Chapter 42: Metal Stag

All three Codes were good and useful. Allen was satisfied after receiving such Codes instead of the money.

"I don't need the Basic grades anymore," Allen said, offering his hand to give all five Codes back.

He was waiting for the couple to give their hands so he could transfer, but no hand came in contact with his. The boy looked up and saw that he was now all alone in the forest. He looked around to find where they are, but they truly vanished.

"They must have a vanishing Code with them," Allen said to himself and sighed. He looked at the Codes and find that the Codes he received from the couple were rather odd.

< Fertile Gun >

Type: Skill

Grade: Basic

Cooldown: 36 hours

Effect: Active - When used, the user can grow a special Otherworld fruit.

"Special Otherworld fruit," Allen rubbed his chin as he was deep in thought.

He was skeptical on the fruit. It was a special fruit just like the description mentioned, but he couldn't be too confident in its quality. After all, it was still a Basic grade. Whatever this fruit may bear, maybe it could only boost his stats for a bit or increase his speed.

But the cooldown further baffled him. Most Basic grade skills have small cooldowns since they have minimal effect, however this one has a very long one. It was longer than average Rare grade skill.

When Allen tried to use the skill, it showed that it was still under cooldown. The couple must've used this skill before giving it to Allen, and since Codes have their own independent memories, the new user of a newly used Code couldn't activate it until the cooldown ends.

'Code in cooldown. 30 hours'

Allen sighed and moved on to the next Code. It was another skill Code, like the previous one.

< Feather Boots >

Type: Skill

Grade: Basic

Effect/s: Active - Increases movement speed by 25% for 10 seconds.

Cooldown: 30 seconds

This one was rather overpowered for a Basic grade. An increase of twenty-five percent in the movement speed that doesn't decay was a Rare grade in itself. It doesn't decay over time too, so this means that the speed is constant for that duration.

And the best of it all was the cooldown. A thirty seconds cooldown is a very short cooldown for a skill like this. In a battle, two minutes is already a short time.

Allen imagined himself gaining twenty-five movement speed every thirty seconds. He would be invincible along with the other Codes he got. His alter ego, The Wandering Trader, is now a person fully equipped with powerful Codes.

The other two Codes were rather on the low end of Allen's expectations. After getting two powerful Codes, the final three were like the ones he'd normally get. Just a small boost with long cooldowns.

The boy sat on the forest floor and decided to lay down. He was tired from all the running and thinking. A whole day of it was too much, but at least he got new useful Codes.

'Enhanced Instincts I activated.'

Allen felt his body leap into the air. He fluttered his eyes open, only to see a stag right in front of him. It was a giant stag, about twice the size of the ones on Earth.

Its body was packed with muscles that were covered with a light gray fur. There were small and white hexagonal patches on its fur on several places around its body, its neck, front legs, hind, and on its forehead.

Attached to its head was a metal horn that were like three-sided pole metals welded into one another. It looked unnatural, yet it looked amazing. The stag in itself looked like it came from a fairy tale.

It was moving majestically as it swerved its metal horn towards Allen. It was running at full speed and Allen couldn't react right since he was in the air. He was at a great disadvantage and he didn't know what he would do.

The boy relied on his passive skill and conjured his glaive right before the metal horns struck him. He crashed his weapon against the horn, putting enough strength so he wouldn't be blown away by how strong the stag was.

After their collision, the boy used one horn of the stag to leap. He slammed his foot on a horn and pushed himself away, landing on a thick branch of a nearby tree.

"That was so close," Allen whispered to himself. He watched the stag look at him, staring like it had ill intentions. "What? You attacked me first!"

The stag seemed to sigh and grovel one of its hooves at the ground like a horse. With one more sigh, it turned around and ran deep into the forest, leaving Allen deeply confused.

"Okay, say what now?" the boy's face contorted. He looked at the path where the stag exited, trying to see if it returns.

After a couple of seconds, when the stag didn't, Allen leaped to the ground. He ran to the direction where the stag went, trying to look for it.

It was walking to the deeper side of the forest, right where the stronger Rare grade beasts were. The stag was strong, so maybe he was one of the strong ones.

But what was the reason it attacked Allen when he was literally doing nothing. He was only laying on the ground, trying to rest his mind when the beast approached and attacked.

That in itself was a riddle that's so hard to answer. What mysteries do that stag contains? And why does Allen seem to be attracted to it?

That stag was surely a high-tier Rare grade. Its drops were surely high quality. Something he could use to craft more weapons. Maybe it would drop its hide that Allen could use for his cloak.

With that thought in mind, the boy ventured deeper into the forest, looking for more Codes and materials so he could finally become an invincible The Wandering Trader.