Better stats? He had them.
More skills? He had those too.
The Land of Origin felt like heaven for a moment as Michael struggled to contain his excitement.
Looking at his updated stats, he was confident he could beat the hell out of his pre-advancement self.
Of course, that was if his strength as a Necromancer wasn’t factored in.
Also Michael felt there was something much more about his rank Advancement.
Advancing to Rank 1 had done more than just grant him better stats and new skills.
It felt like something fundamental within him had changed.
Perhaps because he was still relatively weak, Michael couldn’t fully grasp the deeper transformations that had occurred, those that weren’t explicitly reflected in his panel.
But one thing he did notice.
His senses had become sharper.
His perception improves alongside his agility stat, but the enhancement now felt like more than just an increase in numbers.
For one, he could now detect something in the air that had been imperceptible before.
Mana.
It clung to him, so close it felt almost intimate.
Michael couldn’t help but wonder if advancing a few more times might allow him to actually “see” mana.
Was that even possible?
He had no idea.
Michael turned his attention back to his newly updated status.
[Name: Michael Norman]
[Class: Adept Necromancer]
[Level: 15]
[EXP: 0/17,718]
[Strength: 30.4]
[Agility: 41.1]
[Constitution: 31.7]
[Intelligence: 110.1]
[Attribute Points: 30]
[Skills: Undead Summoning, Undead Revival, Detect, Basic Shot, Share Senses, Spearmanship, Acid Shot, Bone Spear, Slow Curse, Bone Armour, Corpse Explosion]
[Talent: Infinite Evolution]
[Class Skill: Contract Slot {20/40}]
[Gift: Mark of Origin]
The name of his class had changed.
It wasn’t that his class itself had changed but rather his rank among those considered Necromancers.
Just like how, as a cultivator, you were only considered a supernatural being upon reaching Rank 1. Even though you might already be twice as strong as an ordinary human before awakening your life seed.
Awakeners followed a similar pattern.
However, the latter was much more extreme.
Even in the unranked stage, they wielded great power but the current Michael was a prime example of the stark difference between ranks.
Just the stats increase enough was overwhelming.
From the beginning, stats weren’t just simple arithmetic like 1 + 1 = 2; they were more like 1 + 1 = 3.
The stronger one became, the more exaggerated the difference.
Sometimes, 1 + 1 could even equal ten.
Every increase in stats represented a qualitative change, both physically and magically.
Michael, for instance, had 30 points in his Strength stat, which made him 30 times stronger than the average man.
Yet, despite his enhanced physical capabilities, he didn’t appear to be a bulky hulk.
His physique was more muscular and defined than before his awakening, but his body hadn’t swollen unnaturally.
This was because the increase in Strength changed his internal structure.
It transformed the properties of his blood and flesh, made his bones denser, and toughened his skin.
On paper, it seemed like his power was only 30 times that of an average human, but in reality, it was much greater due to these internal enhancements.
The same applied to his Intelligence stat.
Beyond the changes it may have brought to his brain, the improvements to his mana pool were not about sheer size or volume. Instead, his mana had undergone a transformation—becoming denser, purer, and more efficient.
This was why Awakeners’ skills often scaled naturally with their progression, rarely falling behind despite their Mastery level.
Purer and denser mana enhanced the potency and efficiency of their abilities.
In contrast, cultivator mages had to actively study and create tiers of magic to wield stronger spells. A labor-intensive process that Awakeners could bypass entirely if they wished.
This disparity often felt unfair to the cultivators, but it was the reality of their differing paths to power.
Michael only took a glance at his stats, only pausing at his intelligence stat, and went to what interested him next on his panel.
His skills.
[Skills: Undead Summoning, Undead Revival, Detect, Basic Shot, Share Senses, Spearmanship, Acid Shot, Bone Spear, Slow Curse, Bone Armour, Corpse Explosion]
Ignoring the skills he was already familiar with, Michael started checking out the new ones.
[{Acid Shot} (Basic Mastery) Proficiency: 0.07%]
Acid Shot allows the user to launch a corrosive projectile that melts through materials and deals continuous damage.
Range: Can be launched up to 5 meters. Enjoy new tales from empire
—
After reading the description of the skill, Michael’s eyes twitched slightly.
The skill reminded him of a particular type of monster he loathed—acid slimes.
A faint smile tugged at his lips. Acid slimes were annoying creatures, and this skill seemed strikingly similar to the abilities they possessed.
However, Michael was confident that his version would be far superior due to his strength.
Still, it needed to be tested.
“Since this is at basic mastery, the next one should be the skill that likely came from advancing,” he muttered to himself.
And Michael was right.
[{Bone Spear} (Intermediate Mastery) Proficiency: 15.2%]
Bone Spear summons a sharp, ethereal spear made of bone to pierce through enemies.
Travels up to 10 meters.
—
“Finally, an actual Necromancer attack skill!” Michael exclaimed inwardly, a smile spreading across his face.
Compared to {Acid Shot}, which he was still grateful to have, this one sounded far more effective.
Even its {Mastery} level was higher.
But, as always, he’d need to test them all to gauge their true effectiveness.
Still riding the wave of excitement, Michael turned his attention to the other skills he had received as rewards for his perfect quest rating.
[{Slow Curse} (Basic Mastery) Proficiency: 0.5%]
Slow Curse reduces the target’s movement and reaction speed, weakening their ability to evade attacks.
Decreases target speed by 20%.
Duration lasts for 8 seconds.
—
[{Bone Armour} (Basic Mastery) Proficiency: 0.3%]
Bone Armour forms a protective layer of bone over the user, absorbing damage from physical attacks.
—
[{Corpse Explosion} (Basic Mastery) Proficiency: 0.7%]
Corpse Explosion detonates the remains of a defeated enemy, causing a devastating area attack.
Explosion Radius: 4 meters.