Stevanius knew that he needs to end the fight as fast as he could because the longer it's get, the more gnolls will coming.
If he only fighting dozen or so close range Gnoll, he believe that he can survive, that all thanks to the Solomon ax ability afterall.
However, if there also multiple long range attack that he needs to paid attention too, it is still hard for him.
Stevanius still had s trump card left other than using telekinetic + poisonous needle, or casting a spell.
Actually, this was his new trump card.
Remember the rewards he got from killing the traveller werewolf? It is the Random Skill Card Draw from Daniel arsenal.
Daniel having quite a few skill on his possession. The first one should be [Werewolf] skill, there no to explain about the skill anymore. The skill make the users turning into werewolf, the skill came out with all additional skill under it.
[Extraordinary smelling] are the second, this skill seems like mutated version of [Enchanted Smelling] from werewolf skills pools, this is probably the reason as why the skill can bypass Stevanius barrier.
[Acceleration] the skill are similar to 'Haste' it's enchanted one agility, the skill also coming under werewolf skill pool.
[Wind Claw] this is the attack without any form that managed to hit Stevanius.
Passive skill that boosted all of user power aspect when a full moon came. [Child of the night]
A [Night vision],
Third of Daniel skill are occupied by werewolf additional skills, Stevanius would hit a jackpot if he managed to get the [Werewolf] skill.
The other ten skill are just ordinary one, like [Survival], [Berserk], [Close quarter combat masteries], and so on.
There are few interesting skill such as [Shadowblend], [Mind attack].
Stevanius wishes that he could take all useful skill, and if he can't, he still wanted to get [werewolves] skill at very least.
However, things aren't work like one expected to be.
Out of all 'spicy' skill, Stevanius got the [Acceleration] skills.
It is not bad skill to get, however, still...he hoped to get werewolves skills.
You might wondering: Then, what about the berserk skill? Since the one at Daniel possession are just ordinary one.
Well, the berserk skill not really an a skills, it effect that came from item instead.
'
[Shepherd – Yellow Grade]
Growth item. (Rank 1)
A souls of dead person will remaining in the world for different reasons. But, if this souls stay in the world for long periods of time, they will become, ghost, wraith, evil spirit. A Shepherd job is person who tends and rears sheep.
The owner of the item will be able to collect 'souls' of dead intelligence creature, and used them as a price of power that the item gave.
Collected Souls: 29
- Abilities: by spending 100 souls, the user can enchant their skills ability to entire different levels. Warning, it gave the user [Madness] effect until the duration over.
- Ability 2: by spending 200 souls, the user can borrow other person abilities. But only limited to person/creature they killed or being absorbed by the item.
- Ability 3: locked
- ...
Upgrading conditions: unknown.
'
The reason as why Daniel having really strong berserk abilities are because this item. The description seems vague, but Stevanius knew that the effect is real deal.
From what Stevanius can understand from description, this item can upgrade a skill to a different levels, but it's also had the side effects of driving people into madness.
Without sufficient mental strength, one wouldn't able to control their body for the whole skill duration. Just like what happens to the werewolf.
The second ability are good, it can allow Stevanius to borrow other skills, however, even if it not being said at the skill description. He was certain, that it also had some [Madness] effect.
Honestly, the item description doesn't gave much information at all. Probably only the lines about' souls of dead person will remain...'
Speaking a which, the item are Growth item. It is the first time Stevanius seeing growth item.
Even when only rank 1, the item already at Yellow Grade, above the purple hammer he found at Abaddon encampment back then.
For what he knew, the Yellow grade item should be at the 'Unique' levels.
Above the unique item, it is Gold Grade item or the native like to call it as Legendary grade item. As for the item above, there no record, only some rumours and story.
The item grade goes from: Gray – uncommon, White – common, Blue – Normal, Purple – Rare, Yellow – Unique , Gold – Legendary.
And about souls collecting, Stevanius getting to knew that 'The stronger creature intelligence are, the more souls they worth'
When killing a Daniel, he got 25 souls. Stevanius knew that this was not 'normal' price for one souls, it is probably different because of Daniel is travellers, a traveller not only had the knowledge of this world. They also have a knowledge that beyond this world.
Stevanius doesn't know how many native human gave the souls for.
Because when killing the Gnoll, that had the intelligence slightly close to level of human, only gave 5 souls worth for each.
It's pretty accurate to say that monster are giving lower amount than human.
The item is, another Stevanius trump card.
But, before he can use his new trump card, he needed to gather 100 souls first.
To gather 100 souls, he needed to kill, at least 15 Gnolls.
Since the fight started, he collected 10 souls already from two long range Gnoll that he kills. Adding the amount of souls to 39.
After killing 3 Gnolls in front of him, he just need to kill another 10, slowly he will get there.
Without wasting any more times, Stevanius using the newly acquired skill [Acceleration].
The effect of the skill are definitely better than 'Haste' that xenoblades had.
With sudden increase on speed, Stevanius catch the three Gnolls completely out of guard. He finished the off quite 'easily'.
However, just as he kills the last Gnoll of three. Another batch of 5 Gnolls appear.
"I didn't have a time to catch my breath didn't I?"
Helpless, he can only kill the newly appears gnolls. He didn't have much choice, because their number will constantly increasing, and if he cannot get rid of them before new batch arrived.
That will continuing, until to the point he will fighting dozen or hundred of Gnoll.
However, Stevanius didn't discouraged at all.
He is level 11 now, after killing the Werewolf yesterday, he instantly levelled up one time. And actually, there skill experience left even after he levelled up to the 11.
However, the amount seems not enough to get him jump 2 levels, that not a problem though, because the remaining experience are more than half amount the experience requirement to reach lvl 12.
After killing 5 Gnolls, he got the feeling that he might levelled up if he kills another 5 Gnolls or more.
'Attributes: END 3.5, STR 3.6, DEX 3.8, INT 2.04 (Level 11)
Still using the same tactics, he dashed directly to the long ranged Gnoll. This time, they seem prepared and draw their dagger to retaliate his attack few moments before they being overwhelmed by Stevanius agility and died at his hand.
'System alert: Killing ranger Gnolls, received +5 souls points '
Received +5 souls...
+5 souls...
Souls: 54
59
64
69
74
The last 10th Gnolls takes little bit of times to kill, it managed to still alive until next batch of Gnolls arrived.
79.
And with the 10th Gnolls died, Stevanius can feel the changes on his body.
'Attribute: END 3.8, STR 3.9, DEX 4.1, INT 2.07' (Levels 12)
That was just Stevanius basic attribute.
However, his current attribute are little more like this:
END 4.56 (+ 0.76) STR 4.68 (+ 0.78), DEX 4.92 (+ 0.82)
Why so?
If you remember, the Solomon ax had another abilities. Stevanius like to call it as 'The merrier the better', but it's real name are 'Spirit of Battlefield'.
This abilities are definitely crazy cheat like abilities.
The first time, Stevanius are testing the abilities on Kobolds. The effect are out of his expectation, he thought that the stats increasing are fixed amount, but never he expected that the abilities are for percentages.
Out of his 3.8 point on Endurance, the abilities are giving 0.038 free stats to him every one enemies.
The same case for 3.9 STR, it gave 0.039. DEX 4.1 gave 0.041 stats increase.
From there, you can know that the percentage amount are 1% of user stats.
It had to keep in mind, that the lines are 'user stats' not 'user base stats'. What does that implies? Using a skills that can increase basic stats, the number of percentage amount also will increase!
However, the stats that gotten from the 'Spirit of Battlefield' abilities itself would not being counted. Or else, the abilities will really become cheat like abilities, since the attribute gotten will multiply as the time goes.
This limitation are pretty much acceptable, since there also a 'secret' features left.
If one monster gave 1% attribute increase, then, will it remains there?
The answer is 'Absolutely not!'
There are actually 'Stages' of percentage one can get from Spirit of Battlefield', The percentage can be increased!
How? By killing more enemies or being surrounded by more enemies.
100 enemies only will have 1% abilities increase.
At 200 enemies, it will increase into 2%. The amount will doubled from there.
3% increase are 400 enemies.
4% are 800, 5% 1.600, 6% 3.200, and so on...
Stevanius doesn't know the upper limit of the abilities are.
But he really hoped that he can extract this abilities into a skill or putting it at another Relics that he often use.
'Maybe, there are such feature. But I'm not unlocked it yet'
Stevanius almost forgotten the fact that there game like features exist, the system. However, it's understandable for Stevanius to forget about it, the game like features are, not really like a 'game', it is more 'real'.
"Hmm...maybe I should try open more random relic box, I just hoped that the features requirements are not something like having one thousand relic " mumbled Stevanius.
People says 'Be careful with your word, it might become reality' or 'What you say is what you asked for'. Stevanius doesn't knew about this fact. But sooner or later, he will regretting about what he said today.