Fuck! Rael exclaimed inwardly, barely holding on to the shaking sword.
The only thing he could hear was the clattering of bones as they began clearly dissipating, and with that, a bunch of messages.
-2100! Instant Kill! (x101)
-41,500! Instant Kill!
-23,250! Instant Kill!
Thankfully, the messages all combined into one, else, he'd probably be blind by now.
Aside from that, though, he wasn't left unscathed either.
[HP -5000! 24,600/29,600]
What a stingy fucking bomb. A level 2 Frostbite status effect. From something like that, I expected Level 3 at minimum, Rael grumbled despite the situation.
However, all of a sudden, everything stopped.
The sounds halted, and his feet, which had been feeling cold since earlier, were now at normal temperature again.
Yet as Rael glanced downward, the only thing he saw was heaps of dust scattering in the wind.
But that was not all he saw, as the main attraction was none other than the several system interfaces.
<+19,093 Trell Acquired>
<+12,520 Trell Acquired>
—Skeleton Abomination (Rare Elite) [Level 35] Killed! Experience: +6,385>
<+3,645 Trell Acquired>
—Skeleton Brute (Rare Elite) [Level 30] Killed! Experience: +5,265>
<+3,000 Trell Acquired>
—Explosive Maniac: All damage with explosives is increased by 15%>
"Pfft... Hah..." Rael held himself back as he gently dropped down to the ground, still processing this new heap of experience and money.
He was rich, even if only for a bit.
First thing on the agenda, however, was getting rid of the Frostbite status effect.
Category: Utility/Potions/Frost
•—Balance: 39,976 Trell—•
• Frost Cleansing Potion (Uncommon): 5,000 Trell
Fuck... Rael grumbled, but purchased it nonetheless, before swiftly chugging it down.
It was not a stingy amount this time, which made him relieved.
Nonetheless, now he had something else he wanted to do.
Rael made his way over to the wall and sat down before opening his status screen and clicking on his race.
He clicked on it again and soon, a row of options appeared.
1. Frostborn (Uncommon)
—Evolve into a being who is heavily resistant to frost but is greatly weakened against fire-based attacks.
+50% Damage Increase to all Frost-based attacks.
+15% Reduced Damage from Frost-based attacks.
-75% Damage Resistance to Fire
Gain Skill: Minor Frost Manipulation (Common)
2. High Human (Common)
—Evolve along the same path, increasing base stats moderately.
+10% Damage Bonus to All Attacks and Spells
Gain Skill: Sword of Valor (Common)
—Evolve into a greedy goblin.
New Stat: Midget Thievery
New Stat: Greedy Luck
Rael looked through his options with a frown on his face.
The last evolution path was definitely the system's way of saying "Fuck you."
But aside from that, Frostborn seemed interesting, yet it limited his options by making him vulnerable to fire.
As for High Human... It was just simple, and not as exciting.
But since that was the only option, Rael's fingers hovered toward it.
Yet just before he pressed on High Human, a certain popup entered his sight.
It had already cost him 10,000 Trell just to view those shitty options, and spending another 10,000 seemed even worse.
However, he couldn't help but consider it.
And after just a few more moments, Rael let out a sigh before testing his luck.
•—Balance: 14,976 Trell—•
Rael stared speechlessly at his balance, wanting to slam his head into the wall.
But since he hadn't had dinner yet, he refrained.
Finally, the new races appeared, making his eyes widen.
—Evolve into a humanoid with animalistic traits, offering physical boosts at the cost of finesse.
-1000 to Intelligence
Gain Skill: Beast's Senses (Common)
Gain Stat: Animal Instincts (Common)
2. Naturekin (Common)
—Evolve into a being with a strong connection to the natural world, granting minor control over plants and the environment.
+15% Damage Increase to Nature-based Spells
+10% Increased Healing from Nature-based Sources
-10% Damage Resistance to Fire
Gain Skill: Vine Growth (Common)
Gain Skill: Nature's Favor (Uncommon)
3. Crystalweaver (Rare)
—Evolve into a being able to manipulate and craft weapons from living crystals, offering versatile utility in battle but weaker physical attacks.
+25% Increased Crystal-based Damage
+15% Resistance to all types of Magic Damage
-15% Reduced Physical Damage Dealt
Gain Skill: Crystal Weaving (Rare)
Gain Skill: Gemstone Shield (Common)
Holy shit... Wait a second... Rael paused, reading through all of them.
Right off the bat, there were many more options to choose from, but in the end, there was only one obvious choice.
It reduced his Physical Damage by -15%, However, Rael had plenty of items backing him, and frankly, the effect would be minor considering the skills which he would get.
There was one concern, but as he looked at the very bottom of the interface, he found his answer.
Rael took a deep breath and clicked on the Crystalweaver race.
Immediately, another popup appeared.
So many instructions... Rael felt like his head was spinning. So if I evolve 5 more times, I can choose to become a dragon who shoots out crystals and crafts items... That sounds fun.
Nonetheless, after all his overthinking, the deciding button appeared.
A grin appeared on his face as, without wasting even a moment, Rael pressed "Yes."
Immediately, he felt his knees grow weak, arms heavy.
Heavy to the point where he plopped down onto the ground, his vision slowly darkening as he was met with two final system messages.
Despite his consciousness fading, he only had a single thought on his mind.
I should've bought a pillow...