Jake awoke once more after only an hour of sleep. Resources refilled, he stretched and did some light shadowboxing to get the blood flowing. The concept of tiredness and physical exhaustion being such a rarity was still not something he was used to.His race’s evolution reduced this need further, as it also did much to limit mental exhaustion. He still burned himself out nearly daily, but then again, he was always working. He either read about alchemy, did alchemy, prepared for alchemy, or thought out how to better do alchemy. His only distractions were small research trips on other topics, such as general knowledge of the system and looking for more information on Bloodlines.The plan for today was to get another level and evolve his profession. He dearly hoped that his preparations were sufficient and that his potential upgrades would be worth it. As long as one met the required Records needed to evolve, one would have options available, but the quality of said options could vary wi

As Jake’s vision started to return, the only feeling in his body that remained was a constant searing pain in his hand, extending up his arm and into his entire body. It didn’t feel malicious, just far more powerful than Jake’s body was capable of handling.The moment his feet hit the ground, he also collapsed down on his knees, heaving for air while clutching his chest. The pain gradually faded away and was instead replaced by a strong feeling of power. It was unlike any level-ups he had felt before, and certainly far more than when he’d evolved his race.He basked in the feeling for a while before everything finally calmed down. Raising his hand, he could feel that he had gotten stronger. The Viper had done something. Given him something.Opening his status screen, he was met with a slew of messages, but the first one alone gave him great pause.*Blessing received*: [True Blessing of the Malefic Viper (Blessing - True)] – An alchemist recognized by the Malefic Viper himself. Few thr

A scrap of paper floated in the air as if a small string were attached to it. It was slow as it weaved out the door, evading obstacles in the way. It finally floated into another room before it landed in the palm of Jake’s hand, to the sound of a small cheer.Jake could barely contain his laughter from finally succeeding in his exercise. He had made it a habit to do this kind of practice daily, following the advice of the Malefic Viper.Through mana alone, he had managed to lift and manipulate a physical object. It didn’t seem like much, but for Jake, it was huge. Through sheer mana manipulation, he had managed to create a small tether or string that he had then attached to the paper. It was incredibly weak, no more durable than a thread of spider silk. But it was something.He had hit the books hard on this aspect of mana and how to use it, and he’d found a lot.Mana was, after all, a natural force found throughout the entire multiverse. It was known as one of the big three prime en

The Malefic Viper stood in the desolate middle of nowhere, surrounded by the ever-present white mist. He had stood here for days now, unmoving. The decision to leave had been made, but the last step still stumped him. It wasn’t that he couldn’t or that he didn’t want to go. A single thought would bring him away. But he still felt doubt. It had been a long time since he last left… A very long time.Suddenly, he felt a small trickle of faith come to him, for the first time in many eras. Of course, he knew from where it came. He had only one being in the entire multiverse who held his blessing, after all. The prayer was simple, if a little insulting.The Malefic Viper couldn’t help but chuckle to himself as he peered through the void into the Challenge Dungeon, observing Jake drink his concoction."Crazy bastard," he muttered to himself, smirking. "And entirely pointless. Should I tell him that his body would be powerful enough to survive the poison already and how he is unnecessarily pu

Jake cursed under his breath as he walked through the narrow cave. He had totally forgotten the shitty location of the Challenge Dungeon. At least he could walk out a lot faster than he had gotten in.He was also happy to finally get his weapons back. He had missed his bow. It would have been a great stress-reliever in the dungeon to do some target practice. The quiver had naturally also come back with the bow.One of the two daggers he had was now redundant after having gotten the Dagger of Bloodletting. It was common rarity, and despite being made of bone, it was far sharper and far more durable than his steel knives. And that was ignoring the enchantment to make things bleed more.Another absolute positive was how damn comfortable his new boots were. It was utterly illogical how some old, worn leather boots could feel like walking on clouds while simultaneously getting your feet massaged. He feared that he would never be able to go back to regular footwear.The winding tunnel took