Chapter 186: Level 4
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"Don't come over here!"
The bald man clamped a woman's neck with one arm, his other hand gripping a sharp dagger pressed against her throat. His face was twisted with rage, but his eyes betrayed fear.
Opposite him stood a tall, striking young man with black hair and dark eyes.
Around them, bodies were sprawled across the ground, and the air reeked of blood.
Aoki lowered the body he'd just taken down and fixed his gaze on the last robber.
"If you come any closer, I'll kill her!" the bald man shouted, trying to sound intimidating.
Aoki's figure blurred, and in an instant, he appeared directly in front of them.
The bald robber's entire body shook; his grip wavered, and the dagger fell to the ground.
The atmosphere grew tense.
Aoki suddenly reached out, seized the robber's arm, and twisted it sharply.
"Ah!" The robber screamed, bending over in pain as the woman took the opportunity to escape.
Aoki grasped the robber by the neck.
"Wait! Don't kill me, I am—"
Snap!
The robber's words ceased abruptly with the sound of his neck breaking.
[Kill one person and gain 32 experience points.]
[Congratulations on your upgrade!]
A pleasant voice sounded in Aoki's mind.
'It seems my guess was correct' Aoki thought to himself.
Based on the experience points he'd received recently, it was clear that the experience gain in extraordinary professions depended on the level of that profession rather than on any other factor or his overall strength.
This group of robbers were just ordinary people, their abilities not even on par with members of the Royal Fist Temple.
If the experience gain for "Infinite Dragon Beast" depended on the "King of the White Walkers" or his real strength, he wouldn't have gained any experience from these lowly robbers.
With this confirmation, Aoki felt confident that leveling up "Infinite Dragon Beast" would be relatively easy in its early stages.
Relying on the strength accumulated from the "King of the White Walkers" and other professions, he could hunt high-level monsters and rapidly enhance the level of "Infinite Dragon Beast."
This advantage would apply not only to "Infinite Dragon Beast" but to any future profession he might acquire.
Suppressing his thoughts, Aoki opened his system panel.
[Name: Aoki]
[Strength: 38]
[Constitution: 38]
[Intelligence: 39]
[Agility: 38]
[Occupation: Hunter, King of the White Walkers, Martial Artist, Doctor, Infinite Dragon Beast]
[Free attribute points: 8]
…
[Infinite Dragon Beast]
Quality: ★★★★
Level: lv4 (10/400)
Skills: Spirit of Vengeance (not learned yet), Devour (not learned yet), Dragon Breath (not learned yet), Ultimate Form (100/100)
Free skill points: 4.
Killing this group of robbers had allowed him to level up twice, bringing him to level 4.
This level-up rewarded him with 8 free attribute points.
Indeed, acquiring high-quality extraordinary professions had proven the right path.
He allocated exactly two points to each attribute, pushing all his stats above the 40-point threshold.
Aoki glanced at his skill bar, satisfied.
Although he had 4 free skill points saved up, he still couldn't learn any new skills.
The skills of "Infinite Dragon Beast" differed from those of "King of the White Walkers"; it lacked any basic skill akin to "Demon Blood."
The four available skills were each distinct, with "Ultimate Form" requiring no learning but currently unable to be upgraded.
The other three skills, however, required 5 skill points each.
Four-star professions were powerful but came with high demands.
You need 5 skill points at level 1. Hard to imagine what the future requirements will be.
"Just one skill point left," Aoki thought, feeling a spark of excitement.
He was only one free skill point away from learning "Spirit of Vengeance."
"Thank you… thank you!" a timid voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts.
Aoki turned his head to find the woman who had been held hostage by the bald bandit looking at him cautiously. When their eyes met, she shrank back, stepping away like a startled rabbit.
"You're welcome," Aoki replied with a nod and then turned to leave.
The Western Kingdom was far from peaceful. Though it hadn't reached the chaos of the late empire, the people's suffering was just as severe.
Whenever he encountered evildoers, he had no qualms about stepping in. Helping people also brought him certain benefits. But beyond that, he could only do so much.
I wonder if I can reach level 5 before moving to the next world? he mused, stepping away from the village.
The Pole was nearby. Though his "World Travel" marker didn't provide exact coordinates, Aoki could feel he was closing in. For three days, he'd searched this area, sensing that he was drawing closer to his goal.
Suddenly, he stopped.
In his path stood a portly man dressed as a clown.
"Did you kill all those people?" the clown asked.
Aoki held his gaze for a couple of seconds before responding, "That's right. Why? Are you with them?"
"No, no, no! I have no association with those filthy adults." The fat clown raised his hands in a gesture of innocence. "I see you're quite skilled. Would you be interested in joining us?"
"Joining you?" Aoki asked. "And who exactly are you?"
The clown smirked. "You know of the Eastern Empire, right? Our leader is none other than its crown prince—the son of the minister!"
Aoki's expression remained unreadable. "The minister's son, huh. And what do I get from joining you?"
He knew that Syura, the minister's son, had been traveling and recruiting people for his father, Prime Minister Honest. Aoki had previously asked around, learning that no trace of Syura had yet been found.
He was interested not in Syura himself but in his Imperial Weapon, Shambhala, a space-type weapon that could manipulate dimensions.
The clown spoke with fervor. "The Eastern Empire is the strongest nation in the world! Our leader, Lord Syura, is its rightful heir! Follow him, and you'll have everything: money, women, power—whatever you desire!"
'Seems Syura hasn't heard the news about his father's death or the fall of the empire' Aoki reflected.
Given the time period, the flow of information was slow. With the Eastern Empire and Western Kingdom locked in a long-standing cold war, communication between them was almost nonexistent. Thousands of kilometers separated the Eastern Empire from the Western Kingdom's western region, so it wasn't surprising that Syura was in the dark.
"By the way, what's your name?" Aoki asked.
"Call me Champ. And I have a particular fondness for children!" The clown's grin was twisted with malice.
"Let's meet your leader first," Aoki replied, lowering his eyes to mask the glint of murderous intent. "After that, I'll decide whether to join you."
Champ had sealed his fate.
This twisted pedophile, who delighted in tormenting and murdering children, was one of the most detestable people alive.
In fact, Syura and his entire band deserved to be eradicated.
Most of Syura's group were skilled users of Imperial Weapon, making them formidable opponents.
What a delightful parting gift, Aoki thought. Reaching level 5 shouldn't be an issue now.
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T/N: There is a patreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early access of 40 chapters.
Patreon link:- patreon.com/ANelite
And also:
Imperial weapon = Teigu
Teigu = Imperial weapon