Reidar swung the mop handle down on the last of the Rift-Sprites at the gas station.
The metal pole connected with a dull crack.
[Your Improvised Weapon strikes Stone Rift-Sprite for 89 Bludgeoning Damage.]
The creature's eyes dimmed.
[Level 5 Stone Rift-Sprite defeated.]
[You have gained 84 C.L.A.S.P. Points.]
[You have earned 20 Survival Points.]
The level 5 Stone Sprite had put up more resistance than the others, but with some tactics he brought not only that beast down but also the other ones. Most of that was to be attributed to their stupidity and lack of coordination.
"Ah…Ah…"
Reidar was having trouble breathing, and his muscles ached. Given that these monsters were five levels above him, the battle had been complex.
He leaned against a shelf and wiped the sweat from his forehead. The gas station floor was littered with Sprite corpses. Six in total.
—[«QUEST COMPLETE: Reclaim the Gas Station»]—
[Goal: Eliminate all hostile Rift-Sprites from the gas station premises (6/6)]
[Quest Reward: 300 C.L.A.S.P. Points, 100 Survival Points]
—[«END»]—
[C.L.A.S.P.: 1,105 / 1000]
[LEVEL UP! You have reached Level 1.]
[You have gained 0.5 attribute points to distribute.]
The notifications appeared faster than Reidar could process them. Then, a new message materialized with golden borders.
[LEGENDARY MASTERY ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: The Pioneer]
[Reward: Title—"The Pioneer"]
—[«The Pioneer»]—
Description: Title awarded to the first survivor to reach Level 1 within the Last Will Framework.
Passive Effect: Increases C.L.A.S.P. Points gained from defeated hostiles by 5% when equipped.
Rarity: Legendary (A unique title awarded only once).
Additional Effect: None.
—[«END»]—
Reidar stared at the floating text.
The system continued to reward him for being the first to reach these milestones, but for how long would that be the case? Besides, being the first didn't necessarily mean being the best.
Reidar focused on his status screen to see the changes.
—[«STATUS»]—
Name: Reidar Miller
Level: 1
Health: 100
Mana: 100
C.L.A.S.P.: 105 / 1000
Available Attribute points: 0.50
Skills: #N/A
Equipment: #N/A
Proficiencies: Basic Combat
Attributes: (S.H.I.E.L.D.: 1), (A.C.U.M.E.N.: 1), (F.L.A.I.R. : 1), (F.L.I.P.: 2)
Minions: #N/A
Survival Points: 0
Trait: Skill Sharing
Perks: #N/A
Perk Points: 0
Titles: The Early Riser, The First Killer, The First Apprentice, The Pioneer
Profession: #N/A
—[«END»]—
The level-up requirement remained the same, at 1000 C.L.A.S.P. points. He also gained 0.5 attribute points to spend. Reidar considered his options. The attributes affected different aspects of his capabilities based on what the system explained.
S.H.I.E.L.D. would increase his health and physical strength. A.C.U.M.E.N. would boost his mana capacity and mental abilities. F.L.A.I.R. governed speed and reflexes, and F.L.I.P. influenced luck and critical hit chances.
Right now, staying alive mattered most. He allocated the half point to S.H.I.E.L.D.
[S.H.I.E.L.D. increased to 1.5]
[Achievement Reward Applied: +50 Maximum Health]
The change in his health was immediate. Energy flowed through his tired muscles. He could feel stronger, not only in terms of strength but also in terms of general well-being. It was to the point that the exhaustion that had weighed on him lifted. That somewhat explained the increase in health.
Not that he needed it. If he wanted to kill as many as possible, there was just one way to do so in a short amount of time.
Then, a new notification appeared.
—[«QUEST RECEIVED: The Highway Massacre»]—
Goal: Eliminate as many Rift-Sprites as possible from the highway swarm.
Time Limit: 3 hours
Reward: Variable based on results. Final rewards will be calculated upon quest completion.
Special Conditions: The Quest begins as soon as you receive it.
—[«END»]—
Reidar read the quest details twice. Three hours to kill as many sprites as possible. There was no fixed reward structure, which in itself was rather intriguing. The system would evaluate his performance and provide appropriate rewards.
The highway had thousands of creatures, so he might be able to get a lot of rewards.
Killing all the Rift-Sprites looked impossible. Killing a few with his strength was even more absurd. He killed the 6 Rift-Sprites at the gas station, but that was only thanks to ambushes, tactics, and the monsters' stupidity.
But if he could lure them to the gas station and trigger an explosion, he should be able to kill quite a few. It was impossible to kill them all since there were hundreds of thousands, but killing a couple of thousand was viable.
Reidar went through the station. He needed to prepare the building to set off the explosion easily. The fuel pumps outside were connected to underground storage tanks. If he could rupture those tanks and create an ignition source, the resulting explosion would devastate anything nearby.
He spent the next hour gathering materials. Motor oil from the storage room. Cleaning chemicals that would burn hot and fast. Boxes of snacks and paper products for additional fuel. He spread the flammable liquid throughout the main store area and in front of the pumps themselves. He also created some oil tracks. He would just need to set them on fire for them to reach the fuel he placed around.
The underground fuel lines presented a bigger challenge. Reidar found a toolbox behind the counter. The tools were basic but functional. A wrench, screwdriver, hammer, and utility knife.
He worked his way outside to the fuel pumps. The access panel required a wrench to open. Inside, pipes and valves controlled the flow from the underground tanks. Reidar loosened several connections until fuel leaked.
It was a random process. Reidar had no idea what he was doing; he was just unscrewing everything that came into sight, but it seemed to be working.
[2 hours remaining.]