Garret had been distracted the moment he saw the message. It was quite shocking to see a skill evolve by itself. All he had done was counter the enemies air manipulation, surely it didn't warrant such a nice power up. As Kael was busy organizing the people they had found, he called onto his runes.
{You have learnt a Unique Skill: StillHeart; Requirements for upgrade>>> Unknown. Your heart no longer stirs with emotion, only reason remains. Suppresses emotional fluctuations, allowing the user to think and act with perfect clarity under all circumstances. To feel nothing is to see everything clearly. But clarity, like darkness, devours the light. Backlash. Your grief for your family is multiplied tenfold}
He had gotten the skill when he was fighting the hybrid monster.
"So that's why I was watching my allies, observing their strength and their weaknesses."
It was a powerful skill to have. It was a double edged sword as it was useful. In this new world he would survive longer without any unnecessary attachments.
{You have leaned a new skill…You are the first being in your world to gaze onto the secrets of the Darkness element. Darkness manipulation forcibly evolves to level two…You have received a distinction…
You have learned a new skill: Frenzy; When grief and rage exceed restraint, the user's body transcends normal limits. It has five activations. Conditions for activation>>> Rage??
1st activation, Physical and elemental attacks are multiplied by 20%. Rationality collapses by 30%
2nd activation, Physical and elemental attacks are multiplied by 40%. Rationality collapses by 50%
3rd activation, Physical and elemental attacks are multiplied by 60%. Rationality collapses by 70%
4th activation, Physical and elemental attacks are multiplied by 80%. Rationality collapses by 90%
5th activation, Physical and elemental attacks are multiplied by 110%. >>>>Unknown effects}
"Now that is something. And what do you mean by Unknown effects." Garret silently cursed.
He was quite pissed. It seemed the Weave really liked to mess with his mind. First the Shroud then this Frenzy. He only hoped that the skill would never be activated. If it did, and it reached a point that the fifth activation was activated…he didn't dare imagine.
"Argh, how fitting."
{You are the first being in your world to gaze onto the secrets of the Darkness element. Darkness manipulation forcibly evolves to level two.
{Darkness Manipulation lv 2…. Darkness obeys you
Passive skills; Light Absorption; You can absorb light in an area, generating their own darkness. This blinds enemies and empowers the user's other abilities. The density of the darkness around you weakens the enemy
Active skills;
Shadow Camouflage>>>Shadow Step; you can blend into shadows to hide from sight. You can now shift between shadows up to ten meters apart.
Shadow Bind; you can command your shadow to assume form, tendrils that bind and crush your foes. Drains a small amount of mana and health from those caught.}
"So that's what happened to the creature I killed in fury. No wonder I suddenly felt so powerful." Garret lamented as he continued to look at his starts.
{You have received a distinction. The Umbral Pioneer; 'The first to chart the unlighted paths'. Your affinity with the Darkness element increases exponentially. You command Shadows easier. Your resistance to Darkness and Darkness related skills increases exponentially. Increases permanently Strength +50 Agility +50 Health +50 Stamina +50 Mana +50 Magic +50}
Honestly the description shocked Garret. He didn't know what he had done actually. He had come up with a theory and decided to test it out and it rewarded him very handsomely. And the rewards were yet to end. If the oldies who had spent years learning and practicing the Darkness element learnt he had achieved that level of mastery because of a theory he had just happened to think of, they would die of self-pity.
{Your strength, agility and stamina have all passed the 100 mark. Your skill Adapt evolves to level two. Your skill Adamant body evolves to level two.
Adapt lv 2>>>Battle Instinct: Your body subconsciously adjusts to repeated threats, slightly faster reaction time, steadier breathing and improved focus. Reflexes and precision are greatly heightened in all forms of combat. Your mind is equipped with all fighting skills known to humans
Adamant Body>>>Iron Bones. Your body has been forged through pain, sleepless nights, and battles that should've left you broken. Muscles and bones subtly reinforce during combat, temporarily increasing strength and stability. Increases pain tolerance. Immunity to minor stuns. Adds +20 Strength, +20 Stamina permanently.}
It was quite a surprise. He hadn't believed he could upgrade his skills this fast. The adamant Body had been found after they killed the Hybrid Zombie. The zombie had dropped a skill, two Chixiao swords a Bow and a Gale earring. Garret had chosen the Skill adamant body which had already evolved less than 24hrs after getting it.
"That has to be some kind of a record," Garret smiled and looked to the sky as if he was waiting for the Weave to award his outstanding performance.
He then called his status screen
{Name: Garret Morte
Level: 20
Status points:4
Race: Human
Path: Abyss Walker>>>Incomplete
Distinction: Umbral Pioneer
Attributes; Strength:122(10) Agility:101(25) Health:82 Stamina:145 Mana:170(20) Magic:180(20)}
Skills: Darkness Manipulation lv 2
StillHeart
Frenzy
Battle Instinct
Iron Bones
Soul Pact: Shroud of The Grieving Soul}
"Now to see how my advancing recruitments are… "
He was interrupted by the soft murmur in the group.
Eira stood over the bound man, her face calm in the dying afternoon light. The others were silent Kael, Marcus, Darrius, each waiting for her judgment. The bastard, the self-proclaimed 'king' was on his knees, his arms tied behind his back with a strip of his own torn shirt. Sweat and blood mixed on his skin, his once-arrogant face now pale and trembling.
Garret watched from a few paces away, arms crossed, the weight of his Chixiao blade resting against his shoulder. His gaze was cold, yet there was a glint of curiosity behind it. He wanted to know what Eira would do.
"Eira," he asked finally, voice even, "what do you plan to do with him?"
She didn't look at him immediately. Her fingers were busy, turning a knife over in her hand. When she finally spoke, her tone was matter-of-fact.
"I want to know if monster meat is safe to eat," she said. "And since this thing," she nudged the man's chest with the tip of the knife, "has been starving his followers, I reckoned we feed him well."
The man began shaking his head violently. "You…you can't—"
"And after your done with him, what will you do?" Garret asked, half smiling.
"I'll cut off his arms. Then let him go."
The words were delivered so casually that even Kael, who had been with her since she was a child, flinched. There was no cruelty in her tone, no anger. Just calm resolve. That, Garret realized, was what made it terrifying.
He felt the faintest chill crawl down his spine. He'd seen Eira fight, seen her command people with iron precision. But this side of her, it was new. The kind of coldness that didn't come from hate but from necessity. It was the kind of thinking that made survivors out of leaders… and monsters out of humans.
"I didn't think you had it in you… to take a life."
"Have you ever killed someone?" He asked, facing Kael.