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Alchemical Chaos: The Creator's Domain
Chapter 11: The Cost of Defense

Chapter 11: The Cost of Defense

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I needed a few essential equipment: armor, a cape, boots, and a shield. However, since I'm using a 3-slot club, I wouldn't be able to use a shield; To do this, you would have to choose a sword or a dagger. I considered the shield a good option, since my goal was to avoid damage and not need to resort to potions.

Therefore, I would need to invest a lot in my defense to ensure that my HP would last until my next level up. I didn't want to spend a lot of money, but I realized that the shields were quite expensive, and, adding everything up, the total would be 2,100 Zenys.

Before purchasing the shield, I needed to identify the sword and clubs that I had obtained on my last expedition.

The sword had stats of 25 attack and 2 STR, in addition to having 4 card slots, a mechanic I knew from the game but hadn't yet delved into since arriving here to compare. Regardless, the sword I just revealed was definitely better than my two-handed club.

The other equipment identified was a 4-slot Mace, with 23 Attack and 1 STR. It was better than the one I was using, which had 3 slots and 23 Attack. I'll keep it for now, but it won't be long before I sell it.

I went to the stalls that sold the equipment I needed and bought them: shoes, hood, shoulder pads and jacket. After that, I went to the inn, as I still had to stay for another day.

After paying for another day, I went up to my room, where I planned my next steps and got ready for bed.

...

I woke up very early and took a look at my stats, now upgraded by my new equipment. My defense was reasonable. I could have chosen better equipment, but that would have made my weight excessive, which would have affected my attack speed. Overall, I was pretty satisfied by my new specs.

I then went to the Gatewatchers guild and spent 200 Zeny to get to the Viperspire Camp.

When I arrived there, I noticed that there were a lot more people than last time. It was a huge crowd, with several tents and many beginning adventurers. It wasn't like before. 'are the Terrans finally spreading around?' I thought. I looked around, noticing the excited buzz and excited faces of the newbies, as if they had finally found their place.

I didn't plan to enter the mansion, as I had no intention of doing quests. I just wanted to kill monsters to level up faster. What I dropped on this expedition, I would evaluate; If there were no quests related to the items I found, I would sell them, since, as a merchant, I would make a considerable profit.

While walking through the camp towards the FILD08 zone, I bumped into Mary, who was leaving the lodge and going straight to the mansion. She asked me, "Hey, kid! I remember you. Our guild is hiring adventurers. Interested in joining?"

"I would like to, but I don't have enough level yet. However, when I reach it, if they are still recruiting, I will make a point of participating in the selection."

"What's your level?"

"I'm level 14."

"You're almost there. If you spend more than 5 days killing monsters, you might make it." Mary said this with her chin resting between her fingers, thoughtfully.

"No way! I can't get 11 levels in 5 days." I said with a nervous laugh escaping my lips because the idea was a bit absurd based on my experience here in this world. Each level up demanded a lot of time and effort.

"11 levels? No, no! We've changed it. With the huge increase in adventurers, we decided to recruit more. It was just revealed we are about to have a Crystal Sundering, so we have lowered the requirement to 20. All guilds are relaxing the criteria because of that, and also to attract some Otherwolders with potential."

"Crystal Sundering? What does that mean?"

"Crystal Sundering is an exceptionally rare event that occurs intermittently. During this phenomenon, ambient mana within the Warps condenses at an accelerated rate, significantly increasing the number of dungeons and monsters formed through Magic Crystallization. Upon their defeat, the mana composing these creatures erupts violently, though only individuals attuned to mana can perceive this burst. The disturbance in the mana causes the surrounding ambient mana to crystallize into monsters at an even faster pace, simultaneously heightening their aggression."

5 "The researchers from various Professors' Guilds concluded that the imminent Crystal Sundering was triggered by the arrival of the Otherworlders. Numerous theories have emerged in an attempt to explain the nature of this phenomenon, with many linking it to population growth." Mary explained, a excited smile hinting at the challenge and opportunities the event presented.

"How long does this phenomenon last?" I leaned in slightly, eager for more details.

"Years. The last time it occurred, adventurers struggled to adapt - everywhere became far more dangerous, especially the areas with aggressive monsters. As time went on, the mana grew increasingly unstable, generating more and more monsters and dungeons until it peaked after five years. Although the increase continued beyond that point, it did so at a slower pace until stabilizing after another five years. Make no mistake, though; things never returned to the way they were before. The Magic Crystallization rate remained permanently higher than it had been prior to the event!"

She explained it with such excitement, as if she couldn't wait to announce to the world what was coming. I understand it presents a world of opportunity, but... won't it become incredibly dangerous? From Rose's explanation, it sounded like Dungeons posed quite a big threat if left alone for long...

Either way, I just need to accelerate my development! Luckily, I got this equipment that will help me a lot on my expeditions. "Thanks, Mary! I'll hurry to reach level 20." I smiled at her, feeling my determination renewed.

Then I went to a place where I could face monsters alone and focus on gaining experience.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

image [https://github.com/andersonrodrigod/fotos-ragnarok/blob/master/imagens/prt_fild07.png?raw=true]

I identified some of the creatures showing up there: Savage Babe, Rocker, Elusive Rocker and Vocal. Among them all, the only one I needed to avoid at all costs was Vocal. It was a monster with 3,317 HP, far beyond what I could handle at the moment. His attack was incredibly powerful compared to my level, and since he was aggressive, the best option would be to run if I saw him.

As I walked, I noticed that there were many adventurers in the area. This gave me a certain peace of mind, because if something got out of control, I could ask for help. Most of the adventurers were in pairs or trios, probably also looking to gain experience, as the item drop rate in this zone was very low.

I continued walking towards a less crowded place, as it was difficult to find monsters in the starting area. Suddenly, I spotted my first opponent: a Savage Babe, a small pink creature that resembled a piglet. Its stats were reasonable for my level: 127 HP, 55 attack, 22 defense, and it granted experience. I was currently at 1785 experience and needed 2304 to level up. I decided to tackle him as a warm-up; it was not my real target in that zone.

image [https://github.com/andersonrodrigod/fotos-ragnarok/blob/master/imagens/savage-babe.png?raw=true]

I drew my sword and held tight to the shield, preparing for the fight. I attacked first, dealing damage to Savage Babe. He tried to attack me back, but my defense completely absorbed the impact, leaving me confident. I landed three more hits, each one dealing the same amount of damage. I managed to block all its attacks, so it was defeated without dealing me any damage. The equipment I bought seemed to be more than enough for this zone, and I concluded that I should be able to spend a long time here solo leveling.

However, my real target for leveling up faster was another one: the Elusive Rocker. It didn't appear very often, but I knew I would be able to defeat it without endangering my life, and getting a lot of experience. Now I just needed to find it.

image [https://github.com/andersonrodrigod/fotos-ragnarok/blob/master/imagens/elusive%20Rocker.jpeg?raw=true]

I continued walking and observing the other adventurers around. I noticed a trio facing a Vocal: a swordsman, and 2 thieves. The swordsman seemed extremely well equipped, with an impressive defense, absorbing Vocal's blows with ease. They fought for a few minutes and, despite the difficulty one would normally have with a Vocal, they managed to defeat him with some ease. Clearly, that swordsman was the most prepared in terms of equipment in the group.

"Come on! If we keep this up, we can reach level 20 by nightfall!"—exclaimed the swordsman excitedly.

I watched them for a moment, thinking, 'As expected, they're aspiring to join Viperspire. How many members does it already have?" I speculated for a moment. The guild was located in the largest beginner adventurer zone in the region, so it was probably among the top ten in that region in terms of members. However, quantity is not always synonymous with quality.

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Protagonist Data

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Date: 13

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Class Level: 10

Base Level: 14

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Health Status:

HP : 335

MP : 92

Attributes:

STR : 24

AGI : 12

VIT : 12

INT : 0

DEX : 10

LUK : 6

Combat Statistics:

ATK : 49

MATK : 14.0

HIT : 12

Critical: 2

DEF : 16

MDEF : 6

Flee : 12

ASPD : 113

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Zeny: 3.662,15

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Equipped Equipment

Armor: Formal Suit

DEF: 40

Description: Formal suit for men.

Left Hand: Vembrassa

DEF: 20

Description: Square shield, small but effective for blocking enemy attacks.

Right Rand: Sword [4]

STR: 2

ATK: 25

Description: A sturdy and heavy club.

Robe: Hood

DEF: 4

Description: Flexible cap for head and neck.

Shoes: Shoes

DEF: 10

Description: Footwear made of leather. It consists of a thick sole and a lighter covering that reaches just below the ankle.

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Inventory

Items:

Stem: 6

Bitter Herb: 2

Green Herb: 8

Aloe: 2

Red Herb: 6

Yellow Herb: 3

Fly Wing: 6 - new

Animal Skin: 1 - new

Equipment:

Mace [3]: 2

Sword [4]: 1

Knife: 1

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Skills

Active Skills:

Mammonite : Level 1

Item Apraisal : Level 1

Passive Skills:

Increase Carry Capacity : Level 3

Overcharge : Level 5

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