Novel Catchup
Chapter 37 A Month After
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[When Host Luck reaches 100, Host can use it to track unknown treasures. Luck will reset after use.]
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**Host Name:** Draco Xandros
**Race:** Human [25%], Dragon [25%], Phoenix [25%], Demon [25%]
**Level:** 13
**EXP:** 32,000/60,000
**Class:** Plunderer, Dragonborn, Demon Lord, Phoenixborn
**Talent:** Plunder, ????? Dragon Power, ????? Phoenix Power
**Skill:** Plunder, Dragon Power, Phoenix Power, Appraisal
**Physique:** None
**Affinity (Energy/Element):** Fire, Earth, Lightning, Draconic, Demonic, Phoenix, Dark...
**HP:** 10,000/10,000
**MP:** 10,000/10,000
**STR:** 620
**AGI:** 600
**INT:** 560
**DEX:** 580
**STA:** 620
**DEF:** 720
**Luck:** 20
**SP:** 0
**PP:** 73,000
**Inventory:** Bronze Sword, Weapon of Plunder, Hand Gear...
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Draco looked at the upgraded system with surprise. He could see some new features.
The system looked more orderly and better than before.
[Status] [Skills] [Shop] [Mission]
These options were now displayed at the topmost part of the system panel, with [Status] glaring brightly.
Curious, he moved on to the [Skills] section by clicking it on the system panel.
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[**Skills**]
**Passive Skills:**
*Mark of Divinity (Phoenix):* x5 effect on all stats, skills, and points.
Increases the destructive power of any phoenix skill by 150%.
*Mark of Divinity (Dragon):* x5 effect on all stats, skills, and points.
Increases the destructive power of any dragon skill by 150%.
*Mark of Divinity (Demon):* x5 effect on all stats, skills, and points.
Increases the destructive power of any demonic skill by 150%.
*Mark of Divinity (??????):* x5 effect on all stats, skills, and points.
**Main Abilities:**Nôv(el)B\\jnn
*Plunder:* Able to loot, absorb, and snatch talents, attributes, physiques, abilities, skills, and more.
*Note:* Success depends on the Host's strength, soul, and the target's strength.
*Dragon Power:* Grants control over Dragon Energy and access to its innate skills and abilities.
*Phoenix Power:* Grants control over Phoenix Energy and access to its innate skills and abilities.
**Active Skills:**
*Reverse Scale (Lvl 2):* Activates in moments of danger, temporarily increasing the Host's overall stats by 10% for 3 minutes (20x effect).
*Side Effect:* Host loses 1/4 of strength afterward.
*Phoenix Nirvana (Lvl 2):* Heals body injuries, including serious ones. Can reattach body parts. Consumes 10 HP per second. [0/10,000]
*Plunder Hand (Lvl 2):* Can snatch four random objects from any system space. Cooldown: 24 hours. [0/10,000]
*Dragon Scale (Lvl 2):* Hardens certain parts of the body, forming spirit-like scales. Increases defense by 5% (20x effect). [0/10,000]
*Phoenix Transformation (Lvl 2):* Enables partial transformation of the Host's body into a Phoenix form, allowing the harnessing of Phoenix Energy. [0/10,000]
Consumes 3 MP per second.
*Note:* *Phoenix Flame* can only be used when this skill is activated. Reduction of lower-ranked Volkoid strength can only be activated with this skill.
*Draconic Transformation (Lvl 2):* Enables partial transformation of the Host's body into a Draconic form, allowing the harnessing of Draconic Energy. [0/10,000]
Consumes 3 MP per second.
*Note:* *Draconic Flame* can only be used when this skill is activated. Reduction of lower-ranked Volkoid strength can only be activated with this skill.
*Demonic Transformation (Lvl 2):* Enables partial transformation of the Host's body into a Demonic form, allowing the harnessing of Demonic Energy. [0/10,000]
Consumes 3 MP per second.
*Note:* *Demonic Flame* can only be used when this skill is activated. Reduction of lower-ranked demon strength can only be activated with this skill.
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All his passive skills, active abilities, and main powers were neatly organized.
Filled with excitement, Draco moved on to check the [Shop].
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[**Shop**]
**20% EXP Increase Card:** With this card, EXP gained will increase by 20% for 24 hours.
*Cost:* 200,000 PP
**Fire Dragon Spell (Upgradeable):** A fire spell that summons fire in the form of a dragon. It can attack, defend, and support. Usable only by Class: Magician.
*Cost:* 5 Million PP
**Skill Points (SP):** Points used to level up skills.
*Cost:* 1 SP = 5 PP
**Clues on the Location of the 12 Seats of Demon:**
*Cost:* 50 Million PP
...
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Draco didn't have the heart to keep reading. Each item was worth a fortune, but he was far too poor.
He now understood the pain of seeing dazzling treasures but being unable to acquire even a single one.
Frustrated, he felt like cursing the system for showing him all this—indirectly mocking him for being broke.
He called out to Xylara, but no response came.
"It looks like she's in a deep sleep," Draco chuckled bitterly.
---
**[Missions]**
**Unique Mission (Quest):**
**[Mission 1:** Retrieve your extracted talent and exterminate those who dare use it for their own purposes. A demon, dragon, and phoenix are beings that can't be blasphemed. Show them who's the boss.]**
*Time Limit:* 1 year
*Reward:* Recovery of Memory, Mask of Concealment
*Penalty:* Burn under the Hell of Fire as a mortal
**[Mission 2:** Find the Ten Seats of Demon, awaken them, and assign their system to them (0/10).]**
*Time Limit:* 3 years
*Reward:* Gain abilities of the Seat of Demon each time you awaken them.
*Penalty:* Loss of manhood
**[Mission 3:** Let your name echo across Cerulean and make it instill fear in everyone who hears it (0%).]**
*Time Limit:* 3 years
*Reward:* Unknown (depends on star and rate of completion)
*Penalty:* Unknown (depends on rate of completion)
**Normal Mission:**
- Eliminate 1000 Bronze Rank Volkoid [0/1000]
*Rewards:* 10,000 PP
- Eliminate 1000 Silver Rank Volkoid [0/1000]
*Rewards:* 100,000 PP
- Eliminate 1000 Gold Rank Volkoid [0/1000]
*Rewards:* 500,000 PP
- Eliminate 500 Platinum Rank Volkoid [0/500]
*Rewards:* 1,000,000 PP
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Draco felt delighted by these new missions. At least the system wasn't that wicked. The missions might seem hard and taxing to others, but to Draco...
**Hahahahaha!!**
"It's time to farm some EXP and PP," Draco muttered.
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A month passed in the blink of an eye.
In an unknown forest, a group of five people—three men and two women—wearing armor stood their ground. Some held weapons in their hands, their bodies exuding an elite aura.
They were fighting a pack of Wolf Volkoid but didn't have it easy. Some were injured, and their situation was dire.
From the looks of it, they had been ambushed by the cunning pack.
"Brad, what are we going to do?" one of the women asked, locking her gaze on a man who stood at the center.
They were surrounded by the wolf pack.
"Sh*t, it looks like we were given the wrong information. Those damn mercenary associations!" cried a slightly young man in his thirties, his voice filled with anger.
He was Brad, the leader of the Shadow Mercenary Group.
This group, a newly ranked-up C-Grade mercenary team, had taken their first mission, which turned into an ambush and disaster.
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**The Mercenary System:**
Outside Calonia, survival alone is hard. Many form mercenary groups, recruiting four or five people to register at the mercenary association—a body responsible for managing mercenaries, assigning missions, and handling administrative tasks. Their headquarters are in Calonia.
To become a mercenary, one must first awaken their class.
Mercenary groups are graded as E, D, C, B, A, S, SS, and SSS.
- *E* and *D* Grades: Beginner groups, often referred to as "toddler mercenaries."
- *C* and *B* Grades: Fighters with battle experience and skill.
- *A* Grade: Elite groups of highly skilled and seasoned mercenaries.
- *S* Grade: Known as *Volkoid Vanquishers,* these mercenaries are relentless in their missions.
- *SS* and *SSS* Grades: Hidden elites. Their movements cause a stir, and even nature seems to bow to their strength.
To climb the ranks, contributions to the mercenary association are essential.
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Brad's group consisted of:
- A swordsman (Brad himself),
- A cleric (a rare class they were lucky to have),
- A warrior,
- A magician, and
- A unique-class awakener (the complaining woman).
Each member had surpassed Level 20.
However, they were outmatched by the cunning Wolf Volkoid pack of nearly 100 wolves, all at Level 20.
If the Volkoid weren't so intelligent, the group might have found a way out. But their intelligence, especially that of the pack leader—whose whereabouts were unknown—made escape nearly impossible.
The leader, a wolf with a crescent moon marking on its head, watched from a distance. Its level surpassed 30. It seemed to be toying with them, intent on exhausting their stamina and origin energy.
The wolves began closing in. All hope seemed lost.
Suddenly, a calm voice broke the tension.
"Hello, is there a city nearby?"
The group turned, stunned.
Behind them stood a young man in his teens. His silvery-white hair, red eyes, and handsome face exuded both masculine and feminine charm.
The women blushed, avoiding his gaze, while even the men were struck by his breathtaking appearance—a perfection they had never imagined.
As for the wolves, they froze for a moment before running for their lives.
**The Human Disaster was here.**
Even the crescent-marked wolf bolted, cursing, "Why did this human appear here?!"
The young man was Draco, who had been chasing and killing Volkoid for weeks. His reputation had spread far and wide among them.
Draco watched as the wolf pack fled.
"My EXP!" he cried out, like a heartbroken man trying desperately to stop them.
The Shadow Mercenaries were speechless at his behavior.