Chapter 102: Beneath the Child's Smile

Chapter 102: Beneath the Child's Smile

"Okay, it's decided. I can't put off this any longer, and it's better to just pick the upgrade now than wait for who knows what.

Yes, Focus and Mana Manipulation might upgrade at level 30, knowing how much the system likes rounded numbers, but damn, these two skills just sound so nice.

Symbiotic Transference:Learn to transfer the stored energy directly into physical strength, endurance, or speed, increasing combat prowess.

Mana Flow Analysis:Develops the capacity to identify nuanced patterns and rhythms in the movement of mana, offering deeper insight into how skills are invoked and controlled.

But in the end, I go with Symbiotic Transference.

And while I clench my teeth against the pain, I think over my decision. It wasn't easy at all as my skill of learning other people's skills is one of my strongest points and it could even help me to improve my current ones.Ñøv€l--ß1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.

Yet I think I made the right decision. With this upgrade, I should be able to ignore strength, constitution, and dexterity even more!

Yes, the reason is as silly as that. I won't need to waste my stat points and instead, I can absorb external attacks or kinetic energy from my orbs to boost the stats I need!

Hell, in the future when I learn to use [Redistribution] better and absorb more types of energy, it could become a nearly passive skill, making my body stronger the more the opponent attacks me.

Damn, it sounds cool as heck!

I excitedly test it for a bit and it's as I thought. Currently, I can only change kinetic energy to one of the stats, it's too hard to boost multiple stats at once. But that's fine, it would be too boring if it were so easy.

And yeah, Mana Flow Analysis is totally the next upgrade and heck, there better be something super, super good to make me change my mind and pick something else.

I check the community and write one sentence for the 10th time today, each having a 30-minute pause in between.

Noname (Hell, group 4) - StrongestOne, you have 5 seconds to answer.

Now, after checking the community for a bit, I'm sure that he ended up with Lily so he better not try some shit or he is done. I'm sure he knows it, but I better remind him.

StrongestOne (Hell, group 4) - I'm with Grumpy.

Finally, and as I thought.

Noname (Hell, group 4) - After a while, the buildings are in a better state, try heading that way.

Soph (Hell, group 4) - How is Isabella?

Noname (Hell, group 4) - We might all meet sooner or later if we all head the same way, towards what feels like middle of this city.

Soph (Hell, group 4) - Noname!

StrongestOne (Hell, group 4) - Ok...

You better not try anything funny. I owe Lily too much. Having her die before I pay her back would feel way too sour.

Ciphermind (Hell, group 4) -Noname, we will meet you there too :) I'm curious about the skills of people from the hell difficulty, lol.

Frostfall (Hell, group 4) - lol, me too!

I ignore two of the three guys that got to our group from hard difficulty and send a short message to Sophie, telling her that her sister is safe. The little girl still refuses to join the community because some time ago Sophie told her not to do that.

Okay, time to check my beautiful status.

[Name: Nathaniel Gwyn]

Difficulty: Hell

Floor: 3 - Saint's Eternal Bastion

Time left until forced return: 4y 274d 16h 31m 30s

Traits (1/3): Mana Circuit (Passive)

Lvl 75

Strength: 20

Dexterity: 19

Constitution: 67

The remaining gear is mostly the same and I leave them behind.

A minute later, we find what killed the group of men. We spot a group of 20 or so rats the size of small dogs.

[Rottenfang Vermin - lvl 39]

Most of them are around this level and most of them look sick and diseased. Some have big wounds, some are missing limbs.

"Ewww," the little girl says what I am thinking.

Not having any wind to absorb, I make three orbs of mana and spin them around myself and after a while, I absorb their energy. After moving closer, I change it, and a vibrant dark yellow flame comes into existence, created from a point in front of me.

Keeping it alive by creating more orbs and absorbing more energy, I burn the entire group.

[You have defeated a Rottenfang Vermin - lvl 36]

[You have defeated a Rottenfang Vermin- lvl 38]

[You have defeated a Rottenfang Vermin - lvl 34]

"My flames are better," the cheeky little girl complains.

Pff, as if! Just wait, give me a month or two, you little brat! I'm sure that you have some fire skill, but I am a master of doing things the junky way.

My poor man's flamethrower shall win in the end!

More rats come our way and this time I absorb thermal energy from my fire that set on fire a building close by, making the yellow flame disappear, and then use the energy to boost my mana orbs, obliterating the rats.

All while holding a kid in my arms!

Easy.

We start moving again and I ask a thing I was a bit curious about.

"So, you said that I am safe, right?"

"Yup," the girl continues to pull on my shirt, bored of being just carried around, but I learned to ignore it.

Her answers might help me to understand her skill better.

"Is Sophie safe too?"

"Sophie is the safest! Even if she is super sad and trying to hide it, she is safe! Soph is..."

"...is really stupid sometimes," I finish up.

The girl giggles and nods.

She still refuses my offers to remove Sophie's construct or whatever it is from her brain but I still don't know if it's because of how Sophie set it up or because of the girl's decision.

It makes me curious. I couldn't imagine letting someone mess with my mind even if it was my closest family or a friend. The problem might be on my side but at the same time, it might be a little girl who is weird.

"But you still attacked me the moment I appeared near you, even though you said I'm safe?"

"Sorry for that! I was a bit nervous, a few bad guys attacked me before."

That makes me stagger and I stop, looking at the girl in my arms.

"They appeared out of nowhere and were super scary. They told me to come with them."

I already know where it's going.

"But Sophie told me to never leave with strangers!"

I don't know what to say.

"So I burned them!" she smiles while saying so "And only then did you appear."

There is not even a hint of regret as she says so.

A ten-year-old girl says it in a similar way to how she talked about the cute dog she met a few weeks ago.