Pseudo-Interlude: The Weight of Rarity.

Pseudo-Interlude: The Weight of Rarity.

> Your Physical Resistance rank VIII ability has triggered. You are invulnerable for 8 seconds.

The explosion almost killed him. But he was healed as System power surged to the Man.

[...] 14,561 kill messages suppressed.

You gained 287 levels. You gained +574 Strength +574 Dexterity, +574 Agility, +430 Endurance, +430 Constitution +72 Intelligence, +72 Wisdom, + 72 Charisma and +71 Willpower. You have 1,435 Attribute Points.

You gained a Sub-Class slot.

You gained a Sub-Class slot.

You cannot have more than two open Sub-Class slots. One sub-Class slot was converted to 50% Attribute Efficiency.

You cannot have more than two open Sub-Class slots. One sub-Class slot was converted to 50% Attribute Efficiency.

You cannot have more than two open Sub-Class slots. One sub-Class slot was converted to 50% Attribute Efficiency.

You cannot have more than two open Sub-Class slots. One sub-Class slot was converted to 50% Attribute Efficiency.

Your training and knowledge improved your Physical Resistance Skill to rank VII. Massive damage is reduced by 5% per level.

Your training and knowledge improved your Physical Resistance Skill to rank VIII. When critically hurt, you become invulnerable by 1 second per rank. This can only happen once per day.

[...] 5 Laborer Perk notifications suppressed.

You reached your first milestone. You gained 20% Attribute Efficiency.

[...] 5 Laborer Perk notifications suppressed.

You reached your second milestone. You gained 20% Attribute Efficiency.

[...] 4 Laborer Perk notifications suppressed.

You reached your third milestone. You gained 20% Attribute Efficiency.

[...] 4 Laborer Perk notifications suppressed.

You reached your fourth milestone. You gained 20% Attribute Efficiency.

[...] 2 Laborer Perk notifications suppressed.

You reached your fifth milestone. You gained 20% Attribute Efficiency.

[...] 2 Laborer Perk notifications suppressed.

You reached your sixth milestone. You gained 20% Attribute Efficiency.

[...] 2 Laborer Perk notifications suppressed.

You reached your seventh milestone. You gained 20% Attribute Efficiency.

[...] 1 Laborer Perk notifications suppressed.

You reached your level cap and must complete a trial to evolve your species. All future Exp awards deferred.

Generating trial.

Your trial will be ready in 24 hours. Please stand by.

You have two open Sub-Class slots. You have 375% Attribute efficiency to distribute.

The man didn't stand by. He stared at his messages and felt a budding headache as his perceptions expanded. He pumped his arms, jumped three times as high as before, and shouted at the top of his lungs. "LEVEL THREE HUNDRED, BABEEEEEE!"

It was usually recommended to not tell people your level as it painted a target behind your back but he was sure he was as powerful as one could be. Strong enough to take everything he cast his eyes as his property. He would have good food, drink something that was not brewed out of horse piss and night soil, and get a dozen wives, at least.

*

*

But first, payback. "Marshall!" The level 300 man shouted. "When this battle started, I was but the slave, now I am the master! All shall bow to my..."

"{Shut the fuck up!}" Lord Marshall use his Command ability on him.

The man clenched his teeth. Something was wrong. He was level 300. He should be invincible. Oh. He hadn't spent half of his Attribute points. With almost fifteen hundred points, he dumped two hundred and fifty on each physical Attribute, thinking it was a nice amount. Then the rest split among each mental Attribute, give or take. Before he committed, he removed the points from Charisma and placed them on Willpower. Fuck convincing people from doing his bidding. He would bash some sense into their heads and be done with it.

Also, the efficiency. He placed 60% on every physical Attribute and Willpower, 25% in Intelligence, Wisdom, and Willpower, then the remainder ten percent in Charisma.

AttributesBase ScoreEfficiencyModified Score

870 180% 1566 870 180% 1566 870 180% 1566 720 180% 1296 720 180% 1296 136 125% 170 136 125% 170 90 110% 99 178 125% 222

"Good. Now, repeat after me." Marshall said and made a pause.

The man waited for the words.

"[Execute]." Marshall called his Perk's name.

*

*

I witnessed with mixed feelings as the level 300 man's head rolled on the ground.

For killing level 300 [Laborer (Uncommon)] World Boss "Mass Manslaughterer" in a Raid Party, you gained 27,000 Experience points. You gained 44 Dungeon Mana.

> You gained a level! You gained +10 Intelligence, +8 Wisdom, +10 Willpower, +6 Clarity, and +7 Hardness. You have 10 Attribute Points.

> You gained the Magical Meadow Perk. Designate a ring of trees with a flower field in the middle as a magical meadow. Creatures resting among the flowers heal 200% faster. You may only have at most one magical meadow active at any time.

> You gained a level! You gained +10 Intelligence, +8 Wisdom, +10 Willpower, +6 Clarity, and +7 Hardness. You have 10 Attribute Points.

> You gained a level! You gained +10 Intelligence, +8 Wisdom, +10 Willpower, +6 Clarity, and +7 Hardness. You have 10 Attribute Points.

> You gained the Gadget Kitbashing Perk. You can design and build a new prototype contraption on the fly 500% faster. It also has 500% higher chance of failure.

Perhaps I should explain myself. Forgive me for retelling the events from a minute before.

*

*

" ... And you will keep leveling. At level two hundred, you will be able to snap my neck like a twig. With NINE sub-Classes. Each of them giving a thousand points. Do the math." Marshal said and left the man to his thoughts.

The Lord gathered among his most trusted lieutenants. "Talk over me, guys. Discuss strategy. Don't let that moron overhear me."

His men obeyed without question. While they made inane small talk about military issues, Marshall whispered. "Dungeon, I know you are hearing. Thank you for saving my outriders. Let's negotiate. Drop a pebble in my hand if you are. I have a good proposal for you. I know I can trust you. I also know you gave the people I sent down inside you a new life."

Against my better judgment, I conjured a pebble above his hand and dropped it. He caught it in the air.

"Thanks for the trust. Here's what I have for you. We cannot trust this guy. He killed over a hundred people among thousands of monsters. His highest-rarity Class will be related to what happened here. I don't doubt the greedy bastard will drop his main Class and pick some stupid shit. No amount of Attribute points can fix stupid. And he threatened me. I cannot trust him. For his mass manslaughter, I will condemn him to death. I am calling a World Boss raid. I have a Perk from my Raid Leader sub-Class that raises the Exp cap by fifty percent. That means three levels for everyone. Yourself included. Can you give me an answer?"

I carved my answer on a pebble and dropped it on his head. He snatched it with aplomb and even did a flourish.

Marshall smiled. "I can do that. I'll make you a raid sub-leader with two hundred raid slots, you can add your guys down there. {World Boss Raid Party Start}. {Send Invites}."

> You are invited for Marshall's level 300 raid party. Your Status information won't be shared with the Raid Leader. Accept (yes / no).

I accepted.

> You were promoted to raid sub-leader. You have 200 raid slots to fill.

I invited the people living on the third floor. they would earn three free levels out of this. Something told me I shouldn't accept this invite but I was pissed at the kill stealer.

The level 300 man jumped down the ruined wall. "Lord Marshall!"

The rest is history.

*

*

Back to the moment after the Exp messages.

> The Raid party has been dismissed! The level 300 world boss, "Mass Manslaughterer" has been vanquished.

I bet Marshall received a fat bonus for being the raid leader. Everyone living in the ruined settlement cheered. Three levels for everyone.

That weighed on me. Rarity was everything. The weight of rarity was insurmountable.

Stat allocation, raw power, luck getting good Perks. The level 300 man was still a nobody because he was only (Uncommon). He was worth something only because of his high level.

Though I couldn't disagree with Marshall's reasoning, my XXI century sensibilities, what remained of them, screamed at me. But I had enough blood in my hands and I needed to cooperate with Marshall. Like him or not, he was the authority and ruler among the people on the surface. But I would keep him at arms' length, a hundred miles of tunnels away from my Core at all times if I could.

...

Damn.

...

What a shitty world this one was. The landfill, compared to this, was heaven.