*Ding!*
[Achieved Lvl 2] - [Rewards]
[Reward 1: 1 Stat Point for each Attribute] - (✓)
[Reward 2: Status Recovery] - (_)
[Reward 3: Copper Skill Box(s) (Random)] - (_)
[Reward 4: 2 AP] - (✓)
*Ding!*
[Achieved Lvl 3] - [Rewards]
[Reward 1: 1 Stat Point for each Attribute] - (✓)
[Reward 2: Status Recovery] - (_)
[Reward 3: 2 Copper Skill Box(s) (Random)] - (_)
[Reward 4: 2 AP] - (✓)
Cassius's icy blue eyes darted over the rewards screen, quickly piecing together how the system operated. The first and fourth rewards were automatically received, leaving the second and third rewards for manual collection. "Makes sense," he muttered, "but couldn't this have waited until I wasn't fighting for my life?"
He glanced at the two lifeless Savage Monkeys at his feet and the third green EXP bar slowly filling in his system overlay. The system's timing wasn't perfect, but it wasn't a bad deal either.
'They seem slower,' he thought, gripping his remaining wooden spike. The sluggishness of the last Savage Monkey's movents confird his theory. The monsters weren't weaker—he had beco stronger. Each level up seed to heighten his speed and reflexes beyond what he had considered possible.
"If I've gotten this strong by just leveling up," Cassius murmured, his voice cold and calculating, "how much stronger will I get if I keep killing?"
A ruthless gleam flashed through his eyes as his body blurred, moving faster than he ever had before. In an instant, he closed the gap between himself and the third Savage Monkey. Its glowing red eyes widened in alarm as Cassius drove the spike into the back of its neck.
SPURT!
The monkey let out a choked cry, its body collapsing before it even had the chance to counterattack. Cassius yanked the spike free, blood dripping from the jagged edge.
"That makes three," he said, his voice void of emotion. Yet, as the adrenaline ebbed, a twinge of disappointnt flickered across his face. No new system notifications greeted him.
"Figures," he muttered, stepping back to inspect his situation.
His health bar was fully restored, glowing red at the top of his vision. His green EXP bar, however, was only one-third full. "So it's an RPG system," Cassius observed. "Health, Stamina, EXP… it's all there. But leveling up is going to get much harder, much faster."
He glanced deeper into the shadowy jungle. The sounds of distant growls and rustling foliage made his skin prickle. He wasn't safe—not even close.
"If I want to stop as many waves as possible from reaching the outside world, I'll have to keep killing," he said quietly. His grip on the bloodied spike tightened. "And if I want to leave my weak self behind, then I have no choice but to… keep killing."
Still, he paused. The imdiate danger had passed, giving him a rare mont to breathe and strategize. "Before I go any further, I should check my rewards and allocate my AP."
Cassius pulled up the reward screens, his sharp gaze taking in the information. The Status Recovery option caught his attention first—it could fully restore Fatigue, Health, and Mana. "This could be a lifesaver," he muttered. "Better to save it for when I'm in serious trouble."
The Copper Skill Boxes, on the other hand, intrigued him. He had three of them waiting in his Inventory Space, a pocket dinsion the system had unlocked when he reached Level 2.
"Let's see what you've got," Cassius said, summoning the boxes with a thought.
PIANG!
Three cube-shaped copper boxes appeared before him, each glowing faintly with a warm light. A bold question mark was etched into each of their six sides, giving them an almost playful appearance.
Cassius knelt, inspecting them briefly before commanding, "Open."
The boxes levitated into the air, their copper edges shimring brightly before bursting apart in a cascade of sparks. From within, three glowing cards erged, each marked with an F at the top.
Without hesitation, the cards flew toward him, bypassing his defenses and rging seamlessly with his soul.
[Acquired F-Rank Active Skill: Slash]
[Acquired F-Rank Passive Skill: Muscularity]
[Acquired F-Rank Active Skill: Sprint]
Cassius felt a surge of energy ripple through him as the skills took root in his mind. He instinctively understood their effects:
[Slash: A simple skill that increased damage by 20% and improved sword proficiency when executed.]
[Muscularity: A passive skill that boosted his Strength, Agility, and Endurance by 5%.]
[Sprint: A burst-speed skill that increased movent speed by 25%, though it ca at the cost of Mana.]
"They're good," Cassius said, his voice tinged with approval. "But they're all tied to my current power level. As I grow stronger, their effectiveness will drop off."
Still, he wasn't about to complain. At his current level, every advantage counted. "Skills can level up too," he noted, examining the glowing indicators beside each skill in his interface. "The more I use them, the stronger they'll beco. It's all about montum—killing to level up, leveling up to kill more effectively."
A grim smile tugged at his lips. "I can work with that."
Cassius's Health had increased to 350, and his Mana to 250, but he knew they would deplete quickly if he wasn't careful. He made a ntal note to conserve resources as much as possible.
"Ti to allocate my AP," he muttered, pulling up his stat screen. The system had given him 8 unspent AP from leveling up, and he needed to decide how best to use them.
"Strength, Agility, Endurance…" he murmured, weighing his options. "Agility's been my saving grace so far. I'll put 4 points there, 2 into Endurance, and save the last 2 for ergencies."
With his preparations complete, Cassius took a deep breath and glanced at the shadowy jungle ahead. The sounds of distant beast roars filled the air, a grim reminder of the danger lurking within.
He stepped forward, his bloodied spike in hand. "This is only the beginning," he said quietly, his voice steady. "If I want to survive—and grow stronger—I have to keep moving."
The canopy above him swallowed the moonlight, plunging him into darkness. But Cassius didn't falter. With each step, he delved deeper into the E-Rank Sudden Gate: Savage Jungle, knowing full well that the path he was walking led straight into the jaws of danger.
And yet, for the first ti in his life, he felt… alive.
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