"Status", Gurk spoke
[Name - Gurk Firestone | Rank - Beginner Rank Acolyte [543 / 800]
HP : 31 / 40 | Mana - 30 / 60
Attributes:
Strength - 3 | Agility - 4 | Physique - 2 | Spirit - 6
Skills : Dagger Mastery [Intermediate], Tracking [Beginner], Leap [Beginner]
Rank 0 Spells: Burning Dagger [Beginner], Fire Blast [Beginner], Flame Column [Beginner]
Perk: Firestone Bloodline (Grade 3 Affinity with Fire Element)]
Just as he said the word, a blue window appeared in front of him. Although it looked real, he was the only person capable of viewing it, much less reading the foreign language displaying his stats, strength.
All of it came from a biochip that had merged with his soul. Before reincarnating as a lowly goblin, Gurk used to be an average worker in the modern era, who was unlucky enough to apply for the testing of the biochip implentation. Little did he know, for he would not only die, but reincarnate in a hellish world as a monster, suffering from discrimination and poorness.
Fortunately enough, he had a strong mindset and enough talent to survive in the tower. Few 'monsters' were allowed to study in the Citadel. Only those with high intellect were allowed to do so. In exchange for a mission quota forcing them to use their strength to serve the interest of the Citadel, they obtained immunity within the tower. Even if he was hated, Gurk could not be attacked or stolen within the Tower, as he had Magus Rutherford's protection.
Of course, because of his goblin blood, no one wanted to associate themselves with him, forcing him to take on dangerous missions, alone. Nearly dying dozens of times, he used these life and death experiences as fuel to grow stronger.
A year later, his dagger mastery exceeded that of the average knights defending the Citadel, and he had learnt three fire-based spells, an achievement that most beginner acolytes could not rival. After all, acolytes were ranked according to their strength, from the highest advanced rank to the lowest beginner rank.
However, there was yet another factor to take into account: [Talent Grade], from the highest grade 5 to the lowest grade 1. With high talent grade, it would be much easier to learn spells and grow stronger through meditation. Talent and strength determined everything within the tower. Since grade 4 was the highest among the hundreds of apprentices within the tower, Gurk slowly earned the recognition of others with sheer talent.
Gurk stood over the werewolf's corpse, a satisfied grin spreading across his face. He had been hunting the creature for quite a long time, and now, finally, he had his prize. He set to work immediately, expertly skinning and butchering the werewolf's body with incredible dexterity. It was obvious that he had talent, and trained his dagger arts beyond the realm of the ordinary. He carefully removed the choice cuts of meat, savoring the rich, gamey flavor.
As he cooked the meat over the open fire, the goblin shaman couldn't help but marvel at the strength he knew he would gain from consuming it. Werewolves were powerful creatures, and their flesh was said to grant great strength and endurance to those who ate it. For someone like him who was a melee fighter relying on martial arts, this was an immense reward.
And when the meat was finally cooked to perfection, the goblin shaman sat down to enjoy his feast, savoring every bite. He could feel the power of the werewolf coursing through his veins, and he knew that this was just the beginning. Unlike humans who had limited appetite, goblins possessed incredible gastric acid in their stomach, capable of consuming and storing incredible amounts of nutriments.
A few dozen minutes later, he could hear the mechanical voice :
[Beep! You have consumed [89 Kg of Werewolf Meat]...Your strength and physique stats are increasing slightly...You have earned 1 EXP]
Hunting missions were dangerous. However, for a goblin like him, they were perfect to grow stronger. He also knew that upon reaching 800 EXP, he would also 'level up', according to the World Consciousness. At that time, he would graduate from the Citadel's lowest floor and become one of the few acolytes who reached the [Intermediate-rank Acolyte realm]. Currently, only 8 apprentices could claim to have reached such a realm.