After the battle, I searched the four corpses, taking everything of value.
Money.
Weapons.
Equipment.
Even their space ring.
After all...
Dead people had no use for any of it.
Once I finished looting them, I activated my bloodline.
"Devour."
The familiar notifications appeared before my eyes.
[Absorbed 0.5 Intelligence.]
[Absorbed 0.5 Mana.]
[Absorbed 0.5 Mana.]
[Absorbed 1 Strength.]
Satisfied, I opened my status screen.
After thinking for a moment, I allocated my remaining free attribute points to Perception.
My strength had increased significantly, but my reaction speed still wasn’t keeping up.
If I couldn’t react fast enough to use my power...
Then all that strength would be meaningless.
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ATTRIBUTES
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Strength: 14
Agility: 13
Vitality: 10
Mana: 13
Spirit: 10
Intelligence: 9.5
Perception: 9 → 11
Luck: ???
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FREE ATTRIBUTE POINTS
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Available Points: 0
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After seeing my updated status, a satisfied smile appeared on my face.
It was already night, so I left the four corpses behind and returned to the city.
I stopped by a tavern for dinner before renting a room for the night.
The next morning, I took a shower, changed into a clean set of clothes, and decided to sell the loot I had taken from the robbers.
There was one thing I was curious about.
Monster cores.
They sold for a surprisingly high price, so they had to be useful for something.
Before leaving the room, I counted my money.
Including everything I had taken from the robbers, I now had over ten silver coins.
Not bad.
Although...
I’m definitely not Robin Hood.
I rob robbers...
And keep everything for myself.
Seriously, what kind of mental problem did that guy have?
He stole from the rich just to give it all to the poor.
Even a great person like me couldn’t understand that.
With that thought, I gathered my loot and headed toward a shop that bought monster cores.
The moment I entered, I looked at the owner.
"What are monster cores used for?"
The shop owner glanced at me before smiling.
"Kid, information isn’t free."
I frowned.
"How much?"
"One silver coin."
I stared at him.
"Old man, why don’t you just rob me while you’re at it?"
"The most I’ll pay is fifty copper."
The old man frowned.
"Seventy-five."
I crossed my arms.
"Do you think I’m a fool?"
"Fifty copper."
"If you’re not willing, I’ll just ask another shop."
The old geezer clicked his tongue.
"Fine."
"Fifty copper."
I tossed him the coins.
"Here."
"Now spill it."
The old man pocketed the money before speaking.
"It’s nothing complicated."
"Awakened can absorb monster cores."
"Some people gain attributes from them."
"And blacksmiths use them to forge special weapons."
The moment I heard that...
I completely gave up on selling my monster cores.
"Thanks."
"I’m leaving."
The old man immediately stopped me.
"Hey, kid!"
"Weren’t you here to sell something?"
I looked at him as if he were an idiot.
"I came here to sell monster cores because I didn’t know what they were for."
"Now I know."
"So why would I sell them?"
Without waiting for his reply, I walked out.
The last thing I heard was the old man slamming his hand onto the counter.
"You little brat!"
Outside the shop, I took out one of the monster cores from my space ring.
So these things could be absorbed...
Would my bloodline work on them too?
There was only one way to find out.
I held the core in my hand.
"Devour."
The monster core slowly crumbled into black particles before disappearing.
A warm stream of energy flowed into my body.
The familiar notifications appeared.
[Absorbed 0.5 Strength.]
[Absorbed 0.5 Mana.]
I blinked.
Then a grin slowly spread across my face.
"So it works..."
Not only could I devour monsters...
I could devour their cores as well.
The amount I gained wasn’t much.
But every little bit mattered.
In this world...
Even the smallest advantage could save my life.
I looked at the remaining monster cores inside my space ring.
Originally, I planned to sell them.
Not anymore.
"Sorry."
"You’re not becoming money."
"You’re becoming my strength."
Satisfied with my discovery, I stored the remaining cores and headed to another shop.
I restocked my food and bought a few more sets of clothes before returning to the Monster Forest.
I still needed to reach Level 8.
And more importantly...
I needed to become accustomed to fighting with two swords.
After searching for a while, I found several Corrupted Beasts and dealt with them using both my swords and my darkness.
[Congratulations. You have killed a Level 10 Corrupted Beast.]
[You have gained 160 EXP.]
[Congratulations. You have killed a Level 12 Corrupted Beast.]
[You have gained 200 EXP.]
[Congratulations!]
[Level Up!]
[Level: 7 → 8]
[Reward: 5 Free Attribute Points.]
I immediately distributed the points into Spirit, Intelligence, and Vitality.
Afterward, I searched for a deserted area where no one would disturb me.
There, I began practicing with my dual swords while experimenting with different ways to combine them with my darkness.
Again.
And again.
Countless combinations flashed through my mind.
Eventually...
One attack finally succeeded.
I swung both swords at the same time.
Two arcs of darkness shot forward together.
They slammed into a nearby tree, leaving two deep cuts across the trunk.
My eyes lit up.
"It worked..."
I clenched my fists in excitement and continued practicing until nightfall.
By the time I stopped, I had become much more comfortable using both my dual swords and my darkness together.
Satisfied with my progress, I returned to the city.
Tomorrow would decide my future.
So tonight...
I decided to enjoy myself.
I treated myself to a proper meal, even though it cost several silver coins.
It was expensive.
But I had no regrets.
After finishing dinner, I rented a better room than usual and went to sleep.
After paying for everything, I checked my remaining money.
Six silver coins.
Five of them would be needed to register for the academy entrance examination.
The last silver coin...
Would be enough for tomorrow’s meals.
The next morning, I woke up, took another shower, put on my new clothes, and headed toward the academy examination grounds.
A long line of applicants had already formed.
I quietly joined the queue and waited for my turn.
Eventually...
I reached the registration desk.
I handed over the five silver coins.
After registering, I walked toward the examination area and silently waited for the academy entrance trial to begin.