Chapter 179: Progress

Chapter 179: Progress

Chapter 179 - Progress

With an objective in mind, Kai focused on the skills close to the next advancement. Making use of the attributes he gained from Mana Child, he stretched his abilities in inventive ways for the last levels.

It was addicting to see the blinking notifications marking his progress. He messed around with the Guide to add a celebratory jingle, so hed immediately know when he reached a skill milestone.

Blessed Swimmer (lv50)

As you reach the first milestone, you are presented with four choices to continue your journey.

Stay the Course - You wont gain new significant benefits, but youll deepen the insight into your path.Treasure Hunter - Follow the whispers of the sea to find its treasures.Vigilant Diver - Heed the warning of the sea to avoid the dangers that lurk in the deep.Reckless Diver - Call the sea to your aid to delve into treacherous waters.

Those were some interesting upgrades for a swimming skill. Then again, Blessed Swimmer wasnt an ordinary one. He had only been able to learn it thanks to the Blessing of Kahali.

The specializations doubled down on his underwater instincts while branching in different directions. Once he discarded the vanilla option, Kai was left with a torturous choice.

Treasure Hunter whispered of the marvelous prizes that waited to be discovered underneath the waves. When he went pearling with his sister, Blessed Swimmer had given him an inkling of where to look. A faint direction that something valuable was nearby. Kai could only imagine the benefits of strengthening this ability, probably increasing its precision and range.

I want to take it so bad. I bet even Ele would be envious if she knew.

The idea of adventuring underwater charmed him like a sirens call. Kai wished to take it without overthinking, but the stupid voice of reason demanded he consider all angles.

Why am I like this? I hate myself, I can never make an impulsive decision with these things. Yeah, I would probably regret it later, but it would feel so good for a little while.

Yes, there were some drawbacks to this specialization. The low mana density of the Shallow Sea didnt produce many treasures. There were exceptions like Mama Clams golden pearl, but those were rare.

Treasure Hunter couldnt make precious prizes sprout from nothing, not even with his Favor. He would need to try different hunting grounds and deal with his worst nightmare: the Republics bureaucracy.

Spirits, I wont be surprised if you need a permit to breathe on the mainland.

That still didnt answer the most important question, did he really need the money? More mesars never hurt, a stroll through the upper city was enough of a reminder. However, if wealth was the issue, he could make more coins with alchemy and enchantments. It was more reliable and carried fewer risks.

The reason Treasure Hunter appealed to him was the thrill of the adventure. The infinite possibilities promised by the unknown prizes. He already had enough hobbies weighing on his limited time.

Hed need to delve into higher mana areas away from shore to be worth it. Danger and treasure always traveled hand in hand. If he came across anything like a sea serpent underwater, he might not even realize what killed him.

I hope you had fun destroying my dreams. Damned reasonable-Kai, go get a life.

And the Guide was clearly conspiring against him with reasonable-Kai. Vigilant Diver was another devious taunt. A reminder that Blessed Swimmer and Hallowed Intuition couldnt protect him from every danger. Like Ele loved to say, it didnt matter if he saw the shark if he couldnt avoid it.

Perhaps this was the smart option for a treasure hunter. A protection to search more dangerous areas and insurance for a long career.

Boring option, pass. Whats next? Reckless Diver Your honor, I rest my case. The Guide is colluding with reasonable-Kai. This is baseless slander! Im not reckless, I just take calculated risks with a high mortality rate. And I dont even do it intentionally most of the time.

The treacherous Guide didnt come forth to apologize or change the description.

While the effects of a skill were the same for everyone, descriptions were personal, influenced knowledge and experience. What did call the sea to his aid mean? Could he control the oceans and shape the water against his foes?

That sounds far too overpowered.

No matter how rare, Blessed Swimmer was a swimming skill and Reckless Diver its specialization. It likely strengthened the blessed sixth sense he received underwater and the mana enhancement he could use. Whatever the case, it would improve his combat potential. A very compelling argument.

And it sounds cool.

Treasure Hunter would be another time sink he couldnt afford, while Vigilant Diver was boring and overkill with Hallowed Intuition.

Like the butler said, the best defense is getting stronger.

*Ding*

You chose to be a Reckless Diver. Blessed Swimmer (lv50) can now reach lv75.

A trip to the sea confirmed his suspicions. The cold water embraced him and dampened every sound. Besides boosting himself with unattuned and elemental mana, Reckless Diver offered a third option that consumed both.

Stay the Course - You wont gain new significant benefits, but youll deepen the insight into your path.Master of Herbs - Learn how to extract every drop of potential from plants and fungi to perfect your recipes.Novice Researcher - Become adept at modifying recipes and learn the uses of new ingredients.Master of Production - Improve efficiency and yield when brewing with large amounts of ingredients.

I could ask Reishi to finance it, wed need to choose something with market potential

Unable to make up his mind, Kai moved to the last option: Master of Production. He would need to thank the merman for it.

The efficiency boost would increase his earnings, though he wasnt really interested in money. Not in the small margins the specialization would net him. If he needed a few more silver, he could work an extra hour. Master of Production would make little difference in the short term.

Sorry, Reishi. I know youd love it if I picked this, but mass production is kinda boring.

Kai discarded the option with little regret. Now came the hard part.

Master of Herbs would improve his skills the most, though it limited his possibilities. While Novice Researcher was well fun. It had an uncertain earning potential, and might or might not get him some useful recipes.

Those are a lot of ifs.

He could also Stay the Course and not pick anything, but it was a waste when there were viable options.

What do I need from my Alchemy?

An endless source of potions and a way to earn a living. Those were the main points, and neither specialization would influence them much.

Alchemy was more than a hobby but not his main pursuit. Even if he ended up changing his profession, he wouldnt become a full-time alchemist. He could afford to make unpopular choices.

*Ding*

You chose to become a Novice Researcher. Alchemy (lv50) can now reach lv75.

Its for the best.

He still had his second milestone to specialize, for now, he saw no problem being a generalist. Novice Researcher was more interesting and encouraged experimentation. Pushing his boundaries always made skills grow faster.

Kai rummaged through the drawers on his desk to find the tear of the deep. A deep blue crystal infused with Water mana. Flynn had bought it cheap from a merchant who thought it was a pretty rock.

Examining it with Mana Sense and Inspect, he got a few ideas on how he could grind it and mix it in a potion without wasting its potential. He could have achieved the same with some thought, but it now came easier and faster.

And I can get even better ideas if think about it.

Kai smiled satisfied. Testing the specialization influence when he modified a recipe would be a much more laborious process. Hed first ask Reishi if there was a potion he wanted to alter. The merman never lacked ideas to make a profit.

Well have plenty of time to discuss it on the ship. Ill probably have to wait till we get back to test it

Ready to go? Flynns voice echoed from downstairs.

Just a minute.

Kai turned to pick up the large brown bag. It had already been filled with everything he might need for his journey home. Alanas subtle hints had become more obvious in her letters. His twelfth birthday was like a nice time to surprise his family with a visit.

Edgar had engraved the last fang two days ago, and Reishi was about to go back to Sylspring to check his business there. It was the ideal time. The perfected copied skill lay like a monolith in his mind.

I hope theyre doing as well as Mom says.

The final sea serpents sword lay on his bed. The culmination of months of work. The gnome had fused two fangs to make a double edge. The fusion was so seamless that Kai wouldnt believe it had once been two pieces if he hadnt seen it himself. It had complicated the balancing, but he had managed to pull it off with a little help from the runesmith.

Both sides were covered in intricate chains of delicate runes. Edgar had carved them with transparent ink, so the runes were almost invisible on the glass-like surface. Even a three-times fool couldnt chip the enchantment. The gnome insisted he had used the special ink to celebrate getting rid of the stubborn pest infesting his lab.

I think he might like me.

Beneath the leather braiding, the ivory hilt had been engraved with a cloaking enchantment. Another idea of the gnome since his professional pride would hurt if someone stole his work.

Kai picked up the sword and gave a few practice swings. He couldnt wait to sneak into the Veeryd jungle and test it properly. He put it back into its sheath and stored it in his ring.

Time to go.