Alec Jones
Species: Felinus Daemonis Puer
Race: Ancesant
Constellation: Prænuntius Vacui
Potential: [Perfect]
Status:
Level: 6
HP: 216/220
MP: 49/90
SP: 205/216
Attributes:
STRENGTH: 32
ENDURANCE: 11
VITALITY: 22
MIND: 50
WISDOM: 8
CLARITY: 10
AGILITY: 29
Available stat points: 20
Available Skill Points: 5
Species abilities:
Blood Claws lv1
Mana Bite lv1
Racial attributes:
Dimensional space access lv1
Mystic lv1
Language comprehension lv Max
Stellar abilities:
System interference
Path of Stars [Exclusive]
Stigma generation:
S1:[Unavailable][Stellar essence detected] evoke? Y/N
S2:[Unavailable][Unlock s1 first]
S3:[Unavailable][Unlock s2 first]
S4:[Unavailable][Unlock s3 first]
S5:[Unavailable][Unlock s4 first]
S6:[Unavailable][Unlock s5 first]
Still a big no to stigma generation. This dude was tracking me, I honestly don't think it'd be safe to just chill in the library having your soul tattooed.
Well, let's see if I can use my skill points.
Alec casually swiped away the stat screen like it was yesterday's news and pulled up the skill list. A lengthy catalog of skills unfolded before him, but he quickly discovered that most of them were like tantalizing cookies just out of reach, locked behind secret conditions or restricted by cryptic levels.
He looked up and down, scrolling through the skill list. Skills were categorized into different sections based on their affinities. For example, the skill [Fireball] was listed under the
The skill list was organized into different affinity trees, and each affinity had multiple tiers. However, the unlock conditions for these tiers were as elusive as a cat's sense of direction. At the base of the fire affinity tree, there was Tier 1, the starting point, much like the introductory chapter of a confusing self-help book. Tier 2 sprouted from Tier 1, branching out like an overenthusiastic family tree, but Alec quickly noticed that it had three different subcategories. It was as if the skills couldn't agree on their path forward, leading to a classic case of sibling rivalry.
Venturing into Tier 3, Alec realized that the three subcategories from Tier 2 had further fractured into five different branches each. It was like a game of skill-based fractal bingo, resulting in a mind-boggling total of 15 branches at Tier 3. If it were a game show, he'd be expecting confetti and a giant check any moment now.
But the adventure didn't stop there. Tiers 4, 5, and 6 represented further specializations of Tier 3 skills. At each higher tier, a specific skill from Tier 3 served as the foundation, taking a skill's identity crisis to a whole new level. So, by the time Alec reached Tier 6, there were another 15 branches to explore, each of them was like a fancy cocktail version of a Tier 3 skill.
Well, bummer, no fire affinity for some centipede barbecue action. But hey, I can always dig deeper into a skill later. After all, it was never too late to become a culinary pyromancer. Blood affinity only offers 8 branches at tier 6, so, my choices are limited anyway.
After a few friendly nudges and mental winks at the system, Alec successfully filtered the list to display only the skills with level restrictions and those currently available to him.
General:
Stealth
Type: Status
MP Cost: Low
Effect: Enables the user to conceal their presence, becoming virtually invisible to those nearby.
Blood Affinity:
Blood Bullet
Power: 80
Type: Magical
MP Cost: Moderate
Cooldown: 20 minutes
Description: Shoots the opponent with a bullet made of condensed blood mana. Explodes upon contact and deals 200% of the base attack damage as blood damage.
(Additional skills unlockable with higher levels)
Blood Mist (Requires Lv10)
Bane of Blood Sacrifice (Requires Lv20)
Poison Affinity:
Venom Fangs
Power: 20
Type: Physical
MP Cost: Low
Description: User attacks the opponent using poison mana-infused fangs. Upon success, the opponent might suffer from [Toxic].
Toxic: The target will continually lose HP. The higher the base HP of the target, the greater the effect.
Shadow Claws
Power: 40
Type: Physical
MP Cost: Low
Description: The user infuses their claws with shadow mana, delivering a shadow-charged strike to the opponent. A successful hit may afflict the target with [Tenebrosity].
Tenebrosity: The target experiences a brief loss of sight.
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
(Additional skills unlockable with higher levels)
Shadow Whip [Lv10 Required]
Shadow Step [Lv16 Required]
Death Affinity:
Death Claws
Power: 40
Type: Physical
MP Cost: Low
Description: The user charges their claws with the malevolent power of Death mana and viciously rends their opponent. A successful strike may inflict the opponent with the debilitation known as [Necrosis].
Necrosis: Gradually erodes the target's fundamental defenses.
Doom Affinity:
Doom Claws
Power: 40
Type: Physical
MP Cost: Low
Description: The user charges their claws with ominous Doom mana and savagely strikes their opponent. A successful blow could afflict the opponent with [Rust].
Rust: Gradually diminishes the target's fundamental attack capabilities.
Space Affinity:
Space Step
Type: Status
Range: 2 meters
MP Cost: High
Cooldown: 10 minutes
Description: The user manipulates the space around them, generating waves of space mana within a 2-meter radius. This skill grants the ability to teleport freely within the designated sphere.
(Additional skills unlockable with higher levels)
Twisted Dimension [Requires level 23]
Most of the general skills were useless to him. What in the Catnip? Cooking? sewing? cleaning? Does the system realize that I'm just a damn kitten? I don't even know where a cat is supposed to use those skills. Can a cat even use them? Alec's internal thoughts were filled with confusion. He contemplated the general skills offered by the system and questioned their relevance to a cat like him. The idea of a cat cooking or sewing amused him, but he decided to focus on more practical matters.
Now, onto the task!
He carefully scrutinized the skills available to him, and the one that piqued his whiskers was Blood Bullet, found under his tier one blood affinity. This skill used condensed blood mana, making it a ranged magical attack, which seemed perfect for dealing with the centipedes. He began to speculate about the connection between the stats and the skills, assuming that "strength" represented physical attack and "mind" might be its magical counterpart. Alec was starting to make some assumptions about how these status screens worked.
Observing his stats and how they related to his mana pool, Alec deduced that his theory regarding the formula for calculating mana pool was likely accurate. It seemed to be ten times the mean of his wisdom and clarity. Similarly, his stamina was probably ten times the mean of his three physical stats.
Alec was gradually forming a clearer picture of how stats and their relationships might function in this new world. He noted that HP was likely influenced by vitality, while MP was connected to both wisdom and clarity. SP appeared to be influenced by all three physical stats.
His whiskers twitched with satisfaction.
With his emerging understanding of how stats and their relationships worked, Alec made mental notes to guide his future decisions:
HP (Hit Points) were influenced by his Vitality (VIT), and his HP could be calculated as 10 times the base value of his VIT.
MP (Mana Points) were linked to both Wisdom (WIS) and Clarity (CLR), and his MP could be calculated as 10 times the average of his WIS and CLR.
SP (Stamina Points) depended on his Strength (STR), Endurance (END), and Vitality (VIT), and his SP could be calculated as 10 times the average of these three physical stats.
Strength was primarily responsible for determining the base power of his physical attacks. Currently, it was one of his highest stats.
Endurance mainly influenced his physical defense. However, it was currently one of his lowest stats, making him vulnerable to physical damage.
Vitality was linked to his Hit Points (HP) and potentially impacted his physical health regeneration. It was crucial for increasing his chances of survival.
Mind served as the magical counterpart of Strength, affecting the potency of his magic attacks. Currently, this stat was one of his highest.
Wisdom seemed to be connected to his maximum mana pool, but its other uses were still unclear to Alec.
Clarity also appeared to be linked to the maximum mana pool and possibly acted as the magical counterpart of Endurance. Alec speculated that it might influence base mana regeneration and magical resistance.
Agility defined his base movement speed, although he was uncertain which factors had the most significant impact on this stat. For now, he maintained a neutral stance regarding its classification as physical or magical.
That sums it up. The best I can do with lack of world knowledge. Now, onto the task!
Blood bullet is a must-have! I can't see the details of the restricted skills, but hey, I can't even unlock them right now. Space step costs 3 skill points, while the rest of them are just one each. For starters, I don't want any physical skills. No matter how powerful they are, I can't just swoop in and expect to deliver a nice punch without getting my own throat slit. Memories of the giant centipede's scythed mandibles sent a cold sweat down his furry neck. No! No physical skills.
Alec swiped down the green screen to see if he left any available options.
Nope that's all.
He didn't have any affinity for other elements. Let's see, what do we have here. Poison, Shadow, Death, Doom, Space, and Blood. Is it just me, or do these options sound very specific?
It didn't take long for him to connect the dots. His species practically formed a clan of demon assassins, and the specificity of these affinities made perfect sense. In their perilous hellscape, there was simply no room for being choosy. Survival was the name of the game, and Alec needed every tool at his disposal to navigate his own treacherous path.
Considering his small and furry form, physical attacks were an absolute no-go, effectively ruling out the remaining options. Stealth wasn't even on the table; he already had a purrfectly superior version of it. This left him with only two viable choices.
[Blood bullet]
[Space step]
Space step feels like a heavily inferior cousin of Teleport and Blood bullet is essentially a ranged blood-dynamite or bloonamite. Heh.
Alec eagerly spent four skill points to unlock both [Blood Bullet] and [Space Step], feeling like a true magician, even if his preferred magic had a bit more bite than a purr.
He couldn't help but groan at the downside of his newly acquired skills - their excruciatingly long cooldowns. Twenty minutes for Blood Bullet and ten for Space Step? Seriously? Alec grumbled, his feline impatience showing. Even the mana cost seemed to be on the higher side than the physical skills, which had him contemplating whether he should have tried purr-suing a more feline-friendly skill.
But deep down, he knew that complaining wouldn't change anything. Alec had to admit he was still thrilled to have acquired a ranged spell so quickly. It was like being a wizard, but with more fur and fewer wizard hats.
Space Step, despite its obnoxious cooldown, had the potential to be a lifesaver in critical situations. The question that now meowed its way into his thoughts was whether he could pass through walls with it. There was a good chance, and Alec's curious cat instincts were getting the best of him. He needed to investigate if mana waves shared properties with sound waves or electromagnetic waves.
As Alec pondered the possibilities, he tapped into his past passion for science. Electromagnetic waves, unlike sound waves, didn't require molecules to propagate. This meant that electromagnetic waves could travel through air, solid objects, and even space. If mana was essentially a form of energy, it was a reasonable assumption that mana waves shared properties with electromagnetic waves. To put this theory to the test, Alec had just the right place in mind.
He directed his gaze towards the circular desk he was perched on and took a deep breath. With his eyes closed, he mentally attempted to activate the Space Step skill.
[Space Step]
White waves of mana began surging around Alec's body. Initially, a small sphere of energy encased his black fur, its volume expanding with each passing moment until it fully enveloped his surroundings, extending two meters in radius.
During this experience, Alec's reality transformed into a bewildering blur. He lost all connection to his surroundings—the structure of the smooth wooden desk he had been sitting on, the discomfort in his back from colliding with a bookshelf, the stickiness of centipede blood on his paws—all faded into obscurity. As the mana sphere continued to expand, his senses gradually returned, but they didn't feel quite like his own. It was as if he were sharing his senses with the expanding sphere itself. In an almost surreal sensation, he felt as though he had merged with the sphere, his consciousness stretching beyond his physical body.
The strain on his mind grew with each passing moment, and he could even perceive his own body seated there, as if he were viewing himself from the perspective of the sphere. Yet, there was no pain, only the ethereal experience of being one with the sphere. Focusing intently on the rough floor beneath the desk, he activated Space Step once more, and his senses snapped back to his own body.
PAIN
As Alec reacquired his senses, he was met with an excruciating pain he had never encountered. It was as if his brain were being violently squeezed within his skull, and his entire body felt numb. Every inch of his being seemed to be screaming in agony. Before he could even assess the results of his experiment, the overwhelming pain consumed his consciousness, and he blacked out.