19 New Skills
Having come out from the workshop, Astur takes a seat on her sofa while wiping the sweat off her forehead.
"I keep learning more hidden things about how the System works every day," Astur says while overlooking her recent EXP gains from synthesis.
Having spent the past day making more Enhanced Basic EXP Potions, Astur quickly found out making so much of the same product over and over again will result in reduced EXP gains from that item. But having made one hundred and four potions, she still gained enough EXP to level up twice, bringing her Alchemist level up to 6 and her total level up to 10. Finally having gotten to at least level 5 in her Alchemist class, she can learn the Alchemist combat skills from her Skill Books.
Rummaging through her storage ring, Astur takes a couple of minutes before she finds five Skill Books she can use right now. Two direct combat skills, one indirect combat skill, one support skill, and one non-combat skill.
[Ether Blast LV.1 (Active)]: Ignite a target within a 5-metre radius, causing a small explosion and dealing fire damage. Cost: 150 MP and 200 MF. Cooldown: 15 seconds. Damage calculation: 60+(MND*0.2).
[Resistance Break LV.1 (Active)]: A single target within a 5-metre radius takes increased magic and elemental damage for 10 seconds, then they take a small amount of magic damage. Cost: 300 MP and 100 MF. Cooldown 45 seconds. Damage calculation: 30+(INT*0.1).
[Focus and Analyse LV.1 (Active)]: Your next damaging attack has a 10% increased chance of penetrating any defence, causing a critical hit. No Cost. Cooldown: 30 seconds.
[Aura of the Turtle LV.1 (Active)]: You or any other selected target receive 5% less physical damage for 5 seconds. Cost: 200 MP and 200 MF. Cooldown: 60 seconds.
[Property Erasure (Active)]: Can remove a trait from an ingredient during the synthesis process.
Additionally from reaching level 10, Astur has also received a new Racial Skill.
[Young Body of the Ancient Demon of Infinity (Passive): Damage received from all sources is reduced by 15%.
Looking over her new Racial Skill, Astur thinks it's a little plain and simple, but she knows it's still a strong ability regardless of its simplicity or complexity. But what sticks out the most is how most of her new skills have a level attached to them.
"I would assume this mean I can upgrade them," Astur thinks while looking at Ether Blast.
[Spend 5 Skill Points to level up Ether blast]
"Yes," Astur thinks as she the level going up from 1 to 2.
Levelling up Ether Blast caused a few changes to the skill. The first is the range increased from 5 to a 10-metre radius. The cooldown also went down to 14 seconds from 15. The base damage went up from 60 to 90 and the Mind scaling went from 20% to 25%. But the cost went up to 300 Mana and 400 Mystic Force.
Astur then spends another 15 Skill Points to bring the other three upgradable skills to level 2 and another 10 points to bring Ether Blast up to level 3. After all her upgrades, Astur is left with 44 Skill points.
"I think this is good for now, I can upgrade anything else I need as I need them. Otherwise, it will probably be better to save my Skill Points for stronger skills later, I only get 10 every level right now and stronger skills are bound to cost more to learn and upgrade," Astur thinks before looking over her current Free Stat Points.
Astur already had an idea of how to spend her Stat Points, but she still wanted to wait until she had a clearer picture of which attributes are best for her class and race. Astur currently has 40 Free Stat Points and chooses to put 15 towards her Intelligence and Mind while splitting the remaining 10 evenly between Vitality and Endurance.
[Astur Kojuuin]
[Infinity Wolf 1-Tail]
[Level 10]
[Alchemist (Main/Sub/Life)] Lv.6 0/4,025
[Apothecary (Sub/Life)] Lv.2 0/880
[Scholar (Sub/Life)] Lv.2 0/880
[Health] 3,650/3,650
[Stamina] 3,300/3,300
[Mana] 8,155/8,155
[Qi] 3,475/3,475
[Mystic Force] 8,155/8,155
[Strength] 40 +(5)
[Vitality] 141 +(20)
[Endurance] 127 +(10)
[Intelligence] 178 +(15)
[Mind] 218 +(30)
[Agility] 64 +(10)
[Luck] 25
[Free Stat Points] 0
[Free Skill Points] 44
[Free Experience] 357
[Skills and Talents]
[Ether Blast LV.3 (Active)]: Ignite a target within a 15-metre radius, causing a small explosion and dealing fire damage. Cost: 600 MP and 800 MF. Cooldown: 13 seconds. Damage calculation: 120+(MND*0.3).
[Resistance Break LV.2 (Active)]: A single target within a 10-metre radius takes increased magic and elemental damage for 12 seconds, then they take a small amount of magic damage. Cost: 400 MP and 200 MF. Cooldown 43 seconds. Damage calculation: 35+(INT*0.12).
[Focus and Analyse LV.2 (Active)]: Your next damaging attack has an 11.5% increased chance of penetrating any defence, causing a critical hit. No Cost. Cooldown: 29 seconds.
[Aura of the Turtle LV.2 (Active)]: You or any other selected target receive 7% less physical damage for 7 seconds. Cost: 450 MP and 450 MF. Cooldown: 58 seconds.
[Property Erasure (Active)]: Can remove a trait from an ingredient during the synthesis process.
[Racial Skills and Talents]
[Young Body of the Ancient Demon of Infinity (Passive): Damage received from all sources is reduced by 15%.
Looking over the new changes in her status, Astur nods in satisfaction as she dismisses the System Window while thinking over the next step in her plan to strengthen the forest monsters.
While trying to sell the potions she made was one of her goals, it wasn't the only one. Increasing the strength of the monsters in the forest has been one of the things Astur has wanted to do for a while now. Doing so has a few meanings, one is that it will keep most of the people in this world away from her house. Another reason is that stronger monsters would also lead to greater EXP gains when killing them. And while not completely, it should also keep players away when they first start playing, at least until they're stronger. But particularly adventurous players might try to explore the forest regardless of the dangers.
Astur's reason for doing this? She just doesn't want to be disturbed often. As for any consequences, Astur doesn't want to think about it and figures that so long as she doesn't do anything about it, then someone else can deal with the consequences of her actions.
Having a plan in mind, Astur prepares to head out into the forest and stores a few of the random consumable weapons she made previously into the subspace in her storage ring. As she is leaving the house, she sees Elizabeth passing through the barrier, having returned from the city for the day.
Elizabeth is surprised at seeing Astur leave the house two days in a row as she says, "this is strange, is the world going to come to an end? I can't believe you're leaving the house again."
"... I feel like your attitude towards me is getting worse by the day," Astur says.
"Fix your way of life and I'll consider being more polite," Elizabeth says as Astur then extends her hand forward with an open palm. "What?" Elizabeth asks.
"Did you get what I asked for?" Astur says, looking up towards the canopy overhead and notices a large bird nest in one of the nearby trees, "since when was that there?" Astur thinks.
Elizabeth, oblivious as to what Astur is thinking, sighs as she takes a pack of cigarettes out from her bag and places them in Astur's hand.
Without a word, Astur takes out a cigarette and brings out her lighter to test her new smokes. Unfortunately for her and fortunately for anyone who interacts with Astur, these cigarettes aren't nearly as effective as her shroom blunts. Checking her status, Astur finds that while she doesn't feel much from these cigarettes, they are enough to release her abilities for a few minutes. Underneath the section for Racial Skills and Talents on her status, a new one showed up after taking in the cigarette.
[Authority - Right Gaze of Death (Passive)]: Astur can perceive the natural undisturbed lifespan of anything she looks at with her right eye. Anything with prolonged visual contact with her right eye has its lifespan rapidly reduced. This ability can be blocked with the use of any obstruction to Astur's eye, such as glasses or contact lens.
[Time Remaining: 5 minutes]
"Why'd I have to get this now…" Astur thinks as closes her right eye and releases a puff of smoke from her mouth.
"Is there any reason why you constantly have the need to smoke? The fumes aren't exactly a pleasant thing to be around. Are you just addicted or what?" Elizabeth asks, taking out a bottle of water from her bag.
Naturally, Astur refused to admit she's addicted, but fortunately for her, she does have an actual excuse now.
"You see, I, the great genius Astur, have a reason behind every action I take, most people however don't understand, but there is a method to my madness."
"Is it at least a good reason, because I don't want to buy you cigarettes again. The looks I was getting in the store were uncomfortable."
"Of course I have a good reason. A large portion of my abilities has been sealed. I believe I should be able to slowly unlock them as I get stronger, but I found out that I can temporarily gain access to one of them for a short time while I'm drunk or under the influence of another intoxicating substance. This is the reason my eye is closed right now, I don't really have much control over this and the effect is dangerous. I used to block it out with a contact lens, but since my Authorities were sealed I haven't bothered and I'm not sure where I put them."
"Oh, and I thought you just wanted to look cool," Elizabeth says, mimicking Astur's previous actions of taking a cigarette in one hand while closing one eye and releasing a puff of smoke.
"That looks really lame. If you're going to copy me you should do it properly," Astur says holding an unlit cigarette towards Elizabeth.
"No thanks, I don't intend to throw away my youth. Anyways, where are you going this time? You're not going back to the town to steal stuff again, are you?"
"How rude, I didn't steal anything, I just borrowed some things without asking for an indefinite amount of time. Besides, any problem that could be traced to me has already been dealt with," Astur says, taking back the unlit cigarette.
"That's the same thing as stealing! And how could such large scale theft be dealt with so easily!? How did you even do such a thing?"
"I was out of things to smoke, so it took a lot of alcohol and a bit of luck. But don't worry about such minor things, you came back at the perfect time, come with me," Astur says, exiting the barrier, moving towards the forest depths.
"Huh? Where are you going?" Elizabeth asks, following behind Astur.
"Initiating the next step in my 'Make the forest stronger' plan."
