Five days had passed since Orion's last major encounter in The Lost Souls' Caverns. This period marked a time of steady progress and growth for both Orion and his companion, Auf. Focusing on Adventurers Guild missions, Orion delved into various dungeons, each venture bringing new experiences and challenges.
Throughout these expeditions, Orion and Auf demonstrated remarkable synergy, their combined strength and skills seeing them through every challenge. This period of uninterrupted mission completion allowed both of them to reach level 12, a testament to their relentless dedication and hard work.
During this time, Orion's skills saw significant improvements. Shadow Step and Enhanced Reflexes leveled up, enhancing his agility and reaction time in combat. His Spectral Strike skill became more potent, allowing for more efficient handling of spectral entities. Basic Dagger Mastery improved, sharpening his prowess with daggers, while his Basic Botanical Knowledge skill also advanced, aiding in identifying useful and dangerous plants within dungeons. These skill enhancements were crucial in preparing him for the increasingly complex challenges ahead.
In between his dungeon delves, Orion took the time to integrate the Amulet of the Enchanted Garden Keeper and The Enchanted Garden Key into his main amulet and key. This integration was a meticulous process, requiring Orion to channel the energies of the new artifacts into his existing ones. The successful integration not only expanded his control over another dungeon but also enhanced the capabilities of the Amulet of the Great Keeper. A new bonus emerged from this process – a 30% chance to poison enemies upon dealing damage, adding a strategic edge to his combat abilities.
The last day of this period brought a significant achievement for Orion. He finally acquired the Small Essence of Fire, a rare and valuable item he had been seeking. This acquisition was the final piece needed to achieve silver membership in the Adventurers Guild. Before heading to the Adventurers Guild to claim his new status, Orion decided to check his system window:
[ Name: Orion ]
[ System: Fused System (Level-Up, Cultivation, Store, Quests) ]
[ Level: 12 ]
[ Mana: 400/200(600) ]
[ Qi: 2000/2000 ]
[ Experience: 23400/80000 ]
[ Skills: Basic Mana Control (Level 1), Basic Qi Cultivation (Level 1), Access to Store (Level 1), Quest Log (Level 1), Basic Dagger Mastery (Level 4), Basic Botanical Knowledge (Level 2), Backstab (Level 2), Spectral Strike (Level 2), Basic Swordsmanship (Level 1), Enhanced Reflexes (Level 3), Shadow Step (Level 3), Elemental Resistance (Level 1), Basic Inspection (Level 3) ]
[ Basic Stats ]
[ Strength: 35.92(45.92) ]
[ Agility: 29.23(59.23) ]
[ Endurance: 24.43 ]
[ Intelligence: 12.27 ]
[ Perception: 12.13 ]
[ Charisma: 10.62 ]
[ Luck: 25.00 ]
[ Cultivation Realm ]
[ Mortal Realm - Initiation (Rank 4) ]
[ Free Stat Points: 8 ]
[ Free Skill Points: 0 ]
[ Blessings: Blessing of Free Spirits, +100 Max Mana ]
[ Companions: Auf ( Level 12 3400/80000) ]
Satisfied with his progress and his companion's growth, Orion prepared to head to the Adventurers Guild, eager to embrace the new opportunities his silver membership would bring.
Orion arrived at the Adventurers Guild, a place he had become quite familiar with over his journey as an awakener. He walked straight to Mara, an old acquaintance and a Guild Officer he had known since his early days at the guild.
"Hey, Mara," Orion greeted her, holding out the Small Essence of Fire. "I've got something that should push my Guild Points over the top."
Mara looked up, her expression shifting to one of mild surprise. "Orion, let's see." She took the essence, checking it over before updating his account. "This puts you at 5030 points. Ready to upgrade to Silver membership?"
"That's the plan," Orion confirmed.
Mara processed the upgrade, reducing his points by 5000. "Congratulations, you're now a Silver member. You've got access to higher-level missions and can enter D rank dungeons with just one teammate. With Auf, you're set for those."
Orion, feeling a surge of excitement, lingered for a moment to discuss the specifics of his new privileges as a Silver member.
"Can you tell me more about these higher-level missions?" Orion asked, keen on understanding the full scope of his new status.
Mara nodded, her eyes brightening with enthusiasm. "Sure, Orion. Silver rank missions are more challenging, but the rewards are significantly higher. You'll find missions that involve complex dungeon delves, rare monster hunts, and even some special assignments directly from the Guild."
Orion's interest was piqued. "Special assignments? That sounds intriguing."
"Yes, these are unique missions that sometimes involve Guild politics or helping out in high-stake situations. They're not just about strength; they often require strategy and diplomacy," Mara explained.
Orion nodded thoughtfully, considering the new dimensions of challenges he would face. The prospect of engaging in more complex scenarios was exciting.
Mara continued, "As for accessing more Guild facilities, you now have entry to advanced training rooms, specialized libraries with rare manuscripts, and even the Guild's alchemy labs. These resources are invaluable for honing your skills and expanding your knowledge."
Orion was particularly interested in the training facilities and the library. "The library and training rooms will definitely come in handy," he remarked.
"Definitely," Mara agreed. "And about the database, it's not just a list of dungeons and monsters below B rank. You'll find detailed reports, historical data, and even accounts from other awakeners. It's a treasure trove of information that can give you an edge in your adventures."
Orion realized the immense value of such information. "This is going to change the way I plan my missions. Thanks for the heads-up, Mara."
Mara smiled warmly. "It's always great to see one of our own rise through the ranks."
Orion stepped out of the Adventurers Guild, his mind already racing with plans for his newfound Silver membership capabilities. He was now better equipped to explore more challenging dungeons and had access to a wealth of guild resources. Before diving into his next adventure, he decided to manage his resources.
First, he sold all the remaining drops he hadn't used yet. This sale significantly boosted his funds, bringing his total credits to 14,400. With this increased financial flexibility, Orion decided to revisit a part of his Fused System that he had previously neglected due to budget constraints: the Store System.
Accessing the Store System, he noticed that the daily stock had been refreshed. Today, an intriguing new upgrade was available for purchase. It was a stats tab, unlockable for 20 Spirit Stones. Realizing the potential benefits of this upgrade, Orion quickly made his way to the nearest awakener supplier shop. He purchased the required Spirit Stones for 500 Credits each, a worthwhile investment for the advantages it could bring.
Upon returning and activating the new tab, Orion was greeted with options for permanent stat boosts. The first five points in each stat were available for just 10 Mana Stones each, a tempting offer for any awakener looking to enhance their abilities. However, as expected, there were no options for upgrading luck – a stat that remained elusive and could not be enhanced with free stat points either.
Another interesting option caught his eye: max mana point upgrades. These upgrades would increase his mana limit by 50 points for 25 Mana Stones, but the price was only for the first ten purchases. While the offer was enticing, Orion realized that his current funds were insufficient for these upgrades. Moreover, as a holder of four systems, his stats were already considerably higher than those of a typical level 12 awakener. He decided to hold off on these upgrades for now.
After Orion finished his interaction with the Store System, he gots a phone call. It was Diana Reed, team leader from Keepers of Void clan. She did not say much, just asked Orion to come to clan headquarters early in the morning the next day, hinting at a new special mission from the clan.