By the time Alex took care of the ghosts, it was already midnight. He was fully tired and exhausted from everything.
Walking back, he returned to the village chief's house. This time he opened the door in a heart beat.
The village chief was sensible and polite enough to not ask him what was the results of the investigation immediately. He asked Alex to rest for the night, then they could freely discuss things in the morning.
"Chief, the problem has been taken care of for now but we do need discuss some things and I do have a few questions as well." With that said, Alex went to sleep.
The village chief's house was very spacious. He had lent him a nice and comfortable room all for himself to rest for.
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As the sunlight filtered through the window, Alex groggily woke up, momentarily disoriented.
Good Morning Aurora! What's the time now?", his usual routine had him expecting Aurora's presence, but the silence reminded him that he was not in his academy dorm but in the Opal village chief's house.
Getting up from the bed, he stretched and took in his surroundings, having been too exhausted the previous night to notice much.
The sunlight drew his attention to a painting on the wall, a portrait of a young man in his early twenties, clad in full leather armor, striking a sword stance. The sword in the painting seemed oddly familiar, though Alex couldn't immediately place where he had seen it before.
Setting aside his musings about the painting, Alex turned his thoughts to the events of the previous night.
The lack of experience points or system points for exterminating the specters was disappointing. However, he wasn't entirely empty-handed; he had managed to kill 13 F-ranked monsters, Deathravens, bringing the system within 610 XP of leveling up.
'I wonder what new feature will be unlocked this time?' Alex thought, excitement bubbling up as he anticipated the system's next upgrade once he filled the XP bar.
With his immediate tasks in mind, Alex decided to purchase two new skills that would be beneficial for his main goal in coming to Opal Village.
Alex's thoughts raced as he planned his next moves, fully aware that he would need every advantage he could get. The Poison Mist Forest loomed large in his mind, a place shrouded in mystery and danger.
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[The host has successfully sold 13 F rank and 2 E rank monster cores.]
[Shop Coins: 150→445]
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Alex knew that just selling the 13 F-rank cores of the Deathravens wouldn't be enough to cover his expenses. He needed more funds to purchase the skills he had in mind. Reluctantly, he decided to sell two E-rank monster cores he had saved for moments like this.
After making the sales, he immediately spent 400 SC to purchase two essential E-rank skills, ones that were practically indispensable for survival in harsh wilderness environments.
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[The host has acquired the E rank skill Hunter]
Skill: Hunter (Passive)
Rank: E
Description:
- Enhances awareness and perception, allowing to detect hidden enemies and track movements with precision.
- Grants the ability to blend seamlessly with surroundings, rendering, nearly invisible to enemies in a natural environment.
- Provides expertise in setting up and detecting hidden traps and dangers.
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[The host has acquired the E rank skill Survivalist]
Skill: Survivalist (Passive)
Rank: E
Description:
- Grants knowledge in wilderness survival, allowing to efficiently find and utilize natural resources like food, water, and shelter.
- Enhances the ability to endure harsh environments, increasing resistance to extreme weather conditions and environmental hazards.
- Improves health regeneration and stamina, enabling quick recovery and ability to maintain peak performance in extended survival situations.
==============================
As Alex acquired both skills, he noticed that this time, there wasn't an overwhelming rush of knowledge flooding his mind as had happened before.
Instead, he felt a subtle but profound change within himself, like a switch had been flipped, quietly enhancing his abilities.
His perception seemed to sharpen, not in the simple sense of seeing or hearing better, but in how he processed and understood the information from his surroundings.
The skill wasn't just about enhanced senses; it was about perceiving threats, reading the environment, and understanding subtle cues that might go unnoticed by others.
The Hunter skill enhanced his ability to detect dangers that were otherwise hidden—whether it was an enemy lying in ambush, a trap set for the unwary, or a creature blending into the environment.
His senses were now like finely tuned instruments, feeding him information that he could quickly interpret and act upon. This skill was invaluable for someone like Alex, who often found himself in unfamiliar and potentially hostile environments.
The Survivalist skill, on the other hand, provided another layer of resistance to the poisons and toxins of the Poison Mist Forest.
He could now venture deeper into the forest without fear of the deadly mist that clung to the air and the venomous creatures that called the forest home.
These two skills, though different, complemented each other perfectly. Together, they provided a powerful combination that would allow Alex to survive and thrive in the dangerous and unpredictable environment of the Poison Mist Forest.
He felt more prepared than ever to face the challenges ahead, knowing that his new abilities would give him the edge he needed. With these skills at his disposal, Alex could freely delve deeper into the forest.
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The village chief's expression was a mix of relief and gratitude as Alex recounted the events of the previous night, carefully omitting details about his abilities and his magic. Despite this, the chief could sense the gravity of the situation and was visibly shaken by what he heard.
"I had no idea things had escalated to this point.", the chief said, his voice heavy with concern. "To think that such things were lingering so close to the village... It's a blessing you arrived when you did."
Alex nodded, appreciating the chief's gratitude but also knowing there was still much to be done. "The spectres have been dealt with, but the cause of their presence remains unknown. It's possible that something in the nearby Poison Mist Forest is responsible, given its proximity and the strange fog that surrounded the area."
The chief frowned, clearly troubled by the mention of the Poison Mist Forest. "That forest has always been a source of unease for us. The poisonous mist is dangerous enough, but if there's something within it that's causing these hauntings... It's a threat to the entire village."
Alex leaned forward, his tone serious. "I plan to investigate the forest further. The source of these disturbances needs to be found and dealt with before it becomes an even greater problem."