Chapter 44: More Power

Axel took the time to ponder carefully. Eventually, he shrugged and allocated his points.

~~~

[84 Free Skill Points spent!]

Skills

Remaining Free Skill Points: 0 

Offensive skill

Strength (Str): 73 (42+31)

Dexterity (Dex): 25

Perception (Per): 25

Intelligence (Int): 23

Defensive skill

Endurance (End): 50

Agility (Agl): 100 (70+30)

Serendipity (Ser): 16

Wisdom (Wis): 40 (17+23)

~~~

[Doubling down on your attack again, I see.]

Look, my health is screwed regardless of how much I invest into Endurance. I might as well invest down the path of not getting hit in the first place. 

[You plan to simply dodge all attacks in the future by solely relying on speed? That is… breathtakingly arrogant. These creatures of the Zone are not so slow or inept that a mere increase in Agility would allow you to dodge all their blows, especially when they would inevitably outnumber you.]

Worked for me so far… Besides, it’s not like I really have a choice in the matter. That ‘reward’ trait from the Duel is just another thinly veiled attempt by the System to get me killed in the future. Unless… Is there a way for me to rid myself of a Trait?

[There are, but none within easy or conventional means. I suggest putting such thoughts aside for now, until we reach the Hub, at least. What about your Wisdom? Why did you increase it?]

I need greater resistance against spells. I don’t just mean the ones that do direct damage; it’s clear they are a wide variety of spell effects, and 17 Wisdom just isn’t going to cut it as I advance.

[Perhaps now with your improved insight, you might exercise greater prudence in your future endeavours.]

I thought you liked my suicidal tendencies?

[Oh, I do. With this build of yours… There may be some very interesting battles ahead.]

Speed, power, and intuitive. Combined, they served as a deadlier tool than any weapon; a more steadfast guard against defeat than any armour.

But those were the rules Axel followed in the old world, where his opponents had been humans wielding guns and energy weapons. Here, he fought monsters powered by a phenomenon ill-understood and alien in almost every way. Knowledge, strength, and speed could be lost or gained within seconds. What was impossible was now mundane, and feats that he would never have to counter against were now arrayed against him with lethal intent. There was no telling what skills or abilities his future foes possessed.

He could only prepare as he believed was best.

Axel allowed the rush of painful strength to flood him. His muscles were wrought and twisted into new, tighter strands. His limbs flexed and twitched as Axel silently bore the agonising improvements to his musculature. 

Worse was the fiery swelling in his brain, as if the grey matter within was multiplying. Seconds passed, and after a full minute, the painful heat and uncontrollable twitching ceased.

Axel stood carefully, flexing his new body. “Huh. Pretty good.”

I wonder how fast I am now? Or how hard my punches are…

That was the Skill Points out of the way. Next up…

The Loot.

~~~

[Chest Inventory]

[4x Rank E Random Loot Chest]

[1x Rank E Selector Loot Chest]

[1x Rank E++ Dragon Boss Loot Chest] (Special Secret Drop!)

~~~

He opted to open the basic Random and Selector Chest first. E-rank afforded him better items. Some even gave him a set of F-rank Potions instead of an individual good.

[1x 5-Potion Set (Minor Strength; F-rank) received!]

[1x 5-Potion Set (Major Health; F-rank) added]

[1 x Major Intelligence Potion added!]

[1 x Steel Dagger (Rank E) added!]

Those were the loot from the Random Chests. As for the Selector…

Axel examined the newly acquired weapon in his hand.

[1x 6.5mm SMG (Rank F)]

Another firearm. Compact, portable, and with a highly recognisable design of a metallic body, folding stock, and central magazine. No civilian model, this one. An amalgamation of sheet steel and ergonomic design, it was hardly cutting-edge tech; definitely not UEC military. This was a kinetic firearm of an earlier age, before the advent of Higgs-based weaponry or the mass-produced energy rifles forged in nano-factories and sub-zero mines of the Lunar Theocracy.

Still, the sight of an automatic firearm warmed Axel’s murderous heart. Holding the weapon in his hand, he was certain the model was a police submachine gun of some sort.

That did not detract from its potential lethality. A 60-round box magazine filled with 6.5mm subsonic armour-penetrating rounds, and an automatic fire rate of at least 900 rounds per minute. The lighter choice of ammunition makes the individual rounds less lethal than the 10mm of the handgun, but its rapid fire and penetration capability more than made up for it in Axel’s opinion. 

Too bad he only had one magazine. Hopefully, the Hub sold custom propellant-based ammunition…

Now then, onto the main course…

The Boss Chest. Axel’s heart sped a little, as if he were a child unwrapping their Christmas gift — not that he would know of such a thing.

He opened the Dragon Boss Chest and viewed his three available options.

~~~

[Rank E++ Dragon Boss Loot Chest Opened]

[Upgraded: Please select two items out of three.]

[Acidic Draketail Sword]

[Rank E+]

[A powerful curved shortsword crafted from the severed tail of the slain Fae Dragon. The Fae Dragons have all but become extinct, with scant few left after they were hunted to oblivion. This particular specimen was mighty indeed, being larger and more ferocious than its brethren. Some remarked it might have been a Firstborn Child of the Great Moonfly itself, rather than a distant descendant. Pity that such qualities led to its capture at the hands of the Fae Prince.]

[Activation Condition: Requires 25 STR (Nullified) and 25 DEX to wield. Swing to activate its latent power.]

[Effects: Gain +25% Resistance to Acid. Attacks are imbued with a powerful, flesh-eating venom. Can expand mana to fire off the area spell ‘Fly Swarm’.]

[Drop of Royal Faeblood]

[Rank E+]

[A drop of the Fae Tyrant’s blood, used to grant vassalship to his most monstrous servants. This one belongs to the Fae Dragon. It is imbued with a portion of the Tyrant’s strength.]

[Activation Condition: Ingest it to gain great power, or combine it with the other three Fae Tyrant’s Blood from the Zone Bosses to acquire an artefact of tremendous import.]

[Effects: +1 to all stats when ingested. Alternatively, combine it with the other three blood drops to acquire a special item.]

[Purple Grub of the Moonfly Drake]

[Rank E+]

[A wiggling grub the size of a thumb. The Astral Deities of the Fae, known as the Twin Moons, once gave birth to the Butterfly Goddess called the Moonfly, who then spread her eggs upon the Enchanted Forests of the Fae. The grubs hatch after a hundred years of moonlight and would then grow to become the mighty Fae Dragons that terrorised the land. Legends say one in a thousand of her young would bear the colour purple, indicating great magical power once it reaches maturity. No such grub has been seen in centuries — until, perhaps, now.]

[Activation Condition: Ingest it to gain great power, or nurture it into a creature of great strength]

[Effects: Gain +5 AGL and the trait ‘Moonfly-Blessed’ once ingested, allowing the user to manifest insect wings and fly for 1 minute once a battle. Alternatively, take great pains to nurture the grub to maturity for a powerful companion.]

~~~

Grabbing the blood went without saying by that point. He had come too far and sacrificed too many better loot alternatives to give up on seeing what this so-called ‘artefact of tremendous import’ was. That it would also necessitate the sacrifice of all four ‘Drop of Royal Faeblood’ was another painful loss to swallow, but Axel would do it.

The upgraded Boss Chest gave him two choices out of three, however, so he could pick another item. The Draketail Sword was good on paper — a powerful alternative to the Golden Halberd in a pinch. The spell was interesting as well. If this ‘Fly Swarm’ was anywhere as good as the storm of insects that had assaulted him in the Boss fight, then it would be an excellent addition to his arsenal.

Alternatively…

“Hey, do you two know anything about some purple grub of the Moonfly Drake?” Axel shouted over to the two Fae Denizens deep in discussion — something about ‘Astral Retention’ and ‘the Reverse Side of the World’, or whatever other terminology he barely understood or was lost in translation.

Lune and Ymir turned to him. The Eldarin female looked disturbed. “You have a Moonfly Grub?”

“I have the option to take a Moonfly Grub,” Axel corrected. “Boss Chest. I want to know if it’s worth it.”

“It is a rare, though not necessarily valuable, creature,” Ymir grunted. “The Moonfly Drake was the primogenitor goddess of all Fae Dragons. Those born directly from her brood tend to be stronger than those of distant descendants. If that grub were allowed to grow to full strength, it would likely produce a Demigod Dragon.”

“Well, that sounds fantastic,” Axel stated, confused. “Why shouldn’t I grab it?”

“You would need an ungodly amount of resources to raise such a creature, triply so given that it is a direct descendant and not just a mere grub from a Fae Dragon,” Lune explained. “And before it reaches maturity, it’s going to be an absolute hassle to protect, nurture, and train. You can’t just stuff it in your inventory since it would die there, and you can’t just carry it easily around with you since it’s a fragile creature.”

“You cannot outsource the work to caretakers as well, since you need the grub with you at all times to have it imprint on you,” Ymir added. “Overall, it’s more of a hassle than it is worth.”

“Okay, fair. But counterpoint: I could get a Dragon,” Axel stressed. “C’mon, what kind of sapient creature would give up having a Dragon?”

Lune chuckled. “Did you have Dragons in your homeland, Axel?”

“Mostly stories. And whatever weird draconic-like bio-horror the Lunar Theocracy cooks up to invade New Earth from space every now and then,” Axel admitted. “Having my own fire-breathing pet would be great. Or acid-breathing. I’m not too picky.”

“It would be utterly impractical. It would almost certainly die before it reaches adulthood, unless you are willing to find or create a suitable habitat for its growth and personally oversee its development for the next 10 to 15 years,” Ymir barked a laugh. “This is just a guess, but something tells me you would not enjoy such a commitment.”

“But… My dragon…” Axel protested. The more rational part of his mind whirled.

Well, I could just eat the grub instead if it proves too much of a hassle after choosing it. Having flight capabilities is immense. The extra Agility is a nice touch as well.

But… the shortsword is a good alternative weapon that would come in handy. Halberds don’t work well in close quarters or tight spaces. I could use a better weapon than the regular daggers and axes I have been wielding. 

“If you really want the grub, I can prepare for you a simple enclosed habitat to store it for now,” Lune offered. “You will need to find a more suitable place for it to mature later on, but the Hub usually provides such resources. If it really proves too complicated to keep, you could just sell it off in an Auction or on the open market. There would be buyers for such a rare item.”

Axel considered for a moment, then nodded. “Alright. Grub it is, then.”

If all else failed, he could sell it for some coin. He would likely need some local currency once he reached the Hub.

Besides, he really wanted to try a shot at growing this Dragon at least before giving up completely.

[Items Selected!]

[‘Drop of Royal Faeblood’ received]

[‘Nascent Grub of the Moonfly Drake’ received]

The usual vial of ruby blood fell into his open palm. It was the last of the four required vials, and the moment he received it, he received a notification.

[Congratulations! You have obtained all four blood vials of the Fae Tyrant! Would you like to combine them all together to receive an Exotic item?]

[Warning: All four blood vials will be lost upon combining. This process cannot be reversed.

[Y/N?]

Well, here goes. “Yes, combine them.”

There was a flash in his UI, the blue screen glitching for a moment before turning into a blazing gold.

[All four ‘Drop of Royal Faeblood’ combined!]

[Exotic Loot Awarded]

His UI was positively glowing in celebration now — Luminescent rainbow colours flaring in his eyes and triumphant bells ringing in his ears. 

Then, the item came, dropping onto his palm. Excited, Axel looked down and read the description.

~~~

[Ring of the Immutable Star]

[Rank C (Exotic)]

[A ring of ruby gold, heavy beyond what its size would suggest. The Fae Tyrant was once the Knight Commander of the Wild Hunt. In distant stars did he lead his elite cavalry to slaughter and pillage in the name of the Fae. When he reached the brightest constellation of his homeworld, the Immutable Star, he stole its blazing light and trapped it within a golden alloy forged of celestial blood, crafting a ring of great power.]

[Activation Condition: Equip the ring.]

[Effects: Choose one skill stat. That skill will be fixed to a value of 10. This value cannot be changed regardless of buffs, levels, or debuffs. All spell or equipment requirements related to that skill are nullified. This effect lasts until the ring is removed. The chosen skill stat can be changed by the owner upon removal and re-equipping.]

~~~