Raj, however, was, for better or worse, completely oblivious to the deep under-goings of the powers outside. He was more concerned with the lone creature that lay before him.
Wave 20
Boss Fight!
Begin!
He identified the monster, trying to gauge if it followed the pattern from before.
[Flesh-Prince - lvl 20].
His theory was right. There was indeed a hierarchy to these monsters, and he assumed he could keep going until king. Past that, he had no idea. The bosses also followed the same pattern of their levels matching the wave number.
He quickly assigned his remaining stat points from his two level ups evenly into INT and WIS, and then pulled up his improved status.
Status
Name: Rajeev Narayanan
Race: Human(H)
Class: Swordsman[(Common-G) lvl 20]
Profession: None
Titles: Giant Slayer, Vitality I, Strength I, Enlightened One(G), Agility I, Endurance I, Intelligence I, Wisdom I, Dao Disciple, Tutorial Challenge: Level 19(Pending)
HP: 792/810
MP: 570/570
SP: 514/640
Stats
Strength:88(84)
Agility: 107(98)(+5)
Vitality: 81(78)
Endurance: 64(61)
Intelligence: 57(55)
Wisdom: 57(55)
Free Points: 0
Dao: Fragment of Reality
Class Skills: Mana Slash(Common), Dash(Uncommon)
Profession Skills: None
General Skills: Identify(Common)
He had gained a couple more levels from the monsters. An interesting phenomenon that he had noticed was how strong they had gotten after the boss fight. The previous monsters had been levels 6 or 7, but after the level 10 boss, they had risen dramatically, going to an average level of 16. With that rise in level came a name change for these monsters. They were now all Flesh-knights, and while he could still easily dispatch the monsters, he did have to be fully attentive. A single lapse in his judgement could result in him suffering a wound that he just couldn’t afford right now. He had been forced to rely on his Mana Slash(Common) and even his Dash(Uncommon) skills to chew through the monsters and escape respectively.
Still, he managed to beat the waves without sustaining injuries aside from the usual cuts and bruises. He pushed those wayward thoughts aside, his full focus orienting towards the dangerous monster before him. This was the first time in a very long time that he faced a monster at the same level as him, and he did not hesitate to go all out right from the get go.
As they charged towards each other, Raj let out a Mana Slash right at his opponent, and then used a Dash to get behind. His opponent was no scrub, however, and opted to tank his Mana Slash to defend his surprise attack. Claws reaching towards him, he raised his sword to block. What he didn’t expect, however, was the Flesh-Prince’s claws extending out about a foot in length.
Raj hadn’t faced many opponents with abilities or skills before, and he certainly hadn’t faced anything with transformation abilities like this. It was such a simple change, but it provided an element of surprise that he simply wasn’t prepared for.
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His acting AGI of 107 was the only reason he didn’t get skewered. He managed to contort his body in a weird sort of bend at the last second, his body leaning to become nearly parallel to the ground, his sword right above him to deflect the worst of the damage.
Instead of tearing through his intestines, the claws cut through his left bicep, and he (Dash)ed away in pain. The attack had been quick, but he knew he could not let the Flesh-Prince press its advantage. The last thing he needed was for his opponent to be dictating the course of the battle, after all.
He sent a barrage of (Mana Slash)es at his foe before quickly following in their wake. The monster raised its arms in an X to protect its internal organs, but paid dearly when its arms came back ravaged. Flesh fell off of its frame, and he absentmindedly wondered if there was any difference between it and a Fleshling, aside from the obvious difference in levels.
As it turned back to meet his charge, his support finally came in the form of a Mana Bolt.
Trixie had been fighting alongside him for the past few waves, and had accordingly grown in power. While she still wasn’t strong enough to match the monster or Raj, she was powerful enough that her spells were more than just a nuisance. Her heavy allotment of stats into INT and WIS made sure of that.
Raj had noticed her lurking around earlier in the fight, waiting for the right moment to strike. He had predicted she would act now, their thoughts harmonizing, their minds clear. It spoke volumes of the growth their bond had seen, and now they were ready to reap the benefits.
The Flesh-Prince turned toward the bright light racing toward it, cementing its fate. The spell hit the monster perfectly between the eyes as its face swiveled, and caused it to reel backwards in agony, an inhumane scream slipping from its lips. Raj hardened his heart, ignoring the pitiful sound, and continued his rush, lunging with his sword held in front of him with his right hand, his left hanging limply at his side.
His enemy stood no chance, and after a moment of stillness, it crumpled into dust, claimed by the System.
Wave 20 Complete!
- You may now select to automatically trigger the start of the next wave if you so choose to.
- You have gained: +2 level
Congratulations!
You have leveled up x2!
Stats have been distributed.
He stumbled towards the house, dismissing his sword. He collapsed into a chair, dumping all of his free points into VIT. The instant relief he felt made him sigh. He pulled up his own status, a surprising surge of newfound strength coursing through his veins.
Status
Name: Rajeev Narayanan
Race: Human(H)
Class: Swordsman[(Common-G) lvl 22]
Profession: None
Titles: Giant Slayer, Vitality I, Strength I, Enlightened One(G), Agility I, Agility II, Endurance I, Intelligence I, Wisdom I, Dao Disciple, Tutorial Challenge: Level 20(Pending)
HP: 798/960
MP: 560/570
SP: 592/680
Stats
Strength:94(90)
Agility: 126(116)(+5)
Vitality: 96(92)
Endurance: 68(65)
Intelligence: 57(55)
Wisdom: 57(55)
Free Points: 0
Dao: Fragment of Reality
Class Skills: Mana Slash(Common), Dash(Uncommon)
Profession Skills: None
General Skills: Identify(Common)
His AGI was a ridiculous 126 after boosts. How?!? He wondered, doing some mental calculations. My level ups did not provide that much at all! Unless…
A blinking notification caught his eye, and the answer to his previous query was provided.
You have been awarded the Agility II title
He focused on the title to get more information, suddenly realizing it was already on his status.
Agility II - Reach 100 base agility. +10 AGI.
He whistled at that. 10 AGI was nothing to scoff at. It represented an entire 10% of his previous power being added on! With his AGI ring, he could practically feel how fast he was.
Trixie snapped out of her daze next to him, meaning she had probably just finished checking and allotting her stats too. Curious, he pulled up her interface through their bond.
Status
Name: L’thsnixzsiarla Velair
Race: Fairy(H)
Class: Mage[(Common-H) lvl 16]
Profession: None
Titles: Intelligence I, Wisdom I, Agility I, Vitality I
HP: 280/280
MP: 420/430
SP: 190/190
Stats
Strength: 11
Agility: 37
Vitality: 28
Endurance: 19
Intelligence: 43
Wisdom: 43
Free Points: 0
Class Skills: Mana Bolt(Common)
Profession Skills: None
General Skills: Identify(Common)
He smiled. His companion was getting stronger. While she didn’t have the insane number of stats that he had, or the Dao, she was growing to be a force to be reckoned with in her own right.
After letting his arm heal enough for it to be at least moderately functional, he found that he couldn’t sleep. So, he went outside to train. That fight shouldn’t have been as close as it was, and he vowed to make sure he was never caught by surprise like that again.