It had taken Jake a month to combine the skills Arcane Boost (Rare), Arcane Time Dilation (Unique), and Berserker Form (Common). To do this, Jake had found a lot of low-rank monsters and used them to get used to his skills. Once he had a good grasp of them, he focused on the direction he wished them to merge, and after hundreds of failed attempts, it finally happened.
Skill Upgrade: Boosted Arcane Berserker of Time (Epic) Time belongs to no one; slow time in a localised zone outside of your body. As time is slowed outside, the time inside has been increased, boosting your reaction speed as your mind focuses on destroying your enemies. The skill will only activate in times of the caster’s greatest need. A backlash will occur when the skill deactivates. The maximum time the skill can be active for is 20 seconds before complete atomic breakdown of the caster’s body will begin.
“That worked out better than I expected, and it meets all my expectations. Not bad.”
Jake took a break for a day, just sitting back and going through his notifications that he had put off while he was working on his skills.
Ding! Class level increased +4200
Ding! Grade level increased +360
“In one month of fighting low-rank monsters, I got four grade levels. I really need to fight stronger monsters so I can get the joy of the numbers climbing again.”
Jake got up, and instead of going after the weak enemies he had been fighting, he used his Hunter’s Eye to find a new group of monsters, ones that didn’t scare easily, as Jake was now ready to work on combining both skill combinations: Hunter’s Eye (Common) with Fighter’s Sight (Common) and Path of Shadows (Rear) with Teleporting Shadow (Common). Jake found a group of twenty-three level 99 drop bears. They were at least one and a half meters tall, and their claws could rip apart trees, while their teeth were more like those of dogs.
“This might be a bad idea, but let’s give it a try.”
Jake shadow teleported behind one of the drop bears and stabbed it before dashing to the next shadow, waiting in the shadow for the right moment. Jake activated Fighter’s Sight on another drop bear before shadow teleporting away, then dashing in behind another drop bear, firing 30 rounds into the back of its head before once again shadow teleporting away and waiting.
“That could work if everything goes right, but it’s going to take a lot more monsters than what we have here.”
Activating Fighter’s Sight on the one he just shot, Jake caused it to start fleeing. Jake finally started to worry about his plan. If the skill made them run, that would destroy his plan. Jake needed to perform more testing, so he continued his harassment of the group of drop bears. He continued his harassment on and off for two weeks before he had run out of targets in the area, so Jake moved deeper into the Strzelecki Ranges, finding more drop bears and many snake monsters, even a few spiders. One and a half months later, Jake was standing in front of a gloomy cave. Jake looked over his gains from the fighting so far.
Ding! Class level increased +16,800
Ding! Grade level increased +1440
“240 class levels and 16 grade levels; that is much better than the last time. Now, do I enter or not?”
Jake was looking at the entrance where the fresh tracks of a very large monster had entered, and by the looks of it, it was a monster in the form of a blue-tongue lizard. Jake had a feeling if he entered this cave, he wouldn’t be coming out again.
“Maybe I will come back to this one.”
Jake went to walk away, but a sound brought his attention back to the entrance; it sounded human but with a slight hiss at the end. It repeated once more.
“Help me, please.”
It was definitely male, but of an unknown age. Jake looked into the darkness.
“How do I hide in shadows or teleport if there are no shadows? There’s no light in there.”
“Help me, please.”
“I don’t know if I can. Oh, fuck it.”
Jake walked into the cave; using his perception, he knew what was around him by a strange sixth sense type of thing, but he couldn’t see any further than the length of his arm. While walking through the cave, Jake rubbed his hand along the walls. While venturing further into the cave, Jake was unexpectedly struck in the face by a large flat-headed lizard with a flicking blue tongue. Jake looked around for the sound that brought him in, but there was nothing, no one but Jake and the lizard. Jake froze as he identified the lizard.
Race: Blue Tongue Lizard (Evolved) Level: ???
“Fuck my curiosity,” Jake said as the lizard chuckled.
“You humans are so stupid, falling for the same trick every time. ‘Oh, help me, please, help me.’” The lizard said as one of its legs lashed out at Jake, hitting him against the cave wall. As his internal organs suffered severe damage, Jake pushed himself off the ground, coughing up blood. Checking his skill, Jake changed forms and moved to attack the lizard. The lizard just laughed at his feeble attempt at harming him; the lizard simply swatted Jake away as if he were an irritating fly. Jake picked himself up from the ground, his chest cavity dented in, as he grasped for oxygen. Looking back at the exit, it seemed so far away but yet so close and just out of reach. Jake pushed himself up and with a coughing fit said, “see you later, big guy.” Jake raised his arm into the sky, and with a loud explosion from the skill Arcane Bomb, he lit up the cave and dashed towards the exit. Jake was almost at the exit when he felt it; pain ripped through his lower body as he started falling to the ground, no longer having the legs he once had; there was a loud crunching sound coming from behind him as he hit the ground right at the exit. “Don’t run anymore. Oh, wait, you can’t.” The lizard said as he laughed hysterically. The lizard’s mouth was right over Jake’s head, just about to snap shut, when Jake vanished from beneath him. “Where did you go, little human?” The lizard started roaring.
Jake fell out of the tree’s canopy; it was the longest shadow teleport Jake has ever done. He hit the ground hard, fainting upon impact. Days passed into night; Jake lay there on the ground, his limbs slowly growing back as his stamina was dropping, and rebirth of the exploding body slowly brought Jake back from the edge of death. A group of monkeys came down from the heights of their trees and sat by Jake’s side. If Jake had been awake, he would have realised what the monkeys were doing to him as his body healed from the powers being used on him by the monkeys. Every 5 minutes, a new monkey would take the place of one of the others, then it would do one of three things: heal Jake’s injuries, provide Jake with a stream of Stamina, or reduce the pain Jake was in. After six and a half months of constant vigil over Jake, the monkeys stopped what they had been doing and climbed back up the tree just as Jake regained consciousness. Jake awoke to notifications blaring in his head.
Warning: Stamina critically low Warning: External forces have infused you with Stamina Warning: External forces have imbued your body with the skill Calming Wave Warning: External forces have imbued your body with the skill Healing Hands
Because of the continued external assistance, your body has undergone a fundamental change.
Title: The Monkey that Fights. You were noticed by the Monkey King and given the abilities to continue on your path. As a defender of the weak and lost, you gain the skills Stamina Drain, Healing Hands, and Calming Finger.
Skill: Stamina Drain (Rare) Drain the residual life force of your fallen enemies and convert it into Stamina. This skill will activate automatically on the death of your enemy. Limited to enemies you kill.
Skill: Healing Hands (Common) Place your hand on a wound to seal the affected area. Cost of use: mana.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Skill: Calming Finger (Common) Press a finger on your target to numb the senses in a limited area. Cost of use: mana.
A voice spoke into Jake’s mind, “this is a gift for helping my monkey tribe, by defeating our sworn enemy. Thank you, Jake Everval.” The voice said before silence once more entered his mind.
Jake sat at the bottom of the tree, deactivating his skills and activating the skill Empty-Minded as he started working on combining his skills.
Time passed by, as Jake worked tirelessly on his skills. Just as three months passed, Jake received two notifications.
Skill Upgrade: Fighter’s Eyes (Rare) Your enemy will cower at your sight. Illuminate the pathway to your target. Uses mana to enhance your eyesight and your perception stat to find your prey. Uses a burst of mana to attempt to immobilize your target; there is a 50% chance the target will run.
“It’s taken away the bit about using my health points to work, and 50% I’m happy with that.”
Skill Upgrade: Shadow Step (Rare) Teleporting from shadow to shadow is as easy as taking a single step. Shadows must be in visual range. Cost of use: arcane energy, stamina, and mana. Create a barrier around yourself to hinder vision and dash or teleport from shadow to shadow. Gives a 10% damage multiplier to all unseen attacks.
“It’s good I can still use dash to get around; I was getting worried that I would be stuck with just teleporting from shadow to shadow. Imagine that, special attack vomit star,” Jake said as he pulled back an imaginary slingshot. When he let go of his imaginary projectile, to his astonishment, a small round ball of pure destructive Arcane energy shot out of his hand, tearing off into the sky.
“I really hope that doesn’t hit anyone.”
Jake wanted to test out his new skills, but with no suitable targets around after his killing spree, and Jake would not attack his new friends or that lizard. That lizard can just stay there and wait for Jake’s return. Jake looked up at the tree’s crown and, with a gesture of thanks, he said, “if you ever need a place to stay, you are all welcome to come to my settlement in the new safe zone.”
Jake stepped into the shadows and was gone in an instant, teleporting from shadow to shadow as he bounded his way closer to the settlement. After a day of teleporting, Jake couldn’t take it anymore and vomited just as he exited from his last teleport. The speed of his exit made it so the vomit covered him from head to toe.
With all three energies depleted, Jake lay on the ground, coughing up vomit and blood. Jake dragged himself out of his vomit one inch at a time as he moved towards his target, a small waterfall with rock pools at the bottom. Jake slipped into the pool, stripping off his clothing as he began taking his first proper bath in over two years. Though Jake wasn’t aware of how much time had passed as he was unconscious or he was single-mindedly working on his tasks, relaxing in the pool, Jake lost track of time.
Stats and skills at the end of the chapter.
Universal constant interface
Name Jake everval
Race demon of the past. Unique
Grade G
Information on G grade
G upgrades to next grade at level 300 above previous, you get 1 grade level per 20 class or Profession level. This is the starting grade for all humanoid life forms in the open universe; there are no grade skills granted at this grade.
Level 121. levels required till next grade evaluation 400 total
Class trooper shadow mage (common)
Class level 301
Profession Arcane Smith
Profession level 128
stats points available 521,228
Mana 50,323,360
Arcane 50,423,500
Stamina 50,323,200
Health 50,633,360
Strength 1116
Agility 5,031,225
Intelligence 5,042,350
Wisdom 5,032,336
Perception 110,637
Integrity 5,063,336
Skill list
System skills
skill
(Universal translate. Common) as newly integrated, you were given the skill to understand the language of all humanoid life forms.
skill
(Identify. Common)
the ability to identify basic information on objects and other life forms.
Profession skills
skill (Arcane hammer rare)
Use your Arcane energy to reshape items
skill (Arcane flame rare)
An explosive flame contained within a mana barrier.
skill (small mana shield common)
You can produce a small physical shield of mana anywhere on your body
skill (empty-minded common)
Enter a state of meditation to help regenerate lost stats and help split your focus on multiple tasks
Healing skills
Skill
Stamina drain (rare)
Drain the residual life force of your fallen enemies and convert it into Stamina. This skill will activate automatically on the death of your enemy. Limited to enemies you kill.
Skill
Healing hand (common)
Place your hand on a wound to seal the affected area. Cost of use mana.
Skill
Calming finger (common)
Press a finger on your target to numb the senses in a limited area. Cost of use mana
skill
(rebirth of the exploding body unique)
Will passively heal the user. Stamina is converted into temporary units of integrity to provide healing at a 100 to 1 ratio. Warning the system recognises that you have a tendency for self-harm. The system recommends you seek medical advice.
class skills
Skill
Fighter’s eye’s (rare)
Your enemy will cower at your sight. Illuminate the pathway to your target. uses mana to enhance your eyesight and your perception stat to find your prey. Uses a burst of mana to attempt to immobilise your target. There is a 50% chance the target will run
Skill
Shadow step (rare)
Teleporting from shadow to shadow is as easy as taking a single step. Shadows must be in visual range. Cost of use, arcane energy and stamina and mana. Create a barrier around yourself to hinder vision and dash or teleport from shadow to shadow. Gives a 10% damage multiplier to all unseen attacks.
Skill
(Steady aim. common) this is a basic trooper skill that gives a passive stat boost of 5 to agility strength and perception.
skill
(Summon projectile. common) as a mage, you can use mana to summon projectiles. Note that the summon projectile does not include any ability to launch the projector. The mana cost is determined by the projectile size.
skill
(Transmute powder. Common) requires a pre-existing object to be turned into powder before transmuting can commence. Transmuting the powder requires knowledge of what you wish to transmute into. The mana cost is determined by the quantity of powder being transmuted and the rarity of the power.
Arcane skills
Skill
Boosted Arcane Berzerka of Time (epic)
Time belongs to no one slow time in a localised zone outside of your body. As time is slowed outside inside, Time has been increased, boosting your reaction speed as your mind focuses on destroying your enemies. Skill will only activate in times of the caster’s greatest need. A backlash will occur when the skill deactivates. Maximum time the skill can be active for is 20 seconds before complete atomic breakdown of the casters body will begin.
skill
(Arcane bomb uncommon)
A bomb of arcane energy. destruction output is equal to the amount of energy put in. Warning in this form: the bomb can not be thrown, so the same destructive force will impact the user.
Race skills
Race upgrade demon of the past. Unique
This is a unique race in the integrated universe. As such, the system has no information on its abilities
Race skill
Master of the lost (unique)
Those who have lost their way in life can get a second chance. By following the demon of the past, they can find hope in what once was lost.
Race skill
(Voices of the past unique)
Tap into the experience of those who have died.