"I got three skills at once…?"
Vincent was astonished. The thought of acquiring three skills simultaneously hadn’t even crossed his mind. He hardly considered the experience points he’d gained.
"Primal Energy…"
He didn’t fully understand this new power or how it differed from his chaos energy.
Surveying the area, he noticed the blackbite rats were all gone, leaving a trail of destruction and silence.
The Mutated Black Rat Leader didn’t drop anything since he absorbed its essence directly. It was already late, and his mission was complete, so he decided to call it a night.
Heading back toward the exit he’d noted while hunting primals, he ordered a meal and, after dining, returned to his rented room in the Newcomer’s Lounge.
Seated cross-legged on his bed, free from his Morphic Mask’s effect, he reviewed his spoils from the day’s battles.
"Two epic skills…"
"Two epic-tier armaments…"
"I also found an uncommon-quality necklace that I haven’t upgraded…"
"I upgraded my combat skill to rare… Plus, I obtained a new skill, Stonebreaker Strike, which I’ve enhanced to uncommon grade…"
"Then there’s the drop from the Mutated Blackbite Rat Leader…"
He checked the skills he’d obtained.
Skill Name: Shadow Rat Summoning
Grade: Uncommon
Initial Summon Cost: 10 Origin Energy per Shadow Rat
Sustained Cost: 1 Origin Energy per rat every 10 minutes
Summon Limit: Up to 25 Shadow Rats at once
Duration: Unlimited—persists until dismissed, destroyed, or the summoner depletes Origin Energy
Strength: Tier 1 (1★)
Basic Functions and Effects:
1. Shadow Form: Shadow Rats possess a semi-ethereal nature, blending seamlessly in dim environments and becoming nearly invisible in shadows.
2. Physical Attributes: Each rat has the strength, speed, and agility of a Tier 1 (1★) creature, suitable for quick attacks and scouting, though fragile in combat.
3. Basic Stealth: Naturally stealthy, they are hard to detect by lower-tier foes, especially in low-light conditions.
4. Combat Abilities:
Bite: Minor damage, enough to distract and irritate opponents.
Claw Scratch: Inflicts light wounds on unarmored targets.
5. Limited Command and Feedback: Follows simple commands like "scout," "attack," or "retreat." Limited mental link provides brief sensory impressions, such as nearby sights or sounds.
Skill Name: Rolling Bash
Grade: Uncommon
Description: A powerful, spinning dash attack, slashing everything in its path. The user advances while inflicting consistent, moderate damage to enemies. Effective against clustered foes or agile opponents, as the rotation disrupts their movements.
Effects:
Damage: Deals 150% of the user’s base attack as continuous physical damage per second.
Stagger Effect: 50% chance to stagger enemies, interrupting weaker attacks or momentarily disorienting them.
Knockback: The final spin ends in a powerful horizontal slash, knocking enemies back by 1 meter.
Consumption: 35 Origin Energy per use.
Duration: 3 seconds—committed movement; early cancellation is impossible once initiated.
Travel Distance: Up to 5 meters forward in a straight line.
Cooldown: 15 seconds.
Skill Name: Fierce Strike
Grade: Uncommon
Effects:
Direct Impact: Channels condensed Origin Energy into a swift, powerful strike. Upon impact, the target endures an additional 25% of the user’s base attack as pure physical force, bypassing conventional defenses.
Shockwave: Releases a concussive wave outward in a cone from the impact point, dealing 10% of the user’s base attack to all within range. Causes minor knockback (up to 2 meters) and staggers enemies for 0.5 seconds.
Primary Strike Range: 2 meters in front of the user—ideal for close combat.
Shockwave Cone Radius: Expands to 5 meters from the impact.
Consumption: 40 Origin Energy.
Cooldown: 6 seconds.
"Damn, all these are pretty useful skills. But Rolling Bash seems risky…"
Satisfied with his skills’ effects, Vincent looked forward to upgrading them. He next searched for information on Primal Energy.
Opening his system interface, he clicked on it.
Primal Energy: A unique energy usable only by primals or those with an affinity for it. Temporarily enhances specific attributes of the user or primal summons.
Warning: Energy can cause temporary loss of awareness. Use cautiously.
Effects: Grants +10 attribute points per 100 Primal Energy.
"This…"
Vincent was speechless. He couldn’t decide if he was pleased or dismayed. He was intrigued by the contrast with his chaos energy, whose mechanics remained mysterious.
However, he was unsatisfied with the limitations. First, it didn’t explain how energy would regenerate. Second, it gave no detail on how long he’d lose awareness or its exact effects.
He decided to set it aside for now and plan his next move.
"I could keep upgrading my skills, but… If I max out my Tier 1 attributes, my hunting speed should improve… then upgrade my skills to epic grade before attempting a breakthrough."
It might take time, but he was determined to succeed.
"So, the plan: when I’m out, focus on skill upgrades. While resting, cultivate my Origin Energy into purified energy and boost my basic attributes…"
Without hesitation, he began meditating, surrounding himself with Origin Crystals.
1,000 experience points and 100 Origin Energy consumed!
+1 Purified Energy
He stayed awake the entire night, purifying his Origin Energy. By dawn, he’d accumulated 1,150 purified energy, adding to what he had purified previously.
The next morning, as he went downstairs, he noticed an unusually busy scene. Crowds of people were armed, and whispers filled the air.
He made his way to the counter where the bartender stood.
Vincent casually left a few Origin Crystals on the counter, which the bartender took without a word.
"Tell me…" he asked, nodding.
"I heard there was an incident yesterday in the new labyrinth…"
The bartender paused, looking directly into Vincent’s eyes despite his mask. Vincent remained unfazed, having experienced it himself.
Seeing no reaction, the bartender continued, "A swarm of blackbite rats wreaked havoc from the third floor to the upper floors, killing hundreds of novice warriors. This alerted several guilds and organizations. Even the Novice Center’s higher-ups sent a team of Tier 2 investigators. But, just this morning, I heard that almost the entire team was annihilated, with only one survivor."
The bartender glanced over Vincent’s shoulder at the groups of armed warriors.
"That’s why you see these armed groups. The Novice Center posted a mission and raised the labyrinth’s rank to Tier 3."
Vincent remained calm at the news. He’d anticipated trouble; it wasn’t usual for a Mutated Blackbite Rat Leader to appear without cause. But he hadn’t expected them to increase the labyrinth’s rank to Tier 3.
Now, he was more intrigued by the events. Originally, he planned to quietly farm experience in the labyrinth, but that now seemed impossible.
"What on earth happened there…" he pondered. He considered checking it out. If things turned bad, he was confident he could escape with his current speed.
After breakfast, he went to the Novice Center to report.
"I’ve verified the report. Everything checks out. Here’s your reward for completing five peak Tier 1 missions. Please verify."
The attendant handed him a silk pouch, which he glanced at before storing it in his ring.
5,000 Origin Crystals—just like that!
He then asked, "I heard about the new labyrinth incident. Are there new mission requirements?"
The attendant nodded.
"Yes, there are a few changes. Besides the minimum strength of Peak Tier 1, each group must include one Tier 2 member."
Her words made him frown.
While he met the minimum requirement, where would he find a group with a Tier 2 warrior?
Then he heard light footsteps approach behind him—so quiet a normal Tier 1 warrior wouldn’t notice.
As the figure reached his shoulder, he turned, meeting a smiling blonde guy.
"Yo, long time no see?"
"Caelius…"