“This weave.” Jalen’s fingers pulled apart another bundle of wires, revealing even more intricate layers beneath. “It’s positional the way that the wires are interwoven makes it much more durable. Then the wires have constant mana fluctuating through them enough to create , a thin layer of outer shell .
” He tapped his thumb against one of the strands, watching as a faint glow pulsed along its length, traveling deeper into the puppet’s core. “The system called this a compensation reward, right? That means it had to be made for a purpose.”
“System show Statistics window.
[Statistics]
Level 2: Exp 0/25
2 attribute points
Dragonic insight level 1 multiplier = 1.5
Life Force: 15 * 1.5 = 22.5
Intelligence: 17 * 1.5 = 25.5
Physical Power: 13 * 1.5 = 19.5
Physique: 11 * 1.5 = 16.5
Magic Power: 17 * 1.5 = 25.5
Mana: 79 * 1.5 = 118.5
Mana Regeneration: 2 * 1.5 = 3
Fortitude: 2 * 1.5 = 3
Energy: 0
Fortitude : A measure of the user’s resilience against external and internal strain, including pain tolerance, stamina depletion, and resistance to conditions such as exhaustion, paralysis, and debilitating debuffs and mental effects.
Passives: Magic resistance minor: the user gain a Negligible resistance to non elemental magic attacks. The effects are stronger against spell and curses at the same tier or lower than the skill.
Mental Resistance: The user has a strong mind this unbreaking will resists against mental. Mental invasions will be less effect on user.
So In Dragonic form my stats are majorly boosted good to know. I unlocked two passives and a skill. These are helpful but why these two specifically. Magic resistance could be from surviving Jorm’s attacks, and the reason it’s so low is because Jorm's primary target, was ember. Ember faced the brunt of the attacks explaining why it’s so low since I was barely targeted.
“ Wait no it said non elemental attacks and Jorm is a very powerful elemental spirit. His primary attribute is water so at least I should be resistant to water.
Jalen’s mind worked through the data rapidly, piecing together the implications of his newfound knowledge. His fingers absently traced the glowing wires, still studying the intricate weave of the puppet’s remains. The system’s wording gnawed at him. Compensation reward. That meant something had been taken from him—something that warranted balance. 2 skills and new attribute means something at least that worth was taken.
Jalen’s thoughts shattered as a scream—loud as a train horn—ripped through the air. It took him a moment to realize it was his own.
Vicious, unrelenting pain crashed into him like a nail being hammered into his exposed brain. A white-hot bolt of agony shot through his skull, twisting, digging, fracturing every coherent thought. His vision blurred, colors bleeding together into a dizzying swirl of nonsense. The world around him ceased to exist, swallowed whole by the overwhelming torment.
His body convulsed, fingers clawing into the ground, but he barely registered the sensation. His own ragged, animalistic screams scraped against his throat, but he couldn't stop. His mind was tearing apart—no, something was ripping through it.
He was torn back from the pain dissipating as quickly as it began. The silent warning stated clearly stop digging. So he pushed the thought aside for now, focusing instead on the changes in his stats.
Magic Resistance and Mental Resistance…
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The former made sense. He had survived Jorm’s abyssal domain, even if the water itself hadn’t directly harmed him. His body had been forced to endure the aftermath of battle, and though Ember had taken the brunt of Jorm’s abilities, the sheer exposure must have been enough to trigger the stat gain.
Mental Resistance, however, was trickier. It wasn’t something he had explicitly trained or encountered in a way he could recall. While Jorm’s sudden change and attacks were terrifying, it was not terrifying enough to cause serious physiological damage. Jalen battled with the feeling something was amiss while drumming his fingers on the puppet dismantled in front of him.
Jalen ran a hand through his hair pacing. “something is amiss”.
“Ember Said something about not being attacked by Jorm so there are two possible options I can think of. The first and most likely is that Ember has trauma from being attacked, and his mind erased that memory from his mind. Which isn’t likely since Ember is a spirit who has been in combat before. “
Jalen stood up and breathed in while steadying himself, while infusing some mana into his left foot. He stared deeply at the reflective black metal.
His exhale came out as a warm mist. Then—boom.
Jalen stomped down hard. A pulse of wild mana flared from his boot, slamming into the puppet’s chest. The puppet’s core reignited instantly, thin strands of mana knitting its fractured form together in jerky, unnatural spasms. The puppet twitched, flailing erratically—until Jalen twisted on his heel and drove a sharp kick into its side, raw energy bursting from his right foot. The force sent it skidding across the ground.
The black puppet now partially patched together by thin tendrils of mana tried flailing, but was hit with a swift kick as Jalen shifted his stance while infusing mana onto his right foot.
"His gaze locked onto the puppet. It shouldn’t have mattered. Yet, something about its presence gnawed at him. A test, then.
” A large katana with a red hilt and a narrow red line cutting through the middle appeared in hand a second after the sentence was delivered.
A burst red flame surged from the tip of the blade as it cut through the air at the puppet.
The scent of charred metal filled the air as the blade hissed through its limb. The puppet arm that was already damaged was cut clean through. A red light flowed through Jalen’s legs as he jumped and sailed a few meters. He threw the sword backwards and the blade sailed through the air.
The puppet body moved automatically following the person who attacked it. Its pursuit cut short as Jalen smirked. As he was falling he reached out towards the blade as it stopped mid flight.
With a jerk of his arm the blade sailed backwards it sailed through the only object between it and Jalen, the puppet’s other arm.
Jalen landed on the ground. His boots cracked against the stone, sending tiny shards skittering. He spun on his left axis, the blade landing in his right hand as a burst of flame shot the blade straight out of his hand.
A violent wave of dragonflame surged from the sword’s edge, spiraling outward in a flood of crimson and gold.
The blade shimmered, its surface reflecting the flickering chaos of crimson flames. A hiss, sharp and venomous, coiled around the air before the inferno detonated outward. The tavern quaked beneath the force, wooden beams groaning in protest as embers danced wildly in the sudden updraft.
Heat pressed down like an iron weight, the air around Jalen warping, rippling, as though reality itself recoiled from the dragon’s wrath. The ground blackened, blistering, cracks spider-webbing beneath his boots.
With a single, decisive swing, the sword ripped through the sky, a streak of molten red cutting across the air. The flames clung to its edge like living veins, hungrily stretching toward their target. The instant the blade struck, a deafening crack split the room.
The puppet jerked violently, its body shearing apart at the wound, molten edges glowing as fire spilled into the gash like searing magma. It shuddered once—then collapsed, its frame disintegrating into smoldering embers.
I should have held back a bit what a waste of a sparring partner. This compensation from the system is as legendary as it says.
[System Alert]
User has encountered multiple life-threatening situations during the tutorial's first stage.
In response, the system has assessed the user's affinity with death and has implemented modifications to prevent further critical dangers.
? Unique Occurrence Detected: User is the first to almost experience death in the tutorial twice.
Bloodline Insight:
The greater the purity, the stronger the connection to your ancestral lineage. With each increase, your body adapts, instincts sharpen, and latent power surfaces. Blessings are bestowed based on the depth of the bond.
?? 2% Purity Blessings Unlocked:
- Draconic Resilience (Minor): Slight increase in natural regeneration and resistance to fatigue and toxins.
- Scaled Instincts (Dormant): A faint intuition for danger manifests, subtly guiding decisions in combat.
- Lingering Echo (Unstable): The faintest whispers of an ancestor’s presence stir within your soul, but remain indistinct.
Note: As bloodline purity increases, these blessings will evolve, revealing deeper connections to your lineage.
“Even though it comes with a cost of being the first to basically completely fail the tutorial I acquired a major boost. So that’s a win, what do you think Ember.This Tutorial is more chaotic than normal with Jorm’s rampage and, Wait Ember why aren’t you responding”
Jalen's neck turned 90 degrees looking for a lost salamander. His eyes widened as his gaze landed on the place Ember once stood. Now it was consumed in eye watering flames and as Jalen searched for Ember he could swear he could feel himself getting weaker.
Jalen rubbed a palm over his left cheek before slapping hard. His mouth filled with blood as the drowsEmber why are
He felt himself shrink just an inch or so, and the flames burning hotter. He could feel Ember safely tucked back in the deck.