Chapter 228 Levelling Fiesta (2)
Chapter 228 Levelling Fiesta (2)
"Bulls give us beef right? Whatever it is, looks tasty. Though... should I eat it raw?"
[Sure go ahead. You have high enough poison resistance to not die. Dunno about paralysis though. But hey, if you eat it now it would be a learning experience!]
"Yeah, on second thought, I'll roast them first."
It had been a day since Ashton entered the catacombs that were once Effium mines. Honestly, he was expecting to fight rodent-like creatures considering they love to live in places like these, but to his surprise, instead, he was pitted against bulls.
Obviously, they weren't literal bulls but resembled them a lot. According to Astaroth, these creatures were called Deulls, short for Dead Bulls and despite how the name sounded, it fit perfectly as the bulls looked like they were dead.
Don't be mistaken, they were only dead based on their 'appearance'. In reality, they were livelier than actual bulls. They had a low level of intelligence but were highly aggressive. As soon as they see a living creature, they would try their best to stomp them to death.
It was because of that reason, that most of them travelled alone or at most with a mate. They could not tolerate the presence of anyone around them at all.
But this only made it easier for Ashton to hunt them down. As a result, his werewolf genes had levelled up to level 25. While his vampire and undead genes were at 22 and 24 respectively.
"Maybe I should learn more about the skill I got after reaching level 20 with vampire genes."
[You really need to change your habits of ignoring important things.]
"How was I supposed to read a barrage of texts while fending off two Deulls at the same time?" Ashton chowed down the seared flesh before opening the prompt.
it seemed like despite what Ashton believed earlier, the genes worked differently and were awarded bonuses differently as well.
For example, he got the first choice of his skills for werewolf genes when he hit level 10. But he only got the same choice for the vampiric genes when he hit level 20 whereas he was yet to receive any such ability for the zombie genes even though those genes were already at level 24.
"Blood Armour. Hm... I can definitely make good use of this skill."
Unlike [Blood Mist] and [Blood Poison] both of which were aggressive, damage-causing skills, [Blood Armour] was a defensive skill. Also, in the case of [Blood Poison] and [Blood Mist], he had to use his own blood in order to use the ability, however, he didn't have to bleed himself to utilise this skill.
He could use anyone's blood to materialise an armour around himself or a target of his choice to protect them from receiving any sort of damage from anyone as it provided 70% damage reduction on all attacks. On top of that, the skill did not have a duration and only consumed 10 mana per use.
This meant, that as long as he has a continuous supply of blood, he could keep the armour on for as long as he wanted and could give it to as many people as he could without breaking a sweat.
This skill was a blessing, to say the least. Especially in the upcoming battle where there would be no shortage of blood for him to use.
However, there was a drawback to this skill too. Every time he ends up using the skill to protect someone new, the mana cost of the next cast would increase by 20%.
"For now, it isn't much of a drawback as the initial mana cost is low, and I don't have many people to protect, to begin with."
Much like [Aggravate] skill, [Blood Armour] skill was a growth-type skill as well. In other words, the stronger he got, the stronger the skill became.
"Having achieved two super rare skills, I hope the zombie genes provide me with another broken skill."
[Tallk about being a greedy bastard.]
"That's hilarious coming from you."
[Do you want a penalty quest?]
"Do you want to die for real?"
[...Truce?]
"Truce."
These banters with Astaroth were slowly becoming a part of Ashton's daily routine. He felt like, even though they started off on the wrong foot, they were slowly becoming somewhat friendly to each other, which was surprising as Astaroth had mentioned his wish of taking over Ashton's body multiple times now.
After eating his fill and resting for a bit, Ashton decided to head deeper. While killing the night creature around the entrance was an easier way to farm some exp, Ashton had realised something.
The deeper he went, the stronger Deulls got and just like everything, Astaroth had a theory for this phenomenon as well.
It was clear the Deulls did not want to be in presence of each other. This meant they were bound to fight over their 'territory'. Also, the farther away from the entrance their territory was, the safer they would be from intruders.
Upon careful observation, it was safe to say the weaker bulls were pushed farther and farther away from the centre of the catacombs. While the stronger ones reigned over the deeper parts of the catacombs.
That's why Ashton was headed towards the centre. Killing and feasting on that creature would help him immensely to reach level 30 and unlock his ability to use the Wraith Wolves anywhere he liked.
[By the way, are you sure it is the right to unveil your secret? I would strongly recommend that you think about it again.]
"You said it yourself. Once all my genes hit level 30, my cumulative level would be somewhere between level 60 to level 65. With strength like that, I do not need to worry about anyone killing me. As far as I'm aware, Alucard would be the only one who would be able to outrank me."
[I'm not afraid of creatures of this planet either. I'm afraid of those who can destroy the planet anytime they deemed fit.]
"Xyrans?"
[Them and a few other races.]
"Then what do you suggest I do? Let Mera triumph over me in hopes that someone from a higher civilisation would attack her later on?" Ashton shook his head, "Either way, this was your plan so why are you having second thoughts now?"
[Hm... you got me there. Let's proceed as planned, we'll cross the bridge when we get there.]
"Agreed."