NOVEL WEB Chapter 37
Chapter 37
Jake tried to get more info on the three attributes, but nothing happened. Well, at least, they seemed to be self-explanatory. Body should make him stronger, allowing him to deal more damage while making his own body more resistant to damage. Mind probably made him smarter and sharpened his senses. As for Magick, it apparently was related to, well, magic. Though he still didn’t know how the magic system worked for him now that he was a mutant.
So he had one skill point to invest in one of these attributes. He was choosing between Body and Mind. Upgrading Magick at this point seemed impractical, considering he wasn’t even aware of how to use magic yet. Maybe Magick had nothing to do with casting magic spells at all. Perhaps this attribute simply allowed him to store more mana inside his strange body. For all he knew, the magical energy stored within him might simply be used to heal him, without anything more to it than that.
Anyway, he was considering putting the SP into Body. It felt like the best use for his very first skill point. However, he decided to check out the rest of his stats before allocating the skill point. He shifted his gaze to the line of text below his three attributes.
None
Jake stared at it for a moment. What was that? He didn’t know. Deciding to leave it alone for now, he shifted his attention to the last three lines of text in his stats.
Enhanced Senses: Rank I (16%) (Common)
Enhanced Agility: Rank I (24%) (Common)
Enhanced Intelligence: Rank I (11%) (Common)
So he actually had enhanced senses, agility, and intelligence. It explained why he could move more easily and swiftly, think sharper, and notice more details in his surroundings than he had as a human. As he gazed at the three lines, he realized he could summon additional information on each of them with just a thought.
Skill: Enhanced Senses
Description: The mutant gains heightened senses, improving their perception, granting better awareness of their surroundings, and sharpening the ability to detect subtle changes in their environment.
Upgrades: 0 of 3 (Common)
Requirements: None
Cost: Already Owned
He couldn’t help but notice a couple of interesting details about the skill. First, it could be upgraded. Second, it was labeled as Common, which likely meant it could potentially be upgraded to the next rarity level at some point. He decided to give more attention to these two details at a later time, though.
He moved on to check out the next skill.
Skill: Enhanced Agility
Description: The mutant’s inhuman agility enables for much faster and quieter movement. When moving, the mutant hardly produces any noise at all.
Upgrades: 0 of 3 (Common)
Requirements: None
Cost: Already Owned
Thanks to this skill, all his movements were much swifter and more agile than before. Enhanced Agility also helped him move much more quietly. He remembered moving through the foliage, hardly disturbing the branches of the bushes he passed through. However, while this skill made him faster and more agile, it didn’t really improve his ability to dodge melee attacks, as Jake had discovered during his recent encounter with the walker. Perhaps there was another skill designed specifically for that purpose?
At last, he read the description and the stats of the third skill.
Skill: Enhanced Intelligence
Description: The mutant’s enhanced intelligence helps them solve problems quickly, learn fast, and think clearly. They can understand things deeply, come up with smart plans, and adapt easily to new situations. With their sharp mind, they can outsmart their enemies, predict outcomes, and find clever ways to overcome challenges. Their exceptional brainpower is a big advantage in handling tough situations and succeeding in different tasks.
Upgrades: 0 of 3 (Common)
Requirements: None
Cost: Already Owned
So each of the three skills was currently at Rank I. Each of them had a progression bar. Currently, Enhanced Senses was at 16%, Enhanced Agility at 24%, and Enhanced Intelligence at 11%. Did his Enhanced Senses, Enhanced Agility, and Enhanced Intelligence increase every time he utilized these skills? Or did he need to exert more effort—think harder, move faster, and remain more attentive—for them to go up? Unsure, he decided to pay closer attention to determine the answer from now on. When the progress of a skill reached 100%, he would most likely be able to level it up to the next Rank, making the skill more powerful.
Jake then returned his attention to the line of text he still hadn’t figured out.
None.
He stared at it for a second. Then he focused on it with more attention, and suddenly a new piece of info materialized in his mind.
Genetic Development Interface
Evolution Stage 1: “Primordial Form”
Abilities: 0 of 3
Skills: 3 of 7
Ability: Claws
Requirements: Body 1
Cost: 1,000 MP
Ability: Smashfists
Requirements: Body 2
Cost: 2,000 MP
Ability: Swords
Requirements: Body 3
Cost: 3,000 MP
Skill: Enhanced Strength
Requirements: Body 5
Cost: 3,000 MP
Skill: Enhanced Reflexes
Requirements: Body 5, Mind 3
Cost: 3,000 MP
Skill: Feral Instincts
Requirements: Mind 5, Magick 3
Cost: 4,000 MP
Skill: Enhanced Regeneration
Requirements: Body 7, Magick 5, Mind 3
Cost: 5,000 MP
Skill: Enhanced Senses
Requirements: None
Cost: Already Owned
Skill: Enhanced Agility
Requirements: None
Cost: Already Owned
Skill: Enhanced Intelligence
Requirements: None
Cost: Already Owned
Wow, Jake thought. So from the Genetic Development Interface, he could acquire new abilities and skills. He already possessed three skills, which had been granted to him after he underwent the mutation. After checking the menu one more time, he became aware of two key points. First, to obtain a new skill or ability, he needed to spend a certain amount of MP, which meant that mana points also served as currency. Second, each ability and skill had specific requirements. Currently, out of all the skills and abilities listed, he could obtain only one. If he put his skill point into Body, he would be able to purchase the ability called Claws. He focused on the ability to gather more info about it.
Ability: Claws
Description: The mutant can transform their hands into razor-sharp claws, allowing for swift and deadly attacks and capable of cutting through almost anything.
Upgrades: 0 of 3 (Common)
Requirements: Body 1
Cost: 1,000 MP
This was basically a weapon. It was just what he had been hoping for! He needed something more powerful than his bare fists to use in battles against mutants.
He checked how many mana points he had. He recalled having over a thousand, but he wanted to double-check.
MP: 1,740
It was strange. He remembered having 1,755 mana points after the slash on his shoulder healed. Now he had 1,740. Where had the 15 mana points gone? Perhaps his new body functioned on mana, gradually consuming it. Sure looked that way. However, Jake decided to delve into that matter in more detail at a later time. What was more important right now was that he had more than enough mana points to acquire Claws, and after obtaining it, he would have some left.
He shifted his attention to his attributes. With a thought, he allocated his skill point into Body. He then summoned the Genetic Development Interface once more. Below the Claws ability, there was now a new line of text.
Acquire: Y/N
Jake chose “Yes”.