NOVEL NEXT Chapter 12: The True Reward
Congratulation! You are now level 30!
18,965/69,000 exp.
[Experience Bar]:
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"Level 30! WOOT!, this is two years of leveling in a couple days."
"Let me see my Attributes"
You have 15 points to allocate
Strength: 30 ➕ ➖
Agility: 35 ➕ ➖
Intelligence: 30 ➕ ➖
Endurance: 25 ➕ ➖
Looking at his board he decided to allocate everything in agility and endurance leaving with 43 agility and 32 endurence. After having allocated his points Ryuichi walked over to the dematerializing corpse of the Cobra King. Its enormous body shimmered, slowly fading away, and as it did, a small portal formed in front of him—a sign that the Cobra King's essence was returning to wherever it had came from, carrying all the memories of today's battle.
"This thing must've never expected a solo rogue to take it on," Ryuichi thought, remembering the stories he'd heard about the Cobra King's legendary weak spot he never believed it being a real thing. The small five-inch circle on its neck was almost impossible to hit—unless you had the perfect combination of stealth and skill. Many had tried and failed, with more rogues than he could count losing their lives trying to land that single blow, it had got to be only a legend.
A golden and blue electric sparks suddenly started sparkling from the remains. He knelt down and inspected the loot. There it was—10 gold coins gleaming under the dim light, with a skull, the beast looked scannable according to what he was seeing but he was not trained in any proffession yet, people could use the essence of beast to create armor which would have attributes according to there powers, they were called artisanal professions, sadly he was not a skinner. But beside the coins and the skin, there was the true prize—the skull of the Cobra King.
Ryuichi then materialized his portal stone from his inventory, and within 20 seconds, a shimmering portal began to form, swirling and waiting for him to step through.
"You forgot the prisoners?" the spirit said interrupting him.
"Right!" Ryuichi said.
He returned to town, bought some bombs from the local engineer, and made his way back to the cave. Placing the bombs carefully around the chamber, he set the timer for 30 seconds, then quickly teleported him self before the bombs went off.
A soft "Ding" echoed in his mind, signaling the completion of the quest.
Quest completed: Free the Tortured Prisoners
Reward granted: 10 gold
"Nice! 10 more gold, at this speed I will be very rich very soon"
As Ryuichi made his way home, a voice called out from behind, breaking his train of thought. It was Niyane, the shaman girl he had met at school. She waved excitedly, her energy catching him off guard.
"Hey, Ryuichi! Remember me? Niyane, we met at the school admission! So are you excited about getting back to school!"
He nodded, feeling a blush creep up his neck, how could he ever forget such a beauty. Her mage robe clung to her figure, and the shimmering magical cloth pants she wore revealed glimpses of her legs. He tried to focus, his heart thudding in his chest. "Yea, I am, I can't wait."
Niyane flashed a smile. "So, what's your plan for the guild? Raiding, farming, profession?"
Without hesitation, Ryuichi replied, "I am into raiding."
Niyan's eyes widened with interest. "Me too, which raid would you like to be part of?"
"Any, as long as it hurt the demonic kingdom am down" Ryuichi said confidently, though he could feel the pain pressing down on him. The demonic prince was the one responsible for the death of his parents, both of his mother and father were thieves and they both had died to the hands of Ragnos a powerful elemental part of the demonic kingdom.
Ryuichi forced a small smile, though inside he was in pain, he could still remember the day the royal guards went to his house to announce him the death of his parents, that day he knew he would never be taught and would end up being a thieve in the street. "Well I got to go sorry, we will see each other in class, see ya!" she said leaving him with excitement, a faint blush and a wave of the hand.
---
Two weeks of intense training and meditation had passed. Ryuichi, now feeling somewhat more prepared, stood up from his bed and began gathering his gear. He double-checked everything in his belt, making sure he had all he needed for the day. It was the first day of school at the prestigious academy, where only the most talented, or the most connected, were allowed to attend. His heart raced with anticipation as he headed out.
Arriving at the academy, a long line of students stretched before him, all from successful families of raiders or master artisans. They wore gleaming, top-of-the-line armor that reflected the early morning sun, making them appear even more elite. Ryuichi, feeling the weight of his own journey, stepped into the line, waiting his turn to enter.
When he reached the guard at the door, the man asked, "Name, please?"
"Ryuichi Karogane," he replied confidently.
The guard nodded. "Your name is on the list, you may enter."
With a deep breath, Ryuichi walked through the massive gates of the academy. He quickly checked his mail in his mind to see which dorm and room he had been assigned. His dorm was located on the third floor—the Raiders' Dorm. But before he could settle in, his email mentioned a mandatory stop at the admissions office to have his attributes officially recorded.
Opening the next item in his mail, a golden orb materialized in front of him, glowing brightly for him to follow threw the school.
As he followed the orb down the grand hallway, he couldn't help but be captivated by the majestic surroundings. The walls were adorned with life like paintings of legendary raiders, each battling fearsome dungeon bosses or wielding legendary weapons. The paintings moved, showing scenes of epic battles in real time. Alongside them, inscriptions from the sacred texts of the Titans were written, filling the air with an aura of reverence and power. As he was walking by the mage classes he read:
"To those who are called upon to walk the path of the mage, you have sought understanding, and in that search, have discovered a truth eternal: magic without purpose is but an empty force. Power for the sake of power is no more than a fleeting shadow, for without a guiding goal, it is as dust upon the wind. Yet, should you seek to understand the nature of this power, to wield it with wisdom and intent, then I say unto you—welcome. For it is in your purpose that true magic is born, and in your hands, it may shape worlds."
The orb led him to a massive room filled with students and various stations, each one marked by a different role—warrior, mage, healer, thief. Spotting the sign for thieves, Ryuichi approached and waited in line.
"Ryuichi Kurogane" the examiner said with a welcoming smile.
The examiner's eyes shined as he looked at Ryuichi's rare armor set.
"Please put your hand over this rune" the examiner instructed. But as Ryuichi did so, the examiner's eyes widened in disbelief.
"You're marked as a level 5... with only 2 points in strength and zero in agility. That's impossible!" the examiner exclaimed, thoroughly confused.
"Karen, Mage Karen! Can you come here for a moment?"
A young mage in flowing robes hurried over. "Yes, how can I assist?"
"I need you to cleanse this rune. It's showing interference. This result does not make any sense. unless this man is secretly 10 years old" the gnome said bursting in laugher.
Karen nodded. "Right away, sir." She raised her palms, and a soft white light began to emanate from her hands, gently shining onto the rune. The rune reacted, flickering as if being corrected.
The spirit in Ryuichi's mind chuckled sheepishly, "Oops, that's my bad. Suppressed a bit too much. Sorry about that."
"Alright, let's try this again, young man," the examiner said. "Please, put your hand on the stone once more."
"Ryuichi Kurogan level 30 Rogue, Strength: 30 , Agility: 43, Intelligence: 30, Endurance: 32. Your Stats have sucessfully being recorded into our files, thank you for coming, you may now leave if you like, unless you have a questions" said the small gnome smiling.