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[ Na: Moon ] [ Race: Human ] [ Class: Classless] [ Level: 30 ] [22%]
[ Lives: 70,145 ] [Super Lives: 0] [ Strength: 149 ] [ Agility: 209 ] [ Constitution: 171 ] [ Mana: 251 ] ( 10 to all stats) [ Attribute Points: 5] —
'I have enough lives. Ti to evolve my second Epic-Rank skill to Second Order.'
The conversations with Frey had given Moon more than just information about the base's power structure. They had given him a clear picture of what he would be facing in the near future, and what he needed most to survive it.
The woman controlling the base was expecting Frey to deliver him. When that delivery didn't happen, she would know sothing had gone wrong. The base was no longer safe to enter or exit freely. Every person inside was a set of eyes reporting back to her.
Moon couldn't return, not until he was ready to face her head-on or had a plan set in motion to intercept her.
That ant everything he did from this point forward needed to count. Every life spent, every skill evolved, every decision made had to push him closer to being strong enough to deal with the situation on his terms.
Moon pulled up his skills panel and stared at the list. Dozens of skills, many of which were epic-Rank ready for evolution. Each one had its rits, each one had carried him through battles that should have killed him.
But there was one that would help him the most with what lay ahead.
He selected it and began feeding lives into it.
[Purify]
[Order: First]
[Rank: Epic] [Level: 15] [Evolve]
[Details: Cleanse a target of all standard negative status effects and has a 15% chance to remove high-tier debuffs and advanced curses. Restores a moderate amount of health upon successful cleansing. Moderate cooldown. 100% Additional Healing]
[Level 15 → 16: 2,048 Lives Consud]
[Level 16 → 17: 4,096 Lives Consud]
[Level 17 → 18: 8,192 Lives Consud]
[Level 18 → 19: 16,384 Lives Consud]
[Level 19 → 20: 32,768 Lives Consud]
[Total Lives Consud: 65,472]
[Your First Order Skill Purify has evolved to Second Order Skill Cleanse!]
Moon excitedly checked out his new skill effects. [Cleanse]
[Order: Second]
[Rank: Epic]
[Level: Max]
[Details: Cleanse all standard debuffs; 25% chance to remove high-tier debuffs and curses. Restores a large amount of health on success with lower cooldown. High-tier cleanses grant a shield scaling on a portion of the debuff strength. 300% healing.]
The difference between Cleanse and Purify was staggering.
It had a ten percent increase in the chance to remove high-tier debuffs and curses. Significantly better healing output with a shorter cooldown between uses. And most importantly, it had an entirely new effect to the skill.
Successfully cleansing a high-tier curse or debuff would generate a protective shield around him. A shield that didn't have a fixed value, but scaled based on the strength of whatever it removed. The nastier the debuff, the stronger the shield.
'This is an incredible evolution.'
Against a normal opponent, the upgrade would have been excellent on its own rits. But against a woman who manipulated minds and controlled people through so kind of pill-based dependency, a skill that could strip debuffs and curses was worth more than any offensive upgrade Moon could have chosen at his current power level.
As much as he had wanted to evolve Advanced Elental Body, hoping it might unlock a new elent or strengthen his existing ones, Moon knew that wouldn't help him survive what was coming next. He had already tested the gain of power based on evolving skills to Second Order, so doing so wouldn't bridge the gap in firepower between him, and the woman with her subordinates.
'Well worth every life invested.' Moon thought to himself.
[ Na: Moon ] [ Level: 30 ] [22%]
[ Lives: 6,657 ] [Super Lives: 0] [ Strength: 149 ] [ Agility: 209 ] [ Constitution: 171 ] [ Mana: 251 ] ( 10 to all stats) [ Attribute Points: 5] "We're heading back to the tree hideout. Lead the way."
The journey took about an hour. Frey walked in front the entire ti, his shoulders hunched in defeat, he knew he had no chance of escaping currently. He didn't speak or try anything fishy. The runes on his body remained hidden in sight, but clear in his mind.
His first death was a constant reminder of what would happen if he did.
Once they arrived at the hollow trunk and Frey cast his concealnt rune under Moon's watchful eye, Moon moved.
He swung the hard end of his staff into the back of Frey's skull in a single, clean strike. Frey crumpled to the ground after releasing a soft pained sound, he was unconscious before he hit the floor.
Moon checked his breathing. 'Steady. He should be out for a while.'
He dragged Frey's body to the far end of the crevice and positioned him facing the wall. Then he summoned Mirage.
The white horse appeared beside him, his ears swiveling as he took in the cramped space and the unconscious man on the ground. Mirage was big, and with the humans in the crevice, the available space beca much smaller.
"I need quiet for the next few hours." Moon said, placing a hand on Mirage's neck. "Watch him. Let know if he wakes up imdiately. I've faced him the other way, but when he cos to, he'll stir from the impact. The mont you sense any movent, alert . Once he wakes, I'll return you to the taming space so he doesn't see you. Okay?"
Mirage responded with a soft neigh, lowering his head and positioning himself between Moon and Frey's body.
Moon sat against the wall and closed his eyes. There were many things demanding his attention. Learning Frey's Rune Enhancent skill through practice, hunting for more lives and spiritual energy, or cultivating Advanced Elental Body into his acupoint.
All three were important. The threads between his skill and the acupoint had been building steadily throughout the day. Every fight, every cycle through the elents, every kill had strengthened the bond further. He was close enough that a few focused hours of cultivation might be all it took to finish the foundation.
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