Seed of Titan-Chapter 65: Frustration amidst the Rewards; the Countdown

Chapter 65: Frustration amidst the Rewards; the Countdown

"Hahaha! Didn’t I tell you before heading to the gate that I was trying to spark a change, hoping for the ordeal to reward me? Turns out it worked, hehehe."

Jian couldn’t stop laughing. Ever since he was put down by Drai on his first day here, he had subconsciously developed an inferiority complex and self doubt. His level up was akin to a cure, showing that he wasn’t actually that lacking. As a result, his confidence had soared.

"What did you get from leveling up?" Drai curiously asked. Before this, he was the only one who had leveled up among his friends, so he couldn’t compare the rewards.

"First, I got the obligatory stat growth. Overall, this part looked normal, but I think my con rose a bit more than I expected," Jian explained.

"Your constant beatings are finally showing results, Jian," Flo remarked.

"Shut up, your uncle’s trying to show off here," Jian scolded, leaving Flo giggling.

"Anyway, next is skills," Jian continued. "The majority of skills that became available are inherently tied to my class, but there are a few that I think are the result of my activities during this period."

"Can you give us an example?" Auri requested.

"Uhm, sure. Let me see..."

Jian briefly navigated his System screen that was invisible to the others.

"For example, this one, Mouth of Tiger," he said after looking at his skills.

"It sounds pretty cool. What does it do?" Drai asked.

"I haven’t taken this one, so I can’t give an accurate description. But it let me read the description for you: ’A rabid tiger resides in this mouth as it constantly endangers oneself and foes alike.’

"And for the skill effects: ’Strengthens mind-mouth connection while increasing the likelihood of irking others with one’s words, which may work for the benefit or detriment of the user. Has a small chance to alter one’s karmic flow.’"

After a brief silence, Christo sternly said, "Let me warn you, Jian. Never take that skill."

"Why? I reckon might as well improve my trash-talking abilities if I’m gonna trash talk anyway," Jian said.

"Christo’s right. If you take that skill, I’m gonna kill you," Natalia threatened.

"If you take that skill, you’ll probably end up sleeping eternally in a random ditch before we even graduate," Auri added.

Despite his friends warnings, Jian still wanted to argue, but suddenly felt Drai’s hand resting on his shoulder.

"I’m afraid I’ll accidentally get irked by you and lash out," Drai ominously said.

"Ah... Okay, I won’t take it," Jian said as he couldn’t help but yield. A bead of sweat ran down his forehead as he pictured the scenario which Drai had just mentioned.

"It’s nice to know that our effort outside of our class’ expertise could also be rewarded," Flo remarked.

"I wouldn’t call trash-talking effort, Flo," Natalia slightly refuted, trying to get even with Jian.

"Enough," Christo curtly reprimanded before turning back to Jian. "Is that all?"

"The non-class skills? There’s also another one that I haven’t taken yet. It’s called Avid Plant Cutter. It basically increases my effectiveness in cutting plants while raising my awareness of their weak points. It’s obvious why this gardening skill appeared."

Aside from Drai, the others started laughing. They also knew all too well why this skill was offered to Jian.

"Why are you guys laughing?" Drai asked confusedly. He only saw Jian open up the forest path for a relatively short time, so he didn’t automatically correlate it to this skill.

Jian then told him about his hours of toiling against the myriad of jungle flora for two days straight, which finally enlightened Drai.

’Too bad my class skills seem to be restricted, so I don’t think I’ll ever get these fun skills even if I put a lot of effort,’ Drai slightly lamented inwardly.

"And lastly, there’s something that I didn’t really expect from my rewards. I’ve manifested a beast mark!" Jian proudly declared.

"Beast mark?" Auri asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Is it a beast trainer skill?" Flo also questioned.

"When I first noticed it, I also thought that it was something alone those lines. But after checking the details, it’s actually a symbol that bestows me with traits according to the beast it represents."

"So it’s something like a skill generator?" asked Christo.

"Maybe, but it only gives me one trait for now, so I’m not too sure. But I think it works similarly to bloodline traits where it develops alongside the user’s level progression and evolutions. Or maybe there’s some other prerequisites to progress it."

"Does the System not tell you?" Natalia inquired.

"No. It just gives a short description of the symbol and its effects."

"And what beast does it represent?" Natalia inquired further.

"A carp."

The group fell silent, for they had been thinking that it would be other cooler beasts instead, such as a tiger, wolf, or eagle.

"I know it sounds lame now, but just wait until it upgrades. Then you’ll see how a carp can also grow wings!" Jian proclaimed, looking unbothered by the disrespect.

"And that’s all my rewards I can think of. So, how is it compared to yours?" Jian asked Drai.

The others paid closer attention to Drai’s answer, hoping to gain some insights into their own possible rewards.

"My level up rewards aren’t as many as yours, Jian. For my level three reward, the stat increase is similar to the level two increase, but there are a few stats that had increased a bit more relative to the others. I have an inkling why this is the case, so I don’t find it unusual," Drai explained.

"Wait! You already leveled up again?!" Jian asked bewilderedly.

"Yeah. Have I not told you guys?" Drai replied while looking at the others who were currently stunned.

Jian looked at Drai in disbelief. Just when he thought he had caught up a bit, Drai just had to go and put him in his place once more.

Even Jian’s newfound confidence was greatly rattled by this revelation.

"Fucking cheater! Are you doping or something!? Tell me!" Jian shouted as he grabbed Drai by his collar.

"Ahaha... I think I’m just lucky," Drai remarked, looking helpless. He really wasn’t sure why he was leveling up so fast compared to his contemporaries.

"Is this because of your research with Professor Ravi?" Christo asked curiously.

"I don’t know, but I don’t think so. I’ve only done a preliminary test, and the result was kind of negligible," Drai replied.

"I also want to level up quickly..." Flo pouted at the side. Reflecting on her recent experience, she wanted to amass more skills to help her friends and be useful during battles.

Meanwhile, Natalia’s head slumped. She was in dismay, feeling that Drai was getting even further away from her.

"So that’s why you had that new skill, huh?" Jian said after calming down a bit.

"Yeah. That’s my other reward, I guess. The skill was actually available since the beginning, but I was only able to afford it after my recent level up. I think compared to my level two rewards, yours are way better, Jian. I only received stat growth for my level two reward," Drai admitted.

Hearing Drai’s words, Jian felt a lot better, thinking that his better rewards could perhaps compensate for his slower leveling.

"I feel like we’re all going to level up soon after what we experienced back there," Auri commented.

"I hope so," Flo added.

"How’s the progress of our reports, Christo?" Natalia suddenly steered the conversation away.

"They’ve been verified, and we almost certainly won’t get in trouble for what we went through. I don’t know the specifics, but I heard the higher-ups are working with the academy and officials to unveil the mystery behind that place.

"Our original mission did turn obsolete, but our unexpected findings were highly valuable since there aren’t that many modern archeological sites in Rivideria, let alone one that is oddly hidden, so I reckon they’ll reward us somehow," Christo explained.

"I hope they’ll let us venture out again soon. Maybe I’ll level up again after that," Jian said.

"Only if you get beaten up by another golem," Natalia remarked.

"Then I pray for dozens of golems to come at me next time, hahaha!"

"Crazy bastard," Natalia mumbled.

The group continued to chat until evening before finally returning to their respective dorms.

***

Somewhere in the academy, a man was typing into a strange device on his palm.

<TH requesting for N. Urgent.>

Seconds later, a reply came in.

<N here. Report.>

<Vainly Probe’s continuation confirmed. Plausible results have been observed.>

<Are you sure?>

<Yes.>

<Great. Send the specifics by tonight along with the state of preparations.>

<Affirmative. How long will it take to process the report?>

<Three days at least. The higher-ups are currently preoccupied. There has been some trouble in the southern front.>

<Is it related to our recent offshore expansion?>

<I can’t reveal the details. It’s outside our jurisdiction.>

<How about an approximate date for our operation?>

<If we’re cleared, before the next month unless there are contingencies. If issues arise with the report, it could take a while. Why? Are you that impatient, TH?>

<It’s been too long, N.>

<That’s the consequence when dealing with Sinful Tyrant. Bastard can’t be underestimated, you know his track record. It was a necessary precaution.>

<I understand. I was just venting.>

<Just wait a bit more and you can settle down for a few years. I’ll make sure of it.>

<Appreciated. It’s been a long overdue vacation.>

<’Too bad the word ’vacation’ doesn’t exist in The Order’s vocabulary. You’ll still be active, albeit not on the field.>

<Understood. If nothing else, I’ll be off.>

<One more thing. Make sure Manic Friend doesn’t flee our grasp. He’s an essential piece for our progress.>

<Will do. For the Reckoning.>

<For the Reckoning.>

<Commencing blackout.>

***