‘Strength,’ Almond added all three stat points into Strength, feeling power surging in him.
|-Physical:
↳[Strength: 21.5 | Health: 11 | Stamina: 12]
|-Mental:
↳[Mana: 13 (+19.5) | Focus: 14 | Perception: 16]
“Almond, how did you learn your Physical Enchantment?” Lily asked after she chugged a Mana potion instead of meditating to recover her Mana.
“I designed a training method after learning about it to master it,” Almond answered.
“What?!” Lily’s eyes showed disbelief. “You can’t be serious.”
Almond frowned but didn’t bother arguing and calmed his expression as he replied flatly, “I have no reason to lie.”
‘Did he really master Physical Enchantment himself?’ Lily didn’t want to believe, but a part of her believed he was telling the truth since it didn’t feel like he was lying.
“What was the training?”
“I can tell you, but the training is hell. You won’t do it even if you learn it.”
“Just tell me,” Lily stared at Almond’s eyes.
“I learned that infusing Mana appropriately in Chakra points is the key, but it was impossible to find these points, so I tried to spread Mana and feel them-“
“Wait, wait,” Lily interrupted Almond, her eyes trembling, “You spread Mana? That hurts like hell, especially around the Chakra points. You don’t feel anything other than pain if you do that! How can you even sense the Chakra points’ location? There are so many in each limb and other parts!”
“You also need a fine Mana control and precisely infuse Mana in the chakra point to avoid pain and injury in case loss of Mana control…” Lily was still in disbelief.
Almond wryly smiled, “It was hard. I spent three days simply in pain without any results. But I couldn’t quit. I had to learn it.”
‘Since I picked a support role, I needed something that makes me strong and increases my chance of survival,’ Almond looked at his fist. ‘The pain I went through was well worth it.’
He remembered how many times he thought about giving up, but giving up because of that pain painted a picture even bleaker in his mind. He formed that picture to make himself go forward!
Lily saw Almond’s fist clenching while she herself felt involuntarily admiration. She knew the pain, and literally nobody was willing to go through that.
“Anyway, Physical Enchantment is one of the most important skills to learn, and one could learn it right after awakening. I had to learn it to become better, simple as that.”
Almond cracked his index finger and turned to the Gate as he heard something, “Natalia’s here.”
Meanwhile, Lily’s eyes glinted as she looked at Almond, and a grin formed behind her mask. ‘This guy is a monster…’
“What happened to Jacob and others?”
Almond was startled at the sudden question from Lily.
‘Why is she asking me? Is she suspicious of me?’
“How would I know? I haven’t seen them,” He turned to Lily with a plain expression and answered before turning to the gate again.
Lily’s eyes showed an amusing expression.
‘I would have believed you if I didn’t hear your name from Seyung’s mouth. He didn’t finish the name when we met as Jacob glared at him, but he was likely going to speak your name.’
‘Something definitely happened between you and them.’
Meanwhile, Almond’s brain was heating up. ‘I can feel her gaze on my back…Why is she suspicious of me?’
‘This is not good.’
“Guys, the goblins are returning. Let’s get ready,” Natalia said as she rushed towards them.
“Alright,” Lily nodded and took out her bow again to deal long-range damage first.
Meanwhile, Almond devoured the Goblin Spirits he captured.
Nine Goblin Spirits, with one of them being level 7 and the rest being level 6 or 5.
[You have devoured a level 5 Goblin Warrior Spirit.]
[You have gained +0.5 Perception.]
‘Already over? Must be because I’ve already devoured Goblin Warriors from the Goblin Settlement, and I am also at level 6.’
-Level: 6 [4.2%]
[You have devoured a level 6 Goblin Mage Spirit.]
[You have gained +1 Focus.]
‘Alright. Last one.’
[You have devoured a level 7 Goblin Guardian spirit.]
[You have gained +1 Health and +0.5 Stamina.]
‘I guess I’ll be able to get a point from one more Goblin Guardian, even if it’s level 6.’
*Rurarrr*
The sound of Goblins arrived as they entered the gate.
Goblin Chief furiously roared upon seeing dead goblins and humans in his colony, rushing at full speed using some skill while the giant club in its hand also glowed.
Lily, showing no hesitation, instantly fired a powerful arrow toward the incoming Goblin Chief, who couldn’t dodge at the frontal speed it was coming at.
However, its reaction speed wasn’t bad as it swung its hand holding the black wooden club towards the arrow, causing it to explode. The black wooden club was half destroyed while the Goblin Chief was slightly injured and slowed down.
“I’ll kill it,” Almond said as he sacrificed a wolf spirit to cause Spirit Explosion since Goblin Chief was within range of ten meters.
*BOOM!*
But Almond was surprised to see this Spirit Explosion’s wisp color turning red right before exploding in the crimson spectacle.
‘Oh right, it’s that effect that can activate by chance!’
“Woah, what was that?” Natalia exclaimed in shock.
“It’s almost dead,” Lily raised her eyebrows. ‘This explosion skill is quite powerful.’
The Goblin Chief was gravely injured, and since this Spirit Explosion acquired the Bleeding effect from the Dire Wolf, it was also more powerful.
Goblin Chief started bleeding all over, and even the Goblin Mage’s healing didn’t work!
Goblin Warriors and Guardians rushed at the group with bloodshot eyes to attack, but just eight of them were no match.
Almond’s face couldn’t help but form a grin as he rushed forward with his fists glinting from Physical Enchantment.
His steps light as a feather, he jumped and swung a kick at Goblin Guardian’s head, exploding it. Right after landing, he threw his punch after ducking a Goblin Warrior’s sword slash and exploding its head.
‘I didn’t know fighting like this unrestrainedly would feel so good.’
[You have killed a level 6 Goblin Guardian.]
[You have killed a level 6 Goblin Warrior.]
Meanwhile, Lily also attacked, not backing down.
After releasing an arrow to kill the Goblin Mage who was trying to heal Goblin Chief, she joined Almond with her daggers, swiftly killing one level 6 Goblin Warrior and proceeding towards a level 5 Goblin Warrior.
Lily reached level 7.
“Shit, I need to do something, or I won’t get any experience,” Natalia quickly used a skill—Light Pebbles—B-rank.
Five glowing brown pebbles formed as she controlled them and shot towards Goblin Warrior and Goblin Guardians, damaging them.
Meanwhile, Goblin Chief died of bleeding. Since it was the leader monster, Almond got a lot of EXP from it.
[You have killed a level 7 Goblin Chief.]
Almond attacked the last level 5 Goblin Guardian that got damaged from Natalia’s skill, finishing it off.
[You have killed a level 5 Goblin Guardian.]
[You have reached level 7. You have gained 3 unassigned stat points.]
[You have triggered the level-up boon.]
“You two are monsters,” Natalia wryly smiled and looked at Almond before adding, “And what’s with your love for heads, Almond? Geez.”
“It’s not love, but common sense. Exploding heads guarantee death for the majority of the monsters,” Almond flatly replied before he looked at the dead bodies and absorbed their spirits.
[You have devoured a level 7 Goblin Chief.]
[You have gained +1 Health, +1 Stamina, +1 Mana.]
“Let’s rest here for a bit. We have plenty of huts here to explore and rest,” Lily said as she looked at the wooden house.
“We might also find some useful things here,” Natalia grinned and walked towards a nearby hut. “Let’s go.”
“Almond, you can come with me to explore the house since you contributed a lot. I won’t need stuff from here unless it’s something rare,” Lily said to Almond before she started walking towards the only wooden house.
“Are you saying if it’s something rare, you won’t give it to me?” Almond asked as he caught up to her.
“Yeah, but it depends,” Lily glanced at Almond, her eyes glinting, a faint smile behind her mask. “If you continue to team up with us, I don’t mind giving it to you.”
Almond thought for a moment before nodding with a smile, “Sure.”
‘I have no other choice. Lily and Natalia are a danger to my life. I have to resolve this issue before the exit opens on the third day,’ Almond thought as he opened his level-up boon.
‘Please give me a Skill option.’
Almond opened the boon window.
[Select your level up boon]
1. Skill—Random.
2. Accessory—Random.
3. Random—Random.
‘Three options, but I got skill again!’ Almond was thrilled.
He instantly selected the Skill option.
[Congratulations. You have acquired…]