NOVEL NEXT Chapter 7: Chapter 7: Level Up!
"These are all in excellent condition. Good job," Trista praised as she inspected the herbs in my basket.
Quest Completed: Pick 10 Herbs
Progress: 10/10 Herbs Collected
Info: Collect herbs for medicine as requested by your mother. Completing this quest allows it to be repeated daily for a fixed amount of XP.
Reward: 10 XP
Alert: Quest is now available once per day.
I stared happily at the notification in front of me. This was now my second continuous quest.
The first was the mundane yet reliable task of fetching water from the river every morning, which rewarded a measly 1 XP per completion.
Not much, but every little bit counted when you were trying to level up, especially with a mother who wouldn't even let you wield an iron sword.
Level Up!
Hearing that announcement sent a thrill of excitement through me. I couldn't help but grin as I felt all my hard work paying off. Without wasting a moment, I opened my stats to review my progress.
Name: Perseus Jackson
Age: 6
Title: Trista's Baby Boy
Race: Human…ish (Something like that)
Jobs/Class: (3/3)
• Mercenary, Lv-3 (70%) (DEX+1)
• Delivery Boy, Lv-6 (40%) (No bonus)
• Mommy's Boy, Lv-MAX (100% Affection with Trista)
Level: 10
XP: 0/9300 (1/5 reduction = 1860)
Health: 950/950
Mana: 300/300
Stats:
• STR: 6 (+1) = 7
• END: 12
• DEX: 6 (+1) = 7
• VIT: 11
• INT: 20
• WIS: 17
• FAI: 3
• LUC: 19
Skill Points Available: 5
Bonus Points Available: 2
Money: 0G 0S 10C (Don't spend it all in one place – Trista)
Personal Info:
Perseus Jackson was the son of Sally Jackson and Poseidon, but he is now the son of ? and ?. His adoptive mother is Trista Knightdale, who considers him her own son. Due to his rebirth, he no longer possesses Poseidon's powers and is now as close to human as he's ever been.
Equipment:
• [Shield]: N/A
• [Weapons]: Simple Dagger (Damage: 3-4)
• [Accessories]: N/A
• [Helmet]: N/A
• [Chest Armor]: Simple Shirt (Defense: 1)
• [Belt]: N/A
• [Leg Armor]: Simple Pants (Defense: 1)
• [Boots]: Simple Shoes (Defense: 1)
• [Arm Armor]: N/A
Skills:
• [Attacks]: N/A
• [Magic]: N/A
• [Movement]: N/A
• [Resistance]: Physical Resistance Lv-2, Magic Resistance Lv-1.
• [Special]: Gaia System Lv-MAX, Bonus Skill Leveling Lv-MAX, Detect Analysis Lv-5.
Bonuses:
• XP Increase (20%)
• XP Requirement Reduction (1/5)
Masteries:
• Swordplay Mastery Lv-2
• Spear Mastery Lv-1
• Botany Lv-3
Titles:
• Current: Trista's Boy (No bonus)
• Water Boy (Fetch water 5% faster)
• Messenger Boy (Deliver messages 10% faster)
As I read through my stats, a wave of satisfaction washed over me.
Most six-year-olds in this world were barely level 3, so being level 10 felt like a huge accomplishment.
Sure, in the grand scheme of things, level 10 was nothing to write home about, but considering I got here with nothing but 1 XP and 10 XP daily quests, it was a miracle.
Trista tilted her head, watching me carefully. I must've been grinning like an idiot because a teasing smile appeared on her face.
"Oh my, did you just level up?" she asked in a playful tone.
Her words made me blush, memories of my first level-up flooding back. Let's just say I might've gotten a bit too excited, jumping up and down and shouting for joy. Trista had never let me live it down.
I managed to regain my composure. "Yeah," I admitted, scratching the back of my head sheepishly.
For the record, I'd told Trista about receiving my [Adventurer Card] when I was four. I left out the details about my special perks and Gaia, of course.
Her reaction had been a mix of surprise and pride. She'd mentioned that it wasn't unheard of for noble children to receive their cards earlier than commoners, usually around the age of ten.
For her, this was a moment to celebrate—a sign that I was bound to live a long and meaningful life.
"Sh-Shut up!" I barked, glaring up at Trista, who hoisted the herb basket to her hip with ease. She rolled her eyes, a smirk tugging at her lips.
"Don't worry, I was the same every time I leveled up," she teased, her voice brimming with pride. "Still, this is your fourth level already. Impressive for a six-year-old. But then again, you are my child—I wouldn't expect anything less."
I couldn't help but grin, though I tried to hide it with a scoff. "Says the level forty woman."
The moment the words left my mouth, a sharp slap landed on the back of my head. I winced, rubbing the spot as I glared at her. "What was that for?"
"Watch your tone, brat," she said, her expression stern but her tone playful. "And for the record, level forty is a testament to my skill, not my age. Don't go insinuating anything."
"Right," I muttered under my breath, though I knew better than to push further. Women at level forty were rare unless they were warriors or adventurers, and Trista fit the former perfectly—a tomboy through and through.
"Now, come on," she said, motioning for me to follow her. "You're late for your training with Jake."
I sighed, dragging my feet behind her. Training with Jake wasn't the problem. I enjoyed it. But Trista's overprotectiveness? That was a whole other story. If I so much as grazed my knee or looked remotely tired, she'd swoop in like a hawk. Jake, despite being my trainer, didn't dare to defy her. Probably because Trista in 'mama bear mode' was scarier than any monster in the dungeon.
"Can you please let me actually train this time?" I asked hesitantly.
Trista glanced at me, her brow arched. "What do you mean?"
I sighed, already regretting bringing it up. "You know, not step in the moment you think I'm about to break a nail or something?"
She looked at me, feigning confusion. "I don't understand. Shouldn't a mother be concerned if her son gets hurt?"
Her tone left no room for argument, and I wisely chose to shut up. Still, she smiled softly and ruffled my hair.
"I'll try to hold back a little," she said, her voice tinged with sadness. "But I can't help it—I worry about you."
Her expression faltered for a moment, a flicker of pain crossing her face. It was the look of someone who had lost more than they were willing to admit.
"Okay," I said quietly, not wanting to press further.
Her smile returned, albeit faintly. "Good. Now get going. You know how Jake gets when you're late."
The thought of Jake's punishment made me cringe. "Yeah, yeah, I'm going," I muttered, breaking into a run toward the town.
As I arrived, familiar faces greeted me with waves and smiles. I waved back, a warmth blooming in my chest despite my grumbling.
Most were fellow mercenaries, but a few were locals from the city we'd captured.
While some still harbored resentment toward us for the siege, many seemed relieved by Jake's leadership, especially since he'd exempted taxes for the first year.