NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 6: Ascension?
Due to his increased strength from the Steel Fist spell, Liam was no longer hesitant.
He looked at the small spiders around him with eyes full of hatred, then attacked with all his might.
With just one blow, he managed to crush the nearest spider, killing it with extreme ease.
[ +5xp ]
His morale soared, and he smiled with satisfaction.
"This is so easy when you're strong."
Without any mercy, he unleashed a barrage of punches, shattering anything in his path.
After just one minute, the ground around him was littered with fragmented bones.
[ +4xp ]
[ +4xp ]
[ +5xp ]
[ +4xp ]
[...]
After his rampage ended, he exhaled tiredly and sat on the ground.
Hooof!
He looked at his steel fist and sighed, 'The spell's effect will end in ten minutes; I must make good use of it.'
He furrowed his brows, showing a serious expression, and with a hint of curiosity, asked,
"System, what is this XP that appears every time I kill a monster?"
[ XP is short for Experience Points ]
"Experience Points? And what's the use of them?"
[ Upon reaching a certain threshold of Experience Points, your rank will increase ]
Liam was astonished. After a brief moment of thought, he asked, skeptical:
"Is it that simple? All I have to do is kill monsters and collect Experience Points, and my rank will increase like that?"
[ Yes, you can also gain XP by doing other things, but killing monsters is the fastest way ]
Very slowly, he raised his hand and rubbed his forehead, trying to ease his confusion: "You're joking? This is unbelievable!"
As he began to grasp the situation, a small smile appeared on his face.
It kept widening until it transformed into a laugh filled with indescribable excitement and joy.
'I can't believe this. Could this System be the miracle I've waited for my entire life? Will I finally be able to change my wretched destiny?'
The more he thought about it, the more his excitement grew, and in the end, he laughed from the bottom of his heart, looking up at the sky in gratitude.
His thoughts jumbled, but he calmed himself despite the difficulty, and impatiently asked:
"So, how much Experience Points do I need to reach the next rank?"
This was the most important question he wanted an answer to, and everything else hinged on it.
If the Experience Points he needed were an incredible, unbelievable number, perhaps the System wouldn't be as useful as he thought.
[ All personal information you wish to know can be found in the Personal Status Window ]
Liam's smile faded, and with anticipation, he commanded: "Show Personal Status Window."
[ — Status — ]
– Name: Liam Draven
– Race: Human?
– Rank: F
– Class: (Undefined)
XP: [ 250 / 121 ]
HP: [ 80 / 58 ]
Mana: [ 0 / 0 ]
[ — Basic Attributes — ]
– Strength: 9
– Agility: 6
– Endurance: 7
– Vitality: 8
– Perception: 7
– Mana Control: 0
Distribution Points: 12
[ — Skills — ]
Swordsmanship (F) – Mana Body (F) – Horsemanship (F)
[ — Equipment — ]
Necklace?
– – – – –
"What is all this?" Liam was slightly stunned.
He quickly read the information present in the Personal Status Window.
'Everything related to me is in this window, or whatever it's called—my skills, my rank, and even the type of equipment I carry.'
He smiled with satisfaction and stared at the XP slot:
'All I need now is to obtain 129 XP, and then I'll be able to reach E-rank.
Will I really achieve my dream this quickly, and so easily?'
Suddenly, he began to feel a little anxious, but he didn't let it discourage him.
He quickly brightened his mood: "I shouldn't be pessimistic."
After clearing his mind of wild fantasies, he looked at the Status Window again and asked:
"System, what is this HP, and what's the use of Distribution Points?"
[ HP stands for Health Points, which is an indicator of your physical well-being. If your HP reaches zero, you will die. ]
[ HP: (80 / 55) ]
Liam furrowed his brows and stared at the HP indicator strangely.
'Did my HP just drop? Why? I haven't taken any damage.'
He quickly looked at his wounded leg and thought:
'Is this wound the reason? But it's not that big or alarming.'
He wanted to continue thinking about it, but a set of System screens appeared before him, distracting his attention.
[ Distribution Points are bonus points you receive after your XP increases by a certain amount.
You can distribute the points you gain to your Basic Status as you wish. ]
[ The number of Distribution Points you can obtain at each rank is limited. ]
[ The higher your Basic Status, the greater your strength will become. ]
After reading all the information provided by the System, he muttered in understanding:
"So, what you're saying is that I can increase my Basic Status by distributing the bonus points I get when my XP increases. Okay, this isn't complicated."
[ Yes… ]
After gaining a decent understanding of how the System worked, he asked about what bothered him:
"System, why is my HP decreasing? My physical condition is perfectly fine!"
[ The skeletal spider that bit you injected its venom into your body. ]
[ The amount of venom is not enough to kill you, but it will significantly lower your HP, and you may feel numbness in your leg. ]
[ It is recommended to raise your Vitality points, or drink a suitable antidote. ]
"Hooof, and here I thought it was something worse.
" After confirming his condition wasn't critical, he felt some relief.
However, he didn't take the situation lightly, nor did he allow himself to relax. Nevertheless, his morale soared.
He quickly looked at his hand, which resembled a metallic sphere, and thought:
"I still have about 7 minutes left before the spell's effect wears off. During this time, I must kill as many spiders as possible."
Without any delay, he stood up and said: "System, distribute 5 points to Vitality, 5 to Strength, and 2 to Endurance."
[ Distributing... ]
Suddenly, a warm feeling emanated from his heart, spreading with insane speed throughout his entire body.
His features involuntarily relaxed, and he felt a strange euphoria and great comfort, as his mind became exceptionally clear.
This didn't last long. After about four seconds, the warm and pleasant sensation disappeared, replaced by muscle pain that made his body convulse.
[ Distribution successful ]
"Ouch!" It was very sudden, and he cried out involuntarily, but after a few seconds, everything returned to normal.
"Phew." Liam exhaled a thick, misty breath and sighed,
'That was unexpected.'
[ — Status — ]
– Name: Liam Draven
– Race: Human?
– Rank: F
– Class: (Undefined)
XP: [ 250 / 121 ]
HP: [ 130 / 80 ]
Mana: [ 0 / 0 ]
[ — Basic Attributes — ]
– Strength: 14
– Agility: 6
– Endurance: 9
– Vitality: 13
– Perception: 7
– Mana Control: 0
Distribution Points: 0
[ — Skills — ]
Swordsmanship (F) – Mana Body (F) – Horsemanship (F)
[ — Equipment — ]
Necklace?
– – – – –
After contemplating the changes in his attributes for a brief moment, he raised his hand and clenched his fist.
He felt a noticeably great power overflowing from him. His eyes widened, and he muttered:
"I truly have grown stronger."
He furrowed his brows and showed a resolute expression.
He first looked towards the rocky barrier that blocked the spiders:
"Unfortunately, I cannot remove this barrier, so I must search for spiders elsewhere."