The alarm blared through the vast chamber, instantly capturing everyone's attention. All activities ceased as eyes turned to the source. The projection screen displayed the image of a student who had triggered the alarm, captivating the attention of every teacher and the principal. A tense and curious atmosphere filled the room as all eyes fixated on the unfolding events.
---
Outside the Mysterious Realm, Tigram readied himself for the impending trial. He focused his energy, softly muttering the incantation that would channel his power into a protective spell.
"Earth Armor."
A sudden surge of energy enveloped him, forming a radiant yellow aura around his body. The energy continued to concentrate, gradually taking the form of a transparent, yellowish armor. The intricate designs etched into the armor's surface were visible, along with small, glowing gems that adorned it.
[ArmorUp] Experience effect! Decrease damage received!
Facing the intimidating Orc Warrior, Tigram knew he had to act swiftly. He took a deep breath and activated his next skill, [War Cry]. The powerful cry reverberated across the battlefield, designed to instill fear in the Orc, diminish its resolve, and reduce its attack power.
[WarCry] Experienced effect! Increase physical damage!
Tigram then activated his talent, tripling his HP and damage while increasing his attack speed by 30%.
[Name: Tigram Gray]
[Class: Barbarian]
[Level: 5, Iron Middle Stage]
[Health Point: 1,410/1,410] (x3)
[Mana: 530/750]
[Experience: 1,421/2,500]
[Defense: 92]
[Physical Attack: 1006] (↑100) (x3)
[Attributes: STR: 27(+13), AGI: 7, DEX: 6, INT: 3, VIT: 19(+7)]
[Skills:
Wrathful Attack Level 5
War Cry Attack Level 1]
[Tome skill:
Earth Armor]
[Talent: Berserk (O)]
[Equipment: Grizzly Earth Axe, Battle Plate
Equipment Effect:
+100 HP
+25% Ignore Defense
Splashed Damage]
---
With his total HP boosted to 4,230 and his damage potential reaching 3,318 (↑142), Tigram launched his assault. Meanwhile, the Orc experienced the [DamageDown] effect, reducing its total damage by 52 points.
Tigram activated his skill [Wrathful Attack], delivering a devastating blow to the Orc Warrior. The impact was marked by a thunderous BOOM, with the Orc losing a substantial 3,350 HP.
The fierce clash of their weapons echoed throughout the battlefield. However, Tigram began suffering from the side effects of his talent, taking damage over time (DoT). He lost 30 HP in the first interval, 29 HP in the second, and 28 HP in the third. Despite this, Tigram's [Wrathful Attack] special effect activated, buffing his speed.
[AtkSpeedUp] Experience effect! Increase attack speed!
With this newfound speed, Tigram launched another powerful strike. But his relentless offensive was abruptly interrupted when the Orc unleashed its [Stomp] skill. The ground quaked violently, causing Tigram to stumble, his HP plummeting by 716 points, disrupting his momentum.
---
[Stomp: Slam the ground, shaking it and interrupting the enemy's momentum. Deals damage equal to 1.2 x physical attack.
Mana Cost: 30
Cooldown: 3 seconds]
---
Regaining his footing, Tigram swiftly counterattacked, catching the Orc off guard with a rapid succession of three strikes. The Orc staggered backward under the relentless assault. Yet, Tigram's talent's side effect continued to afflict him, inflicting 31 points of DoT. Ignoring the pain, Tigram pressed on, slashing through the Orc's thick skin with a powerful blow that dealt 2,700 HP of damage. The Orc, still reeling from the onslaught, could barely respond before Tigram followed up with two more powerful hacks, inflicting 2,524 HP and 2,099 HP respectively.
As the Orc absorbed the barrage of attacks, it grew increasingly enraged, desperate for revenge. The battlefield echoed with the clash of metal as the muscular Orc Warrior executed its skill, [Double Chop]. Tigram managed to parry the first strike with his axe, but the force of the second hit inflicted significant damage.
---
[Double Chop: Charge weapons and brandish them twice in succession, damaging the enemy by 2x the caster's attack, with aftershock damage equal to the caster's damage.
Mana Cost: 200
Cooldown: 10 seconds]
---
The Orc's strike dropped Tigram's health by a significant 581 points, further compounded by the DoT effect, which drained an additional 25 HP. Yet, Tigram, undeterred, retaliated with his [Wrathful Attack], shaking the very ground beneath the Orc's feet.
The impact dealt a massive 3,500 HP of damage to the Orc, forcing it to stagger backward. However, Tigram suffered further DoT, losing another 25 HP. Despite this, he pressed on, his [Wrathful Attack] granting him an edge with each hit, boosting his attack speed by 15%.
(A/N: After the [AtkSpeedUp] buff is applied, Tigram's attack speed increases with every successful hit, whether using normal attacks or skills.)
Tigram unleashed a relentless flurry of strikes. His axe flashed through the air, each swing landing with deadly precision. With a loud SLASH, he struck the Orc, reducing its health by 2,020 points. Another strike followed, this time dealing 2,024 points of damage. He continued his assault, each blow weakening the Orc further.
The Orc attempted to counter with its powerful [Stomp] attack, but Tigram was prepared. He swiftly dodged backward, causing the Orc's attack to miss entirely.
However, in the midst of the smoke and chaos, a shadowy figure emerged, darting towards Tigram with blinding speed. Tigram barely managed to evade the initial attack, but the shadowy figure landed behind him and exploded.
The explosion sent Tigram sprawling to the ground. He sustained damage from the blast but quickly regained his footing, charging back towards his foe with unwavering determination.
With a series of rapid strikes, Tigram relentlessly assaulted his enemy. Each attack hit its mark, steadily chipping away at the Orc's health.
Finally, after a series of devastating blows, Tigram delivered the finishing strike. The Orc collapsed to the ground, defeated.
[Prompt! You have killed Orc Warrior! Gain exp 2,400]
[Congratulations! You have leveled up! +1 level]
[Prompt! You have obtained 5 stat points]
[Prompt! You have obtained 1 skill point]
[Prompt! You have obtained skill book [Demolition Swing]!
[Prompt! You have obtained Leather Brace!]
Tigram heard the series of prompts but chose to ignore them. Instead, he glanced at the points difference and muttered to himself, "This is not enough!"
---
Dusk Valley
Dave's heart pounded in his chest as he quickly concealed himself in the shadows, the deafening roar of the Earth Bear still echoing in his ears. He remained hidden for a while, waiting for the beast to move on before cautiously emerging from his hiding spot and making a desperate run towards Lightning Valley.
---
Lightning Valley
Once safely within the confines of Lightning Valley, Dave's pent-up emotions erupted. Anger at the events in Dusk Valley consumed him, and he lashed out violently. Though he tried to rationalize his actions as self-preservation, deep down, he knew he was ashamed of his fear.
Dave's screams and curses reverberated through the valley as he vented his frustration on anything within reach. His rage and desperation fueled his every move, the sound of clashing steel and spilling blood filling the air as he unleashed his fury.
Amid the chaos, Dave's eyes flickered to his current Ranking Points, noting with grim satisfaction the significant increase due to his outburst.
---
[Name: Dave Blake
Place: Third
No. of Kills: 109 – Iron ★, 11 – Iron ★★, 5 – Iron ★★★, 5 – Iron ★★★★, 2 – Iron ★★★★★
Points: 2,560
Class: Warrior – Type, Swordsman]
---
Despite the rise in his rank, Dave's confidence wavered as he observed his position on the assessment ranking. The emotions he had fought to suppress threatened to overwhelm him once more. However, he took a deep breath, forcing the disappointment aside, and focused instead on assessing his gains.
During his journey from Dusk Valley to Lightning Valley, Dave had been fortunate enough to collect a few pieces of equipment from his kills, as well as a skill book that he eagerly utilized.
Although the equipment he acquired was of white-grade rarity, it was still top-tier, providing a critical advantage in future battles.
---
[Name: Battle Sword]
[Type: Sword, One-hand]
[Physical Attack: 350]
[Rarity: White]
[Description: A sword favored by gladiators, especially designed for prolonged battles in the arena.
Additional Attribute:
+2 STR
+2 AGI
Special Effect: +30% increase in PATK when the wielder attacks]
[Durability: 100/100]
---
[Name: Greaves]
[Type: Footgear]
[Defense: 35]
[Rarity: White]
[Description: Boots made of steel, standard equipment for the empire's knights. Dependable for protecting the feet.
Additional Attribute:
+2 STR
+10 Defense]
[Durability: 100/100]
---
[Name: Steel Gauntlet]
[Type: Arms]
[Defense: 25]
[Rarity: White]
[Description: Arm bracers made of steel, standard equipment for the empire's knights. Dependable for protecting the arms.
Additional Attribute:
+2 STR
+5 Defense]
[Durability: 100/100]
---
[Lightning Blade: Coats the blade with lightning attributes, increasing PATK by 30%. There is a 20% chance to inflict [Paralyze] on the enemy when attacking. Monsters with a water element will receive 75% more damage, while monsters with an earth element will receive 55% less damage.
Duration: 5 minutes
Mana Cost: 100
Cooldown: 20 seconds]
---
Dave assessed his abilities and equipment, pondering whether he was prepared to face a 1★ - Bronze opponent. Despite his efforts, he struggled to determine his readiness. This uncertainty gnawed at him, especially as he recalled Gabriel's ease in defeating a 1★ - Bronze monster, a feat that still eluded him.
Dave's primary concern was his skill set, particularly his [Triple Slash], which he feared might not be sufficient to take down a 1★ - Bronze monster. He understood the critical importance of being well-equipped and skilled to face such a formidable opponent.
---
[Triple Slash Level 4: Rapidly strike the enemy three times in succession, dealing massive damage per hit.
Damage per hit = {(b.level + STR + AGI)/2 x S.Level x 5 x (1+pPen) +PATK}
Mana Cost: 30
Cooldown: 2 seconds]
---
Dave grappled with utilizing his talent to its fullest, aware that it significantly drained his mana pool after each casting. Unbeknownst to him, his current stats were already sufficient to take on some low-leveled 1★ - Bronze monsters. All he needed was to look in the right direction and overcome the shame that had held him back.
In a moment of frustration, Dave slapped himself hard across the cheek, the sharp pain immediately turning his face red. The physical sting jolted him, forcing him to confront his self-doubt and resolve to surpass his recent poor performance.
After slapping himself, Dave looked towards the direction of Dusk Valley, still uncertain whether he should enter. Just then, he noticed that Tigram's Ranking had surged by 1,000 points. This realization spurred him into action. With newfound determination, Dave charged towards Dusk Valley, leaving behind all doubts and fears.