were agility-focused beasts, with barely any Vitality, thus making them die within a singular punch or two. Now Archie had to face beasts, who could take more than a couple of blows before they died.
Archie gritted his teeth as he bore the brunt of their attacks, dodging only the most lethal strikes while keeping the others at bay. Step by step, the sheer force of the stampede began to push him backward with their sheer numbers.
His adrenaline surged, his heart pounding to a rapid tempo. Despite the pressure, a grin spread across his face.
¡°I can heal you as long as you stay within ten meters of me,¡± Evelyn suddenly said, her voice steady despite the chaos. ¡°Fight without worrying about me.¡±
Archie nodded in response to Evelyn and felt her dislodge from his back, still feeling and seeing the healing aura around him.
Archie quickly activated Adrenaline Rush, steam releasing from his body and his blows became faster and more powerful. Archie also activated the Lesser Ice Reinforcement enchantment on his gauntlet, dying his thorns blue.
As Archie pushed the beasts back, the smile on his face kept growing as the adrenaline rushing through him steadily rose within him.
The sounds of laughter and joy came from Archie, piercing through the screams and shouts of the beast stampede.
Ch 51 - Iguana Fight II
After hours of non-stop punching, Archie fell on his ass, covered in blood and guts. Staring at the moon, Archie let out a sigh of exhaustion as he deactivated his skills and pushed aside his mask to wipe his sweaty face.
Archie glanced over his shoulder and saw Evelyn completely drained, her face drenched in sweat and limbs trembling in exhaustion. Archie pushed himself off the ground and gave her an Effigy of Endurance from his spatial ring.
¡°Snap it,¡± Archie instructed Evelyn as he held it in her trembling hands. ¡°It¡¯s no stamina potion, but it¡¯s the best thing I have.¡±
Evelyn did not reply. With her trembling hands, she snapped the wooden tortoise in half and released a sigh of relief. Evelyn stumbled slightly but was quickly caught by Archie, who slowly sat her down.
¡°Sleep,¡± Archie said with a look of concern at Eveyln¡¯s exhaustion. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure no one disturbs your rest.¡±
Seeing the look of worry Evelyn gave him, Archie smiled trying to ease her worries. ¡°It¡¯s alright grandma, get some rest. That stampede was nothing to me, I can handle a thousand more.¡±
Evelyn tensed up when Archie called her grandma but closed her teary eyes and went to sleep. Archie stared at the small tears that escaped her eyes with sadness. There¡¯s a story there.
Archie got up from his crouch and stood in front of the cave, looking into the jungle. Not a single sound was heard, not even a squeak. Every creature within the jungle got spooked, hard. But from what? Archie questioned. What could have caused everything in the jungle to get spooked?
Goosebumps prickled Archie¡¯s back as he thought of a possible reason, a D-Grade? No, impossible. A D-Grade right now would be insane, people just started to reach E-Grade. The Verdant Serpent maybe? Maybe even Oliver. I need to check on their camp after I make some upgrades.
His gauntlets desperately needed an upgrade, especially with them being his lowest-level gear and his main weapon when fighting.
Looking through his notifications, Archie was disappointed to see that he had only leveled his Class and Race once. But considering that he had mostly killed F-Grades and low leveled E-Grades, it made sense.
*Your Class has reached Lv 66¨C Points allocated, +4 Free Points*
*Your Race has reached Lv 66¨C Points allocated, +3 Free Points*
Archie dismissed the messages of the couple hundred F-Grades he had killed, most had been level 20s. Instead focused on the E-Grades he had killed, one type of beast in particular that he had killed quite easily but had an interesting skill.
*[Resonance Bat Lv 52] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 520 Tutorial Points given*
***
*[Resonance Bat Lv 52] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 520 Tutorial Points given*
The bats attacked him by screeching at him. The first few screeches rattled his brain, but with a surge of nature mana, vines exploded from his shoulders and their thorns shredded their tiny bodies, while Archie focused on punching the larger beasts that tried to force themselves into the cave.
If I can forge them properly, I can make better gauntlets. They won¡¯t be elemental, but if I can combine their cores into Cragforge and make them into gauntlets¡they still would be just as good. Elementals can¡¯t be hurt with just physical attacks, but I can bet they can be hurt from a crap ton of kinetic bursts, Archie thought.
But collecting their cores would be something that had to wait; Evelyn was sleeping.
¡°These are great!¡± Archie commented as he collected the bat cores from their corpses with his left hand and ate his sandwich with his right hand.
¡°I¡¯m glad you enjoyed it, dearie,¡± Evelyn responded with a smile. She looked better than before, and the Effigy of Endurance and a six-hour rest had refilled her depleted mana and stamina pools.
¡°I don¡¯t think I can ever not enjoy them,¡± Archie smiled as he pulled out the last core from a bat. He had collected a total of thirty Resonance Bat cores and sent them into his spatial storage. ¡°Are you ready to head back?¡±
¡°More than ever,¡± Evelyn chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ve more than surpassed my goal of reaching level 30 as a Healer.¡±
[Human Lv 45]
She indeed had, and she benefited greatly from last night''s stampede. She cast her aura of regeneration and healing touch for over five hours straight without rest until her mana and stamina pools were depleted before quickly refilling her reserves with their respective potions.
¡°Alright,¡± Archie said while clapping his hands, smiling as Evelyn passed him another sandwich. ¡°Let¡¯s head back.¡±
As Archie and Evelyn emerged from the jungle, they saw that the camp had suffered some damage from the stampede. The grass had been mostly kicked up, claw marks etched onto the wooden camp walls and ground, and various ashes and chunks of stone looked to be gouged out of the camp walls and thrown onto the ground. Not to mention the numerous corpses that surrounded the camp''s walls.
But the camp still stood mostly whole from the aftermath of the stampede. Various high-level F-Grades stood guard around the camp, either patrolling or manning the walls.
As he and Evelyn approached the walls, they were greeted with James¡¯s voice. ¡°I need four more Warriors and three more healers with me for the expedition! Whose coming?¡±
¡°Hey, James!¡± Archie shouted, waving to get his attention. Unfortunately, due to the loud shouts that filled the camp, James couldn¡¯t hear him.
Oh, well. I guess I¡¯ll ask how everyone is doing later, Archie thought. From what he could see, not that bad, the Healer tents looked to be only half full of only low-leveled F-Grades.
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Looking at Evelyn, Archie shrugged and smiled. ¡°It was fun.¡±
¡°Thank you for helping me,¡± Evelyn smiled. ¡°And thank you for calling me grandma¡I appreciate it.¡±
¡°Any time grandma,¡± Archie smiled before turning around and heading towards his base.
¡°Whenever you¡¯re hungry, pass by for some food!¡± Eveyln shouted looking at Archie¡¯s retreating back.
Archie slightly turned his head, looking at Evelyn, and waved. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to stop by every chance I get!¡±
As Archie made his way towards his base many of the creatures that lived in the jungle were now scattered across the island. Various snakes and frogs trying to blend into their new environment. Various monkeys knuckle-running across the ground exploring their new surroundings due to the lack of available trees.
But the jungle creatures also met opposition from other E-Grade creatures. Gorillas fighting against Emus, Pythons eating Dodos, and Jaguars fighting Iguanas¡Iguanas?
Archie swiveled his head, Iguana? Same coloring, same eyes¡same cut on its cheek? It didn¡¯t heal? Why?
Archie crouched on the ground and looked at the two Jaguars and Iguana giving each other a stare down.
[Vinetailed Jaguar Lv 53]
[Vinetailed Jaguar Lv 52]
[Emernian Iguana Lv 45]
Suddenly the jaguars started to move in a circle around the iguana, however, the iguana refused to stay still, it kicked off the ground, jumping four meters backwards, its eyes never leaving their forms.
The sudden jump from the iguana reminded Archie about the promise he made with Xelgar. Archie quickly took out the thin strip of paper filled with intricate symbols and ripped it.
Light blue smoke emerged from the ripped paper and formed a small 2D rectangle in front of Archie. The 2D rectangle flickered for a second before the image of Xelgar appeared¡completely entranced by his Aetherglass¡in a bubble bath¡
¡°Yo,¡± Archie hissed at the image of Xelgar. Xelgar looked up from his Aetherglass in confusion and said, ¡°Archie? Where are you?¡±
¡°Look up,¡± Archie replied making Xelgar look up in shock before dismissing his Aetherglass and looking at Archie.
¡°Oh, Hey!¡± Xelgar smiled. ¡°A bit weird for a call now.¡±
¡°Xelgar, not now,¡± Archie hissed at Xelgar. ¡°It¡¯s happening, now!¡±
Xelgar looked confused for a moment before realizing what Archie had meant. Xelgar snapped his fingers making the screen go black for a moment before it returned to normal.
Xelgar now sat on his porch fully dressed and rotated the light blue 2-D rectangle he was displayed on to face the fight Archie invited him to.
Throughout their ten-second conversation, the iguana and the two jaguars stared and circled each other down, trying to find a hole in the other¡¯s guard.
One of the jaguars felt that it was enough, kicked off the ground, and lunged at the iguana. The iguana dodged its lunge, then turned on its right paw before it tail whipped the jaguar across its face. Its spiked tail sliced through its left eye, causing it to flinch back in pain as blood spurted from its eye socket.
The iguana kicked off the ground with its right forefoot, dodging the lunge of the second jaguar. While it was in mid-air the first jaguar¡¯s tail extended and slapped the iguana away, sending it tumbling on the ground. Oh shit!
¡°Oh shit!¡± Xelgar shouted, his eyes wide.
¡°Shh!¡± Archie hissed at Xelgar, eyes just as wide.
¡°Don¡¯t worry about the noise, only you can hear what I say,¡± Xelgar said as his eyes focused on the crouching iguana.
The iguana dodged away from an extended vinetail whip from the second jaguar but wasn¡¯t able to fully dodge and got clipped on its left forefoot. The iguana¡¯s eyes narrowed as he was forced to dodge once more from a whip strike from the second jaguar.
Just as it dodged one vinetail whip the other was already on its way to strike. Small cut marks started to accumulate across its body due to their increasing speed with every strike. But with every strike, the iguana made adjustments to its dodges, slowly getting closer to the two.
¡°Archie, look at the iguana,¡± Xelgar said as he intently stared at the fight, gaining Archie¡¯s attention. ¡°It¡¯s adapting mid-fight. It''s making micro movements every time it gets hit, learning from its mistakes with its foot movements.¡±
Archie was curious at what Xelgar meant, but listened, nonetheless. Archie stared intently at the movements of the iguana; its eyes never stopped moving as they bounced in between the jaguars, and adjusted the positioning of its feet, constantly closing the distance while at the range disadvantage.
I mean it¡¯s obvious in theory really but doing it in practice is something else. Archie thought while looking at the iguana. I remember doing something similar when fighting the minotaur, but I was faster and the iguana isn¡¯t as fast as those jaguars. Yet¡Oh shit!
The iguana mid-air spat a dark purple projectile in the second jaguar¡¯s smiling open maw making it choke slightly but keeping up its attacks. The iguana kicked off the ground dodging a strike from the first jaguar and digging its claws into its tail.
When the first jaguar retracted its tail, intending to whip it back at the iguana it was in shock as the iguana came barreling at it.
The iguana leaped off the jaguar¡¯s vinetail and latched onto its face, clawing it as its talons gained a dark purple gleam.
The iguana leaped off the first jaguar¡¯s face, dodging a vinetail strike from the second jaguar. The second jaguar was unable to stop its strike, making the first jaguar tumble backwards as the strike slammed into its bloodied face.
¡°Oh, fuck!¡± both Archie and Xelgar exclaimed from behind their hands. It did a fucking backflip! Archie thought, mouth wide open. Off its face!
The iguana quickly kicked off the ground and ran towards the second jaguar, whose neck progressively gained a dark purple tone, and foamy drool pooled in and out of its maw, its eyes unfocused.
The iguana leaped into the air and onto its face. It latched onto it, by sinking its sharp claws into its face. The iguana then stabbed its tail in the destroyed left eye socket. Its tail deeply penetrating into the jaguar¡¯s brain causing it to jerk backwards before collapsing onto the floor.
¡°This is amazing,¡± Xelgar commented and Archie agreed. ¡°This isn¡¯t MFAL quality, but it¡¯s good.¡±
¡°What¡¯s MFAL?¡± Archie asked, eyes still glued onto the fight.
¡°MFAL stands for Multiversal Fighting Association League, the greatest combat association within the multiverse,¡± Xelgar answered.
"They also stream," he added with a wide smile.
Archie tilted his head in understanding, there had to be people similar to them who enjoyed this stuff.
The iguana landed on the ground and then turned to face the last jaguar, but instead of jumping at its prone body, it stared at it, whilst hissing.
The last jaguar kept on shaking as the scratches the iguana made on its face kept leaking blood and pus.
After a minute of shaking the jaguar went limp.
The iguana took a deep breath and released a shrill screech into the air.
The iguana then looked around; finding nothing around it, it tore into the jaguar; feasting on its prize.
Archie and Xelgar let out a large exhale, ¡°That was good." Xelgar said.
¡°Good?¡± Archie questioned, confused at Xelgar¡¯s words. ¡°What do you mean good? This was great.¡±
¡°It was a good fight, don¡¯t get me wrong, but¡If you saw a MFAL fight you would agree with me.¡± Xelgar said with a look that looked like, ''it is what it is''.
Archie knew that look, it was the same look he had when Illinois always beat Michigan. Shit¡he¡¯s telling the truth. That expression was too real to be fake.
Archie looked as the iguana stuffed the beastcore of the jaguar in its mouth and swallowed it whole before moving on to the next jaguar.
¡°Hmm, I got to watch some MFAL then,¡± Archie said as he stood up. ¡°You got any of the matches recorded?¡±
¡°No,¡± Xelgar responded with a sigh and rubbed his creased forehead. ¡°My daughter thought it would be fun to delete my saved videos and replace them with her Super Intergalactic Justice Fighters shows she watches.¡±
¡°I¡¯m guessing MFAL is a seasonal thing then?¡± Archie chuckled.
¡°Yeah¡¡± Xelgar responded dejectedly. ¡°Swing on by, I¡¯ll give you another slip of Smokecall paper.¡±
Archie chuckled at the name, staring at the iguana as it swallowed the second jaguar beastcore. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be there in ten.¡±
Ch 52 - New Gauntlets
Now with another slip of Smokecall paper in his spatial storage, Archie jumped into his base and landed with a thud.
Archie took his forging equipment out of his spatial storage and placed two medium-sized chunks of Cragforge ore atop the table.
While looking through his spatial storage he remembered the three gorilla corpses he took to study their sigils. Archie took them out and tossed them onto the ground. I¡¯ll look at them when I¡¯m free, Archie thought. They¡¯ll start to rot after a couple of days, but since I¡¯ll be testing out my gauntlets once I finish making them; I¡¯m going to need as much free storage as possible. Besides, I¡¯ll just be away for a day or two.
Archie then turned to stare at the Cragforge ore and tried to imagine how the finished project would look like. The fingers would have to be made from individual plates¡But I need to take into account their undersides, so twenty-eight per hand. The back of my hand will be covered by five interconnected plates with WW folds in the middle of them to allow back-and-forth movement.
Archie then looked at his Frostiron Gauntlets, specifically at his palms. They¡¯re completely made out of frostiron, yet when I open and close my hands, there isn¡¯t any resistance, but they¡¯re just as resilient as any other part of my gauntlet¡I guess I should use them for my palms.
Archie grabbed one of the two medium-sized chunks of Cragforge ore and placed it in between his heavy-duty tongs. As Archie approached his forge, he set it alight with Forgesmith¡¯s Flame.
While Archie was waiting for the Cragforge to turn red-hot an idea popped in his mind. Would the Cragforge lose its ability to store latent energy if I infuse it with my nature mana?
Taking the now red-hot Cragforge, Archie chiseled a thin piece of it off on the heavy-duty anvil and took that thin piece, placed it onto the precision anvil, and lightly started to hammer it, while slowly infusing it with his nature-attuned mana.
While hammering the thin piece of Cragforge, Archie activated Gaze of the Forgefather. Archie took notice that the metal was gaining small hues of dull orange with every strike, specifically where he struck it. And once he stopped, they clumped together and made the metal shake for a moment before disappearing.
He also noticed deep green mana flow from his hands, into the hammer and splash onto the Cragforge, before slowly seeping into it. Archie then noticed the nature mana slowly interwound itself with the small hues of dull orange.
Stopping his hammering, Archie took out the Magmasteel Sheet he infused with his nature mana and the Magmasteel Sheet he infused with normal mana and compared the two of them.
The Magmasteel Sheet infused with normal mana had molten red hues dancing around, while the Magmasteel Sheet infused with nature mana and deep green hues slowly danced around, with not a single red hue in sight.
A realization came to Archie as he looked at the two Magmasteel sheets and piece of Cragforge. I needed to balance the elements within the metal with my own mana, else it turns to shit. Okay, I¡¯ll just take it slow.
Archie then put away the two sheets and continued to lightly hammer the Cragforge and slowly imbue it with his nature mana.
After it was uniform, Archie Identified it.
Cragforge Sheet (Common):
A cragforge sheet forged by Archie Gracefield, a Novice Forgesmith. During the forging process, the sheet was imbued with potent nature-attuned mana. However, due to the forger''s mana control, the nature-mana merged with the Cragforge''s inherent kinetic properties. Status: Perfect.
¡°Nice,¡± Archie smiled as he picked up the sheet and placed it on the table beside him. Archie then turned to face the red-hot Cragforge, except it was a dull grey color now, making him sigh. ¡°This is going to be a while.¡±
Archie now looked at the pile of twenty-eight small Cragforge plates infused with nature-attuned mana by the foot of his anvil. Archie took off his gauntlets and started to shape the plates on the precision anvil, checking to see if they would fit onto, and under his fingers properly.
After properly shaping the plate to fit onto his fingers, Archie then soldered the ends of them onto the middle of the other, making them look like scales. Archie curled the metal fingers and smiled as they showed no signs of being clunky.
Placing them onto the table, Archie grabbed the remaining Cragforge that he had to reheat and fashioned them into five medium-sized strips. Grabbing a strip of Cragforge, Archie placed it on the side of the precision anvil and started to form some creases in the middle of the strip.
The creases formed wide looking side by side ¡®W¡¯s. After making three more, Archie placed them atop his hand. He noticed that they weren¡¯t properly atop the other, so he lightly hammered them to make them mold atop one another.
After soldering their ends to the part under them, Archie placed the back part of the gauntlet atop his arm and moved it around. Hmm¡a bit rigid on my wrist, Archie thought as he slightly widened the ends of the wrist piece with his Forgesmith¡¯s Flame-covered fingers. Perfect.
Archie then grabbed the last plate alongside a larger strip, grabbed his Thermal Carver, and sliced two straight lines, a quarter inch long onto the middle width of the plate. Placing the plate on the side of the anvil, Archie hammered it until it became almost 90 degrees.
Archie then made similar ¡®W¡¯ shaped creases on both sides of the bent strip. Archie then placed the strip atop his knuckles and covered his fingers in Forgesmith¡¯s Flame and started to make minute fixes for the Cragforge to fit around his knuckles, ignoring the pain from the heated metal.
Taking off the knuckle piece and bits of melted skin, Archie connected the top part of the gauntlet together.
Archie then placed it atop the table, took out a handful of frostiron, placed it in the crucible, and held it over his flame. Weirdly enough, the frost iron never turned red-hot, rather it stayed frost-blue, but it became liquid. Huh?
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Archie exhaled as he needed to focus on this next part; he needed to mold the liquid frostiron onto the underside of the gauntlet but make gaps to allow his hand to go through it.
Archie looked at his right hand and placed it on the top part of the gauntlet. He then covered his hand with a coat of mana, tilted it upside down, and poured the liquid frostiron atop it.
Archie ignored the feeling of fire and frostbite gnawing at his bare hand and focused on condensing the mana around his hand. Archie focused on his mana, he imagined his mana wrapping around his hand, forming a glove, an unbreakable glove the same shape as his hand.
As sweat dripped from his head, Archie¡¯s mana around his palm condensed enough to slightly push the liquid frostiron from touching his skin. The feeling of fire and frostbit gnawing at his hand lessened a bit but still lingered.
After a couple of minutes, the frostiron hardened and Archie took his hand out from the gauntlet. Archie stared at the gauntlet and started to curl it around, releasing a sigh of relief as it held together and was flexible yet rigid.
I really need to practice mana shaping. Archie then looked at the melted flesh on his right hand, knitting back together with a grimace. Onto making the second gauntlet.
A bit better. Archie placed the second gauntlet atop his table and released another sigh while looking at the melted flesh on his left hand knit back together.
Archie took out his runic scriber and quickly etched the Self-Repair and Soul-Bound runes into the inside of the gloves.
Tapping the butt of the runic scriber on his chin, Archie contemplated what type of rune he wanted to add to the gloves. Cragforge stores latent energy, so when I punch things, it should build up energy and when I feel it¡¯s enough, I can put all that stored energy into a devastating punch. So, I guess something that enhances kinetic energy.
Taking out an iron sheet, Archie started to etch a fire runic base and connect it within an amplification circuit, with some modifications. Instead of etching the resistor, Archie decided to add a Wind runic base directly onto the amplifier¡Uh oh, Archie thought as he saw the runic base and pathways start to shake uncontrollably and sizzle with his Gaze of the Forgefather.
Archie needed to quickly modify the pathways to not destabilize the structure of the rune. To stabilize the rune, he needed to add another transistor and a capacitor around the fire runic base.
Looking at the rune that stabilized on the iron sheet, Archie released a breath he did not realize he held. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure this could have exploded in my face. Fire + Wind = Danger.¡±
Iron Sheet (Common):
An iron Sheet forged by Syllia Glynvyre, a D-Grade Expert Runesmith. A Kinetic Enhancement rune has been etched by Archie Gracefield, a Novice Forgesmith. Effect: Kinetic Enhancement. Status: Perfect.
This rune would only enhance the blast of the attack when releasing the energy stored into the gauntlet. If the objective was to retain more kinetic energy then Archie would have used the runic bases of Water and Earth.
An amplifier centered around Earth would theoretically enhance the properties of Cragforge while adding a Water rune to it should enhance the fluidity of the energy flowing in the gauntlet. Possibly making some sort of Kinetic Retention rune, if combined.
Archie then began to etch the Kinetic Enhancement rune across the knuckles of his gauntlets, tossing the iron sheet into his spatial ring with a mana string.
After etching the rune, Archie took out the Resonance Bat Beastcore and Identified it.
Resonance Bat Beastcore:
A beastcore from an E-Grade Resonance Bat retaining fragments of its records, left behind after its death. Within its fragmented records, lies the will of the Resonance Bat. Can be used for various forging and medium applications.
Tossing the core a few times into the air, Archie got up from his chair and made his way towards his forge. Activating Forgesmith¡¯s Flame, Archie placed the core into the crucible and held it with his heavy-duty tongs within the flames.
Archie stared at the core with his Gaze of the Forgefather, the core¡¯s previous appearance of a sphere of dark purple ripples, changed into that of a black sphere, not a hint of another color in sight.
Did I burn it? Archie thought as he deactivated Gaze of the Forgefather but saw its original appearance return. The hell?
Reactivating Gaze of the Forgefather, making the core¡¯s appearance turn black. After fifteen minutes of watching the core and no change occurring, Archie slightly raised the heat of the Forgesmith¡¯s Flame.
Suddenly a piece of the orb chipped off and not a moment later the core crumbled into ash. Archie looked taken aback at the sudden crumbling of the core. Was the change in temperature too much for it to handle?
Archie took out another Resonance Bat Beastcore and placed it within the crucible, keeping the heat of the flame at its previous temperature.
Archie concentrated on the core, refusing to close his eyes as he stared at the core, bathed in green flames.
After 20 minutes, a razor-thin crack appeared on the core, but Archie did not take out the core. Archie kept observing the core as the thin crack grew. The cracks that grew across the core were translucent in color.
Just as the razor-thin cracks surrounded the core, in its entirety, Archie pulled the core out of the forge. Gaze of the Forgefather informing him of a razor-thin imperfection that stuck to the core due to overheating.
Identifying the core, Archie noticed new information added to it.
Resonance Bat Beastcore:
A primed beastcore from an E-Grade Resonance Bat retaining fragments of its records, left behind after its death. Within its fragmented records, lies the will of the Resonance Bat. Currently primed from an E-Grade Forgesmith¡¯s Flame. Can be used for various forging and medium applications.
Primed doesn¡¯t mean it''s ready. Is there another step I have to do? Archie questioned as he stared at the core. Do I have to infuse it with mana?
Archie sent a mana string to wrap around the core and carry it from the crucible and in front of him. Wrapping the core with a few more mana strings, Archie steadily channeled his mana into the core; not wanting to rush imbuing it and causing it to crumble.
The razor-thin cracks widened, slowly gaining a faint green tinge.
Eventually, the black core turned light green, making Archie stop imbuing it with mana and catching it with his hand before Identifying it.
Resonance Bat Beastcore:
An activated beastcore from an E-Grade Resonance Bat retaining fragments of its records, left behind after its death. Within its fragmented records, lies the will of the Resonance Bat. Can be used for various forging and medium applications.
Archie smiled as he walked over to the table and placed the core atop one of the gauntlets. The core liquified upon touching the gauntlet, covering the top of the gauntlet in its entirety, before starting to harden.
Archie stared at the now deep purplish-grey gauntlet with intrigue. ¡°What?¡±
After Archie placed an activated Resonance Bat Beastcore atop the second gauntlet and watched as its color turned into a deep purplish grey.
Identifying the gauntlets brought a wide smile to Archie¡¯s face.
Cragforge Gauntlets of Nature Resonance (Rare):
Crafted by Archie Gracefield, a Novice Forgesmith, these gauntlets are a fusion of three materials: Cragforge, Frostiron, and Resonance Bat Beastcores while imbued with potent nature-attuned mana. The innate properties of Cragforge allow the gauntlets to store latent energy with every punch and convert it into nature-attuned kinetic energy when activated. Enhanced by the Resonance Bat Beastcores, the Kinetic Enhancement Rune further amplifies the nature-attuned kinetic energy of released attacks, delivering devastating force. Effects: Self-Repair, Soul-Bound & Impact Dynamo. Provides: +80 Strength, +50 Endurance, +25 Agility. Status: Excellent. Requirements: Level 65+ & Humanoid Race.
Ch 53 - Old Friend
*Your Profession has reached Lv 61¨C Points allocated, +4 Free Points*
*Your Profession has reached Lv 62¨C Points allocated, +4 Free Points*
*Your Race has reached Lv 67¨C Points allocated, +3 Free Points*
Archie put away his Frostiron Gauntlets into his spatial ring and equipped his new gauntlets. Opening and closing his fists felt normal, no clunkiness. Archie then threw a few jabs into the air, his gauntlets producing a faint hum with every jab.
After throwing a couple of jabs, Archie stopped and looked at his gauntlets; instinctually knowing that the gauntlets now stored barely a percent of energy from the jabs he threw. Punching air isn¡¯t going to do much; I need to find something sturdy enough to handle a couple of punches. I wanna see how much damage these babies can deal, Archie thought.
Archie then started to put away his forging equipment into his spatial ring before activating Thorns and channeling nature-attuned mana into them. Flinging his hands towards the cave¡¯s ceiling opening, the thorny vines wrapped around a tree branch just seen from the opening.
As the thorny vines wrapped around the tree branch a thought came to Archie, If I can throw out vines, can I pull myself towards them?
Slowly Archie started to recede the mana he was channeling into the vines, but he did so in a way where he was starting to be pulled towards the cave¡¯s ceiling opening. Mana rope puller made; Archie smiled.
Just as Archie¡¯s hands grabbed onto the tree branch, he deactivated his skill and jumped onto the jungle floor.
Looking around, Archie noticed that the jungle above his base had changed. Previously, any creature above level 20 just didn¡¯t exist within the jungle above his base. Now the jungle housed many high leveled F-Grades and lower leveled E-Grades.
Walking through the jungle, Archie found a creature that caught his attention.
[Sentinel Platiniteshell Tortoise Lv 75]
The tortoise¡¯s shell looked to be made out of silverish stone covered in thick moss and vines. Its skin; grey, and gnarled, not unsimilar to its shell¡¯s color. Its limbs were covered in spikes, and its head in a similar state with two spikes protruding from its chin and two spikes curved inwards from its forehead and down towards its nose, acting like some type of head guard.
I almost didn¡¯t notice it, Archie thought as he almost went past the tortoise. He had initially thought it was a boulder next to a small pond until the ¡®boulder¡¯ suddenly grew a neck that extended into the water.
Just wanting to test out the gauntlets with only his punches and no other skills active except Relentless Flurry. Archie kicked off the ground and charged towards the tortoise.
Archie¡¯s right fist crashed into the tortoise¡¯s shell, startling it with the sudden attack as it drank from the water. Archie smiled as he saw his blow didn¡¯t even make a mark on its shell. This was perfect for him to test out his new gauntlets.
Archie then activated Relentless Flurry, sending a flurry of punches against the stone-like shell of the tortoise. With every punch, it felt as though he was hitting a metal wall, which was fitting considering the tortoise probably had its stats focused around defense.
Archie quickly dodged a spike of stone that emerged from under him. Looks like the tortoise has some earth manipulation magic, Archie thought.
Archie punched through a stone spike that flew at him, kicked off the ground, and charged at the tortoise once more.
Archie kept punching the tortoise¡¯s shell, specifically at the same point, while dodging the various earth spikes that shot at him. Suddenly the tortoise¡¯s limbs shot back into its shell and started to spin around.
No way, Archie thought with a smile on his face as he jumped away from the spinning tortoise. The comical sight of a tortoise that looked to easily weigh three tons spinning itself, was a memory Archie would hold dear to his heart.
Suddenly, the tortoise shot towards him, still spinning. Archie dodged to his right, avoiding the sudden charge.
"No way!" Archie said, eyes wide. Memories of playing racing games and throwing spinning turtle shells at his younger brother, filled Archie with nostalgia.
Archie turned back to see that the tortoise had barreled through at least ten trees before it lost its speed. Its limbs emerged from its shell and swayed as it stood up, seemingly discombobulated from its spinning charge through the trees.
Archie kicked off the ground and charged at the tortoise. Delivering another flurry of blows at the tortoise''s shell, keeping it in place between the tree that it was next to and himself.
Archie quickly noticed a small crack that appeared on the tortoise''s shell from his last punch. Just as he was about to release another flurry of punches at the tortoise, Archie jumped backwards, feeling mana being channeled underneath him. And not a moment later an earth spike appeared where he previously stood.
So this one can do earth attacks, Archie noted, comparing the tortoise to the one he killed in the Solo Tutorial.
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Archie then felt mana being channeled all around him, making him dodge in between the flurry of earth spikes that erupted from the earth.
Archie instinctually felt that his gauntlets were 25% full of stored, latent energy. I''ve thrown at least fifty punches and it¡¯s only 25% full? Would it be the same if I was fully buffed? Archie wondered as he punched through an earth spike that was aimed at his head and his back was against a tree.
Archie felt mana being channeled underneath him, making him kick off the tree and charge at the tortoise while cocking back his right fist. Just as he was about to hit the tortoise, Archie activated Impact Dynamo.
BOOM!
Two things occurred when Archie activated Impact Dynamo and his fist connected with the tortoise¡¯s shell.
A hole twice the size of Archie''s fist punctured through the tortoise''s shell, going through the tortoise''s flesh and bone and out the other side.
The second thing that happened was Archie flung backwards from the recoil, crashing into a tree. With his right arm dislocated from its socket.
Archie slid down with his back against the trunk of the tree, staring at the hole going through the tortoise.
If that¡¯s what happens when it¡¯s 25% full, what would happen if it was 100%? Archie chuckled.
*[Sentinel Platiniteshell Tortoise Lv 75] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 900 Tutorial Points given*
Archie got up from the ground and popped his right shoulder back into place. Looking back down at his gauntlets, Archie took notice that his right gauntlet was empty while the left one was still 25% full. Nice, Archie thought. I thought both gauntlets were synced together, storing the latent energy in a singular pool where both would use it.
Archie then went over to the tortoise and activated Adrenaline Rush at 20% before hauling its corpse atop his shoulders and running back towards his base.
This would be great for the frame of my bike, with how durable it is. Archie thought as he dropped the tortoise corpse into the ceiling hole of his cave, landing next to the three gorilla corpses he left behind.
Bralmir took out the massive sword he had placed in his forge and held it to his face. The blade itself was covered in grime and rust, looking as though it were about to crumble into dust. However, it radiated an aura of power and rage, enough to grab Bralmir¡¯s full attention.
Bralmir took out a bottle of liquid from his storage with his left hand and took a swig of its contents before spitting on the blade. The liquid atop the blade sizzled before suddenly exploding in golden flames.
Bralmir set the blade atop his anvil and raised his hammer into the air, his face hardened. He took a breath, igniting the ember veins that flowed across his body. Faster than what could be seen by any average god, Bralmir¡¯s hammer descended.
The sound of the strikes resounded throughout the cave, producing shockwaves that rattled the universe in its entirety. The shockwaves rattled the various suits of armor and equipment Bralmir stored in his heavily defended armory. The various suns and planets that hung within this universe shivered before exploding, unable to withstand the shockwaves.
Bralmir stared at the blade that was previously covered in grime and rust, for it had no resemblance to its previous appearance.
It gleamed with untold beauty, appearing to be forged from some sort of crimson-red material that had a blood-red hue with various golden runes covering the double-sided blade. Its hilt and cross-guard, now shown to be adorned with various jewels and golden threaded dark leather.
The blade itself released a roar that resounded throughout the multiverse, as though it were reborn and roaring in defiance against death.
Just as Bralmir vanished his hammer away, he felt a presence he hadn¡¯t felt in cycles, just outside of his barriers.
Bralmir opened the barriers that surrounded his workshop, allowing a colossal humanoid male figure to suddenly appear beside him.
The man stood at a height of 8 meters, and every fiber of his being radiated danger. wearing a blood-red robe that showed off his muscular chest and covered the lower half of his body.
His eyes were crimson red, a similar color to its deep auburn, wild and coarse hair that cascaded around his imposing frame.
¡°Bralmir,¡± the man said, his eyes locked onto Bralmir¡¯s. ¡°You¡¯ve¡returned I hope?¡±
¡°Yes, I have Alaric,¡± Bralmir responded while handing Alaric the blade. ¡°I apologize for the delayed repair and upgrade.¡±
¡°Think nothing of it, my friend,¡± Alaric replied with a somber smile on his face. ¡°I am just glad to see you back again¡Immortality has been a smidge duller without you in it, if in return a bit quieter.¡±
Bralmir smiled at Alaric¡¯s words before quipping. ¡°Being without your so-called food for cycles has done my health some good.¡±
¡°HA HA HA¡Your humor hasn¡¯t changed I see,¡± Alaric deadpanned. ¡°You simply don¡¯t understand great cuisine.¡±
¡°...You can¡¯t put thirteen Eldritch gods, ones who walk down the Journey of poison and decay in a stew and call it cuisine,¡± Bralmir said while rubbing the top of his head. ¡°It melted through your cooking pot that I made with condensed galaxies, three of them.¡±
¡°It was barely spicy,¡± Alaric rolled his eyes and waved his hand dismissively at Bralmir before the both of them broke out into laughter.
¡°I still remember the sight of Cognitus Prime¡¯s finger melting off and falling onto the floor when a drop of it landed on it.¡± Bralmir chuckled.
¡°I could never forget that day, ¡±Alaric laughed at the memory. ¡°The thing that made me lose it is when the finger suddenly grew rockets and reattached itself onto his hand.¡±
A silence filled the air between them as they reminisced on the past.
¡°Anything major happened while I was¡away?¡± Bralmir asked.
¡°The gnomes created a Pantheon back in the 43rd cycle.¡± Alaric smiled and the look of joy on Bralmir¡¯s face.
¡°You¡¯re fucking with me right now.¡± Bralmir denied, his face lit with joy.
¡°I swear on my wife,¡± Alaric replied, touching the ring on his left ring finger. ¡°Want me to tell you their Pantheon name?¡±
¡°No!¡± Bralmir panicked, ¡°Let me guess¡ The Emporium?¡±
¡°Nope,¡± Alaric chucked. ¡°Gnomaria Land.¡±
¡°Close enough,¡± Bralmir chuckled. ¡°I love the gnomes¡ Have any of them decided not to forgo their disgustingly high affinity for mana? Or are they still adamant that stamina is far more superior?¡±
¡°Nope,¡± Alaric chuckled. ¡°They still consider it to be useless and trade it for more stamina in D-Grade.¡±
¡°Tell me if any of them want a weapon to be forged, they¡¯ve provided me far too much entertainment for it to be unpaid,¡± Bralmir smiled.
¡°I must leave now, I was with my wife before,¡± Alaric smiled while gesturing at his clothes.
¡°You best get back then, assuming Valkyris is just as vindictive as I remember her being.¡± Bralmir chuckled as Alaric shivered. A man who is known as the strongest god alive was still afraid of his wife¡Then again, she isn¡¯t known for being a Pantheon eraser for no reason.
¡°Come by for a meal like old times,¡± Alaric asked. Just before Alaric disappeared, he turned back to face Bralmir. ¡°It¡¯s good seeing you again.¡±
Bralmir stared at where Alaric stood with a somber smile on his face, ¡°And you as well, Alaric.¡±
Ch 54 - Crocodiles? Crocodiles!
¡°Xelgar said, the other camp was somewhere in this direction, ¡± Archie said while pushing a large jungle leaf to the side. The camp he was referring to was Oliver¡¯s demonic cult.
He wanted to just check out their camp and see what was going on. Living on an island with demons who want to kidnap you and not knowing anything about them is most definitely a bad idea. Besides, if they¡¯re weak enough I can just attack them all right now, Archie thought. Besides, how can you change your race into a demonic one?
Archie looked around the jungle taking note of the jungle creatures that hid in various bushes, atop trees just observing him from afar, and hell somewhere even various plants leaned away from him as he walked.
The average level of the creatures that observed him warily were below level 70. Which was weird to Archie considering how he was also below level 70 and normally they would just attack him.
Maybe they can tell that I killed a higher leveled beast; Archie thought as he looked at the blood that stained the entire right side of his body. Now thinking back on it, he had accidentally left a long bloody trail leading towards his base.
Whelp, it is what it is, Archie sighed.
Looking through his spatial storage, Archie suddenly realized that he had forgotten to do something that seemed very important.
¡°I forgot to grab some potions from the alchemists in the camp,¡± Archie complained. ¡°Then again, it would be best for me to wait until they¡¯re E-Grade at the very least.¡±
As Archie got further into the jungle, the level of the creatures around him grew. And a few caught his attention.
[Ironhide Crocodylidae Lv 85]
[Rotfang Basilisk Lv 84]
[Bloodthorn Dionaea Lv 82]
¡°Huh, I did not know that crocodiles were short for Crocodylidae,¡± Archie said. You learn something new every day.
The crocodiles lounged around a large pond a hundred meters to his right. They looked like normal crocodiles but much bigger than usual. These crocodiles looked to at least be the size of a bear, Archie thought.
Other than their increased height they had metallic sheens across their hides. Go figure.
To the far side of the pond were Bloodthorn Dionaea aka very large Venus flytraps. ¡°Well, judging by the large monkey in one of their mouths, they¡¯ve upped their diet.¡± Archie joked to himself.
Their ¡®mouths¡¯, for the lack of a better word, were caked in blood-red colored spikes. They had a sweet scent to them as well, not unsimilar to strawberry cake.
Like the crocodiles, they were grouped in fours and each group was distanced from the other.
To his left, however, were the Rotfang Basilisks. The basilisks stayed within a cave that was covered in shriveled and dead vines. The basilisks looked like snakes but with two front legs and two backward curving horns protruding above their eyes.
As one of them opened their maws, Archie saw their jet-black fangs and a silverish-grey fog come out from another¡¯s nostrils.
Compared to the crocodiles, these were pretty small, around the size of a Golden Retriever.
From where Archie could see, only three of them stood in front of the cave, lazing around in front of the sun.
While the three races were at a similar level to the minotaur he faced in the dungeon, they did not seem as remotely dangerous as the minotaur had been. Definitely a difference in strengths between bosses and other creatures of a similar level, Archie thought. Probably some sort of bonus the system gives to them, I¡¯ll ask Bralmir about it once I¡¯m done.
Between the three creatures, Archie decided to head towards the basilisks.
Archie quickly made his way towards them, hiding behind a tree just in front of them, trying to get a closer look into their cave.
¡°Damn. I still can¡¯t see anything inside the cave,¡± Archie complained. Upon getting closer, Archie noticed that the cave was filled with a dense fog. Not unsimilar to the fog one of the basilisks released.
Archie came out from behind the tree and charged at the basilisks, while quickly activating Adrenaline Rush and Thornscourge Expansion. Channeling nature mana into his thorns atop the vines, making them sharper.
Archie crushed the head of the closest basilisk into the ground, his thorns easily puncturing through its small frame, killing it instantly before it could react to his presence. However, the other two basilisks shot up from where they previously lay in hiding.
Dodging a lunge from the other basilisks, Archie set a jab, knocking it midair and deep into the cave in front of him.
The third basilisk similar to the previous basilisk lunged at him as well, but Archie quickly leaned to the side and grabbed it by its snake-like lower body midair.
Arche smashed the basilisk on the ground, cracking the ground beneath him slightly. The basilisk, however, still twitched slightly, causing Archie to stomp on its head, turning its suishy head into paste.
The basilisk that he punched into the cave emerged from it with a squeaky roar. The squeakiness of the roar completely caught Archie off guard, but he quickly jumped back from a barrage of lunges from the three other basilisks that emerged from the cave.
Archie activated Savage Charge mid-dodge towards the basilisk that squeaked. Stomping on its body and ripping off its lower half.
Just as Archie was about to turn around, he became covered in a silverish-black fog. He felt the fog seep into his body, barely giving him any time to react as he felt its effects. His lungs and eyes started to burn, and his limbs strained.
Archie felt his Pugilist¡¯s Grit fight back against the rot, but it wasn¡¯t enough to fight back against the strength of it. I guess all their stats went into making their rot strong as hell, Archie thought. He needed to end this fast and start manually fighting against the rot while in meditation.
Archie quickly jumped out of the fog and activated Savage Charge at the furthest basilisk, aiming to get as far away from the fog as possible. His back burning and spasming in pain.
Archie pushed more mana and stamina into Adrenaline Rush, raising its boost to 30%. Archie slammed his foot into the basilisk¡¯s body while channeling nature-mana into the thorns to make them shred its body.
Pivoting, Archie kicked another basilisk¡¯s body against a tree, dodging a lunge at his neck from the other basilisk, ignoring the burning sensation across his body.
Similar to the third basilisk he killed, he grabbed its tail as it passed by him before slamming it to the ground. Archie then stomped on its head, crushing it. His sight was starting to get woozy, so he had to end this quickly before the rot could get any worse.
Archie then ran towards the last basilisk and curb-stomped its dazed head into the tree. He stomped its head so hard that the tree loudly creaked before crashing down.
Backstepping away, Archie quickly scaled the nearest tree and found a thick enough branch to meditate on to recover from the rot infection.
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Quickly activating Nature¡¯s Meditation, Archie felt his vital energy fight back against the rot that seeped into his body. Archie could see how, unlike the poison from the Magma Spider which slowly paved its way from his neck and towards his heart, the rot just wanted to spread wildly and cause as much damage as it could.
Archie grabbed control of his vital energy and funneled it towards the more rotted parts of his body, specifically his fingers and back; willing his vital energy to ignore the minorly rotted parts of his body.
After an hour of controlling his vital energy and constantly attacking the rot within his body, he felt its strength lessen and his control over his vital energy improve ever so slightly. The weakening of the rot allowed him to funnel his vital energy toward the minorly rotten parts of his body and push them out.
Archie exited from Nature¡¯s Meditation, fully recovered from being rotted, but instead of finding himself on a branch, he was on the ground. Everything around him within a radius of ten meters was completely rotten; the grass, the trees, and even a creature that tried to sneak up on him.
¡°Fuck,¡± Archie said. I¡¯m such a dumbass; I can¡¯t believe I got too entranced in my meditation. This is survival skill number 1¡
Another thing on my list of things I need to improve, Archie thought while berating himself.
Looking at his notifications he noticed that he hadn¡¯t leveled up sadly.
*[Rotfang Basilisk Lv 84] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 1092 Tutorial Points given*
***
*[Rotfang Basilisk Lv 84] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 1092 Tutorial Points given*
*[Shadowstalker Lv 80] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 1040 Tutorial Points given*
Archie got up and grabbed each of the basilisks. Tossing them in a pile, Archie took out a dagger and carefully cut out their cores before storing them away.
Might be useful, Archie thought. Could make something with their cores later, maybe some sort of rot weapon; either a bomb or dagger probably.
Archie now fully recovered from his fight headed towards the large pond, intent on killing the crocodiles. Because who wouldn¡¯t want to fight a crocodile?
Archie stood 40 meters away from the nearest crocodile, activating Adrenaline Rush at 30% and Thorns. Just as Archie was about to activate Savage Charge, one of the crocodiles latched onto another¡¯s leg and did a death roll. Ripping off its leg before eating it and the crocodile that got mutilated, didn¡¯t even react.
Nah, Archie thought. I can¡¯t sneak attack them after seeing that¡My pride as a man wouldn¡¯t accept that.
Archie walked in front of the nearest crocodile, grabbing its attention and the attention of the others around it.
Once he gained their attention, Archie pushed Adrenaline Rush to 45% and activated Savage Charge. Archie released a devastating blow on the crocodile¡¯s jaw knocking to the side before releasing a flurry of punches on its Ironhide chest, activating Relentless Flurry.
Each punch deeply puncturing and tearing through its hide and flesh.
Archie was then forced to jump backwards, avoiding a scurrying lunge from another crocodile who smelt blood.
Archie¡¯s awareness skyrocketed, knowing that the moment he got caught within their jaws, he would be losing a limb at the very least.
Archie kicked off the ground to spartan kick the crocodile away from him. The crocodile skidded back a meter before it charged towards him with another right behind.
Archie dodged under another lunge from the crocodile, sent a left hook from under it, and jumped back from a lunge from the other crocodile.
Archie skidded backwards, staring at the two crocodiles who lunged at him and getting into a defensive boxer stance waiting for them to lunge at him once more.
Not a moment later they lunged at him, one coming from the right and the other straight at him. Archie slightly jumped back, avoiding their lunges but then pivoted to his left, getting on their sides, perfectly aligned and close enough to get a whiff of their disgusting smell.
Archie steeled his body before jabbing one in its side with his right arm and activating Impact Dynamo while his head curved forward, dodging a snap of the crocodile¡¯s jaws
The 30% full Impact Dynamo tore a fist-sized hole through both crocodile¡¯s sides. Their hearts and lungs missing entirely, causing the closest one to freeze mid-lunge before both of them flopped onto the ground, bleeding profusely from their gaping holes.
Archie''s right arm was still thankfully in its socket, but nevertheless, it ached in pain. Archie saw the last crocodile ignoring him and choosing to take a dip in the pond.
Walking towards the pond, Archie had a thought. Are there more in the pond?
Archie took a deep breath before releasing a guttural roar, activating Taunt. Silencing every creature in a three-hundred-meter radius and making the water atop the pond ripple.
Archie stared into the pond waiting for any sign of life. Moments later he could see a small shadow from beneath the pond rush towards him, increasing in size.
Suddenly the shadow exploded from the pond, revealing a large, open maw filled with sharp teeth lunging at him.
Archie dodged away from the snap of its jaws and quickly made distance between them. That¡¯s one big-ass crocodile!
[Alpha Ironhide Crocodylidae Lv 86]
Archie activated Savage Charge, and released a flurry of blows at the crocodile, activating Relentless Flurry.
Each punch punctured its hide, but not as easily as it did to the other crocodiles. Makes sense considering this is supposed to be an Alpha one, Archie thought.
Suddenly it snapped its face towards Archie and snapped onto Archie¡¯s right arm before he could react.
Archie¡¯s eyes widened as he saw it latch onto his right arm and slowly about to start a death roll.
Within seconds of it kicking off the ground and twisting its body, Archie reacted.
Archie downward punched with his left arm into the maw of the crocodile that gripped onto his right arm and activated Impact Dynamo.
The explosion launched both Archie and the crocodile in two different directions.
The crocodile was sent flying across the pond and crashed into a tree, its head completely missing and blood gushing out from its neck.
Archie similarly crashed into a tree and his vision went dark.
As quickly as Archie blacked out, he came too. Gasping for air, but unable to breathe any.
Smashing his head back against the tree, Archie got himself out of the shock and took in a breath of air.
Fuck me, Archie gasped. What the fuck just happened?
His body screamed in pain from the recoil of the Impact Dynamo. Trying to push himself off of the ground, Archie¡¯s eyes went wide in pain. Both Adrenaline Rush and Thorns deactivated themselves as the constant flow of mana and stamina he would channel into them abruptly halted from his blackout.
Nausea filled his mind and exhaustion flooded his body, his mind felt like a swamp. Looking down he saw his right arm, ending at his elbow, completely missing and his left arm was just as bad; bones jutting out from every direction.
Archie saw movement come from the water once more, making him grit his teeth and force himself up with the tree acting as support for his legs.
Standing up, Archie saw another crocodile lunge at him, Archie barely dodged to the side before reactivating Adrenaline Rush at 20% and Thornscourge Expansion once more.
Archie then spartan kicked the crocodile away, giving him more time to gather his thoughts and focus his mind.
¡°Ok,¡± Archie said, trying to calm himself. ¡°I just need to kill this croc and get away to recover.¡±
Archie channeled a large amount of nature mana into his right foot, growing the thorns greatly.
Archie ran towards the crocodile that was charging at him, dodging before it could snap onto him. Raising his right leg he spartan kicked the crocodile once more, but before it could fly away, he channeled more nature mana into the vines on his leg, sharpening the thorns atop it.
The thorny vines sunk deep inside the crocodile¡¯s puncture wound and quickly exploded in motion, expanding within its body, and tearing through every knick of untouched flesh it could find.
Just as it was about to snap onto his right leg, Archie kicked off the ground with his left leg; yanking back his right leg, and the vines extended from it.
The crocodile¡¯s innards were pulled along with Archie¡¯s right leg; the crocodile froze mid-snap before falling in the direction Archie kicked off. It''s large head splattered mud across the bottom of Archie¡¯s pants and boots as it landed by his feet.
Deactivating Adrenaline Rush, Archie closed his eyes for a second before pushing himself off the ground and going towards the nearest tree. Raising his left arm towards the farthest tree branch, Archie sent a burst of nature-mana, flinging out vines to wrap around the branch and pulling himself up towards it.
Flipping himself upside down, Archie wrapped his legs around the branch and latched onto the tree with the thorny vines around his legs. Twisting himself around, so that he was sitting on the branch right side up.
Archie then scooted back until he was against the tree¡¯s torso and wrapped himself against it with the vines extending from his legs, locking himself in place. Archie then created a mana string to take out a few pieces of leather straps from his spatial storage and placed them in between his jaws.
Looking down at the bones jutting out from his left arm, Archie closed his eyes for a second before steeling himself. He then generated a couple of mana strings and intertwined them with each other, creating a mana rope. Channeling more mana into the rope, Archie made it more dense and solid.
Archie then used the mana rope to push against the bones that jutted out from his arm and push them back into his arm.
Fuck! Archie shouted mentally, his teeth grinding against the boiled leather straps, stopping himself from shouting from the pain.
Archie then took quick short breaths, psyching himself up for what he was going to do next.
Archie made the mana rope wrap around his arm and pulled; forcing the bones to stay in and try to get them back into their original position.
Archie locked up from the pain that was exploding from his hand, but after a few minutes, he released the breath he had held. While not all the bones were properly in place, the two major ones were, so in Archie¡¯s opinion; that was good enough.
Activating Nature¡¯s Meditation, Archie channeled his vital energy around both his arms, splitting his focus between regenerating his pools and making sure he wasn¡¯t disturbed.
Ch 55 - Discoveries in the Jungle
Archie exited Nature¡¯s Meditation with his resource pools fully restored and both his arms healed in their entirety.
Archie deactivated Thornscourge Expansion, vanishing the sphere of thorny vines he had surrounded himself in from a sudden attack by a flock of birds.
Looking at his right hand Archie saw it was bare, the gauntlet protecting it was missing. But, at the same time, he faintly felt as though the glove was still attached to his hand, just invisible.
I can¡¯t activate Impact Dynamo though, Archie noted.
Curious, Archie channeled some mana atop his hand and started to visibly see the gauntlet start to regenerate itself. Self-Repair is busted, Archie concluded, his mouth slightly agape. Time reversal bullshit, how is this not abused to oblivion if an E-Grade can use it to bring back a destroyed tool with just a bit of mana.
¡°Maybe it''s this good because of the Soul-Bound rune attached to it?¡± Archie wondered aloud, trying to make a connection between Self-Repair and Soul-Bound in an attempt to justify what he was witnessing. ¡°Soul-Bound, binds items to your soul making you the only one to be able to use it. Doing so, I assume creates a connection permanently between you and the item. And using that connection, Self-Repair could repair the item if it was destroyed completely so long as the connection between you and the item remains.¡±
Archie took out his silver carving knife and stared at the Soul-Bound and Self-Repair rune on its hilt.
¡°Hmm¡ There is a connection between the two,¡± Archie said, activating Gaze of the Forgefather and analyzing their mana pathways. ¡°Even though they are not connected in a runic script, there is a connection between the two.¡±
Looking closer, Archie realized something, causing his eyes to go wide. ¡°All runes on an item feed off the other!... If one creates a connection with something, another rune can jump onto the connection if it needs that connection to fulfill its purpose¡Holy crap! This changes everything that I know about rune connections.¡±
After taking a few minutes to come to terms with his realization, Archie deactivated Gaze of the Forgefather and looked at his notifications.
*[Ironhide Crocodylidae Lv 85] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 1105 Tutorial Points given*
***
*[Ironhide Crocodylidae Lv 85] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 1105 Tutorial Points given*
*[Alpha Ironhide Crocodylidae Lv 86] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 1118 Tutorial Points given*
*[Ironhide Crocodylidae Lv 85] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 1105 Tutorial Points given*
*[Shadowhawk Lv 81] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 1053 Tutorial Points given*
***
*[Shadowhawk Lv 81] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 1053 Tutorial Points given*
*Your Class has reached Lv 67¨C Points allocated, +4 Free Points*
Skill Evolution: [Basic Rune Scribing (Rare) ¡ú Advanced Runic Mastery (Uncommon)]
Advanced Runic Mastery (Uncommon):
Runes opens the door to enchanting and imbuing objects with various properties, surpassing the object''s inherent properties. This skill allows for the creation of simple runes with various effects. Grants the ability to better comprehend low-leveled runes when studying them. Appropriate materials and tools are necessary for etching runes. Adds a low increase to the effectiveness of runes based on Intelligence.
¡°Yup, it seems as though it¡¯s getting harder and harder to level up now,¡± Archie murmured to himself. Looking at his upgraded runic skill, he smiled. Even though it dropped in rarity, it felt far better than the previous skill.
It granted him a passive ability to better understand runes while he studied them. But reading the skill description once more he noticed another thing, the mention of scribing was gone. Does that mean there are other ways I can etch runes? Archie wondered. In some games, high-level mages were able to write magic in the air with magic. But this skill tells me that I can enchant and imbue runes on an item, so maybe I can etch runes without the need of a scriber if I improve my mana manipulation.
Jumping off the tree, Archie found the six dead Shadowhawks on the ground looking as though they were crushed and punctured all over.
Looking at them Archie remembered how he got attacked by one of them and surrounded himself in a sphere of thorns. He then shot out his vines to wrap around the hawks that got too close and crushed them.
With his silver knife still out, Archie collected the beastcores within the hawks and tossed them into his spatial storage before making his way towards the crocodiles.
Archie looked around and saw the crocodile corpses still where he had killed them last night, but he also noticed that the giant Venus flytraps¡¯ roots were inching towards one of their corpses.
Archie ignored it and cut open the crocodiles and took out their cores, their hide a bit harder to cut into compared to when he punctured them with Thornscourge Expansion. Looks like it was more durable against physical attacks than magic ones, even after death. Archie thought as he tossed its core into his spatial storage.
After collecting the crocodile cores, Archie walked towards the pond and threw a rock in its middle, trying to see if anything was still in it. With the sun above him, he was able to see a small rectangular object at the bottom of the pond.
But after a couple of minutes of waiting and nothing happening, Archie cautiously sunk himself into the pond.
Looking around, Archie saw a small lockbox at the bottom of the pond. However, its contents were saddening. A singular Upgrade Medallion (Uncommon).
To Archie this was useless, even though it worked for E-Grade items, Archie could easily forge Uncommon rarity gear.
I guess another thing to sell at the camp, Archie thought while tossing the Medallion into his spatial storage.
Archie then continued his trek through the jungle, looking for more creatures to fight and keeping an eye out for any signs of Oliver¡¯s camp.
Archie killed a couple more Rotfang Basilisks that he found along the way; they were surprisingly more common than he thought them to be. Pocketing ten more of their beastcores for later use.
As Archie continued his trek through the jungle, something felt different as he went past a tree. Stepping backwards made the feeling go away. Confusion colored his face at the sudden change.
Getting an idea, Archie spread out his mana all around him, making it act like a sonar. He barely got his mana to reach a bit more than ten meters away from him before disappearing.
When spreading out his mana, it really didn¡¯t do much of anything other than waste a bit of mana. Archie sighed as he needed to figure out how to properly use his mana to act like a sonar.
Archie needed to find a way for his mana to touch the mana of another, grab a feel of it then relay what it felt to him. Of course, the sonar couldn¡¯t stop at the first thing it touched, it would need to go through everything and relay information to him.
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Material Insight would be perfect to use as a base for the sonar. Since literally anything could be considered as material if you really thought about it. Be it other beings, resources, or anything really.
What could attach itself onto something then spread to the next thing closest to it that it hadn¡¯t touched? It would need to know what had been touched and what hadn¡¯t, Archie wondered.
A virus, Archie chuckled to himself, the irony of the pandemic he had to deal with for two years. That¡¯s the answer, I need to send out a wave of mana infused with the skill. Once the mana touched an object and used Material Insight on it, it would then jump to the next object that hadn¡¯t been touched.
But how would it differentiate between an object that had been touched and one that hadn¡¯t? Archie questioned, looking at the rock he touched with his mana previously and felt something from it¡Mana echoes!
Every mana-related ability or attack leaves behind an echo once manipulated or cast¡ªit always lingers on the object. It was the same reason why some materials have inherent affinities. Magmasteel for instance, has a high fire affinity because I assumed the steel was fused with magma and exposed to a highly fire-attuned environment over an extended period, Archie analyzed. This prolonged saturation imbues the material with its inherent fire affinity.
Okay, Archie thought. I know how to differentiate between an object that had been touched by my mana and one that hadn¡¯t, but how do I make it spread?
Archie took out his chair and sat on it, pondering on how to make mana spread. He had no frame of reference on how mana could spread. It had been less than two months since his introduction to it and he was now just starting to get the hang of it.
The closest thing he had to a decent understanding of was runes, and that was because circuit components were pretty close to their rune counterparts. Mana is fluid, it isn¡¯t as rigid as runes. Circuits and Runes are building blocks that when properly combined can do many things, but if alone, can only perform specific tasks.
The only thing that he knew was close to being fluid was coding, but coding doesn¡¯t have anything to do¡with¡mana¡¡°Oh shit!¡± Archie shouted, a sudden epiphany popping into his mind.
He could create a set of instructions for the mana to follow: send a wave of mana infused with Material Insight that arcs 360 degrees around my body, and the objects that get touched by Material Insight follow a set of instructions.
Which are to divide the mana that¡¯s received by half and send another wave of Material Insight using the mana echo from itself towards other objects that don¡¯t have a similar echo pattern. Once it has a certain amount of mana left it jumps back to its previous location using the algorithm it used to spread across other materials untouched by Material Insight.
Archie visualized how he wished his mana to behave and tried to figure out a pattern for his mana to flow in such a way. His eyes scoured at the mana patterns within his own body, seeing them expand outwards as he pushed them out.
Hours passed by as Archie manipulated his mana within him, trying to merge his mana into producing a pattern that would be identical to his code. Periodically sending out waves of green mana into his surroundings, each wave pattern different from the last.
Suddenly Archie sent out a large wave of his mana into his surroundings, observing how the mana latched onto an object before jumping onto the next and so on until it infected all objects around Archie within a thirty-meter radius. Before coming back through the path it jumped from and back to Archie, then bombarding him with a barrage of system notifications about the materials around him.
Kapok Ironwood Tree:
An Ironwood tree native to the Emernigan jungles. Its wood is highly sought after by woodsmiths for its iron-like durability and deep red mahogany coloring.
***
Pholiota Squarrosa:
A scaly, golden-capped mushroom commonly found clinging to rotting logs in dense jungle environments, where humidity is abundant.
Skill Upgraded: [Material Insight (Uncommon) ¡ú Material Insight (Rare)]
Material Insight (Rare):
The Forgesmith taps into their connection with nature to identify and locate materials for their crafts. By sending out a large pulse of nature-mana into their surroundings they are able to detect all materials around them. When Identifying and analyzing materials, additional information is revealed. The number of materials identified depends on how much mana is sent through the initial pulse.
Well, this isn¡¯t what I wanted, Archie joked to himself. I was hoping for something more suited to detecting mana.
¡°Oh well,¡± Archie shrugged as he continued on his way through the jungle, ignoring the uncomfortable feeling on his skin.
It didn¡¯t feel malicious in any way. To give it an apt description, it felt like being covered in a cold slimy liquid¡while nude.
Archie continued his trek inside the jungle, trying to find Oliver¡¯s camp¡ Did I go past them?
¡°I went past them,¡± Archie sighed as he looked over the edge of a cliff overlooking a valley below. ¡°They were 30km away from the Assistant Village¡I walked over 100km in the wrong direction.¡±
Looking down into the valley Archie saw Oliver¡¯s camp. It looked similar to Michael¡¯s camp, but way smaller. Which makes sense considering how they have eighty-ish or so people living in their camp while Michael¡¯s camp has around five hundred-ish if I remember correctly.
Archie noticed that the log walls looked very worn down. Especially in three separate places on the walls, three identically shaped circular holes were patched with random pieces of wooden planks.
The shoddy job of repairing the wall made sense to Archie, considering how they¡¯d abandoned leveling their Professions and focused on their Classes. Remembering the notifications he¡¯d received from killing the group of five who had tried kidnapping him.
Narrowing his eyes, Archie focused on trying to see what was happening in their camp. The darkness of the night finally receding back now that it was about to become dawn in a few minutes.
¡°Are those¡cages?¡± Archie mumbled. His eyes narrowed onto the shoddily put-together cages, looking as though they would break apart with a blow of the wind. They were scattered all over the camp, but what he saw inside them filled him with disgust.
Some of the cages were filled with rotten and decayed body parts while others were filled with people, most were missing a limb or two while others were whole.
What confused Archie most was the fact that they were standing up, staring blankly in front of them, and some even twitching uncontrollably.
[Human Lv 46]
[Human Thrall Lv 52]
Looking to the north of the camp, just below a hill, it was completely different than the lower half of the camp. There were large tents made from animal hide and campfires in front of every tent.
Archie couldn¡¯t see anyone within the tents due to their flaps being closed, hiding their residents.
At the top of the hill was a singular large tent. Next to the tent was a large wooden table covered in alchemical equipment and bottles filled with various liquids. Those look nothing like Health, Mana, or Stamina potions, Archie thought.
I need to inform the camp about this, Archie thought. Maybe Sarah could cure them?
This is just inhuman, Archie mumbled before scoffing. Right¡they¡¯re demons now, I guess they¡¯ve given up their humanity almost completely, judging by their new race and what their doing to these people.
Just as Archie was about to turn away the tent flap at the top of the hill was pushed aside and revealing its inhabitant.
Crouching, Archie stared at the figure that was dressed in a baggy cloak, with equally baggy trousers, and simple-looking boots, all in a deep purple color. The wand on his hip having a similar color to his clothes and looked to be slightly larger than the ones he¡¯d seen from both the jungle temple and Michael¡¯s camp¡¯s mages.
But what stood out the most was his body, looking nothing like a human. It had purplish leatherish hide, almost like that of a lizardman, but without any scales. Curved black horns emerging from its forehead, glowing amber eyes. Short and pointed ears, no lips or nose; rather its fangs were always present, and slitted nostrils slightly above its jaw.
Archie instinctively knew who this was, Oliver.
[Cambion Lv 63]
At the same moment Archie Identified Oliver, Oliver¡¯s focus shot towards Archie, staring at him directly. Archie¡¯s eyes went wide at being caught so suddenly.
Archie saw Oliver¡¯s mouth move but saw no one around him. But looking a bit closer, he saw a small black magic circle floating next to his mouth.
Suddenly Archie heard a rustling sound to his right side, instinctually jumping backwards from where he was with all his strength and onto a tree branch.
Moments after he jumped, he saw it. The largest snake he had ever seen.
[Verdant Serpent Lv 87]
Quest: Group Tutorial Mid-Boss
You have survived the Hoarfrost Highlands, bested its king, and have moved on to the Emernigan Isle. Having killed the inhabitants of Emernigan Isle, The Queen of the Emernigan Isle is now actively roaming its territory, seeking to eliminate you and your fellow Tutorial Participants. Your reward will be scaled based on your performance.
Requirements: Survive or defeat the Verdant Serpent
Reward: ?
Note: This quest cannot be declined.
What made the snake grab his attention more than it already had was, the familiar feeling he got when he stood in front of Thalindra and Bralmir. But compared to the two of them, the serpent¡¯s Nature Affinity was far weaker.
Ch 56 - Verdant Serpent
The serpent was massive, to say the least¡ªtwice his size, with a body that stretched twenty meters long. Its deep, verdant green scales shimmered as the early morning rays touched them.
Realizing its ambush had failed, the serpent whipped its head around to face Archie, who stood atop a tree branch, staring at it with surprise. It let out a sharp hiss, baring its wide-open mouth to reveal long, vicious, jet-black fangs.
Holy shit, Archie thought, staring into its slitted, blood-red eyes. From his vantage point, he could still glimpse the camp in the valley below, where people were rushing out of the base and into the jungle.
I need to back off, Archie decided. I can¡¯t deal with a boss creature and eighty-something people attacking me all at once¡ They¡¯ll probably reach me in about fifteen to twenty minutes¡ªplenty of time for me to hightail it out of here.
The serpent lunged at him again, leaping off the ground as though it were a trampoline, forcing Archie to dodge and land on the ground below. The branch he¡¯d been standing on shattered under the serpent¡¯s weight, sending splinters flying in all directions. Archie landed a few meters away, his heart racing as wooden splinters rained atop him.
Without missing a beat, he pivoted and sprinted deeper into the jungle, activating Adrenaline Rush at 20% and Thornscourge Expansion. The serpent gave chase, slithering effortlessly between trees and bursting through the thick mangrove roots as if they were twigs.
Archie vaulted over the large mangrove roots blocking his path and wove around lower-level jungle creatures. The serpent¡¯s hissing echoed throughout the jungle, unnervingly close, as though it were right behind him.
The jungle¡¯s other inhabitants sensed the danger. Creatures froze in panic before squealing and shrieking, scrambling to escape the oncoming threat. Their blind rush triggered a chaotic stampede, the forest erupting in a cacophony of fear as they fled from the relentless serpent.
I guess I now know why there was a stampede the last time I was in the jungle, Archie thought while kicking off the head of some type of monkey that had fallen from its branch. Using the monkey as a headstand, Archie launched himself onto the branches above.
Turning back to locate the serpent, Archie¡¯s eyes widened as he saw a massive open maw flying through the air toward him. In a split second, he leaned his head back slightly, his gaze catching the faint outline of a boar impaling a grounded monkey with its unicorn-like tusks.
Reacting instantly, Archie activated Savage Charge. Just moments before his skill took effect, the serpent¡¯s left fang sliced effortlessly through his mask, coming dangerously close to puncturing his right eye. Then, Archie vanished.
He reappeared with a thunderous impact, slamming into the boar with such force that the F-Grade beast exploded in a spray of gore. Archie rolled across the ground, quickly steadying himself as his eyes locked onto the serpent now sprawled on the ground. A deep cut into the right side of his mask revealed one wide, shocked brown eye.
Archie let out an excited nervous chuckle as a grin spread across his face. Adrenaline surged through his being, flooding his senses with dopamine and making him kick off the ground and activate Savage Charge, charging at the serpent.
Archie closed the distance in moments, smashing his right fist into the serpent''s large face. The blow nudged it back slightly, but he quickly followed through with his left fist, hitting with enough force to knock it a bit further away. He activated Relentless Flurry, unleashing a barrage of blows that smashed into the serpent''s face. Although his fists were covered in thorns, they barely penetrated through its tough scales.
Definitely both Magically and Physically resistant, Archie thought. I need to up the nature-mana.
The serpent, unable to retaliate with a lunge, re-coiled and whipped its tail at Archie, sending him hurtling into a tree with a resounding crash.
Groaning, Archie pushed himself up just in time to dodge as the serpent slammed into the tree where he¡¯d been moments before. Seizing the opportunity, he kicked off the ground, increasing Adrenaline Rush to 40% and channeling additional nature-mana into Thorns. The thorns across his fists grew both in size and sharpness.
Archie struck relentlessly at the serpent¡¯s exposed side, the thorns across his fists now piercing deep into its flesh. Each time he pulled his fist back, its blood splattered onto him and the foliage below, painting the jungle floor a greenish-crimson color.
The serpent wasn¡¯t idle. It slowly coiled itself into a circle, tanking the blows to deliver an unseen attack. Once it was ready, it began to tightly coil itself, in an attempt to constrict Archie.
Archie, while focused on inflicting as much damage as possible, he stayed sharply aware of his surroundings. The moment he saw the serpent''s body surrounding him; he kicked off the ground launching himself ten meters into the air. Dodging the serpent''s constricting attack.
Flipping midair, Archie kicked off a sturdy branch to propel himself downward, his fist glowing with the power of Impact Dynamo. He drove his left fist into the serpent''s body with devastating force. The sheer impact caused its massive form to fold where he struck, the jungle floor cracking beneath the weight as the serpent sank slightly into the ground.
The serpent let out a piercing hiss, its body flailing wildly in pain, thrashing against the trees.
Archie ignored the pain from his left shoulder dislocating from the strain of the 20% Impact Dynamo punch. Blinking away the black spots in his vision, he felt it pop back into place within seconds. He jumped backward, landing deftly on the ground before unleashing another flurry of punches at the serpent.
With a sudden jerk, the serpent whipped its massive tail and sent Archie crashing into a tree. Pushing himself off the tree, the serpent raised its head toward the sky and let out a piercing hiss that echoed throughout the jungle.
Just as it let out the piercing hiss, Archie felt magic flaring up around him¡ªsmall, concentrated spots of disgustingly neon green mana¡ªhis eyes went wide as he sensed the mana on him as well. Glancing down at his gauntlet, he caught his reflection in its polished surface. His body was covered in the serpent¡¯s blood.
Its spilled blood began to sizzle and morph, transforming into a thick, neon green-colored toxic sludge that sunk into the ground.
The splotches of the serpent¡¯s blood on his body turned a disgusting neon green as the toxic sludge ate through his gear and melted into his flesh.
The pain was unlike anything else he had felt before, but Archie barely had time to process it before a sudden barrage of roots and vines shot toward him from all directions.
Archie quickly backstepped away from the barrage of attacks, but the vines and roots twisted in midair and charged back at him.
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Archie flooded his vital energy against the toxic sludge that was melting through his body, empowering Pugilist¡¯s Grit to regenerate more health and actively fight against the toxins that enter into his body from this toxic sludge.
Archie jumped over the vines and roots charging at him, pivoting and rushing towards the serpent. Activating Savage Charge and releasing another flurry of punches across its body.
He felt the serpent tense its body, but Archie kept punching, he needed to generate enough power into his gauntlets. Dodging back from another lunge, Archie kicked off the ground and released another flurry of punches, this time targeting its head.
Why does it keep lunging at me? Archie wondered. It hasn¡¯t gotten anything from lunging at me. I thought snakes were smart hunters.
Suddenly the serpent shivered slightly as Archie was a meter away from it. Just as Archie¡¯s fist was about to touch the serpent, an explosion erupted from the serpent.
A dense, dark green fog expanded outward, engulfing a 200-meter radius of the jungle. Trees decayed instantly, their trunks crumbling as animals fleeing the blast collapsed mid-run, their bodies withering and rotting within seconds of being caught in the blast.
Archie, caught at point-blank range, felt the full force of the explosion. His mask shattered, fragments flying as his shocked face was exposed.
Bits of his skin sizzled painfully, the acidic fog eating into his flesh. His armor also began to melt rapidly under the assault of the toxic fumes surrounding him.
He was going to die.
Archie knew it in the pit of his soul as the serpent¡¯s deadly toxins enveloped him completely. The noxious fog invaded his lungs, spreading through his body. His skin both melted and rotted away in horrifying patches, his vision blurring and wavering as agony consumed him.
He was going to die.
There was nothing Archie could do. Pugilist¡¯s Grit wasn¡¯t enough¡ªit couldn¡¯t regenerate health fast enough to counter the devastating damage he was taking. He had minutes, maybe less. His Effigy of Health could only heal 750 health; it might buy him a bit under a minute, but it wouldn¡¯t save him.
Even if he managed to escape, the serpent would chase him down. And even if it didn¡¯t, the toxic poison coursing through his body would finish him off. He was too far from any healers.
He felt the skin on his chest melt away, exposing the raw muscle beneath, which was already turning necrotic. The lower half of his face was stripped bare, leaving nothing but exposed flesh and searing agony.
The dopamine rush from his adrenaline¡ªthe one thing that had numbed his pain¡ªwas gone. The cold, crushing reality of his impending death settled over him like a lead weight.
There was no escaping it.
His lower jaw began to turn necrotic, the flesh blackening and sloughing off as his strength waned further.
He was going to die¡
Memories flooded his mind. Ahh, Archie thought. So, it¡¯s true that you remember it all before you die.
Everything went dark. Archie couldn¡¯t see anymore, his eyes shriveled and rotted from the fog. The only thing he could hear was the hissing of the serpent.
It was a hell of a run, Archie thought, feeling his vital energy get weaker, his legs struggling to stand.
Archie¡You know¡
Confusion filled Archie as he heard those words. Daniel?
I always¡considered¡you as¡
"Daniel!" Archie shouted, his voice raw and strained. Desperately, he tried to focus, straining to hear where Daniel¡¯s voice might have come from.
Archie felt the necrosis start to touch his organs¡Daniel¡¯s organs¡No.
My brother¡right?
This was unacceptable.
BUMP!
Adrenaline surged through Archie, erupting from his heart and flooding his entire body. He couldn¡¯t die here¡ªnot like this. If there was no way out, he¡¯d create one.
Suddenly, a shroud of Infernal Flames burst to life around him, his amulet activating with a fiery glow. He was now below 30% of his maximum Health, which automatically activated Infernal Shroud.
Archie pushed Adrenaline Rush beyond 45%. By how much? He didn¡¯t know¡ªhe just dumped everything he had left into it.
With a roar, Archie kicked off the ground, his joints groaning under the strain. Blood is material right? He sent out a pulse of nature-mana and activated Material Insight.
Archie turned towards the blood-soaked serpent and charged at it, releasing a flurry of punches. Each punch punctured through its flesh with unfound ease, making it hiss in pain, but not retaliating.
The serpent, utterly drained from its explosive attack, could only lie there, spent and immobile. It waited, expecting its prey to collapse like all the others had, succumbing to the toxic devastation of its ultimate move.
However, Archie didn''t give up...No. He couldn''t give up, not anymore.
Archie felt his vital energy fading fast¡ªhe was down to 25% health. He had maybe a minute and a half to figure something out before he would die.
Desperately, Archie pulled out his Effigy of Health using a mana string and snapped it. A surge of vital energy coursed through him, healing the encroaching necrosis and buying him another minute to think.
Wait, Archie thought. If I can get vital energy from something created with it, then why can¡¯t I take it from something that has vital energy? Isn¡¯t blood just solidified vital energy?
He focused intently on the sensation of vital energy¡ªthe spark of life coursing through his being. He felt it flow within himself when meditating and through the effigy he used. But why couldn¡¯t he feel it from the serpent?
Archie¡¯s fists froze mid-strike as realization dawned. Instead of continuing his relentless attacks, he plunged both hands into one of the large puncture wounds in the serpent¡¯s body.
Flooding his fists with vital energy, he concentrated, trying to sense the same spark within the serpent. He focused harder, searching for that familiar thread of vitality.
Nothing¡19%...Nothing...15%...Nothing¡12%...Something
Archie latched onto that something, pulled it towards him, and forced it to fill his body¡13%
Archie smiled and pulled more of that something inside him¡It was vital energy.
14%
He needed it faster.
15%
More.
17%
Suddenly everything clicked. Archie pulled out his fists and released a flurry of blows at the serpent, each blow stealing vital energy from the serpent.
Archie released a guttural roar from his throat as he pushed himself harder than he ever had before, activating Taunt.
23%
The necrosis on his body started to recede and flesh began to renew with every blow. The dense toxic poisonous fog surrounding the jungle now started to disperse.
Archie kept punching, each punch healed him, from both the poison running through him and the damage his body was undergoing from Adrenaline Rush. He flooded his head with vital energy, pushing the poison and necrosis that seeped into it.
40%
He could see it now, the giant mass of vital energy coiled in front of him. His eyes had yet to grow back, but he could sense it now. How had he not before? It was right there¡in front of him.
Archie jumped over its tail swipe, mid jump he felt the poison flowing through him vanish, seemingly spent. Perfect.
Archie flung his arms towards the serpent¡¯s head, wrapping around it. He then pulled himself towards it, cocking back his right fist.
Just as his fist made contact, Archie activated Impact Dynamo and Retaliation, engulfing the jungle with a thunderous roar.
The top half of the serpent exploded from the blast of nature-attuned kinetic energy. Its remaining body fell to the ground lifelessly.
Archie himself crashed into a tree, with his right arm completely missing. Landing on a branch, Archie deactivated Adrenaline Rush and Thornscourge Expansion.
The rush of nausea flooded him, making him heave over and vomit onto the ground below.
Everything felt painful. His health was standing at 30% and steadily rising. Archie funneled his vital energy to regenerate his eyes and tried to patch up what he could with his waning clarity.
His control over vital energy had far surpassed anything he had ever controlled, even his mana that he¡¯d been practicing every free moment he had religiously.
Archie jumped off the branch he stood atop of and walked towards the large sphere of condensed vital energy, the largest source of vital energy around him. While his sight was still not completely restored, he could still see it, similar to how he was able to see the serpent.
Chucking it into his spatial storage, Archie looked around and saw two faint yet powerful sparks of vital energy off to his Northeast. Upon focusing on them, he recognized who they belonged to; Xelgar and Syllia.
While he wasn¡¯t sure how he could tell who the sparks of vital energy belonged to, he just did. It gave off the feeling as though it were obvious.
An even larger group of people getting closer to him. Oliver¡¯s group, Archie recognized as he felt a stronger spark of Vitality within the group.
Archie kicked off the ground and headed towards where he felt Xelgar and Syllia¡¯s vital sparks were, constantly pulsing Material Insight to help him navigate as his eyes regenerated.
Ch 57 - Vital Sight
Midway to the Assistant village, Archie¡¯s eyes had fully regenerated. He could now see his surroundings without relying on Material Insight, though his vision wasn¡¯t quite the same as before fighting the serpent.
He noticed he could still perceive sparks of vital energy with his normal vision. For instance, the jungle rat on his right looked like an ordinary, albeit overly roided, rat. However, he could also see its vital energy coursing through the creature¡ªtiny sparks of vitality flickering and overlapping its physical form.
How the hell do I turn this off? Archie wondered, watching a rabbit hop toward a pool of water. The same flowing vital energy surrounded the rabbit, if not a bit stronger, which made sense since it was a higher level. It¡¯s not painful or anything, just a bit distracting,
Shifting his focus to himself, Archie glanced down. He realized he was nearly naked, with only his left hand partially covered by a gauntlet. Concentrating, he channeled mana into the faint echoes of his armor. Slowly, the armor began to regenerate around him.
As he grew more accustomed to his new vision, Archie oriented himself toward his base and began heading in that direction.
Archie exited Nature¡¯s Meditation, with his resource pools, armor, and limbs fully restored. Opening his eyes revealed that his vision was the same, with sparks of vital energy brightly shining within that ocean that he faced.
Releasing a sigh, Archie turned to face the notifications he¡¯d ignored.
Skill Upgraded: [Pugilist¡¯s Grit (Uncommon)¡ú Pugilist¡¯s Grit (Rare)]
Pugilist¡¯s Grit (Rare):
The pugilist thrives under pressure, using sheer willpower to stay on their feet no matter how brutal the fight is. Regenerate 4% of maximum health per second while in combat. When health drops below 30%, regeneration doubles for a short duration, empowering the pugilist to outlast their enemies through relentless endurance.
Skill Evolution: [Wrathful Martial Combat Mastery (Uncommon)¡ú Leeching Strikes of Fury (Uncommon)]
Leeching Strikes of Fury (Uncommon):
Channel your fury into your strikes, transforming your fists into relentless tools of destruction. With every attack, you steal a small portion of Health from an opponent that has Vitality and transfer it to you, fueling your relentless assault. Grants low bonuses to Strength and Endurance during unarmed combat, with additional damage enhancements while in a state of fury.
Skill Gained: [Vital Sight (Radiant)]
Vital Sight (Radiant):
You are able to perceive the spark and flow of Vitality of all entities that possess Vitality. Those with Vitality glow faintly to your sight, with the intensity of their glow varying based on your recognition of their sparks of Vitality.
*[Verdant Serpent Lv 87] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 1131 Tutorial Points given*
*Your Class has reached Lv 68 ¨C Points allocated, +4 Free Points*
*Your Race has reached Lv 68 ¨C Points allocated, +3 Free Points*
Quest: Group Tutorial Mid-Boss
You have survived the Hoarfrost Highlands, bested its king, and have moved on to the Emernigan Isle. Having killed the inhabitants of Emernigan Isle, The Queen of the Emernigan Isle is now actively roaming its territory, seeking to eliminate you and your fellow Tutorial Participants. Your reward will be scaled based on your performance.
Requirements: Survive or defeat the Verdant Serpent ?
Reward: 100,000 Tutorial Points
¡°Holy crap,¡± Archie muttered while looking over his notifications, particularly the rarity of Vital Sight. It was a rarity he had never seen before.
He wasn¡¯t quite sure about how better the rarity was but considering that he hadn¡¯t received a title from receiving it; it was most probably under Legendary, but above Epic. By how much? He did not know.
Nevertheless, it was a high rarity skill that he wasn¡¯t quite sure how to deal with. Everything around him that was alive now glowed different shades of red and varying sparks.
It was hard to describe the sparks of Vitality; they were all different shapes, sizes, and colors; constantly changing at every moment within a being.
With enough study and experimentation, it would be a vital skill to have in fights. It would allow him to notice anything with Vitality that was trying to sneak up on him, seeing how he was able to see sparks of Vitality from those all around him.
Previously when he first gained Vital Sight, he was able to see the sparks of Vitality from Xelgar and Syllia even though they were dozens of kilometers away from him. But now that he was in his base, further than where he was before, he couldn¡¯t see them.
So, distance is something that is related to it. Archie analyzed as he tried to focus on trying to see their sparks, but to no avail. Maybe once I analyze and focus on their sparks then maybe, I can see them from a further distance.
¡°Hey, Bralmir¡± Archie called out. ¡°I got a couple of questions for you, that may or may not be very important.¡±
Archie felt the familiar pressure atop his shoulders, notifying him that yes, Bralmir heard him.
¡°What are these important questions?¡± Bralmir responded. ¡°Oh, before you say, congratulations on your fight with the serpent. It was quite a good show.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± Archie said, taken aback slightly. ¡°You saw that?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Bralmir responded, slightly affronted. ¡°You are the only one with a blessing I¡¯ve given in cycles. Why would I not watch your journey?¡±
¡°So,¡± Archie wondered, a bit caught off guard. ¡°Do you always watch me?¡±
¡°Not always, but I do have an avatar of sorts watching over you and whenever things get interesting I personally watch over you,¡± Bralmir explained, but seeing the confusion on Archie¡¯s face he explained. ¡°I can essentially make clones of myself who are able to perform certain tasks. They¡¯re obviously limited in ways but don¡¯t worry about it too much, it¡¯s a god thing.¡±
¡°Kinda a bit weird though,¡± Archie jested.
¡°Maybe,¡± Bralmir acquitted. ¡°Think of it like me watching the Archie Show. Gods are immortal and immortality without entertainment is boring. So, most gods enjoy watching the lives of mortals they¡¯ve blessed. But don¡¯t worry about it, I only watch the Archie Show when you¡¯re crafting something new or fighting something difficult. Anyways, your important questions?¡±
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
Weird, but I kinda get it, Archie thought, somewhat understanding what Bralmir meant. If you¡¯re an immortal, you probably get bored a lot. While leveling up and experimenting on things is fun, you need time to unwind.
¡°Okay, I kinda get it,¡± Archie said before asking Bralmir about his Vital Sight. ¡°So, I got this skill called Vital Sight, and I don¡¯t know how to turn it off.¡±
¡°Hmm, Vital Sight you say,¡± Bralmir repeated, before going silent for a moment. ¡°Tell me the skill¡¯s exact description.¡±
Archie then reiterated the description of the skill to Bralmir and what he remembered doing in the middle of the fight against the Verdant Serpent.
¡°Okay, I believe I know what you should do. While I¡¯m not 100% sure, There are a couple of races within the multiverse that do have such vision and those are those who are intrinsically connected with vital energy.¡± Bralmir responded. ¡°When you were fighting the serpent, you had an epiphany on how to control vital energy, thus allowing you to learn how to steal vitality from anything you punch. When you tried to locate the serpent, you funneled a large amount of vital energy to your head, mainly to your brain and eyes. When you did so, you altered your vision to see using vital energy. Thus, granting you the skill.¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Archie responded while tapping his chin, replaying what happened a few hours ago in his mind. ¡°I got a second type of vision, basically a human mantis shrimp but with shittier vision. But how do I turn it off? It¡¯s useful, yes, but it makes it hard to see anything that¡¯s alive.¡±
Bralmir chuckled a bit before responding. ¡°Archie, if you turn on the lights in a room, how do you turn it off?¡±
¡°Ah¡¡± Archie muttered at the realization. ¡°I¡¯m an idiot.¡±
¡°A bit,¡± Bralmir joked, chuckling at Archie¡¯s expression. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you can turn it off completely, but I do recommend you to visit your Magic Assistant. The Journeys of vampires are intrinsically connected with Vitality, so they have much more insight into your Vital Sight skill. Besides as Assistants, they are obligated to help you, without any cost, as per terms of the contract they took with the system.¡±
¡°Oh, that makes sense.¡± Archie replied, ¡°I¡¯ll go ask him later then since it''s turning night and the village is closed¡Anyways I gotta ask, what¡¯s the difference between a boss creature in a dungeon, an alpha creature in the wild, and a normal creature all of the same level? Why do they feel completely different?¡±
¡°There are many reasons as to why. Dungeon bosses are typically enhanced by the dungeon creator, be it the system or the individual who made the dungeon. Normally to raise the difficulty,¡± Bralmir explained. ¡°Outside of dungeons, there are creatures known as Alphas, they are those who follow the Journey of a group leader, and due to their Journey, the stats they gain per level are higher than their normal counterparts. Albeit there are restrictions they face, but it''s to balance the rewards they gain.¡±
¡°Okay, make sense,¡± Archie replied. ¡°They got a rare class, thus giving them much better stats at every level, and as such they have restrictions to balance it.¡±
¡°Is that all of your questions?¡± Bralmir asked.
¡°Yeah, thanks, man,¡± Archie said.
¡°No problem,¡± Bralmir replied. ¡°Oh, before you lessen the effects of your Vital Sight, I recommend you try forging with them activated. You might find something¡interesting to say the least.¡±
Archie then remembered what he saw when tossing the sphere of condensed vital energy into his spatial storage¡Was that its core?... core¡¯s have vital energy?
Seeing the realization and many questions starting to show on Archie¡¯s face, Bralmir left with a chuckle. The familiar weight of Bralmir¡¯s presence on Archie¡¯s shoulders disappeared, leaving him alone, pondering in a cave.
Archie then took out his forging equipment then set his forge alight with Forgesmith¡¯s Flame. Then took out a basilisk beastcore and saw that it indeed had sparks of Vitality.
Archie stared at the sparks of Vitality that sparked faintly within the core. ¡°Woah.¡±
Rolling the core around his palms, Archie noticed how the sparks flowed seamlessly throughout the core. However, he also took notice of how the core¡¯s vital sparks seemed to be moving in a set pattern, like a record on repeat.
Just as he was about to place the core into the crucible, Archie placed it atop the table. Probably not a good idea to activate a core with the name containing the word rot, without a container. Archie nervously chuckled.
Grabbing a bar of steel Archie placed it within his heavy-duty tongs and placed it into the forge. Once it got red-hot, Archie tossed it onto his heavy-duty anvil and got to work hammering it uniformly, imbuing it with normal mana with every strike.
Afterward, Archie placed the thin steel slab on the anvil¡¯s horn and slowly shaped it into a large sphere. Grabbing his Thermal Carver, Archie carved out the top of the sphere, just large enough for the core to fit inside.
Then he lightly scratched circles within the inside of the hollow sphere. Placing the sphere on the table, Archie took out a small chunk of Cragforge ore and placed it within the crucible and into the forge.
Once it became red-hot, Archie then placed it atop the precision anvil and hammered it into a thin rectangle. Once it was properly formed Archie placed it against the carved top part of the sphere and pushed against it slightly. After the tip of the Cragforge pierced the steel sphere cover, Archie lit his fingers with Forgesmith¡¯s Flame and soldered the steel and Cragforge together.
Now all that was left was to forge the core and place it into the sphere to complete his creation. Once he injected mana into the final creation, the core would release rot gas and build up within the sphere¡In theory at least.
Archie grabbed the Rotfang Basilisk Beastcore he placed on the table and placed it within the crucible and into the forge, with his Gaze of the Forgefather activated.
Archie stayed alert watching over the core making sure there were no signs of chipping. Archie also noticed how even with Gaze of the Forgefather activated his Vital Sight was still active as well.
He saw the sparks of Vitality start to vibrate, but still continuing their monotonous flow within the sphere. But as the sphere started to crack, the sparks of Vitality increased the speed at which they vibrated.
Once the core was covered in razor-thin translucent cracks, Archie took it out of the forge and wrapped it with a mana string.
Once it was out of the crucible, Archie wrapped the core with four more mana strings and channeled normal mana into the core. Not wanting to¡taint the rotten core with his nature mana. That sounds really ironic now that I think about it, Archie chuckled.
The vibrating sparks of Vitality¡¯s pattern now moved in lengthened waves. Once the core started to glow a bluish-black color, Archie stopped channeling mana into the core and held it within his hands.
Now, I test whether vital energy has an effect on the core, he thought. Staring into the core, Archie started to slowly funnel his vital energy into the core. Making sure that it was being pushed steadily into the core and not all at once.
Archie slowly saw the sparks of Vitality suddenly stop before fluidly moving through the core, shining brighter than before. Archie instinctively knew to cut off his vital energy and started at the core, mesmerized.
It''s¡beautiful. Archie thought staring at the core, with its sparks of Vitality dancing throughout the core harmoniously.
Identifying the core, gave Archie a realization. His vital energy contained his records.
Rot-Attuned Beastcore:
A beastcore from an E-Grade Rotfang Basilisk Beastcore, previously containing fragmented records, now imbued with the records of Archie Gracefield. Within its records lies that of the Rotfang Basilisk and Archie Gracefield. Can be used for various forging and medium applications.
Archie carefully held the core and placed it within the steel hollowed sphere and closed it with its top, soldering them together.
Archie stared at the almost completed rot gas bomb and started to think about what rune to place on it. Soul-Bound and Self-Repair would be useless, grenades are meant to be one-time use items¡A rune of dispersion?
Archie grabbed an iron sheet and his runic scriber. Etching the runic base of Wind, Archie started to surround it within an amplifier circuit, but with a few modifications. There wasn¡¯t a point in making a sphere sharper, rather he needed it to lightly blow air, spreading the rot fog the core would generate.
Once he finished etching the rune on the sheet and waited for a second to see if it vanished, he quickly etched the rune on the side of the sphere.
Now, it¡¯s complete. Archie said before Identifying the sphere.
Rot Spreading Sphere (Common):
Crafted by Archie Gracefield, a Novice Forgesmith, this sphere is made from three separate materials: Steel, Cragforge and a Rotfang Basilisk Beastcore imbued with vital energy. Once mana is channeled into the Cragforge on the top of the sphere, the kinetic energy within the Cragforge with release a blast, activating the Rotfang Basilisk Beastcore and popping the holes within the sphere spreading gaseous rot in all directions. Once the Cragforge is channeled with mana, a small delay will occur before it bursts. Effects: Rot Dispersion. Requirements: Lv 65+ & Humanoid Race.
Ch 58 - Vampiric Help
Archie stared at his 6 completed Rot Spreading Spheres and placed them within his spatial storage before looking at his notifications.
*Your Profession has reached Lv 63 ¨C Points allocated, +4 Free Points*
*Your Profession has reached Lv 64 ¨C Points allocated, +4 Free Points*
Skill Gained: Core Resonance Forging (Uncommon)]
Core Resonance Forging (Uncommon):
With this skill, you are able to use cores into your craft. This skill allows the smith to attune their forging process to the natural frequency of a beast core, allowing for smoother energy transfer between the core and the crafted item. As your skill improves, you learn to create resonant patterns in your items that can even draw on the emotions or instincts of the beast. Adds a low increase to the effectiveness of Core Resonance Forging based on Wisdom and Willpower.
Nice, Archie thought while looking at his new skill. So, Vitality was the missing link. I wonder why my gauntlets worked then¡Do some cores not require Vitality to work? My vital energy contains my records, so maybe merging with the Cragforge applied the same concept with its records being related with the Resonance Bat¡¯s abilities.
An interesting topic to say the least, one that will require much experimentation. But first, Archie needed to find a way to control his Vital Sight. After resolving that he would need to head to Michael and tell him what he saw.
¡°Locking people in cages and experimenting on them is¡I want to say inhumane, but he isn¡¯t human anymore.¡± Archie muttered while clicking his teeth. ¡°Was it a dungeon that changed his Race? Did it do something to make him experiment on people?¡±
Nevertheless, I¡¯m going to need help to take down the camp and kill Oliver. Archie thought while getting in a meditative position. I don¡¯t wanna kill everyone in their camp, Sarah might be able to cure them. The ones being experimented on don¡¯t deserve to die like that.
Fuck Oliver, Archie thought before entering Nature¡¯s Meditation.
Within Nature¡¯s Meditation, Archie felt his vital energy moving throughout his body. The vital energy constantly flowed within him, at a steady rate, except for one area. His eyes.
If the rest of his body¡¯s vital energy flow was akin to a river¡¯s constant flow, his eyes were going through a flash flood. It wasn¡¯t as harmful as one would think, as it was his own vital energy. Why would his own vital energy harm him?
As well as Bralmir¡¯s lack of hurry for him to get it fixed, cemented the thought that the rush of vital energy towards his eyes was a good thing. But it did cause a thought to go through his head; how do the energies within my body react when I channel Adrenaline Rush? Or Spirit Bond at that?
Activating Adrenaline Rush at 15%, Archie observed the flow of energies throughout his body. His mana and stamina energy flows intertwined with one another like a double helix, but the stamina helix was double the size of the mana helix. Covering his whole body, not leaving a single place uncovered by its effects.
Activating Adrenaline Rush at 45%, provided a noticeable difference. Looking at both his mana and stamina pools, he noticed that the mana and stamina cost was at least 7x the previous rate. However, in return, the boost he gained from the skill was more than worth it.
Pushing Adrenaline Rush to 50%, Archie felt his body start to strain. His body wasn¡¯t able to handle such a rush of power, hence the strain. But it was manageable, pain can be ignored and when pushed, a bit of pain to live was well worth it. The cost, compared to the 15% Adrenaline Rush, was 15x.
While it might seem unfair, it more than made sense; going beyond the limit that his body could take needed a cost equivalent to the boost. Besides, this skill isn¡¯t supposed to be active at all times.
A cool thing he found was that his ability to sense Vitality was also enhanced greatly. He could see a couple of the sea creature¡¯s vital energies that he hadn¡¯t been able to before. Adrenaline Rush enhances my physical body, thus enhancing my vital energy flowing within, thus enhancing the flow of vital energy going into my eyes as a side effect.
Deactivating Adrenaline Rush, Archie started to slowly manipulate the vital energy flowing into his eyes. Completely focused on lessening that amount of vital energy flowing into them and not cutting them off completely.
He wasn¡¯t quite sure if completely cutting them off would just make his eyes stop working and make him blind. But he wasn¡¯t going to take that chance when he barely knew how vital energy worked other than that it helped him regenerate. Hell, he just learned that his records are in his vital energy, and was pretty sure this was common knowledge within the multiverse.
Once Archie lessened the flow going into his eyes by 25%, he stopped manipulating vital energy and exited Nature¡¯s Meditation. His ability to see vital energy thankfully lessened, allowing him to see somewhat normally.
¡°Best I go to Cyric¡¯s and get his help before I do anything more than this,¡± Archie said as he got up. Taking a glance at the corpses of the gorillas and tortoise, Archie sighed. ¡°Something always takes me away from experimenting¡hopefully this whole Oliver shit ends quickly.¡±
Sending his forging equipment back into his spatial storage, Archie flung his arms towards the overhanging branch above his cave¡¯s ceiling and activated Thornscourge Expansion.
Archie entered the Assistant village, looking around with interest. He could see the humanoid figures within their own building either tending to their craft or relaxing. Syllia was hammering away at her forge and Xelgar was lying down someplace within his house.
Wait, what the hell is that? Archie questioned looking at a spider-like figure within the tailoring Profession building¡Is the Tailoring Profession Assistant a spider?... Well, spiders are known for being the best weavers on Earth from what I know, so makes sense¡ I guess.
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Spiders are beasts, but seeing how it¡¯s an Assistant that means it has sentience. Archie rationalized. I wonder when beasts become sentient? Is it D-Grade? Or high E-Grade? I guess I¡¯ll find out when I ask it.
Weirdly enough as he approached Cyric¡¯s tower, he couldn¡¯t see his figure at all within his tower.
Knocking on the tower door, Archie waited only a second before Cyric answered.
¡°Archie it''s¡¡± Cryic said as he opened the door, but his smile contorted to one of concern as his eyes narrowed while staring at Archie¡¯s head. He stared at Archie for a few more moments before ushering him inside. ¡°Come inside.¡±
Archie nodded and headed into Cyric¡¯s tower. Other than a few blankets strewn across the furniture, everything looked just like when he previously visited.
¡°Please sit down,¡± Cryic said while closing the door behind him. Now within the tower, Archie could see the vital energy of Cyric, however, it was very different, to say the least. Cyric¡¯s vital energy seemed to be condensed within a sphere within his body and as he moved very thin tendrils of vital energy split off and flowed into his limbs as he moved.
Weird, Archie thought as he sat on the sofa with Cyric sitting on the sofa opposite to him.
¡°I see that you have started to experiment on your vital energy and judging on its controlled state it seems it has worked,¡± Cyric said as he took out a glass of water and placed it in front of Archie. ¡°While experimenting is most of the time a good thing, I hope you understand the danger of self-experimentation, especially on vital energy.¡±
¡°Well, less as an experiment and more of a last-ditch thing I did to not die,¡± Archie said, gaining a concerned look from Cyric. ¡°And I might have done something to my vision that I need your help to safely figure out how to lessen the vital energy flowing into my eyes.¡±
¡°Tell me what happened,¡± Cyric asked, his expression turning stoney. ¡°I swear on my honor as a vampire that I won¡¯t tell a living soul.¡±
Archie then began to explain his visit into the jungle, being attacked by the Verdant Serpent, his sudden understanding of vital energy, and flooding his eyes with vital energy to see where the serpent was.
¡°You were very lucky,¡± Cyric replied after Archie finished his explanation, his back hunched over. ¡°Controlling your vital energy like that was nothing more than something miraculous¡±
Leaning back into the sofa, Cyric continued, ¡°You did everything perfectly, with nothing more than intuition. If you messed up at any point during that process, you would have gone permanently blind best case or dead worst case.¡±
¡°But I didn¡¯t,¡± Archie smiled, gaining a sigh of exhaustion from Cyric. ¡°Is this what Father meant when he said karma has a way of biting back at me for being a pain in his undead ass,¡± Cyric muttered.
¡°So, what is the name of the skill you got and its description?¡± Cryic said as he pushed himself off the sofa and took out a glass wine glass full of red liquid.
¡°Vital Sight,¡± Archie said, gaining an almost spit take from Cyric. Smiling at Cyric¡¯s reaction, he then read aloud his skill¡¯s description.
¡°I have no words really¡You gained a Radiant skill less than two months into the system integration¡and my father called me a monster,¡± Cyric said looking at Archie with newfound interest.
¡°I can help you with your vital energy problem,¡± Cyric said as he got up from the sofa and went to sit cross-legged atop the table in front of Archie. ¡°Vampires and other Hemomancers gain that skill after thorough study and experimentation. Seeing that I am a Vampire, and I have the skill, I should be able to help, no problem.¡±
¡°Unfortunately, I will not be able to do it for you, due to the system. So, you will have to control it yourself while I give you instructions while observing your vital energy.¡± Cyric said as he untied his hair and pulled out a hairband to pull it back. ¡°Now focus on your vital energy.¡±
Archie nodded before closing his eyes and focusing on his vital energy. ¡°Lessen the flow of vital energy going into eyes but do it slowly and keep at it till I say stop,¡± Cyric instructed. ¡°Too fast or too much and you might kill the flow entirely towards your eyes and would have to either go to a healer or rip them out and fix them from scratch.¡±
Archie slowly lessened the amount of vital energy channeling into his eyes. Cyric¡¯s words confirming his concerns of potentially ruining his sight if he tried to figure it out on his own. Best to listen to an expert on the subject before experimenting on my own and becoming blind.
¡°Stop there,¡± Cryic said as he focused on the vital energy flowing into Archie¡¯s eyes. The rushing torrent of vital energy now became akin to a soft river, similar to the rest of the vital energy flowing throughout his body.
Archie opened his eyes and looked at Cyric. The sphere of condensed vital energy wasn¡¯t visible anymore. Looking at the wall of the tower, in the direction of Xelgar and Syllia, he could not see their vital energies nor their sparks of Vitality anymore. ¡°Thanks, man,¡±
¡°No problem,¡± Cyric said before smirking. ¡°We aren¡¯t done yet; you need to learn how to turn on and off the skill fluidly before leaving.¡±
¡°Great!¡± Archie smiled before asking, ¡°If Vital Sight is a thing, does that mean Mana Sight is a thing?¡±
Cyric thought for a moment before nodding. ¡°Yes, but you won¡¯t be able to get the skill.¡± Seeing the look of confusion on Archie¡¯s face, he explained; ¡°As a human, you are a creature of flesh and blood, thus making you more attuned to Vitality. Elementals, Spirits, and other mana-like creatures are more attuned to mana as mana makes up their being.¡±
¡°But, my E-Grade Evolution says that I¡¯ve been attuned to the flow of mana,¡± Archie pushed. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be able to gain the skill?¡±
¡°It¡¯s a race thing,¡± Cyric explained with a shake of his head. ¡°Unless you are just as attuned to mana as the mana-like races, then it is impossible. You need to have an extremely deep connection with mana to gain Mana Sight. Most mages who wish to gain the sight, perform rituals to permanently change their race to gain it among other things.¡±
¡°What about gods?¡± Archie asked, gaining a look of surprise from Cyric.
¡°You¡¯ve met a god?¡± Cyric questioned and gained a slow nod from Archie.
¡°I won¡¯t pry about who they are,¡± Cyric said as he took out his drink from his spatial storage. ¡°To answer your question, I don¡¯t know. I dare not ask nor question a god.¡±
I guess I¡¯ll ask Bralmir, Archie thought. Suddenly remembering that he hadn¡¯t looked at his status page in a while, he pulled it up.
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human E-grade Lv 68
Class: Nature-Attuned Pugilist Lv 68
Profession: Novice Forgesmith Lv 64
Health: 5980/5980
Mana: 2585/2585
Stamina: 6371/6371
Stats:
Vitality: 520 (598)
Strength: 619 (773)
Endurance: 554 (637)
Agility: 340 (374)
Intelligence: 276 (303)
Wisdom: 235 (258)
Willpower: 166 (199)
Perception: 261(287)
Free Points: 52
General Skills: Identify (Initiate), Nature''s Meditation (Epic), Vital Sight (Radiant)
Class Skills: Leeching Strikes of Fury (Uncommon), Savage Charge (Rare), Adrenaline Rush (Legendary), Pugilist¡¯s Grit (Rare), Retaliation (Uncommon), Relentless Flurry (Rare), Taunt (Rare), Thornscourge Expansion (Rare), Spirit Bond (Rare)
Profession Skills: Forgesmith¡¯s Flame (Uncommon), Mana Smithing Mastery (Common), Advanced Runic Mastery (Uncommon), Material Insight (Rare), Gaze of the Forgefather (Epic), Core Resonance Forging (Uncommon)
Bloodline: Adrenaline Junkie (Unique) [+10% to Strength and +10% to Willpower]
Affinity: Greater Nature Affinity (Epic)
Blessing: Blessing of the Forgefather (Moderate) [+5% to Strength and +5% to Endurance]
Titles Collected: Bloodline Progenitor [+10 Vitality and +5% Vitality], Flawless E-Grade Evolution [+10 all Stats], Legendary Innovator [+20 to all Stats and +10% to all Stats]
Tutorial Points: 390,028
Archie smiled at both the increase in his stats and his Tutorial Points. ¡°Alright let¡¯s get started then,¡± Archie said as he dismissed his status screen and turned to face Cyril.
Ch 59 - Interested in Becoming a Vampire?
¡°Thanks for the help, Cyric,¡± Archie said as he got up from the sofa, with his Vital Sight now deactivated. After spending a couple of hours with Cyric he was now able to control the amount of vital energy into his eyes.
A cool tidbit he learned from Cyric was that if he practiced hard enough he could find the perfect ratio to actively have Vital Sight active while not hindering his vision. But with the way Cyric explained it, it would take quite a bit of time to accomplish.
He¡¯d even learned that his irises tinged red when he¡¯d activate Vital Sight.
¡°Not a problem,¡± Cyric said while getting up from the table and walking Archie to the door. ¡°But, before you go, would you be interested in becoming a Vampire?¡±
Archie, who was walking beside Cyric, suddenly stopped and looked at Cyric blankly for a few seconds before shaking his head. ¡°Uh, what?¡±
¡°Would you like to become a vampire?¡± Cyric repeated with a playful smile. ¡°You would still retain your ability to have both a Profession and a Class, but your Race will change to that of a vampire.¡±
¡°Why me though?¡± Archie asked, confused at the sudden offer. ¡°Is it because of Vital Sight?¡±
¡°Kinda,¡± Cyric answered while shaking his right hand in a so-so manner. ¡°My father asked me to offer the opportunity to become a vampire to anyone in the Tutorial who had a strong affinity for vital energy or whoever caught my eye. You seem like a pretty chill guy and have a strong affinity towards vital energy, so why not offer?¡±
¡°Uh, I appreciate the offer, but I¡¯d rather stay as a human,¡± Archie replied awkwardly. Rejecting an offer from a guy who was willing to spend hours helping you, felt really shitty to do. But becoming a vampire wasn¡¯t very appealing to him. It might have had to do with the various films that he¡¯d seen about vampires, and anything related to them, and finding them to be just immortal humans who drink blood and are either very narcissistic or obsessively stalking girls. Besides I like being human, why change that? Archie thought.
¡°I hope this doesn¡¯t make things between us awkward¡or anything¡± Archie continued while rubbing the back of his neck.
Cyric rolled his eyes and smirked while waving away Archie¡¯s concern. ¡°Think nothing of it. Nothing wrong with standing up for your race, rather it''s very much encouraged within the multiverse. People only change their race when they believe they must, else their journey would stagnate.
¡°Could you explain on that a bit more?¡± Archie asked, curious as to why someone¡¯s journey would stagnate if they didn¡¯t change their race.
¡°In the multiverse, there are two types of species, those who are born with sentience and those who aren¡¯t. Those who are born with sentience have a Race, Class, and Profession from the get-go. Some of the more well-known races born with sentience are Humans, Vampires, Elves, and many others. Those who are not born with sentience are able to receive it in full through their D-Grade evolutions. When reaching D-Grade they are also offered the opportunity to gain a Profession if they so wish. Doing so will add a Profession section to their status page. But unlike our own status page, they would only have a race and profession field. This is due to their race being so intrinsically connected with their classes, there is no distinction between them,¡± Cyric explained.
¡°Nevertheless, there are tradeoffs for them picking a Profession; they receive 20% less XP when killing a creature but receive 10% more XP when doing their profession. Some of the more well-known races are the Beastkiin, Dragons, Elementals, and many others.¡± Cyric continued.
¡°Oh wow,¡± Archie said, taking in the information given to him. ¡°I guess if people find their Class or Profession to be dragging them down, they might consider changing races?¡±
¡°Yes, it¡¯s quite commonplace within the multiverse,¡± Cyric answered. ¡°A warrior might find having a Profession to be a waste of time so they find ways to become a race that would fit their goals. But mind you there are drawbacks and advantages to each race, not to mention the rituals you have to set up among other things to change your race.¡±
Archie nodded in understanding. Some people just prefer their craft over anything else and might change their race just because they believe that¡¯s what they only wish to do. Who was he to judge what they wanted to do with their lives?
¡°I appreciate your help,¡± Archie said as he stepped onto the small porch outside Cyric¡¯s tower and turned to look at Cyric.
¡°Anytime,¡± Cyric said with a smile before closing the door.
Archie turned around and activated Vital Sight scanning the village, and found Xelgar now outside his house and moving around his house¡shadowboxing? Curious as to why Xelgar was shadowboxing, Archie made his way towards Xelgar.
As he approached Xelgar, he found him wiping away his sweat with a rag and drinking from a glass of water while looking at his Aetherglass. ¡°Hello!¡± Archie said, getting Xelgar¡¯s attention away from his Aetherglass.
Putting away his Aetherglass and glass of water, Xelgar wiped his head and turned towards Archie. ¡°Hello, Archie!¡±
Making his way towards Xelgar, Archie greeted Xelgar with a handshake clap. Xelgar looked at the greeting he did with their hands. ¡°What was that?¡±
¡°Oh,¡± Archie said before chuckling at Xelgar¡¯s confusion. ¡°It¡¯s a greeting we do on our planet.¡±
¡°Curious,¡± Xelgar said before performing the greeting once more. ¡°I like this greeting¡Do you mind if I steal it?¡±
¡°By all means,¡± Archie smiled at the joyful look on Xelgar¡¯s face before suddenly remembering. ¡°Ah, before I forget, do you mind giving me some tips on how I fight and things I need to improve on?¡±
Xelgar smiled at Archie¡¯s request and within his right hand appeared a dark oak staff. Without missing a beat, Xelgar sent an attack to Archie¡¯s head.
Archie quickly kicked backwards, barely dodging the swipe at his head.
¡°Come on Archie, you gotta be faster than that!¡± Xelgar smiled as he charged at Archie.
¡°Oi, take it easy! I¡¯m still an E-Grade,¡± Archie said as he dodged under another swipe, but got clipped on the bottom of his head with a sudden turn of the staff from Xelgar.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m lowering my strength to that of yours.¡± Xelgar laughed as he swiped Archie¡¯s feet from under him using the rag he held with his left hand and making him yelp. ¡°Don¡¯t use any boosting skills¡± Xelgar commented as he dodged a steaming punch from Archie and kicked him back.
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Quickly falling into a roll, Archie deactivated Adrenaline Rush and charged back at Xelgar. This is gonna hurt a shit ton, Archie thought as he barely dodged another swipe at his head and crossed his fist over the staff and towards Xelgar¡¯s face. But Xelgar tilted his head, making Archie¡¯s strike miss him by mere millimeters, and twisted his staff to lock up Archie¡¯s arm and kick him back once more.
Archie pushed himself off his stomach and onto his back, breathing heavily. Dirt caked his form, purple bruises across his body, and minor fractures across bones.
Looming over his exhausted form was a smiling Xelgar who leaned forward on his staff. ¡°You did pretty good.¡±
¡°Good my ass,¡± Archie complained, and he pushed his back off the ground and sat on his ass. ¡°I barely hit you.¡±
¡°No, you did,¡± Xelgar smiled while pointing at a small, thin scratch on the right side of his light blue tunic. ¡°See you did hit me.¡±
¡°Sure, I scratched your clothes, but I didn¡¯t even put a scratch on your body,¡± Archie said while burning off the dirt and grime on his face and armor with Forgesmith¡¯s Flame. Once clean, he then grabbed the bottle of water Xelgar produced for him and poured it on his head, trying to cool himself off.
¡°You aren¡¯t meant to even scratch me, Archie,¡± Xelgar sighed while offering a hand for Archie to pull himself up. ¡°My level is more than double your own. Literally no one on your planet, even now, could harm me, unless I wanted them to.¡±
¡°I get that,¡± Archie said while taking Xelgar¡¯s hand and pulling himself off the ground. After dusting himself off he said, ¡°But that doesn¡¯t fix my bruised ego.¡±
¡°No, it does not.¡± Xelgar chuckled while slapping Archie¡¯s back with enough force to arch forward. Xelgar then pulled out two chairs from his spatial storage and set them down opposite to each other using his mana. ¡°Now, onto what I¡¯ve observed from our fight.¡±
Sitting in the seat opposite to Xelgar, Archie gave Xelgar his full attention. Xelgar beat his ass without sweating and with a regular stick and rag, any advice from him would be more than beneficial for Archie to learn from.
¡°You fight wildly and without structure,¡± Xelgar commented while crossing his arms and a straight expression. ¡°While fighting wildly isn¡¯t a bad thing, fighting without structure is. What I mean by that is, your footwork is sloppy, and you try too hard.¡±
¡°What do you mean try too hard?¡± Archie questioned, confused. Aren¡¯t you always supposed to give 100% to everything? Archie thought ¡°Why is that a bad thing?¡±
¡°Instead of always trying to stay on the offensive, you should step back and assess your next move,¡± Xelgar explained. ¡°Every swipe I sent at you knocked you to the ground because you kept putting all your weight into your punches or kicks. You must focus on how you move¡ªyour attacks should draw their force from your feet. Right now, even a little pressure on the wrong part of your body makes you lose balance.¡±
Xelgar was right, Archie played back the moments when he was fighting Xelgar and every attack he took sent him sprawling on the ground. Archie also remembered that many of the martial artists he watched brought up the importance of footwork when fighting. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll keep that in mind. Anything else?¡±
¡°Not really,¡± Xelgar replied. ¡°It¡¯s obvious that you¡¯re new to fighting, but you fight very well with how long you have been fighting. Honestly, you just need to gain more experience in fighting.¡±
Archie nodded in understanding, he hadn¡¯t really fought anyone prior to the system integration. The only fight he had been in was beating the shit out of Doug when he saw him after Daniel¡¯s funeral, but that was more of a one-sided beatdown and less of a fight.
All in all, he just needed to keep in mind to pay attention to his footwork and step back to strategize what he should do next when at a disadvantage. If he had previously retreated away from the serpent and baited its poisonous attacks then he wouldn¡¯t have almost died.
It¡¯s on me for being a dumbass and forgetting that snakes have poison, Archie chided himself while getting up from the chair.
¡°Thank you for your help Xelgar,¡± Archie said and offered Xelgar a goodbye handshake.
¡°A word of advice, I recommend you start looking for some dungeons,¡± Xelgar smiled while getting up and returned the handshake. ¡°All Group Tutorials have special ones hidden around.¡±
But before Archie could respond, Xelgar disappeared from in front of him. Activating Vital Sight, he found him lying on a sofa in his house and looking at a random wall, presumably at some sort of larger Aetherglass.
Looks like I¡¯m going to be dungeon hunting, Archie thought before grimacing¡After I experiment though.
Archie entered Michael¡¯s camp just at what looked like an hour or two before sunset. Walking through the camp, he went to find Michael. On his way he found an E-Grade cook selling some strips of jerky.
After buying enough to fill a crate, Archie paid the cook 200 Tutorial Points before continuing his search for Michael.
Archie found Michael sitting in front of a campfire lost in thought. His eyes were slightly glazed over as he stared at the tattoo on his ungloved right hand. The tattoo was the date; 09-03-2010.
Sitting on the same log Michael sat on, Archie placed his arm on Michael¡¯s shoulder, breaking him out of his thoughts. Michael turned to face Archie. ¡°When did you get here?¡±
¡°A few moments ago,¡± Archie said while looking at the campfire. Taking out a couple pieces of jerky, he passed half to Michael. ¡°You okay man?¡±
Michael turned back to face the campfire then dipped his head down and stared at the jerky in his hands. After a minute of silence, Michael responded. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±
¡°I know we haven¡¯t known each other for long,¡± Archie nodded in understanding before turning away from the campfire and looking at Michael. ¡°But I like to believe that I know you well enough to say you¡¯re a good guy¡So, if you need anyone to talk to, I¡¯m your guy.¡±
¡°I appreciate it,¡± Michael replied before sharply sniffing over the sound of wood kindling cracking and people talking around them. ¡°So, what brought you over?¡±
¡°I just wanted to tell you what I saw when scouting Oliver¡¯s camp,¡± Archie said, not wanting to push for an answer from a man who was clearly going through something. ¡°It¡¯s not good.¡±
Michael''s eyes narrowed at the mention of Oliver. ¡°What did you see?¡±
¡°He has people in cages,¡± Archie said, his face contorted in disgust. ¡°Some missing limbs, some dead. At least 60 people were locked in cages, their levels were in the high 40s to low 50s. But that¡¯s not the worst of it.¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± Michael questioned, his tone dark and eyes staring into the campfire.
¡°He¡¯s experimenting on them,¡± Archie answered, finishing the rest of his jerky and dusting off his hands. ¡°He made them: The Human Thralls and Demonic Humans. I don¡¯t know how he did it, but it probably has to do with his alchemy or something. He ain¡¯t human anymore either; changed his race to something called a Cambion.¡±
Michael didn¡¯t reply back, seemingly digesting Archie¡¯s words. Michael rubbed his left hand over his right for a minute before responding. ¡°I can get 50 more people to reach level 60, to raid their base in five days¡Would you be willing to join the raid?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Archie chuckled. ¡°That fucker sent the Verdant Serpent after me.¡±
Michael¡¯s eyes went wide, ¡°That was you? I thought Oliver killed it since none of us saw it, but we got a completed quest notification.¡± Michael then stopped realizing what Archie said; ¡°He sent it after you? Are you sure?¡±
¡°Dead sure,¡± Archie replied, getting up from the log. ¡°He spoke into some type of magic circle while staring at me and not a moment later, the serpent almost swallowed me whole.¡±
¡°This changes things,¡± Michael muttered, turning to look at the empty healer¡¯s tent. ¡°We¡¯re gonna need more healers with us. If he could do that to a mid-boss then he could probably do the same to any of us.¡±
Leaving Michael to his strategizing, Archie headed towards one of the E-Grade alchemists to look at the types of potions she was selling.
These are great, Archie thought while looking at her potions. The health, mana, and stamina potions on her stand restored 2000 of their respective pools. Much more than Archie¡¯s F-Grade Effigies of Health.
The alchemist just finished brewing a batch of health potions and was restocking her stand when she saw Archie staring at her freshly made potions.
¡°Ah hello,¡± the alchemist said, slightly startled at Archie¡¯s sudden appearance. ¡°What can I do for you?¡±
¡°I¡¯d like to buy twenty of each of these potions,¡± Archie said while pointing at the health, mana, and stamina potions covering her stand.
¡°Each potion costs 200 Tutorial Points,¡± the alchemist replied, recognizing Archie as the one who gave the camp a scare when he first arrived.
Archie quickly paid the alchemist before throwing the potions into his spatial storage.
Turning towards the entrance of the camp, he saw Michael nibbling on the pieces of jerky while deeply staring into the campfire. Hopefully, he gets better, Archie thought while exiting the camp.
Whelp, now I can experiment and hunt for some dungeons in the meanwhile, Archie thought while racing across the island.
Ch 60 - Disciple
Archie grabbed the red-hot Igneous chunk, placed it atop the heavy-duty anvil, and quickly got to hammering. With every slam of the hammer, Archie funneled his non-attuned mana into the Igneous metal.
Once uniformly flat and two inches thick, Archie placed it over the horn and started to shape it into a cylinder. Once shaped, Archie held it on the side of his anvil and started to shape it into a sharp, long, and angular-looking C.
Archie grabbed the oddly shaped rod and moved towards the table where a sleek, angular, and skeletal motorcycle frame was missing a rod to hold in place the left side of the engine once made.
Archie held the top part of the oddly shaped rod in between the steering head and the top frame and held the bottom part of the oddly shaped rod in between where the lower cradle meets the bottom frame and the engine mount. Activating Forgesmith¡¯s Flame on both his hands, Archie soldered the cylinder in place.
Once attached, Archie took a step back and Identified the frame atop his desk.
Igneous Frame:
An Igneous metallic frame made from the corpse of an E-Grade Igneous Golem. and forged by Archie Gracefield, a Novice Forgesmith. However, unlike its predecessors, it sacrificed its retention of heat for a far more sturdy and stocky body.
Not bad, Archie thought before sending the frame into his spatial storage. I¡¯ll figure out how to make the motor, and everything else after the raid on Oliver¡¯s base¡I don¡¯t think anyone has made any rubber, so I might have to use saw blades as wheels. But I¡¯ll go around and double-check before the raid.
Archie grabbed his Runic Scriber and iron sheet before sitting in front of his desk. Archie stared at the empty sheet thinking about the runes that would be useful.
Archie filled the runic scriber with non-attuned mana and began to etch a kinetic enhancement rune. After he finished etching the rune he started to modify it by adding a few empty capacitors towards the end of the pathways.
Archie stared at the rune for a moment, thinking about what he should add. After a bit of thought, he decided to combine the rune with another Fire runic base. Seeing that the runic script stayed, Archie considered his experiment to be a success and channeled mana through the rune.
Archie leaned in closer as he saw his mana flow into the rune, but his eyes went wide as he saw the rune suddenly gain a microscopic crack with his Gaze of the Forgefather active¡Shit.
Suddenly, it exploded, blasting point-blank across his face and knocking him off the chair and onto the ground. A small dark smoke cloud covered both Archie and the desk.
Coughing, Archie pushed himself off the ground and started to wave away the smoke from his face. Exiting the cloud of smoke, Archie channeled mana into his mask, repairing it from the damage it took.
The hell did I miss? Archie questioned himself while grabbing another iron sheet and his runic scriber. Were the resistors not set properly? They couldn¡¯t have been, I made sure that they were adjusted for.
Sitting on the ground, Archie re-etched the same rune he made previously and focused on it, trying to figure out where he went wrong.
Everything looks good, Archie thought, eyes carefully analyzing the pathways. Resistors good, transistors working, capacitors working¡Where did I fuck up?
Identifying the sheet produced the rune¡¯s name. But nothing as to why it blew up.
Iron Sheet (Common):
An iron sheet forged by Syllia Glynvyre, a D-Grade Expert Runesmith. A Kinetic Surge rune has been etched by Archie Gracefield, a Novice Forgesmith. Effect: Kinetic Surge. Status: Perfect.
Archie slowly sent mana into the Kinetic Surge rune etched onto the sheet using a mana string. Focusing on how the mana flowed throughout the pathways; he saw his mana flow through the pathways steadily and fluidly change into kinetic energy.
He then saw in slow motion as the sheet started to form small bubbles, some forming under the rune causing small fractures to form on it before the whole sheet exploded.
Archie saw what he did wrong. Nothing. The only way the rune would work once filled with mana would be to release the kinetic buildup. The one thing he didn¡¯t take into account was the fragility of the iron sheet. Thus, when the rune was filled up with mana and needed to release it, he was right there to witness his rune exploding in his face.
Looks like I¡¯m going to be using steel sheets from now on, Archie thought before quickly grabbing a steel ingot and fashioning it into four steel sheets.
Etching the Kinetic Surge rune onto the steel sheet, Archie channeled mana into the rune and watched the metal, waiting for any signs of bubbles or cracks on the rune. As the rune converted mana into kinetic energy, it released a powerful blast, the sound reverberating throughout the cave.
Shaking his head from the loud explosion, Archie stared at the still intact sheet and Identified it.
Steel Sheet (Common):
A steel sheet forged by Syllia Glynvyre, a D-Grade Expert Runesmith. A Kinetic Surge rune has been etched by Archie Gracefield, a Novice Forgesmith. Effect: Kinetic Surge. Status: Moderately used.
Looks like I¡¯m going to be needing a sturdier metal to handle these rune tests, Archie thought with a sigh. Getting up from the table, Archie went over to the Spiritglyph Gorilla corpses that he tossed onto the floor.
Grabbing the gorilla corpse that had bits and pieces of stoney-grey patches across its fur and muscle. Archie took the corpse and went a good distance away from the tortoise and other gorilla corpses as well as his forging equipment.
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Archie looked at the sigil across its back and examined it.
Hm¡looks just like a basic Earth runic base, Archie thought while shaving off the fur around the sigil trying to see if there were any hidden sigils around it¡Nothing.
Archie continued to stare at the gorilla before deciding to try something new. Maybe when the gorilla channeled its mana into the sigil on its back, it performed it in a specific pattern.
Archie pulled out his dagger, cut into its body, and pulled out its core. Upon holding its core, Archie activated Spirit Bond making everything around him go dark.
Archie then found himself within the jungle once more, but the gorilla wasn¡¯t anywhere in sight. Jumping a few meters backwards, Archie dodged a sudden slam where he previously stood.
Archie activated Thornscourge Expansion and flung his fists forward, channeling his nature mana into the vines around his arms. The vines shot forward and wrapped themselves around the gorilla''s arms. Archie kicked off the ground and retracted the vines as fast as he could, propelling himself towards the gorilla.
Archie slammed his knee into the gorilla¡¯s face, launching it into the dense jungle and watching as it crashed into a tree. Archie saw as the gorilla shakily got up while shaking its head and glaring at him. The gorilla released a roar before charging at him.
Archie jumped over the gorilla before channeling nature mana into his vines once more. Mid flip the vines wrapped themselves around the gorilla¡¯s legs and Archie pulled, causing it to fall flat on its face.
Archie stared at the gorilla that pushed himself off the ground and turned to stare at Archie before pounding its chest. Archie felt pulses of mana wave off of the gorilla with each slam on its chest. He felt it activate the sigil across its back with the pulses of mana; causing stone-like skin to grow across its body.
Getting what he needed, Archie quickly appeared in front of the gorilla, activating Adrenaline Rush at 15% and uppercutting the gorilla, cracking the stone-like helmet around its head. The gorilla fell to the ground from the blow and onto its back.
Deactivating Adrenaline Rush, Archie placed his foot atop the gorilla¡¯s chest and released a guttural roar, activating Taunt at point-blank range. The roar reverberated across the jungle and knocked the gorilla unconscious.
Archie then found himself back in his base, with a glowing Spiritglyph Gorilla Beastcore in hand. Archie felt his muscles swelling, but not the warmth that he gained when successfully bonding with the Magma Hound. Alongside his muscles swelling, Archie felt something pulsate across his back.
Archie quickly took off his sleeves and chest piece and stared at his back from his reflection of the sea.
Across his back was the same sigil across the back of the gorilla he previously cut open. Archie felt the patterns of mana generated from the sigil and got a surge of inspiration.
Rushing over to his table, Archie grabbed a steel sheet and his runic scriber and started to rapidly etch the mana he felt pulsing from around the sigil across his back.
His first attempt failed, and so did his second attempt, and many more after that. Archie¡¯s mind spun with different ways to interpret the pulses of mana that constantly repeated themselves across his back.
So far, he understood that it was an advanced version of some sort of stone-shelling runic script. Something far more advanced than what he knew how to decipher. This was more along the lines of some type of runic coding sequence.
It¡¯s all centered around an Earthen runic base, which is connected to an amplifier. And surrounding that is some sort of earthen shelling sequence, Archie concluded. Getting an idea, Archie activated Gaze of the Forgefather and stared at the sigil on his back using his reflection.
Once activated, Archie was now able to see a faint runic script on his back. A wide smile grew on his face as he started to funnel more mana into the skill, making the script grow brighter. This is the shelling sequence, Archie realized as he read through the neon grey script across his back.
Re-etching what he read on his back onto the steel sheet, Archie stared at his finished long runic script.
Steel Sheet (Rare):
A steel sheet forged by Syllia Glynvyre, a D-Grade Expert Runesmith. The Material Carapace runic script has been etched by Archie Gracefield, a Novice Forgesmith. Effect: Material Carapace. Status: Perfect.
From what Archie understood from looking at the runic script, when activated the material that the rune is etched on will grow across the body of the wearer and atop their armor. Effectively doubling his armor once activated.
¡°Fuck yes,¡± Archie muttered as he gained yet another idea as he turned to face the tortoise shell.
Bralmir stood in front of the now large pile of finished equipment and vanished them into his spatial storage. Looking around his spotless forge room, he gave his forge one last glance before vanishing from sight.
On another planet, many universes away, was a being that stood at a height of one meter. The being was hammering away at a chest piece that looked to be made out of constantly flowing magma.
The being has a rugged, weathered face framed by a thick, braided beard adorned with various metal beads etched with runic scripts. Dark purple bags under his eyes emphasize his half-open, lifeless, fish-like gaze, partially hidden beneath long, bushy brows. His nose is slightly crooked, and his bronzed skin; gained from untold years spent near blazing forges. Draped over his sturdy frame is a stained blacksmith''s apron, covered with various oils and liquids. Attached to the back of his apron were various bottles of alcohol labeled, The Elven Mistresses.
Suddenly the being stopped hammering away at the chest piece and quickly turned around sensing a presence he hadn¡¯t felt in eras. The being¡¯s eyes widened, his lifeless, fish-like gaze vanished, replaced with bright green eyes staring at Bralmir¡¯s form.
¡°Hello Balgid,¡± Bralmir said, staring at the form of his second disciple. ¡°It¡¯s been quite some time.¡±
¡°¡Master,¡± Balgid¡¯s lower lip trembled as his eyes started to water, quickly biting down on his lower lip in an attempt to stop the tears from flowing down his face. ¡°I-I felt your presence when you lit up your forge for the first time in cycles, b-but I did not wish to disturb you from your work.¡±
Bralmir crossed the distance between him and Balgid, shrinking with every step, until he went from his normal ten-meter-tall frame to that of two meters. Bralmir enveloped Balgid in a tight hug, Balgid unable to hold back his own tears, wrapped his own arms around Bralmir and silently released his tears.
¡°I-I did my best to keep everything as you left it,¡± Balgid said in between sobs. ¡°I made sure that none of the other heads of the Workshop took anything that belonged to the Forge. I made sure to-¡±
¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Bralmir interrupted, softly patting Balgid¡¯s back. ¡°I¡¯m here now. I¡¯ll take care of everything now.¡±
Balgid nodded, pulled himself off of Bralmir, and covered himself in flames, cleaning himself from the grime that covered his body for cycles. ¡°I managed to complete what you asked of me a couple of cycles back, constantly upgrading it as I improved,¡± Balgid said while wiping away his tears.
¡°Thank you,¡± Bralmir said while looking at the spotless floor of Balgid¡¯s forging room. It was a stark contrast to its previous appearance of empty glass bottles covering the floor in its entirety. I¡¯ve hurt him a lot with my disappearance, Bralmir realized. His friend who drank alcohol with every waking moment, now seemed to have stopped almost entirely.
¡°As both an apology and a thank you, you can take as much alcohol as you want from my collection,¡± Bralmir said to Balgid, whose eyes widened even further.
¡°Even t-the one Isolde made?¡± Balgid stammered out excitedly, getting a chuckle from Bralmir.
¡°Yes,¡± Bralmir answered. ¡°We can drink it together, while you tell me everything that¡¯s happened as of late.¡±
Ch 61 - Relinked
Archie cracked his fingers and fell on his chair, looking at his newest craft atop his table.
Sentinel Platiniteshell Chestpiece (Rare):
A sturdy chest piece made from the corpse of an E-Grade Sentinel Platiniteshell Tortoise and its core. Forged by Archie Gracefield, an E-Grade Novice Forgesmith. The armor retains the tortoise¡¯s natural toughness thus making the armor highly resistant towards physical attacks. Grants the ability: Material Carapace, which allowed the wielder to grow Platiniteshell across their body, effectively doubling defense for a period of time while minorly reducing Agility during that time. Effect: Soul-Bound, Self-Repair, Greater Physical Resistance & Material Carapace. Provides +80 Vit, +60 End & +15 Str. Status: Perfect. Requirements: Lv 65+ & Humanoid Race.
Archie stared at the chestpiece with a satisfied smile. It was the first ever chestpiece he had made with sleeves integrated into its chestplate. He had learned while cutting the tortoise open that its hide was almost as sturdy as its carapace, yet very flexible.
Using this newfound knowledge, while shaping the chestpiece, Archie covered the joints with its hide which he had refined within Forgesmith¡¯s Flame.
And most likely judging by the chestpiece¡¯s stats, what he previously considered to be the sleeves slot for his equipment were in fact armguards.
Did he have enough Sentinel Platiniteshell Tortoise material to make armguards? Yes. But was he going to make them now? No, he was far too exhausted to make them right now. He hadn¡¯t slept in quite some time considering that according to his Tutorial Panel, he had been awake for fifteen consecutive days, constantly moving around.
Group Tutorial
The 72nd cycle has begun; thus, a tutorial is needed to increase the survivability of the newly integrated myriad races. The Emernigan Isle is filled with various creatures from across the universe, each providing Tutorial Points upon their death to their killer. Tutorial Points can be exchanged between individuals, as a form of currency. Tutorial Points will be used to gain rewards after the full tutorial is completed.
Completion Criteria: Survive for 60 days
Number of Survivors: 659/1250
Time Remaining: 17 days & 13:52:47
A bit more than 20 people died, Archie thought, comparing the number to when he¡¯d first opened the panel when arriving at the Group Tutorial. Most likely due to Oliver¡¯s random raids towards Michael¡¯s camp a few days after I arrived.
Anyways, Archie thought while picking himself off the chair and sending the chestpiece into his spatial storage. I guess I now understand the new limitations of a human E-Grade evolution, at least in terms of food and sleep. I can go for over a week without sleep, and while meditating can mitigate the feeling of exhaustion when mentally taxed, every time I do it, it leads to diminishing returns. But judging how my need for sleep constantly decreases with every racial level up, I guess I¡¯ll eventually stop needing to sleep. On the topic of food, at least in my opinion, it depends on if the food is tasty. Else, eating is similar to sleeping now¨Cyou don¡¯t need it daily anymore, just every once in a while.
Compared to the end of F-Grade, where he needed to sleep and eat at least once every two to three days, he liked not needing to sleep as often. Looking at the overhanging moon, Archie gave a glance at his notifications as he took out his bed.
Skill Evolution: [Gaze of the Forgefather (Epic)¡ú Gaze of the Forgefather (Radiant)]
Gaze of the Forgefather (Radiant):
The gaze of the Forgefather is known to spot even the smallest imperfections on forged items. Allows the Novice Forgesmith to transform their own eyes to spot the imperfections on forged items. Whether it¡¯s a slight imperfection in a rune or item, you are able to see it clearly while forging. This skill gives you the edge in forging items, ensuring every detail is perfected before the final piece is complete. When focusing on hidden or faded runes, their true forms are revealed to you. Not all runes may be revealed or shown when Gaze of the Forgefather is active.
*Your Profession has reached Lv 65 ¨C Points allocated, +4 Free Points*
Archie smiled at his second Radiant rarity skill before flopping across his bed, passing out the moment his head hit the mattress.
Waking up from his slumber, Archie flipped himself over and took notice of the disappearance of the moon and the now peaking of the sun, signifying dawn.
Yawning, Archie rolled himself out of the embrace of the impossibly soft bed and onto the sand below. With a sigh, Archie pushed himself off the ground and towards the tortoise.
Ripping off two sizable chunks of Platiniteshell from the tortoise¡¯s carapace, Archie made his way to the forge. The forge''s flame was absent, prompting him to reignite it with the Forgesmith¡¯s Flame. Earlier, his exhaustion had caused him to forget to deactivate the skill, but it had automatically turned off during his slumber.
Grabbing his heavy-duty tongs, Archie placed one of the chunks of Platiniteshell into the forge and waited for it to turn red-hot. Once its previous silverish coloring became red-hot, Archie took it out of the forge and onto the heavy-duty anvil.
Archie grabbed his heavy-duty anvil and started to hammer the Platiniteshell, imbuing it with non-attuned mana with every strike. Not wanting his Nature-Affinity to potentially override the benefits of the Platiniteshell, Gaze of the Forgefather activated.
While he had more than enough Platiniteshell to experiment with, he wanted to focus on another task after this, which he¡¯d been attempting for quite some time now.
Once the Platiniteshell became uniform and in the shape of an elongated rectangle, Archie placed it over the horn of the anvil, shaping it into a semi-cylinder. Grabbing the Platiniteshell cylinder, Archie submerged it into the sea, pulling it out once it cooled down.
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Archie then placed it atop his desk and cut four thin holes in the corners of the cylinder with his Thermal Carver. Grabbing two thin strips of leather, Archie looped them into the four holes, and on the ends of the strips he attached belt clasps made from thin steel scraps he had prepared just before making the Sentinel Platiniteshell Chestpiece
Grabbing the second Platiniteshell chunk, Archie repeated the same process of making it into an armguard.
After finishing the second armguard, Archie etched onto them the runes of Soul-Bound and Self-Repair. Using what he learned from the Material Carapace runic script, he etched a rune of Physical Reinforcement onto both armguards.
Sentinel Platiniteshell Bracers (Rare):
Sturdy bracers made from the corpse of an E-Grade Sentinel Platiniteshell Tortoise. Forged by Archie Gracefield, an E-Grade Novice Forgesmith. The armor retains the tortoise¡¯s natural toughness thus making the armor highly resistant towards physical attacks. Effect: Soul-Bound, Self-Repair, Greater Physical Resistance & Physical Reinforcement. Provides +80 Str, +60 Vit & +15 Agi. Status: Perfect. Requirements: Lv 65+ & Humanoid Race.
*Your Profession has reached Lv 66 ¨C Points allocated, +4 Free Points*
Archie took out his Sentinel Platiniteshell Chestpiece and equipped it, then put on his new bracers. He had gained a total of 40 Vitality, 95 Strength, and 15 Agility at a cost of 10 Endurance. Well worth it, in Archie¡¯s opinion. He now had just a bit over 900 points in Strength with all the bonuses he gained from his titles, bloodline, and blessing.
Titles were very useful but judging by the ones that gave him percentage bonuses, they seemed to be hard to get. Bloodline Progenitor gave him +5% to Vitality, but to get the title he had to not only have a bloodline, but he also needed to be its origin. Legendary Innovator gave him +10% to all stats but he needed to upgrade a skill to legendary.
Hopefully, once the tutorial ends, I can find some sort of guidebook of the Multiverse to help me out, Archie thought. I feel bad enough using Bralmir as my personal search engine, besides these Tutorial Points should act as some sort of currency that I can use for purchasing from a shop at the end of the tutorial¡Unless they act as some sort of point system of judging who''s the best at killing¡No, that¡¯s stupid, what about those who focus their Professions over their Classes, why else have an Assistant village filled with Profession Assistants and not just Class Assistants?
Waving away his train of thought, Archie decided to try and connect with the spirit realm. He had lost his way to connect to it when he had changed classes to become a Novice Forgesmith. But with his new class skill Spirit Bond, this provided him an opportunity to potentially connect back into the spirit realm.
Grabbing a Lava Wraith Elemental core, Archie activated Spirit Bond, making everything around him go dark. He had chosen to use the Lava Wraith Elementalcore due to its ¡®Elementalness¡¯. Previously he had been able to sense lesser ice elemental spirits when in the Hoarfrost Highlands, so using that familiarity he could potentially use that to sense the fire and lava elemental spirits when in Spirit Bond.
As the darkness disappeared, Archie found himself staring at a vast lava river, similar to the one around the volcano on the island he was on. The only difference was the sheer size of everything around him.
The term "river" was a simplification; it was more like an ocean of lava, and the volcano was easily 10 times larger than the volcano on the island. He wasn¡¯t sure why he originally called it a river or considered the volcano similar to the one on the island, but it felt¡right.
Archie stared into the lava river and watched as it bubbled. Suddenly something started to rise from the lava, revealing it to be a core. Its core hovered atop the lava for a few moments before tendrils of lava flew from the river and wrapped around it.
Archie activated Thorns and shot his vines to wrap around the core, not wanting the Lava Wraith to fully form. The vines wrapped themselves around the core and pulled it out of the lava that coalesced around it.
Once firmly wrapped around the core, Archie reinforced his vines with more mana and pulled the core towards him. The lava that was forming around the core fell to the ground as though it were a puppet and its strings were cut.
Once in hand, Archie stared at the core in his palms with intrigue. This was the first time he had seen a creature¡¯s core during Spirit Bond¡¯s activation. The core radiated heat that could be felt through his frostiron-covered palms. He also noticed that thin tendrils of lava rose from the lava ¡®river¡¯ and towards him.
Jumping back enough away from the ¡®river¡¯ to where the tendrils would take at least a while to reach him, Archie activated Nature¡¯s Meditation. Upon its activation, Archie felt the vital, mana and stamina energies flowing within him. But moving past that he felt a different type of energy in between his palms.
Pushing his mana outwards, Archie tried to seep his non-attuned mana into both the core and the area around him. Both would undoubtedly be filled with lava-elemental spirits or at the very least, fire-elemental spirits.
While enveloping his surroundings and the core with his non-attuned mana, he definitely felt something. It felt hot and¡energetic for lack of a better word. Constantly restless and eager to move, it felt like the opposite of the lesser ice elemental spirits he had sensed before¡ªbut stronger.
Now that he was able to identify that there were some sort of lava/fire elemental spirits around him he needed to figure out how to manipulate them around.
For fuck¡¯s sake, Archie thought in annoyance. He quickly exited Nature¡¯s Meditation and dodged the tendrils of lava that were about to reach him.
Kicking off the ground, Archie ran a good distance to the left of where he previously sat and reactivated Nature¡¯s Meditation.
Refocusing on trying to sense the lava/fire elemental spirits around him, Archie focused on trying to intermingle them around his mana. But sadly, all that did was overwhelm the spirits and make them vanish.
After multiple attempts at trying to manipulate the spirits and jumping away from the lava tendrils trying to reach him, Archie found something. He managed to inch the spirits towards him.
What he learned was that instead of trying to touch the spirits with his mana, he needed to coax them to come towards him, but that wasn¡¯t all, he had to provide them an incentive to do so. That incentive was a small nugget of mana that it could safely digest, testing Archie¡¯s finesse at mana control to make a piece of non-attuned mana that small and dangle it in front of the constantly moving spirit.
Once Archie gathered twenty separate spirits, he decided to see what would happen if he pushed them into his body.
As the spirits entered his body, a sudden burst of warmth erupted within him, flooding his mind with a whirlwind of images of stars and space before jolting him out of the Spirit Bond and back into his cave.
Coughing in surprise, a tuft of smoke released from his mouth as Archie looked around in surprise. Feeling something fall onto his lap, Archie saw the Lava Wraith Elemental core was gone and in its place was cracked stone and dust, covering his palms and lap.
Looking at the notification that popped up after his emergence, he smiled.
Gained Skill: Spirit Link (Epic)
Spirit Link (Epic):
Through meditation, you enter the spirit realm of your current surroundings. By entering the spirit realm, you are able to connect with the spirits on a more intimate level and manipulate them. Linking with the spirits around you, your mental and physical capabilities are enhanced. This can only be done after a successful Spirit Bond or within an area saturated in spirits.
*Your Race has reached Lv 69 ¨C Points allocated, +3 Free Points*
Welcome back.
Ch 62 - Who gave skeletons guns?
Walking through one of the many tunnels that he had yet to explore, Archie decided to stop putting off the exploration of his base. Sure, nothing had come from any of the many tunnels that surrounded him, but ever since he had first arrived, there was always this thought of suspicion whenever he looked at the tunnels.
There is no way that the glowing stones at the bottom of the tunnel were placed there by chance, nor the way this base was formed. Archie thought while turning back around and going into another tunnel. Having found it leading into a marsh.
Yeah, this wasn¡¯t by chance at all, someone made this. But why? Considering this place is based on something called the Emernigan Isle, there must have been something going on here to warrant such tunneling.
Going through the next tunnel Archie was stumped; it was a dead end. What? Archie thought, looking around, even touching the wall in front of him to see if it was some type of illusion. Even after trying to illuminate his surroundings with Forgesmith¡¯s Flame, trying to see if he missed something, but nothing. Not even a crack or a bump was on the dead end in front of him.
Okay, something was here, there is just no way every tunnel I checked led to something, and this one doesn¡¯t. Archie thought, looking above him trying to see if there was something he missed. Were the people living here, in the middle of constructing it?...No, that can¡¯t be it, the back wall is way too smooth for it to be in the middle of tunneling.
Not wanting to waste any more time staring at a wall, Archie returned to his base and set out to explore the second-to-last tunnel he had yet to investigate.
While looking around the tunnel Archie took notice of something, paint. Or at the very least something that looked like black paint. Initially, he took notice of the thin trail on the right side of the tunnel, but as he delved deeper, it grew in both size and thickness.
What previously started as a thin line of light blue paint, was now entirely covering the tunnel. The paint in Archie¡¯s opinion had its pros and cons; the pros being that it was surprisingly reflective towards the light from his Forgesmith¡¯s Flame and was different compared to the other tunnels that were bare. The cons were that it was ominous, to say the least.
Well as ominous as the color light blue could get.
After a few minutes of walking down the light blue painted tunnel, Archie saw light. The light was unlike that of the tunnels that led into the jungle or other parts of the island, it felt different, to say the least.
Archie deactivated Forgesmith¡¯s Flame, using the light from the end of the tunnel instead. As he got closer to the end of the tunnel his curiosity increased. From what he could see, there seemed to be some sort of large, cavernous area at the end of the tunnel.
As he got closer to the end of the tunnel, he noticed that the cavernous area was under somewhere he knew. He¡¯d activated Vital Sight ever since the start of his tunnel exploration, not wanting to be jumped on with his pants down.
When he looked up, he saw the vital energies and sparks of Xelgar and Syllia. He was right under the Assistant Village.
At the end of the tunnel, he saw a large, cavernous area. At the top of the cavern was a large giant blue crystal that shined a soft blue light which illuminated the cavern and the ends of the tunnel.
At the bottom of the cavern was a giant lake and within that lake was a giant ship in ruins. A pirate ship to be exact, Archie thought while staring at the black flag, framed by two crossed bones under an eye-patched skull.
Behind the ship was what looked to be a cave-in of sorts, blocking off the only entrance and exit into the cave. Essentially painting a picture in Archie¡¯s mind. Pirates hid in the cave, but something caused a cave-in, trapping them inside. A generic pirate dungeon concept, one he had seen quite often in various MMOs.
Archie looked at the notification he had gained when he took notice of the ship.
Dungeon of the Cursed Ship
Objective: Slay the Captain
Reward: ? & ?
Requirements: Must be a Tutorial Participant.
Warning: Only parties of up to five members may enter, and only one party is permitted at a time.
Unlike the previous dungeons, it was missing the question of whether or not he wished to enter the dungeon. Was it now showing because he was in the dungeon? Even though he hadn¡¯t seen a door? Or was the end of the tunnel the ¡®door¡¯?
Stepping back, Archie noticed the notification disappeared. Taking a step forward, brought it back.
After going back and forth for a minute, it really did seem that the end of the tunnel acted like a door. I guess the door for a dungeon doesn¡¯t need to always be a physical door, just one in a metaphysical sense, Archie thought. I can guarantee that I¡¯m gonna say the same thing the next time I find something similar.
Just as he was about to jump down, he saw movement atop the ship¡.is that a skeleton? The skeleton wore a tattered navy blue pirate coat with brass buttons on its side. On his hip was a leather belt, and attached to the belt were a few pouches, a cutlass, and what appeared to be some sort of gun. It had neither gloves, pants nor boots attached to its skeletal body.
Archie tried to identify the skeleton but was met with nothing. It seemed that he would need to jump onto the large ship below to be able to properly interact with the dungeon. But if he were to just jump where he stood, he wouldn¡¯t even be able to reach the bowsprit.
Even Vital Sight revealed nothing. It was like looking at Cyric, but without the sphere of vital energy at his center. Considering that Cyric is a vampire, that sphere of vital energy was undoubtedly blood. Confirming his belief that it was an undead he was looking at due to its nonexistent Vitality.
Taking a couple of steps back, Archie dashed forward and kicked off the edge of the tunnel, towards the ship.
While mid-jump, Archie identified the skeleton pirate.
[Bonekiin Elf Lv 78]
Landing on the bowsprit, gave Archie purchase to get a better look at the Bonekiin Elf. He noticed bits of rotted flesh hanging off its bones. Kicking off the ground Archie charged at the skeleton, his punch aimed at its head.
The force of the punch launched its head towards the forecastle railing. Suddenly, Archie heard a loud band and sharp pain coming from his side. Ducking under a swing of a cutlass, Archie delivered a side kick to the headless skeleton, activating Retaliation.
Ignoring the sharp pain from his side, he moved towards the headless skeleton. He stared at the shattered rib cage of the elf and took notice of a small dark orb hovering in its chest cavity.
Identifying it revealed nothing. Curious as to what it was, Archie crushed the hands of the skeleton, making it unable to use either its cutlass or gun. Poking the orb, made the skeleton shudder for a second. Is this its version of a heart? Archie questioned still poking at it and watching as the reconstruction of its bones kept restarting with every poke. If I rip it out what happens? Would the bones reform around it, like the Lava Wraith? Or would it be different considering that it''s not an elemental?
Curious to find out, Archie pulled the hovering orb and as he did so, he felt something akin to a thread snapping, causing the bones of the skeleton to lose their strings and collapse atop the floor, lifelessly.
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*[Bonekiin Elf Lv 78] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 936 Tutorial Points given*
Shrugging at its sudden death, Archie stared at the pile of bones at his feet. He hadn¡¯t received any vital energy from the elf Bonekiin, which made sense due to its non-existent vitality.
Archie tried to identify the orb and was met with success.
Bonekiin Elf Core:
A core from an E-Grade Bonekiin Elf retaining fragments of its records, left behind after its death. Can be used for various forging.
Unlike the cores he had read previously, this core had no medium applications. Probably due to its undead properties, Archie thought, rolling the small core in between his thumb and pointer finger. Maybe he¡¯d be able to use it in the future to make tools that require an undead¡¯s core.
Tossing the core into his spatial storage, he continued to rummage through the skeleton¡¯s belongings. In the pockets were small golden doubloons, twenty of them to be exact, which he pocketed away for himself.
Picking up the cutlass, he identified it and was intrigued.
Cutlass of Undeath (Common):
A blade originally made from steel by an unnamed blacksmith. Due to being handled by a being of undead for a long period of time, the undead¡¯s aura of undead has attuned the steel into that of undeath. All cuts made on flesh with this cutlass will inflict a degree of necrosis. Effects: Soul-bound, Self-Repair & Necrosis Infliction. Status: Moderately used. Requirements: Lv 75 +, Undeath Affinity & Humanoid Race.
¡°So undead have an affinity for undeath,¡± Archie spoke aloud while flipping it around in his hand. It was the first weapon he had held that was a higher level than him. While making a few swipes at the air with it, its balance kept shifting around, making it impossible to make a proper slice with it. Not to mention the unsettling energy he felt while holding the sword, he believed that if he grabbed it without his gauntlets, he would have been inflicted with necrosis. The constantly changing balance is most likely due to its level requirement, Archie thought. It would be impossible for anyone to make a proper slice with that blade unless they fulfilled all of its requirements.
Seeing that there are sentient undead like Cyric, then I might come across some sentient undead and it would do me some good trying to make a weapon that an undead can use. Archie thought before tossing the cutlass into his spatial storage, it would be good to have a model to see if he could assimilate the Undeath-Affinity onto the sword.
I might get kidnapped and get prepared to be their dinner, and making them something with their Undeath Affinity might be my ticket out, Archie joked.
Moving towards the magical gun that somehow pierced through his armor. Archie looked down at the hole the size of his thumb that was just above where his liver would be. Judging by what he saw when looking through the hole, it was his liver. That¡¯s why that fucking hurt, Archie realized; it was quite literally a liver shot.
The magic gun melted a hole clean through his armor and almost two inches deep into his body. And considering the black spots growing on his stomach and it starting to harden before flaking it was attuned to undeath.
Archie quickly channeled a large surge of vital energy to flush away the decaying energies that were eating through his flesh and vital energy. After a minute, Archie stuck his finger into the hole in his side and dug it around a bit before taking it out and flicking off a dark black congealed liquid and watched as it sizzled across the wooden floor of the ship before melting through it.
Now with the decaying energy out of his body, Archie¡¯s wound sizzled before healing in less than a few seconds. Now with that out of the way I can look at that magic gun, Archie thought before using Identify. Afterall, it had melted through his newly forged armor as though it were butter.
Mana-Pistol of Undeath (Common):
A pistol made by an unknown E-Grade gunsmith. It can release a total of six piercing manabolts from its chamber once charged with enough mana. This pistol has been saturated in the aura of an undead being after many years of use thus attuning any manabolt fired from its chamber to be attuned to Undeath. Effects: Soul-bound, Piercing & Necrosis Infliction. Status: Moderately used. Requirements: Lv 75 +, Undeath Affinity & Humanoid Race.
Archie stared at the pistol, it looked like a pistol from the 20th century, very fitting in his opinion for a pirate to wear, considering how horrible flintlocks were. It looked to be completely made out of some sort of metal and judging by how it looked and with a quick Material Insight check it was indeed made from steel.
After inspecting the pistol Archie also noticed something from the pistol¡¯s description, it didn¡¯t have a self-repair effect. Rather it had a Piercing one instead. He would need to be careful when taking apart the weapon once he was level 75 in his race. Other than that, it made sense as to how it was able to pierce through his armor; his armor was great against physical attacks, but not as good against magical ones considering how the manabolt tore into him.
Tossing the gun into his spatial storage, Archie stepped over the bones of the dead Bonekiin Elf, looked over the forecastle railing, and saw four more skeletons moving across the main deck aimlessly.
[Bonekiin Elf Lv 78]
[Bonekiin Human Lv 79]
[Bonekiin Elf Lv 77]
[Bonekiin Dwarf Lv 76]
The elven Bonekiin were in the back, similarly, dressed as the previous one he had killed, but with some type of mana-long gun and no cutlass attached to their belt.
The human Bonekiin looked almost indistinguishable from its elven counterpart, except for its thicker bone structure. Which matched Archie¡¯s prior connotations of elves being archers and long-range fighters, thus making them more fragile compared to their human counterparts. Nevertheless, it wielded two cutlasses on its side, a tattered coat draped over its shoulders, and a pair of worn-out boots.
The dwarf Bonekiin stood at a height of one meter and was the only one with the remains of a beard on its face, or hair really. On the few long beard hairs that remained it had metallic studs attached to them. It had a pistol in one hand and nursed a bottle of liquor with the other, seemingly uncaring that its contents spilled onto the floor once poured down its ¡®throat¡¯.
I just gotta blitz them before they catch on, Archie concluded before hopping over the forecastle railing and onto the main deck. Upon landing on the main deck, Archie remembered that the ship was rotten. As such his left foot broke through a rotted plank flooring and produced a loud cracking sound, alerting the Bonekiin on the main deck.
¡°Fuck,¡± Archie chuckled as he pulled his foot out and kicked off the ground activating Savage Charge at the human Bonekiin. Mid-charge, Archie activated Thornscourge Expansion and ducked under a manabolt from one of the elves.
Archie threw a punch at the human Bonekiin¡¯s head, who in turn blocked it with one of its blades and tried to skewer him with the other. Archie quickly pivoted out of the way of the second blade and kicked the side of the human Bonekiin, making it skid across the deck.
Feeling a sharp pain in his upper right back, Archie turned to face the elves and activated Savage Charge, having seemingly forgotten that you need to take out the ranged fighters in a fight before anything else.
Archie took another manabolt to his torso before he crashed into the elf Bonekiin, quickly activating Adrenaline Rush at 10%, ripping its arms apart, and holding it in front of him to take a shot from its elven comrade.
Archie dodged a biting lunge from the elf Bonekiin he held, he smashed his left fist into its chest cavity and ripped out its core, making its animated bones fall onto the ground, lifelessly.
Launching a vine to wrap around the other elf Bonekiin, Archie pulled it towards him and sucker punched it to the ground before stomping down and crushing its core.
Archie sent a surge of vital energy towards the manabolt holes in his body, pushing out the undeath energy surrounding the wounds. Unlike the pistol, these manabolts tore through him entirely, leaving behind thumb-sized holes in their wake.
Archie dodged a sudden throw of the human Bonekiin¡¯s cutlass that lodged itself into the wooden wall of the Captain¡¯s Cabin.
Jumping atop the railing, Archie activated Savage Charge at the human Bonekiin, as he was midway towards the human Bonekiin, the dwarf Bonekiin released a loud burping noise, before a large jet-black flame raced towards both him and the human Bonekiin.
Archie flung his right arm to the side, releasing a surge of mana into his vines, making them explode forward, attaching themselves to the ship¡¯s side railing, and pulling him towards it.
Kicking off the railing, Archie activated Savage Charge towards the dwarf Bonekiin and smashed his fist into the top of its head, caving it in somewhat. With his other hand ripping out the dwarf Bonekiin¡¯s hand that held its pistol. He then shoved his left fist into its chest cavity, Archie ripped out its core, before letting it drop onto the floor.
Archie quickly turned to his side, raising both his hands in an X shape, blocking an overhead chop from the human Bonekiin. The jet-black flames that the dwarf shot at it seemingly did nothing more than burn its tattered coat and boots away, revealing its nude self to Archie.
Archie spartan kicked the human Bonekiin¡¯s pelvis, cracking it slightly, but still in place. Confirming that humans indeed did have stronger bones than elves, at least in this case.
The human Bonekiin jumped backwards before charging back at Archie, with its blade now encompassed in jet-black flames, similar to the ones the dwarf Bonekiin shot at him.
Not wanting to get close to those flames, Archie punched forward just as the human Bonekiin was a meter away from him, activating 5% Impact Dynamo. The blast extinguished the flame and staggered the human Bonekiin slightly, giving Archie the opening he needed to get into its guard and deliver an uppercut with his left fist. The blow launched its skull into the air above.
Archie¡¯s right fist smashed through its chest cavity, ripping out its core, and making its bones collapse onto the main deck lifelessly.
Deactivating Thornscourge Expansion and Adrenaline Rush, Archie went to grab his loot.
Ch 63 - Friendly Neighborhood Fireman
Releasing a sigh, Archie was a bit annoyed, to be honest, he had just made two new pieces of armor and it was already being treated like tofu. Albeit it was due to its non-existent mana resistance, but how was he to know that he was going to be fighting undead skeletons that were armed with magic guns?
Finding metals with inherent magical and physical resistance would be on his priority list. At least until he figures out the runes to provide magical resistance at the very least. Which he supposed wouldn¡¯t be long considering once he learned how the mana pistols worked, he could try to reverse engineer it.
He had noticed that the rifles gave off a similar feeling that his runic scriber gave when it was being filled up with mana, just with a hint more undeath.
Could he have taken apart his runic scriber and possibly found the answer he was looking for? Possibly. But the thought of dismantling his runic scriber to understand how it worked had never crossed his mind.
He didn¡¯t want to risk ruining his only means of etching runes by accidentally damaging the ones inscribed on the scriber¡ªespecially the holding runes that kept the liquid mana contained. Who knew what would happen if liquid mana spilled everywhere?
Probably nothing in all honesty now that he thought about it. Whenever he failed to etch a rune, it just evaporated. But maybe something else would happen if he filled it with nature-attuned mana or some other mana type. Nevertheless, he had to collect his loot now.
Archie placed the human Bonekiin¡¯s core into his spatial storage and Identified its cutlass. Reading its description, it revealed that it was another Cutlass of Undeath. Tossing it into his spatial storage, Archie grabbed the core from the dwarf Bonekiin and gave a quick Identify to its pistol and bottle. Both revealing to be a Mana-Pistol of Undeath and a bottle of gin, which were quickly sent into his spatial storage.
Making his way towards the elf Bonekiins, Archie tossed the non-crushed core into his spatial storage and Identified the mana Long-Gun-looking weapons the elven Bonekiins fired at him.
Mana-Long Gun of Undeath (Common):
A Long Gun made by an unknown E-Grade gunsmith. It can release a piercing manabolt from its chamber once charged with enough mana. Due to its design, the Mana-Long Gun is used to fire at those at a further distance compared to its pistol counterpart. This Long Gun has been saturated in the aura of an undead after many years of use thus attuning any manabolt fired from its chamber to be attuned to Undeath. Effects: Soul-bound, Piercing & Necrosis Infliction. Status: Moderately used. Requirements: Lv 75 +, Undeath Affinity & Humanoid Race.
Archie stored both Mana-Long Guns into his spatial storage. Thinking back on the fight he realized that he had never deactivated his Vital Sight. He saw the Bonekiins just as normally as though the skill were off since they had no vital energy to begin with.
Now that he knew this dungeon would be filled with undead, he deactivated Vital Sight. It was obvious¡ªno living creatures could survive around the undead for long, for obvious reasons.
*[Bonekiin Elf Lv 78] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 936 Tutorial Points given*
*[Bonekiin Elf Lv 77] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 924 Tutorial Points given*
*[Bonekiin Dwarf Lv 76] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 912 Tutorial Points given*
*[Bonekiin Human Lv 79] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 948 Tutorial Points given*
After taking a glance at his notifications he made his way towards the captain¡¯s cabin. After all his goal was to kill Captain Dreadbone, not venture down and kill everything in the dungeon. And as a gamer, was it not his rightful duty to find shortcuts?
Archie looked at the rotten cedar door that led into the large captain¡¯s cabin with curiosity. In its center was an indent the size of his fist but in the shape of an inverted gem, a possible gem socket of sorts. Curious to see if it was blocked by some sort of rune script, Archie activated Gaze of the Forgefather. But after a couple of minutes of intense door staring and not finding anything he deactivated Gaze of the Forgefather.
Pushing or pulling the door¡¯s handle did nothing, the door seemingly refused to budge open. With a sigh Archie knew what he had to do. Off to find me something that fits into that socket, Archie thought while turning around and looking around the main deck.
Archie started to climb the main mast, intent on reaching the crow¡¯s nest overlooking the ship. Something that he¡¯d noticed was that the ship had no sails, which was odd; Weren¡¯t pirate ships supposed to have them? Archie questioned looking around the ship. Especially this one, since it basically looks like the perfect definition of a pirate ship, safe from the rotten aspect of it. I mean why even have masts at all if you don¡¯t have any sails?
Pulling himself up into the crow¡¯s nest, Archie gave a quick glance around and found nothing other than a couple of golden doubloons and some mushrooms growing on the side of the nest. ¡°I hate scavenger quests,¡± Archie complained as he slid down the main mast and softly landed on the main deck, not wanting a repeat of almost falling down into the floor below.
Looking up at the place where the sails should have been, a thought came to mind, could they have some sort of mana sail skill or equipment? I mean that would make sense as to why they don¡¯t have a physical one. But I¡¯m sure that would make you run through your mana fast unless you have people on rotation.
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Looking around the main deck he found a cargo hatch leading to the lower floors. Archie slowly moved it aside, trying not to alert anyone below of his presence. Peering into the lower deck below, Archie saw many torn sheets hanging from above, most probably used as hammocks before they were torn. Various mushrooms and mold grew across the floor, eating into the rotten wood.
From what he could see there were at least thirty Bonekiins and with a quick Identify he confirmed their numbers. Fifteen human, eight dwarf, and seven elf Bonekiins, with a new undead race that he hadn¡¯t seen before were Identified as Wights; there were three of them.
They were skeletal in frame, however most of their bones were obscured by rotting patches of flesh. Tumor-looking bumps decorated bits of its body and oozed out pus with every step they took. Thin strips of hair were scarcely attached to their scalps, while their bodies were covered in tattered robes. Their fingers were the most eye-catching feature about them, other than their tumors that constantly writhed and oozed. They looked twice as long compared to his own with not a single patch of flesh around them and had jet-black hues of malicious feeling mana around them.
Most likely some sort of disease and undeath mage type, Archie thought while furrowing his brows at the sight of them. He most definitely did not want to be hit by whatever they could throw at him. Especially with the amount of disgust he felt while staring at the potent dark mana they produced, instinctually filling him with disgust.
It was commonly known to a living being that anything that was related to undeath was a big bad. This was due to the inherent nature of vital and undeath energy being polar opposites of one another, making it impossible to coexist with one another.
The average level of the human, dwarf, and elf Bonekiins were 81, 80, and 82 respectively. While the Wights were around level 84.
He would need to blitz in and kill the Wights before anything, they were too much of a danger to leave for last. While he would love to throw in some types of holy or firebombs into the ship, he unfortunately had none. But he did have an idea that he wished to try out.
Archie previously gained the primary attributes of those he successfully bonded with; the Magma Hound¡¯s strength, agility, and warmth and the Sigilgyph Gorilla¡¯s strength, and endurance alongside its sigil. So, who¡¯s to say he wouldn¡¯t get some form of fire-related ability when bonding with the Lava Wraith?
Archie quickly scaled the main mast and hopped into the crow¡¯s nest, not wanting to be caught by any undead that climbed up the wooden ladder under the grate that led to the main deck while he was incapacitated.
Archie sat in the crow¡¯s nest, pulled out a Lava Wraith Elementalcore, and activated Spirit Bond, sending him into a dark abyss once again.
Once the darkness receded, Archie found himself staring at the vast lava river and massive volcano once more. Archie waited for the Lava Wraith¡¯s core to emerge from the river and hover above it.
Once it did, Archie activated Thornscourge Expansion and channeled his mana into the vines, causing them to shoot toward the core and wrap around it. Once he pulled it towards him, he held it to his face and released a guttural roar, activating Taunt.
But unlike his previous attempts, nothing happened; he was still in the same place.
He knew inserting his mana into the core would just override the effects of the core, thus making it a no-go. Archie¡¯s eyes flickered towards the tendrils of magma slowly inching towards him, they always tracked the core no matter where he went. So obviously there is a connection between them and what else could it be besides mana? Spirits are manipulated by mana; his last Spirit Bond attempt told him that and rewarded him by giving him back Spirit Link.
Getting an idea, Archie coated his right hand in non-attuned mana and held the core with his left hand. Making his right hand flat, Archie focused on visualizing the mana around his right hand to be dense and sharp, like a knife.
It was difficult to do at first, it was nothing like picking something up and moving it around, he needed to make his mana sharp, sharp enough to tear through something. His first few attempts were sloppy, uneven distribution, and soft. But Archie remained resolute, he had all the time in the world to figure this out, not even letting the unfair tracking of the magma tendrils disparage him from his practice.
Focusing on his mana, Archie let out a breath, clearing his mind and overlapping his hand with that of a blade. He felt the mana build up around his hand and condensed it, wanting it to be durable enough to not shatter at the slightest touch. He also wanted the sides to be sharp, enough to easily cut through iron.
Opening his eyes he found a light blue translucent blade enveloping his right hand. Archie poked it with his left index finger, and it felt as solid as a knife, he even tried to cut himself but quickly found out that his mana could not harm him.
So, with the only option left, Archie stared at the moving tendrils of lava and swiped his mana-knife hand atop the core. He felt some resistance come from the blade as it swiped some sort of connection the core had with its tendrils.
Smiling, Archie quickly cut all around the core, making the tendrils of lava fall to the ground lifelessly and everything around him going dark once more.
Opening his eyes, Archie found himself back in the crow¡¯s nest. The first thing he felt upon awakening was an intense, searing heat. If bonding with the Magma Hound cores rated a six on a scale of one to ten on the heat scaling, this new sensation was easily an eleven.
Looking down at his body, he saw tufts of fire escape from his armor and flow across his limbs. His hands that held the now glowing Lava Wraith Elemental core, were now completely encased in fire. Archie felt his throat start to tinge as though he was having an allergic reaction to something, something he hadn¡¯t felt in a long time.
He instinctively knew why, while he was able to bond with essentially anything with a core and fulfilled the medium requirements, he was still human. There were limits on what his body could take, embracing the body of an elemental. While he hadn¡¯t encountered any beastcore that could inflict a similar feeling as what he was feeling now, Archie was sure that some would after all in a world where an iguana killed two jaguars, who''s to say?
This Spirit Bond while not causing him any physical or magical harm, it was putting quite a bit of mental pressure on him. And it constantly increased as time passed by, unintentionally painting an image of a singular ember setting fire to a forest in a span of minutes.
Not wanting to waste any more time, Archie activated Thornscourge Expansion, noticing that the flames covered his vines and gave a red-hot tinge to the tips of the thorns. Archie wrapped the top of the main mast and descended down onto the main deck.
Pushing aside the cargo hatch and taking a quick glance to see where the Wights were located before he was going to start his blitz attack.
Once confirming their locations, Archie activated Adrenaline Rush at 30%. Steam rose from his body, meshing in with the flames covering his body, and the thorns covering his body, almost akin to molten barbed wiring. A smile grew on Archie¡¯s face as he jumped into the middle of the undead swarm below.
Ch 64 - Undead Mana = Bad Time
Archie immediately charged towards the nearest wight, activating Savage Charge, barreling past the bonekiins in his path. Once appearing in front of the wight, he released a flurry of blows, activating Relentless Flurry.
Surprisingly, his first five punches did not break through the wight¡¯s ribcage. It had seemed that the tumors growing across its chest did more than ooze out pus. Nevertheless, after the fifth punch, its chest warped inwards slightly and by the seventh punch, his fist had already penetrated its chest cavity and ripped out its core.
The wight fell to the ground lifelessly; its bones that were not attached to the patches of rotten skin clattered on the ground while bits that were attached by sinews and tumors splattered on the ground before sizzling like acid for a few moments. The bits of bone and rotten skin Archie punched were now set alight, its previous resistance now gone with its death.
Pivoting, Archie dropped the wight¡¯s core and charged at the closest wight, which was thankfully only two meters away from where he was. The bonekiins, recovering from the sudden appearance of Archie and the sudden death of their wight comrade, looked to be rebooting their nonexistent brains, trying to figure out what had just happened.
The wight Archie was charging at, raised its rotten arm forward, its thin, long bony fingers turning sickly-black, creating a chain that looked to be made out of similarly colored solid mana, and shot it at Archie. Its reaction to Archie¡¯s sudden intrusion came much quicker compared to its bonekiin counterpart.
Archie pivoted mid-charge, shoulder tackling an elf bonekiin to dodge the dark-mana chain shot at him. While shoulder tackling the elf bonekiin, he cracked its rib cage, giving him the chance to wrap his right fist around its core and slightly lift its body with his left hand, by grabbing its pelvis.
Archie then hurled the elf bonekiin at the wight who attacked him, and just as it was about to be released from his right hand, he pulled out the elf bonekiin¡¯s core. The bones of the elf bonekiin taking a hit from the wight that fired at him and a sickly-black manabolt from the other wight at the far-right end of the floor he was on.
Archie punched the bones that were still midair at the head of the wight, smacking its head back, and giving him an opportunity to get into its guard and release a flurry of blows, activating Relentless Flurry.
The wight was now channeling its Undeath-Attuned mana into its body, hardening its bones and rotten tumors against Archie¡¯s blows. But with each punch Archie threw at the wight, flame lingered atop its rotten flesh for a moment before exploding in strength, as though gasoline were poured on it.
Looks like fire and undeath mana don¡¯t mesh together at all, Archie thought as he ripped out the wight¡¯s core. But just as he ripped out its core, he staggered forward slightly, pain barely registering as he was shot twice; once through his shoulder and the other in the small of his back.
Archie quickly surged vital energy into both wounds as he had to block an overhead attack from two dual-wielding human bonekiins. Just as he did so, he backstepped; dodging a large blast of blackened fire from three dwarf bonekiins nearby.
Clicking his tongue, Archie realized the last wight was too far away to reach, especially now that the bonekiins were fully alert, the surprise of his sudden attacks having worn off. Pivoting to his right, Archie kicked off the ground, dodging a volley of undeath-attuned manabolts.
Now facing two of the three dwarfs spewing undeath-attuned fire at him, Archie delivered a spartan kick to the nearest dwarf bonekiin. As his strike connected, he channeled a surge of mana into the vines wrapped around his right foot. The vines surged with explosive speed, exploiting the opening created by his kick, which had shattered the dwarf''s lateral ribs. They wrapped around its core, flame-encompassing tendrils bursting through its side and into the adjacent dwarf bonekiin, engulfing its core as well.
Springing off his left foot and into a backflip, Archie dodged another sickly-black solid mana chain shot at him from the last wight, and the sword swipes from the nearest human bonekiins. As he flipped, the vines attached to his right foot retracted, ripping the cores from the chests of both dwarfs, the flame encompassed vines, igniting their bodies from within, turning their bones to ash as they lifelessly fell to the ground.
Immediately after landing on his feet, Archie kicked off the ground activating Savage Charge at one of the human bonekiins that swiped at him with its swords. Archie released a flurry of blows at both the human bonekiin and the one beside it. His strikes melted through their swords, the superheated thorns across his fists igniting the undeath-attuned cutlasses as though they were thermite to steel.
Archie easily shattered through their solar plexuses and wrapped his hands around their cores and tore them out before spinning on his heel to downward punch the head of the dwarf bonekiin beside them. Archie¡¯s punch caved in its skull, preventing it from igniting the alcohol it ingested in an attempt to set him aflame.
Archie leaned backwards, dodging four more shots aimed at his head before thrusting his other fist into the chest cavity of the last dwarf bonekiin that initially spewed undeath-attuned flames at him and ripped out its core.
Archie then quickly dodged a large sickly-black streak of mana aimed at him and analyzed where the remaining wight and bonekiins were.
The wight remained in the back of the far-right of the floor surrounded by three shield and two bottle-wielding dwarf bonekiins and four long gun-wielding elf bonekiins. On his right were six human bonekiins charging at him and on his left were seven human bonekiins charging at him as well with the last two elf bonekiins wielding pistols taking cover behind some half-destroyed at rotten wooden crates.
Archie channeled mana into Thornscourge Expansion, manipulating them to grow and spread across his entire body. Flame-covered, thorny vines with molten-red tips encased him, barbing his armor with molten-red thorns. With a swift motion, Archie flung his arms toward an elf bonekiin on his left. The fiery vines exploded from his arms, snaking through the air with blistering speed. They shot past the heads of three charging human bonekiins, threading the narrow gap between them before hurtling toward the elf bonekiin with lethal precision. The molten-red thorns on the vines nicked their shoulders and skulls and seared into their bones.
The vines wrapped around the elf bonekiin, locking its arms together and making it drop its Mana-Long Gun. The elf bonekiin next to it remained unaffected and began to refill its Mana-Long Gun with mana before once more taking aim at Archie.
Kicking off the floor, Archie pulled himself towards the elf bonekiin, while simultaneously activating Savage Charge, propelling himself towards it. Adrenaline rushed through Archie as his smile widened as he barreled through the three human bonekiins; the force sent them sprawling onto the floor, bones scattering along with their cores, but remained alive. A sickly-black manabolt from the elf bonekiin, missing him entirely due to the sudden burst of speed.
Just as Archie was a foot away from the elf bonekiin, he wrapped it up, he then recalled the vines that he wrapped around it, freeing his hands. Archie thrust his fist into its chest and ripped out its core, before throwing the same core at the head of the elf bonekiin a few meters away from him. The core shot through its skull and out before hitting the side of the ship; the sudden core¡¯s entrance and exit through the elf bonekiin¡¯s skull caused it to jerk momentarily and drop its Mana-Long Gun onto the floor.
Archie closed the distance between them and ripped out the elf bonekiin¡¯s core, before he had to jump back from the Undeath-Attuned manabolts fired at him from the elf bonekiins at the opposite side of the floor.
Archie quickly saw the three human bonekiins which he had sent sprawling onto the floor with their bones scattering before they started to reform around their core. With the other human bonekiins now charging at him together, he needed to take advantage of the three human bonekiins'' inability to act right now.
He surged his mana into the vines around his arms once more; making them rise from his arms and shoot towards the three human bonekiin cores that were reforming their bodies around them. The vines engulfed the three cores before swiftly retracting towards Archie, who then let them drop onto the floor to dodge the incoming firing from the elf bonekiins.
Archie kicked off the ground, activating Savage Charge as he hurtled toward the group of ten human bonekiins, their blades igniting with undeath-attuned flames. Archie¡¯s crash into the center of the group, both staggered and scattered the bonekiins, sending them stumbling back. He landed atop one that had been knocked to the floor, pinning it beneath him. With a swift, forceful stomp, he shattered its core. Wasting no time, Archie lunged at the nearest human bonekiin to his left, dodging its wild swipe at his head and spearing his fist into its chest and crushing its core.
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Archie, with his arm still inside the human bonekiin¡¯s chest cavity and back turned, was unable to see three human bonekiins charging towards him. Archie staggered forward as he felt a heavy force strike his back, but no pain accompanied it. His armor tanking the human bonekiin sword strikes without a scratch, but the sudden attack erased his smile, inwardly berating himself for his own stupidity of not being aware of his surroundings and placing himself in a position to be exploited. If the swords were made of mana they would have sliced right through him.
Pivoting on his heel Archie jumped backwards to create distance between him and the eight remaining human bonekiins, unintentionally dodging a sickly-looking spell that when splattered across the wood flooring. Within moments the wood turned sickly black and produced sickly-black smoke that grew in size, covering five meters in diameter in less than a few seconds.
Archie narrowed his eyes, glancing at the human bonekiins lingering within the smoke. Probably some kind of decaying AoE spell, he thought. Their smoke is undoubtedly harmful to me but harmless to them seeing how the skely boys are fine.
I need a plan¡
¡Fuck it, grab and kill, can¡¯t think of anything else at the moment.
Archie''s smile returned as he surged mana through the vines on his sides and sent out many large, corded vines that pierced through the black smoke and lassoed around the human bonekiins within. Archie felt the vines start to decay, but constantly surged mana through them, reinforcing them as he pulled the eight human bonekiins out towards him.
Once they were outside the smoke, he activated Savage Charge, dodging four undeath-attuned manabolts fired from the elf bonekiins. Archie crashed into the group of human bonekiins and made them stumble away from him, but not as far as they did previously, seemingly more prepared for his charge.
Noticing this Archie quickly crushed the core of the human bonekiin underfoot with a swift stomp and jumped backwards, dodging the fourteen blades that stabbed towards where he previously stood.
Kicking off the ground and towards the group once more, instead of activating Savage Charge, Archie took a deep breath, and just as he was a meter away from the nearest human bonekiin, he released a guttural roar that shook the entire cargo floor, activating Taunt.
The human bonekiins who were about to skewer Archie with their blades suddenly froze mid-thrust. The sickly-black flames that engulfed their blades, extinguished.
The wight¡¯s right arm exploded, splattering pus and ooze in every direction as a result of its sudden stoppage of spell casting. Unable to even react to its arm exploding as it was locked in place.
The elf bonekiins found themselves in a predicament similar to their human counterparts. The mana they channeled into their guns suddenly evaporated into nothingness, their connection to it abruptly severed. While they themselves were locked in place.
Archie speared through two of the human bonekiins before lifting them up and throwing one at the three on his right and the second to the three on his left, ripping out their cores as they left his hands while bones engulfed in flames rained over the remaining human bonekiins.
Turning to his left, he activated Savage Charge before spartan kicking the nearest human bonekiin, sending them hurtling toward the side of the ship. As the other two human bonekiins, now engulfed in flame-coated bone shards, staggered, Archie lunged forward, spearing them through their chests, cracking their cores entirely. He quickly surged mana into the vines around his arms to wrap around and hold their bones in place before hurling their bodies toward the wight and the Elf and Dwarf bonekiins, using them to intercept a sweeping arc of sickly-black mana that was fired by the wight.
Turning to face the three human bonekiins who had broken out of their stunned states and were charging at him, their blades relit with undeath-attuned flames. Archie saw out of the corner of his eye the wight rip through the chest of an elf bonekiin beside it. Unease filled him as he knew what a powerup looked like, and being both an avid fantasy reader and gamer when a stronger enemy starts to kill their allies on their own accord, they get a boost.
Fuck, Archie thought as pivoted away from the six blades of the human bonekiins and sent a surge of mana into the vines around his right arm. The vines rocketed towards the blades, wrapping around them, uncaring of their undeath-attuned flames as its own flames engulfed them.
With a fling of his wrist, Archie ripped the blades and their palms off their arms and flung them to the opposite side of the ship.
Archie quickly got to their sides and made sure they were lined up before winding his arm backwards and surging concentrated mana into his left hand. He condensed his mana around his hand, recreating the mana knife he had made minutes prior. But this time he needed it to be longer.
Lance = mana knife + more mana + more dense + better structure, Archie repeated to himself as he repeated those steps in real-time. He felt as the knife grew in size, exponentially. He felt as it shaped itself to be a lance. He also felt it start to falter a meter away from piercing through the human bonekiin.
Archie felt chills grow on his back as he knew he was running out of time to deal with the wight before it completely powered up. Archie gritted his teeth, willing the mana around his fists to solidify, now.
As though it were a sudden snap of a light switch; Archie felt his mana respond to his will, the mana lance snapping into shape and pierce through the three human bonekiins. The lance creating a six-inch hole in diameter through their bodies, shattering their cores.
Pivoting off his heel Archie turned to face the wight who had just killed its second elven and third dwarven Bonkiin comrade. Archie activated Savage Charge at the wight, uncaring of the remaining bonekiins. He needed to kill it before it kept boosting.
[Osteophage wight Lv 86]
¡°Fuck,¡± Archie muttered as he pushed Adrenaline Rush to 45% blasting towards the wight. Flinging his right hand forward he exploded his mana into the vines around his hand. A hand made entirely out of corded vines exploded from him and latched itself around the jaw of the wight, clamming it shut from eating another core.
Crashing onto the wight, Archie released a flurry of blows to its reinforced body. Archie¡¯s crashing sent the two elven and three dwarven bonekiin sprawling onto the ground.
Archie wailed blow after blow onto the wight, feeling its bones start to crack. Just as he was about to crack through its solar plexus something happened. The wight screamed.
DIE!
The word embedded itself within Archie''s mind as an extreme emotion of rage and hunger surged through him, locking his body up and blurring his vision. The stench of rot and decay filled his nose as chaotic scenes unfolded within his mind.
Brothers and sisters, looking at each other with their faces twisted with desperation and madness, stabbing and gutting each other in a futile bid for scraps of food, the size of which rivaling that of a fingernail. Their agonized screams echoed, raw and engulfed in rage, as they clawed at themselves to dull the unbearable hunger and pain coursing through their bodies.
The feeling of pain arcing across his arm took him out of his trance and returned his focus to the wight beneath him. He stared at its long gnarled sickly-black covered fingers puncturing through his left forearm and injecting undeath-attuned mana directly into his vital stream.
Rage filled his mind as Archie released another guttural roar directly at the wight, activating Taunt. Archie raised his right foot and slammed it with all his might, shattering through its body and shaking the ship in its entirety.
Archie felt the decay and disease start to spread across his forearm, making him send a large surge of vital energy to hold it back from spreading further. He needed to end this fight now.
Archie pivoted on his heel and speared through the backs of the still downed bottle-wielding dwarf bonekiins and ripped out their cores. He felt his vital energy start being pushed back, almost being pushed above his elbow.
He then turned to his right, seeing the elf bonekiins getting themselves off the ground and reaching for their Mana-Long-Guns which they had previously dropped. Kicking off the ground, Archie pierced through both elf bonekiins with a mana lance that encompassed his right hand, destroying their cores.
Archie turned to face the last standing bonekiin and saw it charging at him. Activating Savage Charge, Archie blitzed towards it, his fist smashing through its solar plexus and the thorns around his fist crushing its core. He quickly deactivated Thornscourge Expansion around his limbs, allowing him to be able to see the leather straps on his armor attached to his arm, with his already wavering vision.
Archie ignored the bones that fell to the ground lifelessly and quickly unbuckled his bracers. He felt his vital energy that was stopping the decay was now pushed up towards his mid-bicep.
Ripping off his chestpiece, Archie pulled out his Silver Carving Knife and held it in his right hand. Looking at his decayed and rotting left arm, spreading up his bicep with increasing speed.
Archie clenched his jaw tight, teeth grinding, his eyes steeled. Fuck!
He plunged the blade into his shoulder, just above the bicep, the searing pain eclipsing every other sensation. Blood spattered as he hacked at the flesh and muscle, each stroke biting deeper into the bone. The sound of cracking echoed in his ears as he hacked through his arm.
Archie''s knees buckled and his arms shook with every hack of the knife. But his adrenaline flooded through him; keeping his will strong, steeling his mind with every hack.
With a final hack of his knife, his arm fell onto the ground, decay encompassing it as it started to ooze out pus and flake.
Archie collapsed to his knees, his forehead pressing against the blood-soaked ground as his chest heaved and tears flowed. The world blurred around him as pain consumed his mind.
He felt his Spirit Bond¡¯s effects end and his Adrenaline Rush deactivate. His body started to shake, from the blood that was pouring from the stump of his left arm.
Fuck!
Archie gritted his cracked teeth, pulled his head off the ground, and took out a healing potion from his spatial storage. Ripping off its cork with his grounded teeth and scarfed down its liquids before dropping the bottle onto the ground.
Gripping his bleeding stump, Archie entered Nature¡¯s Meditation. He needed all his focus to regrow a whole new arm.
Ch 65 - Piecing Together
Archie exited out of Nature¡¯s Meditation with a sharp intake of the decayed air around him. Opening his eyes, he glanced down at his left arm. Its pinkish-white color contrasted heavily with the rest of his tanned skin.
It had taken around three hours to fully regrow his left arm and purge the Undeath-Attuned mana that had been eating away at his vital energy.
There was a stark contrast between what he would have normally done and what he had done just three hours ago. If he had simply lopped off his arm under normal circumstances, it would have fully regrown in about an hour at most. However, because the Undeath-Attuned mana had been directly injected into him, it lingered long after its removal, eating away at the essence of his vital energy.
It was why most living beings felt very adverse to being around the undead.
Archie wasn¡¯t one hundred percent sure exactly why this happened but he had an assumption that it was probably a property of Undeath-Attuned mana to linger even if its source was cut off. It would be something that he would have to ask about, Cryic would know best considering how vampires are undead themselves.
Looking at his fallen left arm¡ªor what remained of it¡ªthe sight only reaffirmed his decision to hack it off.
It was nothing but ash, which due to the rocking of the ship, it spread across the cargo floor.
His bloodline really helped him out; it had kept his will strong and steeled his mind; pushing him to do what was needed to survive. Even now, from how long he spent focusing on pushing back against the undeath-attuned mana and controlling his vital energy to regrow his arm, he should be completely spent regardless of whether he was in Nature¡¯s Meditation. But here he was, no worse from wear and with only a minor headache.
Archie closed his eyes, embracing the warmth that constantly encompassed his body. He always felt it around him, but¡filtered it out, not unlike people with glasses and how they filter out their frames.
It was only now that he understood how his bloodline constantly supported him, and he wasn¡¯t referring to it when he was fighting. This helped him steel his resolve during his panic attack on his second day in the Solo Tutorial, even when he meditated with Forgesmith¡¯s Flame, buried the hatchet, and finally came to terms with Daniel¡¯s passing.
After a few minutes of clearing his mind and embracing the warmth around him, Archie opened his eyes and got up from where he sat. His headache gone and mentally refreshed, he was now ready to tackle the rest of this dungeon.
Now with a clear head, Archie re-equipped his armor and went over his notifications.
*[Human Bonekiin Lv 81] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 1053 Tutorial Points given*
***
*[Human Bonekiin Lv 81] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 1053 Tutorial Points given*
*[Elf Bonekiin Lv 82] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 1066 Tutorial Points given*
***
*[Elf Bonekiin Lv 82] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 1066 Tutorial Points given*
*[Dwarf Bonekiins Lv 80] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 1040 Tutorial Points given*
***
*[Dwarf Bonekiins Lv 80] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 1040 Tutorial Points given*
*[Osteophage Wight Lv 84] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 1092 Tutorial Points given.
***
*[Osteophage Wight Lv 86] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 1118 Tutorial Points given.
*Your Class has reached Lv 69 ¨C Points allocated, +4 Free Points*
*Your Race has reached Lv 70 ¨C Points allocated, +3 Free Points*
Skill Upgrade: [Thornscourge Expansion (Rare ¡ú Epic)]
Thornscourge Expansion (Epic):
You are able to conjure transparent vines across your body, and when channeling mana into said vines, translucent thorns will emerge atop them. You are able to manipulate and rapidly extend the vines you have already conjured with a burst of nature mana. When striking a foe with Thornscourge Expansion active, bonus physical damage is dealt with every strike. When elemental mana is channeled through the vines, they gain bonus elemental effects. The damage of the thorns is proportional to the amount of mana imbued in them and the current elemental effects.
Not bad, two-level ups after killing just a bit over thirty undead, Archie thought as he dismissed his notifications. Sending a pulse of Material Insight, Archie quickly grabbed the cores of the bonekiins and the wights.
Archie stored the six human bonekiin, five dwarf bonekiin, three elf bonekiin, and two wight cores in his spatial storage.
Something else he picked up during his core grab was some type of medieval key that was attached to one of the wights he had killed prior. Identifying it revealed nothing, adding yet another thing onto his search list.
The key wouldn¡¯t be able to open the captain¡¯s cabin door as it was locked behind some sort of socket mechanism and not a door lock.
After a couple of minutes of searching, Archie found something. Kicking aside pieces of tattered clothing and bones, he uncovered a concealed grate¡ªwith a padlock attached to it.
Inserting the medieval key into the lock pad and twisting, Archie heard a click and watched as the lock pad and key vanished instantaneously. The hell? Archie blinked as the key and lock pad he was just holding vanished into thin air.
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Brushing off his confusion and filing it away as system shenanigans, Archie pushed aside the grate and gave a quick glance into the floor below and winced backwards.
The floor below was covered in decayed and rotted corpses. The stench was so pungent, Archie was honestly taken aback by how he was just smelling it now. But considering how the padlock and key disappeared once they were used, then it was probably blocked by some sort of system barrier.
Pushing his mask atop his head, Archie pinched his nose and scrunched up his face before taking another look at the floor below.
Not seeing anything move around, Archie grabbed a handful of bone shards and scattered them across the floor below and waited to see any movement. After not seeing anything react to the noise, Archie jumped down.
As he landed, his vision turned dark. Archie tensed for a moment, concerned that he fell into some sort of trap, but after a few seconds passed and nothing happened he eased up.
Archie tried to look around but was unable to see properly, even with his 295 Perception. Activating Forgesmith¡¯s Flame across his arms, Archie lit up the room. He wasn¡¯t sure why it lit up his surroundings, maybe it considered the undeath mana around him to be material or maybe it was just inherently bright.
As Archie took his first steps, he ignored the squelching sounds under his boots and focused on pushing aside broken wooden furniture and boxes. During his search, he found many broken framed photographs that seemed to be enchanted. The enchantments showed people moving around in the photo and talking to each other, reminding him of certain book series.
The photos contained various people wearing what looked to be some sort of Military Navy garbs, not unlike the ones the bonekiins and wights wore. In each of the photos there were the same four races: human, elf, dwarf, and some type of humanoid creature.
Is this supposed to be some sort of mystery type dungeon now? Archie pondered while brushing off the broken glass of the moving photograph. Why though? All I¡¯ve done is kill undead and find a key.
Flipping the photograph, Archie saw an image of a heart and something written on both sides of the heart. Even though he had no idea what the words meant, he knew what it represented.
Shaking his head, Archie placed the photograph back from where he grabbed it and continued his search, ignoring the ever-growing list of questions he had about this dungeon.
Lifting up a crate, Archie found something that looked very out of place: a giant brilliant-cut pink diamond. "Found ya," he smiled as he tried to Identify the diamond but was yet again met with nothing. That told him that it was something important.
Picking up the deceptively light diamond, Archie made his way onto the main deck.
Oliver lifted a vial halfway filled with a bubbling purple liquid and stared at it with intense focus. Snapping his fingers, one of his test subjects standing guard behind him stepped forward, twitching with every step as his face contorted.
Barely giving a glance to the thrall beside him, Oliver flexed his mana onto his surroundings causing a heavy pressure to descend on the thrall¡¯s shoulders and bring him to his knees.
A disgusted frown marred Oliver¡¯s scaled face as he looked at the thrall with contempt. Disgusting¡I still cannot believe that we were considered to be the same race, Oliver scoffed as he pried open the thrall¡¯s mouth with a bit of telekinetic manipulation, uncaring as he dislocated the thrall¡¯s jaw and ripped its flesh slightly.
Pouring the vial''s contents into the mouth of the thrall, Oliver forced its mouth shut and created a translucent barrier of mana around himself and his alchemical set behind him.
The thrall¡¯s twitching suddenly stopped; he looked around in confusion as his eyes cleared up. Getting off his knees, he kept clenching his hands and looked at them with wonder. Opening his mouth, he tried to speak, but instead of hearing his voice, a deep groan came out.
Worry came over the thrall as he looked at the now setting sun with confusion. He had no recollection of what was happening prior. The only thing he remembered was getting out of his tent one day and going on a hunt into the jungle.
He had found a couple of boars that were close to his level and¡darkness. He didn¡¯t remember anything after that¡Why?
The thrall held his head in between his palms as he started to shake in fear. Looking to his side he saw it¡some sort of lizard creature, standing upright like a human¡staring at him with¡disgust?
Why did he feel so weak in front of that creature? Why couldn¡¯t he stare into its eyes? Why was he shaking?
Staggering towards Oliver, the thrall moved only three feet forwards before he was met with some sort of wall. Confused, he touched the air in front of him and was met with resistance, glass?
Oliver looked at the thrall with ever growing disgust as it bumbled its way towards him and pressed its disgusting hands atop his mana barrier. He looked on as it started to bang its hands on the barrier, its eyes becoming crazed.
The thrall kept banging on the barrier and groaning, trying to get some sort of reaction from the man. He kept putting more strength into his fists as he tried to break the thing blocking him.
Fear filled the thrall¡¯s mind as he believed himself to be going insane. He felt trapped and needed to get out. He flooded his body with strength as he wildly started to bang on the barrier, trying to break through.
He ignored the red splotches splattering onto the barrier, his eyes wild and crazed as he kept them locked on the lizard creature before him.
Suddenly, a wave of dizziness hit him causing him to topple forward, slamming his face into the barrier once again. Desperately, he tried to bend and grab his knees to steady himself but found nothing to hold onto. He collapsed to the ground, slamming face first into the dirt.
Confused and delirious, the thrall spat out the dirt that had filled his mouth and looked at his arm in bewilderment. It was gone.
Glancing up, he saw blood splatters and chunks of flesh stuck to the invisible barrier in front of him.
Pain erupted from his arms as he realized what happened. The thrall screamed in pain and thrashed around.
Oliver, annoyed by its sharp cries and thrashing, waved away the barrier and stepped towards the thrall looking down on it with contempt. The thrall kept wailing and thrashing on the ground unaware of the barrier¡¯s disappearance.
Suddenly two thin arcs of dark mana appeared and cut horizontally through the thrall¡¯s neck and vertically through its body.
Silence now filled the air, as the thrall¡¯s cries of pain were silenced.
Its unfocused right eye released a final tear as it stared at the now disappeared sun.
Oliver scowled as he spat at the dead thrall and turned back to his alchemical table, ignoring a notification that popped, informing him of more Tutorial Points. As if he didn¡¯t have enough already.
Oliver continued to mix alchemical reagents into his cauldron, unaware of a man watching him from twenty kilometers away, hidden within a tree branch.
James gripped his Cragforge Steel Compound Bow, struggling to not release an arrow into Oliver¡¯s head. He didn¡¯t know if Oliver had more barriers around him, or if they were strong enough to withstand his arrows. He couldn¡¯t risk it.
Exhaling deeply, James activated Shadow Shroud and disappeared into the shadows. Archie was right, we need to kill him asap, before he gets stronger.
Ch 66 - Captains Cabin
Archie stood in front of the captain¡¯s cabin door, with the giant brilliant-cut pink diamond in hand. Flames covered his form as he activated Spirit Bond and placed a glowing Lava Wraith Elementalcore in his back pouch.
Behind him lay five steel short swords, Archie looked at them with annoyance. He was quite annoyed with how weak his Silver Carving Knife was and how it took him ten swings to lop off his left arm. So, he decided to make a short sword and etch onto its blade a higher-tiered sharpness rune.
Unfortunately, due to the dungeon¡¯s mana, the short swords he forged became attuned to Undeath.
Steel Short Sword (Common):
A steel short sword forged by Archie Gracefield, a Novice Forgesmith. Due to being forged within an area of high Undeath-attuned mana, the steel had been attuned to that of undeath. All cuts made on flesh with this short sword will inflict a degree of necrosis. Etched onto the blade are the runes of Soul-Bound, Self-Repair & Moderate Sharpness. Effects: Soul-Bound, Self-Repair, Necrosis Infliction & Sharpness. Status: Perfect. Requirements: Lv 70+, Undeath Affinity & Humanoid Race.
Thankfully he remembered to Identify his short sword before entering the captain¡¯s cabin. With his plan of cutting off any limbs quickly if they get infected with undeath-mana gone, Archie had to go with plan B; don¡¯t get hit.
He was more than tired of this dungeon, first, all the gear he forged was as useful as paper in water. Manabolts tore through his armor with ease, something he would have to rectify once he found some mana-resistant material or figured out some runes that have mana-resistant effects. Second, he had to lop off his own arm to avoid turning into dust. Third, he couldn¡¯t even forge the short sword he needed to lop off a limb in case he got injected with undeath-mana.
¡°Now without further or due,¡± Archie muttered under his breath as he inserted the pink diamond into the large socket on the captain¡¯s cabin door before taking a step back. Not a moment later, the light blue light that illuminated the dungeon vanished, engulfing the cavern in darkness.
Did I fuck up? Archie asked himself as he looked around with a bit of concern. He could still see due to his high Perception stat and saw nothing really happened other than the light disappearing.
A few seconds later the crystal above him relit itself, but instead of the blue light it previously released, it was replaced with a dim pink light. Once the cavern was fully illuminated, a soft click was heard from the door in front of him.
I guess this means I didn¡¯t, Archie thought as he activated Adrenaline Rush at 30% and Thornscourge Expansion. Steam released off his frame and molten-red tipped thorn-covered vines covered his body.
Not wanting to waste any more time, Archie pushed open the door and entered the captain¡¯s cabin.
A quick glance revealed that the room was somehow magically expanded, easily three times the size of its outward appearance.
Broken frames and bits of glass covered the floor of the cabin. Previously ornate mahogany wooden furniture were now torn apart and splintered across the cabin. Cuts were embedded into the walls of the cabin. Sword cuts, Archie deduced as he stared at the broken and fractured blades that were scattered across the room.
In the center of the cabin was a long rope that hung from the ceiling and at its end was a noose. Attached to the noose was some sort of wight dressed in a tattered black coat with golden highlights. Unlike the rest of the pirates, this wight was in full gear; boots, pants, gloves, chestpiece, bracers and of course the iconic tricorne hat. Attached to its waist were twin cutlasses.
[Stygian Wight Lv 89]
As Archie¡¯s eyes rested on the limp form of the wight hung by the noose, he saw it twitch slightly.
Archie kicked off the planked floor and activated Savage Charge at the wight hanging above.
Archie¡¯s right fist smashed into the wight¡¯s sternum and launched it across the cabin and into the cabin wall. Its skull fell onto the floor, bits of vertebrae still attached to its base.
Archie landed on the ground and stared at the now headless wight as it landed on the planked flooring, boots first. It swiveled its jutting spine in Archie¡¯s direction, seemingly taking a moment to readjust itself to its current situation and locating Archie.
But Archie wasn¡¯t going to let that happen, he activated Savage Charge, appearing in front of the headless wight within moments. He released a flurry of blows across its torso, before jumping backward.
A thin shallow cut appeared across Archie¡¯s chestpiece as Archie stared at the wight who had drawn out one of its blades during the flurry of blows Archie landed upon it. The blade itself was alit with white flames with its edges as dark as a shadow.
Archie instinctively knew the flames were dangerous. They shouldn¡¯t touch his flesh, lest he¡¯d face something worse than what the previous wight did.
The wight slowly made its way towards Archie, its lit blade raised horizontally from the floor.
Ah fuck, Archie complained as he crouched slightly and slowly inched towards the wight. He knew the stance it took when making its way towards him, he played enough games to tell that was a damn Wing stance. A stance knights actually used in medieval times, where guns never existed. What the hell is a pirate doing knowing Wing stance? Isn¡¯t that only known for royal knights?
Once the wight was five meters away from Archie, it lunged at him; its blade leaving a thin trail of white as it raced towards him.
Archie leaned to his left, dodging the wight¡¯s thrust, but his eyes widened as the wight¡¯s wrist started to turn impossibly. Its blade arced towards his head.
Archie channeled a surge of stamina into his right leg, kicking off the flooring and dodging the blade that whizzed towards his head with a hair¡¯s breadth. But immediately after dodging the blade, Archie kicked off the ground and smashed his fist into the wight¡¯s cutlass wielding fist.
As Archie¡¯s fist smashed onto the wight¡¯s glove-covered knuckles, he had activated Impact Dynamo. The 30% filled Impact Dynamo exploded with nature-attuned kinetic energy and flowed through the wight¡¯s fist and throughout its body, launching it a few feet backwards.
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Within mere moments the wight¡¯s left arm exploded, scattering bone shards in every direction. Its cutlass sent flying past his head and embedding itself into the wall behind him, seemingly unharmed by the Impact Dynamo.
Archie felt his shoulder quickly pop back into place and swiftly cocked his left fist back before running towards the wight. He then activated Savage Charge at the now one-armed wight who stood a meter away from him before striking with his left fist towards its solar plexus. But just as his fist was about to connect with its solar plexus, his adrenaline soared through him.
An explosion of undeath-mana erupted from the wight, launching Archie backwards, his heel digging into the wooden flooring beneath him. His body was now covered with undeath flames that were melting the surface of his armor.
But with a quick surge of his own mana, he extinguished the undeath mana atop his armor.
The wight was now surrounded by an aura of undeath-mana flames, like the ones that previously encompassed its cutlass, but unlike those flames, they looked to be completely made out of shadows. Atop its head, instead of jutting pieces of vertebrae was a head made of undeath flames. Its left arm, slowly regenerating itself.
Its aura reminded Archie of his own aura that was currently being released from his own being.
Archie surged mana and stamina into his being, pushing Adrenaline Rush into 40%. He kicked off the ground and raced towards the undeath-flame-wreathed wight, with a deep red steam encompassing his own body.
A smile grew on Archie¡¯s face and his eyes widened, the adrenaline rushing through him filling him with large amounts of dopamine.
Archie¡¯s right fist smashed onto its flame-covered blade, knocking it away slightly from reaching his face and following his attack with his left fist smashing into its side, where its liver would have been, had it been still alive.
He quickly sidestepped away from a sudden stab from its left arm, however his eyes furrowed as he stared at its left arm. It wasn¡¯t an arm at all, rather it looked as though the arm stopped from its elbow and became something akin to a bone-shaped blade fused to its arm.
It quickly struck with its right arm towards Archie¡¯s midsection, making him sidestep once more from its attack. Holy shit!
Archie¡¯s smile grew as he released a flurry of punches towards the wight, who seemed to meet him with every blow with its own blades. His own flames from Spirit Bond, quenching the Undeath-Attuned flames from the wight¡¯s strikes.
Archie constantly pushed forwards with every strike, pushing the wight backwards and keeping it on the defense. But during their exchange of blows its skull of undeath flames trembled before exploding outwards.
Archie quickly kicked off the ground, launching himself into a backward tumble. Mid-tumble, he rolled into a crouch before ripping off his mask, now engulfed in undeath-flames, and tossing it aside. An explosive head attack?
Archie kicked off the ground and charged towards the wight, his form becoming a streak of crimson red as he closed the distance between the two of them and released another flurry of blows at it.
The undeath flames that exploded from its head scattered themselves across the cabin before quickly roaring into existence.
Within the roars of the flames around him, Archie heard something that made him smile, a crack.
Within the flames that encompassed both the blade and its arms, Archie noticed fractures starting to appear on its bones and blade, seemingly at their limits.
Archie stopped his flurry of blows, pivoting backwards to dodge a stab from its bone sword, before charging into its now unguarded chest.
Archie activated Savage Charge, closing the gap between them and striking its right side with his left fist. As his fist connected with its side, Archie activated both Impact Dynamo and Thornscourge Expansion.
The 60% Impact Dynamo exploded through its body, shattering the bones that guarded its core, while the vines that erupted from his fists wrapped themselves around its core and retracted back to his fists.
Archie gritted his teeth from the kickback from the 60% Impact Dynamo and ripped out its core. Not a moment later, its undeath flame form stilled before extinguishing as the bones attached to its bone fell onto the ground lifelessly, leaving a burnt rotten scent behind.
Archie stared at the pile of bones and burnt rotten flesh for a few more seconds before deactivating Adrenaline Rush, Spirit Bond, and Thornscourge Expansion. A quick glance at his notifications confirmed the wight¡¯s death¡ªand his level up.
*[Stygian Wight Lv 89] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 1157 Tutorial Points given*
*Your Class has reached Lv 70 ¨C Points allocated, +4 Free Points*
They can explode their heads and not die from it? Archie chuckled as he stared at the pile of bones and pus on the singed floor. As he stared at the pile of bones and pus he got upset. ...Man fuck wights¡Why can¡¯t I do that?
In Archie¡¯s opinion, it was unfair that wights could explode their undeath flame heads and still live, while he couldn¡¯t do the same to his normal fleshy head¡.Some things in life were simply unfair.
Sighing, Archie looked at the dungeon completion notification.
Dungeon of the Cursed Ship
Objective: Slay the Captain ?
Reward: Compass of Desire (Epic) & Sigil of Challenge (Unique)
Dungeon will automatically close in 0:10:58:04
Confused at the rewards he received, Archie found them in his spatial storage and took them out
One of the objects was a brass compass the size of his palm, that looked like it came from the early 20th century. Its dull red needle was pointed north, unmoving. Etched onto its corners were the four cardinal direction letters.
The second object was a bronze-colored coin the size of his palm. Atop the coin was an onyx-colored skull with a tricorne, most likely symbolizing the Captain of the Cursed Ship.
Compass of Desire (Epic):
A compass made from [Redacted] and crafted by [Redacted]. Points you in the direction of whatever you truly desire. Its accuracy depends on how close you are to the object and the strength of your desire. Effect: Soul-Bound, Self-Repair & Desire¡¯s Needle. Status: Excellent. Requirements: Lv 70+ & Humanoid Race.
¡°Woah! This is cool as shit,¡± Archie said as he read through the compass¡¯s description. Is it limited to only objects? Archie questioned as he channeled mana into the compass before envisioning his father¡¯s face.
Staring at the compass, he felt it hum as the needle turned crimson for a moment but returned back to its previous dull red state.
Hmm, seeing how it turned bright, it probably means that I¡¯m too far away, Archie noted before envisioning Xelgar.
This time the compass softly hummed, and the needle turned crimson red while spinning around. Which checked out since Xelgar was exactly above him.
Sigil of Challenge (Unique):
A sigil given to the first person who has defeated one of the four Sigil Guardians hidden throughout the Group Tutorial. Will disappear once Group Tutorial ends.
Okay, looks like this dungeon might have been one of the special ones Xelgar mentioned, Archie shrugged as he placed both items back into his spatial storage.
Now with the dungeon complete, Archie needed to leave the dungeon before it closed on him. Looking behind him, he found the ashen remains of his mask. Sighing, Archie pulsed mana across his face and felt it start to repair itself.
Exiting the captain¡¯s cabin, Archie walked across the main deck and jumped over the forecastle railing and onto the Bowsprit. Once on the Bowsprit, Archie activated Thornscourge Expansion, covering his arms with vines.
Flinging his arms forward, vines exploded from his arms and soared through the air, latching onto the cliff above. Once the vines dug themselves into the stone and were firmly set, Archie slowly retracted himself upwards.
Archie stood in the center of his base with the Compass of Desire in hand. Curious to try out an idea he had when walking through the tunnel, to see if abstract concepts could work on it.
Archie channeled mana into the compass while envisioning a dungeon to explore, one that was special, not unlike the one he had just completed.
Once he felt the compass humming, he opened his eyes to see the crimson needle point Northeast.
Archie smiled at the new discovery and his next target. But just as he was about to leave his base, he remembered that he had to choose his next class skill.
Ch 67 - Getting Some Answers
*Nature-Attuned Pugilist class skills available. Choose one of the options*
Earthen Grasp (Uncommon):
Channel a surge of nature mana into the ground to create roots that erupt from below and bind your enemies in place. The roots lock the target in place and the strength of the roots are proportional to the amount of mana imbued in them.
This is something, Archie thought as he read the skills description. This would be another crowd control ability, with the focus on keeping whoever I¡¯m fighting in place for a good while. While Taunt is just for momentary stunning and gaining aggro.
A pretty nice pick to be honest, it would help a lot when I¡¯m outnumbered, Archie commented. He could see himself using it often, but a question did pop into his mind; Would it work on enemies hanging on the ceiling? Like would it launch roots from the ground under me and shoot towards it, or would it grab it from underneath it? Like, if he was in a small cave would that be the case?
It was a good option¡ªhe had been lacking a sustained crowd control ability. Setting the skill aside for now, he turned his attention to the next option.
Nature''s Vigil (Uncommon):
Temporarily connects with nearby plant life to increase awareness, granting heightened senses, boosted evasion, and an early warning of approaching threats.
This was the same skill he was offered previously when he was level 60 in his Class.
He could see its uses when fighting; he could use it to get a quick boost before he fought, acting similarly to his Adrenaline Rush. Albeit it would be a lesser boost, but a boost is a boost. Plus, it would give him a watered-down version of some sort of precognition.
The only question he had would be about the first part, ¡®Temporarily connects with nearby plant life¡¯. Would the plants connect with his brain and send images of what they saw, or would he get some sort of vision like a spider?
Would his brain even be able to handle all that information given at once? Would the system help him cope with the information overload, by lessening the flow? Would it connect to the plants around him automatically or would he have to manually choose the plants?
If so, it could be great for spying on enemy bases, but I would need plants to connect to. ¡®cause I assume if I tried to use this skill in the Cursed Ship dungeon, it wouldn¡¯t work due to the concentrated undeath-mana in it.
Something to consider, he thought before moving on to the next option.
Nature¡¯s Veil (Common):
You blend with your surroundings, drawing on the natural energy around you to enhance your movement. While activated, your body becomes camouflaged within natural environments, allowing you to move silently and with increased speed.
Another skill he¡¯d seen previously, and from what he understood it was just a stealth/speed skill. Not really something he was interested in; he wasn¡¯t a hunter. Besides if he used Spirit Bond with a Beastcore of a sealth-oriented beast like the Shadowstalker, or maybe some sort of darkness elemental, he would gain similar attributes.
All in all, while previously he was interested in it, he wasn¡¯t anymore.
Stone Shroud (Common):
Creates a layer of stone around your body that absorbs damage when struck. The amount of damage absorbed is based on the amount of mana imbued within the stone.
This skill was something he¡¯d be debating if he should get. Currently, his armor was useless when attacked by mana. According to the skill it ¡®absorbs damage when struck¡¯, not just physical. With that wording, it most likely meant all types of damage, so long as I pump it with enough mana.
If he had chosen any profession other than a smithing one, it would have been an instant pick. But wouldn¡¯t it be a waste of a skill if he could just make better armor?
His armor was great against physical damage, very good in fact. It was just a bad match-up against the Cursed Dungeon and he just hadn¡¯t found any good metal that was resistant against magic yet.
But that was something he could try to piece together as he had the mana guns, and after a lot of experimenting his understanding of how mana works should skyrocket. Which would hopefully translate to making runes that would resist mana attacks.
He just needed to take the gun apart and look at its internals. Something that he did learn after gaining his Profession was that as a Novice Forgesmith, he could take apart equipment that was a higher level than himself, but within his own Grade and he just couldn¡¯t put it back together once he finished.
It was pretty cool considering how you couldn''t effectively attack with weapons that are higher than your own level.
He wasn¡¯t really sure why though, something he would have to test out when he experimented on them.
Moving on to the last skill option, his interest was grabbed.
Last Stand (Rare):
When health is critically low, a rush of adrenaline floods your body, allowing you to recover quickly from exhaustion and fight with renewed vigor. Increases damage and grants a health regeneration boost when health falls below 15%. The records of the skill have been heavily touched by the records of Adrenaline Junkie.
This skill was influenced by his bloodline. He didn¡¯t know the system could give him skills related to his bloodline. He knew that he could evolve his skills to incorporate his bloodline, but not this.
This was interesting, he knew he most likely got this skill from fighting the Verdant Serpent. His adrenaline was the main reason why he was able to push on. This skill was perfect for what he was currently doing; killing above his weight class.
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If his theory about how the Group Tutorial Boss was a max level E-Grade or early D-Grade was true then, he needed all the survival skills he could get.
Besides, this skill was made with his bloodline in mind, it was more tailored to him. If he got offered Earthen Grasp next time, then he¡¯d pick it. But for now, he selected Last Stand as his level 70 Class skill.
With the Compass of Desire out, Archie followed its direction Northeast, pointing past the Assistant village and towards an area of the jungle that he had yet to explore. But as he reached the Assistant village, he put away his compass and went over to Xelgar who was shadowboxing yet again in front of his house.
Making his way towards him, Xelgar stopped shadowboxing and took out a rag and a water bottle from his spatial storage. After wiping his face and taking a sip of his water, Xelgar greeted Archie with a handshake clap.
¡°I love this,¡± Xelgar smiled as he finished greeting Archie. ¡°My martial league, Raging Storm, would love this greeting.¡±
¡°Oh? Is that a team in the MFAL?¡± Archie questioned, curious if he was referring to the team he supported in the Multiversal Fighting Association League.
¡°Yes, we are in the top 10 within our grade division,¡± Xelgar proudly declared. ¡°Soon, we¡¯ll be number one.¡±
¡°If they practice as much as you do before the next season begins,¡± Archie chuckled, looking at the goofy smile on Xelgar¡¯s face.
¡°I sure hope so,¡± Xelgar chuckled before placing his rag and empty water bottle into his spatial storage. ¡°If I found them screwing around and not practicing, I¡¯d sick Sharna on them.¡±
¡°Whose Sharna?¡± Archie asked.
¡°My second in command,¡± Xelgar responded confused at Archie¡¯s question before laughing. ¡°It seems I forgot to explain. I am the leader of Raging Storm!¡± Xelgar proudly declared, chuckling at Archie¡¯s shocked expression.
¡°Oh wow!¡± Archie exclaimed, astonished. Considering what he learned from Thalindra, the population of the multiverse is within the trillions of trillions of trillions. So, keeping in mind that MFAL was a major thing within the multiverse, being in the top 10 within your Grade was an insane accomplishment. ¡°Congrats, man!¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Xelgar smiled proudly. ¡°We have worked hard to reach where we stand. And soon we shall take our place on top.¡±
¡°I¡¯d love to see it,¡± Archie smiled. He¡¯d love to see how Xelgar would fight when he went all out. Considering how he easily took him out, seeing him go all out would be quite a sight to see.
Remembering what he came for, he took out the Sigil of Challenge from his spatial storage, grabbing Xelgar¡¯s attention.
¡°Oh, I see you killed a Sigil Guardian,¡± Xelgar smiled, proud at Archie¡¯s accomplishment. Considering what he knew about Archie, he most definitely faced the dungeon alone and keeping in mind that the lowest level a Sigil Guardian dungeon could be was level 80¡ This was a pretty great accomplishment, more so with him being less than two months integrated into the multiverse.
¡°Yeah,¡± Archie smiled. ¡°I was wondering if you could explain to me what it''s used for.¡±
¡°You think it¡¯s for something?¡± Xelgar questioned, mirthfully while handing Archie the Sigil of Challenge back.
¡°It¡¯s called a Sigil of Challenge and there are four of them within the Group Tutorial,¡± Archie pointed out. ¡°If that doesn¡¯t hint at something, then I don¡¯t know what would.¡±
¡°You are correct, it''s used for something,¡± Xelgar teased, chuckling at Archie¡¯s pointed look. ¡°Alright, Alright¡The Sigil of Challenge empowers the Group Tutorial Final Boss, once thrown into the Pyre of Challenge, but this must be done before it¡¯s released into the Isle. ¡±
¡°When will it be released? Five days before the end? Like the Solo Tutorial Boss?¡± Archie asked, he needed to know how long he had to gather the other three Sigils of Challenge.
¡°Yes, the Final Boss of the Group Tutorial will be released at the start of the 55th day of the Tutorial.¡± Xelgar answered, before continuing; ¡°The Pyre of Challenge will appear in place of the Assistant Village on the 50th day of the Tutorial. You have to toss the Sigils of Challenge into the Pyre before the 55th day begins.¡±
¡°Wait, You guys will leave on the 50th?¡± Archie questioned; he thought they would stay until the end of the Tutorial. ¡°¡That¡¯s in five days.¡±
Group Tutorial
The 72nd cycle has begun; thus, a tutorial is needed to increase the survivability of the newly integrated myriad races. The Emernigan Isle is filled with various creatures from across the universe, each providing Tutorial Points upon their death to their killer. Tutorial Points can be exchanged between individuals, as a form of currency. Tutorial Points will be used to gain rewards after the full tutorial is completed.
Completion Criteria: Survive for 60 days
Number of Survivors: 645/1250
Time Remaining: 15 days & 15:35:29
He would need to gather the remaining three Sigils of Challenge within ten days. Normally that would have made him anxious, but with his Compass of Desire, finding those dungeons would be easy enough.
All he had to do was focus on his desire to find the dungeons with Sigil Guardians and he would find them. Simple enough really. He could probably do one more dungeon before he would have a full day to prepare for the raid against Oliver.
He would need to go over the plan with Michael and get to know the team he was going to raid with. And taking into consideration that he was the highest leveled person, he would most likely either lead the assault or attack from the flank. He wasn¡¯t sure which, but it was definitely one of the two.
But then again, those were the two strategies he¡¯d known while playing as a warrior and monk in games. And with Michael being part of the military the plans were most probably going to be more complex than just a frontal assault.
¡°Yes, in five days my Assistant contract with the system will end and I shall leave the 72nd universe and return to my own,¡± Xelgar confirmed, but seeing a melancholic look on Archie¡¯s face he smiled and placed his hand on Archie¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, once your universe becomes open to the multiverse completely we can meet once more. Hell, you can come to my house and visit once you can.¡±
Taking out a slip of paper and a pen, Xelgar made a clipboard of mana and quickly jotted down something in an illegible script to Archie. Once he finished jotting down on the piece of paper he handed it to Archie. ¡°You¡¯ll be able to read it properly after the Tutorial,¡± Xelgar said.
¡°This here is my home planet¡¯s address within the multiverse and under that is my home address.¡± Xelgar explained, before smiling once more at Archie¡¯s confusion. ¡°While I haven¡¯t known you for long, I do know that you¡¯re a good kid; you¡¯ve got a good heart and I¡¯d love for you to visit me once you¡¯re able to, maybe by then you would be able to land a proper hit on me.¡±
Rolling his eyes at Xelgar¡¯s jab, Archie smiled, sending the slip of paper away before pulling Xelgar into a hug.
Xelgar chuckled, reciprocating the hug. He was over five hundred years old, just around half the average total lifespan of D-Grade. To him, he viewed Archie as one of his many children, as Archie was not even a tenth of his age.
After all, what was an extra one to the thirty or so he¡¯d had?
The reason he viewed Archie as such was from their interactions with him and from sparring. You can tell a lot from a person when sparring with them, hence why most MFAL fighters watch matches of their opponents.
It was hard to explain it in words, but in a fight, you learn the true nature of both the person you are fighting and yourself.
When he sparred with Archie, he could feel his love for fighting. There wasn¡¯t any speck of hatred or anger when he fought.
Compared to most of the people he¡¯d encountered throughout the multiverse, Archie¡¯s personality was saintly¡ªperhaps even approaching the level of one of the Choir¡¯s Saints, but he dared not to utter such words; his home planet would be destroyed if he was heard by anyone of the Celestial Choir.
Breaking the hug, Xelgar gave Archie a final few words, ones that he should have taken seriously. ¡°Be careful with the amount of Sigils of Challenge you throw into the Pyre. Each of them greatly empowers the Group Tutorial Boss.¡±
Ch 68 - Dinosaurs?!
Walking into the unexplored section of the jungle, Archie had his Compass of Desire out and followed its crimson needle pointing Northwards. He had moved far East enough for the needle to point him in a singular direction. He also knew he was getting closer due to the growing intensity of the needle¡¯s glow.
As he trekked through the jungle, he ignored the different beasts and plants that observed him from afar. Instinctually he could tell they were F-Grades, high F-Grades, but F-Grades, nonetheless.
Anything lower than level 80 simply wasn¡¯t worth his time anymore, the XP they gave was barely worth anything for him.
The deeper he ventured into the jungle, the higher the quality of the beasts and plants around him became. They were now firmly in E-Grade, around level 75, which went to show how cool the mutations the beasts and plants got when evolving.
He¡¯d seen sloths the size of bears, hang of trees and cover themselves with an illusionary veil, hiding them from other creatures.
One would wonder, what could make a bear-sized creature hide themselves in fear?
The giant swarm of boar-sized hornets a couple meters to his right and judging by their aggression, he was probably near their hive. If he did find their hive, he¡¯d raid it for sure. He¡¯d been missing his sugar fix for quite some time now. The last thing he ate with sugar was the slice of pie he was ate before the integration.
So, if he found the hive, you can bet he was going to raid it and take the honey to Evelyn to see if she could make something with it¡after he had saved a good couple of pounds of honey for himself of course.
After all, even though the hornets were huge, they were just around level 80.
After trekking more into the jungle, the needle started to shake in place, glowing brightly, signaling to him that he was getting nearer to the Sigil Guardian¡¯s dungeon.
Something else he¡¯d noticed was that the deeper he went into the jungle, the more wild the plants were. Not in terms of species, but rather they gave off an aura of wildness, it was hard for Archie to put it in words.
He felt something similar to the beasts he saw on his trek. They were the same E-Grade species as the beasts he saw early on into his trek, hell even the same level now that I think about it.
It has something to do with my Nature Affinity; there is no other explanation. Why else would I feel the change? It wasn¡¯t a strong change, either; it was just¡noticeable. They had a wilder, more¡primal aura around them. Maybe the dungeon nearby affected the wildlife around it.
Regardless of their auras, Archie found what he was looking for.
In front of Archie was a vine-covered, mossy, marble archway, standing at the beginning of a large clearing in front of him.
Trees and their roots stopped short of entering the clearing, only long blades of grass and shrubs were in the clearing.
Identifying it revealed nothing, a notable identifier of being a dungeon. Putting away his Compass of Desire, Archie approached the arch and placed his hand upon it.
Dungeon of the Lost Valley
Objective: Slay the Primalsaur
Reward: ? & ?
Requirements: Must be a Tutorial Participant.
Warning: Only parties of up to five members may enter, and only one party is permitted at a time.
¡°The what?¡± Archie questioned, rereading the notification once more¡ That sounds like a dinosaur name?...I-I get to fight dinosaurs? Holy shit!
A wide smile broke across Archie¡¯s face as he kicked off the ground and ran through the gate, vanishing once he ran into the arch.
As Archie¡¯s head passed the arch, the once-empty clearing vanished and in its place was a prehistoric jungle. Trees towered at four times the size of those outside, while the plants grew wilder¡ªand far more carnivorous.
He¡¯d just witnessed some sort of Venus flytrap lean down and devour a¡ a boar creature thing? He hadn¡¯t managed to identify it before it was swallowed whole. The creature had four tusks sprouting from its head, brown-and-white striped fur, with frail looking limbs that jutted out of its sides.
How any of that made sense, he wasn¡¯t sure¡ªbut that¡¯s exactly what the strange boar-thing had looked like.
[Dionaea Muscipula Lv 82]
Archie ignored the Venus flytrap and ventured deeper into the dungeon. While yes, they were at a higher level than him and he¡¯d probably level if he killed it, they were not dinosaurs. He came in here to kill dinosaurs and that¡¯s what he intended to do.
Venturing deeper into the jungle, jumping from branch to branch, Archie found his target.
[Emberlash Eudromaeosaur Lv 87]
The raptor-like dinosaur Archie was observing had coal-black scales that shimmered with fiery orange, red, and yellow hues. Its long, flame-wreathed tail swayed harshly, easily slicing through trees and stone.
Its spiny back glowed with a dim red hue, visible even during the day. Its small, thin arms were covered in feathers, resembling those of a colorful chicken. Its legs were long and powerful, like those of a giant roadrunner, but they were covered in scales and talons sharp enough to shred stone.
All in all, Archie was smiling, ear to ear at the sight. Fuck yeah! These look way cooler than the two-foot raptors that scurried around the jungle.
Archie quickly looked around and found three packs of them in his vicinity, around fourteen in total. Looking ahead, Archie saw moss-covered ruins. The structures appeared to be the remnants of a stone stronghold, or at least, that¡¯s what Archie assumed.
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This is an insane dungeon concept, Archie smiled as he stared at the raptors below. The concept of a society long dead and in their place dinosaurs took over, is such a cool concept.
Archie quickly activated Vital Sight and confirmed that there were indeed fourteen of the Eudromaeosaurs around him before deactivating the skill. Now that he knew there was nothing around to ambush him, he activated Adrenaline Rush at 20% and Thornscourge Expansion.
Archie leaped off the branch, plunging into the jungle floor forty feet below.
Archie flipped himself midair to deliver an axe kick to the raptor''s head, cracking its skull and smashing it onto the ground below. Where it exploded from the force, covering the ground with brain chunks and skull shards. Some sticking into Archie''s right boot.
Pushing himself up, Archie shook his right foot, getting most of the blood, brain, and skull off it, before kicking off the ground and activating Savage Charge at the nearest raptor. Archie quickly closed the distance between the raptor and himself before smashing his fist across its face.
The blow sent it crashing into a tree with a broken jaw, before flopping onto the ground lifelessly.
Archie leaned back marginally, dodging an extended flame-wreathed tail strike at his head. Quickly grabbing the tail before it retracted and pulled. The raptor dragged its feet on the ground momentarily, in an attempt to stay on the ground, but was ultimately unable to resist Archie¡¯s strength.
When he grabbed onto the tail, he took notice of the searing feeling he felt under the frostiron palm guard. While it felt hot, it was not enough to melt through. But not wanting to take a chance of them enhancing their flame-wreathed tails, he decided to release its tail.
Archie released the tail midway, allowing the raptor¡¯s momentum to carry it toward him. Catching its head under his arm, he thrust his left hand into its mouth from below and his right hand from above. With a flex of his muscles, he tore the top half of the raptor¡¯s head off and let it drop to the ground, ignoring the spurts of blood that released from its corpse.
Ignoring the spurt of blood that splashed onto his mask he charged at the last two members of the five-man¡ -dino¡-dinoman pack. Yeah, that sounds better.
Mid-charge, Archie weaved between two stabs at his head from their extended tails. But out of the corner of his eye, he saw them turn soft momentarily before arcing towards him. Archie surged stamina into his legs, enhancing his jump. Surprised shrill squeals were released from the raptors at his sudden disappearance.
Miscalculating the amount he jumped, Archie stared at the two raptors sixty feet below him in surprise, releasing a shout of joy. Surging nature mana into his vines, they exploded from his arms, shooting towards the raptors.
The two raptors dodged to their sides just before the vines grabbed them, but the vines arced: wrapping around their necks. The vines securely latched onto them as the thorns penetrated their scaled necks and latched onto their neck muscles.
Surging his strength into his arms and upper body, Archie flung his vines upwards, yanking the raptors with them. Whooping in joy, Archie crashed onto the ground in a crouch, but with a yank of his arm downwards, the raptors started free-falling in the sky and pummeled towards the ground. Archie recalled his vines as the raptors splattered onto the ground, covering the previously green long grass and rich soil with their innards.
Earthen Grasp would have been amazing to have in this scenario, Archie thought as he charged towards the last five-dinoman pack of raptors. He left the four-dinoman pack of raptors for last since they were a bit further ahead towards the ruins, while the one he was heading toward was closer.
Kicking off an upper tree root, Archie activated Savage Charge towards the leader of the pack charging right at him. Moments before Archie crashed into the raptor, he stomped his feet onto the ground, creating a five-meter crater.
The sudden crater destabilized the footing of all the raptors, making them trip and tumble across the ground.
Archie caught the neck of the main raptor under his arm as it tumbled. Bringing his knee up for leverage, he flexed his right hand, producing a squelching snap as he snapped the raptor¡¯s neck. Letting it drop, Archie swiftly turned around, facing four disgruntled raptors whose spines glowed a darker shade of red. A booster of some sort?
The talons on their short arms grew in an instant, from an inch long to seven, and wreathed in flames, before kicking off the ground and charging toward Archie.
Archie ducked under a swipe from one of the raptors, letting the tips of its elongated claws graze the side of his mask. He then swiftly transitioned from his crouch into a kneeling punch, with the thorns easily puncturing into its flesh. He had yet to stop the increased flow of nature mana being sent into the vines¡¯ thorns when he previously yanked the raptors upward.
Archie¡¯s fist found purchase into its chest cavity, breaking through its ribcage and the thorns ripping through its heart before he pulled out his fist.
But due to his attack, while another raptor missed their slice, the last raptor that reached him did not. Its flame-wreathed, elongated claws sunk an inch deep into his chestpiece before suddenly stopping, its flames providing no help.
Archie¡¯s smile grew. The claw elongation skill it used was purely physical, while the flames it used to wreath them barely did anything other than heat up the piece of armor it touched.
Archie¡¯s left hand shot towards the raptor¡¯s elongated claw hand that was in his armor, pulling it towards him. But due to his action, the claws sunk deeper into his armor, reaching his flesh and lightly searing it. The pain barely registered to Archie as he crushed its neck with his empowered right hand due to Retaliation, before tossing its corpse at a raptor that tried to charge at him from behind.
Pivoting in his crouch, he kicked off the ground, activating Savage Charge at the raptor that was pushed back by the corpse of the other raptor. He grabbed its head before crushing it with his knee in midair.
Archie felt an elongated flame-wreathed tail wrap around his left bicep, before the flames glowed a bright red, superheating his chestpiece sleeves. Just as Archie was about to reach the ground, he pulled back his left arm, pulling the raptor to him slightly and making it stumble momentarily. But its superheated tail was still empowered and turning the Sentinel Platiniteshell Chestpiece sleeves into a molten red.
Once Archie got his feet back onto the ground, he tackled the raptor to the ground before punching downwards, crushing its skull.
Getting up, Archie surged his vital energy into his wound and mana into his chestpiece, letting it repair. Looking Northeast, he saw the final pack of raptors charging at him, having heard the commotion of his previous fight.
Kicking off the ground Archie charged at the four remaining raptors, activating Savage Charge and shoving his fist into a raptor¡¯s chest and crushing its heart. He quickly ducked under two elongated tail whips and shoulder-tackled one of them. He ripped out one of their small arms and crushed its head with a stomp.
Dodging yet another tail whip, Archie grabbed the tail just as it was about to retract and pull it towards him. Just as the raptor was about to reach him, Archie kicked it and sent it flying at the other raptor that was about to whip its tail at him, making them collide with each other.
Archie quickly activated Savage Charge once more and blitzed towards them, sending a surge of stamina into both his arms. He then shoved his thorn-covered arms into their chests, crushing through their ribcages and squashing their hearts. Thus, concluding the fight between Archie and the raptors.
With an exhale, Archie pulled out his arms from their chests and let the raptors fall lifelessly onto the ground. A smile still lingered on Archie¡¯s face, it was a good fight.
*[Emberlash Eudromaeosaur Lv 87] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 1131 Tutorial Points given*
***
*[Emberlash Eudromaeosaur Lv 87] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 1131 Tutorial Points given*
Ch 69 - Something Happened Here
¡°That should be the last one,¡± Archie mumbled as he placed the last Emberlash Eudromaeosaur Beastcore into his spatial storage. Looking into his spatial storage Archie sighed, I gotta dump some of this stuff when I go back to my base.
Activating Forgesmith¡¯s Flame, Archie covered himself in the greenish-red flames, letting it burn off all the blood, flesh, and bone atop his armor. Ignoring the scent of burnt meat, Archie made his way towards the moss-covered stronghold ruins.
As he neared the ruins, the scent of burnt meat left, informing him to deactivate Forgesmith¡¯s Flame.
Walking around the ruined cobblestone walls, Archie found a large enough crevasse to fit him. Shimming through the crevasse, Archie managed to squeeze himself through and pop out onto the other side.
Stepping onto the long grass on the other side, Archie took in his surroundings. What he previously thought to be a stronghold was actually a large space of ruins. The sixty-meter-high moss-covered walls didn¡¯t protect a stronghold; rather, they seemed to protect the dome-shaped buildings.
This is curious, Archie thought as he walked towards one of the dome-shaped buildings and slowly walked around it. On the front of the building, there were cobblestone steps and a stone door with a rectangular slit on the bottom.
On the opposite side of the building, Archie found a medium-sized circular slit on the top of the back wall.
Just as Archie was about to walk past the building, A crunch from under his foot caught his attention. Taking a step back, Archie leaned down and picked up what caused the noise. A shard of glass. The hell?
Making his way around, Archie walked up the ruined cobblestone steps and pushed against the stone door. Finding only minor resistance, Archie pushed it aside, ignoring the screech it made when it scratched the dust-coated cobblestone flooring beneath it. He scrunched up his nose after taking a whiff of the inside of the building. Rancid.
Looking around the inside of the building, Archie confirmed that it was the same dimensions as the office cubicle he used to work in, 5.9m2. There was some sort of stone bucket in the corner of the room, filled with moss and a singular thin green stem.
In the opposite corner of the room, there was a rectangular ¡®U¡¯ shaped rock. What¡¯s that? Some sort of door stopper? Archie questioned.
In the middle of the room was a pile of rubble. Kneeling down, Archie brushed aside the rubble to find a worn-out looking leather notebook. Carefully opening it, Archie gently flipped through the pages. As he looked through the pages, the grimmer his expression became.
While he didn¡¯t understand the words that were written, he gained the context clues he needed from the small scribbles on the side of the pages.
The people that used to live behind these walls were some sort of humanoid-like creature with Argali horns on their heads. They were constantly on their knees, bound in chains, and locked in their dome homes where they were only brought out when snowfall came. They were being dragged out by similarly looking humanoids but with lyre-shaped horns atop their heads. During that time, something happened to them, something not good, Archie frowned. The next couple of pages after that were scribbled messily, repeating the same word over and over again.
Archie flipped to the next page but found nothing but worn-out empty pages. Whoever had been writing and drawing stopped.
Putting the book down, Archie let out a sigh. He had a good enough hunch about what happened here. This was some sort of medieval torture-prison. And these buildings were their prison cages.
People lived in these dome shaped cells, not allowed to leave and chained up where during the winter something would happen to them on repeat. Something not good at all, it couldn¡¯t have been if what he saw was right.
He didn¡¯t know if these people were criminals or innocent people being taken advantage of. But what he did know was that this was wrong, if these people did something so wrong for them to be locked away and tortured, just kill them. Why prolong their suffering? Just kill them and be done with it, why waste time making them suffer?
If they were innocents, then¡ I don¡¯t know, I never understood why people hurt innocents. They did nothing to you, so why take out your anger on them? Archie frowned, placing the book gently atop the pile of rubble before leaving the cage.
Taking another look at the inside of the cage, Archie also noticed the lack of bones of whoever lived there.
Heading towards the cage next to the one he visited, he opened the door to see a similar sight. And just like the previous one, there was a lack of bones.
They probably died in that building sometime during the winter where they were being tortured, Archie concluded. Looking around, he followed the path the scribbles portrayed to get to the building.
The path itself was made of small pebbles, barely visible from the tufts of elongated grass that grew over them. Archie made his way down the path, walking past at least thirty more rows of the prison cage ¡®houses¡¯ before he found himself in front of the building from the book.
The building was a large triangular structure, crafted from polished stone and crystals. Unlike the rest of the buildings and the wall, it showed no signs of ruin or wear from the passage of time. The only noticeable feature was the five large gashes that tore through it, their edges scorched with gold.
What the hell could have caused this? Archie wondered, staring at the golden gashes that tore through the building. Did one of their prisoners escape and do this? Or did someone else do this?
Archie tried to use Material Insight and Identify on the golden gashes but found nothing, only a question mark. Leaving him with even more questions.
Walking through the building, Archie found a plain hallway line with many doorways. Most were caved in, safe for three. The three furthest from each other.
Opening the closest one to the entrance Archie scrunched his nose once more, the smell of decay and rot filled the room. As he walked into the dark room, he saw large cages lining up the walls filled with bones and horns, old leather whips, and various other bloodstained tools scattered across the room. This was the torture room drawn in the book.
Getting closer to the cages, he took notice of the various marks that ripped through and bore holes into the walls of the room. Peering inside the cages Archie confirmed that they were indeed bones, whole and broken ones. But he also noticed something else, the horns weren¡¯t just the Argali ones, no there were lyre-shaped ones as well.
What? Were both of them being tortured? Archie questioned, looking through the other cages and finding both types of horns mixed with the bones. Were they both prisoners? What the hell happened here? Why are the cages big?
What am I missing here? Archie wondered as he left the torture room and entered the hallway. Both the Argali and lyre horn people were being tortured in the same place by someone else. Because I find it hard to believe that the people being tortured and killed didn¡¯t take their race¡¯s bones and let them be mixed with their oppressors¡¯. Or maybe they didn¡¯t care and I¡¯m just confusing things.
Archie opened the second door and entered it. Looking around, he found various shelves filled with mold and rot-covered food, thin sheets, and various broken stationary. Seeing nothing else, Archie closed the second door and headed towards the last one.
Opening the door, Archie saw a room filled with wilted flowers atop a marble shrine adorned with large bones and skulls. What stood out was that the bones and skulls were dinosaur ones.
What? The dinosaurs were involved in this? Archie looked around in shock, mind-boggled by their sudden insertion into the story he¡¯d been piecing together in his mind. He thought they appeared here by the creator of the dungeon¡ this became a lot more interesting.
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Taking a closer look at the walls, he noticed faint images etched into the tiles, though most were obscured by time and wear. His eyes scanned the length of the corridor, searching for a single image that remained intact¡ªbut no matter where he looked, every carving was smudged beyond recognition.
He knew they were depicting something, but he couldn¡¯t see it. As he focused on one the others became clear and looking back only made them smudge again. Something was happening to keep the smudges moving around and preventing him from looking at the images.
But for the life of him, he couldn¡¯t tell what it was. He couldn¡¯t even sense a tuft of mana around it. Activating Gaze of the Forgefather didn¡¯t reveal anything either, signifying runes were absent in what was happening.
He was completely at a loss with what he was looking at.
Archie let out a sigh of defeat as he left the marble dinosaur mural, surrounded by moving smudges, and left the triangular-shaped building. Despite spending hours inside, he hadn¡¯t been able to figure out how to remove the moving smudges.
Looking around, Archie made his way down the pebble path and came across his next foes.
[Earthshaker Scolosaurus Lv 89]
It stood on four thick, pillar-like legs covered in tough-looking, dark green bone plates. Its body was low and wide, spanning at least four meters. Similar bone plates, slightly tougher than those on its legs covered its back and underside. The small, triangular head was also shielded by bone plates, perfectly complementing its tank-like build. At the end of its long, plated tail was a massive club fashioned from the same dark green bone plates.
Archie saw the three of them around a large statue of a T-Rex with wings. However, they stood a good fifty meters away from it. The statue stood four meters high, with a scowl on its face and sharp fangs the size of daggers. It glowered at everything around it, and just being near it brought a shiver down Archie''s back.
Shaking himself, Archie got rid of the jitters that came to him before boosting himself for the fight. Activating Adrenaline Rush at 30% and Thornscourge Expansion, before surging nature mana into the vines wrapped around his fists.
Vines shot out from Archie¡¯s fists, snaking toward the Scolosaurus. They slid beneath its low frame and coiled tightly around its front and back legs on the left side, wrapping them securely. Planting his feet firmly into the ground, Archie channeled a flood of stamina through his body and a surge of nature mana into the vines, reinforcing its tensile strength.
With a sharp yank, the Scolosaurus¡¯ knees buckled from the sudden force, its left legs collapsing under its massive weight and sinking into the dirt as it was dragged toward him. Releasing a confused bellow as it attempted to turn its short neck to find its unknown assailant.
Archie gritted his teeth and gave another forceful tug, the reinforced vines straining from the Scolosaurus'' weight as it flipped onto its back with a heavy thud. The creature let out a bellowing roar of confusion, its plated tail thrashing the ground, producing a meter-sized crater with each slam, as it struggled against the binding vines.
Dismissing his extended vines, Archie activated Savage Charge atop the Scolosaurus¡¯ exposed stomach.
Archie slammed into the Scolosaurus¡¯s exposed stomach with such force that it writhed in pain, tearing the soft scales on its belly. Activating Relentless Flurry, he unleashed a barrage of thorn covered blows, shredding the vulnerable hide with ease. Channeling a surge of nature mana into his vines, they erupted from his fists, burrowing deeper into the Scolosaurus¡¯s tough, corded muscles with every blow. The relentless assault ravaged its innards, and the thrashing of its club-like tail grew weaker with each blow.
With gritted teeth, Archie ripped out his vines along with the innards of the Scolosaurus.
Jumping off the Scolosaurus¡¯s corpse, Archie sprinted toward the remaining two Scolosaurusi, who had turned toward their bellowing packmate. Mid-sprint, he noticed the creatures begin to shake, but not out of fear. Rather, the bone plates across their backs quickly elongated and loosened from their previous tight formation.
A chill ran down his spine as a scene reminiscent of a porcupine readying its spikes flashed through his mind. Realizing what was about to happen, Archie dug his heels into the ground and braced himself, covering his vitals as best as he could.
Flooding his body with mana and stamina, he pushed Adrenaline Rush to 40% and activated Material Carapace. Sentinel Platiniteshell armor spread across his body, reinforcing his defenses and forming thick, arched shields over the bracers on his wrists. Using these makeshift shields, Archie protected his head and upper body from the incoming barrage of bone plates.
The plates shot toward him with the force of a thousand boars. The loud thunderous bangs resounded throughout the dungeon as Archie, tanked the barrage of bone plates. Though they deflected off his armor, the sheer impact pushed him backward, forcing his heels to dig deeper into the ground.
With each strike against his body, Archie felt his bones shake, some fracture and others crack but were quickly flooded with vital energy. But with every strike, the rush of adrenaline coursing through him widened the grin on his face.
With every bone plate fired from the Scolosaurusi, another immediately regenerated before launching toward Archie in rapid succession. The attack seemingly relied entirely on stamina rather than mana, as the plates shattered after slightly denting Archie¡¯s armor. And each dent was quickly repaired by a flood of mana coursing through the carapace.
Archie¡¯s body shook as he took a step forward from the barrage of plates pushing him back. Every step forward he took, he took three steps back. He flooded more mana and stamina into Adrenaline Rush, forcing it to go beyond 40%, making him take a longer step. After all, if he went three steps back then he just needed to take an even larger step forward. Simple, sound logic in Archie¡¯s opinion.
Archie pushed against the barrage of bone plates, digging his feet deeper into the ground, his body burning up from the heat generated by the plates hitting his armor. Releasing a roar of joy and excitement, Archie unintentionally activated Taunt. Halting the barrage of bone plates fired at him.
With the only resistance holding him back gone, Archie accidentally sent himself launching towards the now-stunned Scolosaurusi.
Mid-flight, Archie deactivated Material Carapace, vanishing the Sentinel Platiniteshell reinforced armor atop his armor and the shields from his bracers. Allowing his fists to easily sink into its now scaleless hide and release a flurry of blows, activating Relentless Flurry. Leeching Strikes of Fury activating with every blow, regenerating his vital energy.
The Scolosaurus roared in pain, breaking it out of its stunned state and thrashing its club-shaped tail wildly, smacking its packmate across the face and knocking its face to the side. Its bone helmet around its skull shattered.
The thorns wrapped around Archie¡¯s fists, and ripped through its scaleless hide with ease, tearing through its corded muscles, and cracking through its bones. Wrapping his fingers around a loose rib, Archie ripped one of its ribs out. Pivoting on his heel, he stabbed it into its eye, before punching it for good measure as it sunk deeply into its skull.
Kicking off the ground backwards and pivoting towards the last Scolosaurus, Archie activated Savage Charge, appearing in front of its unprotected face. Archie pulled back his fists before shoving them through its eyes and into its eye sockets.
Sending a surge of nature mana into the vines around his fists, the thorn-covered vines exploded in its skull, cracking and snaking through any openings, however, if there were none, then it would make some.
Ripping his arms out, Archie deactivated his skill, halting the red-hued steam around his body and vanishing the translucent thorn-covered vines around his limbs. Archie took short, but quick breaths staring at the dead Scolosaurus as it bled onto the grass below from its eye sockets with a wide smile under his blood-covered mask.
A quick glance at his surroundings with Vital Sight revealed nothing around him, except for one thing. The winged T-Rex statue to his far left.
This is probably the boss, Archie mused as he sat down and activated Nature¡¯s Meditation, wanting to be in top condition to fight the Primalsaur.
Surprisingly, Archie exited Nature¡¯s Meditation faster than usual. What normally should have taken a good three hours of meditating, only took an hour and forty-five minutes. Drawing upon the ambient energy within the Lost Valley dungeon was far more efficient compared to when he was outside the dungeon. Probably from the concentrated amount of nature mana around me, Archie mulled as he released a small tuft of nature mana from his hand and watched as it lingered for a longer period before vanishing.
Looking at his notifications, he smiled at his new level up.
*[Earthshaker Scolosaurus Lv 89] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 1157 Tutorial Points given*
***
*[Earthshaker Scolosaurus Lv 89] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 1157 Tutorial Points given*
*Your Class has reached Lv 71 ¨C Points allocated, +4 Free Points*
Getting off the ground, Archie made his way towards the large winged T-Rex statue, ignoring the tingling across his back. The closer he got to the statue, the stronger the jitters he felt go down his back, but as the strength of the jitters grew, so did his adrenaline.
Smiling, Archie touched one of the winged T-Rex¡¯s talons on its left foot before everything went black.
As suddenly as everything vanished, it returned. But instead of finding himself in a different place, Archie found himself staring at a large red, slitted eye that covered his vision entirely. This was not the Primalsaur.
Suddenly Archie¡¯s body exploded in pain, blood starting to leak from every orifice on his body as he stared into the eye. Archie felt his mind strain as he stared into the eye, but as suddenly as his body flooded with pain, so did his adrenaline.
His mind which felt so close to shattering, halted. Time around him slowed down, as adrenaline flooded his entire being, rewinding the damage on his mind and soul.
Time resumed.
Archie heaved, barely able to stand on his shaking knees, still staring into the enormous red, slitted eye staring at him.
A loud reverberating chuckle boomed through Archie¡¯s head. Making Archie grit his teeth from the loud noise.
¡°Amusing,¡± the voice boomed, with a tone of unrestrained joy. ¡°To think an E-Grade human would be able to withstand my presence. How amusing!¡±
If the bone plates resounded like thunder whenever they struck him, then each word the being uttered were akin to nukes.
¡°I shall be watching you from now on,¡± the being¡¯s voice boomed, with unveiled interest. Archie¡¯s wavering vision slowly started to dim and the last words he heard before being surrounded in darkness was, ¡°Bralmir got himself a good seed.¡±
Ch 70 - Primal Roar
With a sharp intake of air, Archie¡¯s eyes shot open looking around warily. The red, slitted eye was gone from sight and so was the oppressive presence that surrounded it. ¡°What the fuck was that?¡± Archie breathed, his voice hoarse.
He felt exhausted, far more than he ever felt before. Checking his pools, he saw that not a single one dipped below full. He was feeling exhausted from something else. I need to meditate; my brain is fried. Way too fried to deal with a boss right now.
Activating Nature¡¯s Meditation, Archie funneled the nature mana in his surroundings to flow into his body. He then activated Forgesmith¡¯s Flame, it helped him when he was going through a tough time mentally so, hopefully, it would do the same now.
Deactivating Nature¡¯s Meditation and Forgesmith¡¯s Flame, Archie released an exhale, his previous exhaustion gone. Looking around, he confirmed the only thing around him was the statue that took him to that enormous red, slitted eye.
Giving it another Identify attempt, Archie was rewarded with a prompt.
Miniature of Primal Wrath (Legendary) - Empty:
A miniature created from Starforge Steel by [Redacted] depicting Primal Tyrannous, the Primal Wrath of Dragons. Touching the miniature will permanently increase Strength by 100 as you have touched upon the Primal Wrath of a Draconic God. Can only be used once per century, but due to the intervention of Primal Tyrannous, all energy with the miniature has been depleted forever. The permanent depletion of the energy within the statue has now made it a husk of what it previously was, thus degrading its rarity.
¡°The hell?¡± Archie mumbled as he looked through his notifications and status page.
*You have touched the Miniature of Primal Wrath ¨C Points allocated*
Skill Evolution: [Taunt (Rare)¡ú Primal Roar (Radiant)]
Primal Roar (Radiant):
Your presence on the battlefield alone has a weight that garners the attention of all, your existence on the battlefield is a deliberate challenge that no foe can ignore. With a guttural roar that reverberates across the battlefield, you shatter the will of weaker individuals and enrage all those around you. Forces all enemies within a Perception-USM radius to focus solely on you, killing those with weaker wills, and briefly stunning stronger opponents. The records of the skill have been heavily touched by the records of Primal Tyrannous.
Archie Gracefield
Race: Human E-Grade Lv 70
Class: Nature-Attuned Pugilist Lv 71
Profession: Novice Forgesmith Lv 66
Health: 6187/6187
Mana: 2629/2629
Stamina: 6532/6532
Stats:
Vitality: 583 (618)
Strength: 838 (1047)
Endurance: 568 (653)
Agility: 368 (404)
Intelligence: 286 (314)
Wisdom: 239 (262)
Willpower: 170 (204)
Perception: 269 (295)
Free Points: 78
General Skills: Identify (Initiate), Nature''s Meditation (Epic), Vital Sight (Radiant), Spirit Link (Epic)
Class Skills: Leeching Strikes of Fury (Uncommon), Savage Charge (Rare), Adrenaline Rush (Legendary), Pugilist¡¯s Grit (Rare), Retaliation (Uncommon), Relentless Flurry (Rare), Primal Roar (Radiant), Thornscourge Expansion (Epic), Spirit Bond (Rare), Last Stand (Rare)
Profession Skills: Forgesmith¡¯s Flame (Uncommon), Mana Smithing Mastery (Common), Advanced Runic Mastery (Uncommon), Material Insight (Rare), Gaze of the Forgefather (Radiant), Core Resonance Forging (Uncommon)
Bloodline: Adrenaline Junkie (Unique) [+10% to Strength and +10% to Willpower]
Affinity: Greater Nature Affinity (Epic)
Blessing: Blessing of the Forgefather (Moderate) [+5% to Strength and +5% to Endurance]
Titles Collected: Bloodline Progenitor [+10 Vitality and +5% Vitality], Flawless E-Grade Evolution [+10 all Stats], Legendary Innovator [+20 to all Stats and +10% to all Stats]
Tutorial Points: 427,945
Archie released a soft chuckle under his breath as he read through the notifications and finished looking through his status page. ¡°So, this statue is considered to be a miniature¡How large was the guy I just saw?¡±
As shit as that was, I now have over one thousand Strength and gained a skill evolution, Archie smiled as he stared at his status page. But mulling over the statue¡¯s description his hunch that there were rarities past Legendary. How many were there? He didn¡¯t know.
What he did know was that he just got up close to a T-Rex dragon god, one whose eye was large enough to block the horizon. Was it wrong that Archie¡¯s heart was still racing at the thought of wanting to fight it? He knew he would instantly be killed right now, but when he would become strong enough, wouldn¡¯t that be fun?
Looking back at the miniature¡¯s description it said that it lost all of its energy and is essentially a normal statue made from Starforge Steel¡And Archie was looking for metal that could handle mana really well for the engine of his bike.
Looking at his surroundings once more, Archie slowly made his way in front of the miniature and grabbed onto it. Gritting his teeth, Archie lifted the giant miniature and tried to shove it into his spatial storage, but it did not have enough room to store it. Shit, Archie complained. He always knew that eventually, his hoarding tendencies would get the best of him.
Looking through his spatial storage Archie sighed as he tried to find what to throw out. Hmm, forging equipment ¨C I need that, table, bed ¨C really need that, guns, staff? No, I¡¯ll need it eventually. Ninety-nine pounds of frostiron? Eh, I guess I can toss a couple pounds, Archie mumbled as he dropped fifty pounds of frostiron onto the ground.
Oh! I have quite the collection of cores, Archie realized. I can get rid of the Magma Hound Beastcores and the majority of the Resonance Bat Beastcores, since I can just use the raptor beastcores instead of the Magma Hound ones.
With that done, Archie crammed the Miniature of Primal Wrath into his spatial storage and grabbed a Magma Hound Beastcore before placing it in his potion satchel on his back.
Continuing down the pebble path, the pebbles grew into bricks the further Archie went along the path. As he went along the path, fog started to slowly emerge around him, until he could no longer see in front of him. Archie had since activated Vital Sight the moment the fog emerged around him but found nothing.
Something was about to happen. Archie quickly funneled mana into the Magma Hound Beastcore in his satchel, blanking out for a moment before releasing a steam full breath. His body heat, rising significantly as well as a relatively moderate increase in his stats.
Just as he exhaled steam, a gust of wind passed over him, blowing away the fog that surrounded him and revealing his surroundings.
Archie found himself within a field of flowers. Flowers of all colors surrounded him, and the stone walls that towered over him vanished from sight. It was quite a beautiful sight to behold, Tulips, Lavender, Blue Bells, and many other flowers that Archie did know the name of surrounding him.
The only thing that really stood out from the sight was the giant seven-foot-tall reptilian creature in front of him.
The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
[Stonejaw Primalsaur Lv 92]
The Stonejaw Primalsaur¡¯s stocky, muscular frame was supported by massive, tree trunk-like legs. Its body was covered in a jagged, granite-like hide, giving it a rugged, stone-like appearance. Its head was dominated by a massive, square-shaped jaw lined with stone dagger-like teeth. The club-like tail bore a striking resemblance to that of the Scolosaurusi Archie had slain earlier.
Archie quickly activated Adrenaline Rush at 40% and Thornscourge Expansion, enveloping his body in a light-red-hued steam and corded vines that covered his body before sharp vines jutted out of them. He was about to fight a level 90 beast, twenty levels his superior.
The Primalsaur zeroed onto Archie, its Stonejaw clenched momentarily, before its stocky frame exploded in motion, barreling down towards Archie.
This is going to be fun, Archie smiled at the sight of a ten-ton dinosaur barreling towards him. Goosebumps covered his back as he kicked off the ground and charged toward the Primalsaur, activating Savage Charge.
Meters before Archie was about to collide with the Primalsaur, he leaned backwards and lowered his body, sliding under its massive form, using the rich grass to easily slide over.
Just as Archie was sliding under the Primalsaur, he took notice of its hide; it looked just as tough as the hide on its upper body. Meaning getting cheap shots below would be nothing more than an increased risk.
Just as Archie passed under its form, he surged nature mana into his arms, exploding the vines from his arms, wrapping around its club-like tail, and locking his body.
Archie jerked forward slightly as he dangled in mid-air from the Primalsaur¡¯s club-like tail, as the Primalsaur continued to charge forward. Righting himself, Archie dug his heels into the flower-filled meadows below, kicking enough dirt to create twin rivers.
Archie''s legs locked into a squat as he flooded his nature mana into the vines wrapped around the Primalsaur''s club-like tail. Gritting his teeth, Archie pulled back.
The Primalsaur swayed slightly as it charged forward, unbothered by its sudden movement and more focused on its talons being unable to properly grip onto the soft soil below. Suddenly it noticed its speed decrease significantly, before jerking backwards.
Archie groaned as he funneled more stamina into his arms, pulling the Primalsaur backwards. With a twist of his hip and gritted teeth, Archie slammed the Primalsaur onto its side.
The Primalsaur¡¯s diminutive eyes widened in shock as its world tilted and its breath was knocked out of its lungs. Its body crashed onto the grass below, producing a burst of air that pushed back the flowers and grass surrounding it.
Archie kicked off the ground, leaping towards the fallen Primalsaur and releasing a flurry of blows, activating Relentless Flurry alongside Retaliation. His thorn-covered fists were coated with light orange hues that tore into the Primalsaur¡¯s hide and ripped into its flesh. With each strike, he leeched vital energy from the Primalsaur and enhanced his vital regeneration.
As the stolen vital energy surged through him, Archie felt his fractured bones¡ªdamaged during his effort to stop and toss the Primalsaur aside¡ªbegin to mend rapidly. As well as enhancing his next attacks as he was able to now put more power into his blows.
Suddenly a huge surge of mana erupted from the Primalsaur, blasting Archie backwards. Archie flipped himself upright mid-air, his eyes locking onto the Primalsaur as it rose to its feet, chunks of stone levitating around it.
Kicking off the ground, Archie charged at the Primalsaur, bobbing between the chunks of stone fired at him. Suddenly a huge surge of mana spiked from under Archie, making him leap into the air, dodging a large cluster of stone spikes that jutted out from the ground.
But Archie was not alone in the air, the Primalsaur created spears of stone that levitated in the air before firing at him. Each stone spear was the size of Archie¡¯s torso and was fired directly at him. Archie¡¯s eyes darted to every stone spear, reminiscent of when the Giant Frostiron Turtle made a similar attack, only this was far greater in magnitude.
Flooding mana into his bracers, Archie activated Material Carapace, transforming them into Sentinel Platiniteshell shields. But unlike how they were when he defended himself from the Scolosaurusi¡¯s bone plate barrage, these shields were narrower and shaped like a downward-pointing heptagon, with the heptagonal head covering his knuckles.
Archie exhaled as adrenaline rushed through his body as he felt the hundreds of stone spears rush towards him with speeds that would make a supercar jealous. Archie¡¯s smile widened as he activated Relentless Flurry mid-air, smashing any spear that came close.
His arms became a blur as he smashed countless stone spears, shattering them and sending them scattered away. He felt his arms start to very slightly tremble after the three hundredth punch, the force of each spear akin to that of twenty bone plates the Scolosaurusi fired at him.
Not to mention he was teetering the line of Adrenaline Rush¡¯s limiter. His prolonged use of the skill had developed blood clots across his skin, but he kept smashing every spear that was fired at him, he had no choice really, for every spear that was shot his way three more came¡Fuck me!
By the seven hundredth spear he shattered, the blood vessels in his arms burst, escaping from the armor from the numerous cracks that formed and dropped onto the stone shrapnel-covered flowers below.
But Archie soldiered through, he already faced something that almost killed him earlier today, something far stronger than this dinosaur.
This was nothing.
His gauntlets had started to show signs of cracking, they had been full of kinetic energy, well before his two-hundredth punch. But he had no time to activate the skill before another spear skewered him.
His stamina was now under 2000 points and his mana was under 800 points, his Spirit Bond¡¯s timer was now under four minutes.
Suddenly Archie saw movement head towards him, larger than the spears. The Primalsaur, seemingly bored of seeing Archie pummel through his attacks, decided to take matters up close and personal as its stone spears were amounting to nothing other than dust.
Its body was now covered in stone, but it didn¡¯t hinder its movement as it barreled towards Archie with its seemingly endless stone spears still firing at him, but now at a slower pace. Its ripped-up underside, was healed over and covered by pieces of stone armor. Is that Stone Shroud?
Archie kicked off the ground, dodging the charge of the Primalsaur while sending a burst of nature mana into his back. The vines on his back exploded outwards, grabbing onto the many stone spears that flew at him before using their momentum to fling them at the Primalsaur¡¯s stone covered rear.
Activating Savage Charge, Archie charged toward the Primalsaur, uncapping the mana potion that he took from his spatial storage and spinning its contents before draining it in less than a few seconds, uncaring of the stone spears that flew at him from behind.
With Archie¡¯s active buffs, he was able to catch up to the Primalsaur¡¯s speed and sent a large burst of nature mana into the vines around his fists, sending an explosion of vines towards the Primalsaur¡¯s hind legs. The vines corded around themselves tightly before splitting mid-air and binding themselves around its tree trunk-like hind legs.
The sudden restriction unbalanced the Primalsaur and sent it tumbling forward, crashing onto the ground below and ruining its concentration on stone spear creation. The stone spears that chased after Archie endlessly crumbled mid-air before falling onto the trampled flowers below.
Archie was also affected by the Primalsaur¡¯s tumbling as his arms were ripped out of their sockets from the force, barely attached to his shoulder.
He soldiered on, after all, pain was temporary, but the rush¡ the rush was¡euphoric. Enough to make him disregard the pain moments after he felt it.
Archie kicked off the ground and released a flurry of blows to its stone-covered side, already flooding his arms with vital energy he sorely needed to repair his ruined arms. With every punch, he grew stronger, his muscles regenerated.
The stone around his side shattered after the 10th blow, allowing Archie purchase to tear into his rugged, granite-like hide. His thorned covered Relentless Flurry blows ripped through its hide, but something happened that Archie did not see.
The Primalsaur¡¯s club-like tail extended, growing seven meters in length and smashing into Archie¡¯s unguarded right side.
The spiked club smashed into his shoulder initially, severing the still-healing muscle fibers and bones with ease, before hitting his side.
However, just as the last muscle fiber in his right arm severed, the adrenaline that flooded throughout his being, erasing most of his pain, filled him with enough clarity to move his fist and activate Impact Dynamo.
Impact Dynamo released an explosion akin to a hundred bombs, sending Archie flying through the air, leaving a trail of blood flowing behind him, before tumbling on the ground, ruining the flowers under him and staining the ground with his blood.
The Primalsaur¡¯s club-like tail exploded, showering the once beautiful flower field with chunks of flesh and blood. The Primalsaur¡¯s roar of anger and pain filled the gore-filled flower field.
Ch 71 - Primalsaur
Archie¡¯s ears rung, senses dulled, and everything felt like some sort of out-of-body experience. That¡¯s what Archie felt for a few moments before the rush of adrenaline flowed through him once more, jolting him back to the present.
Getting into a kneeling position, Archie grabbed his stumped shoulder and flooded it with vital energy before quickly taking out a health potion and downing it. Archie felt his health pool fill to somewhere around 75%.
It was going to take around five minutes before his arm fully regenerated, and in a fight, five minutes is a lot. But that could easily be fixed by getting up close and personal.
Sending a surge of nature mana into the vines wrapped around his right stump, Archie manipulated Thornscourge Expansion to continue from his stump and become his arm. But unlike what he wanted, it transformed into a singular corded tentacle.
Rising from his kneeling position, Archie kept his eyes fixed on the Primalsaur as it struggled to stand. Steam hissed from its nostrils as it groaned in pain, shakily attempting to move toward him. However, the loss of its tail had thrown off its balance, causing it to stumble with each step. Archie estimated he had about a minute before the beast adjusted to its new balance and charged at him again. Taking advantage of the moment, he focused on the corded vine protruding from his stump.
He envisioned it mirroring his left arm in every detail. Concentrating, he hardened the vines to serve as rigid bones and carefully shaped their cording to align with the pathways of his vital energy, mimicking the function of muscles.
Just as he was about to form the fingers, he heard the Primalsaur roar in triumph as its tail that Archie had exploded was replaced with one created from stone, starting from its middle. With its balance restored, it kicked off the ground, charging toward Archie with a vengeance, its large stone jaw with dagger-like teeth gaped wide.
"Fuck it," Archie muttered as he clenched both his vine fist and gauntlet-clad fist and charged at the Primalsaur. Who needs fingers to punch anyways? Knuckles just are enough.
Archie dodged the lunge from the Primalsaur who then forcibly halted its charge to swack at him with its stone club-like tail. Jumping over the swipe, Archie flung both arms toward its thick, short neck with a surge of nature mana.
Vines exploded towards the Primalsaur''s neck, only able to fit two corded vines before it ran out of room.
Both pulling and retracting the vines, Archie twisted himself, crouching his feet before he crashed onto its neck, activating Retaliation.
The blow cracked its stone-shrouded neck and tore into his hide. But before Archie could capitalize on it, he raised both his arms to defend from a swipe from its stone club-like tail.
His Sentinel Platiniteshell heptagonal shield on his left arm and his vine arm took the brunt of the damage. His left arm''s Sentinel Platiniteshell shield was covered in spiderweb-like cracks while his vine arm was shredded. But a quick surge of mana quickly started to repair them. The shield gained a second layer of coating and his vine arm surged anew from its shredded state, his right stub growing an inch from his leech kick attack.
Righting himself mid air, Archie landed on the flower field, his heels digging backwards as he came to a stop. Archie let out an exhale as he stared at the Primalsaur that was now charging at him, its body releasing a red-hued steam. Power booster it seems.
The distance between them was less than fifteen meters, and if Archie was being honest, this battle was taking a bit too long and he was supposed to go on a raid to destroy Oliver¡¯s cult in less than a day.
Archie spread his arms wide, lowered his center of gravity, and braced himself as the Primalsaur was now five meters away.
Archie flooded his battered body with more mana and stamina, pushing Adrenaline Rush to 50%. The reddish hue of steam turned a darker shade of red as Archie¡¯s blood started to boil.
Within moments, Archie¡¯s hands clamped overhead on its two jutting fangs from beneath its massive stone jaw. The Primalsaur¡¯s immense strength surged against it and was pushed backwards with immense force. His feet tore into the dirt, deeper than before, carving deep trenches as he strained to hold his ground.
His muscles quivered as more of a darker red hue of steam was being exuded from him as he flooded even more mana and stamina into his system, completely disregarding the immense pain he felt from every fracture and muscle tear he felt throughout his body as he flooded them with his vital energy at speeds, he didn¡¯t know he possessed. As he knew that if he stopped he was going to be trampled.
The Primalsaur¡¯s charge started to slow, almost unnoticeably, but it had.
But the funny thing was the wide smile splayed across Archie¡¯s face as all this was happening. He knew that this fight was taking too long. He knew that he was prolonging the fight.
But it was just too fun.
The charge was now noticeably slowing down to the point where the Primalsaur¡¯s eyes darted around in confusion but continued to charge as it still felt resistance from the weak human in front of him.
This was one of the few fights where he truly felt joy, and was it wrong for him to try and flourish in the euphoria he felt?
Archie filled his throat with a surge of mana and stamina, eyes closed as he relished the euphoric feelings that flowed within him.
His head dipped down as he took a deep inhale before slowly raising his head, staring directly into the Primalsaur¡¯s diminutive eyes with his own bloodshot eyes. Last Stand activated, surging his being with even more adrenaline, and his bloodshot eyes darkened to a deeper, more crimson shade of red.
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A deep rumble began to rise from within Archie¡¯s throat, growing steadily until it reached a thunderous crescendo. Archie¡¯s smile widened into a menacing, tooth-filled grin as goosebumps covered his body.
Archie released a thunderous guttural roar, that sent a shockwave across the flower field seemingly halting time itself around him as for but a split moment everything went still.
He had activated Primal Roar.
The Primalsaur felt as though time had stopped for but a moment before everything turned dark and pain filled its entire being. Its eyeballs and eardrums exploded from Archie¡¯s Primal Roar. Its legs gave out, crashing onto the ground, bringing its charge to a halt.
Archie¡¯s mouth filled with blood as his vocal cords shredded themselves to paste, unable to handle his new skill. Pain wracked his body from the backlash of using the skill.
Normally, a skill couldn¡¯t harm its user due to the system¡¯s assistance, as long as you weren¡¯t interrupted, and everything remained regulated. However, if you push a skill beyond its limits, you risk facing backlash, as your body wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the strain.
A good example of this is whenever Archie uses Adrenaline Rush, 40% was his physical limit, but if it went passed that, his body would start to break down, as it went past its limit. Of course, Archie pushed Adrenaline Rush past 40% on numerous occasions and faced backlash, but it wasn¡¯t more than what he could handle.
Every time he pushed on, his body grew stronger. As such, whenever he pushed past his limits, his skills would either evolve or upgrade.
But this was not the case.
The records from Primal Tyrannous¡¯ legacy skill were simply too much for Archie¡¯s body to endure at this point in time, and he knew it. That¡¯s why he had refrained from using the skill¡ªuntil now, where the timing was perfect.
He instinctually knew that once he used this skill, he would face an insurmountable amount of pain. His throat would heal¡after hours of meditation, but until then it would be impossible to use the skill or speak.
Archie swallowed back the blood that filled his mouth and activated Relentless Flurry alongside Retaliation to the Primalsaur¡¯s face. Archie¡¯s fist tore through its fractured Stone Shroud with ease and shredded through its surprisingly fleshy face.
Considering its name, I thought it would be more stone than flesh, Archie mused as he kept smashing his fists into the Primalsaur¡¯s face. Vital energy flooding through him with every blow, healing his ruined body with surprising speed. The amount of vital energy I¡¯m getting from each blow is insane¡guess ¡®a small portion of health¡¯ is relative to what or who I¡¯m fighting.
Archie felt the Primalsaur lunge at him with its ruined face once more, using all the strength that remained.
¡°If you want a bite of me, then all you had to do was ask,¡± Archie smiled as he thrust his left fist into the open maw of the Primalsaur and activated Impact Dynamo.
The blast of nature-attuned kinetic energy tore a two-meter wide hole clean through the Primalsaur¡¯s body, killing it instantly. Its body stood upright before falling onto the ground with a thud and producing a pool of blood that drowned the flowers surrounding it.
Archie¡¯s left arm was destroyed from the elbow down and popped out of its socket. Archie exhaled as he saw the notifications that covered his vision, deactivating his skills and standing upright with shaking legs.
*[Stonejaw Primalsaur Lv 92] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 1288 Tutorial Points given*
Dungeon of the Lost Valley
Objective: Slay the Primalsaur ?
Reward: Spirit Nucleus (Epic) & Sigil of Challenge (Unique)
Dungeon will automatically close in 0:09:59:12
*Your Class has reached Lv 72 ¨C Points allocated, +4 Free Points*
*Your Race has reached Lv 71 ¨C Points allocated, +3 Free Points*
Looking down at his arms, Archie found another Sigil of Challenge alongside a spherical object labeled as a Spirit Nucleus. The Spirit Nucleus was a translucent sphere with a frosted, glass-like surface, its exterior webbed with glowing cracks that pulsed softly with an inner light.
Spirit Nucleus (Epic) - Empty:
The origin for a spirit to physically manifest into the physical plane. The type of spirits imbued into the Spirit Nucleus, along with its environment, determines whether a spiritual entity will form. [Redacted]. [Redacted]. Currently bound to Archie Gracefield.
I guess I¡¯m gonna get that spirit beast I wanted, Archie chuckled but immediately winced in pain. He had yet to direct his vital energy to flow into his throat to heal his shredded throat.
Archie took out nine more pounds of frostiron and tossed them on the ground before placing the Sigil of Challenge and the Spirit Nucleus into his spatial storage.
Archie gave another glance at the now-dead Primalsaur before slowly sitting down and activating Nature¡¯s Meditation.
Exiting the dungeon, Archie released a sigh, but not out of relief, rather it was out of sadness.
He wanted to try and charge up the Nucleus with the abundant Nature-Affinity spirits that filled the dungeon, but by the time he was fully healed with his right arm fully regenerated, four hours had passed. Which meant he needed to rush back to Michael¡¯s camp as in the next couple of hours, it would be nightfall and the raid on Oliver¡¯s cult would begin.
The dungeon itself was pretty fun, he¡¯d gotten a Sigil of Challenge, a way to get a spirit beast pet, and a large amount of Starforge Steel that he was going to smelt down and use as his engine.
Was what he was going to do to the ¡®miniature¡¯ blasphemous to whoever followed Primal Tyrannous and to Primal Tyrannous himself?...Definitely, but he believed it to be payback for his mind almost shattering.
Shouldn¡¯t the system have protected him from such damage? Or was he so powerful that his presence alone was enough to do so as the T-Rex dragon god said so himself even with the system protecting him? Maybe the system helped to protect his mind?
Nevertheless, the ¡®miniature¡¯ was essentially an empty hunk of Starforge Steel, so it should be fine¡I¡¯ll ask Bralmir before I start to smelt it if it¡¯s a good idea. Don¡¯t want an angry dragon god after my ass.
At least for now.
Unfortunately, he did not get the Primalsaur¡¯s core. It was destroyed by his 100% Impact Dynamo, alongside most of its body. Just the thought of not getting its core made Archie sigh once more as he wished he could have stayed in the dungeon for longer to fill the Spirit Nucleus up with the nature spirits within the dungeon¡I could have gotten a dino pet, Archie sighed.
While it wasn¡¯t a 100% guarantee that he would get a dino pet, the environment of the dungeon was perfect for him. If he were to have a spirit beast that was bonded to him, he¡¯d rather have one that was the same affinity as him, to synergize when they fought together.
It would be a while before he found another place that had an abundance of nature mana and spirits.
Archie was pulled out of his thoughts as he heard his name being called out by a familiar voice.
¡°Archie!¡± James shouted from atop a tree branch fifteen meters above him, waving at him. James¡¯ face was covered in sweat and out of breath.
Archie tensed his legs and flooded them with stamina before jumping onto the same branch James stood on. ¡°Hi,¡± Archie smiled. ¡°I assume you¡¯re here to pick me up?¡±
James nodded before looking around, his eyes lingering on the level 70s and 80s nearby. Turning back to face Archie he whispered, ¡°We need you back at camp, we¡¯re about to begin our raid conference.¡±
Might as well get started on some Molten Web braiding for the mana connections within the bike, Archie mused before taking out the bundle of Molten Webs.
Ch 72 - Secret Meeting
As both Archie and James approached the camp, Archie put away the bundle of Molten Webs he braided together and took notice of the surprisingly normal mood that surrounded the camp. The Warriors, and Vanguards were alert, patrolling around the camp, while the mages and archers were manning the walls, shooting at the beasts that tried to get close.
It looked¡normal, which was why Archie was confused. Shouldn¡¯t everyone be way more tense than normal? They were about to go on a raid to kill Oliver, destroy the cult, and rescue the people he¡¯s kidnapped and experimented on tonight.
Seemingly sensing Archie¡¯s confusion, James responded, ¡°They don¡¯t know about the raid.¡± His voice was hushed, and his mouth was covered with a dark grey scarf that he put on when they tree-hopped through the jungle. ¡°We don¡¯t know if we have sleeper agents within our camp, so only the people who are going to raid with us know.¡±
Sound logic, Archie remembered what Michael told him about the night Oliver brainwashed people to go berserk. ¡°How are we going to get out then?¡± Quieting his own voice as both he and James passed through the camp, waving at the guards watching over the entrance. ¡°I doubt twenty-something people, all E-Grades, leaving all at once won''t draw some eyes.¡±
¡°We have a workaround,¡± James whispered, glancing at Archie with just his eyes for a moment.
Taking the hint, Archie continued walking through the camp with James until they reached two medium-sized brown tents that stood side by side. They looked like any other tents surrounding them, except for the thin shroud of mana surrounding them.
If this was the Archie that had just arrived from his Solo Tutorial, he wouldn¡¯t have noticed the shroud and would have gone past it, without noticing anything. But ever since he got into the habit of constantly sensing the mana around him and practicing his mana control daily his mana control and mana sensing had grown leaps and bounds.
So, seeing a dense shroud of mana that covered two tents in an area where active mana was absent rang a few bells in his head. The feeling it gave off reminded him of the fog that he was encompassed in when he was in the dinosaur dungeon. But there were two major differences between the two; that instead of fog surrounding the tents it looked like a normal pair of brown tents and it was a lot weaker comparatively.
While he was still unable to see past the illusion, he still had a way to check out what was hiding from him. Activating Vital Sight revealed forty people standing both in and outside of the tent but hidden from view.
Hinting at definite illusionary magic at work and most probably the ¡®workaround¡¯ James was referring to. It was definitely something that would work to help them sneak out of the camp and into Oliver¡¯s cult.
¡°This it?¡± Archie questioned with a pointed look at James.
¡°You sure seem to always be one step ahead,¡± James smiled and looked at Archie with bemusement. ¡°I had this whole thing with Michael to see what look you¡¯d make.¡±
James raised his hand and pushed aside an invisible sheet, revealing the inside of a large tent, ¡°I guess that¡¯s ruined though.¡±
¡°You just gotta practice your mana manipulation,¡± Archie chuckled as he entered the tent after James.
Looking around, Archie observed the mix of familiar and unfamiliar faces seated around the large wooden circular table that looked¡That looks way too finely made for someone to have made it.
Looking under the table revealed a large stump that held up the tree¡¯s face. That¡¯s a fucking tree! Someone did that!
Ignoring the looks he got from people around him, he looked at the people furthest away from the entrance of the tent, aka where the head honchos typically sit.
At the heads of the table sat Michael, who was pointing at a map, marking locations, and discussing them with a few nearby people; Sarah, engaged in conversation with other healers¡ªevident from their white robes; an elderly man in grass-stained leather armor with a gardening shovel resting beside his chair and a green-tipped wand lying in front of him, nursing an apple; and a man with dark circles under his eyes, wearing a blacksmith''s apron, who appeared to be staring at Archie with... begrudging acceptance?
The hell did I do to him? Archie thought looking at the man wearing a blacksmith¡¯s apron. Staring at the elderly man Archie felt a sense of kinship with him, sensing something he felt from both Thalindra and Bralmir, a Nature Affinity. Albeit a weaker one, but a Nature Affinity, nonetheless.
¡°Move over,¡± James grumbled as he moved past the people who were standing around. He then lightly patted Michael¡¯s shoulder gaining his attention from the map and the people he was conversing with, ¡°Got him.¡± James interrupted before sliding into his own seat, adjusting the scarf around his face.
Michael turned to face Archie, who stood awkwardly in front of the table, as everyone who heard James turned to face him. Thank god for this mask, Archie thought as all forty people in the tent turned to face him.
¡°Hello, Archie,¡± Michael greeted him, his tone steeled, his previously warm personality gone. ¡°I was hoping you¡¯d show up a bit earlier.¡±
¡°Ah, I was caught up in a dungeon. My bad,¡± Archie replied, his eyes darting around to Identify everyone within the tent. It seemed that everyone in the tent was around level 60, some a tad higher while the rest were 58-59s. ¡°But I¡¯m here now and stronger than before.¡± Archie smiled trying to elevate the serious mood that fell on the room.
His response made everyone within the room Identify him and confirm his words. As they did Archie noticed small pricks of mana touch him, from different directions, informing him of where he was being Identified from and from there who Identified him. At the same time, he realized how Oliver knew where he was when he spied on him before. Previously his mana control was horrible so he barely registered tiny picks touching his mana, but ever since he started his mana control exercises, his mana sense has been steadily improving.
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That also means that his mana manipulation is way better than my own if he was able to do so from that far of a distance, Archie realized. The mana pricks he felt touch him were faint, if he were to be identified from afar, maybe from two hundred to three hundred meters away he wouldn¡¯t feel it.
So, if Oliver was able to pinpoint exactly where he was from the mana prick from well over a couple kilometers away, then that meant he had far superior mana sensing than his own. And using that logic he most probably has just as good if not better mana control.
Michael stared at him for a bit before looking across the table, staring at everyone before nodding to one of the mages to his left. The mage responded by raising his wand and charging a bit of mana into it before firing some spell at the map Michael was previously looking at.
After the spell hit the map, Archie sensed mana hover above the table entirely, flashing white before a 2-D holographic map covered the table.
Looking over the holographic map Archie saw a few circled places on the map. One was surrounding Oliver¡¯s cult, and a couple more were highlighting a couple of points within the cult, potentially weak points within the cult.
However, one larger circle in particular stood out as it covered a large portion of the jungle that overlooked Oliver¡¯s cult. The area where he fought and killed the Mid-Boss, the Verdant Serpent.
¡°Before Sunrise we will begin our raid to kill Oliver and all his demonic servants,¡± Michael stated as his gaze flickered from the map to staring into the eyes of everyone, lingering on a few individuals in particular.
I thought we were going to raid Oliver¡¯s cult by nightfall? Archie wondered. I distinctly remember being told it was at nightfall¡Maybe something came up.
¡°Initially the plan was to approach the cult from the left side and scale down the cliff with Lucien, Benjamin, Harper, Helena, and Lucas to use their Wind magic to take us down safely,¡± Michael stated. ¡°Omar, Ashley, Emma, Mathias, and Leo would use their Light magic to shroud our forms, essentially making us invisible.¡±
¡°Unfortunately, however, we don¡¯t know what happened on the left side cliffs, somethings decayed that side of the jungle almost entirely¡± Michael continued, ¡°Because we don¡¯t know what¡¯s caused that and where it is, we had to scrap the previous plan and decided to go in from the right side.¡±
Just as Michael was about to continue, Archie cleared his throat, grabbing everyone¡¯s attention, wondering why he was interrupting the raid brief.
¡°Yes, Archie,¡± Michael responded, turning from the map to Archie. ¡°Was there something you didn¡¯t like in the plan?¡±
¡°No, I don¡¯t have any complaints so far,¡± Archie blinked, ignoring everyone¡¯s eyes on him and focusing on the vital sparks and energy that flowed within Michael. He wasn¡¯t sure why, but whenever he saw vital energy with his Vital Sight, it felt calming. Kinda like how people calm down when they listen to rainfall.
¡°It¡¯s just that, that¡¯s where I fought and killed the Verdant Serpent,¡± Archie continued, pointing at the large circle on the left side of Oliver¡¯s cult, the part of the jungle that overlooked the cult. ¡°It released some sort of decaying rot explosion move when it was getting into its second phase. So, unless there is a new type of creature that can do that, then it should be cleared¡But, I haven¡¯t been there as of late, so I really can¡¯t tell you if there is a new creature that can spew rot and decay as much as the Mid-Boss did.¡±
Michael stared at Archie blankly for a moment, seemingly digesting the new information before nodding. ¡°Is there anything that you noticed when you were there?¡±
Archie thought for a moment, replaying that day in his mind; ¡°Oliver has far superior mana sense than I do, and I assume he has just as good, if not better mana control.¡±
¡°How do you know that?¡± Michael pushed.
Archie used Identify on Michael, revealing that he was a level 61 human. ¡°Did you feel that?¡± Archie asked Michael.
¡°Barely,¡± Michael answered, confused at the sudden pick at his mana. He knew what Archie did, it was something he¡¯d felt prick his mana every so often he was out in public. Everyone would constantly Identify the other, him especially since he was the camp¡¯s leader. ¡°But yes, I could feel that you Identified me.¡±
¡°Well, I did that on Oliver when I was spying on them minutes before, I got attacked by the Mid-Boss. I used Identify on Oliver and within an instant he located me and sic¡¯d the Mid-Boss on me, which I believe he brainwashed.¡± Archie explained. ¡°The fact that he was able to feel that prick of mana from that distance and instantly pinpoint my location, shows his mana sense is greater than we think.¡±
¡°So, you think we shouldn¡¯t use light magic to shroud ourselves?¡± Omar asked, inquisitively. ¡°Because it would give us away?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Archie replied, shrugging his shoulders. ¡°Explain to me how the light shroud would work.¡±
¡°I cover myself, or a group of people in a bubble which refracts light to create an illusion to make us invisible,¡± Omar explained, whilst taking out a dagger and holding it in his open palm. He then cast a spell on the dagger, making it disappear.
So, the same thing for what they did with the tent outside, Archie concluded. ¡°So the same thing you guys have for this tent?¡±
Getting a nod from Omar and the other Light Mages, he then asked another question, ¡°How do the Demonic Humans, Thralls, and other people from Oliver¡¯s cult react when you attack them with Light magic?¡±
¡°Definitely worse than other types of magic,¡± Omar responded, getting what Archie was referring to. ¡°So, you think that they might be more susceptible to detecting Light mana?¡±
¡°I mean considering Light is the opposite of Dark, then yeah, but I can¡¯t be 100% sure considering we¡¯ve just entered the system where anything can happen.¡± Archie replied, lightly shaking his head. ¡°But I think we can use it to get close enough to their camp, so long as you have a way to conceal it.¡±
The man wearing blacksmith overalls, Eric, cut into their discussion; ¡°You¡¯re referring to the exhaust residue Light magic has when making an illusion? Like the one around this tent?¡± Seeing a nod from Archie, he continued; ¡°I had the same thought a few days ago and found a workaround. I was going to mention it, but you beat me to it. My girlfriend and I made something to counteract its effects.¡±
Eric reached into his pocket before throwing a metallic device to Archie, who Identified it midair before catching it.
Bracer of Light Stabilization (Common):
A bracer made from steel and mana crystals. Forged by Eric Hardwin, an E-Grade Mana Artificer, and Angela Smith, an E-Grade Armorsmith. The bracer acts as a stabilizer for Light mana. Effects: Soul-Bound, Self-Repair & Light Mana Stabilizer. Provides: +40 Int & +25 Wis. Status: Perfect. Requirement: Lv 55+, Light Affinity & Humanoid Race.
This looks cool as shit, Archie thought as he looked over its runic script. Ah, I see how they did it. Basic regulator synced to¡I guess that¡¯s the rune for light mana.
¡°Try it out,¡± Archie said before tossing the Bracer of Light Stabilization to Omar. But just as he turned his head to the side where Omar was, he saw another vital spark signature, the forty-first.
Archie immediately Identified Michael to grab his attention. As Michael looked at him with confusion, Archie gestured to the number of people in the tent and held up the number forty.
Getting a confused nod from Michael, Archie discretely took out his dagger and flung it to the person crouched outside their tent.
The dagger flew through the air and sunk through the tent, producing a surprised gasp of pain. Archie kicked off the ground, lunging at whoever was spying on them.
Archie grabbed the person who was spying on them by their neck and flung them into the tent, ignoring the sounds of unsheathed swords and spells readying.
Turning around, Archie looked at Michael who shoved the hilt of a dagger into their spy¡¯s mouth preventing them from biting off their own tongue.
¡°Looks like we¡¯re going to be moving up the schedule,¡± Michael said as everyone Identified the spy.
[Dark Rogue Lv 54]
Ch 73 - The Raid I
Huddled beside Michael were Omar the Light Mage, Sarah, an Aegis Bulwark named Chris, and Harper the Wind Mage. They were approaching the cult from the jungle cliffside that overlooked it, due to its heavily decayed state, it was inhabitable. Any E-Grade that stood within it for longer than five minutes would die instantly.
The only reason as to how the raid members were able to remain within it was due to their healers constantly deploying their Light Aura. From what Archie learned from Sarah; they were lesser versions of a skill called Beacon of Light. She then gushed about how amazing the Healer Assistant Zim¡¯zath is, and how people judged her for being different because she was an Arachnoidan.
¡°So, she¡¯s a spider?¡± Archie whispered to Sarah, ¡°Is she spider-sized? Or human-sized?¡±
¡°Her upper half is human, but her lower half is all spider,¡± Sarah whispered back. ¡°She¡¯s around seven feet tall and she¡¯s super nice.¡±
Unlike Sarah, the rest of the group and Archie shivered slightly as a chill trickled down their back at the image of a seven-foot-tall spider. Glancing at Michael, Archie gave him a look that would be best described as, ¡®told ya¡¯.
Michael noticed Archie¡¯s look and mumbled something unintelligible under his breath, focusing on the decayed forest behind them.
¡°How¡¯s the stabilizer?¡± Michael whispered to Omar. They almost reached the cliffside that overlooked Oliver¡¯s cult and hadn¡¯t stopped rushing to get there before Oliver had time to properly prepare.
Currently, their team was the spearheading team, while James and the other Archers who specialized in stealth combat were scouting out the area ahead, making sure that nothing would sneak up on them.
¡°Amazing,¡± Omar whispered back, pushing a steady and stable stream of light mana into the spell around them. ¡°Eric and Angela have outdone themselves.¡±
Archie could confirm Omar¡¯s words, he¡¯d been observing Omar¡¯s control over his spell and while the stabilizer had been helping him he¡¯d also been improving. The stream of mana that flowed into the spell had steadied and was far more efficient than when he¡¯d begun using the stabilizer.
But judging by his words, I don¡¯t think he knows, Archie mused, before coming to a stop. They arrive at the edge of the jungle that overlooked Oliver¡¯s camp.
Michael held up a fist before crouching and looking at the cult below. Following his lead, Archie took another look into their camp.
There are less people in the cages, Archie noted. That meant either they¡¯d been killed or evolved into successful demonic humans according to what he learned from James.
James and a few other E-Grade archers had been spying on the cult, day and night for the past few days and learned what Oliver had been doing.
He had been concocting a grayish-blue potion in a cauldron, which he would then levitate into his tent, and staying there with them for a full day, doing something. When he returned, the liquid changed from its greyish-blue color into a sickly purple-color.
He would then force those he¡¯d brainwashed into drinking the potion, which would then either kill the person or transform them into a demonic human. But once that happens the brainwashing has a chance of vanishing, from what James told him.
And that ends up with them being killed on the spot or used in other experiments if the brainwashing vanishes. Those who do survive are completely brainwashed, and insanely infatuated with Oliver, to the point of killing themselves to prevent any attempt at getting information from them.
Which one person brought up the topic of, if they are being brainwashed does that make it okay to kill them? And it was unanimously shut down by saying, if they come at you to kill you, then you kill them. And that we should restrain the survivors and then cure them once Oliver is dead, else he might reactivate the brainwashing.
We didn¡¯t know if he could do that, but we didn¡¯t want to take the risk.
Archie stepped onto the light green translucent platform hovering just off the cliff, where the rest of the team stood. ¡°Here, we go,¡± Harper said as she and the other teams who gathered descended down the cliff.
Archie stared at the flow of mana flowing into the spell construct below his feet and flowing from Harper¡¯s body.
¡°Harper,¡± Archie whispered, grabbing her attention as they descended. ¡°Would you say that what you¡¯re doing is essentially making a solidified disc of mana and making it go up and down with your Wind affinity?¡±
¡°Yeah,¡± Harper whispered back, concentrating on keeping her wind construct stable as they descended against the strong wind that was blowing updraft. ¡°Cyric, the hottie, made us train by learning how to create platforms to walk on, then made us use those platforms to walk on water, to make sure they were stable enough then we began proper flying training.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± Archie mused. ¡°I thought you guys would be able to you know just be able to fly. Without platforms.¡±
¡°There is a skill for that, but it only works for the caster,¡± Harper replied, getting a hum of understanding from Archie. ¡°Once I practice more, I can do it without needing to create a platform¡but that¡¯s for another time. First, we kill Oliver.¡± Getting a nod from Archie and the rest of the team.
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Landing on the ground, Archie and the forty members of the raid, grouped together, with the Light Mages margining their illusionary shell to cover the group.
¡°The next phase begins now,¡± Michael informed, giving a pointed look at Archie. ¡°Healers, buffs.¡±
¡°Low Stamina Regeneration¡ Low Health Regeneration¡ Stone Skin¡ Reinforcement¡ Strength up,¡± the healers cast, pointing their wands at Archie.
While the healers were buffing Archie, he took out an Emberlash Eudromaeosaur Beastcore and used Spirit Bond. After quickly subduing the raptor, Archie felt his body heat rise, significantly higher than when he bonded with the Magma Hound Beastcores, as well as his Dexterity.
Archie activated Adrenaline Rush to 25% and Thornscourge Expansion across his body, the vines engulfed in flames. Seems like I also got the firetail part of the Emberlash Eudromaeosaurs, Archie mused.
¡°We ready to go? ¡± Archie asked looking at Michael and ignoring the looks of surprise from the rest of the raid members.
Getting a nod from Michael, Archie let out an exhale before kicking off the ground, Vital Sight still active and focusing on the vital energy of someone standing guard in front of the cult gate.
Activating Savage Charge, Archie blurred forward, his figure becoming a red blur.
Cocking back his fist, Archie smashed his fist into the unprotected head of the Dark Bulwark in front of him, caving her skull and ripping it off her neck as Archie¡¯s fist continued and smashed against the large closed wooden gate.
Archie¡¯s smash sent spider web-like cracks across the wooden gate for a moment before shattering and sending wooden shrapnel flying through the camp, stabbing through many people that were walking around, even those stuck in cages.
Landing on the ground, Archie kicked off once more, lunging at the closest Demonic Human and releasing a flurry of blows. Each blow pierced through his robes and created fist-shaped holes through his body, each hole, seared shut from the flames across Archie¡¯s fists.
Archie spartan kicked the Dark Mage¡¯s corpse, making it collide with a Human Thrall that was charging at him. Dodging three dark manabolts, Archie pivoted to the left side of the thrall and punched him in his side. Easily shattering his right ribcage, before Archie sent a surge of nature mana into his fist, wrapping its midsection in flame wreathed, thorn covered vines.
Flicking his arm, Archie held up the thrall in the way of a volley of smaller looking dark manabolts. The bolts smashing against the thrall¡¯s iron armor, and sinking deep into its flesh and making the thrall scream in pain.
Tossing the now dead thrall to the side, Archie leaped towards the Dark Mages above.
Michael charged through the broken gate, his greatsword wreathed in molten red flames, cleaving a Dark Bulwark of sorts in two, before lunging at the next person. After shoulder tackling the closest mage, he slammed her onto her back before crushing her exposed head with his foot.
Taking a large breath, Michael activated Howl of the Inferno, releasing a baleful howl that resounded throughout the cult. The howl set the ground around him in flames, consuming the corpses around him.
Sarah stood at a distance alongside some of the other healers, constantly casting healing spells and various buffs towards everyone in sight. They were being guarded by five E-Grade Vanguards each specializing in defense; Stoneheart Bastions guarding the rear, Aegis Knights guarding the sides, and an Iron Sentinel guarding the front. Essentially turning themselves into a moving, healing-buff fortress.
Omar and the other Light Mages created spears of light that ripped through a group of charging thralls but failed to pierce through the Dark Bulwarks¡¯ defenses. Omar flooded his being with light mana ignoring the dark mana spear that tore through his fellow Light Mage¡¯s chest and began chanting.
He ignored the dark fog that rose from the ground and encompassed him and his team. He continued to cast,¡°¡And on the day the Everbright became a god.¡± He stood stalwart in front of the dark manabolts fired at him. ¡°The multiverse heard the first command of the one true Light,¡± He ignored the dark orb that tore through his arm, blasting it off and infecting the stump with various curses, and spoke the final words of the spell given to him by his lord,¡± Let there be Light.¡±
A large beam of light exploded from Omar¡¯s wand, decimating the wall of Dark Bulwarks and ripping through the dark miasma that covered the cult. Expunging the dark curses that coursed through his being and those around him, his form was covered in white-colored vein-like markings.
The closest healer latched her arm atop Omar¡¯s stump, in an attempt to heal the wound but was held from it by Omar. ¡°This cannot be healed. It was a cost for what I cast.¡± Coughing some blood, Omar smiled at Natalie, ¡°I would appreciate it if you could heal my internal injuries though.¡±
James and the other archers scaled the walls and fired various elemental arrows at the heads of various demonic humans. They focused on mages and other archers firing spells and arrows towards their teammates, and those trying to sneak up on them from various angles.
Harper and other Wind Mages floated above the cult casting Arrows of Wind and various other spells that tore through the bodies of the various demonic mages and rouges. They were unable to pierce through the tough armors and helmets of the higher-level demonic warriors and vanguards.
What they did to counteract that was create vacuums of air that suffocated them to death or provided enough of a distraction for someone else to take advantage of their open guards. While E-Grades can last without a need for oxygen for a significant amount of time before taking a breath, the sudden loss of breath, for a race that breathes, was something that would cause them to suffocate for a few moments.
And those few moments were more than enough for their teammates to take advantage of.
Archie exploded the vines from his hands to wrap around the midsections of two Dark Mages who were casting a hail of dark orbs that were targeting the healers who were being protected by their fortress of shields.
Pulling them to him, Archie grabbed their skulls with his hands and crushed their skulls easily, covering his already bloodied form with a new coat of flesh and blood.
While he wasn¡¯t disgusted with what he was doing, he was bored¡was it wrong of him to think that? He was killing humans, brainwashed humans at that. But so far nothing really had been able to really hurt him.
He let a spell splash onto his arm, but its curses and lingering dark magic were immediately expunged from his system with a burst of his mana and healed within moments from his vital energy manipulation.
Suddenly he dodged a large blast of dark mana that appeared where he previously stood. The place covered in a large dark mana flame, and its caster atop the hill, staring at him with disgust.
But Archie smiled under his mask, his adrenaline pumping for the first time since the raid began. Finally, something interesting, Archie thought as he felt dense, dark mana ripple off of Oliver¡¯s body.
[Cambion Lv 65]
Ch 74 - The Raid II
Archie kicked off the ground, activating Savage Charge at Oliver, his flame-wreathed, thorn-covered fists smashed into the wall of mana in front of him. Spiderweb-like cracks grew across the translucent wall before Archie¡¯s fists shattered through the wall.
Oliver¡¯s slitted eyes widened in shock at Archie¡¯s speed and power. He hastily created more walls of mana in front of him and began to cast a hex. How could he do that? I spent over a thousand mana into that wall, Oliver thought as Archie burst through his initial wall.
Activating Relentless Flurry, Archie¡¯s fists tore through the walls that stood in his way, whilst sending a surge of nature mana into one of the vines on his back to loop around the walls. But soon found out Oliver had boxed himself in a cube of mana walls, making him retract the extended vine.
Archie quickly activated Savage Charge once more just as Oliver finished his hex and fired a vortex of dark flame toward him. He burst through the last mana wall, shattering its defenses and taking on the hex head-on.
Once the hex splashed onto Archie¡¯s body, Archie felt a sudden feeling of resistance and exhaustion fall upon him for a moment before it vanished completely. His physical might bulldozed him through the hex and made him deliver a punch that smashed into Oliver¡¯s chest, sending him flying into his tent.
Charging once more, Archie launched himself into Oliver¡¯s large tent, ignoring the tingling feeling from the back of his head as he passed through the entrance of the tent. As his body fully entered the tent, Archie found Oliver crashed into a wooden log at the far end of the tent.
All along the sides of the tent were tables filled to the brim with various vials filled with different colored liquids with some sort of sigil-ridden large ritual circle, dyed in red. Some vials shattered around Oliver¡¯s downed form, with their contents staining the ground under him. Upon noticing the liquids on the ground Archie also noticed the mana that flowed into Oliver¡¯s hand.
Oliver¡¯s hand wreathed in dark mana sent a pulse through the tent, making Archie¡¯s surroundings vanish completely and vanishing his senses.
Unlike the feeling he got whenever he activated Soul Link or Spirit Bond, the feeling of his senses felt sickly, murky, and vile.
Archie found his senses returned, once more finding himself atop the same cliff where he lost his best friend and brother, Daniel.
Daniel looked just as he did the day he lost him; purple short-sleeved shirt with the logo of their favorite band, overly baggy jeans, his stupidly long curly brown hair that he¡¯d told him constantly to cut. But unlike when he remembered him, there was a distinct lack of blood and torn flesh.
¡°You okay Archie?¡± Daniel asked him, his brown eyes staring at him with concern as he let his bike lean on his hip.
The feelings that he felt he¡¯d buried surged the moment he saw his previously dead friend come to life. Feelings that he knew were destructive resurfaced, he knew this was from the curse Oliver activated.
But his previously dead friend stood in front of him alive. Maybe he could use something like Spirit Bond or Soul Link to revive him. He had a spirit crystal; couldn¡¯t that hold his friend¡¯s soul and spirit before he died?
Chewing the inside of his lip, Archie tackled Daniel into a hug, making Daniel¡¯s bike fall to the ground. The moment his arms wrapped around his friend; Archie knew for certain that his hopes of reviving his friend were dashed.
The previously warm human flesh was replaced with solidified mana, devoid of anything that made him real. The previous air of excitement and joy that surrounded Daniel was gone, absent of anything.
¡°You alright man?¡± Daniel asked, awkwardly patting Archie¡¯s back, taken aback by his friend¡¯s sudden actions. ¡°If you¡¯re not feeling well, we can go back.¡±
Archie¡¯s hands grabbed fistfuls of Daniel¡¯s shirt, his words only reaffirming his decision. Blinking away the tears that welled up, Archie chewed the inside of his lip, ¡°I always thought of you as my brother.¡±
¡°Ah¡Thanks, man,¡± Daniel awkwardly replied. ¡°I always considered us as such, with you know¡¡±
Archie knew he was referring to his family. Daniel being the third of five children, was ignored by his siblings and parents and eventually completely forgotten as he grew older. He¡¯d spent most of his time out of school at Archie¡¯s home where they would play until sunset.
By the time sophomore year of high school reared its head, Daniel effectively had been living alone and working part-time to live. He¡¯d run himself ragged, just trying to earn enough money to be able to eat anything more than cheap ramen noodles.
The moment Archie found out, he applied for a part-time job and decided that he was going to be his roommate, leaving no room for Daniel to argue. His family was against it at first, who would let their son who was barely sixteen leave the house and survive on their own when they were well off enough to support them.
But after hundreds of promises and a long conversation with both his Mother and Father and another long conversation with his Father, he gained their blessings to strike out on his own.
Was it something that he initially took for granted, when he used to live with his family? Yes, but with how much fun he had, spending it with his best friend and seeing him smile¡it was worth every moment of suffering he went through.
The moment we became friends, we signed a contract whether or not we knew it, that we would help the other, through thick and thin.
¡°I¡¯m gonna miss you,¡± Archie croaked as he pulled himself from the hug and stared at Daniel¡¯s face, before exploding his mana from his body, destroying the mana constructs that surrounded his mind.
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Whether subconsciously or not, Archie did not know, but Daniel replied, ¡°Kick ass you Adrenaline Junkie.¡±
Finding himself back inside Oliver¡¯s tent, Archie¡¯s eyes furrowed in anger as he stared at Oliver¡¯s now upright form. The anger and contempt that filled Oliver¡¯s eyes were massively overwhelmed by the sheer amount of bloodlust that radiated from Archie.
¡°You thought you could fuck with me like that?¡± Archie seethed as he glared at Oliver, each step resounding throughout the tent.
Oliver subconsciously took a step back in hesitance, his mana that he was able to effortlessly control failed him. His mind drew a blank at what to do as Archie approached him.
Fear flooded Oliver¡¯s mind for the first time in his life.
His control over the mana he lorded over all in the Tutorial, was faltered by the emotion of fear. He hadn¡¯t felt fear when he killed his father, nor when he killed anyone who got in his way¡so why¡ why was he afraid of the man in front of him?
Archie blurred, his vines latching onto Oliver¡¯s right leg and yanking him off his feet before Archie flooded his fist with a surge of mana and stamina and punched downward into Oliver¡¯s horizontal form.
The blow ripped through Oliver¡¯s chest, crushing his heart, and caved the floor under Oliver¡¯s tent and sent them into the hollowed hill below.
Falling down the hollowed hill, Archie took notice of the cage-filled bottom; filled with many low-leveled F-Grades. While a pile of corpses is decorated around an enormous ritual circle.
Landing in a crouch, a meter away from Oliver¡¯s prone form, Archie flinched back as the stench of the hollowed hill flooded his nose. This is where he hid most of the people that he kidnapped, Archie concluded as he looked at the dozens of people trapped in cages, barely alive.
He wanted to believe that the number of people in cages above were the only ones¡but he was unfortunately wrong.
Making his way towards one of the cages, Archie turned his back to Oliver, intent on releasing the people Oliver held captive.
Just as Archie was about to exit the large ritual circle, Archie felt the ambient mana around him explode with both dark mana and¡vital energy?
The ritual circle underneath him turned crimson red as all the F-Grades within the cages and the corpses that surrounded the circle shriveled.
Just as the flood of both dark mana and vital energy suddenly appeared, so did the words that croaked from the being behind him.
¡°Plead of the Consort.¡±
As Archie¡¯s vision flooded with a bright crimson light, his adrenaline spiked as both he and Oliver disappeared from the Group Tutorial.
Blinking, Archie found himself in a lavish room that radiated luxury. Decorated with items that he was sure would make even the wealthiest of homes look like a dirt shack.
In the center of the room was a woman who made even the most beautiful woman on earth look like a dishrag. She looked¡impossible. Far too perfect to be natural.
The being in front of him was a god.
And judging by the rush of adrenaline that flooded through his being, he was right. The only one who made his adrenaline act this was The Primal Tyrannous. While he wasn¡¯t leaking blood from every orifice, his adrenaline rushed through him erratically.
Lilith stared at Archie with amusement¡a human¡ an E-Grade, completely immune to her charms, far more than her little consort Oliver. Interesting, Lilith thought as she exuded even more of her aura, pushing against the constraints of the system.
Even as she exuded more of her aura, Archie remained stalwart, glaring at her. He¡¯d come to the realization of where he was.
¡°Welcome to my abode,¡± Lilith spoke, breaking the silence between them. She had long since dismissed Oliver to one of her servants to let him recover from his nearly fatal injuries.
Oliver was blessed by a goddess, a demonic one judging by what he¡¯d done to himself and others, and brought him to her. Why? He didn¡¯t know, probably for her to take revenge for him.
¡°The hell do you want¡± Archie glowered at Lilith, brows furrowing as her eyes flooded with various colors before stopping at a deep red, almost crimson color, and leaning towards him.
¡°Become mine,¡± Lilith spoke, her voice resonating with the mana around them.
¡°No,¡± Archie replied, staring directly at her. He wasn¡¯t a tool to be commanded by anyone¡¯s beck and call. He felt disgusted by the notion of becoming a belonging to anyone. He was his own boss, that was final.
Lilith masked her surprise and joy from Archie¡¯s response as she took steps forward. Once she was face to face with Archie, she flooded the entire room with her desire and mana; ¡°Become Mine.¡±
Archie felt the mana try to invade his mind, but just as it was about to enter his mind, he felt the adrenaline within him boil. Releasing a guttural roar from his throat, ¡°No!¡± subconsciously activating Primal Roar.
The mana Archie exploded, making his form shine a golden light before vanishing from Lilith¡¯s domain. The last thing he felt was a familiar pressure that descended atop his shoulders.
Looking at where Archie stood, Lilith spoke aloud, ¡°This is the first blessed you¡¯ve had in many cycles. I am very surprised you did not intervene¡Normally you refuse any god to come into contact with your blessed unless they¡¯ve grown themselves to a degree.¡±
¡°You¡¯ve essentially kidnapped my blessed,¡± Bralmir¡¯s voice echoed throughout Lilith¡¯s domain. ¡°And attempted to steal him from me.¡±
¡°Are you attempting to steal away my blessed?¡± Bralmir inquired, his bloodlust exploding throughout Lilith¡¯s domain. His voice boomed throughout her domain, the various decorations catching themselves aflame. ¡°Or was this a practical joke?¡±
¡°I was just testing the waters,¡± Lilith chuckled, staring at Bralmir who appeared behind her. ¡°You¡¯ve been absent for many a cycle¡Forgive me for letting my curiosity get the best of me.¡±
¡°But seeing as you sent one of your avatars into my domain,¡± Lilith continued. ¡°It seems as though I might have taken this a bit too far.¡±
¡°You have,¡± ¡®Bralmir¡¯ replied. ¡°Should I do the same to your newest consort? To get even?¡±
¡°He is a golden seed of mine¡as weak as he is, he holds potential,¡± Lilith replied, her tone leveled and her eyes turned into a color reminiscent of void. ¡°Your blessed destroyed one of his hearts. What more could you want?¡±
Bralmir gave no response and continued spreading his bloodlust throughout her domain, raging the flames that devoured through Lilith¡¯s domain.
¡°Fine,¡± Lilith relented, sending a blast of mana to try and subdue the flames that devoured her domain, but to no avail. ¡°¡What do you want?¡±
Archie found himself within the hollowed hill, atop a destroyed ritual circle. Breathing a sigh of relief, Archie spat out the wad of blood in his throat before controlling his vital energy to repair his destroyed vocal cords.
Looking at where Oliver lay previously, Archie found his body gone. But after a check of his notifications, Archie knew he''d survived from having his heart crushed. After all, it never mentioned him being slain.
For fucks sake, he''s like a cockroach.
Looking at the Group Tutorial page, Archie sighed once more.
Group Tutorial
The 72nd cycle has begun; thus, a tutorial is needed to increase the survivability of the newly integrated myriad races. The Emernigan Isle is filled with various creatures from across the universe, each providing Tutorial Points upon their death to their killer. Tutorial Points can be exchanged between individuals, as a form of currency. Tutorial Points will be used to gain rewards after the full tutorial is completed.
Completion Criteria: Survive for 60 days
Number of Survivors: 541/1250
Time Remaining: 13 days & 00:01:16
He needed to get those other sigils quickly and prepare for the Final Boss, especially the empowered variant.
Ch 75 - The Raid III
Archie glanced over at all the notifications he¡¯d ignored till now.
*[Human Thrall Lv 56//Dark Bulwark Lv 65//Novice Carpenter Lv 15] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 20561 Tutorial Points given*
***
*[Human Thrall Lv 62//Curseguard Lv 68//Novice Smith Lv 25] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 22852 Tutorial Points given*
*[Demonic Human Lv 52//Dark Archer Lv 58//Tailor Lv 27] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 25471 Tutorial Points given*
***
*[Demonic Human Lv 59//Curse Weaver Lv 67//Novice Tailor Lv 13] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 28681 Tutorial Points given*
*[Cambion Lv 65//Alchemist of Lilith Lv 73] has forsaken the tutorial by your hand ¨C 215801 Tutorial Points have been given*
Looking them over, he¡¯d killed twenty people and gained a lot of Tutorial Points. He¡¯d more than doubled the previous number of Tutorial Points he previously had, not counting Oliver¡¯s Tutorial Points. Including Oliver¡¯s Tutorial Points, he now had over a million Tutorial Points.
Speaking about Oliver, the message he¡¯d received proved that Oliver did in fact survive, but seemed to have given up on the Tutorial. How does that work? Archie wondered. Is it because he got healed by whoever that goddess was? Was she Lilith?
Maybe. But from what he heard in passing, Lilith was supposed to be married to Lucifer¡but then again, as Thalindra said before, records of gods and goddesses get muddled when integrating into a new universe over time.
As he made his way towards Michael¡¯s vital spark, still within the hollowed hill. To his dismay, with his Vital Sight active, not a single person was alive within the cave, safe for himself.
Reaching the wall that faced Michael¡¯s direction and with the least amount of vital sparks around it, Archie cocked back his fist.
It made more sense as he thought back on it, considering what Oliver said to activate the ritual, ¡®Plead of the Consort¡¯. Oliver was considered as Lilith¡¯s consort; he really wasn¡¯t sure why. Oliver was an E-Grade, while she was a goddess, why would she want him as a spouse?
Funneling more mana and stamina into Adrenaline Rush, Archie¡¯s fist smashed against the wall, creating thin spiderweb-like cracks across the wall. It also told him that a good couple of punches would break open an exit for him.
But then again, it wasn¡¯t his business. Considering how Syllia acted when he was talking with and about Bralmir, people would say the same thing about him. How he did not deserve the blessing of the Forgefather.
He was just a fledgling in forging, where trillions of people were leagues better than him. The only reason why he gained Bralmir¡¯s blessing was because of his daughter''s request. But using that blessing he gained a friend, and with that, he gained a Profession that he was fond of, and even managed to regain skills he previously lost.
Activating Relentless Flurry, Archie¡¯s fist smashed through the stone walls of the hill with ease, sending rubble and dirt bursting forward into the cult. The rubble and dirt hit everyone in the blast range and destroyed a few poorly made tents.
So, it really wasn¡¯t any of his business about who she wanted as her consort. Same with other people not having any business about him and Bralmir. So, any notions of him being undeserving of being blessed didn¡¯t matter to him, he was going to be a god, he was going to build cool shit and fight stronger people.
Walking out of the hill, Archie had a bemused, guilty expression as he looked at everyone who got blasted with dirt and rubble, glaring at him with their weapons aimed at him.
¡°Uh¡Sorry,¡± Archie replied guiltily, slightly raising his hands in an apologetic matter. ¡°I solved the Oliver problem.¡± Archie continued, trying to ease the annoyance in the eyes of the people he sullied.
The tense mood that surrounded them eased, but no one celebrated, everyone understood that they were still within enemy lines, and celebrations would have to wait until they reached camp.
Making his way towards Michael who was beside Sarah, who was casting a spell on one of the Dark Archers¡something that he was confused about; the mages he killed were: Curse Weavers, Dark Adepts, Darkflame Casters, the other E-Grade versions of Warriors and Vanguards were similar in the sense where they varied in their evolution name.
But all the Archers he killed were called Dark Archers, weird¡Did they not do any alchemy to try poisoning their arrows? Archie wondered before a thought came to him. Did Oliver make sure to prevent them from doing any alchemy? To prevent them from accidentally concocting something that would get rid of the brainwashing?
That would make a lot of sense if that were the case, Archie continued, remembering what James told him. Whenever people evolved there was a chance that the brainwashing came undone¡ Maybe the energies of the multiverse that flooded into them removed the effects of brainwashing for some people. I mean brainwashing should count as an abnormality if they were being forced to think in a way by someone else.
But that left him with another question; why would only a few people be cured of their brainwashing? From what he remembered from his conversations with Cyric when he was teaching him magic and Bralmir when he wanted to doze off while going through the F-Grade sections of the jungle.
When you evolve your race, your injuries are cured; scars, abnormalities, and many more¡ but they do come with limitations.
Such limitations include race changes; you cannot just change your race, you need rituals, artifacts, or anything that has the records to do so. Another is your bloodline, something Bralmir informed him about.
No matter what you do, change race, clone yourself, etc¡ it does not matter, your bloodline never leaves you unless you die. For it is intrinsically tied to you, and not even the system can take that away from you.
When asked about why anyone would try to get rid of their bloodline, Bralmir reminded him of how some bloodlines can be curses. He¡¯d told him a story about a bloodline that used to exist long ago called the Wraithspirit Legacy.
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The wielders of the bloodline were able to phase through all aspects of matter, making them masters of combat, as all attacks could phase through them. But with every evolution, they would start to phase from a certain realm, permanently. Essentially turning them into a ghost in a metaphorical sense where no one can see them, nor are they able to interact with anyone. They would lose their physical forms entirely.
They could only watch from afar until their souls reached their Grades¡¯ Racial, lifespan limit. Where they would officially die.
It was a sobering moment for Archie when he learned how¡cursed a bloodline could be. It didn¡¯t matter what rituals you¡¯ve done or could do; you could not remove your bloodline from yourself.
As Archie stood next to Michael, Michael got up from his crouch and nodded to him. ¡°Is Oliver dead? Your wording was¡off to say the least.¡±
¡°A god intervened,¡± Archie replied, shaking his head. ¡°But he¡¯s been removed from the Tutorial at the very least.¡±
¡°A God?¡± Michael questioned. ¡°Why would God care about a devil worshipper like him?¡±
¡°Not God with a capital G, there are more than one,¡± Archie informed him. ¡°In the multiverse, once you surpass S-Grade you become a god. Think of them as super strong people who can live forever, but still can be killed.¡±
¡°I¡Uh,¡± Michael replied, his brain trying to wrap around the concept of gods being real. He had long since abandoned the notion of God existing, after spending years in war-torn countries. ¡°How do¡ How do you know about this?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve been blessed by one,¡± Archie replied nonchalantly while deactivating his skills as it seemed as though the raid had ended judging by the number of enslaved people being rounded up in front of the healers and cured from their brainwashing.
The ones who were cured were currently vomiting their guts out and sobbing. Their memories catching up on what they¡¯ve done.
It was sad really, they never wanted to do what they had, but they had no choice in the matter. He didn¡¯t know what they were forced to do, but with what he saw in the hollowed hill and the cages around him¡ it wasn¡¯t anything a quick visit to the physiatrist could fix.
Hearing the screams behind him, he saw James and others beheading those who were still screaming about Oliver being their messiah.
¡°Those were the ones who were never brainwashed,¡± Omar replied from beside him, looking just as he normally did, minus an arm. ¡°They get what they deserve, disgusting demon-worshiping demons. All of them deserve their deaths and more.¡±
¡°You alright there?¡± Archie asked a bit taken aback by the vitriol from Omar¡¯s voice.
¡°Of course, the Tutorial is now clean of the demonic filth that stained it,¡± Omar smiled, a bit too unnervingly in Archie¡¯s opinion. Then his expression changed suddenly, ¡°Apologies, I forgot to properly introduce myself, I¡¯ve been blessed by the Farlight, the Fourth Seat in the Celestial Choir. I greet thee, blessed of the Forgefather.¡±
¡°Hi, to you too,¡± Archie replied awkwardly. He didn¡¯t know who Farlight was or what the Fourth Seat in the Celestial Choir meant, but seeing as how Omar wasn¡¯t trying to capture and experiment on him, he was alright, if not a bit too fanatical. ¡°So, what are you guys gonna do now?¡±
¡°Now that the demonic humans are being taken care of and Oliver is gone, I can go practice my light magic and ask more tips from Cyric before the Assistant Village disappears from the Tutorial.¡± Omar replied.
¡°But isn¡¯t Cyric an undead?¡± Archie asked confused at Omar¡¯s words. ¡°With the whole light speech you gave earlier, I thought vamps would be an affront to the ¡®Light¡¯.¡±
¡°No, of course not,¡± Omar replied taken aback. ¡°The undead have a good relationship with the Celestial Choir, the war between the Celestial Choir and the Undead Wake ended long ago.¡±
Oh, Archie thought as he took in that piece of information. That¡¯s cool, typically the undead and the Light always wage war against each other in every piece of media he¡¯d consumed. So, learning that the war between them had ended was nice.
¡°The issue with demons is the inherent sins they have,¡± Omar continued. ¡°All demons have a major sin they represent, some even more. The sins are the issue of their race, they refuse to rein in their sins. They ruin the songs of others and many civilizations due to their sins.¡±
¡°I get how the Sin of Lust would be horrible, but not the others. Could you explain why?¡± Archie asked, why would the Sins of Pride and Sloth be bad? Was it bad to be Prideful? Or Lazy?
¡°Demons inherently spread their sins to others, and depending on the strength of the demon, the intensity of their sin on those around them,¡± Omar explained, his face steeled and his eyes slightly glossed over as though he was lost in a memory. Which made no sense to Archie as the only time they met demons was now.
¡°Their sins overtake the minds of others, and influence them in ways that they previously wouldn¡¯t,¡± Omar continued. ¡°Think of Evelyn being around a demon with the Sin of Envy. Everything you know about her would change, as she would be brainwashed against her will.¡±
¡°But you''re painting a broad stroke on people you¡¯ve never met,¡± Archie pointed out, they¡¯d only been in the Tutorial for a bit over a month and a half. And the only full demon they¡¯d met was Oliver. ¡°How do you know all of them are like that? What if there are those who hold in their Sin? The only demon you¡¯ve met is Oliver, maybe the rest of them are pretty chill people like the Assistants.¡±
Besides Primal Tyrannus was called the Primal Wrath of Dragons, and he was pretty sure Wrath was a part of the Seven Deadly Sins. And while he almost killed him with just a glance, he also gave him a boon. Maybe it¡¯s just a demon thing, Archie mused. But then again, I felt overwhelmed by the sheer anger and rage Primal Tyrannus radiated.
¡°¡I understand that,¡± Omar replied, his tone somber. ¡°When I accepted the blessing of Fourth Seat, he let me glimpse into his memories of demons¡it was¡ it overwhelms me even now when I think about them.¡±
¡°But, as you said, I intend on seeing them with my own eyes to confirm whether they are evil or not.¡± Omar continued before he placed his hand on Archie¡¯s shoulder before going to help the other members of their raid group with rounding up the last of the enslaved people. ¡°The Fourth Seat challenged me to find a demon that isn¡¯t.¡±
¡°That was something,¡± Michael said, breaking the awkward silence that Omar left behind. ¡°Gods and all.¡±
¡°Yeah, took me for a loop when I learned about them,¡± Archie replied, before turning to face Michael and staring at him. ¡°I tell you what I was told by my patron, Bralmir; ¡®Don¡¯t try to insult gods, unless you got god protection. Think of them as strong people, and just like people, when given power some are assholes.¡¯¡±
Thankfully he got god protection from Bralmir and was told to stand my ground whenever someone tries to pull their god¡¯s weight on me. And that he would take care of any issues that would arise if a god tried to do something.
¡°Yeah¡I¡¯ll see what I can do about god protection¡ sometime in the future,¡± Michael muttered softly, lost in his own thoughts about how he was going to protect his son with all the chaos running amok in the multiverse.
¡°Anything else, you guys need?¡± Archie asked, seeing as how the raid was now over.
¡°¡No, everything should be¡done,¡± Michael replied, shaking himself from his thoughts and looking over at the last few people that remained within the ruined cult and the group of people waiting outside for his command.
¡°Thank you, for your help,¡± Michael said to Archie before a guilty look came across his face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for acting like an ass earlier, but I needed to show that I needed to be taken seriously and that this was no joking matter.¡±
Archie waved him off, ¡°I get it. No sweat off my back, I understood the severity of what was going on. So, no hard feelings from me.¡±
¡°You¡¯re a good man,¡± Michael smiled, offering Archie a handshake, which he accepted. ¡°Any plans you have now?¡±
¡°Gonna finish up a couple of projects and finish a few more dungeons,¡± Archie answered. ¡°And you?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve got to deal with the new additions to the camp and level up,¡± Michael chuckled.
Ch 76 - Hidden Temple I
Archie found himself in the jungle once more, not that far off from where Oliver¡¯s cult was weirdly enough. But then again, the more he had explored, the more he''d found the island wasn¡¯t as large as he thought.
There were invisible boundary lines along the edges of the jungle and some in the ocean, effectively locking them in the island. Which made sense to Archie, it was a tutorial, which in most games was a locked space where you learn the basics before being thrust into the real game, which in this case was the Multiverse.
Which made him question if the system¡¯s protection would end the moment the whole Tutorial ended.
Would it be done that fast? Even when the majority of the people on Earth would still be E-Grade at most? When E-Grade was effectively the lowest grade someone could be in the Multiverse.
Who knows, the system aspect might provide him with some insight into the matter at the end of the Tutorial. No need to rush to conclusions when he¡¯d get his answers in less than two weeks¡¯ time.
Besides, worst case, he grabs his family and takes them to the Nature¡¯s Covenant for protection. If that requires him to become a full member of the Covenant and deal with all those responsibilities, then so be it.
Focusing back on the Compass of Desire, Archie saw its needle start to spin uncontrollably whilst glowing brightly. He was close to the Sigil Dungeon.
But where was it?
He was in the decayed part of the jungle that overlooked Oliver¡¯s cult, a bit deeper than where the raid group and himself walked through previously, and closer to where he killed the Verdant Serpent.
Everything around him was decayed and rotten, leaving no signs of the jungle¡¯s previous splendor. The trees that previously towered over him were now withered and twisted, their mahogany bark became sickly and covered in patches of moss and lichen.
The vibrant grass was now dead, surrounded by fallen, decayed logs, rotting creatures that failed to escape the rot, and other dead foliage.
All in all, it was miserable, especially with what he felt with his Nature Affinity and compared it with the other healthy parts of the jungle and the dinosaur jungle.
Sending a large pulse of nature mana into the environment around him, he activated Material Insight.
Kapok Log:
A decayed Kapok tree native to the Emernigan jungles. Its wood, previously sought after by various Woodsmiths for its iron-like durability and deep red mahogany coloring is now rotten and decayed; rendering its previous properties null.
***
Rotten Whitecap:
A white-capped mushroom commonly found clinging to rotting logs in dense rotting jungle environments, where death and decay are abundant.
Archie also felt his Material Insight failed to work on something below the decayed Kapok log he stood on.
Lifting the decayed log up, revealed a dirtied emerald sphere. Touching the sphere brought up its dungeon notification.
Dungeon of the Hidden Temple
Objective: Slay the Temple Guardian
Reward: ? & ?
Requirements: Must be a Tutorial Participant.
Warning: Only parties of up to five members may enter, and only one party is permitted at a time.
Curious, Archie dug around the dirtied, emerald sphere and found it being held up by a dirtied and¡singed¡ stone pillar with various texts inscribed onto it. Guess this is the temple, just entombed in dirt.
Checking that he had everything he needed on him and enough room in his spatial storage, he mentally accepted the dungeon¡¯s entrance request. Something that he learned he could do, similar to reading his status page.
He¡¯d previously gone to his base to dump almost all of his cores, save for the Emberlash Eudromaeosaur Beastcores and Verdant Serpent Beastcore, almost all of his frostiron, the Sigil-ridden furniture he took from the Shaman profession dungeon, and the Miniature of Primal Wrath.
It left him with a good portion of free space in his spatial storage and his forging equipment. And judging by its name, he was hopeful that like the Jungle Temple in Thalindra¡¯s dungeon, it would be full of dense nature mana, which meant stronger nature spirits.
Blinking, Archie found himself standing before an enormous jungle, far larger than the one on Emernigan Isle¡ªand far richer with nature mana.
His gaze was drawn upward to a massive stone temple, its towering structure entwined with the gnarled roots of massive ancient trees atop it. And on the tip of the temple was the sphere-shaped emerald he¡¯d seen before.
The temple¡¯s stone walls bore the scars of both time and battle, their weathered surfaces pitted and cracked. Fragments of broken spears, swords, shields, bows, and staves lay embedded in the walls, trees, and ground. It was as if the temple itself had been the epicenter of a battle whose echoes lingered in the air.
Activating Material Insight, Archie quickly identified the stone walls as Laterite. A material that was only good for building primitive housing and pretty shitty for anything else.
Walking up the cracked, Laterite steps, Archie approached the massive stone door that blocked his entrance inside the temple. He took in the twin lacerations carved deep into its surface, partially covered by gnarled roots, gouging out parts of the intricately carved designs.
He reached out, ripping off the stray roots that clung to the right door, and tossing them behind him. With them out of the way, Archie pressed his palms against the Laterite door and pushed.
The Laterite door grated against the stone interior, creating a reverberating rumble. The noise silenced the ambient jungle sounds, leaving an almost oppressive stillness in its wake.
Standing for a moment and taking in the silence, Archie waited for something to happen, but when nothing did, he stepped into the temple.
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Its interior was in tatters, destroyed Laterite shelves, tables, and stands decorated the entranceway. The flooring is decorated with a thick layer of dust and¡stone? Probably from the boots of whoever invaded before, Archie thought as he looked at the two paths beside him and the even larger stone door in front of him.
Walking to the door, Archie pushed against it, but it did not budge. Looking around the door, Archie pushed aside the Laterite rubble and found two sockets, one on each bottom side of the door¡¯s frame. Looks like I gotta find some jewels, Archie smiled as he walked down the left path.
As he walked down the Laterite hallway, he looked out of the few pattered, glassless windows that poorly lit the hallway. From a different look into the front ¡®yard¡¯ of the temple, it did look like a battle took place previously.
Suddenly goosebumps flared across the right side of his neck, making him lunge his right arm forward clutching something in his grip. He felt something leathery and furry within his grasp, that squirmed.
Looking at his palm, grip still strong, he felt something peck against his bracers as he grabbed the creature. With a firm squeeze, a pained squeal screeched from the thing in his grasp as its invisibility faded, revealing his attacker to be a giant, furry mosquito creature.
Its body, was covered in coarse, bristled fur that shimmered an iridescence color. The creature¡¯s spindly legs ended in hooked claws that scraped against Archie¡¯s chestpiece as it writhed in pain from Archie¡¯s grip. Large compound grey eyes stared at him, reflecting his mask. On its back were translucent, bee-shaped wings that buzzed frantically, produced no sound, and only seemed to vibrate the air around it.
¡°What the fuck,¡± Archie muttered as he frowned in disgust as its long, floppy, moist snout tried to touch his mask.
Identifying the creature gave him a name to put to the creature he caught. Which really didn¡¯t suit it; as it looked far more mosquito than locust.
[Chameleon Locust Lv 87]
¡°Looks like these would be perfect against mages and healers, perfect assassin types,¡± Archie noted as he crushed its neck and let it drop to the floor. ¡°But anyone decked in plated armor should find these¡big guys¡a nuisance if they get hit by them. Not sure if archers would fall for their camouflage as their perception stat might be high enough to detect them instantly. But considering how I was able to detect this one hovering by my neck, they should be able to detect them from a far further distance.¡±
*[Chameleon Locust Lv 87] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 1131 Tutorial Points given*
Now that Archie knew he wasn¡¯t alone anymore, he activated Vital Sight¡ªonly to quickly realize he was even less alone than he had thought in the hallway.
Archie quickly counted at least fourteen of them, scattered across the hallway¡What the fuck is that? Archie thought as he is stared at a large blob of vital energy with many similar-looking vital sparks constantly moving around, slightly below where he stood.
The large blob of vital energy was in a room at the end of the hallway, guarded by the locusts in front of him.
"One thing at a time," Archie muttered before activating Adrenaline Rush at 10% and Thornscourge Expansion. He charged towards the first locust, punching its head into the wall it crawled on, easily caving in its skull, and splattering its contents across the wall.
Pivoting, Archie punched the torso of a locust trying to jump, punching through its squishy torso with ease and sending it splattering across the hallway. This is way too easy, Archie smiled before immediately schooling himself. He was in a dungeon, things could get bad fast, no need to jinx anything.
The noise of Archie¡¯s impacts alerted the other locusts to give up on their camouflage and charge at the lower-level prey in front of them.
A smile grew on Archie¡¯s face at the dozen giant locusts who sped towards him.
Kicking off the ground, smashed through one of the locusts with his fist and kicked through another locust before, throwing his center of balance forward to perform a webster axe kick with his other foot, dragging an incoming locust to the ground and crushing it with his boot.
I really should use my legs more often, Archie thought as grabbed the wings of one of the locusts and hurled it at two more flying at him. But as the locust left his hand, he ripped out its wings, producing a shrill screech and making its green blood ooze from behind as it smacked into the two other locusts flying at him.
Sending a surge of nature mana into the vines on his right fist, making the vines explode forward and wrap around the two dazed locusts before the vines grew jagged thorns and started to gyrate, like a chainsaw, before ripping them to shreds.
Archie headbutted a locust that tried to get too close, the thorns around his head, grew both in length and sharpness as they pierced through its soft skull, killing it. As the locust was pierced, it was stuck in front of his face, as such it covered his vision, blinding his physical sight, but not his Vital Sight.
Spearing through the chest of another locust and grabbing two extended snouts with his right hand. Yanking them towards him, he briefly let go of their snouts before crushing both their skulls with both hands.
Staring at the last remaining locust, he shook off the flesh and blood of the locust bits still attached to him before he sent a surge of nature mana into the vines wrapped around his left fist. The vines exploded towards the last locust that was trying to flee. It got less than a foot away before it was wrapped in vines and ripped to shreds.
Activating Forgesmith¡¯s Flame atop his body, the blood, flesh and fur of the locusts that were attached to his body turned to ash and fell to the floor, leaving behind the scent of burnt grass oddly enough.
Walking to the end of the hallway, Archie looked at a seemingly empty room, but his Vital Sight told him otherwise. Grabbing a locust corpse, Archie held it above his head before throwing it down with all his might onto the middle of the floor and watched as it collapsed. Revealing what was the cause of the obscene amount of vital energy¡giant ants.
The ants had an obsidian-black exoskeleton, marked with jagged, sickly green streaks running across their armored bodies. Thin, lean legs with sharp claws on their ends and oversized mandibles¡Is that a nozzle? Archie questioned as he stared at a nozzle-like tube under its chin connected to its exoskeleton, reaching to its bulbous abdomen.
[Venomspitter Ant Lv 88]
Well, poison nozzles, Archie joked before he was about to jump in, but before he did, he remembered what he had in his spatial storage. What a perfect situation, Archie chuckled before taking out three of his Rot Spreading Spheres and flooded them with his mana before chucking them down where the twenty-something ants were awaiting their meal.
Jumping backwards, Archie heard a large explosion before a large burst of sickly reddish-black smoke started to rise from the room and towards him.
As he backstepped away from the smoke, he heard shrill chittering from the ants as they writhed in pain, clawing and scraping at one another. His Vital Sight watching their vital energies start to chip away.
You thought you could trap me, Archie smirked, but it looks like you¡¯ve trapped yourselves.
As the smoke started to dissipate, he jumped into the room below filled with sickly giant ants who weakly twitched in his direction before falling to the ground, exhausted.
Making quick work of the barely living ants with barely any force in his blows, Archie deactivated his skills once the last insect around him died and looked at his notifications.
*[Chameleon Locust Lv 87] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 1131 Tutorial Points given*
***
*[Chameleon Locust Lv 87] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 1131 Tutorial Points given*
*[Venomspitter Ant Lv 88] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 1144 Tutorial Points given*
***
*[Venomspitter Ant Lv 88] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 1144 Tutorial Points given*
*Your Class has reached Lv 73 ¨C Points allocated, +4 Free Points*
Time for some core collection, Archie smiled. He wasn¡¯t sure what he was going to do with the Venomspitter Ant cores, but he did have some uses for the Chameleon Locust cores with some stealth equipment he could make.
¡°Ah,¡± Archie spoke aloud as he remembered that he had to find the jewel.
Ch 77 - Hidden Temple II and....
After kicking around and harvesting the twenty-two Venomspitter Ants Insectoid Cores, he found the jewel he had been looking for, a brilliant cut pink sapphire, large enough to fit both in his palm and into one of the sockets.
Throughout his time killing and harvesting the Venomspitter Ant cores, he¡¯d been circulating his vital energy around him, preventing the weakened rot from affecting him, something the ants had neglected.
The ants in their evolutions seemed to have evolved around the focus of having stronger and larger physical bodies, whilst evolving to have venom that they could spit out. But it seems like they are pretty much screwed when I introduce rot into the equation, Archie mused as he placed the pink sapphire in his back satchel as he was unable to place it within his spatial storage.
Before jumping out of the pit of now-dead ants, Archie looked for the locust he threw down but only found bits and pieces of its flesh before calling it a lost cause.
Now out of the pit, Archie harvested the Chameleon Locust Insectoid Cores and made his way toward the main room. But along the way he took notice of the yard from the glassless windows in the hallway.
It showed an army of Venomspitter Ants and Chameleon Locusts facing down a group of Lizard people. ¡°Hey!¡± Archie yelled, but nothing happened, none of them moved.
He tried to Identify them but, nothing popped up.
As Archie moved toward the next glassless window the still armies moved, getting closer to each other.
Briskly walking down the hall, Archie saw the scene playout in front of him. Venomspitter Ants tearing through a race of lizard people and some in far back spat out venom at their frontline. Chameleon Locusts latching onto the faces of the healers and mages in the back, and either shoving their long snouts down their throats or cutting a part of them open before shoving their snouts into the opening.
Are these scenes of how the temple got invaded by insectoids? Archie mulled over as he passed through the last glassless window in the hallway and entered the main room.
As Archie peered out from the open door, the Venomspitter Ants, Lizard people, and Chameleon Locusts were absent. However, old splotches of acidic stains were now scattered across the temple yard.
Facing towards the last hallway, Archie noticed a similar layout, where a couple dozen flying vital energies roamed the hallway while a large blob of vital energy with many similar-looking vital sparks constantly moved around. But unlike the ants, these vital energies were on the same level as the hallway.
Peeking from behind the hallway frame, he looked to see what the hallway held.
[Hemostinger Wasp Lv 88]
The red and black coated wasps stood in groups of threes, each the size of a pitbull. Their black translucent wings produced a soft hum as they flew across the hall. The other half of their bodies were wickedly barbed stingers, each the size of his forearm. They were the same color as their red compound eyes and their sharp-looking mandibles.
So, is it just their stingers that have Hemotoxin, or do their mandibles have them as well, since they¡¯re the same color? Archie mulled as he stared and counted the wasps. "Twelve," he noted.
Reactivating Adrenaline Rush at 10% and Thornscourge Expansion, Archie lunged at the three wasps closest to the entrance of the hallway.
He smashed his fists into the torsos of the two wasps flanking the three-wasp swarm, then drove his knee into the middle wasp''s head before finishing it off with a crushing blow from his fists.
Landing on the ground, Archie flicked his arms, letting their corpses fall onto the ground. His eyes trained onto the nine remaining wasps that were charging at him.
Archie quickly backstepped away from a barrage of stingers that embedded themselves into the Laterite floor. Quickly activating Savage Charge, Archie slammed knee-first into the middle wasp, sending it crashing into the hallway ceiling. He then grabbed the two others who were propelled by the force of the charge before they could get too far.
Crushing their torsos with his fists, Archie saw the large blob of vital energy in the other room at the end of the hall rush toward him. With them now out of the dark room, Archie was able to see what they were.
[Ashcrawler Termite Lv 91]
Their grey, bulky bodies were covered in heavily plated exoskeletons that glowed faintly with fiery orange cracks alongside the edges of its plated exoskeleton. Their mandibles constantly twitched with every step they took and dripped ash-colored drool onto the floor.
Twelve more, Archie noted before sending a surge of nature mana into the vines around his fists, before they exploded outward, and latched onto another three-wasp swarm. With a flood of more mana and stamina into Adrenaline Rush, Archie slammed the bundle of wasps onto the heads of the termites below.
Archie landed on the head of a termite before kicking off and landing on the hallway wall, dodging another barrage of stingers that sunk into the exoskeletons of a few termites.
Kicking off the wall, Archie lunged towards the last three wasps; piercing through the torsos of the outer two wasps and kneeing the middle wasp, whose head was crushed between Archie¡¯s knee and the hallway ceiling.
Kicking off the ceiling and flipping upside down, Archie funneled even more mana and stamina into his right fist, simultaneously activating Savage Charge atop the head of one of the termites. The blow crushed the head of the termite and smacked the rest into the hallway walls.
Archie quickly flipped himself right way up before activating Relentless Flurry, nature mana flooding the thorns atop his fists, allowing them easy penetration into their bodies and shredding their insides as his fists pulled back.
Deactivating Relentless Flurry, Archie pivoted around before spartan kicking a termite against the wall, their exoskeleton caving in from the kick and leaking green blood. Archie quickly curb-stomped another termite, crushing its head with ease. Nine dead.
Stretching his arms behind his head, Archie made his way towards the three paralyzed termites that were bleeding out from their eyes from the stingers lodged into their bodies.
With three quick stomps, Archie ended their misery and quickly scanned the hallway and empty room beyond that with Vital Sight and found no signs of life.
Deactivating his skills, Archie went to grab the cores of the insectoids he¡¯d killed, but as he tried ripping through the Ashcrawler Termite¡¯s exoskeleton, he felt heavy resistance.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
The hell? Archie thought before covering his hand in a mana blade and easily cutting open its torso before taking out its core. Is that why it was so easy to kill them? Archie wondered. Are they weak to mana-infused abilities?
*[Hemostinger Wasp Lv 88] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 1144 Tutorial Points given*
***
*[Hemostinger Wasp Lv 88] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 1144 Tutorial Points given*
*[Ashcrawler Termite Lv 91] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 1274 Tutorial Points given*
***
*[Ashcrawler Termite Lv 91] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 1274 Tutorial Points given*
*Your Race has reached Lv 72 ¨C Points allocated, +3 Free Points*
Nice, Archie commented as he skimmed through his notifications and looked inside the room where the termites laid in. Confused at the absence of another jewel, Archie activated Forgesmith¡¯s Flame and tried to see if he overlooked it.
Is it in another room? Archie questioned. Do I have to try and find the other jewel by climbing the temple from outside?
As Archie walked back into the hallway, paying attention to the yard from the glassless windows.
The Venomspitter Ants and Chameleon Locusts burst through the glass windows of the left wing of the temple as a giant lizard dressed in loose-fitting robes sent a large burst of fire, that razed the front yard of the temple.
But as the battle continued, the Hemostinger Wasps and Ashcrawler Termites joined into the fray and eventually slaughtered every lizard person, with the giant lizard ripping off its robes, revealing tattooed flesh with a brilliant pink sapphire in its chest.
As it was covered by Venomspitter Ants, Chameleon Locusts, Hemostinger Wasps, and Ashcrawler Termites the lizard¡¯s tattoos that weren¡¯t covered glowed in a vibrant pink color before creating a giant explosion that killed all the bugs around it, sending cracks along the temple and ultimately killing itself.
But as he passed the last glassless window, an even larger swarm of insectoids swarmed the temple.
¡°Damn,¡± Archie muttered as he took in what he¡¯d just witnessed. That giant lizard guy¡ that was manly as fuck. Knowing that he was going to die and willing to take out as much as he could with his dying breath¡ My respects man¡
Walking out of the temple and to where the giant lizard man took his last stand, Archie stared in silence. Weirdly enough even though perhaps hundreds if not thousands of years passed since the battle, judging by the ruined state of the temple, he could still see the outline of the giant lizard.
As he turned around to see if he could jump to the other floors of the temple a glint appeared in his peripheral vision.
Walking towards the glint Archie picked up the last brilliant-cut pink sapphire, smudged with dirt and congealed blood.
¡°I don¡¯t know who you were,¡± Archie muttered as he stared at the giant lizard¡¯s outline. ¡°I know you¡¯re not a Tharki, but some other lizard person. I¡¯ll do what you wish and become your temple¡¯s exterminator.¡±
Standing in front of the sealed door, Archie was about to put the pink sapphires into their sockets but remembered about his Spirit Nucleus.
Taking out his Spirit Nucleus and sitting down in a meditative pose, he activated Spirit Link.
Archie¡¯s vision went dark before thousands of deep green spirits hovered around him, flooding his sight. The sheer number of nature spirits around him took him aback. This was the most he¡¯d ever seen before.
Normally there would be a good amount of nature spirits mixed in with elemental ones, but the spirits around him were purely nature ones.
Whelp, better get started, Archie smiled before funneling the nature spirits into the Spirit Nucleus.
Henry dropped to the ground in a crouch, his armor in tatters, and eyes glazed over. The left side of his body was covered in third-degree burns and cuts, which steamed and bubbled with dark mana before sealing shut, and replaced by fresh pink skin.
His shield and sword fell to the ground, both shattering the moment they touched the ground.
Lifting his head, Henry looked around and found himself back where he¡¯d just barely killed the Ember Hounds. It was so long ago now that he thought about it. The past few days he spent within the Trials of Ragnar were¡exhausting, to say the least.
The Trials of Ragnar were seemingly endless waves of monsters that rushed him until nightfall, where he was given time to rest. When he evolved¡everything changed.
Monster waves never ended even after nightfall, and he was expected to learn how to use his new Class and all the skills that came with it until Ragnar approved of his progress.
Getting off the ground, Henry gave one final look to his broken sword and shield that lay on the ground in pieces. They¡¯d barely been hanging on, their Self-Repair had long since been destroyed from the amount of times they¡¯d been damaged and repaired.
Reorienting himself toward where he remembered the camp being, he sprinted. Excited to tell his fianc¨¦e the good news he learned from Ragnar.
He¡¯d met Ragnar every nightfall, he¡¯d always appear in front of him in the form of a crow. Something about how this was the only way for him to have a physical form within the Tutorial under system regulations.
Nevertheless, from their talks with each other, he learned that Ragnar was some sort of Dark Mage Knight god that for some reason took interest in him. He wasn¡¯t sure why, the first few days he took the trial, he kept yelling at him demanding answers.
It was really embarrassing whenever he thought back on it. Ragnar was helping him out and he was having a temper tantrum. No matter how many times he apologized, Ragnar brushed him off telling him that it was fine.
On the final day of the trial, he completed the last objective: killing a Darkflame Knight twelve levels above his own. When he finally killed the knight, Ragnar finally answered a question he had previously refused, and his answer both shattered and rebuilt his world¡ªhis child was still alive.
As Henry approached the camp, his smile slowly disappeared, and a frown took its place.
The log walls that previously protected the camp were razed to the ground, the tents were turned to ash, and corpses both charred and covered in ash littered the camp. People covered in ash walked around the camp aimlessly. A few others picked up the corpses of others before loading them up on a large wheelbarrow.
¡°The hell!¡± Henry shouted before rushing towards his tent, where he last saw his fianc¨¦e.
Henry¡¯s heart was erratic as he rushed towards where he last saw his fianc¨¦e. Along the way, he saw broken blades and arrows littering the ground, burnt tents, and more corpses.
No¡No¡No¡No!
Henry fell to his knees as he arrived in front of where his tent previously stood and found it razed to the ground. Tears welled up in his eyes as he wailed.
"What was the point of all this?" Henry cried, his voice cracking as he pressed his head into the dirt, fists pounding the ground in anguish. "What was the point of getting stronger if I was just going to lose everything? What was the point of having power if I couldn¡¯t protect the one, I swore to keep safe?"
Suddenly, a voice cut through his torment, sharp and resolute. "She was taken away,"
Henry snapped towards Liv with enough force, he cracked a few bones in his neck before dark mana both steamed and bubbled around his neck briefly, healing the bones he cracked. ¡°Liv¡If you¡¯re fucking with me¡You¡¯re not gonna like what¡¯s gonna happen.¡±
¡°Fook off, Henry,¡± Liv spat. ¡°I ain¡¯t a fookin liar.¡±
Liv stared at Henry and Maria¡¯s tent before looking at Henry. ¡°While you were out doing fook all, we got raided by Kate and Brian¡¯s camp¡ They took all the healers, alchemists, and smiths with them, saying how we need to earn our keep.¡±
¡°Then why are you still here,¡± Henry glared. Liv was the best smith in their Tutorial, why would they pass up on her? ¡°They wouldn¡¯t give you up.¡±
Liv¡¯s face scrunched up before biting down on her lower lip, hard enough for blood to trail out. ¡°That bitch, Kate refused my refusal before leaving me with a gift.¡± Liv turned her palms to reveal fingerless palms, their ends cauterized. ¡°It took me until yesterday till I recovered from my other injuries.¡±
¡°Is Maria alive?¡± Henry asked, staring at her fingerless hands before intensely staring into her eyes. ¡°She was in a coma last I saw her.¡±
¡°I was watching over her when we got raided,¡± Liv replied staring at the burnt-down entrance gate, before shaking her head, as if trying to erase the memory. ¡°It¡it was like¡magic¡± Liv scoffed before continuing, ¡°Moments before we got raided, she woke up and gained a frantic look on her face before grabbing her wand. But by the time she got her bearings together, Kate caught her, and¡ they took her with them.¡±
Henry was quiet as he tried to listen for any signs of deceit from Liv, once he heard none, he spoke. ¡°Are they still eastward of the Assistant village?¡±
¡°You can¡¯t do shit,¡± Liv hissed at Henry. ¡°This ain¡¯t no fookin movie. You¡¯re just one man¡ What the hell can you do!¡±
Henry got up from the ground and stared intensely into Liv¡¯s eyes, ¡°Are they still there?¡±
Liv turned to the ground, trying to grab her left arm with her right, but bit down on her teeth harder as she was reminded yet again of her missing digits. ¡°Yeah,¡± she croaked.
Henry snatched up two fallen blades and sprinted toward Kate and Brain¡¯s camp. He had an entire camp to raze, and god help any soul that stood in the way of a man who was on the mission to save both his lover and child.
Ch 78 - Hidden Temple III
Archie stood in front of the sealed door with both brilliant-cut pink sapphires in hand. Adrenaline Rush at 25%, Thornscourge Expansion, and Spirit Bond already activated with the Spirit Nucleus in his back satchel next to an activated Emberlash Eudromaeosaur Beastcore.
The reason why the Spirit Nucleus lay in his satchel was that he was unable to place it back into his spatial storage. After he finished filling it with nature spirits, he felt a pulse within the Spirit Nucleus, albeit faint, but nevertheless, a pulse, which meant it was a living entity. And he wasn¡¯t allowed to stuff living entities into his spatial storage.
Spirit Nucleus (Epic) - Empty:
The origin for a spirit to physically manifest into the physical plane. The type of spirits imbued into the Spirit Nucleus, along with its environment, determines whether a spiritual entity will form. [Redacted]. [Redacted]. Currently imbued with nature spirits that have an intrinsic tie towards Archie Gracefield¡¯s Greater Nature Affinity, enhancing the Spirit Nucleus¡¯ records. Currently bound to Archie Gracefield.
Weirdly enough, the Spirit Nucleus claimed that it was still empty even though he imbued it with nature spirits until it couldn¡¯t hold anymore. There was something he was missing¡ a ritual of sorts ... maybe, it was something he¡¯d ask Bralmir about once he finished this dungeon.
¡°Hell,¡± Archie chuckled, reminiscing at a memory that suddenly popped into the forefront of his mind. ¡°Maybe I have to wait nine months till this one comes out.¡±
Something he also noticed was the lack of description of what type of nature spirits were used. He wasn¡¯t sure if they were low or moderate nature spirits, but he knew they were more potent than minor or lesser ones. It was odd that the type of nature spirits wasn¡¯t mentioned in the Spirit Nucleus¡¯ description using both Identify and Material Insight.
Putting that aside, Archie placed the pink sapphires into their sockets, making sure his flame-wreathed vines never touched them, slightly afraid that they might be damaged from the heat.
As the first jewel was placed into the right socket a dark green ripple lit up the inscriptions on the right side of the door, as well as bleaching the pink sapphire white.
Placing the second jewel into the left socket, a similar dark green ripple lit up the inscriptions on the left side of the door, as well as bleaching the last pink sapphire white.
The dark green glowing inscriptions sent a pulse of mana that washed over the temple.
Archie took a defensive stance from the sudden pulse but got back into a relaxed one after he felt the nature mana pulse wash over him. ¡°It cleansed me?¡± Archie wondered aloud, confused at the sudden clean sensation that flooded him.
Checking his internal energies he felt...awake, like he took a twelve-hour nap awake.
Wait, did it replenish my reserves? Archie questioned before checking his reserves where he saw that they were fully topped off. ¡°What a great dungeon,¡± Archie chuckled.
After nature mana pulsed from the Laterite door, it creaked open, groaning as it grinded against the uneven Laterite flooring.
¡°Automatic doors,¡± Archie mused before walking through the previously sealed door. ¡°This is just proving the superiority of nature-based dungeons, over other dungeons,¡± Archie smiled. Thalindra''s dungeon was a high-tech simulation dungeon, the dinosaur dungeon had well dinosaurs, and this one has insane storytelling alongside illusions and an automatic door that restores your reserves.
Compared to the other dungeons he¡¯d completed; nature ones were certainly more interesting in Archie''s experience. One he certainly had no bias in nor were there any other viewpoints he was willing to take on.
Walking through the doorway Archie took in the rotunda he found himself within. It was certainly large, spanning half a kilometer in diameter. Along the walls of the rotunda were various inscriptions that now glowed a dark green color with flying dark green tufts of nature mana that lit up the room.
On two opposite ends of the rotunda were twin winding stairs that crept along the rotunda¡¯s walls and as they reached the top the stairs intertwined with themselves, producing a small platform of sorts.
On the laterite floors were various images of lizard people dancing around some sort of hairy worm. The next few images seemingly describe a story of sorts where some lizard person would run into the forest and retrieve some sort of creature. Then, once brought into the rotunda they¡¯d carve out its core and walk up the stairs, all the while people on the ground danced and sung.
Once they reached the top of the stairs, they placed the core on a table, banged together ceremonial cymbals while chanting a few words then¡darkness.
"I guess I know what I have to do next," Archie remarked as he stood before the staircase. He had followed the trail of images on the ground, which had guided him to the stairs, further pushing his belief that this was what he had to do.
Archie quickly ran up the stairs, taking in the scenery. The glossy-looking emerald plates, covered in dust that hugged the walls, the still lizard people that danced as he ran up the stairs, the claw marking that scratched the laterite walls¡claw markings?
Shrugging his head, Archie arrived in front of the table, where atop it were brass ceremonial cymbals. Taking out a Venomspitter Ant Insectoid Core and placing it atop the table, Archie picked up the cymbals.
¡°Uh,¡± Archie muttered while holding up the cymbals. ¡°Dinner¡¯s here you hairy worm,¡± Archie announced before banging the cymbals.
The clash of the symbols resonated throughout the rotunda, tearing through the previous silence. Its echo lingered for a few more moments before silence once again overtook the rotunda.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
¡°Did I fuck up?¡± Archie wondered as he still held up the cymbals when suddenly the rotunda started to shake along with the platform where Archie stood on. Archie quickly grabbed onto the rails, in an attempt to stabilize himself.
Suddenly, Archie heard a deep rumble from above, making him look straight up as something burst through the ceiling.
As Archie first set eyes on the creature, the first words that came to mind were, ¡°That ain¡¯t no hairy worm.¡±
[Temple Guardian Lv 96]
The Temple Guardian¡¯s exoskeleton looked as though it were made from perfectly shined obsidian, its body; far too long for Archie to estimate, but judging how it was still coming out of the ceiling, it was well over 10 meters long and three meters wide. The stringy bits he assumed to be hair were in fact legs¡hundreds of them.
¡°That¡¯s a fucking centipede!¡± Archie shouted, a smile spreading across his face. The centipede chittered in rage as it jerked towards Archie.
He kicked off the railing and jumped away, just before the centipede¡¯s face crashed into the platform. Surging nature mana into the vines around his fists, the vines exploded towards the giant centipede in front of him.
Once they gripped onto its body, Archie was jerked downwards towards the ground. Retracting the vines, Archie flooded stamina into his legs as he crashed feet-first into the centipede.
The blow slammed the centipede into the emerald-plated walls, sending cracks all along the wall, with laterite and emerald rubble falling to the ground.
Surging nature mana around the vines on his feet, he stabilized his feet onto the centipede and twisted forward his body to rain blows onto the centipede. His fists smashed onto its obsidian-plated exoskeleton, the first few blows of Relentless Flurry shattering through its plates and allowing Archie to rip through its fleshy insides.
Archie constantly had to stabilize himself as the centipede kept writhing in pain as they were free falling. Archie kept up his barrage of blows, but as he saw the floor a hundred meters away, he released the vines around his feet and kicked off the centipede¡¯s large body.
Soaring through the air, at his apex Archie grabbed onto the railing of the half-destroyed staircase, before flipping himself to face the ground. He flooded his being with even more mana and stamina, flooding himself with adrenaline as he brought Adrenaline Rush to 35%.
Archie launched himself off the staircase as he saw the centipede crash into the ground, chittering in pain and flooding the bottom floor with dust, semi-obscuring its form.
As Archie launched himself towards the centipede, he activated Savage Charge at its back which kept writhing in pain and spewing sickly green liquid all around it, increasing his speed towards the centipede. He needed to make it stop for a moment, for a good hit.
Taking in a deep breath, Archie felt his throat start to rumble, his smile widening as the rush he felt was soaring. Archie released a guttural roar that resounded throughout the rotunda and temple, shaking everything not bolted onto the ground.
The centipede froze its writhing as a sense of fear flooded its mind, halting its spew of toxic liquid and its feet in place.
Archie felt his vocal cords turn to mush and swallowed both the blood that filled his throat and the shredded flesh, as the moment he landed on the ground he needed to go all out to end the fight without being distracted by his mouth being full of blood and shredded flesh.
Just as Archie smashed both of his fists onto the midsection of the centipede, he activated Impact Dynamo into both his fists, releasing their 50% full contents into its stomach.
The blow exploded off the upper and lower half of the centipede¡¯s body and sent Archie crashing backwards into the wall of the rotunda. The centipede¡¯s halves thrashed around in pain, spewing out its toxic contents and seared flesh with every jerk it made.
When Archie slammed into the wall, he leaned forwards before smashing his shoulders backwards into the wall, popping them back into place. Just as Archie peeled off the wall due to gravity¡¯s call, his feet latched onto the wall for a moment as he dug his vines into the wall before he activated Savage Charge towards the centipede¡¯s head.
Archie crashed onto the skull of the centipede, his blow shattering its exoskeleton-covered head and revealing its twitching flesh. But Archie lunged to smash its two Ocelli in the front with his right fist and smashed his other fist into its head. Flooding nature mana into the vines around his fists, vines exploded throughout its body, ripping through its tough, corded muscle before Archie made the thorns start gyrating like a chainsaw, shredding its muscles and turning its insides to liquid.
Archie kept himself stable onto the centipede by digging the vines around his feet into its body and covering himself with Material Carapace as the Sentinel Platiniteshell covered his upper body and head. Thus, allowing him to negate the damage from being slammed into the wall from the writhing centipede and shielding him from the splotches of toxic liquid that covered the floor of the rotunda.
After what felt like riding the greatest roller coaster of his life, the centipede slowly came to a halt before collapsing onto the floor and laying in its toxic fluids.
¡°That..was¡¡± Archie croaked, ¡°fun,¡± his vocal cords slightly repaired from the repeated use of Leeching Strikes of Fury, as he funneled the leeched vital energy to repair the minor fractures across his limbs and vocal cords.
Suddenly Archie felt goosebumps flare across his back as he quickly spun around blocking his face and torso with his Sentinel Platiniteshell shields from his bracers as moments later, the second half of the centipede lunged at him, smashing him into the rotunda wall behind him.
Archie¡®s breath left his lungs as he slammed into the wall, causing him to heave at the sudden loss of air. Archie felt it spew its toxic fluids onto his body and its mandibles start to squeeze him into.
Archie started to laugh as toxins covered his form and its mandibles grinded against his armor.
When he was shredding its upper body with Thornscourge Expansion he felt somewhat upset. As if this dungeon was too easy. While the story of battle here that he learned was cool, the insects were far too easy to deal with, as though they were simply balloons filled with XP, and he had shredded through them with barely a sweat.
But now¡now, this was fun. This is why Nature Affinity dungeons are amazing.
Archie flooded his body with more mana and stamina, raising Adrenaline Rush to 45%, staining his steam-encompassed body a dark red, highlighting his flame-wreathed vines under the centipede¡¯s toxins.
Archie commanded the vines around his body to jut out thorns in every direction before making them jerk around his body, not unlike a chainsaw. Archie felt his thorns grind into the centipede¡¯s mandibles; the rumbling from his thorns was akin to music to his ears.
Archie grit his teeth as he puffed out his chest against the giant centipede¡¯s insane jaw strength, giving him purchase to move each of his arms to wrap around the mandibles that locked him in place.
With a roar of joy, Archie ripped off the centipede¡¯s mandibles and launched himself into its shocked face. His knee smashing across its jaws and destroying its inner fangs and the vines around his hand created a thorn that pierced into its skull before, like the blade on a chainsaw, it started to shred through its skull and its contents allowing Archie to easily yank his knee back, ripping through its face completely.
As the centipede fell backwards in pain, Archie pressed on forwards, activating Relentless Flurry. His blows shredded through the exoskeleton armor that was supposed to protect the centipede with ease.
As Archie was about to pull his fists back once more to continue his barrage of blows he saw its vital energy bottom out, completely drained out.
Standing atop its corpse, Archie let out a breath of air, smiling as he did. ¡°I love Nature Affinity dungeons.¡±
Ch 79 - How can I make my bike fly?
Archie stood atop the lower half of the defeated Temple Guardian¡¯s corpse, his active skills now deactivated. He gazed toward the entrance of the boss room, magically stopping the Temple Guardian¡¯s toxic fluids from leaving the boss room and trapping it inside.
The Temple Guardian¡¯s bisected corpse, along with bits of debris from the twin staircases that got destroyed during their fight, now served as makeshift ¡®islands.¡¯ Toxic fluids from the Guardian¡¯s body had flooded the surrounding ground, slightly below his calves in height.
¡°How the hell did it hold all of this poison?¡± Archie wondered as he looked at his notifications, curious as to what his rewards were¡ The Spirit Nucleus! Archie suddenly remembered how he got slammed into the wall, back first aka Spirit Nucleus first.
Deactivating Material Carapace, Archie moved his satchel from his back to his front. His panic instantly evaporated when he saw that it was unharmed. Thankfully the physical damage negation from the Sentinel Plantiniteshell protected the Spirit Nucleus from any damage. He¡¯d even double-checked with Identify, which further reduced his worries as nothing had changed from when he read it before the fight.
¡°Phew,¡± Archie muttered while shifting his satchel to his back. ¡°Almost had a heart attack.¡±
Looking back at his notifications he read;
*[Temple Guardian Lv 96] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 1344 Tutorial Points given*
*Your Class has reached Lv 74 ¨C Points allocated, +4 Free Points*
*Your Class has reached Lv 75 ¨C Points allocated, +4 Free Points*
Dungeon of the Hidden Temple
Objective: Slay the Temple Guardian ?
Reward: Totem of Spring¡¯s Ascent (Epic) & Sigil of Challenge (Unique)
Dungeon will automatically close in 0:09:52:42
Just as Archie read his rewards, he felt two objects suddenly enter his spatial storage, one being the Sigil of Challenge and the other being, a giant fucking totem, Archie thought as he took out the Totem of Spring¡¯s Ascent.
The totem stood a meter wide and five meters tall, adorned with vibrant colors¡ªgreen, blue, yellow, brown, and numerous others¡ªsymbolizing springtime. The colors that painted the totem were used to produce intricate images and sigils across its surface, each conveying a deep feeling of springtime.
It was hard for Archie to explain what he felt from the totem.
But what stood out the most was the dense nature mana that radiated from the totem. Rivaling that of the dungeon itself.
Totem of Spring¡¯s Ascent (Epic):
A totem carved from [Redacted] a very precious tree that has been heavily imbued with the concept of spring by a B-Grade Druid. Once placed into the ground, ambient mana shall be absorbed, and spring shall ascend into the totem¡¯s surroundings. Passively nurtures all nature-based entities and enhances all nature-based abilities and skills when in the Totem of Spring¡¯s Ascent¡¯s boundaries.
¡°So, this thing is a ¡®portable¡¯ nature energy converter,¡± Archie chuckled before sending the totem into his spatial storage. All the space Archie cleared out from his spatial storage was immediately taken up by his new ¡®portable¡¯ nature energy converter, leaving him without any room to store the Temple Guardian¡¯s core that he held in his hand, something he found floating in the calf high toxic fluids beside where he stood. Thus he placed its core beside the Spirit Nucleus in his satchel.
Glancing back at the toxic pond surrounding him, Archie decided it was time to leave the dungeon before the fumes started to affect him more than what he could handle. The toxins had previously seeped through his armor when he¡¯d been covered by the toxins when he crashed into the wall. But ever since the fight ended, he used his vital energy to neutralize the toxins that managed to slip in. As he worked to destroy the invading toxins, he came to understand their effects on his body: they acted as both a corrosive acid and a paralytic.
An interesting concoction to say the least.
Leaping from one ¡®island¡¯ to another, Archie jumped out of the boss room, landing on the laterite flooring. Giving one last look into the boss''s room, Archie stared at the toxin pond and noticed that some of the toxins congealed into sludge.
Essentially creating some sort of sickly neon green forbidden chunky toxin soup.
Walking towards the Assistant Village with a fist full of Honeycombs, Archie felt content. The sweet taste of sugar danced atop his tongue with every mouthful of honey.
He had found the beehive, killed a couple of level 72 bees, and grabbed a handful of honeycombs, quickly leaving before the regular patrol of wasps caught on to what he was doing.
¡°That was delicious,¡± Archie sighed in contentment, finishing the last piece of honeycomb and licking off the remnants of honey stuck to his right gauntlet.
Passing through the village entrance, Archie took in the village buildings and the people who were now actively passing through the village. Before, whenever Archie passed through the Assistant village, he would see scant few people hounding the Assistants, but it seems now that the cult was abolished, the number of people who are now out and about quite high.
It showed how afraid people were of Oliver and his cult. Archie himself didn¡¯t understand why,since he came so late in the Group Tutorial and was far stronger than anyone in it. He could assume why though, from the way Michael and Evelyn spoke about Oliver; he¡¯d kidnap people, experiment on them, and always get away scot-free.
Then suddenly in the middle of a group feast, he killed about a fourth of the people with the people under his control and escaped before he started kidnapping people left and right, and no one could do anything about it. He was their real-life boogie man.
But now he was gone, and their fears subsided, allowing them to truly breathe.
He¡¯d even seen a couple of others on dates, believe it or not. Bonding over killing a couple of beasts and some even having picnics in the more ¡®tamer¡¯ areas on the island.
It certainly put a bit of pep into Archie¡¯s step when he saw a couple of people who were brainwashed and locked in cages, hang out with their family. He felt genuine pride in the fact that he helped these people get back to their families.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
Opening the door of Syllia¡¯s smithy, Archie found Syllia watching over a few new smiths, judging by the awkward way they used their hammers, and a few others worked in the corners of the room, working on some personal projects by their lonesome.
Waving back at Eric, whom he had gotten to know when raiding groups were still being decided, and his girlfriend, Angela. Good people really, if not a bit too enthusiastic about wanting to make giant mech suits that have railguns attached to their fists.
Even though, he added ¡®Make a giant robot mech¡¯ to his to-do list for the future.
Syllia, noticing Archie¡¯s presence in her smithy, gave one last pointer to one of the beginner smiths and pulled another¡¯s hand from touching molten steel before she reached Archie.
¡°Good afternoon,¡± Syllia smiled. Her tone was still a bit timid around Archie.
¡°Good afternoon,¡± Archie returned. Looking around Archie gave a pointed look at the packed smithy before looking back at Syllia. ¡°Did I catch you at a bad time?¡±
¡°Not at all,¡± Syllia replied. ¡°It used to be like this before, but a bit before the end of last month everybody stopped showing up. But judging by how everyone came back, I assume the issues are now resolved?¡±
¡°Yeah, a guy called Oliver brainwashed, kidnapped, and experimented on people en mass,¡± Archie answered, getting a shocked look from Syllia. ¡°But yeah, a day ago or so, there was a raid and it ended with Oliver¡¯s camp getting dismantled and Oliver gone from the Group Tutorial.¡±
¡°Oh¡I¡¯m glad that the issue was resolved,¡± Syllia replied with a hint of bitterness tingeing her tone. She looked off to the side for a moment before returning to her previous attitude. ¡°So, was there anything I can help you with?¡±
Pausing for a moment, Archie replied, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m currently making a motorcycle that runs on a mana engine, and I was wondering if you could give me any tips about making it able to drive on water.¡±
¡°If that would even be possible,¡± Archie continued.
Taking a breath, Syllia thought for a moment before replying; ¡°There are a number of ways to make a mana bike able to drive atop water. There are runes to do so, but I don¡¯t really recommend using runes to do so.¡±
¡°For one, it is a fairly complicated runic script cluster, and is typically very taxing on your mana reserves,¡± Syllia continued. ¡°What you can do is create thin mana platforms under your bike¡¯s wheels and that would work as the same thing. You can even use them to drive in the air. But of course, both require you to have fairly decent mana control, which as you know, is something you should always strive to have.¡±
¡°But wouldn¡¯t creating essentially a road of mana be insanely mana intensive, comparatively?¡± Archie questioned, puzzled at Syllia¡¯s words.
¡°Yes and no,¡± Syllia replied, slightly tilting her head. ¡°Typically, the runic script cluster is normally adjusted for the average late D-Grade to C-Grade¡¯s mana pools. And currently your mana reserves, from what I can tell aren¡¯t large enough to use said runic script cluster for more than thirty minutes at most.¡±
Oh shit, Archie thought, caught by surprise at the mana consumption for the runic script cluster that would be able to make his bike drive atop water. While he knew it would consume mana, he didn¡¯t expect it to be that much.
¡°Currently what you can do is create a thin road construct of mana under your wheels and as it passes behind you, dismiss the construct.¡± Syllia continued. ¡°That would make its efficiency and consumption based on your own mana reserve and manipulation abilities. While you would still be limited by your mana reserves, it would still be far more efficient as typically the runic script cluster is normally etched onto much larger vehicles.¡±
Guess I¡¯m going to be upping the ante on my mana manipulation exercises, Archie decided as he thanked Syllia for her help.
But before he left her smithy, she gave him her Aetherglass Account ID and told him to contact her when he reached the Workshop. When asked what the Workshop was, she gave him both a confused and curious look before telling him that it was considered to be an association where everyone with even a modicum of talent in crafting Professions goes to, to hone their skills and create connections, among other things as well.
Making his way to Xelgar, Archie found him atop his porch, beside a lawn chair, watching over a group of people sparring with one another. Occasionally yelling out instructions or mistakes someone made, which they promptly fixed.
Something he also noticed was the irregular movement of Xelgar¡¯s mouth; his lips would twitch slightly every now and then and would cover his mouth with either his hand or water bottle. Did Oliver do something to him? Archie thought for a moment before the absurdity of the question made him chuckle at the impossibility of such a thing happening.
Making his way to Xelgar, Archie greeted him with a handshake clap and a smile before he suddenly frowned.
Something felt off.
It wasn¡¯t Xelgar who felt off, rather it was the area around him. It felt as though he was in front of the tent that was concealed with illusions, but this¡this was far stronger than that. And to be honest, the only reason he felt that something was off was when he stepped onto the porch. He hadn¡¯t felt the ¡®off-ness¡¯ about the porch until he stepped onto the porch.
Activating Vital Sight, he saw an amused-looking Xelgar and¡ ¡°Cyric?¡± Archie asked while staring at an orb of vital energy with wisps of vital energy slowly dispersed throughout what looked to be an outline of a human body. The only other person he¡¯d seen with such a description was Cyric.
Even Oliver had the same outline of vital energy as a normal human, if not a bit slower.
As the words left Archie¡¯s mouth the off feeling he felt atop the porch vanished and the previously empty lawn chair he was staring at revealed its occupant.
¡°Oh,¡± Xelgar answered, a wide smile painting his face. ¡°You must be practicing your mana sensing quite a bit if you were able to detect and find him that quickly.¡±
¡°Indeed,¡± Cyric chimed in, lounging across the lawn chair in sweatpants and a shirt with the words ¡®Blood, better than sex. Come try it!¡¯ while nursing a blood pack. ¡°Made it myself.¡±
Chuckling at Cyric¡¯s shirt, Cryic smiled. ¡°Like it?¡± Getting a shake of the head and a smile from Archie. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about patenting it.¡±
¡°Love it,¡± Archie chuckled, both at the shirt and at the idea that apparently patents existed in the multiverse. But¡would that mean pirating would also exist in the multiverse, Archie realized. I guess some things never change.
Turning back to Xelgar, he answered; ¡°I¡¯ve been practicing, but I barely even realized that there was even an illusion. I only realized it when I got on your porch.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t sell yourself short,¡± Cyric replied. ¡°I¡¯d been cloaking myself with an illusion to test your fellow Tutorial Participants, to see who can find me¡and so far, you¡¯ve been the only one to find me.¡±
¡°Even though you did not know, I offer you a reward; ask any question and I will answer to the best of my ability,¡± Cyric continued, twirling around his blood pack.
¡°Uh, not sure if I have any important questions off the top of my head,¡± Archie replied, caught off guard by the sudden reward. Taking a moment he decided to tie his question to the one he gave Syllia. ¡°Do you have any tips on how to make mana platforms that I can use to stand on and eventually be able to drive on with a bike I plan on completing?¡±
Pausing for a moment while staring at Archie, he answered, ¡°If that¡¯s what you want.¡±
¡°It¡¯s mana shaping in essence as you probably concluded. Create a platform of any size and shape, make it dense and strong enough to hold your weight, and will it to move around in the same way you do with your mana.¡± Cyric continued.
¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Archie questioned. Was it really that simple? I mean I know it sounds a lot easier than what it''s going to be, but really?
¡°Yeah,¡± Xelgar replied. ¡°It''s a common thing in the multiverse really, just very magically taxing for those with small mana reserves and poor control. That¡¯s why in the multiverse there are many alternatives for flight, both physical and magical.¡±
¡°What do some people just kick against gravity continuously to fly?¡± Archie joked, but seeing the taken-aback looks from both Xelgar and Cyric, he looked at them deadpan. ¡°You¡¯re joking.¡±
¡°How did¡Never mind,¡± Xelgar said before composing himself. ¡°In essence yeah, that¡¯s what people who are more physically inclined and with poor mana reserves do.¡±
¡°Huh,¡± Archie said, staring at them with disbelief. I really should stop being in disbelief with whatever happens in the multiverse. I mean I just killed a giant ass centipede that grew a second head not a few hours ago.
Ch 80 - How to Gun
Arriving in his base, Archie took out the Totem of Spring¡¯s Ascent and placed it beside the Miniature of Primal Wrath. Within moments, the cave was now filled with very potent nature mana, and surprisingly relieving some tension Archie didn¡¯t know he had.
Looking to his right he saw the remaining half of the tortoise corpse still in his base, and starting to rot, going by the smell around it. To say that it needed to go was an understatement.
¡°While I enjoy the natural creature deterrent my base has, of which I don¡¯t know how it came to be, I wish that it would turn off at times,¡± Archie sighed.
Taking out his forging equipment and placing them beside the Miniature of Primal Wrath, Archie took out his Silver Carving Knife and carefully skinned the two other gorillas, making sure to not damage the sigils engraved on their fur.
Afterwards, he dragged them to where the hole in the ceiling of his base looked to be the least covered by branches. Once he found a good angle and all four corpses were piled beside him, he hurled them out of the cave, ignoring the thuds they made and the notifications of creatures the corpses crushed¡Sorry stone chicken, Archie thought as he dismissed the most recent kill notification.
Now with their rotting corpses gone, the previous underlying rancid scent that was in the base was now replaced with the scent of fresh grass and apples. Hm, looks like filling the area around it with nature mana isn¡¯t all that it can do. It¡¯s also an air freshener, Archie chuckled.
Taking a look at the Group Tutorial screen once more, he saw that he had almost eleven and a half days left until the Tutorial would end and he would be back on Earth.
Group Tutorial
The 72nd cycle has begun; thus, a tutorial is needed to increase the survivability of the newly integrated myriad races. The Emernigan Isle is filled with various creatures from across the universe, each providing Tutorial Points upon their death to their killer. Tutorial Points can be exchanged between individuals, as a form of currency. Tutorial Points will be used to gain rewards after the full tutorial is completed.
Completion Criteria: Survive for 60 days
Number of Survivors: 527/1250
Time Remaining: 11 days & 11:31:58
Now all he had left to do was clear the last Sigil Dungeon which he had about six-ish days to do before the Final Boss would be released. Which was more than enough time for him to beat the dungeon.
But after jumping from dungeon to dungeon, he wanted to take a break and get back to forging. Afterall he now had what he needed to create the engine of his bike and had more than enough mana guns to figure out how the whole mana charging and holding mechanism worked within them.
Before anything else, he needed to ask Bralmir if what he was doing would cause any¡issues. After all, he was pretty sure a god wouldn¡¯t appreciate the idea of their statue¡ªcrafted to symbolize their might¡ªbeing recycled into an engine for a bike and especially so if the god is called the Primal Wrath of Dragons.
While asking for forgiveness is easier than asking for permission¡in this case, it¡¯d be wiser to ask for permission instead.
¡°Hey, Bralmir,¡± Archie called out while staring at the miniature. Not a moment later the familiar weight of Bralmir¡¯s presence fell atop his shoulder.
¡°No, you won¡¯t become part star if you eat Starforge Steel,¡± Bralmir replied. ¡°The amount of times I¡¯ve had to say that¡¡± he mumbled.
¡°What?¡± Archie said, caught off guard by what Bralmir said. Why the hell would you eat steel? Archie thought. Why would you even think that it would give you power?...never mind stupid question.
¡°No, I was wondering if there would be an issue with me using this statue for my engine,¡± Archie continued. ¡°Or would Primal Tyrannous be upset?...I don¡¯t wanna do something as stupid as this and piss off the guy called the Primal Wrath of Dragons. Cause I think reforging a statue of a god is a pretty sacrilegious thing to do.¡±
¡°No, you¡¯re fine,¡± Bralmir answered, as he seared shut two pieces of metal together, with his finger. Wordlessly the metal within Bralmir¡¯s hands shrunk, barely even visible to mortal eyes. Without giving it a second glance he tossed it over his shoulder as they joined a mountainous pile of similarly sized bits of metal. ¡°Do whatever you want with it.¡±
¡°It¡¯s a hunk of metal now that it''s without his presence,¡± Bralmir continued as he took out a vat of silverish liquid and placed it beside him. ¡°Though I do appreciate your recently gained understanding about not wanting to piss off gods.¡±
Archie could feel Bralmir¡¯s pointed look at him with those words, making him awkwardly smile and scratch the back of his neck. Yeah, probably not a good idea to piss off a demon goddess¡but she had it coming, I ain¡¯t no one¡¯s toy.
¡°Just do what you want to do, and forge what you want to forge. And if any god has a problem with that, then they deal with me,¡± Bralmir finished.
¡°Alright,¡± Archie replied but before Bralmir left he said one last thing. ¡°When I become a god, I¡¯ll start paying you back for all the help you¡¯ve given me!¡±
Bralmir rolled his eyes as he turned to look at the mountainous piles of microscopic metal that lay behind him. The sheer audacity in Archie¡¯s words would make any denizen of the multiverse scoff in response. To claim that it was simply a matter of time before you would become a god when you were not even a two-month-old E-Grade was nothing but laughable.
¡°And I believe that wholeheartedly,¡± Bralmir smiled before he activated every piece of metal behind him. The mountainous pile of metal behind him glowed molten red before they rose and started to assemble themselves.
Well now that that¡¯s out of the way, I can go back to forging, Archie thought as he sat down in front of the table and took out a Mana-Pistol of Undeath.
While it was held in his hands, he knew no matter how hard he pressed the trigger, or how much mana he channeled into it, the most that would come out of the gun would do as much damage as a water gun to a rock.
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But that did not mean he couldn¡¯t take it apart.
Grabbing his Thermal Carver, Archie carefully analyzed the outside frame of the pistol, running his fingers along the edges of the frame, feeling around for an opening or a lock of some sort.
Popping open the cylinder, Archie found them empty, which wasn¡¯t surprising, to say the least as they hadn¡¯t been filled with undeath mana. However, he did find faint, inactive runic etchings along the insides of each of the chambers.
Activating Gaze of the Forgefather, Archie saw the runic etchings transform into runic script, glowing a neon black color. He quickly placed down his Thermal Carver and grabbed a steel sheet and his Runic Scriber.
Quickly etching the runic script onto the steel sheet, Archie quickly noticed the incomplete form of the script as he etched. Concentrating on the chamber, Archie strained his eyes trying to see what he had missed.
Flipping to a different chamber, Archie found the same runic script etched within¡but it was still incomplete.
How the hell does that work? Archie wondered; brows furrowed in concentration. When etching a rune or runic script, if it''s etched in an incomplete way it would fizzle off the metal or explode if you do something stupid¡but it was still etched onto the cylinder perfectly, if not a bit faded, but perfectly functional; he¡¯d been shot by it a few days ago.
Is my Perception stat too low? Archie questioned as he stared at the stat. He had 300 Perception with his 10% amplifier from his Legendary Innovator title. Eyeing his Free Points, he saw that he had 100 points stockpiled up.
Mulling over the decision to just dump the points into his Perception stat, Archie decided to just say, ¡°Fuck it,¡± and dumped all his Free Points into Perception. The only downside was that he didn¡¯t have an emergency Stat Stash anymore, but since he was about to go on a forging and researching grind, it would make up for itself.
Sucking in a breath, Archie felt his body tense up, instinctively closing his eyes.
The moment Archie added the points into his Perception everything around him felt¡more. Even with his eyes closed he could feel everything¡but better.
He could feel that when the wind brushed across the back of his head. He felt every strand of hair on his head that was not covered by his mask, sway to the direction of the wind.
He could hear the numerous creatures above him, each going on about their lives. He heard the soft squeaking of a rat as it scurried through the jungle, but suddenly a creature of some sort pounced atop the rat.
After a moment of silence, its attacker produced clucking noises¡ ¡°Was that a fucking chicken assassin?¡± Archie muttered in disbelief.
Opening his eyes Archie realized two things: the ceiling of his cave base was filled with tiny, small hundred-legged bugs that for some reason evolved themselves over time to develop eyes that decorated their entire bodies in between bits of bits of short, bushy hair, and that previously he¡¯d been living life through 144p vision.
Swallowing a wad of saliva stuck in his throat, Archie turned his focus away from the thousands of hairy, hundred-legged eye-covered bugs and back toward the runic etchings within the mana pistol¡¯s chambers.
Concentrating on the mana pathways of the runic script, he noticed their pathways had become much thicker and far more prominent.
Following the mana pathways, Archie noticed an incredibly small mana pathway branch off from a seemingly random resistor that led to nowhere.
Flooding more mana into Gaze of the Forgefather, Archie saw the mana pathway become slightly more prominent, around the size of a needle at best. But to Archie¡¯s newly enhanced sight, it was as though he was looking through a microscope.
He saw the mana pathway travel out of the chamber and reach the middle of the ratchet before it split off in five other directions. Okay, so they¡¯re all connected to each other, Archie noted before placing down the cylinder and tilting the pistol to look at its firing pin.
Normally where the firing pin was on a revolver, which this pistol took after, there was a square-shaped indent that looked very hollow, with its face covered in a runic script.
As Archie hunched over the table, eyes glued onto the new runic script in front of him, he took off his satchel and placed it by the foot of the table.
Okay¡I get that, Archie murmured as he furrowed his brows in confusion. But why even do that? Why would you make loops that cycle from the chambers and back into the ¡®firing pin¡¯?
Etching the runic scripts on the firing pin was atop a steel sheet and the runic scripts he found within the chamber on another steel sheet, Archie was glad to see that they were wholly independent from each other like he understood.
The mana pathways on the ratchet would distribute the mana to each chamber at a very irregular rate; one chamber would have a ratio of 1:2, another would have a ratio of 3:9, and so on. But once the mana enters into the chambers, the mana will be formed into the shape of a manabolt.
"But therein lies the issue," Archie muttered, his embered eyes narrowing as he studied the two runic scripts before him. The script etched atop the hollowed square ''firing pin'' simultaneously pushed and pulled the mana flowing through it. At least that¡¯s what he understood.
That alone was weird¡unless there¡¯s a container inside the grip that stores and collects the mana, Archie reasoned, it would explain part of the runic script.
But even if it was the case, it still didn¡¯t make complete sense to Archie. With the irregular rate at which mana was funneled into the chambers, any chamber that filled at a faster rate than the others would start to push mana back up the mana pathway, through the hollow square ¡®firing pin¡¯, and into the assumed mana container that stores and collects the mana.
¡°Why would it just push it back into the container and not towards the other chambers?¡± Archie glared. ¡°Hell, why not just keep the ratio of mana that gets sent to each chamber the same, so they all fill at the same time?¡±
Clicking his tongue, Archie grabbed his Thermal Carver, carefully injecting enough mana into the Volthrinite tip for it to easily slice through the bottom of the grip, and carefully split the pistol in two.
Stopping the flow of mana into the Thermal Carver, Archie placed it atop the table, ignoring the faint sizzling and thin whisps of smoke that arose as the Volthrinite tip.
Now holding both halves of the mana pistol, Archie took a look at the inside of the gun that was hidden from him.
¡°Fuck,¡± Archie sighed as he stared at the cut in half runic scripts across the inside of the barrel and grip. Of course, they place it in a way where it fucks up the script if anyone opens it in that way.
But just because the rune was cut in two didn¡¯t mean it was useless.
One thing Archie had learned through his runic experiments was that once he placed a complete rune or runic script on an item¡ªbe it a sword, dagger, or anything that he was able to etch on¡ªit would make the rune become a part of the item¡¯s identity. "Probably due to the additive records the rune imparts onto the item," Archie mused. It was something he would need to research once the tutorial ended; be it from raiding Bralmir¡¯s library if he had one, or seeing if he could buy some from the system aspect with his Tutorial points.
Once this was done, even breaking the item in two wouldn¡¯t cause the rune to disappear, regardless of whether the item had a Self-Repair rune or not. The rune might be rendered unusable in its broken state, but it would still remain embedded in the fragments.
The only way to fully destroy the rune, as far as Archie knew, was to completely melt down the item¡ªand ensure it didn¡¯t have a Self-Repair rune. Only then could the rune be obliterated.
Perhaps the Runic Mending skill he¡¯d been offered before might be capable of fixing such a broken rune, but Archie wasn¡¯t willing to bet on it. After all, he didn¡¯t know if the skill could repair the material the rune was attached to or only the rune itself.
But if that was the case, how would that work? Archie wondered. Maybe that would be the limitation of the skill?
Nevertheless, Archie attempted to analyze as much as he could from the runic scripts he could before grabbing another Mana-Pistol of Undeath from his spatial storage.
Ch 81 - Mana Revolver
Finishing up the last mana pathway etching inside the sixth chamber, Archie placed his Runic Scriber atop the table and let the excess mana within it evaporate.
He didn¡¯t react when the runic script remained etched onto the cylinder, instead, he gave the cylinder a leveled look, trying to see if he could find any blemishes or bubbles, he hadn¡¯t noticed before.
It was something he failed to take into account before, when the runic script fizzled away when he tried to load the chambers up with mana. The reason why was related to the exact dimensions of the chambers; they had to be perfect for the script to work, or else the mana building up within the chamber would warp and damage the chamber when fired.
It was the same with regular bullets as well. He remembered when he stayed at his grandfather¡¯s home every summer and every day, both he and his brother would listen to their grandfather¡¯s stories about the war.
He¡¯d show them all the medals he¡¯d earned and the guns he still had. He taught them how to clean guns, how to take them apart, and what to look out for when doing so. He showed off the scarred flesh and bullet holes he got on his body when he shot a faulty rifle, and it exploded on him. He lived, but he was taken out of duty after that incident. A lesson well learned, he told us.
Was his grandfather, someone who potentially had a minor case of memory issues, a bad type of person to keep around a garage full of guns? Maybe¡Definitely, now that I think about it, Archie mulled. He kept muttering about aliens and whatnot and always managed to tie them back to the stories he told. They definitely added some flair to the stories, to say the least.
But damn was he a good shot, Archie smiled. He¡¯d remember his grandfather at the ripe age of seventy-six, killing a deer almost four hundred yards away with a rifle he owned. Even now, that memory stuck with him as another cool grandpa moment.
However, neither he nor his brother were allowed to shoot them until they were fourteen, and the excuse his grandfather gave was that; he first shot a gun at fourteen, their father first shot his gun at fourteen, and so should they.
On that day he learned that his shitty throwing skills, also translated to shooting skills. I don''t think Ms. Helen ever forgave me for the fright I gave her dog for almost shooting its tail off.
Snapping the cylinder back into place, Archie filled the grip of the revolver with his mana and within a second the mana container was full of his mana and the chambers were filled with fully formed nature manabolts. It takes 600 mana to fill the container, Archie noticed as he looked at his mana reserves.
Giving another Identify to his newest creation, Archie smiled.
Mana Revolver of Nature(Common):
A revolver forged from steel and made by Archie Gracefield, a Novice Forgesmith. The revolver can fire-piercing nature-attuned manabolts once the chambers are properly charged with nature mana. If the revolver¡¯s mana container is full then it can fire up to twelve nature-attuned manabolts before the mana container empties. Effects: Soul-Bound, Self-Repair & Piercing. Status: Perfect. Requirements: Lv 70+, Nature Affinity & Humanoid Race.
He had fixed the previous mana flow ratio issue that the Mana-Pistols of Undeath and Mana Long-Guns of Undead had, and even managed to fix their mana containment issue. And to be honest, he wasn¡¯t sure why their guns didn¡¯t have the Self-Repair runes atop them; it was easy enough to etch them.
Maybe a cost issue? Archie wondered. Maybe the mana cost was already high enough to shoot them, and they didn¡¯t want to waste anymore?
Now all the chambers would be filled at the same time so when the chambers are emptied, the container would reload the remaining manabolts into the chamber.
Unfortunately, the most it could hold was twelve nature manabolts at once before it needed to be refilled with his mana. Something that he would need to work on. What type of American was he to only be able to shoot twelve bullets before reloading
¡°One grandpops would be disappointed of,¡± Archie sighed.
While one would think that he could just keep filling the container with mana and shoot until his mana ran out, but that loophole unfortunately couldn''t work.
Previously, whenever he stunned the Elf Bonekiins when they were refilling the mana containers of the pistols and long guns within their dark mana, then all the dark mana that accumulated within the mana container would evaporate into thin air, and they would need to repeat the whole process again.
But now with his modifications, once mana gets inserted into the mana container, it stays in it till it is emptied. But once the mana container filled or when he stopped funneling mana into the mana chamber then the mana would be locked in and wouldn''t evaporate.
But because of the mana trapping modification, he added onto the mana container runic script once the mana flow stopped, either by the mana container reaching full capacity or by his own doing, then unless the mana container emptied completely, the mana within the container would remain unbothered by external forces.
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Either way, he was now an American his grandfather could be proud of.
Standing up from his chair, Archie deactivated Gaze of the Forgefather and activated Vital Sight. Peering into the front, rightmost tunnel connected to the ocean, he spotted a couple of stronger-looking vital energies that were surrounded by a swarm of weaker-looking vital energies. Without hesitation, Archie raised his revolver and fired.
A first-sized nature-attuned manabolt exploded from the barrel, streaking toward the ocean. A moment later, it tore through both the swarm of weaker-looking vital energies and through the middle of one of the stronger-looking vital energies.
Looking at his notifications, Archie deactivated Vital Sight and smiled.
*Your Profession has reached Lv 67 ¨C Points allocated, +4 Free Points*
*Your Profession has reached Lv 68 ¨C Points allocated, +4 Free Points*
*[Boilingsting Jellyfish Lv 42] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 210 Tutorial Points given*
*[Emernigan Jellyfish Lv 25] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 75 Tutorial Points given*
***
*[Emernigan Jellyfish Lv 28] has been slain ¨C XP has been given. 84 Tutorial Points given*
While being able to kill a level 42 Jellyfish wasn¡¯t much of a shock to Archie, due to their inherent lack of hide, scales, or anything protective physically, he was elated that his aiming was no longer utter dog shit.
From his estimation, the jellyfish were likely around two hundred meters away, just at the edge of his Vital Sight¡¯s range. And he had killed them¡ with a gun.
That was an achievement he thought deserved some praise, especially given that, before the system integration, he couldn¡¯t even hit a can sitting on a fence five meters away with a pistol¡It was something his younger brother lorded over him for years.
While he did not receive a skill from killing with his newly made revolver, it made sense. From what he understood from Xelgar and Cyric, there were numerous ways to gain skills without the help of the system¡¯s skill options.
One way to acquire skills without selecting from the system¡¯s provided list, received each quarter of your Class or Profession Grade limit, was through skill books. However, these books had to be related to your current Class or Profession; otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t work.
Another method was to create a skill tied solely to your records¡ªa process he wasn¡¯t entirely sure how to properly accomplish. The creation of Vital Sight, for instance, was something he couldn¡¯t fully explain; it was something he did and created in the moment. He was fairly certain that if he tried to replicate it, he would have failed.
But that method came with limits such as the skill you were trying to create had to be related to either your Class, Profession, or Race, else the skill would not be created.
While Archie could still use a sword or bow as a Nature-Attuned Pugilist, no matter how hard he practiced or killed with such weapons, he would never gain a skill for either while his Class remained as a Nature-Attuned Pugilist.
But what would happen is; that prolonged use of such weapons or tools, even without a skill, would have an effect on his records which in turn would affect his evolutionary options for his Class and Profession once he reached their level cap. As the XP he gained from prolonged use of said weapons or tools would be targeted towards his Race, and it would be reflected onto his evolutionary options if he truly wanted it.
So even though Archie did not receive a skill from using his revolver, it was something he was going to continue to kill and practice with so that when he reached the level cap for E-Grade and evolved, he would be given evolutionary Class options that would reflect his desire to be a gun-slinging, ass-kicking, face-punching badass.
At the moment, he had middle- to close-range combat covered, thanks to Thornscourge Expansion and Savage Charge, which granted him enhanced mobility and gap-closing capabilities. However, he lacked any proper long-range abilities or killing potential from afar, so he wanted to remedy that now.
Placing his revolver into his spatial storage, Archie reached for his satchel but grabbed nothing but air. He was confused for a moment before he remembered that he placed the satchel at the foot of his table.
Walking toward his satchel, his brows furrowed as lifted it off the ground. It¡¯s lighter than before, Archie noted.
Lifting up the flap, Archie clicked his tongue and sighed. ¡°Where the hell is the Temple Guardian Insectoid Core?¡±
Instead of finding both the Spirit Nucleus and Temple Guardian Insectoid Core in his satchel, Archie found the Spirit Nucleus by its lonesome.
Did it drop when I was sprinting? Archie wondered, trying to remember where it could have fallen off. But no matter how far back Archie tried to recall, there wasn¡¯t a moment when he could think the core could have gotten loose from his satchel. The holes in his satchel weren¡¯t even large enough for the core to have fallen from.
Did someone steal it?
Releasing a deep, yielding sigh, Archie took out the Spirit Nucleus and placed it at the foot of the Totem of Spring¡¯s Ascent. ¡°At the very least I still have this.¡±
Tying his satchel onto his back, Archie grabbed his Thermal Carver and walked back toward the Miniature of Primal Wrath, flooded the Volthrinite tip with his mana, and sliced off a good 75% of the miniature.
Hauling the majority of the miniature atop his shoulder, Archie tossed his Thermal Carver atop the table and lit his forge with Forgesmith¡¯s Flame. Looking at both his tongs he realized that they wouldn¡¯t be able to properly latch onto the miniature.
So, Archie decided to prop up the Starforge Steel miniature with his bare hands as he was unsure if it was wise to let it be held up with mana strings. As it might cause some effects during the smelting process, at least that¡¯s what he understood from his own experiments.
¡°Four fucking hours,¡± Archie muttered as he tossed the molten Starforge Steel atop both his Heavy-Duty and Precision Anvil. The sheer size of the metal was too much for a single anvil to balance, so he placed both anvils side by side.
Archie ignored his raw palms that touched the metal of the Heavy-Duty Hammer¡¯s handle and started to mold the molten red Starforge Steel into shape with his mana-infused hammer.
Thankfully, the engine''s structure didn¡¯t need to mirror that of a pre-system integration motorcycle. Instead, it needed to function similarly to the mana container in his revolver while still coordinating the bike¡¯s components, such as the wheels and acceleration.
However, the engine had to store significantly more mana than just 600 units, significantly more. Given how Starforge Steel had been used to store the energy that allowed Archie to meet Primal Tyrannous, it seemed like the perfect base material to enhance the mana container''s capacity and the overall structure of the engine.