Burning Down A Nest - Skill Maker In A New World: Start By Creating A 10x SP Skill

[Congratulations! You can retrieve:]

[Blazewyrm Scales (Lv.2) Blazewyrm Fang (Lv.2) Beastbone (Lv. 2)]

'No Core…?'

Darien thought with a frown when he saw the loot list.

The Blazewyrm, ever defiant even in death, refused to drop its core. Out of everything else, Darien wanted it.

But he figured he could still make do sales-wise with what he had gotten: Blazewyrm Scales (Lv.2), Blazewyrm Fang (Lv.2), and Beastbone (Lv. 2).

He had no plans to craft anything himself, so selling them would be the right move. After all, the Adventurer's Association was also waiting at the gate to take their share, so raw loot was just as needed.

Blazewyrm Scales were known to be heat-resistant and often used to forge fireproof armor.

The Fangs could be infused into weapons to grant minor flame effects besides their already-edged attribute.

Lastly, Beastbones were essential for reinforcing handles or forming attachments in specialized gear.

Not a total loss, Darien supposed.

[Skill Points: 3850]

[P.E: 150]

The young adventurer had been using for twenty minutes straight. According to the rate, that cost up to 40 P.E in total.

The that helped in ending the Blazewyrm took its 10 P.E cast.

Darien knew he wasn't done with his escapade here in the Primordial Forest. At this pace, he might burn through all Energy before he even got the chance to absorb more or begin proper cultivation.

He thinks he has the solution to this.

He could make a skill that could slowly replenish his reserves over time, so he wouldn't helplessly run out from the little he currently had.

[Name: Primordial Energy Recovery]

[Type: Passive / Special]

[Level: (3-star)]

[Description: A passive skill that steadily replenishes the user's P.E over time. When activated, it recovers 5 P.E per minute.]

[Cost: 1350 SP]

[Are you sure you want to spend 1350 Skill Points to create the skill: ???]

'Yes.'

[Ding!]

[You have acquired new skill: ]

The primary objective of this skill was to counterbalance 's steady drain. But seeing that restored more than what consumed, Darien was sated.

Logically, that meant not only could he keep hovering as long as he wanted, but he'd also be gaining extra P.E. every minute.

It was a way better outcome than he expected, giving him a small edge in moving forward!

As he relished, Darien began to feel that his stamina had begun dipping. He noticed even making skills seemed to sap him physically.

Having no accurate calculation of how much time was left before exhaustion, he didn't delay before moving forward again.

The Primordial Forest, in Darien's view, had been a bit more scanty than he anticipated, but when he remembered that its scale was around 400,000 square kilometers, and he hadn't even roamed 1/16th, he was humbled.

However, as he drifted forward, his attention was attracted by the movement of some oversized Dire Rats, scurrying into what appeared like the devastated rubble of a long-forgotten building.

(Monster Rat)

(HP: 100)

(Rank 1 Stray!)

What attracted Darien was their numbers, and how they were easily Rank 1.

He would get a lot of Skill Points from this if he slayed them all, and the drop rate chance would be higher due to their numbers.

'I've heard Rank 1 monsters don't usually gather in flocks unless something was brewing within.'

Since Rank 1 beasts were the most commonly encountered tier, it wasn't unusual for Adventurers to grow used to their patterns.

So, Adventurers were aware that whenever such creatures began to appear in colonies or flocks, it often signaled something worth being wary of.

It could be a Broodleader, a slightly evolved beast guiding the lesser ones, or something far more sinister lurking nearby and driving their behavior.

Better than to dive straight into a nest, some Adventurers devised varying approaches. The most common was luring one or two beasts away from the group, slaying them quickly, taking whatever loot was dropped, and leaving before drawing attention.

But Darien's thoughts here were a bit straightforward and head-on.

With active, he was confident that beasts as low as these wouldn't be able to see or sense him. But cautious he did abide, as he floated silently with , and entered through a shattered window of the ruined structure.

Inside, he counted twenty Dire Rats in total, watching their movements closely.

They were hoarding freshly harvested tuber foodstuffs into corners, working in a loose rhythm. And eventually, his eyes caught sight of the Broodleader.

(Gravel Mole)

(Affinity: Earth)

(HP: 350)

(Rank 2 Stray!)

In contrast to what Darien had anticipated, the Broodleader wasn't a Ratman beast. It wasn't even a rat at all.

The Broodleader was a chunky magical mole. It took Darien several seconds to spot it because it blended perfectly with the cracked foundation it stood on.

The Gravel Mole was enormously large, greyish-brown with a crusted hide patched with soil and stone. Its claws were thick, long, and dangerous, perfect for both digging and fighting. And its beady dark eyes, the size of a full-grown tomato, squinted frequently, as if it held a grudge against the natural light.

It looked like a meatloaf with teeth to Darien. But he knew better than to take such a beast for granted.

The rodents failed to notice the silver-haired human watching. The human, taking his chance, began to plot their demise.

He felt the Broodleader, the mole, would give him a fatal challenge if he let it act first. Swift and precise would be the only way to win.

Darien couldn't rely on assumptions alone, so he initiated a deeper system inspection to uncover the full breadth of the beast's stats and abilities before making a move.

(Gravel Mole)

(STR: 70)

(AGI: 15)

(PER: 25)

(Skills: Stone Hide (2-Star), Tunnel Lurch (2-Star), Gravel Burst (2-Star), Burrow Sense (2-Star), Rattle Roar (2-Star)

'With 2-star Stone Hide skill, my katana or possibly even my sword wouldn't inflict enough damage.'

'And that Gravel Burst appears to be an AoE Earth damage skill. Although low-level, I should avoid the ground at all cost.'

Through , Darien identified the Gravel Mole's weakness. The weakness of the beast was its underbelly. But with the beast's body pressed flat against the ground, there was no clean angle to strike it.

Making and using a ground-swimming skill to tunnel beneath was also out of the question. The creature had and would easily diagnose the threat because of the vibrations.

Looking at the enormous strength it honed, Darien also doubted would freeze it long enough to land a decisive hit.

What he needed was another discharge skill that would totally ignore the beast's , and slay it effectively.

[Ding!]

[Skill frame established]

[Name: Solar Scour]

[Type: Offense / Discharge]

[Level: (3-star)]

[Description: Releases a radiant burst of concentrated heat that sweeps across a 10-meter radius. The wave scorches targets with amplified damage and steadily melts armor or thick hide from the outside in.]

[P.E Cost: 15 P.E]

[Cooldown: 80 sec]

[Cost: 800 SP]

[Are you sure you want to spend 800 Skill Points to create the skill: ???]

'Yes.'

[Successfully created a new skill!]

Darien grabbed the grimorie with confidence, doing what was needed.

[Ding!]

[You have acquired new skill: ]

[Level: (3-star)]

He wasted no time after making the new skill. Still cloaked in , the Adventurer picked up a pebble and threw it toward the center of the ruins.

The piece of stone made a loud clattering noise, and it drew the attention of every creature.

Just as planned, all of them gathered within a 5-meter radius.

The Dire Rats scurried over in a cluster to inspect it, while the Gravel Mole became cautious and was ready to retreat underground if real danger struck.

'Ice Spear.'

In an instant, the frigid weapon formed, and Darien hurled it with great precision toward the gathered cluster of rodents.

Upon impact, the spear killed one of the Dire Rats, impaling it with deadly force and freezing its punctured corpse. In the same breath, a wave of icy energy exploded from the point of impact, engulfing the others.

All limbs locked inanimately as cold, hard frost overtook fur and flesh. The Gravel Mole didn't escape.

Darien stretched his palms forward in action.

He had only a few seconds before the magical beast showed him what its strength could do.

'Solar Scour.'

Bright red glyphs appeared ahead of his hands before they erupted in a glow like boiling rings overheating.

Darien unleashed , and an intense wave of searing fire surged outward, roaring through the frost-covered radius.

The temperature drastically flipped, flesh cracking from the sudden heat, ice vaporizing into steam, and the rats combusting where they stood. Even the Gravel Mole bellowed in agony, its stone hide blistering as smoke erupted from its scorched back.

In a little while, the Rank 2 rodent nest became an incinerated graveyard. The corpses emitted steam like restaurant dishes, and the fur smoldered like clay. Darien stepped in openly, standing victorious.