Feeling satisfied with his character's progress, Saad turned his attention to the peculiar silver mark above his basic whip in his inventory. It was a curious sight, and he debated whether to leave the cave first and then inspect it, or check it immediately, given the unpredictable nature of this world. He decided to check it right away.
As he clicked on the marked whip, a message window opened up before him.
[Would you like to dismantle the weapon into material?]
Saad didn't hesitate for long. Since he now had the new whips, he quickly decided to dismantle the basic whip. After all, it was of no use to him anymore. Once he confirmed the choice, the whip disassembled, and he received 15 leathers as the dismantled materials.
Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to level up the [Whips of Offering], and this fact made him grumble in frustration. He felt like he had wasted his time, and his irritation was directed at the Crimson Sovereign, or more accurately, at the swishing, creepy liquid that seemed to represent it.
"You are seriously useless, you know," Saad muttered, glaring at the liquid. "What worth are you if you can't even protect me?" The liquid stilled for a moment, as if pondering his words, and then, almost as if it were throwing a tantrum, it simply retreated. Where it went, Saad had no idea, and he wasn't particularly inclined to check at the moment.
With the annoying liquid now out of his sight, Saad took a moment to look around the salt cave. He tapped the walls, inspected the floor, but found nothing out of the ordinary. It seemed that the cave had no more secrets. Once he was done with the inspection there was nothing more to do inside the cave.
Saad's resolve was unwavering as he made his way out of the tunnel. The passage led him back to the crossroads, where the sounds of dripping water echoed through the cavern. He remained vigilant as he retraced his steps, heading back to the safe room where he could restock on the potions that had proven to be a lifesaver during his battles.
After replenishing his supplies, Saad continued on his quest. He returned to the pit, and to his relief, it was teeming with salt critters. Without hesitation, Saad leaped into action, dual-wielding the whips of judgment and sin. His movements were like a deadly dance, the whips slashing through the air and acting like shields against the critters' attacks. After fighting day and night for three days against same creatures, his movements had become more precise. It was same as when he was dealing with arachnids.
The battle was still far from easy, and he found himself running all over the pit, skillfully dodging and countering the critters' strikes. With each precise strike, the critters fell, their lifeless forms fading into shards of salt crystals and experience points.
As the battle raged on, Saad felt the surge of adrenaline coursing through him. He could see his skills improving with each critter he defeated, and soon, he leveled up. However, this moment of triumph was short-lived as the slithering and hissing of snakes filled the pit. It was then that Saad realized something profound: just like him, perhaps the snakes were also using this respawn point as a means to farm experience points.
The thought sent a chill down his spine. Perhaps this was the reason they were levelling up when a new day started. Perhaps, their experience points of the day accumulated and then they levelled up as the new day started. Saad didn't even want to think just what monstrosity they would become tomorrow. He needed to kill those five snakes today and at all costs.
With the ominous slithering sounds drawing nearer, Saad knew he had to act quickly. He darted behind a rocky outcrop, his heart pounding as he waited for the approaching threat. As expected, a massive white salt snake emerged, its forked tongue flickering as it hissed in annoyance at finding the pit empty.
The snake, not seeing any prey, slithered inside and coiled itself in the center of the pit. Saad watched from his hiding spot with bated breath, knowing that his life depended on his strategy. He needed to attack the snake without becoming its victim and then lure it to the safe zone where he could finish it off.
After a few agonizing minutes had passed, Saad noticed that none of his skills were on cooldown any longer. It was time to make his move. He whispered under his breath, "Skill activate, Whip of Binding." In the next moment, the whip of sin lashed out with a pulse of energy. The snake, caught off guard, couldn't avoid the direct hit. It hissed furiously as the magical bindings took hold, immobilizing it for at least 15 seconds.
With the snake temporarily incapacitated, Saad wasted no time. He unleashed the devastating power of the Whip Tornado, causing a whirlwind of razor-sharp lashes to strike the snake relentlessly. The snake thrashed and hissed in pain, but it was unable to break free from the relentless assault.
With only 10 seconds remaining on the binding effect, Saad sprang into action. He sprinted toward the safe zone, which was at least a two-minute run away. The enraged snake gave chase, its hisses growing louder and more furious with each passing second. It was a heart-pounding race against time.
But Saad's determination and desire to live prevailed. He reached the safe zone unscathed, leaving the snake to hiss in frustration just outside the protective boundary. Saad wasted no time and unleashed a relentless barrage of attacks on the trapped snake. Blow after blow rained down upon it, and after what felt like an eternity but was only ten minutes, the snake finally succumbed to its injuries, collapsing to the ground.
Saad stood panting, his body drenched in sweat. The strategy had been successful, and the salt snake was vanquished. He checked his inventory and saw that the Salt Snake Essence had increased to 16 out of 20. The end of this challenging quest was drawing closer, and Saad could feel the satisfaction of progress washing over him.
Saad's determination to regain the power of his [Stormlash] skill was unwavering. He knew just how devastating that skill could be, and he yearned for the damage and knockback it provided. So, he settled into the repetitive routine of farming for experience points, relentlessly battling any salt critters that respawned in the pit after every fifteen minutes.
Hours passed, and Saad's patience was tested as he painstakingly earned one level after another. The progress was slow, with each level requiring nearly an hour of continuous farming. Salt snakes became elusive, and he had to settle for other creatures. However, his efforts paid off. After nearly five hours of monotonous farming, he had finally accumulated enough arcane points to be able to use the coveted skill, [Stormlash].
With great satisfaction, he allocated his stat points, focusing on strengthening his strength and agility. These attributes would bolster his combat capabilities significantly. Saad was slowly but surely gaining the momentum back now near the end of the harsh journey.
Attributes:
----------------
Stamina: 11 Strength 10
Agility:10 Intelligence: 7
Charm: 7 Dexterity: 22.25
Vitality: 7 Arcane Points: 72
Status point: 0
Skill points: 16
Though it wasn't the peak of his potential, Saad was content with his progress. He knew that every bit of growth counted in this harsh reality.
As he scrolled through his active skills, Saad noticed one that had been neglected: [Soulrend]. He made a mental note to give it more attention in future battles, realizing that it might have untapped potential.
However, what he couldn't ignore was the presence of the Crimson Sovereign, that enigmatic and frustrating entity that had become nothing more than a swishing crimson liquid. It seemed to derive amusement from his struggles, and Saad couldn't help but feel a sense of frustration and betrayal. This enigmatic entity had promised to protect him, yet its actions were far from protective. Nevertheless, Saad brushed aside his irritation and focused on his journey.