Chapter 18: Looting Tier-2 Monsters (REVAMPED)

Jay wasted no time once the battle had ended. With the bodies of the two Tier-2 monsters lying still before him, his focus shifted immediately to scavenging the spoils of his hard-fought victory. 

His mind locked onto the next task. Without hesitation, he activated║LOOT║, targeting both the Bloodthirsty Earth Bear and the Dire Wind Wolf simultaneously. 

╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮

﴾ Choose one of these to LOOT from the dead Lv.16 Dire Wind Wolf ⧼Tier-2⧽. ﴿

﴾ Innate Talent ﴿

Grade -3║Wind Innate Talent║

Increases the ability to comprehend Wind Element by three-fold.

﴾ Elemental Mastery ﴿ -

Lv.15║Wind Element Mastery║ ⧼Stage-2⧽

Increases the Damage Output and efficiency of Wind Element related Skills by 150%.

﴾ Elemental Skills ﴿ -

Lv.3║Wind Blade║ ⧼Uncommon⧽: 

Ability to form sharp blades made of Wind Element.

Lv.5║Wind Spear║ ⧼Uncommon⧽

Ability to shoot high-speed Spears made of Wind Element.

Lv.5║Pressurized Wind Cannon║ ⧼Uncommon⧽

Ability to shoot a ball of highly condensed Wind element at high velocity.

﴾ Innate Skills ﴿

Lv.5║Auditory Perception║⧼Uncommon⧽

 The Ability to sense sounds increases by 50 fold.

Lv.7║Olfactory Perception║⧼Uncommon⧽

The Ability to sense smell increases by 70 fold.

Lv.6║Shear Bite║ ⧼Uncommon⧽

Jaw strength and Teeth density increases by 60 fold.

Lv.4║Night Eyes║ ⧼Uncommon⧽

Ability to see clearly in the dark, within the range of 400 meters.

╰── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╯

╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮

﴾ Choose one of these to LOOT from the dead Lv.21 Bloodthirsty Earth Bear ⧼Tier-2⧽ ﴿

﴾ Innate Talent ﴿

Grade -3║Earth Innate Talent║

Increases the ability to comprehend Earth Element by three-fold.

﴾ Elemental Mastery ﴿

Lv.18║Earth Element Mastery║⧼Stage-2⧽

Increases the Damage Output and efficiency of any Earth Element related Skill by 180%.

﴾ Elemental Skills ﴿

Lv.3║Earth Wall║⧼Uncommon⧽

Ability to form a condensed wall made of Earth element.

Lv.5║Earth Armour║⧼Uncommon⧽

Ability to form a high defence armour made of Earth element.

Lv.5║Earth Spike║ ⧼Uncommon⧽

Ability to form sharp spikes made of Earth element.

Lv.5║Binding Earth Chain║ ⧼Uncommon⧽

Ability to form strengthened chains made of earth to bind the target.

﴾ Innate Skills ﴿

Lv.5║Auditory Perception║ ⧼Uncommon⧽

Ability to sense sounds increases by 50 fold.

Lv.6║Olfactory Perception║ ⧼Uncommon⧽

Ability to sense smell increases by 60 fold.

Lv.8║Shear Bite║ ⧼Uncommon⧽

Jaw strength and Teeth density increases by 80 fold.

Lv.7║Night Eyes║ ⧼Uncommon⧽

Ability to see clearly in the dark, within the range of 700 meters.

╰── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╯

As both monsters lay before Jay, he observed the array of Skills and Innate Talents available for looting, and what stood out immediately was their quality—each and every skill was an Uncommon one, without a single Common grade Skill among them.

Jay had learned from past experiences that a Common grade Skill, such as║Auditory Sense║, increased an ability by one fold per level. At Lv. 4, it would boost the respective attribute by fourfold, and at Lv. 5, by fivefold. 

However, the Uncommon grade Skills were on a completely different scale. The Dire Wind Wolf's Lv.5║Auditory Perception║increased the sense of hearing by a staggering 50 times, demonstrating just how drastic the improvements were. For each level in an Uncommon grade Innate Skill, the respective ability was amplified by tenfold—a vast difference from the Common grade abilities.

The name║Auditory Perception║suggested an evolution from the Common grade ║Auditory Sense║, which only strengthened Jay's belief that looting such skills would be a valuable upgrade for his future encounters. 

Alongside║Auditory Perception║, the Tier-2 Dire Wind Wolf had also possessed║Olfactory Perception║, another Uncommon grade Innate Skill that magnified the sense of smell by a similar margin. 

Those sensory abilities would be incredibly useful for scouting and tracking enemies, giving Jay a significant edge in detecting potential threats well before they could strike.

Beyond the sensory skills, what truly captured his attention were the Element-related skills. The monsters' mastery over their respective elements was a clear advantage in combat. 

Most intriguing, however, were the Grade-3 Elemental Innate Talents. Those talents, tied to their respective elements, allowed the monsters to learn elemental Skills on their own. Looting them would grant him long-term growth, providing a foundation over the respective elements.

After a brief but thorough consideration, Jay made his choice. He looted the Grade-3║Wind Innate Talent║from the Dire Wind Wolf, knowing the control over wind could prove invaluable for mobility and tactical maneuvers. From the Bloodthirsty Earth Bear, he looted the Grade-3║Earth Innate Talent║, recognizing the strength and durability that came with mastering the element of earth.

Though the sensory skills were tempting, Jay decided against looting║Auditory Perception║or║Olfactory Perception║. He had already looted the Common grade versions of those skills from the Tier-1 Grey Wolves during the previous clash but had yet to merge with them.

╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮

﴾ 22 Stats Looted ﴿

﴾ Grade-3║Wind Innate Talent║Looted ﴿

﴾ 28 Stats Looted ﴿

﴾ Grade-3║Earth Innate Talent║Looted ﴿

╰── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╯

As soon as Jay looted the monsters, the newly acquired Looted Stats seamlessly integrated into his 5 main Attributes within║LOOTED STATUS║. His overall Attributes increased from 48 to 58, and with that, came a noticeable surge in his strength and abilities. The process, while painful, was a familiar sensation—far less agonizing than what he had endured during his transformation under║INVERSE║.

Thanks to the Rare Grade Skill║Harmony║, the influx of power didn't leave him feeling disoriented. The skill allowed him to instantly adapt to the increase in Stats, smoothing over the transition without any discomfort. It was as though his body intuitively adjusted, harmonizing with the new level of strength.

Despite the surge in power, Jay didn't feel any immediate difference from the Elemental Innate Talents he had looted. Since he hadn't yet merged with them, their true potential remained dormant, waiting to be unlocked. For the moment, he set them aside, intending to wait until he was in a safer place to merge with them.

With his immediate concerns addressed, Jay turned his attention to the║Stream Wind Sword║, curious to fully understand the capabilities of the Spirit Item. He opened the Spirit Item section of his║STATUS║, and the detailed description of the sword unfurled before him, revealing the depth of the weapon's abilities.

╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮

║Stream Wind Sword║ ⧼Rare Grade⧽:

A one-handed sword forged from refined Spirit Iron ore, designed specifically to channel and enhance Wind Element abilities.

Effect: Strength+25✦ | Agility+25✦

Requirements: 40 Strength, 40 Agility

Durability: 100/100

﴾ Inherent Skills ﴿

║Stream Wind Edge║⧼Active⧽

forms a razor-sharp, pressurized wind around the weapon's blade, amplifying its cutting power .Cost: 10 Spirit Energy per second.

║Wind Sheath║⧼Passive⧽

You can create a wind-formed sheath to control or hold the Weapon.Cost: None

╰── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╯

As Jay examined the║Stream Wind Sword║more closely, the realization of its limitations weighed on him. The weapon required a minimum of 40 Stats in both Strength and Agility, a threshold he could only meet while in║INVERSE║mode due to the elevated Attributes in his║LOOTED STATUS║.

His attribute stats in║STATUS║, however, fell short of those demands. That left a pressing concern—'What would happen to his bond with the║Stream Wind Sword║when he reverted back from║INVERSE║mode?' 

'Would the sword remain dormant, or would the bond break entirely?' The uncertainty was troubling, but with no immediate solution, Jay pushed the thought aside, resolving to deal with it once the situation allowed.

The battlefield around him had quieted, the remnants of the fierce clash with the Tier-2 monsters still lingering in the air. Jay's sharp gaze swept the area, noting the absence of any new threats. 

It was as if the intense battle had scared off any remaining creatures. The forest, once full of hostility, was unnervingly still. Sensing the opportunity, he took a moment to gather resources that could prove useful later.

Spotting the partly broken golden-leafed tree nearby, Jay activated his║Adhesive Shoes║and climbed it effortlessly. The way he moved across the bark, as if gravity itself held no sway over him, made the ascent feel like a casual stroll on solid ground.

His goal was simple: the 3 High Vitality Fruits hanging among the branches, their vibrant color glowing faintly amidst the foliage. With a swift motion, he plucked them, storing the valuable fruits away.

With the fruits secured, Jay descended from the tree and turned his attention toward the bodies of the dead Grey Wolves from earlier. He hadn't forgotten the possibility of valuable Spirit Items, particularly those that could enhance his║Centauri Kavach║. 

The armor was already powerful, but he knew that any potential upgrades could further solidify his strength in future battles. The thought of improving his defense drove him to seek out the fallen wolves, hoping for a reward from their demise.

Just as he neared the area, the calm was shattered by an unexpected spectacle. The sky above him, once clear and unremarkable, lit up with a colossal notification that dominated the horizon. 

Bright and imposing, it seemed to stretch across the sky, demanding attention. Along with it came a dazzling, flashy announcement that illuminated the surroundings, impossible to ignore.

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Author Note:

I'm thrilled to share that I'm taking a big leap forward! Alongside Earth's Alpha Prime, I've launched the first sub-book for EAP.

ALTER REALITY: Online (Full-Dive VR LITRPG)

The book is now published on Royal Road with just the first chapter available, and I'll be releasing new chapters at a rate of 3 per week (Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday). Do check it out!

Chapter Release Rate: 3 Chs/Week.

<<<< Tue, Thu, Sun >>>>

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