Chapter 280: Chapter 136: The Dragon Slayer Finally Becomes...
’No, it’s not their fault. It’s the world that’s wrong...’
Wei’en struggled to the center of the Clown Theater. It was only a few short steps, but the journey was agonizing as he constantly fought the evil thoughts brewing in his heart.
Spotting a neatly arranged workbench to the side, he no longer hesitated. He focused his mind and opened his panel—time to allocate points!
Toughness Level: 10763 (4205.7)
Spirit Level: 11225 (1937.4)
Source: 822 (307.84) (1 point of Source sealed)
Survival Points: 62000
"AHHH—"
As his Survival Points rapidly drained, the levels of his various Magic skills began to skyrocket, and a stream of notifications flashed across his panel.
At the same time, chaotic illusions flickered before his eyes: monsters bound by giant trees, a white-bearded old man looking down upon the world...
Ghost Meditation Technique Lv. 3 (1/1000)... (1000/1000)
[Congratulations, your skill: Ghost Meditation Technique has been upgraded to Lv. 4. Effect: +0.08 Spirit Level/hour.]
[Note: When you advance to an Official Mage, the effect of the Meditation Technique will be further enhanced, doubling your current Spirit Level gain rate.]
[Congratulations, your Gonzalez Language skill has been upgraded to Expert. Evaluation: You can use this to uncover secrets that have vanished into the river of time... Special Reward: Survival Points +10, Spirit Level +4, Toughness Level +4.]
[Note: Expert in Gonzalez Language means you have mastered the vast majority of its vocabulary (9,800 words). When identifying unknown Gonzalez words, your success rate for correct comprehension is 50%. This can be improved with auxiliary tools.]
[Congratulations, you have obtained the Gonzalez Language specialty—Secret Inquiry. Special Reward: Survival Points +10, Toughness Level +3, Spirit Level +3.]
[Note: Secret Inquiry—When you decipher content in the Gonzalez Language, there is a chance you will be able to probe the scene of when the content was recorded.]
[...Your skill: Soul-Devouring Magic has been upgraded to Lv. 5...]
[...Your skill: Corpse Explosion Skill (Death God) has been upgraded to Lv. 4...]
[...]
[...Your skill: Heart of Flesh and Blood (Death God) has been upgraded to Lv. 2. Effect: As your Spirit Level increases, your Toughness Level will increase by 20%. (For every 1 point increase in Spirit Level, Toughness Level gains an additional 0.2 points.)]
[Heart of Flesh and Blood (Death God) Lv. 2, Passive Trait: Immediately gain a one-time Toughness Level bonus equal to 20% of your current Spirit Level. (One-time boost)]
[Under the effect of the Heart of Flesh and Blood (Death God) Magic, your Toughness Level will be increased to 4205.7.]
After spending most of his Survival Points to raise his skills by one or two levels, Wei’en dumped the rest into the Heart of Flesh and Blood (Death God) Magic for the first time, triggering the one-time passive boost.
It turned out the calculation wasn’t based on his own Spirit Level, but on his mutated Spiritual Power. This single boost increased his Toughness Level by 2245, reaching an astonishing 4205.7.
’If I’d known this, I would have prioritized leveling up the Heart of Flesh Spell. Who knows when my Spiritual Power would have naturally reached ten thousand.’
’Well, at least I didn’t lose out...’
[You have met the requirements to advance to Official Mage. Do you wish to advance?]
[Yes]
As Wei’en began his advancement, all the evil thoughts in his mind instantly vanished, and even the mutation of his body came to a halt.
The pair of black eyes on his face that were his own slowly closed. The remaining six black eyes darted around, as if trying to see through the Clown Theater and into Caster City State.
Meanwhile, the tentacles that had sprouted from his back, each with an open black eye, slowly swept across the theater. Everything they touched seemed to dissolve and disappear.
At the same time, above his head, four new Source Subsidiaries that had appeared due to the Ghost Meditation Technique’s advancement merged with the earliest subsidiaries—like the ghost and the driver—reducing the eight heads back down to four.
"One head, two heads, three heads..."
[You have successfully resisted the Source corrosion from an unknown existence. Your Source characteristics have mutated. Special Reward: Source +6, Spirit Level +6, Toughness Level +6.]
[You have learned a portion of a lost secret. Ancient God Gonzalez’s awakening progress +1 (Current progress: 35/???). Special Reward: Source +5.]
[Your contract partner, Calamity Species Tina Klosterman, has undergone a calamitous mutation. Her strength has reached that of a Lv. 3 Calamity Species. Due to the bond of your partner contract, your body has also mutated. Evaluation: That was a close call! That bitch Lady Luck is so damn unreliable!! Special Reward: Mutation (Temporary), Survival Points +80, Source +2, Toughness Level +20, Spirit Level +20.]
[...]
[Congratulations, you have awakened a talent ability...]
...
...
"Captain..."
Marco deactivated his Extraordinary Bloodline and clapped Lisi on the shoulder, his expression complicated. "Let’s go back. Director Nifa is gathering everyone."
"Mm."
Lisi gazed at the spot where Wei’en had disappeared and nodded silently. He pulled his Two-Handed Axe from where it was embedded in the ground, turned, and started walking toward the Secret Investigation Department.
Marco also looked at the now-empty spot, a bitter smile touching his lips. ’Wei’en...’
He knew full well that after what had happened, neither Wei’en nor Tina could ever stay with the Secret Investigation Department again.
Relatively speaking, Tina was in a better position since she hadn’t harmed any Investigators, but that was only if the Demon Clown could be sealed away.
As for Wei’en... yes, he had saved everyone’s lives, but that terrifying Corpse Explosion Skill had also led to the tragic deaths of dozens of Investigators. In the future, the comrades and families of the fallen Investigators probably wouldn’t know how to face him...
"...I know it’s still hard for everyone to accept the grief,"
Director Nifa said, her eyes grim. "Listen to the sounds of the Aberrations around us, the battle cries from Basil District, and that abyssal hymn to the northeast... Now is not the time for sorrow!"
Comments