He strokes her gently under her chin as he is lost in thought. Hey Jimmy, give me an update on my level, please' `You're always welcome Ben. Your level has gone up from level 1 to level 6.` Ben wonders about his high level increase and asks Jimmy about it. He answers in the voice of a sage `You always level up very quickly at the beginning.
Even with your malus on experience points due to your awakened race and the hero system. The goblins were all a higher level than you. They had a lot more life energy than you, but if you think it's going to be that easy I have to disappoint you. The first 10 levels are the easiest.
After that it takes longer and longer. The first reason is that your soul needs more nourishment to reach a threshold, i.e. a level, and the second reason is the quality of the life energy. You can think of the experience points as food and your soul as a consumer. The higher it is the more sensitive it becomes to what it eats.
At some point the soul no longer wants to eat simple food but only the best gourmet food. That means at some point you can no longer absorb lower life energy because your soul no longer absorbs it. Most of the time the difference is your level -10. So up to level 11 you can hunt level 1 monsters but this rule is not set in stone.
There are life forms and plants that transform the life energy and always give you experience points. That should be the most important things.
Oh before I forget two things. First, cut off the left ears of the goblins. These have no value but the adventurers guild always pays a small amount of pocket money for doing them.
Secondly, you should eat a lot tonight and I mean a lot. Your body will need the nutrients.`
With that Jimmy says goodbye again and Ben thinks about what Jimmy said. He stands up and has to pull himself together not to gag as he pulls his short sword out of the goblin's skull. He then begins to cut off the left ears of all the goblins.
He had asked Marie, but she ignored him. He interprets this as agreement that he can have the ears. Finished with the deed, Malwin comes back and watches Ben but says nothing. Without saying anything, the three go back to Anabella. He has bandaged his leg. The wound itself is not that severe.
Ben inquires about a river or some other body of water. He would like to clean himself and his equipment. Arriving at the river, Ben undresses and slowly climbs in. The water is freezing cold and he feels all sorts of little pins and needles. It takes him half an hour to clean himself and his equipment reasonably well. Anabella is already waiting by the huge tree.
She has built a campfire and is grilling meat and a stew of vegetables. Next to the fire is another container and Ben can swear that he can smell the disgusting herbal brew that Anabella will force him to drink again. As the trio come closer, the dryad turns up her nose. With a wave of her hand, she casts a cleansing spell. "You stink of death." Ben is slightly annoyed.
He's been washing for half an hour but apparently that wasn't enough for the dryad's delicate nose. With a sigh, he decides to get himself one of those cards one day. Ben sits down on the floor with the dryad. They start a deep conversation about the fight but also about the moral aspects.
After the meal, Malwin gives him an amulet. It has a strange crystal in the middle and otherwise looks very plain. "What is that and where did you get that necklace all of a sudden?" asks Ben, puzzled as to what he wants with it. Malwin remains silent, but instead a cricket in his head answers `It's a card amulet. One of the lowest level. When an opponent dies, he not only loses his life energy, but also all his mana.
This mana goes back into the world but the mana takes a while to lose the signature of its deceased owner. This is where the amulet comes in. The crystal can collect this mana and turn it into a card when it has collected enough.
The better the crystal and the higher quality of the mana the higher the probability of a higher grade card. The card that is created is always random.` Ben who now has more information looks at the crystal more closely. `Jimmy what is this crystal and how can I see if I can form a card?` Jimmy answers `The crystal is a processed monster core. These are created over time in lower beings.
The higher and stronger the monster, the more likely it is to have a core. These cores can be used for many things. This core and the instincts are the reason why lower monsters can use magic without cards. They serve as a focus for magic. Runes are carved into the crystal so that the mana can be collected and then take the form of a card.
I'll elaborate a bit, but Anabella would have told you soon anyway. I will now explain what runes are and how they create cards. Runes are the language of mana. These runes give mana a way to manifest and cause a physical phenomenon. Each rune word has a specific meaning and affects the mana in a specific way. Many items have rune words attached to them for additional effects. For example, an enchanted sword can burn and scorch enemies but not you if you have the right rune words. Now for the monster cores, these already have runes in them naturally when they are created, these are inherited.
The monster can now infuse the mana into this core. The runes create a physical phenomenon. Do you understand the principle?` Ben nods and Jimmy continues. "Whether and when a monster produces a core depends on the monster itself. Moon wolves do not produce a monster core but can produce one through evolution.
Such monster cores are special and can be used in many ways. Now back to the cards. The crystal in your amulet has been altered so that the natural runes have been obliterated and replaced with new runes. These runes manifest the mana that has been collected and create a phenomenon. This phenomenon is the card. A card is nothing more than runic words in an easy to use form. A focus for your mana if you want to call it.
Since the mana is clouded by the dead user's signature, the rune words are randomly generated. This is where the random effects of the cards come from. The limiting factors are the monster core and the mana that has been absorbed. You can use the analysis skill to examine the crystal. The system will then tell you how advanced the card generation is.` Ben listens carefully.
He finds the whole thing extremely exciting. He never thought that cards could be created like this, but doesn't that mean that cards can be created? If cards are nothing more than rune words, you couldn't change the crystal to create only that particular card. As Ben begins to dream of creating special cards, they are immediately destroyed.
`Yes, it is possible, but I have to disappoint you. Cardcreaters are rare and making a specific card takes a long time. You need not only the knowledge, but also a crystal that can withstand enough rune words for such a complicated process. The crystal is destroyed after it is created, as it is not made for that purpose.
Only the richest and most powerful can afford a cardcreater.` Ben sighs so much on the subject of making his own cards, but he begins to focus on the crystal.
Crystal Amulet (common)
Mana 15/40
Uses Left 10 / 10
Make a card?
Ben thinks for a moment and presses Create Card. He is interested in the process of creating the card. But the process is absolutely unimpressive. The crystal glows briefly and a card appears in front of him. He takes it in one hand and examines it.