Shin passed through the exit portal bearing eyes full of casual determination and a calm smile. As sunlight graced him for the first time in eight days he raised his hands and channeled mana through a skill with a deftness unlike he ever had before. Golden mana swirled in on itself, growing more divine and exploded into solid aura. From the air appeared a winged holy warrior, donning over white silk robes a steel chestplate, bracers, greaves and a helm covering the top half of his face. In his hands he held a greatsword, the power emanating from his mighty form almost tangible.
[Summon Angel has upgraded to uncommon tier Summon Radiant Guardian.]
[Radiant Guardian (uncommon) - Intermediate Peasant rank]
Strength - 79
Agility - 73
Constitution - 60
Vitality - 64
Dexterity - 78
Perception - 51
Force - 54
Spirit - 57
Control - 56
Willpower - 53
Skills:
Cut lvl. 1, Deflect lvl. 1, Detect Evil lvl. 1, Celestial Fire lvl. 1,
Traits:
Holy Body (uncommon), Levitation (uncommon), Minor Poison Resistance (uncommon), Minor Disease Resistance (uncommon), Minor Curse Resistance (uncommon), Minor Paralysis Resistance (uncommon), Minor Petrification Resistance (uncommon),
Shin inspected the qualities of his new summon. Its stats had doubled from that of the angel’s, as he already knew would be the case. The distribution still seemed balanced though leaning more to the physical attributes now. What was of more interest was its abilities.
All skills were uncommon tier. Cut seemed to be an improved version of Enhanced Strike, though limited to a specific type of attack. Deflect parried away physical blows by force. Detect Evil searched the nearby area for demons and undead specifically. And it had gained a magic attack in Celestial Fire. As with Holy Screen it worked best on what the system considered ‘evil’, so some testing would need to be done to see how well it affected other monsters and people.
A new trait Holy Body caught his attention, though it was rather mundane, giving it better resilience against unholy attacks and terrain. The other traits were simply direct upgrades of the angel’s. The duration and limit at lvl. 1 had decreased to 30 minutes and just one at a time, and the cost had increased to what Shin was confident was 40 mana, but it was worth it. There was only one other monster Shin had encountered besides the giant wolf that could match it. Shin checked his own status.
[Human Priest (common) - Intermediate Peasant]
Strength - 28
Agility - 57
Constitution - 31
Vitality - 34
Dexterity - 33
Perception - 29
Force - 24
Spirit - 82
Control - 83
Willpower - 36
Skills:
Treat Wounds lvl. 10, Holy Screen lvl. 4, Summon Radiant Guardian lvl. 1, Cushion lvl. 3, Call Petty Spirit lvl. 9, Advanced Martial Combat lvl. 3, Jab lvl. 10,
Traits:
Body Supremacy, Eyes of the Spirit King,
Shin’s skills had stagnated during his time spent in the bonus room of the dungeon, having to devote almost all of his time to the art of inscription. A devotion which paid off, evident by his bag full of common tier talismans. Four types he had chosen to master, fire, lightning, paralysis, and a blinding flash, much like the skill of a gremlin. He also managed to create two uncommon tier talismans after many failures.
Shin had trained his body during this time as well, attempting to raise his stats, but there were no more physical gains. Only Force had naturally increased by 2. With nothing to show for his sincere efforts, Shin figured he had hit some sort of natural limit. He felt it was a shame he couldn’t raise his stats anymore on his own but he had reached a base he could work with.
All 25 points gained from the achievement had been put into Agility, enough speed to deal with monsters like the tree goblin chief now on his own. The talisman god had made his path clear. He needed to max three more uncommon tier skills and fuse two sets before advancing to greater rank. And the skills he decided to focus on were Advanced Martial Combat, Call Petty Spirit, Jab, and the newly upgraded Summon Radiant Guardian.
The system of the workshop had allowed him to take short rests, which over time relieved him of his fatigue, even with the harsh hours he had imposed upon himself. Well rested and well equipped, Shin set off without delay, a single destination in mind.
---
Twenty-nine tree goblins patrolled the territory of their tribe, more vigilantly than the ones before them. Shin couldn’t be sure but he assumed it was a new batch of goblins as the chief’s mask had noticeable differences. To the right of the chief was the likely source of the tribe’s increased competence. Wearing a light brown robe with a mantle of leaves, by its behavior it seemed to be of equal status to the chief, perhaps even above it.
[Tree Goblin Treepriest (uncommon) - Intermediate Peasant]
There were a dozen questions but no answers would come until the tree was felled, Shin felt. A radiant guardian summoned by his side and then in front called a spirit. A pale yellow fox appeared, the end of its tail ablaze with a blue flame and a proud, outright cocky demeanor. Even if the tail brushed along the grass, it didn’t show any signs of burning.
[Vulpes (common) - Intermediate Peasant rank]
Strength - 19
Agility - 35
Constitution - 22
Vitality - 24
Dexterity - 27
Perception - 33
Force - 39
Spirit - 41
Control - 38
Willpower - 34
Skills:
Ghost Fire lvl. 10, Silent Image lvl. 8,
Traits:
Will-o’-the-Wisp (uncommon), Petty Disease Resistance (common), Petty Curse Resistance, Petty Fire Resistance,
Silent Image produced a soundless simple illusion. Ghost Fire was more interesting, a type of physical illusion that made the target feel as though they were on fire although in reality it had no material effect. The Will-o’-the-Wisp trait allowed it to passively hypnotize beings that looked upon the fire on its tail. Not a powerhouse by any means but it would be useful, not that Shin needed much help this time around.
“Let’s go.” The trip had taken long enough for his mana to nearly recover but there was no need to waste any time, with the duration limit of his new angel and the constant drain of mana from the fox.
Shin sent the radiant guardian ahead and cast Cushion on it. He lacked the mana to summon another so this one needed to last. The guardian beheaded a tree goblin with a single swing of its greatsword and the resulting chorus of snarls signaled the battle proper.
“Scare the two in the back.” He told the fox, who ran off to do as much, though with haughty flick of her snout.
Shin drew two axes and charged the sparser parts of the crowd of goblins. Those that saw him coming and fought back met the same quick fate as the ones who fixated on the radiant guardian too long. Shin danced, making his newfound speed his own, reaping a goblin’s life with every movement. The buff of frenzy that would have kept them alive a few moment’s longer never came, Shin glancing the reason in between the points of contact, a massive bear like creature rushing towards the chief and priest. Soundless though it was, it held their focus long enough for Shin and the guardian to slaughter the tribe.
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Shin rushed towards chief as he tore through the illusion. The vulpes darted to his side behind him. “Ghost Fire on the right one.” He already sent his guardian flying towards the healer, the vulpes followed behind.
Before either side could reach, the treepriest snarled and mana glowed around the chief, who burst at Shin faster than his predecessor ever did. He deflected the staff course with a shield but was forced to dodge and jump back against the onslaught following it up. The weight of its strikes didn’t feel much different, Shin deduced the priest had given its ally a boost in speed.
The buff had made the fight longer than he anticipated but it was of no concern to Shin. With sly footwork and a flourish, he took the arm of the chief. Just as he was about to follow up with the finisher, the chief held out its staff which burrowed into his flesh and grew into a new wooden arm. Veins and muscles bulged and its eyes turned red. A frenzied flurry forced Shin on the back foot, just barely dodging the clawed hands of the powered up chief.
The tree goblin chief drew lines of red on Shin’s body as his attacks came closer and closer to finding their target. The challenge had turned into a danger now, but Shin didn’t complain, instead switched his weapons for daggers and traded small injuries with the goblin. It was a good opportunity to improve his combat ability.
A blast of grayish-blue flame set the chief alight just as the fight was ramping up. It thrashed around and shrieked in pain. Shin glanced at the smug fox who had lent the assist, and in that time, saw the radiant guardian cutting down endlessly growing vines sprouting from the soil between it and the treepriest.
Shin rushed towards them and the radiant guardian paused before rushing his way too, both passing each other by. “Switch.” Shin told the fox, who seemed displeased at something.
Shin charged the treepriest and baited out a surge of vines only to rush around it in a circle, a bow taking place of his daggers as he shot two in quick succession. The first cracked a blue screen and the second broke through, piercing at the goblin’s heart though failed to pierced deep enough to kill. Armor beneath its robes, or tougher skin, Shin thought.
Surging vines, blocked his next arrows and slithered around the treepriest’s desperate expression, forming a densely packed sphere around it. Shin jumped back, avoiding a sharp tipped vine only for more to follow, seeming to know wherever he stood. It was a decent last resort but one Shin had measures for.
Two talismans appeared in his hand and straightened solid with his mana. He threw them at the green sphere, sticking to it like glue, and with a hand sign, burst into flames. Immediately the bulk of the treepriest’s barricade set ablaze, although the shifting vines started to put the fire out. Shin added two more talismans to the fray, turning it into a bonfire.
It didn’t take long for the vines to falter then wretch open so the treepriest could escape from the fiery prison, its gear and skin singed. And Shin was waiting for him, spear at the ready to thrust.
“Stop!”
Shin’s eye’s widened slightly and his movement skipped a beat before impaling the treepriest through the shoulder and pinning him to the ground. Shin twisted the spear at the second attempt to sprout more vines. The player language the treepriest had spoken was just a distraction for a sneak attempt. But still, the new type could speak, which changed things.
“What are you? Where did you come from?”
The treepriest squirmed in pain before straining a zealous sneer. “We… one… with trees. Kill us… we grow… stronger!”
An axe to the skull ended its snarled raspy words. Further interrogation seemed pointless and Shin got the gist of things. This tribe was part of something larger. The radiant guardian flew over to his side in unhurried grace, the chief laying dead among the grass, though the vulpes was unwilling to lower herself to be the one that moved.
[Summon Radiant Guardian has reached lvl. 3]
[Advanced Martial Combat has reached lvl. 5]
[Call Petty Spirit has reached lvl. 10. 10 attribute points rewarded.]
Just like before, roots emerged from the ground to the sound of low wicked laughter and absorbed the corpses of the tree goblins, priest included, but Shin did not wait for the result. He put all ten points into Spirit and rushed over to the giant tree, letting loose a talisman that burst into flames on its face. It burned for only a moment before blood seeped from its bark to douse the fire, mocking laughter his only reward.
Shin took off in a sprint, circling around, aiming now at the branches and leaves. Talisman after talismans ignited, until he had completed circled it. The flames found a home among the smaller branches and leaves, gradually at first but enveloping more and more until the whole tree was ablaze.
Wood Goblins burned on the branches before they bloomed and as they fell. The blood seeping from the tree unable to contain the spread of the fire. The fiendish face of the goblin tree fell from glee to fear and its laughter turned to a deep droning wail as it lost its overpowering sense of life and the fire into a massive inferno.
[Goblin Tree (uncommon) - Greater Peasant rank]
Strength - 63
Agility - 12
Constitution - 172
Vitality - 301
Dexterity - 5
Perception - 10
Force - 20
Spirit - 96
Control - 58
Willpower - 15
Skills:
Create Wood Goblin lvl. 10, Blood Dousing lvl. 10,
Traits:
Greater Tough Bark (rare), Goblin Roots (rare), Lesser Poison Resistance (rare), Lesser Disease Resistance (rare), Lesser Curse Resistance (rare),
The tree was a titan of vitality but it was clear even without seeing its abilities that the only threat it posed was the wood goblins. Shin looked around waiting for something to happen, a monster or item to appear to lead the way for the next step but nothing came. Just as well as those talismans had burned through nearly all of his remaining mana.
Though they only cost one to activate, the power was roughly equal to the fireball mage in his initial party who couldn’t have had much Force back then, so it had taken quite a number. He didn’t have much time. Shin changed his focus to the call spirit skill, channelling his mana and willing it to call a stronger spirit. A prism of colors burst from his hands.
[Call Petty Spirit has upgraded to uncommon tier Call Kitsune lvl. 1.]
Shin looked puzzled at the result then turned to his arrogant companion. Just as the skill had changed so had the fox. Slightly larger now, fur as white as snow with a red tipped tail like the end of a brush and red markings around its eyes and face, it exuded an aura of prestige and mysticism befitting of its proud expression.
[Kitsune (uncommon) - Intermediate Peasant rank]
Strength - 33
Agility - 75
Constitution - 43
Vitality - 48
Dexterity - 52
Perception - 62
Force - 80
Spirit - 81
Control - 76
Willpower - 72
Skills:
Trick Fire lvl. 1, Minor Illusion lvl 1, Paralyzing Eyes lvl 1,
Traits:
Greater Will-o’-the-Wisp (Rare), Illusion Detection (rare), Minor Disease Resistance (uncommon), Minor Curse Resistance (uncommon), Minor Fire Resistance (uncommon), Minor Charming Resistance (uncommon),
Shin didn’t expect the vulpes to evolve along with his skill, not to mention affect the result. It took away much of the unreliability but also the versatility. Still, Shin wasn’t too bothered by it. Kitsune seemed to be a mage type monster, which is what he needed to complement his warrior type angel. And it seemed to be quite a good one.
Silent Image had become a fully fledged illusion skill, with the capacity for sound now. Paralyzing Eyes was a useful immobilizing spell. But the crown jewel was Trick Fire, by which the fox could decide whether the fire burns normally or doesn’t burn at all.
Glancing up from the status sheet, Shin noticed the new kitsune posturing before him. “You look grand.” A content smile formed on the kitsune’s face, with the adequate praise she so readily felt due.
The lighthearted respite lasted only a moment as Shin’s ears just barely detecting a hissing sound through the air over the roaring fire. He twisted his head and weaved on instinct, an arrow grazing his cheek. The kitsune jumped away from her spot as an arrow struck its place, but the guardian fared less well, an arrow breaking through the protective layer of Cushion and piercing its neck, though not yet enough to bring its end.
“Several…” Shin burst into action immediately, rushing to the source of the arrows in the forest line, a shield appearing on his left arm.
Three more arrows shot at Shin in rapid succession. The first two pierced through his shield with enough power to rattle it and the third pierced through his arm. The shots were fast and well placed. Shin had no choice but to take the smaller injury to block the others. Eight enemies in total, three were crouching, the archers Shin assumed, and the others remained near them.
The radiant guardian struck away an arrow as another buried in its shoulder. The kitsune darted across the ground, weaving through every shot aimed. A giant bear appeared from nothing, letting out a piercing roar as it charged towards the enemies. A lull in the arrows aimed at Shin appeared, and he changed direction straight towards the enemies. A knife appeared in his hand, talisman strung to its handle.
One of the archers noticed and refocused on him, as the giant bear they were preoccupied with dissolved into the air with the first arrow, but it was too late. Shin dipped under the shot and threw his knife. A hand sign triggered a blinding flash. The kitsune opened her maw, blue and gray fire swirled within, and vanished. The heaviness of draining his mana empty weighed on Shin but he pushed through.
“Shit!”
“Regroup!”
Shin reached the trees under cover of blindness, quickly snapping and pulling out the arrow in his arrow. A bow of his own took its place and he moved, arrows striking the trees as he timed the impact or passed harmlessly over him, the archer’s accuracy worse than before. A shot of his own caught the archer in the shoulder, having moved just enough to prevent it from piercing his heart.
“He’s got a bow!”
A few of the enemies moved to shield the others but two broke off encircling his direction. Shin loosed another arrow at the cluster of enemies, then switch his bow for two daggers. He deflected three throwing knives from the rogue with leather armor and sidestepped a lunge, left arm hidden behind his back, and chopped off his head with a flick of his newly equipped axe.
The second enemy jumped and slashed down with a blade, his face wrapped in a black mask. Shin tapped it off course with his dagger and spun around, lodging his axe into the masked rogue’s side. The rogue tore himself off the weapon and rolled away from a hatchet that found its true target in the skull of a charging warrior. An arrow through the eye slit in his mask saved the rogue the trouble of lamenting his mistake.
Two arrows in its torso finally shattered the radiant guardian charging towards them. The shouts of victory of the two archers were returned with an arrow through the skull of one and the neck of the helmed other. The shield warrior behind the white and blue robed women charged, steel crest shield out front. Shin feinted a swing of his axe down to draw up the warrior’s attention, then twisted his body down low and severed his leg with a second axe. A true swing of the first cleaved through his neck.
“No!” The priest woman screamed in shock.
An axe sailed passed her, into the skull of the mage woman who had started to channel a skill. The priest stared at her falling comrade in a daze and before she could turn back around, Shin took her head. He grabbed the body of the priest and blocked an arrow from the injured archer, another thrown axe chopped through his arm as he rounded the cover of a tree.
The archer fell to the ground clutched his stump of a severed forearm in yells of pain and curses. An arrow thumping right next to his face into the tree he backed into snapped his attention to Shin who had already pulled back another arrow.
“Don’t move.”
“Okay, okay! I’m not, I won’t.”
“Why did you attack me?”
“We thought you were one of them-” An arrow in the thigh cut off his words. “Ahh, fuck!”
“Truth.”
“Wallace made us!” He shouted through strained groans. “We have to get the emblem pieces!”
“What emblem?”
“The fucking, piece you get from the goblin tree, fuck!”
“Why?”
“I don’t know, he just needs it for something. Listen, I-”
“Where did you get these items?”
“A dungeon.”
“The crafting one?”
“No, man, there’s different ones, monster ones. Look I can-”
An arrow through the archer’s head ended the interrogation. Shin had learned what he needed. A secret did lie with the tree goblins and someone other than him was searching for the answer.
The goblin tree crumbled to ash in the distance and a blue light flashed up from its center. The emblem piece, Shin suspected. He glanced around at the dead party, all of them intermediate rank. First priority would be to loot, especially the better looking items, then retrieve the goblin emblem piece.
The bow disappeared from Shin’s hands. And lastly, he needed to train. This team was subordinate to the man the archer named. It stood to reason that that man and the party he led was stronger. He needed to be ready. Shin started going through the items of the archer, making plans in his head to search for a monster dungeon to try himself.