CHAPTER 11: EGG CRACK AND HIGHER LADDERS

We gathered in a loose circle with the egg placed carefully on a folded blanket. The systems instructions played across my view with instructions as if it was reading my mind.

~Imbue the stone with your arcane energy, declaring yourself as the master and strike the egg with precision.~

It was simple enough, but the weight of the moment made my pulse quicken.

I knelt beside the egg and cemented my focus, allowing my arcane to flow from the depths of my heart through my hands and into the stone.

Ding!

~Arcane reserve: 9/500~

The stone pulsed in response, glowing brighter; but this time with veins of purple Arcane light snaking across its surface like lightning.

"Here goes," I muttered, standing and taking aim with one eye shut.

With a steady breath, I hurled the stone with pinpoint accuracy and it struck the egg dead center, and a burst of purple arcane energy exploded outward, bathing the room in a radiant glow.

The three of us held our breath and our eyes were locked on the egg despite the burst of light. For a few agonizing seconds, virtually nothing happened and we were starting to look at each other with puzzled faces.

Then, a thin sharp line burst through the circumference of the egg. Percy gasped and Jackson leaned forward, his hands gripping his knees.

Another crack followed, then another. The egg shook subtly and a few pieces fell away to reveal a small, wriggling creature.

A baby serpent and it wasn’t any longer than a foot, it slowly emerged from its shell, displaying its scales that were thick and glossy, just like Duckskin Naga’s. it had a deep, black hue to it and its eyes were large and dark, sparkling with an innocent curiosity that made it almost babylike.

"Whoa," Percy whispered, his voice barely audible.

"It’s adorable!" Jackson yelled throwing his hands in the air.

The snake’s gaze locked onto me and instantly, I felt a faint tug in my chest. It slithered forward, with slow and deliberate strides, it body coiling with profound gentleness. It climbed on my arm, wrapping itself around my neck like a living scarf and I could somehow hear a soft, cooing rumble from its throat.

Ding!

~Arcane Beast bonding successful~

~Please assign a name to your new companion~

~___~

I smiled as I ran a finger along the serpent’s smooth scales. "Naga," I said firmly. "Your name is Naga. After your origins."

Ding!

~Name Registered: Naga~

~Pet status: Grade One [Premature]~

~Note: Naga’s growth is directly tied to your level progression. As you grow stronger, so will your pet. Naga is summon able and can hibernate as pure Arcane energy within you at your command.~

Ding!

~You can acquire more Arcane pets by defeating Gate bosses and retrieving their rewards, but current Arcane reserve can only allow for one Arcane pet~

"Tch! This damn tiny Arcane reserve... no wonder I couldn’t acquire Eclipse Monarch. So I can turn gate bosses into my personal summons, but I have to grow and level up with them" I thought to myself as I felt the weight of responsibility settle over me.

Naga’s small form shifted slightly, "You’ve been stuck in that egg for who knows how long," I murmured. "Rest here for now, little guy."

Ding!

~Naga’s Skill Tree~

~Level: Grade One~

~Skill:~

~Naga possess the skill of it origins and add ons. Just like future Arcane pets, it possess ten skills that would help the user~

~Naga’s Snake Art~

"Snake Art?" I watched as the system dropped down information concerning each and every of the ten skills in the Naga’s snake art.

Inside me, I was already inching to go out and test out this new power, but I had to play it cool knowing that the oppurtinuty will present itself soon.

»»»«««

SEVERAL WEEKS LATER

A month had passed since the Awakening ceremony, and everything had changed.

Standing in front of a mirror I could barely recognize myself.

My once frail, sickly looking body was transformed into a physique defined by lean muscles and a posture that held a newfound confidence.

My little brothers couldn’t hide their excitement whenever they saw my progress. "Levi, you’re like a seasoned adventurer..."

Percy would often tell me and Jackson would nod in agreement with a proud smile plastered across his face.

My transformation was more than physical, my Strength had soared to and impressive 27, marking me as one of the more capable individuals amongst the border cleanup group.

Most people in this world improved through random gains, relying on training and combat experience to gradually increase their strenght.

But my system allowed me to have direct control over my growth, and while others have a limit to their potentials and strength, I could grow infinity without any sky to quantify my strength.

My unique skills and my ability to turn gate bosses into my personal summons, paired with my growing Arcane reserve, I expedited my transformation to an extent that even surprised me.

Now that I could hold my own, I was determined to take my journey to the next level. To be able to enter higher gates and perform missions into gates one would have to be a Reaper. And to be a Reaper I would have to go through the Reapers Association Academy, an intitution where only the best awakened individuals were accepted to be trained into seasoned Reapers.

This academy wasn’t just a place for learning but a gateway to oppurtunities for education on gates, advanced training with expericed reapers and an environment where I could refine my skills along side my talents.

Graduates are left with ranks based on their power levels and privileges, allowing them to face gates filled with dangerous shadow creatures.

For me, the academy was my ticket to uncovering the secret behind my parents disappearance. And, to make it to the academy, I committed to a rigorous training schedule.

Each day, I journeyed to the Boho-Pine forest to test and frow my abilites.

I focused on honing new skill; Erebis and Divine Thread, I also was able to practise using Naga’s skill for in combat.

All this, when combined with my insane intelligence and strategy making nature, I made more versatile and powerful attacks to my benefit.

Level 11

Strength: 27

Agility: 13

Endurance:14

Intellignece 46

Memory: 45

Arcane reserve: 1000/1000

Although my Strength had reached a level that wouldn’t make a veteran fighter take me seriously, I was sure I would still climb higher with my relentless fighting spirit.