I returned to Yaros the next morning, to complete the second part of the rank-up quest. There are still Earth Bears to hunt down. Only then can I be able to level up again.
Sure, I have a way to increase my stats even without the part of levelling up but that is ineffective. I would end up hunting only lower-level monsters for a long time and that is not my dream.
I am going against someone who is probably very high in the chain of order. I don't have much about him, except some of the facts that my parents knew, which Joseph informed me about.
After my parents died, how strong he had become or what he was doing I have no idea about. So it was better to assume the worst or else I might not know how I ended up as a corpse in the middle of nowhere.
Before I go and confront that bastard, I would make sure that I won't die in that confrontation. If that happens, the lives of my parents and Joseph would mean nothing. As their son and some cared for, I should make sure that they were recognized and their lives remembered.
If I can't do that, then I am not considered the child that they gave everything to. I can't let that happen, no matter what.
When I become strong, the world would know about me and by proxy they would know about the three of my family that raised me.
Moreover, there is another reason why ranking up is important is because of the attribute bonus and skills that come with the rank up.
With every level up, any professional would get +1 to every stat but after reaching Rank-1 it would be +2. It would be +3 at Rank-2, +4 at Rank-3 and so on. Also for every rank up, one would be awarded with a class skill.
These rewards remain the same, no matter the profession one has.
Of course, there is a slight difference after one ranks up.
As I said before, I would get only +1 to all my stats for every level up before Rank-1 but it would change to +2 after that.
The difference is with the class stat.
I am a Huntsman and my Class Stat is Speed, which after Rank-up would be increased by +3 at Rank-1 instead of +2 like other stats. At Rank-2 it would increase by +5 instead of +3.
While all stats get an extra +1 than before for levelling up after an increase in rank, my Speed would get +2.
For Mages, it's the INT (Intelligence) and for Warriors it's STR (Strength).
This is why it is important to rank up rather than just be a low-level one. Even without such privilege, no one would like to remain at lower ranks as levelling up means a better future for them and their loved ones.
I mean, the higher one's rank was, the better their hunt would be. Higher-ranked monsters would yield better income compared to lower ones. Sure, the costs would be higher too but with such high income the children or siblings of the person would have a better start than they had.
If I take myself as an example, though I am an orphan, my parents left me plenty for me. I need not start at the beginning like everyone else. Sure, because they are dead, I kind of started poor in Yaros but while studying I had every resource that helped me become proficient in archery and use of short swords.
Yeah, though I know that my main weapon would be a Bow, that doesn't mean I have only learned how to use bows. I learned to use short swords as well. They are small and easy to carry without causing trouble for my Bow and Arrows.
This is the reason, I could use those short swords very well. They saved me a lot of money.
Even during the previous day's hunt, I had to use the short sword a lot. This was because any enemy that had a speck of intelligence would immediately close the distance between us, as soon as they laid their eyes on my Bow.
For them, my body is too weak to fight at close range. So the short sword is the perfect secondary weapon for me.
Speaking of the previous day's hunt, I saw improvement in not only my stats but also my skill section. I hope that the gains today will be nothing less than that.
Let the hunt begin.
---
A Few Hours later...
"Status"
--
Name: Jake Black
Player: White Falcon
Race: High Human
Trait: Blessings of Artemis
Class: [Huntsman, X-Class]
Innate Skill: [Marksmanship, X-Rank]
Unique Skill: [Spectral Eye, X-Rank]
Level: 22 (Rank-1)
Heath Points (HP): 83,496
Strength: 294
Stamina: 284
Speed: 281
Intelligence (INT): 154
Energy Points (EP): 578
EP Recovery rate: 77 points/hour
Skills: Rage Rush (E), Stone Skin (E), Hard Claw Slash (E), Hard Claw Block (E), Earth Sense (E), Fire Bolt (E), Wind Blade, Earth Tremor (E), Fire Claw Slash, Fire Ball.
Passive Skills: Fire Resistance (E), Earth Resistance (E).
[Earth Resistance (E): You are now less vulnerable to Earth-based attacks but that depends on the attack itself.]
--
My status panel was upgraded by a lot after I ranked up. Now I am Rank-1 Awakener.
My status panel started to look a bit different but let's check that later. I should reach New Bastion before dark.
After dark, the monsters for whatever reason would strength by atleast 10%. So it was ill-advised to roam the forests after dark.
Normally, when it was near the cities or towns, it won't be a problem but I am far away from the usual hunting grounds. I came far away so that I can hunt in peace and complete my Rank up quest without involving in unnecessary situations.
So, it's best to return to New Bastion as soon as possible.
---
I returned to New Bastion before it was dark and submitted the necessary materials to complete the quests that I took from New Bastion.