CHAPTER 18: VILE CORES

’System, status update.’

[Status Update.]

Jack Kaiser: Level 4 (130/800)

Class: Lightning Mage Rank 7 (8,240/50,000)

Strength: 30

Stamina: 20

Agility: 20

Vitality: 30

Endurance: 20

Magic: 33

Mana: 300

HP: 105

Skill Points:40

Stat Points: 10

Reputation Points: 87

Magic Talent Rank: S

Martial Talent Rank: S

Affinity: Lightning

Blessings: Draven’s Pendant

Skills: Analyze (level 6), Polearm Mastery (level 6: 12%), Thundershock (level 2: 1%), Spear Toss (level 4), Lightning Steps (level 1: 36%), Lightning’s Embrace (level 1), Lightning Shock (Level 1), Mana Regeneration (MAX), HP Regeneration (level 1), Thunder Clap (level 2: 45%)

[Quest 1 | learn who tried to kill you. Reward:??]

[Quest 2 | reach the end of the maze. Reward ??, ??, ??]

[Quest 3 | Slay a Field Boss. Reward: 2500 EXP.]

--

Over the next 30 minutes Jack collected all the slime Ectoplasm.

Jack had collected 438 Vile cores and 438 Slime Ectoplasms.

’System you said I could use cores for other things than just leveling up my skills?’

[Yes, you can use 10 Vile cores for a stat Point. Each Vile core is worth 30 EXP. You can use cores to max your skills. Or you can trade 2 Vile cores for a Skill Point.]

Jack pondered for a moment. Deciding what to use the cores on was a big decision. But, ultimately he decided to wait it out to find out what he wanted to do the most.

System, can you pull the map up? I’m going to return to base now.

After a few hours Jack made his way back to the base where Adrian and the soldiers had set up camp.

"Captain! Jack is back!" A soldier called out.

"Ah Jack, you’ve been in the dungeon for quite a while. Here take this."

Analyze.

[Low-grade Mana Potion.]

[Restores 25 Mama Points.]

’Thanks Adrian, but I don’t need that potion.’

"Oh, you must not have figured out this dungeon yet."

’No Adrian, I understand the dungeon just fine. I dealt with a slime swarm, ran into a terror rank field boss, and explored a bit.’

"Wait. You ran into a Terror... I don’t see any injuries on you."

’I’m fine Adrian, I just caught a glimpse of it.’

"Wait, why is your hair so shiny?"

’We can talk about that later, I’m done for today, we can go back. I have some things I need to do first.’

Jack walked back to the teleporter and teleported back before the soldiers were ready.

--

Jack was scrolling through the system while he was taking a bath in his room.

’System, what are the next skills I can learn?’

[In the Lightning Mage skill tree, you can only learn one more skill hence you reach rank 10.]

[Overload: Temporarily boosts the next Lightning Skill by 250%. Cost: 200 Mana Points. Cool down: 24 hours.]

[In the utility skill tree, there are 6 more skills to learn.]

’Six more skills! That’s a lot.’

[Second Class: Learn a second class and have 2 classes to equip at the same time. Cost: 1000 Skill Points.]

[Lightning’s Anchor: Control and channel Lightning more efficiently. Skill Passive. Cost: 100 Skill Points.]

[???: ???]

[???: ???]

[???: ???]

[???: ???]

’So the next four are locked... Wait, I can learn two classes at once?!!’

[Yes, you can have two equipped at the same time. If you equip a different class without this skill, you cannot use the skills you learned from that tree. Once you hit Rank 10, you may choose one skill from that tree as a universal skill.]

’Wait, that’s crazy. I need to farm slimes until I can purchase all these skills with skill points.’

System, after looking through the reputation store and purchasing another blueprint, can you explain to me how I can use Slime Ectoplasm as an ingredient in hair products?

[Of course Jack.]

[Step 1. Slice blue-eyed grass and boil it in spring water.]

[Step 2. Once it cools at the slime Ectoplasm in until it thickens to the right consistency.]

[Step 3. Pour into glass bottles and store.]

’Okay, that process is pretty simple. And the process for soap?’

[Step 1. Press Red Lavender Buds over warm magic stones to release the oil.]

[Step 2. Soak Moonsilver tree ashes in rainwater. Strain through fine cloth to make Lye.]

[Step 3. Pour the oil into the cauldron. Add lye and Slime Ectoplasm until it is thick as honey.]

[Step 4. Pour into molds and let cure until hard.]

’Good these are both easy enough to follow.’

Jack finished his bath and wrote down instructions for someone to follow.

Seraphina entered the room.

"Young Master, you have guests today that you must meet."

’Who would want to meet me?’ Jack said with a raised eyebrow.

"The Sunblades are here today. It is your duty to learn more about your fiancee and prove your worthy of living up to your name."

’Yes, yes. I’ll be down shortly. But first Seraphina. Here are instructions on how to make Soap and Shampoo. Follow these instructions and make these. They should be ready by tomorrow.’

"Of course, Young Master." Seraphina said with a smile as she curtsied and left the room."

’System, can you give me any information on the Sunblades?’

[They’re family has been around for the past 250 years. They are a strong family with ties to beast taming.]

’Beast taming!! That sounds like fun.’

Very well, let’s go meet my fiancée then.

--

Jack left his room, and went down into the gardens to meet his fiancée.

"Jack, your back! How was the dungeon?" Alaric asked with a big smile.

’Very interesting father. I didn’t expect to go to a physical immunity dungeon.’ Jack said with a smirk.

The only reason Jack was smirking. Was due to the fact that his father sent him there, gave him a new revenue stream and helped him grow stronger.

Jack bowed and introduced himself to Aurora, Violet, and Cassius Sunblade.

’It’s a pleasure to meet you all. My name is Jack Kaiser, heir to the Kaiser line.’

"It’s a pleasure to meet you Jack." Casius said with a big grin on his face. "Now before we continue this conversation, there is something you must know, Jack." Cassius replied in a serious tone.

"There is someone who doesn’t like you very much Jack..."

"JACK KAISER!!!" A strange soft voice came from around the corner.

As Jack turned to see who it was a white glove hit him in the face and dropped to the ground.

Jack picked it up and threw it back to the young man.

’You really shouldn’t throw things in other people’s homes you know.’

"Jack... my dear boy..." Alaric said as he slapped himself in the head.