Ding! Congratulations, Adventurer #441985 has returned. Compiling data… Compilation complete!
Primary Mission: Participate in the defeat of First Stage Boss "Russian Ogre" - Complete; Rewards: 2000 points, 2 free attribute points.
Secondary Mission: Participate in the defeat of Casino Owner Bruno - Complete; Rewards: 2000 points, 2 free attribute points.
Hidden Mission: "Castle Pursuit" - Complete; Rewards: 4000 points, 4 free attribute points.
Total Mission Rewards: 8000 points, 8 free attribute points.
With a flash of light, Qin Ming reappeared in his room, officially marking his return. Breathing a long sigh of relief, he collapsed onto the bed. The third mission had been tense, but the rewards made it worthwhile. Not only had he earned a blue-quality belt, but he'd also secured a major silver treasure chest from the second-stage boss.
Even though the Punisher's involvement reduced the value of his key, it still retained its silver quality. Qin Ming had a strong suspicion that if he had managed to take down the Battle Robot alone, it might have dropped a Brilliant Silver or even Gold Key, given its high ranking as a second-stage boss.
In addition to this valuable key, Qin Ming had also secured two green keys and four white keys from his raid on the castle.
After habitually merging the smaller keys into a Dull Silver Key, Qin Ming sat on the couch with his two silver keys, feeling a bit conflicted. His rewards from the mission had granted him eight new attribute points, and his current stats now needed some careful planning:
Name: Adventurer #441985
Worlds Experienced: 3
Strength: 8 (30)
Constitution: 20 (32)
Agility: 10
Spirit: 5
Though Qin Ming's stats were impressive on paper, a lot of it was bolstered by equipment and title bonuses, meaning his true attributes weren't as high as they seemed. His strength stat in particular relied heavily on the +15 boost from the Natural Guardian title, and without it, he'd be significantly weaker.
Now, with his eight points, he debated how to distribute them. Spirit, which he'd previously overlooked, had proven crucial after acquiring skills that required mental stamina. Then there was strength and agility, which directly affected his combat abilities. And the constitution…well, that was his foundation.
After all, Qin Ming reasoned, "The sturdier you are, the harder you are to kill." Without a sufficient constitution, he might not have only been injured by the second-stage boss but cut in half altogether.
Yet when he attempted to raise his constitution above 20, he was surprised by a notification:
Ding! The Constitution has reached a critical threshold! Body mutation will occur if you continue. Raising the Constitution beyond this threshold now requires 2 free attribute points per level. Proceed?
(Note: Passing the threshold will grant a special mutation ability.)
This message gave Qin Ming pause, but after a moment's hesitation, he opted to proceed. Two points were immediately deducted, raising his constitution to 21, and then:
Ding! Constitution threshold surpassed! Mutation initiated. Please select one of the following mutations as your reward:
Option 1: Bodybuilder (Constitution cap +3)
Option 2: Iron Body (Defense +1)
Option 3: Mr. Magnificent (Charm +1 towards female characters)
Qin Ming blinked at the options, stunned. After a quick look around to make sure no one was watching, he couldn't resist a mischievous grin and went with Option 3, Mr. Magnificent.
Through some personal experience, Qin Ming had figured out the value of charm in this world. A high charm stat could boost goodwill points, and the higher the charm, the more attractive he appeared to others.
Thinking it over, Qin Ming chose to put the remaining six points to use: five in spirit to cover his weakest area and one in strength, raising it to nine.
With his stats finalized, Qin Ming reviewed his updated attributes:
Strength: 9 (31)
Constitution: 21 (33)
Agility: 10
Spirit: 10
Finally, he could use True Sonic Palm up to ten times in a row, which he was confident no boss could withstand!
Now that he was in peak form, Qin Ming excitedly opened his two silver keys, anticipating what they'd reveal. As the light faded, two items lay before him—a Skill Book and a new piece of equipment!
Skill Book: B-Rank Skill - Iron Skin
Equipment: Dull Silver Rank - Pyromaniac's Flamethrower