Chapter 101 - Dumb sometimes (Patreon)

Okay, first things first, there are a few upgrades I really like! Like, really really like.

Symbiotic Transference: Learn to transfer the stored energy directly into physical strength, endurance, or speed, increasing combat prowess.

That's some goddamn amazing options for [Redistribution].

Right now, I can absorb kinetic and thermal energy, but in the future? I could just end up standing in the middle of dozens of attacks, continuously boosting my body.

Isn't that goddamn cool?

And this one for [Perception] too, Mana Flow Analysis: Develops the capacity to identify nuanced patterns and rhythms in the movement of mana, offering deeper insight into how skills are invoked and controlled.

One of my biggest strengths is the ability to learn and nearly copy plenty of skills; this would take it to another level! Even helping me to improve my existing skills much faster.

I already have trouble deciding between these two skills.

As for [Disruption], most of the upgrades sound like something I should be able to learn on my own, hell even the other two skills have plenty of upgrades I can learn on my own.

Okay, onto the next ones!

[Armament]

Mana Materialization: Develop the skill to compact and solidify mana to a greater degree, increasing the durability and potency of the created armament.

Transient Armament: Master the skill to instantly form and de-form weapons and objects, adding an element of surprise and adaptability in combat scenarios.

Spectral Armament: Upgrades the armament skill to create semi-physical armaments that can phase through objects or attacks, adding a new layer of strategic options.

Intelligent Armament: An upgrade that enables armaments to possess a level of autonomous action, allowing them to react to changing circumstances in combat.

[Oscillation]

Oscillation Overdrive: Master the ability to overload your oscillation, creating a massive wave of force to overwhelm enemies.

Oscillation Intensity Control: Enhance your ability to control the intensity of oscillation, allowing you to vary the sharpness of your weapons as per the requirement.

Oscillation Ripple: Develop the ability to generate rippling oscillations, creating waves that propagate through objects or the environment.

Vibrational Shields: Develop the ability to generate a shield of oscillating mana, deflecting physical attacks by vibrating at ultra-high frequencies.

[Mana Surge]

Surge Amplification: Enhance your ability to generate larger, more potent surges of mana, increasing the power of your spells.

Surge Adaptation: Develop the skill to adapt your mana surges to different types of magic, providing versatility in casting.

Surge Sustainment: Learn to maintain a boosted mana circulation over longer periods, increasing the duration of enhanced skills.

Surge Resilience: Master your body's tolerance to high-speed mana circulation, reducing physical exhaustion and potential damage from a surge.

Oh my, Spectral Armament and Intelligent Armament look amazing. Especially the second one. It kinda reminds me of the way the sniper from the second floor used her mana arrows. Even now, I can imagine so many ways I could use these skills, yet I still wasn't able to replicate them.

[Oscillation] is kind of a disappointment, sure some uses are things I didn't think of that much but they again mostly sound like something I could develop on my own or even use right now with the help of [Mana Surge].

As for [Mana Surge], I like Surge Adaptation, as of now I wasn't able to use the surge for absorbed kinetic or thermal energy, the energy is somehow different from mana. That could also be a huge boost, especially if I improve the way I absorb my own kinetic energy from the orb stat I spin around myself.

Surge Sustainment could be good as well, with time and some learning it could almost work as a passive boost, but that's also something I believe I can reach on my own. Sure, it will take longer, but I will get there.

As for Surge Resilience?

I am a man! I like to live dangerously.

Famous last words?

Totally.

Overall, I'm loving the upgrades, but I will need to think a bit more about them, just an hour or two to calm myself down as [Focus] isn't that good at dimming this kind of excitement.

“Hey, little brat.”

I wake up Isabella, and she stands up with a quiet groan, sounding almost like an old man, “I want to sleep.”

“We have to find your sister.”

“Oh…”

“And the doggo.”

“OH!”

"..."

Poor Sophie.

*****

“So, how come you trust me so much?” I ask while moving over the roofs with Isabella in my arms.

“You feel safe!”

She is still just a child I guess, even though Sophie did something to her to make her better handle all this stuff. I do realize that for some people it might sound disgusting, but I think it was the right decision. Young kids aren't built for this.

“So, what did Sophie do to you?”

The little girl stops looking around with her big eyes, “She said she will make me forget some things and make me braver!”

I see.

“But she was so sad while doing so, but I trust her! Soph is kinda dumb, but she felt super serious while using her skill.”

Hmm, that could mean Little Isabella has some skill that allows her to see through the intentions of people?

“You said I'm safe?”

“Yup! Soph always says to not get closer to you but Soph is dumb sometimes. You are totally safe. Even the doggo likes you.”

Kids, I guess.

“So, what level is Sophie?” I get a good idea.

“I can't tell you.” she giggles and hits the top of my head a few times with her small hand.

Damn, are all kids like this? Is it because of what Sophie did or is it because of her skill that tells her that I'm safe?

“I see.” I force out a quiet laugh, “She must be weaker than me. There is no way she is level 30 like me!”

Huhu. Let's see now.

“She is strong!”

“Yes, yes, as if I would believe you.”

The little girl slaps the top of my head a few times and continues with a voice that sounds more cute than angry.

“Sophie is level 39! She is much stronger than you!”

Totally as planned! You are still far too young to not get tricked by Nathaniel Gwyn! Easy! No shame at all!

“Wow, she is so strong,” I add and Isabella continues to compliment her sister.

Still, she seems childish, are 10-year-old kids usually like that?

Unfortunately, I don't get more information from her and after a while I stop for a moment, looking around the city. We already moved for quite some time, yet I didn't see any monsters and not a single human or animal.

As for the [Floor Quest].

Floor quest: Put the saint to final rest.

Rewards:
Shop
Skill upgrade token
Rare graded gear of your choice
30 stat points

Well, I guess we are hired killers now? Still, the system is quite a joker sometimes, so I wouldn't be surprised if there is a surprise or two along the way.

And the rewards? The Shop is clearly the most interesting one. We already got a community so having a shop is interesting, does it mean we can sell stuff to other people? Buy from them? Will the System be selling us stuff?

Sounds quite fun.

I continue to think, to keep my mind busy as we move faster and faster. My mana easily able to handle all this expenditure.

“You are sad.” the little girl says out of nowhere.

Am I sad? There is no chance, I didn't even like that granny monster, and as for Ruby, I knew her for what? A few weeks?

There is no way I'm sad.

“It's okay, you can cry if you want, I won't tell anyone, not even Soph.”

Silly girl, what are you even talking about?

“You are trying to forget so hard,” she giggles, “old people are silly.”

Oi, I am not even old.

“Even Soph tries to act so bravely. I love her, but she is so dumb sometimes.” another giggle and she pats the top of my head, this time more gently.

“I cry too.” she whispers as if telling a secret, “I remember crying when mom didn't allow me to pet the neighbor's huge dog…” the girl continues to chirp.

And I listen, I listen carefully, her silly chirping making me not think about useless stuff.

*****

POV Kim Min-Jae

I dash upwards, making my body lighter with [Gravity Well] and then using [Telekinesis] on a small tower near me. As the tower is too heavy for me to pull I get pulled to it instead and quite fast because of my lighter weight.

I continue to do it over again, pulling myself towards the ground, roof, and wall of the house.

It's still not as fluid as I would like it to be but it feels amazing, almost as if I am flying, the trait I picked on the first floor finally showing some of its uses.

For a moment I stop on one of the roofs and look at the wound on my leg.

It's healing quite nicely, yet it's still bleeding a lot. A last gift from the Cinderbear we killed together while the world around us was ending. I still have the memories fresh in my mind.

The sky had that sunset-like glow, but it felt like it was about to drop on us. I remember the intense pressure, terrifying, and also my chest barely moving under all this pressure.

It was terrifying, easily something I can call the end of the word and all caused by a single man called Tristan and his [Dawn] as the red-headed woman said before the scary grandma killed her.

But before everything came to an end before we met our impending doom, something even stranger occurred. The second floor abruptly ended and the entrance to the third floor appeared. The entrance we immediately used to escape.

As for what happened afterward? We all got split.

I push open the door, stepping into a house that appears to be in considerably better shape than its neighbors. The stairs groan under my weight as I walk upstairs, eventually reaching another door. As I open it, my eyes fall upon an unconscious body, an arm missing, sprawled out on an old, dust-laden bed.

But why did I have to end up with her?

With the girl that killed my friend.