Chapter 922: Benefit Of Strength
"Haaa..."
Rey stood amidst the wreckage of the battlefield, his chest heaving as he caught his breath.
The acrid scent of burnt flesh still hung in the air, and the ground was littered with the remains of the Monsters he had singlehandedly defeated. His fingers twitched slightly as he opened his Status Window, eager to see the results of his efforts.
[STATUS WINDOW]
- Name: Rey Skylar
- Race: Human
- Class: NIL
- Level: 35 (2.13% EXP)
- Life Force: 15
- Mana Level: 50
- Combat Ability: 20
- Stat Points: 10
- Skills (Exclusive): [Doppel]
- Skills (Non-Exclusive): [Grand Magic Application]. [Grand Magic Mastery].
- Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
[Additional Information]
Unknown... no information has been provided.
[End Of Information]
His lips curved into a satisfied smirk as he took in the sight of his increased Level.
Reaching Level 35 was an impressive feat, but his eyes lingered on the EXP percentage, now crawling upward at a much slower rate.
"The higher I go, the harder it gets," Rey muttered to himself, his voice tinged with both frustration and determination.
"Stronger foes, huh? Guess I'll just have to hunt bigger fish."
That wasn't the only thing that went through his mind, however. One good look at his Status Window showed that he had acquired two Exclusive Skills-Skills that belonged to a certain Grand Mage of H'Trae.
'By activating that Fireball the way I did, I must have made the System believe that I had the Skill... or could it be that I fulfilled the requirements to have that skill, which is why the System added it in for me?' He wondered.
Regardless, it seemed to Rey that there was more than one way to get stronger.
'If I apply some of the things I already knew in H'Trae, it should be possible for me to regain some of my old Skills-at least at the basic level.'
That was good enough for a start.
'And now... for my [Doppel] collection.'
A quick check of his Doppel Skill list revealed a few new additions-abilities copied from the Monsters he'd just defeated.
One caught his attention: [Shadow Maelstrom], a Skill that created a vortex of shadow energy, drawing enemies toward its center before unleashing a crushing impact.
'That's what the Monster King used that time, huh? Cool!'
He couldn't help but feel optimistic.
"If I keep this up, I might just make it back to where I was before... though it's going to take some time."
He glanced up as the sound of hurried footsteps broke his thoughts.
Tess was the first to reach him, her face a mixture of astonishment and concern. The rest of the team followed close behind, their expressions mirroring hers.
"Rey!" Tess exclaimed, her voice almost shrill. "Are you okay? What the hell was that back there? You-You wiped out that King like it was nothing!"
The others chimed in, their voices overlapping in a chaotic combination of shock and curiosity.
"Was that fireball some kind of Ultimate Skill?"
"Where did you even learn to fight like that?"
"Are you seriously human?"
Rey raised his hands defensively, a tired laugh escaping his lips. "Whoa, one question at a time! I'm still catching my breath here."
Their bombardment of questions eased slightly, and Rey took the opportunity to craft a carefully edited version of the truth.
"It's not as crazy as it looks," he said with a sheepish grin. "I've been recovering bits and pieces of my memories lately. Turns out I used to have this Special Ability that helps me adapt to enemies I fight. The fireball? Just something I figured out I could do after observing that King's energy attacks."
Tess crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing slightly. "So, you're saying all of this sudden power is because of some dormant memory recovery?"
"Pretty much," Rey replied, shrugging. "I'm just as surprised as you are."
It wasn't a complete lie, but it wasn't the full truth either. Still, it seemed to satisfy the team for now.
"Well, whatever the reason, you're a beast," Josh admitted grudgingly, rubbing the back of his neck. "That fireball was insane, man. And the way you took down all those sentinels?
Respect."
Rey chuckled softly. "Thanks. Guess I got lucky."
Tess shook her head.
"Luck had nothing to do with it. But right now, we've got something important to do."
Rey raised an eyebrow. "Important?"
"Monster Cores," Tess said, pointing at the scattered remains of the defeated creatures.
"Especially from the Boss Monster. Those Cores are valuable-like, insanely valuable. The sentinels' Cores are worth a lot too, and even the Scouts' Cores back there have some value, though not as much."
Rey blinked in surprise. "Monster Cores? You mean those things inside their chests?"
Tess nodded. "Exactly. They're a power source, and they're used for all kinds of things- fueling weapons, enhancing equipment, even research. A Core from a King Monster like that? It could fetch a fortune... and besides, HQ needs as many resources as possible." Rey glanced at the Monster King's charred remains and the sentinels littering the area. He'd never considered the value of Monster Cores on Earth.
On H'Trae, such resources were rare and guarded fiercely.
"This world isn't so different after all," he murmured to himself, smiling faintly.
"You should rest up," Tess added. "You've done more than enough. We'll handle the
harvesting."
Rey started to protest. "I can help-"
"No," Tess interrupted firmly. "Sit. Rest. You've been through hell, and you've earned a
break."
Rey relented, settling onto a nearby rock and watching as the team began their work. They moved methodically, extracting the Cores with practiced precision.
As he observed, a wave of understanding washed over him. The hierarchy of strength and the rewards that came with it were universal. No matter the world, the strong were respected, admired, and treated differently.
A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "Being strong makes life a lot easier."
He leaned back, letting himself relax for the first time in what felt like hours. This world
might have its challenges, but with his strength growing steadily, Rey felt confident that he could carve out his place in it.
As the team continued to harvest the Cores, Rey's gaze drifted toward the horizon, where the
faint glow of dawn was beginning to break.
A new day was coming, and with it, new opportunities to rise even higher.