As a new screen materialized in his sight, Jose read the mission details:
**"More Levels**
**Eliminate the 15 goblins**
**Reward: 2 level ups, 100 gold, and unlocking the System shop"**
Jose couldn't help but chuckle at the seemingly straightforward mission, remarking, "Pretty straight forward, but the system really just wants to kill me."
The laughter echoed in his mind as he swiftly dodged the goblins' arrows. A gust of wind brushed against him, signaling a narrow escape as the arrows whizzed past his face. The relentless challenges of the Zinomia Universe persisted, and Jose braced himself for the impending clash with the mischievous goblin horde.
In a desperate battle against the overwhelming number of goblins, Jose fought with all his might. The small creatures seized the opportunity, stabbing him in the back and legs. Though their size prevented them from reaching vital points, the pain was still horrendous. Gritting his teeth, Jose endured the onslaught.
With goblins stuck to his back, he swung his weapon, dispatching two of them. Yet, the arrow-wielding goblins were not idle. Four arrows pierced Jose's body – two in each shoulder and two in his stomach. The pain threatened to consume him, but unbeknownst to Jose, the Berserker skill had already taken effect.
In a sudden surge of strength, he spun around, catching the goblins with knives off guard. The prey they thought was on the brink of defeat turned the tables, unveiling the unpredictable dance of survival in the face of death.
The spin, more violent and faster this time, proved devastating, instantly dispatching the remaining goblins with knives. As the spin ceased, Jose clung to the hope pinned on his Smoke Magic skill. Miraculously, a thick fog of smoke billowed from his body, akin to a smoke bomb.
The archer goblins, caught off guard and blinded by the dense smoke, met their demise one by one. In the enveloping haze, Jose navigated with ease. To him, it was like being in a sea of white curtains, yet his vision remained clear. The smoke became both a shield and a weapon, turning the tide in this tumultuous encounter.
"Mission Success.
Reward: Jose Lvl 6, 100 Gold, and System Shop."
Anxiety gripped Jose as he noticed the absence of healing this time. Weakness set in, exacerbated by the profuse bleeding. Desperation crept in, but then he remembered the System Shop. A screen materialized before his eyes, a potential lifeline in this dire situation.
In the System Shop:
- Healing Potion: 50 Gold per bottle
- Mana Potion: 50 Gold per bottle
- Stamina Potion: 50 Gold per bottle
Without a second thought, Jose purchased a healing potion and swiftly consumed it. As the potion took effect, his wounds closed up seamlessly, resembling a zipper sealing his injuries. Relief washed over him, and with newfound vigor.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Jose felt grateful for the healing potion that averted the brink of death from blood loss. He checked his status once more:
**Jose Rizzer Level 6**
- **Muscle:** 8
- **Skeleton:** 5
- **Brain:** 5
- **Mana:** 0/100
**Skills:**
- **Berserker (Passive):**
- *Increase overall ability when covered in blood for 30%.*
- **Smoke Magic (lvl 2 - Active):**
- *Ability to Create and Manipulate Smoke.*
- **Weapon Mastery (Axe) (lvl 3):**
- *Mastery of using the weapon of proficiency, bonus 10% damage.*
**Points:**
- **Physical Points:** 3
- **Skill Points:** 6
- **Gold:** 50 gold
"If this was a game, I would really report the maker for how freaking hardcore this was," Jose murmured silently, acknowledging the unforgiving nature of the challenges he faced within the Zinomia Universe.
Swift on his feet, Jose allocated the two physical points to muscle, eliciting a resonant ding in his ear.
"Thick Hide Skill added."
He then directed the remaining points to his brain. As expected, his mana increased by 25 points, affirming the correlation between brain attributes and mana. It became apparent that each aspect of his status played a pivotal role in navigating the challenges of the Zinomia Universe.
With precision, Jose distributed his skill points – 4 to Smoke Magic and 2 to Whirlpool. A stream of calming energy surged from his body as he conjured a thick smoke ball in his palm, demonstrating newfound control over his mana consumption.
**Jose Rizzer Level 6**
- **Muscle:** 10
- **Skeleton:** 5
- **Brain:** 6
- **Mana:** 25/125
**Skills:**
- **Berserker (Passive):**
- *Increase overall ability when covered in blood for 30%.*
- **Thick Hide (Passive):**
- *Slightly Increase the Hardness of skin.*
- **Smoke Magic (lvl 6 - Active):**
- *Ability to Create and Manipulate Smoke.*
- **Axe Skill (Weapon Mastery) (lvl 5 - Active):**
- *Mastery of using the weapon of proficiency, bonus 11% damage.*
**Points:**
- **Physical Points:** 0
- **Skill Points:** 0
- **Gold:** 50 gold
As Jose finally breathed a sigh of relief, five minutes passed without any signs of new monsters. He hesitated to leave the safety of the store, fully aware of the horrors that awaited him outside, evidenced by the persistent cries of terror in the distance.
Recalling the System Shop, he contemplated the other sections. His eyes lingered on the intriguing possibilities within the ingredients, skill, and pet sections, pondering the potential enhancements and allies that could aid him in the challenges yet to come.
As Jose examined the notice below the shop, "Recycle monster corpses, weapons to gain gold," he decided to gather all the skeleton weapons and goblin corpses along with their weapons. The recycling values were revealed – skeleton weapons at 0.2 gold each, goblin weapons at 0.5 gold each, and goblin corpses at 1 gold each.
Upon totaling his gold, which now stood at 87.5 including the remaining 50 gold in the System, Jose couldn't help but shake his head in disbelief. The shop prices were exorbitant, with the cheapest axe weapon costing around 500 gold, the cheapest skill around 1000 gold, and the cheapest pet demanding 5k gold. Faced with these steep prices, he pondered the daunting task of slaying goblins to accumulate enough gold for even the most basic items in the System Shop.
The System presented its final tutorial quest:
**Kill 5 Orcs and the Orc Leader**
**Reward:** 500 gold and 5 level ups
**Punishment:** Death
As the mission was assigned, a slight tremor in the ground drew Jose's attention outside the shop. Five pighead monsters, each as tall as a normal human, stood in formation. Behind them loomed a larger pighead monster, the presumed Orc Leader, towering at about 7 feet tall. The challenge was set, and the Zinomia Universe unveiled its next trial for Jose Rizzer.