[14th Everdusk 2103], CGA Branch – Dyna Crest Country
In the dense forest of the second stage, I crouched quietly within a thick bush while a pack of wolves prowled just outside, their noses pressed to the ground. They were hunting, no doubt—but this time, I was the prey.
I'd never encountered so many wolves while roaming the forest before. Yet here they were, scouring the underbrush like it was a treasure hunt.
The only reason I hadn't been torn apart already was because I had left a trail of my own blood scattered around the area—an old trick to confuse their scent. It worked. Unable to pinpoint me, the pack eventually scattered, giving me a moment of peace.
I exhaled heavily, finally catching my breath. My HP and MP had recovered fully, which meant I could now stand my ground.
[230/230 HP] [310/310 MP]
Still, my body ached. The lingering soreness wasn't going away any time soon.
"Alright… before I move, I need to handle something important. Otherwise, I'll be back in the same mess."
I opened my system screen, revealing three skills—each one just on the edge of levelling up.
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Leveling up the first two was easy—one more use and done. But you might be wondering... how do I level up a resistance skill that's still at zero?
Simple.
I retrieved three serpent heads from my inventory—spoils from killing three venomous snakes earlier. Their bodies had been stolen by wolves, but the heads remained, and more importantly, so did the fangs.
With two of the heads set aside, I gritted my teeth and positioned my hand beneath one serpent's mouth. I forced its jaw shut.
Pierce.Two small fangs jabbed into my palm, and pain shot through my arm.
You'd probably call me crazy—but this was the only way.
Resistance skills evolve slowly unless you expose yourself to the exact element or condition they're meant to counter. That's what a dying hunter once revealed: the fastest way to improve any resistance—whether physical, elemental, status, or environmental—is full exposure.
Poison included.
And… it worked.
[2% --> 5% --> 8% --> 11% --> 17% --> 23% --> 30% --> 34%]
But then the poison took hold, and I felt my HP slipping away with every second.
[227 --> 225 --> 222 --> 218 --> 216 --> 214 --> 211/230 HP]
Just as the pain became unbearable, something awakened deep within me—my talent.
[Talent has noticed a poison coursing through the host body, detecting the area of effect.]
[Poison is detected to be of the same type as before. The poison is being ejected out of the body, and the proficiency of the skill,
[34% --> 51%]
I blinked in surprise.
"…It actually helped? Damn, this thing really is broken."
With a small laugh, I grabbed the second serpent's head and repeated the process. This time, my body accepted the poison with less resistance.
[51% --> 72%]
The pain dulled almost immediately. My body had grown used to it already.
One last push.
I opened the third serpent's jaw, but instead of stabbing myself, I sliced out the venom sack, letting the purple liquid drip into my palm.
Then I drank it—fangs, blood, and all.
Immediately, my body convulsed, and my vision blurred. It was worse than before.
[Talent has detected a dangerous fluid inside the host body, starting the process to adapt the body to endure the poison.]
[Body remodelling is in process. The fluid is detected to be poison, which is highly dangerous to the body. Resistance of the body toward the poison is increasing in proficiency. The poison is ejected from the body. Note: Please be cautious of dizziness.]
I barely made it to the side before vomiting everything out—poison, blood, breakfast… all of it. My stomach felt hollow. But it had worked.
{Your skill
I wiped my mouth and stood up with shaky legs.
"Alright… now for the easy ones."
I activated the remaining skills.
{Your skill
{Your skill
I was happy to see finally some of my skills getting to level two, but I know that there shouldn't be any major change in them just some minor differences that's all.
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Skill: Bone Fang Strike (Lv. 2)
Type: Active
Grade: Tier 0
Mana Cost: 11 MP
Cooldown: 9.5 seconds
Proficiency: 0%
Description:
Summon a sharpened fang of bone imbued with stronger dark energy to strike a target with increased lethality. The enhanced attack pierces defences more effectively, inflicting amplified physical and dark magic damage. Upon impact, the bone fang splinters more violently, causing greater sustained damage over time.
Damage:
Physical Damage: 55% of the caster's physical attack.
Dark Magic Damage: 55% of the caster's magic attack.
Effects:
Piercing: Ignores 12% of the target's defence.
Bone Harvest (Passive): Recover 12% of the mana cost if the skill kills the target.
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Skill: Shadow Bolt (Lv. 2)
Type: Active
Grade: Tier 0
Mana Cost: 21 MP
Cooldown: 7.5 seconds
Proficiency: 0%
Description:
Unleash an enhanced bolt of concentrated shadow energy at a target, delivering more potent dark magic damage. The improved bolt has an increased chance to inflict Shadow Bind, briefly slowing the target's movement with greater intensity.
Damage:
Dark Magic Damage: 110% of the caster's magic attack.
Additional Effect:
Shadow Bind: Reduces the target's movement speed by 25% for 3.5 seconds. (Chance to inflict 30%)
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{Guys the poison resistance skill info is not updated in the previous chapter, so if wanted to see it, go check it out there.}
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Skill: Low Poison Resistance (Lv. 2)
Type: Passive Skill
Grade: Tier 0
Proficiency: 0%
Description:
Enhances the ability to resist low-level poisons, further mitigating their effects. Provides increased protection against toxins commonly encountered in novice adventures.
Effects:
Reduces damage from low-level poisons by 12%.
Shortens the duration of low-level poison effects by 20%.
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Now that my mind was calm and my skills were upgraded, I felt ready—ready to finish off the last monsters and draw out the hidden boss of this stage.
This trial ends today.
— To Be Continued —