1.29 Soul Reaping

Chapter 29

[Ability Upgrading…

Soul Usher (F -> E)
Spirit Essence Absorption efficiency, increased.
Stat Consumption Maximum, increased
Skill Absorption efficiency, increased
Ability Skill slots; 3 -> 4

Essence to next ability rank: 3/10,000
Essence Available: 677]

A mix of thoughts entered my mind upon reading the notification. Disappointment dulled by excitement, and confusion laced throughout it all. There were a lot of upsides being shown, the skill absorption efficiency might mean that I spent less than before in gaining a skill, or increased the maximum level of skill I could absorb. I wasn’t sure which.

I could also now hold four stolen skills instead of three. I wasn’t going to look at that particular horse-mouth straight on.

The upgrade in essence absorption was great, too, as I assumed it meant the modifiers for higher tiered monsters, sentient monsters, and other Hunter kills, had gone up. I didn’t know by how much, the System still refused to show me exact numbers, so I would have to figure it out on my own, or ask my sponsor. Should she even deign to give me an answer. Death seemed rather tight-lipped each time we met.

Who would have guessed that the embodiment of Death itself liked to play things close to the vest. Rude.

Though, I very much doubted that the increase would amount to a ten times multiplier, which was the amount of increase that the requirements for the next upgrade to the skill was calling for. Ten thousand essence, it was a large amount that I didn’t know how to begin tackling. And that was only the first upgrade.

How much will the next one be? The one after that?

A glance at my titles showed me that the System was hinting rather early on at the path I was going to have to take. Death Harbinger, Heir to Death, the names were rather on the nose. My class would certainly revolve around a large amount of it.

I would need to be far more powerful than I am now.

Which brought me back to the notification and the bonus that I was looking forward to the most at that very moment. I could absorb stat points again.

[Soul Usher (E),

Consuming Stats: Essence Cost 500 (5×100).

Beast Spirit (Wererat) consumed, allocating gain based on beast’s highest stat.

+9 Strength gained,
+43 Dexterity gained,
+17 Vitality gained,
+10 Intelligence gained,
+21 Willpower gained…

Soul Usher (E), stat absorption limit reached for current grade. Increase ability grade.

Essence Available: 177]

And just like that, I hit the new limit. I wasn’t at all disappointed, though. Despite having spent practically all of the essence I had just accumulated, as if I were a parent shopping at a Black Friday Sale, I had added just over nine levels’ worth of stats to my status sheet all in one fell swoop.

I was a monster.

Damn, I feel like a cheater with this ability. Mine is massively better than everyone else’s. Richard, Francis, Norton, theirs just don’t compare. Even Barry’s—

I looked over at Barry, who was helping the others systematically loot the wererats. I realized then that I didn’t know what the Paladin’s class ability was.

I knew Francis had his Rage pool, letting him spend rage to buff himself and enter his red hulking form. Norton’s ability boosted his healing and gave him a healing kickback of his own when he cast his spells. Vasquez got a unique spell skill tree for his elemental spells that others didn’t have, even though he seemed to be focusing only on fire at the current time. Huwett’s ability was strange, in that it seemed to give an omniboost to her tracking skills and bow weapon skills. Any common warrior with her same skills would be vastly less efficient, or as powerful, than her when using the same stuff.

But Barry hadn’t revealed his yet.

Which was now troubling once I realised it. His [Holy Strike] and [Guardian Bubble] skills were already massively powerful, even when his skills were at low rank. If I didn’t have my own class, I would have said he was a cheat. But that was simply the difference between Legendary Classes, and others, even Mythic Tier classes just didn’t match up.

What are you hiding Barry?

The paladin simply continued to loot the wererats, a smile on his face as he joked along with Francis. Even splattered with blood, he looked so friendly and easy going. Because that’s what he was. Despite his strength and power, Barry was just a nice guy.

I didn’t understand how he did it. Having gone through what he did, with the weight on his shoulders from the plans, the dreams, he piled up on them. Still, he smiled happily.

Barry was just built differently.

Even now, as I tell you all this, I still regret having to take him from this world and pass him on to my sponsor. But again, I’m getting far ahead of myself.

I looked at my status to see the changes.

[Name: Adam Pierce
Class: Death’s Disciple

Stats:
Strength: 43
Dexterity: 110 (116)
Vitality: 72 (77)
Intelligence: 52
Willpower: 64 (66)]

Remembering what Barry said about Huwett having a Dexterity in the forties back at my brother’s vigil, I couldn’t help but think about how powerful I might actually be compared to the others. Was my strength higher than Francis’? I don’t think it was yet, but I was getting close to him, surely.

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My intelligence was as high as a pure mage, willpower probably even higher. My vitality was better than most tanks my level. And no one could compare to my dexterity. But was it enough? We were only in an Uncommon dungeon, the second difficulty tier. My sponsor hinted at Dungeons having ranks. It was not hard for me to realize they were following the Class Tier system. Common, then Uncommon, which meant there would be Rare dungeons, Epic, Mythic, even Legendary dungeons in the future.

I would need to get far, far stronger before then.

Which is going to mean getting better loot. I thought to myself.

My gear, although rather good when I first got it, just wasn’t cutting it for my stats anymore. I was receiving a plus six to my dexterity, when I could cap out at a plus eleven, given the ten percent rule. And that was just one stat.

It was annoying that the Dungeon Shop was only in the Pre-Entry room, as I wouldn’t be able to buy new gear until we finished this Dungeon, and then entered a new one. The System was rude that way. Inconsiderate, really.

New gear would cost credits, though. The amount I had now wouldn’t be able to buy the kind of gear I’d want. So I needed to think about loot more selfishly. Basic currency was rolling in, thanks to the others having looted the wererats. But there was more I could take, the gear that needed to be manually removed, armor, weapons.

Things I just don’t have time for. I realized. And I couldn’t just ask the rest to sit around while I scrounged through the entire floor for swords and leather cuirasses. They would also wonder how I’m storing it all. The Inventory System only lets you carry so much.

[Inventory Space: (402/2820)]

The exact working of the inventory space were still unknown to me. But it seemed to be a factor of strength stat, and your level. High level, more inventory; more strength, more inventory. And it didn’t seem like it was based on weight alone. The items I carried didn’t all weigh four hundred pounds, far from it.

Value, maybe? Something else?