Chapter 202

  After emerging from the mysteriate, Jake found himself in what looked like a medieval hall. He stood at one end, and on the opposite wall, he could see a statue of some sort. However, before moving all the way over there, Jake gnced around. Round ns ran the length of the hall, each adorned with a torch burning with ethereal blue fmes. Jake quickly noticed that there were no windows, doors, or as at all.

  But when he gnced over his shoulder, he saw that the riftgate he had just stepped through was still there. Unlike any other riftgates he had entered in this world, this one was somewhat different. Instead of merely shimmering in bright colors, it resembled a window through which he could see the four-way juncture from where he had just been teleported. It seemed the riftgate was the only way out of this pce.

  Seeing nothing else of note, Jake began to move along the hall toward the opposite wall. As he stole his way forward, he tio survey his surroundings. The blue fmes swayed slightly as he passed, causing the shadows on the walls to shift ever so slightly. Nothing of i caught his attention along the walls oher side, and with no eo take care of, he directed his full attention to the far end of the hall.

  At the far end of the hall stood a detailed statue depig two kneeling human figures—one male and one female. Their hands were elevated above their heads and brought together, creating a cupped shape with their palms. Positioned before the statue was a drical pedestal, approximately three feet tall and one foot in diameter. From the pedestal’s top, a radiant shaft of golden light asded, reag all the way to the ceiling.

  Two simir pedestals fhe statue oher side. Uhe front ohey were shorter and thicker. From each of them, a shaft of light rose, but of a different color—white instead of gold. Jake wondered what the meaning of the se before him was. He gnced around one more time, searg for clues, but once again he found there was nothing else of i in this pce—the Void Temple, as it was called.

  The statue and the three pedestals, each with shafts of light rising from them, were clearly the terpiece of the temple. Jake walked around the froal to get a closer look at the statue. The cupped hands of the kneeling figures seemed to be for something to be pced within them. Yet, the way the figures exteheir hands toward him gave the impression that they were something instead. Their palms remaiy for now, but Jake couldn’t shake the feeling that something might materialize in them for him to take ter on.

  He tried appraising the statue with a thought, and immediately a system message emerged in his mind.

  In this sacred pce, you cim an artifad trade your earned Essence Points for a reward of your choice, h your worthy deeds.

  No more additional information appeared, but Jake now knew he was right in thinking that something was supposed to materialize in the cup formed by the statue’s hands ter on.

  He then shifted his attention to one of the two shafts rising from the pedestal oher side of the statue and gave a mental and to appraise it.

  Unlock the slot for 250,000 EP (Insuffit EP)

  Obviously, he couldn’t unlock whatever it was at the moment because he didn’t have enough of some new resource. He checked the shaft of light oher side of the statue and received the same message.

  Unlock the slot for 250,000 EP (Insuffit EP)

  He tried to summon additional information, but no helpful tips popped up. He figured he would learn what those mysterious slots were only after gathering enough EP, whatever this new resource was.

  He then turned and walked around the tral pedestal situated in front of the statue. As he had noticed before, the shaft of light rising from it was golden, uhe other two, which were white. He issued a mental and to appraise it, and immediately, another piece of information appeared in his mind, along with three buttons dispyed beh it.

  Pyer: Jake Turner

  Current Tier: 0

  EP: 0

  [Tiers] [Curses] [Help]

  Jake chose to bypass the first two buttons and focused ohird. When he mentally pressed it, a piece of information expining what it all meant emerged in his mind.

  At the Void Temple, you exge your earned Essence Points to unloew tiers, each a differe of rewards. To accumute EP, simply engage in battles against various eypes while carrying one or more curses. You stack as many curses as you desire. The greater the he more EP you will get.

  To earn EP, you don’t necessarily have to defeat ehat deal the same type of damage as your curse. For instance, if you have the curse of Lightness Weakness and are up against ahat only deals fire elemental damage, you still gain some EP for defeating it, though the amount you earn will be less pared to defeating an enemy whose damage type aligns with your curse.

  The EP you earn is determined by various factors, including the number of curses you possess at the same time, the alig of enemy damage types with your curses, enemy levels, whether the foes are ordinary or elite, the current tier of the world, the number of enemies you front at once, and several other factors.

  To cheany EPs you currently have and how much you’ve earned since your st che, you must visit the Void Temple. You open a rift gate to the Void Temple at any time, but you’re limited to once every twenty-four hours.

  After reading the info, Jake returned his attention to the main menu.

  Pyer: Jake Turner

  Current Tier: 0

  EP: 0

  [Tiers] [Curses] [Help]

  He then pressed the first button, and a new piece of information emerged in his mind.

  Tier 1 – Gubb – Unlock: 100,000 EP

  Tier 2 – Zelvok – Unlock: 250,000 EP

  Tier 3 – Ilbiut – Unlock: 450,000 EP

  Tier 4 – Mouryah – Unlock: 700,000 EP

  Tier 5 – Saphivern – Unlock: 1,000,000 EP

  Tier 6 – Yekjiul – Unlock: 1,350,000 EP

  Tier 7 – Ravekjaz – Unlock: 1,750,000 EP

  Each of the tiers had a name, but Jake had no idea what those mysterious words meant. He tried fog oiers and issuial ands, but no additional information materialized, leaving him uain about what exactly he could earn after unlog a tier. Obviously, since he didn’t have any EP, he couldn’t unloy tiers at the moment and see for himself. The costs for unlog tiers seemed steep, but without knowing how much EP he would earn and how quickly, it was hard to determine whether the costs were truly too high.

  Having found nothing else of i iier menu, he navigated back to the main menu aed the final option he o explore, titled Curses.

  Fragile Body: Your resistance against being physically damaged is decreased. (Apply Curse: Y/N)

  Oozing Wounds: Your resistance against Mana Bleeding is decreased. (Apply Curse: Y/N)

  Evil Poison: Your resistances against Corrosive and Poison are decreased. (Apply Curse: Y/N)

  Lightness Weakness: Your resistance against Lightning is decreased. (Apply Curse: Y/N)

  Frozen: Your resistance against Cryo is decreased. (Apply Curse: Y/N)

  Radiation Siess: Your resistance against Radiation is decreased. (Apply Curse: Y/N)

  Fear of Fire: Your resistance against Fire is decreased. (Apply Curse: Y/N)

  Simple-minded: Your resistance against the Mind trol magic is decreased. (Apply Curse: Y/N)

  Easily Stunned: Your resistance against Stun is decreased. (Apply Curse: Y/N)

  Fear of Chaos: Your resistance against Chaos is decreased. (Apply Curse: Y/N)

  Ethereal Weakness: Your resistance agaihereal is decreased. (Apply Curse: Y/N)

  Remove Curses: You currently don’t have any curses.

  Before doing anything, Jake decided to give the matter some thought. He closed his eyes and checked his resistances.

  Elemental Resistances:

  Indiary: 10%

  Cryo: 10%

  Shock: 10%

  Explosive: 10%

  Corrosive: 30%

  Radiation: 10%

  Other Resistances:

  Pierce: 67%

  Poison: 30%

  Mana Bleeding: 24%

  Mind trol: 0%

  Stun: 0%

  Chaos: 0%

  Ethereal: 0%

  Jake noticed that most of his resistances remaihe same as the st time he checked the menu. However, two of them—Pierd Mana Bleeding—had increased somewhat. This was due to their relian the Body and Magick attributes, respectively. When he allocated skill points to these attributes, those two resistances improved. Certain skills, like Enhanced Durability, also boosted his Pierce resistance. Currently, his stro resistance was to physical damage, Pierce.

  After giving the matter some thought, Jake decided against pg many curses on himself. While he was excited to discover what new powers or advantages he could obtain with EP, applying too many curses would obviously put him at a signifit disadvantage, especially in this dungeon. His ret csh with the beefed-up fme skeleton had taught him just how much damage elemental attacks could cause, given that most of his resistances were at zero. Allowing those resistao dip into ive numbers didn’t seem wise. However, he was well aware that not all enemies dealt elemental damage. Most of the damage he received hysical.

  Ultimately, Jake chose to ply the Fragile Body curse on himself. Afterward, he checked the resistances menu once more, fog solely on his Pierce resistance.

  Pierce: -33% (-100% frile Body)

  So, his Pierce resistance dropped into the ive. This wasn’t good, but he reaso might not be as bad as he initially thought. He chose to take the risk. If he ended up suffering too much damage from physical attacks, he could always return to the Void Temple to lift the curse, though he would o wait twenty-four hours to do so. heless, he opted to keep the curse active. After all, his remarkable agility and speed, bined with skills like Feral Instincts and Adaptive Armor, offered him siderable prote against most attacks.

  With that settled, Jake turned and headed back to the riftgate h above the floor oher side of the hall. Wheepped through, he was instantly teleported back to the dungeon, standing once more at the four-way interse. A quice behind him revealed that the portal had disappeared. Now, it was time to resume expl the depths of the dungeon.