...
[Effect 3: Gain 100 bonus experience points] (90% chance)
...
“Would you like to store ‘Mana Stone (Green)’ (x1) instead?”
...
“What the—” The sudden flood of notifications caught Adam off guard that he forgot where he was.
The Jade Lynx roared and shook him off its back. The mana stone slid off his hand as Adam came crashing to the ground. Adam quickly recovered from the fall, but his shock to what had just happened didn't. ‘It did no damage?!?’ he exclaimed after repeatedly checking the status sheet of the Jade Lynx. Its already low health remained as it was before the attack. Somehow, removing the gemstone did absolutely nothing.
Not a harm befell upon the weakened beast.
‘It wasn’t its mana core... so what the hell is it then?’ Adam wondered. He had never heard of mana stones in his life. However, his mulling was quickly disrupted by the pack of Jade Lynxes furiously charging at him.
Without another thought, Adam ran over and picked up the mysterious mana stone.
“Things didn’t go as planned, but…” Adam muttered as he held the green gemstone in his hand.
He then stared at the beasts rushing towards him. “Nothing really does. And such is life, so might as well...”
Adam brought the prompt up once more and relayed a mental command—‘Consume!’
...
“Gained + 100 EXP”
“Congratulations, you leveled up!”... “Level - 12”
...
As expected, his terrible luck drew the worst of the bunch. The ninety percent drop chance was too much, but...
Adam felt the same hastened boost in regeneration he thought he felt back then.
“This will do,” he muttered with a smile.
Chapter XXII
Power Leveling
The sudden increase in mana—the additional five points from leveling up—caught the lynxes off guard. They quickly halted their aggression and surrounded the undead with caution. ‘Their sensitivity to such a minute change is rather impressive...’ Adam thought. The pack displayed an intimidating stance as they hissed at him. Adam, however, knew this was all a facade. The adults were trying to get his attention off the most vulnerable members of the pack; the cubs.
Adam sheathed the blade he used to pry the stone out. The tip of it had bent and its blunt edge won’t be of use against the tough-skinned beast; It would be akin to pounding a stick against solid rock, although if Adam was any stronger, it would have worked wonders. The loose scabbard made of thin cloth swung lightly as he clad the sword in it. The other blade wasn’t any better, but its comparatively sharp tip could still serve its intended purpose.
The two sides were in a stalemate for a moment. Neither wanted to act first.
Adam, however, had to seize the opportunity while the buff was still active. He ran towards the same lynx he attacked earlier. It had the lowest health relative to its level. If Adam could take it out first without exhausting his health pool, he would consider it a win. “If I can’t find your weakness, then I’ll just worsen your wounds!” Adam swerved to the side of the beast. He slid under and positioned the blade to hit its wounded hind leg.
This bold move took the beasts by surprise. They instinctively retreated a few steps back.
Shunk! The tip of the sword punctured the open wound! [Health - 20/640]
Blood trickled down the slab-like thigh of the beast as it tried to keep its balance.
Adam pulled the blade out and let his own momentum push him past the body length of the beast. He had expected this careless move of his to backfire slightly, but not a single spell came out of the dying beast. It let out a weak hiss as it beckoned the rest to attack.
‘Was it because of the mana stone?’ Adam figured. His hunch was soon confirmed.
The acting pack leader pounced quickly. Its gemstone shot a beam of green light that struck towards the undead. Adam couldn’t avoid the attack fully as the lower half of his body was still flat on the ground. The bright streak of light hit and fractured his shoulder — [Health - 300/340]. If the adolescent lynx had a higher level, the attack would have caused serious damage. Fortunately for Adam, the juvenile mana beast was still Level 14, merely two levels ahead of him.
Adam took damage, but his questions were answered… well, sort of. ‘The mana stone is a medium to cast their spells.’ It was like a wand to a wizard. No wonder it was filled with experience points, a skill, and an ability. It was basically a piece of magic equipment!
“So I was right to remove it then?” Adam figured. He heaved a sigh of relief. The dying lynx couldn’t do anything against him without its mana stone. However, this didn’t stop the rest from making a move. The juvenile leader continued its unabated long-range assault. The others sauntered closer towards Adam, waiting for the right moment to strike.
Adam took advantage of his thin stature and hid behind the dying lynx.
It would only take one stray beam to end the life of the adult lynx. The juvenile halted its assault, but this left the adult isolated. Adam then attacked the dying beast and ended its futile struggle. He used the same method of attack; worsening the open wound. It not only made his attacks more effective, but it also kept his poor equipment from breaking.
Ding! “You’ve slain a Level 28 [Adult Jade Lynx]”
“Gained + 280 EXP”
“Congratulations, you leveled up!”... “Level - 13”
“Congratulations, you leveled up!”... “Level - 14”
“Congratulations, you leveled up!”... “Level - 15”
… “Level 15 - (40/100)”
[Health - 360/400] (Regenerating...) Charges - 3
[Mana - 82]
…
‘280 points? That’s insane!’ Adam inwardly exclaimed as he felt the sudden surge of strength course through his body. He could feel his bones harden significantly and his joints turning tough like rubber. His mana core churned loudly as it processed the new mana. The abrupt jump in levels caused Adam to notice every substantial improvement.
The last time he felt this was during the skirmish in the Valley of Panarishe.
The pack of lynxes let out a sharp growl—which sounded more like a screech—and rushed towards their fallen fellow. They felt the life-force of their comrade wither, but they could also feel the overwhelming strength the undead suddenly gained. Unfortunately, their bestial instinct took over... It clouded their judgment and made them act irrationally.
‘If they weren’t monsters; the adult lynxes could have recuperated their health first while the young ones covered for them. But perhaps this… This is for my own good that they are beast and not man,’ he pondered. The pack was disorganized and moved in disarray. This put Adam at an advantage.
‘...You’re next.’ Adam picked another target—a Level 25 lynx with a hundred and twenty health points. He needed to chain the regeneration buff properly so as to not put himself in unnecessary danger. The chaotic assault gave Adam plenty of room to single out his opponent. He keenly eyed the maddened feline as it led the hasty charge.
Adam soon took notice, ‘There’s a gash near its collar… Well, that’s pretty convenient. Whoever cut it is quite the commendable adventurer. Hmm, come to think of it… the lancer back then was pretty good at targeting the right spots. Perhaps he’s the one who did this? He definitely knew what he was doing.’
Without a moment’s hesitation, Adam ducked and slid under the charging beast.
Jade Lynxes weren’t tall, to begin with, and the gap between the ground and their underside was minimal. It was only possible for Adam to fit because of his thin body. Adam drove the blade through the cut. Shunk! The collar was a lot softer than the leg.
The tip went through with ease! Adam shoved the blade across the neck to the throat.
“A vital point was targeted.”... “Critical Hit!”
Ding! “You’ve slain a Level 25 [Adult Jade Lynx]”
“Gaine
d + 250 EXP”
“Congratulations, you leveled up!”... “Level - 16”
“Congratulations, you leveled up!”... “Level - 17”
… “Level 17 - (90/100)”
[Health - 420/440] (Regenerating...) Charges - 3
[Mana - 92]
…
“A weak spot!” Adam exclaimed.
A shower of blood soaked his skull, but he didn’t mind at all.
“That'll make things so much easier...” he said, pulling the blade out of the beast’s throat.
The maddened lynxes pounced at Adam as soon as he came back up. Those that could shoot from afar struck the undead without caution; the mana stones on their forehead bubbled from the continuous luminescence spewing out. The rest bit down on Adam, pinning him to the ground.
[Mana - 92]... [Mana - 88/92]... [Mana - 84/92]...
‘There’s no point in draining my mana. I have little use for it right now,’ Adam jested.
He was rather calm for someone getting mauled by a pack of rabid mana beasts.
Stomp! A lynx trampled his left arm. Like a dry twig, the bone snapped in half!
[Health - 380/440] (Regenerating...) Charges - 3.
Although the buff was still up and running, the broken limb didn’t reattach itself, nor did it grow back. ‘My body won’t fully recover unless I consume a Life Charge.’ Adam knew this much, but he was still confident he could deal with this many opponents. ‘And now that I know their weakness…’ Adam grabbed a hold of his severed limb and stabbed its sharp tip at the shoulder of one the adult lynxes with low health.
The bone was long enough to pierce through the shoulder and puncture the beast’s throat.
“A vital point was targeted.”... “Critical Hit!”
[Health - 80/550]... [Health - 70/550]... [Health - 50/550]...
This time, the beast was tougher and was able to survive a critical hit. However, the bone was lodged deep in its throat, blocking its air intake. The beast staggered back. It let out a long, disconcerting grunt as it suffocated. A few adolescents assisted the choking lynx, but it only hastened its death. Pulling the bone out worsened the bleeding.
Ding! “You’ve slain a Level 21 [Adult Jade Lynx]”
“Gained + 210 EXP”
“Congratulations, you leveled up!”... “Level - 18”
“Congratulations, you leveled up!”... “Level - 19”
“Congratulations, you leveled up!”... “Level - 20”
“Skill [Authority of the Undone] has been upgraded!”
Level 2: Can control up to 10 units at a time.
“Skill [Analyze] has been upgraded!” - Increased read threshold.
Analyze can now read targets up to 100 levels above the user’s own level.
…
“Level 20 - (0/100)”
[Health - 400/500] (Regenerating...) Charges - 3
[Mana - 80/107] (Regenerating…)
…
Adam skimmed through the notifications.
A lot was happening at once. And the tens of mana beasts pummeling him down wasn’t helping; The surge of mana didn’t scare them off now. Instead, they seemed to enjoy the “feast” of insurmountable mana coming from this one undead. The strong ecstatic sensation of overflowing mana roiling inside their cores took over the felines.
Adam didn’t struggle further and instead focused himself on getting as many things done while he was immobilized. ‘I can’t seem to wriggle myself out of this, I’ll just whittle their strength down before Life Charge kicks in.’ Adam knew that he had to use one sooner.
It was his only way out. And the pack would probably leave him alone after.
While the lynxes tried their best to rip him apart, Adam poked and prodded the weak.
‘There are at least four more adults that are easily killable—’ Adam counted.
‘—And there are around twenty juveniles I’ll get decent experience from.’
‘All in all, this is over if I kill around thirty more… I wonder if I’ll get anything from the cubs?’
…
[Health - 0] Charges - 3. “A Life Charge will now be consumed...”
[Health - 500] Charges - 2 (Recharging: 23 hrs. 59 min.)
The pack soon overwhelmed the undead by simply outnumbering it. The amount of damage they had dished out was high enough to even swamp the buff, negating its use completely. The pack was about to leave—afraid that they had attracted the attention of the ice dragon—when another one of their comrades fell.
“A vital point was targeted.”... “Critical Hit!”
Adam calmly stood atop the fallen beast as he pulled his blade off its shoulder.
Ding! “You’ve slain a Level 20 [Adult Jade Lynx]”
“Gained + 200 EXP”
“Congratulations, you leveled up!”... “Level - 21”
“Congratulations, you leveled up!”... “Level - 22”
...
“No one’s going anywhere…”
Now that he knew where to attack, Adam did what was basically a “rinse-and-repeat”.
Although he struggled for a bit—fighting against beasts was an entirely different thing compared to fighting against men—his ability to adapt to tough situations and adjust accordingly soon prevailed. The five grueling years had finally paid off its due dividend.
He took out the four weakened adult lynxes in mere minutes, utilizing even his bent blade. Adam made use of it as some sort of a dreaded hook. He would impale the beast with the deformed tip and pull its handle across the shoulder, to the neck, and straight at the throat.
A barrage of notifications rang once more. The sum of experience points from the four kills alone totaled to a staggering eight-hundred and eighty. “Congratulations, you leveled up!”
...“Level - 30”
“Skill [Authority of the Undone] has been upgraded!”
Level 3: Can control up to 20 units at a time.
…
Adam hopped off the carcass and was about to charge when he heard a sharp snap.
Click! “What an awful timing...” he whispered.
The dull blades had cracked and were about to shatter. “I guess this is as far as I can go.”
Seeing that Adam was about to be without a weapon, the lynxes bolstered their confidence. “Unfortunately, I’m not going down without a fight,” Adam muttered as he greeted the incoming assault with all his strength. Just as expected, the blades’s durability were at their end; they shattered as soon as he tried using them. Shards of chipped metal broke off the blade. “Tsk, then I’ll just punch my way out of this!” Adam clenched his boney fist and struck a young lynx that tried to gnaw his feet.
Bam! The blow surprisingly… packed a punch!
Chapter XXIII
Beyond What Is
[Health - 230/290]
Adam wasn’t expecting a damage notification to appear in front of him after throwing a very casual punch. ‘This is output damage, right? Shouldn’t I be the one taking damage instead?’ he thought to himself, confused. ‘Right, I have five-hundred health points….’
A sudden realization then dawned upon him. ‘Have I been underestimating the system?’
This very thought struck Adam as he looked at the juvenile beast stagger. The punch pummeled the feline so hard the gem on its forehead loosened; the mana stone clinked as it rubbed against its narrow housing. The young beast let out a grunt as its legs swayed to and fro uncontrollably. Adam clenched his fist once more and threw another strike — Bam!
Not a moment was given to the beast to sober as the punch landed cleanly.
[Health - 150/290]
The blow caused cobweb-like cracks to appear on the rock-hard cheek of the feline.
The pack of lynxes paused in shock—The undead in front of them was stronger than they had thought; It seemed as though their adversary didn’t need a weapon to be able to deal with them in the first place. This was news for their dwindling numbers. The acting leader let out a low-
pitched call and beckoned the group to remain wary of the enemy.
It would seem as though the tables have turned. Adam was equally taken aback.
“I took out almost half of its health with just two punches…” he muttered in disbelief.
It was an absurd amount of strength he didn’t know he had.
Adam had thought his damage output from earlier was solely from the critical hits. It was no wonder hitting the collar was easier than the hind leg; It wasn’t that the shoulders were softer—which didn’t make sense in hindsight since every body part of a Jade Lynx was as tough as a boulder—it was just that Adam had increased his level by then and that made his attacks comparatively stronger, more powerful. Adam tightened his fist as he felt the power coursing through his entire undead body.
“This…” He truly had been underestimating the system.
Sweeping through nineteen levels definitely had a hand at this absurd improvement.
It took a while for Adam to notice; perhaps it was the sense of urgency caused by battling an entire pack of rabid beasts that made him not realize it sooner. It would seem as though strength wasn’t the only thing that had improved greatly, his other “unquantifiable” assets were enhanced as well.
‘I can feel that my body is a lot lighter than before, I just hope this is an improvement. If not, and I’m now as brittle as a glass, then this would be over for me real soon,’ Adam thought, although he was confident his lighter build could withstand anything the lynxes threw at him. ‘Their beams are definitely an exception… They’re just too fast for me to evade.’
As a compensation for this “flaw”, Adam could tank the damage with his hefty health pool.
“Very well then, let the hunt… begin!” he announced with overflowing enthusiasm. Adam couldn’t help but feel exhilarated knowing a kill could yield a lot. Each level up was a step closer to his goal of becoming stronger and saving his family, ‘I’m coming home… soon!’
The pack moved a few steps back after they felt the strong intent pulsing from the undead.
It was then when a deafening roar interrupted. “Kraaa!” The ground shook strongly.
Undone- Resurrection of Murdock Page 11