CHAPTER 4: LEVEL 3?

The Shadow creature pounced at me, and I barely managed to dodge its glinting claws just by a hairs margin. My body was moving clumsily compared to the swift, agile nature of the cat-like creature.

I scrambled to the ground, trying to intimidate the creature with my hulking size relative to it. It hit a nearby rock while trying to attack from the side.

The creature snarled and changed direction but I was already waiting for it, because I knew before hand it would choose that attacking route. I squeezed the dagger I had in my grip, wishing I could somehow perform the technique Dasheen did earlier.

My strike was weak, it barely grazed the creature’s side. It screeched angrily upon landing on its feet and leaped at me again. My body was already tiring at this point and my breath was coming in tedious gasps and pants.

But I had to stay focused so as to out think the enemy, as it lunged again, I led it into a narrow gap between two trees. I quickly blocked its escape with a fallen branch that had clean slices on it, trapping the creature.

The Shadow creature, was now unable to move freely and its strengths heavily relied on its ability to move at random, unpredictable patterns and strike with its unmerciful claws, now if you take its ability to move you’ve basically crippled it.

I raised my dagger and punctured it right on the forehead where the Anti-arcane stone was embedded, pushing it out and killing the creature instantly.

I picked up the stone as soon as the creature evaporated into shadowy mist and it absorbed into my palm in a bright, short flash of Arcane.

Ding!

~Converting Anti-Arcane into Arcane~

~Conversion complete~

~Plus 30 Experience Points~

~Enemies Defeated: 1/5~

I exhaled sharply, I didn’t know I was supposed to kill five enemies up until that point, it was a testament to always keep my focus on the system for impromptu task like this.

One down, four more to go.

For the rest of the duration of the expedition, I repeated this cycle. Every battle was a struggle between life and death, each monster was more challenging than the last. I lost consciousness at least twice and I almost died more times than I could count.

While the other recruits seemed to breeze through their fights, I used every ounce of my intellect to survive. I studied, adapted and used my environment to gain the upper hand against my individual opponents.

By the end of the day, my body was bruised and battered with claw marks and injuries clogged with debris. But, the notification on the systems screen made it all worth it;

~Congratulations, You have levelled up!~

~Level 3~

I collapsed onto the forest floor with my body aching in places I never knew could ache, but despite the pain a small smile was dragging by the side of my lips. I had made it to level 3, and it was a victory that made it feel closer to my goal.

As the sun began to set, I limped back to town on a wooden branch with the rest of the Border Cleanup Group. Every muscle in my body screamed in pain, my legs felt as heavy as lead and my arm throbbed with clogged blood, I was certain that every part of me had taken more hits that I actually realized but in the end, it was all worth it.

I mean... level 3? at this rate I’ll be significantly stronger before the year runs out.

I opened the screen again, watching the mysterious symbols shift and turn till I could translate it into something meaningful. I had gained about 3 more stats points, bringing me closer to my goal.

But I was conflicted about where I would allocate them.

The Border Cleanup Group stopped at an evening tavern to sell the Anti-arcane stones we picked up after defeating the Shadow creatures. Because I only defeated a total number of ten creatures, I was given a considerably low portion from the stash.

Dasheen and the rest aimed to resell their portions for Urns [Currency], but me I aimed to absorb every single one of them, if I had resold mine it wouldn’t even make me a reasonable amount of money to buy feed for the chicken at home, but if I absorbed it, it would eventually make me stronger.

And so, I sat at a corner of the tavern that was hidden but yet was able to overlook the entire space, watching as Dasheen and his crew negotiated price for the magical stones. I began absorbing my portion piece by piece, it wasn’t much because soon after, I was done.

Then-

Ding!

~Congratulations you have absorbed enough Arcane energy to have a reserve~

"Yes!" I yelled out aloud, out of instinct causing everyone in the tavern to turn at my position raising their eyebrows inquisitively at this bloodied over, pale, shrill boy.

I had finally gotten an Arcane energy reserve, that means with that reserve I could tap into it to perform an ability, skill or technique.

~Arcane Reserve[AR] 500\500~

"Oh, judging by this small reserve I’m probably at the level of an E-Rank Awakened... and I can evolve to an S-Rank Awakened if I consume more Anti-arcane and level up..."

There it was, the plan was simple. But, I still wandered what kind of ability I would be able to master. For now, I don’t think there is anyone that my current reserve can carry.

Going back to my stats, my body was still too weak, my endurance was already being pushed to its limits.

My Intelligence and Memory were my greatest strengths, but I knew I needed to become more well rounded if I wanted to survive.

After a moment of thought, I placed two points into Strength and one in Agility.

Ding!

~Strength 7~

~Agility 7~

~Endurance 7~

~Intelligence 42~

~Memory 45~

The stat screen flickered, confirming the changes.

I still wasn’t anywhere near the average awakened, but every level mattered, every point I added to my stats brough me closer to the strength I needed to protect Percy and Jackson.

As the squad started packing their Urns after selling to leave the tavern, Dasheen walked up to me and gave me a nodd of approval.

"I’m just gonna come out and say it kid, you did better that I thought. I saw how you played your cards, almost like as if your were playing a game. You didn’t rush in like a brute chomp like Gizmo over here..."

He gestured towards another member of the squad standing close to him, with a heavy and thick red beard.

"You played smart, I say you deserve every magic stone you got..."

His eyes darted across the table I was seating at, looking for the stones. "I see, you’ve absorbed them already..."

"Hehe..."