Chapter 5: A Treasure Chest

After he finishes looking at the attributes of the gauntlet, he proceeds to examine the other items.

[Fox Robe]

[Defense Rating +7]

[Rank - Standard]

[Quality - Ordinary]

[Sprint Boots]

[Speed Enhancement +15]

[Rank - Standard]

[Quality - Excellent]

After equipping all these items, Shawn noticed straight away the improvement in his power.

The gauntlet and the robe grant him a boost in strength and defense altogether. The boots, on the hand, makes him feel much swifter.

"Since I got these items, then I wonder what skill I obtained," he thought, his focus being on the skill scroll now.

[Precision Strike (Tier 0)]

[Level: 1 (0/10)]

[Rank: Standard]

[Effect: Empower the user's strike by 10%, allowing the user to deal more damage.]

[Cost: 5 Origin Energy]

[Note: Each level up increases the damage by 1%, with the limit being 10%. The origin energy cost will also increase by 1.]

Shawn grinned, thinking, "Hunting mutant beasts will be much easier now."

Although the increase in strength is only 10%, the addition of this skill can lessen and simplify the hunting of mutant beasts.

Bear in mind that the skill can also level up, thus further increasing its effects.

With a thought, Shawn summoned his status window to inspect his stats.

[Shawn Turner]

[Race: Human]

[Level: 10]

[Origin Energy: 257/313]

[Realm: None]

[Job: None]

[Skills: Precision Strike (Tier 0)]

[Talent: None]

"Oh, there's something new. I can see my origin energy now. Hmm, I think it should have appeared after I killed that mutant rabbit. I'm just quite confused about the amount, though. It seems to be greater than average, right? " 

Shawn was quite confused about the amount of his origin energy. He started analyzing the possible cause of this abnormality.

Within a few moments, his eyes light up, guessing a very plausible explanation for this.

"It should be because the mutant beasts I killed are stronger and higher level than me, " he concluded.

And his guess is correct.

When the fusion of Earth and the laws of Origin Source just finished, a bunch of information like about the [Realm], [Job], treasure chests, and even the grading of skills and treasures suddenly appeared in his mind.

Among these information include a detail that says that killing monsters stronger than you will not only reward you origin energy to level up. It will also enhance your strength.

From the looks of it, this information is actually true.

As for the degree of enhancement?

It depends on how strong the mutant beasts you killed, and also how large of a gap exists between you.

Right now, Shawn feels that his strength is five times stronger than that of ordinary people. His speed, though, should be about four times faster.

Finally solving this puzzle, he tidied up the loot and got going.

"I better get going now if I still want to hunt mutant beasts. It's getting darker, so I should just investigate the depths of this forest a little and then go back."

*****

While traveling to the innermost part of the forest, Shawn is looking around prudently. This part of the forest gives him a bit of a bad feeling, hence his being extra cautious.

On his way through, he managed to hunt several mutant beasts, leveling up his skill, Precision Strike, to Level 3.

This enhances his strike to 13% after using the skill.

Due to his use of this skill throughout his journey, he notices that there's no cooldown at all when using the skill.

He can just stack his attack with Precision Strike, provided that he has enough origin energy.

Needless to say, there are definitely limitations to this method.

The first limitation will be a person's capacity for origin energy. If you don't have enough origin energy, then casting this skill won't be even possible.

Think of it like the mana in games. If you have insufficient mana, then you won't be able to use the skill at all.

Meanwhile, the second limitation will be about the mastery of the skill. If your control of the skill is not enough, then you definitely can't superimpose this skill one after another.

Controlling your skills is definitely important since the effectiveness of the skill will depend on your understanding.

Lastly, the third limitation is the flow of origin energy in your body. 

In reality, the casting of a skill is quite complicated. When people, or rather, origin energy users, wield a skill, their energy needs to follow a certain path in their body in order to cast the skill.

This limitation is connected to the second one. 

Honing your control over a skill allows for greater efficiency. The better you can manipulate and channel your origin energy, the less of it you will waste, making your abilities more sustainable in longer engagements.

As of now, Shawn can barely use Precision Strike for one out of every five attacks. Most of the time, it's one out of every six attacks.

"I'll just practice using this skill whenever I have the time. That way, my control and the strength of the skill will improve," Shawn thought, already arranging a time for his practice.

*****

As Shawn ventured deeper into the forest, the air grew thicker and the shadows lengthened, creating an eerie atmosphere. The canopy above blocked most of the sunlight, casting the forest floor in perpetual twilight.

The undergrowth rustled with unseen movements, and the distant cries of mutant beasts echoed through the dense foliage.

His senses were on high alert, and every sound and movement was scrutinized for potential danger.

For a moment, Shawn thought, "There's something wrong with this forest. It feels like... it got larger? Although I'm just treading carefully, my walking speed should be faster compared to when I ran across this forest in the past. Judging by the distance, I should have walked past the entire forest."

His thoughts were broken when he noticed a faint, almost imperceptible path emerging through the underbrush. The path veering off the main trail was overgrown with vines and brambles, as if nature itself wanted to keep it hidden. Intrigued, he decided to follow this path, carefully maneuvering through the dense vegetation.

After a few minutes, the narrow path opened into a small, secluded clearing. Shawn stepped into a small open face, finding that the atmosphere here was different, almost magical. The air felt charged with energy, and a strange, ethereal light illuminated the area.

As he carefully scanned his surroundings, Shawn's eyes caught a glimmer of something unusual near the edge of the clearing. Moving closer, he discovered a series of large, moss-covered boulders arranged in a semi-circle.

Curious, he approached the boulders and noticed that one of them seemed slightly out of place, as if it had been shifted recently.

His interest piqued, Shawn pushed against the displaced boulder, revealing a hidden entrance beneath it. A rush of cool, earth-scented air greeted him as he peered into the darkness of the hidden cave beyond. The entrance, though narrow, was just tall enough for Shawn to duck beneath without difficulty.

Having given it some thought, he decided to enter the cave and explore what's inside.

The cave's interior was dimly lit by the faint glow of bioluminescent fungi clinging to the walls. Shawn cautiously made his way deeper into the cave, marveling at the natural beauty surrounding him.

Stalactites hung from the ceiling like jagged teeth, and stalagmites with rounded tips grew from the floor.

As he ventured further into the cavernous depths, Shawn's keen eyes caught sight of something glinting in the distance. 

There, nestled in a far corner of the cavern, sat a golden treasure chest, its ornate carvings and gleaming metal work standing out against the darkness.

Flickering lights of two colors dance around the chest, indicating its great value.

"A Two-Colored Treasure Chest! "

Shawn exclaimed in his mind, his eyes lighting up, greatly surprised by the discovery.

You can evaluate the worth of a treasure chest by looking at how many flickering lights it emits. The higher the number of flickering lights there are, the greater the value.

If a treasure chest emits four colors, then it would be a Four-Colored Treasure Chest.

That's why Shawn knew immediately the grade of the treasure chest.

Being aware that such treasures can't possibly be unguarded, he scans the entire cave, hoping to catch sight of the treasure guardian.

In just a few breaths, he finally saw the treasure guardian. 

[Level 25 Mutant Snake]

A snake. A huge and terrifying mutant snake.

The Mutant Snake was enormous, easily stretching over twenty feet in length, its body as thick as a tree trunk and covered in scales that glistened with an eerie, iridescent light. The scales were a mottled mix of deep greens and blues, creating a mesmerizing, almost hypnotic pattern.

The snake, however, seems to be wounded. 

Deep gashes marred its scales, oozing a viscous and dark liquid, hinting at its terrible injuries.

One of its eyes was clouded over, evidence of a previous injury that had not yet healed.

Nearby, the corpse of a mutant hedgehog lay sprawled on the cave floor. The hedgehog's quills were sharp and metallic, hinting at the fierce battle that must have taken place. The hedgehog's body bore multiple bite marks and showed signs of a struggle, indicating that it had put up a valiant fight before succumbing to the snake's deadly prowess.

It looks like a battle has just occurred between these two mutant beasts. The winner, obviously, is the Level 25 Mutant Snake. 

The wounds in its body, though, reveal the awful condition it was in.

Shawn was still observing the mutant snake when, all of a sudden, it looked in his direction, noticing his presence.

Deciding that it's meaningless to continue hiding, Shawn can only come out and face the mutant snake.

Its eyes, glowing a menacing yellow, locked onto Shawn as he approached. The snake's tongue flickered out, tasting the air, while its body shifted slightly, revealing powerful muscles coiled and ready to strike at any moment.

Its head, adorned with sharp, menacing fangs, was lifted slightly off the ground, swaying gently as it tracked Shawn's movements. The creature's presence exuded a palpable sense of danger and raw power, making it clear that it would not relinquish its guard over the treasure easily.

Shawn tightened his grip on Antler Sword, his mind racing. This was no ordinary encounter; the weakened state of the snake suggested it had recently fought hard, but it was still a dangerous foe. He needed to be strategic, using his skills and the environment to his advantage.

Summoning his origin energy, Shawn prepared for the battle ahead.

Precision Strike would be his key to victory, and he needed to execute his moves with perfect timing and control.

With each step, he drew closer to the snake and the treasure it guarded, ready to confront the formidable guardian and claim the Two-Colored Treasure Chest.

"Bring it on! "