Chapter 16 - A Guardian's Tutorial (IV)

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"?!" Lucian's eyes widened in shock, absorbing the information in the notification. The reason for his shock was the value attached to his kill. It didn't align with the value Cezar received and it startled him.

For now, Lucian wasn't privy to the presence of rank bonuses as well as detriments. Thus, he was under the impression that 0.3 points was the baseline for the rewarded points.

Fortunately, Lucian's mind worked quickly, making it much easier to piece together the lapses in the information he possessed. 'The only difference between me and the others is our current Fractal Rating. At the very least, I'm willing to bet their abilities are on par with one another.'

In other words, Lucian felt Matthias, Elaine, and Cezar's current rating should be more or less the same.

Meanwhile, he didn't pay much attention to the others. Although strong, they didn't necessarily catch his eye.

Shortly after, Lucian moved his focus to the other damaged Phantom Badgers nearby. Since the others were occupied with their own set of enemies, Lucian made his move, sprinting towards the nearest badger.

Without another thought, he stabbed the dagger towards the badger's torso, but unlike his previous target, this one wasn't damaged to the same extent. The badger snarled before reacting to Lucian's movements.

It jumped up, making another hiss-like noise before clawing at Lucian. Immediately, Lucian recalled the warning issued earlier, especially so in his case. Compared to the rest, his defenses were less effective.

`Even the most minor attack could escalate to a fatal wound if he wasn't careful.

Furthermore, Lucian wasn't sure if there was a Restorer amongst them, since none of them suffered any damage from the badgers. Yet, as he thought about it, this impression didn't make sense.

'What type of elite team would proceed without a healer? Then again, the more important question is whether or not they would be willing to use it on me.'

Since healing used the Guardian's vessel as a medium, the cost of this type of ability was heftier than an offensive ability of the same level. Depending on the extent of the injury, the consumption of Mana varied. Moreover, the strength of the wounded vessel also affected the expenditure as well, presenting unforeseen limitations.

Nevertheless, Lucian couldn't waste any more time thinking about this; too much was on the line to risk it now over worries. Because of his limited ability, it was possible this may be the only situation he could take advantage of.

Lucian leaned to the side, dodging the badger's claw by the skin of his teeth. It was way too close for comfort. Additionally, his shortage of battle awareness made it hard to counteract in his current position, missing the prime opportunity.

Matthias witnessed everything unfold quietly, producing some opinions on the matter. Though, he kept them to himself for now.

On the other hand, Lucian pressed on, landing a sudden strike on one of the badger's limbs after finding an abrupt opening. It was a lucky shot, lacerating a few of the tendons in the badger's limb. With one of its limbs disabled, its movements were hindered, lightening the difficulty for Lucian.

Soon enough, the Phantom Badger fell granting Lucian another addition of points.

〈Alert: You have killed a Phantom Badger (E Rank). [Reward: 0.5 points]〉

In total, Lucian now possessed an entire point. Suddenly, the urge to use it ran through Lucian's mind.

Impatiently, he called up the display menu and pondered which attribute would be the most effective to boost.

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Name: Lucas Salvatore

Title: N/A

Archetype: Augmenter

Fractal Rating: F (F+)

Authority: Nil

Health: 100%

MQ: 15/15 (.5 MQ per min.)

[«Attributes»]-

»Strength: F+

»Agility: F

»Endurance: F

»Dexterity: F

»Vitality: F

»Perception: F

»Spirit: F-

»Wisdom: F-

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[«Enhancements»]

»Points: 1

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[«Abilities»]-

»Reinforce [F+ Rank Ability]

…

After a few seconds of comparing the potential benefits of each boost, Lucian's attention fell on two categories; Dexterity and Agility. Based on what he derived from the information Overseer Vohr disclosed, Agility worked side by side with Strength, ultimately increasing a Guardian's speed. However, Dexterity was the measurement of how well this force output could be manipulated along with the precise motor functions of the body.

Hence, Lucian found these two to be the most beneficial in his current situation. Besides this, he also entertained the idea of increasing his strength, but the resulting messages left a tremendous impression on him.

〈Alert: Insufficient Enhancement Points. [F+ → E- requires 1.5 Enhancements Points.]〉

〈WARNING: Fractal Rating doesn't allow vessel improvement beyond F+. Request invalid.〉

Suddenly, the light beside the Strength attribute dulled. This symbolized the incapability of advancement. In other words, unless an Advancement was achieved, then the rank awarded by the Fractal Pillar was their current soft cap.

Lucian pounded the ground with indignation but ultimately, he settled for raising his dexterity. As long as he could wield a weapon more efficiently despite his lack of training, it should alleviate the pressure felt during combat.

〈Alert: Dexterity: F → F+. [1 Enhancement Point consumed.]〉

A small surge of pleasant energy, birthing a euphoric feeling flowed towards Lucian's fingertip before subsiding. The effects of a status boost were immediate, wasting no time in arriving.

Meanwhile, despite his small increase, Lucian sought an outlet to vent his frustrations, zeroing in on another wounded Phantom Badger. By now, their numbers had dwindled to nearly nothing. At most, they numbered 15 more. This would only suffice in giving Lucian 1 to 2 more kills at max.

After making this estimation, Lucian accepted it. He expelled any greedy thoughts and focused on claiming what was feasible.

Not to mention, the chances of him being reprimanded increased dramatically if he overstepped his boundaries. It could even escalate to physical confrontation! In his current situation, Lucian didn't look forward to any confrontation amongst the team.

Regardless, he still needed Enhancements Points of his own. If he was to find a method of surpassing the shackles of the F+ threshold, then at the very least, he needed to elevate all attributes to the F+ standard.

With his target chosen, Lucian dashed towards the badger, gripping the dagger in his hand tightly. Although he faltered at times in delivering the killing blow, the act weighing heavy on his mind, Lucian deluded himself by viewing these foes as summonings of the Monoliths and not real creatures.

As quickly as possible, Lucian used lethal force to puncture the badger's hide, earning yet another portion of points.

〈Alert: You have killed a Phantom Badger (E Rank). [Reward: 0.5 points]〉

After killing the badger, Lucian noticed there were only 3 more remaining; one of which laid right beside him. But, there was an issue, Cezar was eyeing the badger as prey, a vicious glint shining in his eyes.

'Do I kill it?' Lucian hesitated. Cezar was one of the most unorthodox people on the team. His reactions were too abnormal, either extreme or too playful in nature. In short, he was a whimsical individual, teetering on the edge of being bipolar.

Cezar looked towards him, sensing that hesitation, "Oh, do you want it? I can see that you do, but that hesitation is unsightly. What would you do in grave danger? Or, on a hunter for that matter?" For a moment, Cezar paused, revealing a playful smile afterward, "I think you'll just be eaten alive."

'He thinks everything is a joke,' Lucian thought with a frown. For him, this wasn't a laughing matter; this was a matter of survival! Not just for him, but his siblings as well. Therefore, Lucian relinquished the apprehension he held and rushed towards the badger.

Surprisingly, Cezar didn't make a move, merely watching Lucian. 'Heh, kid's got some balls after all. I can tell by that look, this isn't an opportunity for him, it's a necessity,'

〈Alert: You have killed a Phantom Badger (E Rank). [Reward: 0.5 points]〉

Obtaining another complete point, Lucian immediately used it on his Agility, enhancing the speed his body was capable of handling.

〈Alert: Agility: F → F+. [1 Enhancement Point consumed.]〉

Meanwhile, now that all of the badgers were dealt with, resolving the second wave's objective, another individual approached Lucian. However, from their expression, it was clear they weren't very enthused.

"I'm not in this," Cezar raised his hand, pleading innocence before walking away from the ensuing headache. Contrary to what one would believe, the one to approach Lucian wasn't Elaine, but they still were capable of producing a headache for Cezar.