Chapter 5 Grind and an Encounter?
Armor of Steadfast Ward - Grants the wearer plus 20 Strength, plus 20 Vitality and plus 25 Stamina.
Holy Shit! This is way to OP for someone as low a rank as I am. With this I'll be able to kill up four times faster. With my new weapons I'll be able to be more versatile when fighting my opponents, I shout in shock and excitement.
Status:
Race - Goblin Runt
F Rank
Strength - 10 (20)
Intelligence - 20
Stamina - 10 (20)
Dexterity - 10
Vitality - 10 (20)
Agility - 10 (5)
Magic -
Luck -
Available Attribute Points - 4
Skills:
Awareness Rank F
Slash Rank F
Appraisal Rank F
Sneak Rank F
Craftsman Rank F
Damn, with all this gear I shouldn't have any trouble killing monsters, unless I get attacked by the adults of course. I think it's time for me to get serious and gain as many monster cores as I can. I'll go explore this forest and kill anything in my path, I will be the strongest so nobody can kill me ever again, I vow as I embraces my new life and the many challenges that I will have to face in the future.
Days go by as James explores the underground forest looking for anything that will aid him in his path to supremacy. Days turn into weeks; weeks turn into months and James has finally explored the entire forest and has killed hundreds for monsters slowly but surely ranking up.
After acquiring some better gear and improving his skills and attributes James has now arrived in front of an ancient looking castle that he discovered during his exploration. He has yet to go in because he can feel an overwhelming powerful aura coming from inside of it.
Status:
Race - Goblin Runt
F Rank
Strength - 20 (20)
Intelligence - 70
Stamina - 20 (25)
Dexterity - 20(15)
Vitality - 20 (20)
Agility - 20 (25)
Magic -
Luck -
Available Attribute Points - 4
Skills:
Awareness Rank F
Slash Rank F
Appraisal Rank F
Sneak Rank F
Craftsman Rank F
Now that I am almost E Rank and I can easily kill anything in this forest, I think it's safe enough for me to enter this castle, I decide as I approach the castle gate.
I make my way across the draw bridge to the castle keeping an eye out for any ambushes, as I walk through the courtyard, heading towards the center most building due to this being the source of the powerful presence I'm feeling.
Upon reaching the main door, I ready my trusting emotional support spear and makes sure all my gear is secured as I slowly push the door open. Upon entering the main hall of the castle, the fire crystals along the pillars flare to life illuminating a grand and exquisite throne room.
At the end of the throne room sits an obsidian throne, and upon that throne there sits an imposing figure.
The figure slowly lifts its head and looks directly at me, "So you've finally made it."
I stop in confusion, "What do you mean I've finally made it? How can you know I'm even here?" I ask, my voice filled with bewilderment.
"Ha-ha, I know everything that happens in this floor," the figure relies back to me.
"Floor?" I reply instantly.
"Yes floor, you're inside the Great Nepheliums Crypt, this is the hidden floor where I, Nephelium, reside," Nephelium replies.
My mouth drops open and I must have looked quite comical because Nephelium started to chuckle.
"Wait wait wait, first off, you mean to tell me I'm currently in The Nepheliums Crypt?!" I say flabbergasted.
"Yes"
"And you're The Nephelium?!"
"Yes"
"Holy Shit!" I exclaim.
"Do you know how I got here? Do you know what I used to be? Do you know how I can finally leave this place and make it to the Shadow Lands?" I ask in rapid succession.
"Yes, Yes and also Yes," Nephelium replies casually.
Nephelium stands from his throne and walks towards me, my body is frozen, unable to move a muscle due to his oppressive aura.
"Follow me, we have a few things to discuss," Nephelium says as he walks past me going deeper into the castle.
I finally regain control of my body and slowly followed Nephelium down several corridors until they reached what appears to be a study of some sort. I walk in and Nephelium is already seated in an obsidian and red armchair while there is an obsidian and green armchair across from him.
I make my way over and take a seat in the empty chair facing Nephelium, still slightly nervous and keeping his guard up.
"Relax James, if I wanted to kill you I would have already, I have great plans for you and they don't involve you dying anytime soon," says Nephelium.
"What do you mean you have plans for me? Also, how do you know my name?" I ask.
"It's not a coincidence that you ended up here James, although I didn't foresee that you'd end up as a goblin runt, your soul was guided here by me because you're the only soul that can handle becoming me successor", explains Nephelium.
'What do you mean by Successor? And why is my soul the only one capable of doing it?" I ask confused.
"I have been alive for thousands of years, and I have experienced uncountable events on this world, and in all those years I haven't ever come across a soul that resonates with mine this well. I'll be honest with your James, I'm tired, tired of this existence." Nephelium sighs.
I try to digest what I just heard, and my mind is racing a million miles a second, it takes a moment to gather my thoughts before I eventually figured out my train of thought.
"So, if you've been alive for thousands of years that means you're immortal, but you want to die, how do I fit into helping you achieve this goal of yours? I mean, I'm only an F Rank Goblin Runt, I don't have the power to kill an immortal," I say carefully.
"You are correct ha-ha-ha, you are indeed too weak to be able to kill me and yes I am immortal, well I should say that my soul is immortal. You seem to have a unique system that is an anomaly in the world, although it isn't uncommon in the vast multiverse. What I plan to do is merge my soul with yours and essentially becoming one with your system, you could think of me as a system admin or sorts," Nephelium explains.
"You want to merge with my soul and become a system admin…? Why would you want to do that though? I'm not really following why you'd want to merge with an insignificant person like me." I say, my voice filled with doubt and confusion.
"It's for the simple fact that I feel like I'll be able to experience something new, after being alive for so long I haven't experienced anything remotely close to being new and unique in over a millennium. It may not sound like much to you but to me experiencing something new is the single greatest thing to me," Nephelium says, his voice filled with longing.
"Will I still be myself if you merge your soul with me? I don't want to end up as a different person and no longer be myself," I say adamantly.
"Yes, nothing about your mind and consciousness will change, your soul however will be transformed into that of an immortal, and you will be able to survive even in death as long as your soul is not destroyed," Nephelium explains in a confident tone.
"Well, if there won't be any change to my consciousness then I don't have any objection to you merging your soul with mine, from what I can tell I'll only stand to gain from this and you will also gain something you want so to me it's a win - win situation." I say as I decide to help Nephelium.
"I don't know how long the merging process will take and if you'll stay conscious for it, but it won't be painful per say but it will be uncomfortable. I'm also not sure how long it will take to integrate myself with your system," Nephelium tells me with a confident tone.
"Well let's get this show on the road then, the sooner we start the process the sooner it will be completed, and we can leave this place and see what this world will have to offer us." I tell him, as I am filled with excitement and anticipation.
Nephelium holds out his hand to shake my hand sealing the agreement, "then here goes everything, I look forward to accompanying you on your adventures," Nephelium replies with a smile adorning his face for the first time in centuries.
As we shake hands, Nephelium starts to turn into a pure white light and enters my chest, after a few seconds I start to feel a building pressure in my chest as if I am going to burst like a balloon. It's not painful like he said but it is damn sure uncomfortable.
(System Upgrading)
(Time to Completion 48 hours)
(Does host wish to stay conscious or hibernate until completion?)
I can just go to sleep while the system upgrades? Really? That sounds kind of
like a cheat if you ask me, but what the hell. I'll hibernate until the system is fully upgraded that way it'll feel like no time has passed at all; I say in anticipation.
(Understood, initiating hibernation in (3))
(2)
(1)
(0)
I fall unconscious in the obsidian armchair as I await the system to finish upgrading itself and Nephelium to finish merging with my soul.