Next Stage of Body Cleansing, Part 2

He upgraded his attack power, so he put one point into strength and the other into intelligence.

Status:

Name: Astaroth

Race: Ash Elf

Level: 7 (168/280)

Stats:

HP: 180/180 MP: 385/385 Stamina: 100

Mana Regen: 1/second in combat, 5/second out of combat

Strength: 9 Agility: 9 Constitution: 8

Intelligence: 9 Wisdom: 8

Attack Power Str: 45 Attack Power Agi: 45 Magic Attack Power: 45 Healing Power: 40

Natural Defense: 0.8%

Luck: 0 (Stat unaffected by Level up and free points)

Available stat points: 0

Available skill points: 7

Physical Condition: Normal

Mental Condition: Normal

Equipped gear:

Beginner clothes, Basic Training Short Sword, Basic Training Longsword, Basic Training War Axe, Basic Training Polearm, Basic Training Daggers (2), Basic Training Wooden Shield, Basic Training Bow and Quiver (43)

Next up, he went to reread his skills and see what happens when he levels them up with the skill points.

Passives:

Mana Lobe Lvl 2: Your mana lobe has a higher mana capacity and if you look closely into it, you can see a crystalized mote of mana. +200 mana capacity.

Mana Control Lvl 2: You have grasped the fundamentals of mana control. Keep practicing. 4% mana cost reduction.

Perfect Mana Sense: You have an immaculate ability to sense mana, It's like you were born to do this. Can toggle actively to notice mana flows.

Mana Breathing Lvl 1: You have learned how to absorb mana through breathing. Mana regen 1/second in combat, 5/per second out of combat.

Body Cleansing Lvl 2: You have done your second body cleansing mana purge. Mana flows even better into you and it is purer. Mana capacity +100, Spell power +15%, HP +100.

Actives:

Propel: Launch an item in your hand or nearby with a strong wind controlled by mana. Base mana cost: 10 (Scales with the weight of the thrown object)

Ignite: Use your mana to ignite a flammable surface for 30 seconds. Burn damage = 10% of magic damage. Base mana cost: 10 (Scales depending on material)

Mana Siphon: You can turbo charge your mana breathing to one breath, to restore a large amount of mana (25%). Side effect: nausea.

Mana Skin: You condense mana over your body, forming a second skin of pure mana. Reduce damage taken by 10%, also has a 20% chance of repelling a glancing blow. Base mana cost: 50 (Mana cost and damage reduction scale with how compressed you make the layer)

Enhance Weapon: Gather mana into your weapon, to enhance it magically. Weapon damage +10%, Weapon durability lowers depending on quality. Base mana cost: 25 (Scales depending on how much mana is poured into the weapon)

Soul Steal Lvl 1: Force the soul of a recently deceased person into submission, gaining a part of its strength. Gain 1 Soul Shard (maximum of 10) that boosts your stats by 10% of the person's highest stat for 1 minute. 30 seconds before the soul dissipates and can't be coerced.

Intimidation Shout: Supercharge your voice using mana, causing even the air to tremble before you. 50% chance of causing fear. Effect lower against higher leveled opponents. Mana Cost: 20.

Piercing Shot: You channel wind into your arrow, propelling and twisting it, giving it a high penetrative power. +100% attack power. If this shot lands a critical hit, the damage is doubled. Mana cost: 25.

He tried putting a point in 'Enhance Weapon' and reread it to see the effect.

Enhance Weapon Lvl 2: Gather mana into your weapon, to enhance it magically. Weapon damage +20%, Weapon durability lowers depending on quality. Base mana cost: 30 (Scales depending on how much mana is poured into the weapon)

'A 10% increase in power, not bad.' He thought.

So he dropped points until it maxed out.

Enhance Weapon Lvl 5 (Max)(Mastery Lvl 0/5): Gather mana into your weapon, to enhance it magically. Weapon damage +10% - 100%. Mana cost: 5 - 50 (Scales depending on how much mana is poured into the weapon)

'Hmm? There was a qualitative change. It no longer damages the weapon. It's also variable at will now. Sweet!' He thought to himself, praising his smart thinking.

He kept the last two points for later. When he had a skill, he wanted to be maxed quickly. Then he noticed the mastery level that appeared next to his skill level.

'Huh? Is that with the use of the skill?' He thought.

'Guess I'll find out when it goes up.'

He liked how his stats were right now. He could surmise that other players of the same level were probably not as strong as him.

Except maybe the 'Heavenly Thousand'. But he doubted they were stronger, though.

At worst, they were equal in terms of power right now. As he thought of that, he looked up the 'Level Leaderboard'.

*Level Leaderboard*

#1: ??? / Level 22

#2: Grinding_Beast / Level 20

#3: Real_Number_One_Gamer / Level 20

#4: I_Am_Rich / Level 20

#5: Number_One_Gamer / Level 19

#6: No_Life_Gamer / Level 19

#7: Monster_Slayer / Level 18

#8: Azamus / Level 18

#9: Phoenix / Level 18

#10: What_Ever / Level 17

...

The list went down to fifty players. Of those names, he wondered who was the number one. His name was hidden.

And then he recognized two other names. Azamus, which was number one in 'Tower of Babylon', and Phoenix, which was tenth in the same game.

'Hmm, there are already two people from the 'Heavenly Thousand' in the rankings.' He thought.

The others are bound to pop up soon too. I need to get grinding faster.

The lowest level in the chart was level 15, but it wouldn't be too long before the rest of the 'Heavenly Thousand' started climbing up there, weeding out the rubbish no lives that just farmed.

He could guess that most players on the leaderboard right now had achieved their levels by purely grinding monsters. But that would cap soon, and he knew that because he was fighting higher-level monsters.

The qualitative changes as levels go become monstrous. So the players would have to stop and solidify their base.

If it wasn't too late. And the players that had been solidifying their base already were bound to overtake the others soon enough.

'My turn is coming.' He thought, clenching his fist with resolve.

Astaroth thanked old man Aberon, stood up, and left the cave. He needed to go wash and rest. He also had to log out, eat and rest in real life, too.