I stood still, staring at the numbers floating before my eyes with as much satisfaction as surprise.
Physique and Vitality stats had increased, not as much as last time, but still a lot.
Then there was Mana, the lowest stat I had, which had almost doubled, even surpassing Vitality.
Maybe the other two stats had increased less because of the mana.
I guessed, moving on to the rest of the changes.
I could feel my body lighter and stronger, and not only because my stats had risen, but as if my body's potential had improved. For a moment, I felt like clenching my fist and smashing it against the floor, just to see if I could shatter the cellar stones. But I held back. I might not be completely sane, but I wasn't stupid.
Then I checked my skills. Scale Armor had gone up to level two, and when I activated the skill, I could see the scales become more visible and tougher.
Then it was Fire Affinity's turn. To test it, I was about to remove one of the two runes already engraved on my body, when instead I decided to try inscribing a new one.
As I expected, I managed to inscribe the new rune, but when I tried a fourth, I felt a pounding headache, marking my new maximum at three.
Not wanting to set the house on fire with some explosive magic, the rune I had inscribed summoned only a small fireball, which lit and warmed the surrounding area.
"Now, this is something I can work with."
Fire was one of the elements with the highest destructive power, and it would be very useful to me.
Anyway, it was surprising. In my old timeline, even though I could use many shadow-related skills, I had no affinity with that element.
Usually, every awakened person had one affinity, but there were exceptions. Some awakened two, which was rare. Others, three, which were incredible. Then, very few individuals in all history had four, and no one had ever been known to have five or more, at least not yet.
There would be someone who would develop an affinity with every basic element and its advanced form, and that person was the archmage.
The Hero, instead, had "only" four affinities, but what he lacked in quantity, he made up for in quality. In fact, he had affinities for ice, lightning, holy, and space.
He really was a monster...
Leaving ice and lightning aside, the other two elements were among the highest, and even the archmage didn't have access to them.
I admit I was curious. If I killed monsters of different elements, would I develop a new affinity each time?
It was an interesting hypothesis, but not something I cared about too much, since magic for me was more of a support source.
I then focused on the other new skill.
[Eyes Of Predation]
After activating the skill, I didn't notice anything different, so I tried activating it in front of my reflection, and the result was... quite disgusting.
"Do I... really look like that?"
With the skill active, my reflection was not of my current body, but of the other one. It had a shape similar to mine, but covered in black, pulsing tentacles, and the most disturbing thing was the mass of eyes scattered all over its face.
If my opponents had to see something like that, I wouldn't be surprised if they were terrified.
I deactivated the skill, not wanting to see that disgusting thing any longer, and then I smiled.
Before leveling up, I had been 99% sure everything would be fine; now I was 100% sure.
All I had to do now was make the archipelago experience true terror.
****
— Third Person —
In the week that followed, the archipelago was wrapped in a shroud of fear. Every morning, like clockwork, someone found a new corpse. The bodies were always mutilated in the same way: flesh torn with surgical precision, limbs left in unnatural positions, and faces frozen in expressions of terror.
Rumors raced through the streets and markets. Once or twice it could have been the work of a mad killer, but now it had become a repeating pattern. People began to suspect a connection to some heretical ritual.
The factions were the main victims of these murders, with the only exception being the Explorers. None of their ranks had suffered losses, which only fueled suspicion and resentment.
It was this growing instability that pushed the leaders of the four main factions to call an extraordinary council on the central island.
The island was different from all the others. It didn't belong to any single faction, but to all of them at the same time. There stood the Pantheon, a massive temple with statues dedicated to the deities who governed the world, a place dripping with holiness that no one dared desecrate. It was the only ground where even sworn enemies could meet without weapons being drawn, for fear of angering the gods.
That day, the Pantheon was surrounded by chosen guards from every faction. Flags waved slowly in the sea breeze, and the tension between the groups was almost tangible.
Inside the great circular hall, the representatives arranged themselves on the four sides, each under their own symbol: the Merchants' scales, the Pirates' white skull, the Red-Light District's golden crown, and the Explorers' dark helmet.
"Been a long while since we last met, ain't it, KHAKHAKHA!"
The man laughing with his feet on the table was Anthony, the head of the Pirates. His skin was tanned from time at sea, and his hair and beard were both unkempt. He had a big build and a swollen belly from all the alcohol he drank, but he wasn't someone to underestimate.
"You're as disgusting as ever, Anthony," said Jasmine, full of disgust.
"I'm still waitin' fer ye in me bed. I'm real curious 'bout the face ye'll make when ye be ridin' me cock, KHAKHAKHAKHA!"
"Oh, please. With all the alcohol you drink, that thing won't even rise," Jasmine mocked.
"Oh, don't believe me? Go ask some o' yer girls... oh right, I killed 'em, chokin' the poor lasses."
The two looked at each other coldly before Alfred interrupted them.
"Now is not the time to argue among ourselves."
They clicked their tongues in annoyance but said nothing more.
Jasmine then glanced at Erik, who turned when he felt her gaze. Jasmine licked her lips and looked at him flirtatiously, but Erik looked at her expressionlessly for a moment, then turned his gaze away.
"You little shit," she mumbled, annoyed, especially after listening to Anthony's laughter.
Then they all fell silent and turned to Paul, who had remained quiet the whole time. Paul, being the strongest, had always been respected, especially for his charisma, but at that moment, he looked much more unkempt as he continued to stare and clean the bracelet on his wrist.
"Ahem... I think we can start by saying something is happening in the archipelago."
Seeing that Paul did not want to speak, Alfred, the eldest of the group, began.
"Wow, what an insight," Jasmine said sarcastically.
Alfred ignored her and continued. "The first cases could have been coincidences, but we've lost three men in... that way."
As he spoke, Alfred tried to show his anger and sadness at the situation, but it was fake. With Adel, they had planned who to sacrifice.
Even though the Merchants were a relatively neutral group, neither good nor bad, it wasn't strange that there were rotten apples among them. For Alfred and Erik, dealing with them had never been a real priority, but since they had to join this farce, they might as well get rid of those burdens.
"I lost two good navigators, too," admitted Anthony.
"Same here," said Jasmine.
They all then turned to Paul, who still had not said a word.
"Oi, Paul, got nothin' to say?" Anthony asked without fear, since he was the only one at the top of Grade 2.
Paul raised his head disinterestedly, mumbling something that sounded like a whisper.
"I don't know... I don't know anything... hmm?"
Confused, he lowered his gaze again when Alfred called him again.
"Paul, I don't want to sound like I'm interrogating you, but from what I know, your faction hasn't suffered losses so far."
"Wait, seriously?"
"Where do you live? Almost everyone knows it by now." Seeing Anthony's confusion, Jasmine had no words.
This time, Paul didn't even bother to answer and remained fixated on his bracelet, almost as if he was obsessed.
" I be sick o' this nonsense."
Anthony stood up and walked toward Paul. Alfred tried to stop him, seeing the situation getting worse, but, as expected, Anthony ignored him.
"Listen, Paul, I dunno what game ye be playin', but—"
The moment Anthony touched Paul, Paul's eyes filled with blood, and the next instant, Anthony's body was sent flying to the other side of the hall, crashing against the wall.
"IT'S MINE! NO ONE CAN STEAL IT! THIS IS MY TREASURE! MINE!!!!"