"See? This is why I like civilized people," he said, his tone almost cheerful. "No need to fight when we can solve things through peaceful negotiation."
The players smiled weakly, their expressions a mix of relief and bitterness. 'Yeah, right. Extorting us for ten thousand dollars is totally civilized,' they thought but wisely kept to themselves.
Arthur waved them off. "Alright, you can go now. And make sure to take your revenge on John—it was all his fault, after all."
The players didn't wait for another word, turning tail and running as fast as they could.
Arthur turned his attention back to the battlefield. Borak and Hank had just finished dispatching the remaining wolves, leaving only a single, battered wolf half-standing.
Arthur approached the scattered loot left by the slain wolves, his eyes glinting as he began collecting the spoils.
"Never say no to more money," Arthur muttered to himself with a grin, pocketing the loot.
He glanced at Borak and Hank, who stood proudly amidst the carnage. "Good work, both of you."
Arthur froze mid-step as the familiar sound of notifications flooded his mind. His eyes skimmed over the text, his expression quickly shifting from curiosity to unrestrained glee.
[You have slain level 7 Black Bear]
[You have slain level 6 Black Bear]
A chuckle escaped his lips. "Sylvaris or Sunless… Only they would clear out creatures with such efficiency," he muttered to himself, shaking his head in amusement. But before he could dwell further, another notification popped up, one that wiped the smirk off his face and replaced it with wide-eyed disbelief.
[You have levelled up to Level 10!]
[All attribute points will be increased by 1.]
[You have gained 1 free attribute point and 1 Skill Point.]
Arthur's jaw dropped slightly before an uncontrollable grin spread across his face. "Level 10… I actually made it." His voice was tinged with excitement, his hands curling into fists as he felt a surge of energy course through his body.
The immediate boost to his attributes made him feel faster, and undeniably stronger. His hands clenched and unclenched reflexively as if testing his power.
[Skill Acquired: Shadow Dweller]
"Damn, that is an overpowered skill. I love my class, it just keeps getting better. That basically means I will be unkillable for 10 seconds, and the cooldown is only 5 seconds!"
A soft smile crept on his face, as he read the description of his new skill once more.
"Time to see what my talent's new effect is."
Arthur rubbed his hands excitedly as he opened his talent description.
SSS-Rank Talent: Primordial Summoner
Talent Effect #1: You are able to summon primordial beasts once every 2 months. Additionally, you can summon normal beasts at will, though these beasts are random. Your summoned beasts level up with you.
Talent Effect #2: You are able to 'extract' one talent/Skill from your beast, and keep it as your own.
Talent Effect #3: You are able to summon any beast you have killed as your own summon.
Talent Effect #4: Talent Effect #1 Cooldown reduced to 1 month.
Talent Effect #5: Grants the ability to communicate with all summoned beasts, allowing you to hear their thoughts. Summoned beasts are compelled to follow your commands, regardless of their will.
Talent Effect #6: *%"$& (Level up to unlock)
Arthur almost jumped in happiness, his grin widening as he read the fifth talent effect.
He couldn't help but let out an exhilarated laugh, startling the nearby Hank, who flapped his wings in confusion.
Arthur muttered, his gaze locking onto Borak. "Your time has come, Neko, but first… let's see what goes on in the great mind of Borak."
Activating his talent's new effect, Arthur focused on the massive boar.
The air shimmered faintly as he tuned into Borak's thoughts. At first, there was a low hum, then a stream of chaotic, surprisingly eloquent musings filled Arthur's head.
Inside Borak's mind...
"Ah, another glorious day to be Borak! The sun is shining, the mud is cooling, and my harem… oh yes, the harem. What a marvel of world excellence! Let's take stock. So far, we've got Daisy, the fine-looking wild sow with the soft fur—she's definitely the queen. But then there's Gertrude… hmm. Gertrude's tusks are a bit uneven, but she's got a good snout for foraging. For a boar of my stature, a solid forager is essential. But she is balanced overall,"
Borak snorted aloud, nodding his head slightly as he pondered deeper.
"But… do I really need balance? Maybe what I need is flair! Yes, flair! The kind of sow who turns heads. There was that one—what was her name again? Beatrice? Bernice? Whatever. She had that wild sparkle in her eyes. She is a bit unhinged, sure, but maybe that's the spice the harem needs. Can't have things getting boring, right? Borak the Bold deserves variety!"
He grunted softly, lost in his musings.
"Although… too much spice and the whole harem might explode. Daisy wouldn't like it if I brought in a troublemaker. She's already got a thing about Gertrude hogging—ha, hogging—the best wallowing spots. Maybe I should smooth that over first. Oh, but who am I kidding? They'll fall in line. I'm Borak, the Tusken Titan!"
There was a brief pause before another thought struck him like lightning.
"But what about expansion? What if I… cross the species line? That slender deer I saw last week… now that would really shake things up! Imagine the hybrid offspring. No, no. Focus, Borak. Too ambitious. Stay grounded. First, lock down the current species, then think about international expansion."
Arthur had to cover his mouth to keep from bursting out laughing. The sheer absurdity of Borak's detailed harem logistics was almost too much to handle.
"Okay, I think that's enough. I might start getting ideas if I keep hearing him talk," Arthur said, shaking his head.