Chapter 6 - Reaping Benefits Over Others' Efforts
Alex arrived at the massacre site of the beast tide. He began to use his skill on the dried corpses.
[Skill can't be used.]
[Skill can't be used.]
[Skill can't be used.]...
"So the skill can't be used on dried-up corpses..." he contemplated.
He looked at the dog near his feet, circling him obediently.
"Hmm... If it kills, I get 70% of the Exp, and it absorbs their blood, becoming stronger. But I won't be able to get the stats if the corpse isn't intact."
"Oh, right!"
"Hey, you!" Alex looked at the bud on the ground.
Hearing his voice, it stopped flailing and... looked at him.
A man and a bud stared at each other.
After minutes of explaining his instructions, the two began to venture deeper into the field.
The plan was simple:
The root would capture or kill the beasts and bring them to Alex so he could borrow their stats. Then, the root would absorb them.
A Few Hours Later
BOOM!! CRASH! SCREECH!!
Blood, gore, and horrifying screams echoed everywhere Alex passed.
His hands were clasped behind his back, his expression stern—imitating those old ancestors from cultivation novels.
"Status."
[Name: Alex]
[Profession: Abyssal Druid (S)]
[Level: 2]
[Exp: 2877/5000]
[Vitality: 32.87]
[Strength: 39.17]
[Agility: 40.02]
[Mana: 50.19]
[Stamina: 77.23]
[+10 (+5 per level)]
[Skills: Corrupted Whisper Level 2 (398/500) {Root of Corruption (1) (898/1000)}]
"..."
Alex rubbed his eyes, thinking he had misread it. He looked again at the stats.
"F*ck! Did I turn into a final boss or what?!"
Usually, it would take a week to reach Level 2—especially for close-combat professionals.
The experience requirement for each level was five times the previous, making progression difficult.
Upon reaching Levels 5, 10, 15, 20, and so on, people would awaken new skills. Skills would also evolve at those milestones. However, just as levelling up professions was hard, evolving skills was ridiculously difficult.
People who reached Level 10 within six months were considered geniuses and received extra privileges.
"Just how many beasts did I plunder?!" he said, eyes wide.
"Wait... how far am I from the base?!"
Rank 3 beasts surrounded the area, with occasional Rank 2s among the massacred piles. The abyssal beasts were ranked from one to nine.
Above the ranked beasts were the awakened beasts—intelligent beings capable of speech.
According to the knowledge in his head, awakened beasts were pawns of higher beings who didn't want to dirty their hands. These apex creatures rivalled the strongest generals across the Hundred Battlefields.
Rank 3 beasts were twice the size of Rank 1s, with tougher, more resilient bodies.
Although the root was strong enough to kill some Rank 3s now, most of these corpses had already been dead before Alex arrived—likely taken down by an advanced party.
Still, the root could not yet massacre an entire tide.
"Hm... let's reach Level 3 before heading back," he murmured with a sadistic smile.
By Midnight
Alex was shocked by the scene before him as he made his way back to base.
The once lifeless corpses were gone—replaced by patches of green grass growing everywhere. The corpses had seeped into the barren land, somehow causing it to flourish without any external input.
Even more ridiculous was what he saw next.
Earlier, deeper in the battlefield, he had created monster piles 10–12 metres high.
Now, those piles had given birth to small plants.
"I guess I'm still a druid," he spoke softly, smiling.
For some reason, these patches of grass and new growth felt... familiar.
"Family... well, I never had any in the first place." A longing stirred in his heart—one he hadn't fulfilled even in his past life.
Alex quietly reached the base without any trouble.
The plants near the base had grown a little taller. He planned to apply for lodging at the dorms near the teleportation circle. But just as he arrived, a familiar figure appeared in front of him.
"Hi there~~" Amanda waved with enthusiasm.
"Greetings, Senior," Alex replied, giving a clumsy military salute.
"Enough with the formalities! You really made me wait so long~~" she said, a vein throbbing on her forehead.
"...I lost my way..." Sweat beaded on his forehead.
"...General ordered you to report to her." Amanda vanished after delivering the order.
After another hour riding the root, his legs were sore—but he still followed orders and arrived at the teleportation node.
The root shocked the surrounding professionals. Their gazes shifted from vigilance to respect.
Alex couldn't take the root to the General's abode without permission. He conveyed his thoughts to it, and it understood. To his surprise, the root pierced the magic wand in his hand, perching atop it and transforming it into a warped tree branch.
He reached the General's abode and knocked with a set rhythm.
"Come in."
"Greetings, Gene—"
"LEVEL 2???"
A scream interrupted his serious salute.