Chapter 253 - 164: Unexpected Attributes and Evolution (Part 2)
Chapter 253: Chapter 164: Unexpected Attributes and Evolution (Part 2)
He had intentionally veered off course to let his shadow fall behind a tree, allowing it to remain unseen.
After the main group was a good distance away, the Shadow Clone sprang into action, heading off into the distance.
The "Lin Mo" clone continued onward, heading back in the direction they had come from.
He wanted to find a Level 2 Demon to test it on first.
Since the clone was at the outer edge of the Deep Forest Area, the search wasn’t easy. After several minutes, Lin Mo thought he would have to give up and cast the skill again. But just as the clone’s duration was about to run out, with less than 20 seconds remaining, it finally found a target.
Twenty seconds. That was more than enough!
A Level 3 [Shadow Splitting] inherited 60% of Lin Mo’s main body’s Attributes. This was already quite powerful, making a common Level 2 Demon no problem at all.
The battle was over in just over ten seconds, and a notification floated before Lin Mo’s eyes.
[Shadow Splitting] Skill Level +10
’Just as I thought, one point less.’
’Still, a reduction of this size is acceptable.’
’So what about Level 1 and below?’
Lin Mo continued his experiment, sending out another [Shadow Splitting].
[Shadow Splitting] Skill Level +3
[Shadow Splitting] Skill Level +1
’Good. It didn’t decrease any further. It’s the same as when [Shadow Splitting] was Level 2.’
Lin Mo breathed a small sigh of relief. ’If that’s the case, then things are still fine.’
They finally reached the outskirts of Loran Forest. The number of dangerous Demons here was even smaller, but they encountered just as many Goblins. Every time they saw the hideous green-skinned monsters, the faces of the young women being protected in the center of the group turned pale.
It was clear the experience had left them with deep psychological scars.
Seeing the Goblins, the Adventurers naturally didn’t let them pass, striking them down immediately. Lin Mo couldn’t even get in on the action, only managing to kill two.
’But it doesn’t matter anymore...’
’In a little while, we’ll be home.’
Although this trip hadn’t been very long, Lin Mo felt completely drained and unusually exhausted.
He needed to go back and get some good rest. ’At least... hmm, at least for a whole day.’
But he had no choice. The current situation was treacherous and unpredictable. No one knew when the Goblins and the Undead Mage would stir up trouble again. He had to use every moment to increase his strength.
They killed some more Goblins along the way, and Lin Mo took the opportunity to practice his [Backstab] skill.
As an Ordinary Level skill, it still gave 1 point of Skill Level for killing common Goblins. This fact almost brought tears of gratitude to Lin Mo’s eyes.
[Backstab] Level 4 (17/100)
’I should hurry up and get this skill to Full Level.’
With the [Shadow Splitting] skill unexpectedly providing a large amount of Basic Attribute Points again at Level 3, Lin Mo’s Agility had reached 39 points.
’Just one more point and it’ll level up.’
But they were already approaching Silver Stream City, so it would have to wait until the next trip out.
As they approached Silver Stream City, Lin Mo noticed some damage on the city walls. After asking one of the Guards, he learned that just yesterday, after they had left, powerful Undead Creatures had launched a surprise attack, resulting in the death or injury of more than a dozen Guards.
However, the situation was quickly suppressed once the City Lord arrived.
Lin Mo frowned. There was a lot of information to be gleaned from this incident.
First, the City Lord of Silver Stream City—Feney’s mother—was definitely not weak.
That went without saying. As the ruler of a city, even if she had inherited the position through her husband’s influence, she couldn’t have held it securely without sufficient strength of her own.
And it wasn’t just about her strength. Judging by the unchallengeable authority she now wielded in the city, the political strife she must have endured back then was likely anything but ordinary.
Yet City Lord Beixila had still managed to protect Feney so well that she was almost completely unaffected. This showed how formidable her methods were; she was far more than the simple, good-natured person she appeared to be on the surface.
’But that isn’t the main point...’
’A sudden attack by Undead Creatures. This couldn’t be a coincidence.’
’Considering all the recent events, it’s clear the Undead Mage behind the scenes is probing.’
’Probing the state of Silver Stream City’s Combat Power.’
They dangled "bait" to force Silver Stream City to slow its investigation into the depths of Loran Forest, drawing a large portion of the city’s forces away. Then, the Undead Creatures attacked the city to test its reaction... It was an interlocking scheme, and it was obvious the enemy had achieved their goal.
The situation in Silver Stream City was not looking good.
Because City Lord Beixila had been forced to act.
For a small-scale attack by Undead Creatures to require the City Lord’s personal intervention, it showed just how short-staffed Silver Stream City truly was.
’Now that they’ve revealed their weakness, I’m afraid there will be no peace from now on...’
Lin Mo’s brow furrowed with worry.
’And then there was this mission. We encountered all sorts of dangers in the Cave, with several near-death experiences. Even with me and Shefilya there, our losses were still significant.’
’What about the other squads that went to the other Caves... How did they fare?’
’If they also suffered heavy losses, it would be unacceptable.’
Lin Mo didn’t think the enemy’s move—killing multiple birds with one stone—was particularly brilliant. It was simply that Silver Stream City was too weak, with no room to maneuver.
The Goblin disaster, Lawrence’s conspiracy, and now the Undead Creatures...
Silver Stream City was facing far too many problems.
In this situation, wasn’t the Kingdom going to do anything at all?
Lin Mo didn’t know much about politics, but even so, shouldn’t they send reinforcements and take measures for the Goblin disaster alone?
’Or is City Lord Beixila actually hiding her strength, playing the long game?’
He shook his head. These political games weren’t his forte, and it was pointless to overthink them. It was better to focus on grinding Skill Levels.
As the saying goes, "it takes a strong body to forge iron." In an Extraordinary world like this, as long as one’s Level and strength were high enough, any plot or scheme could be shattered by sheer force.
Upon arriving in the city, they first took the rescued young women to the City Lord’s Mansion, leaving them to be settled in.
As for the rewards, they wouldn’t be distributed until the next day, after all the dispatched squads had returned.
It was already evening, which naturally meant it was time for a celebratory dinner that everyone was looking forward to.
Lin Mo, along with Ali and Feney, joined Landon’s Cyan Orchid Squad at the Richard Grand Hotel. They ate and drank to their hearts’ content before going their separate ways.
Shefilya took Feney home. Ali brought some food for Lena, and then she and Lin Mo went to pick up the Little Cat Girl from work.
Oh, right. During dinner, Lin Mo had also brought up the matter of the manor to Feney. She needed to go back and ask her mother about it first, so they could discuss it tomorrow when they went to the City Lord’s Mansion to collect their rewards.
Back at the inn, Lin Mo finally let his mind go completely blank. After a shower, he lay down on the soft, large bed and let out a long, comfortable sigh.
Of course, even at a time like this, there was no way he could actually rest.
Because the big bad wolf had arrived on the battlefield.
Ali, clad in her "Battle Armor," wore an expression of pure confidence. Lin Mo was almost afraid she would utter those classic three words:
"I will win."
During this time, thanks to the [Cultivator Companion] skill, Ali’s strength had skyrocketed. Although she couldn’t compare to Lin Mo, she had already surpassed most so-called geniuses.
Moreover, the Attributes provided by [Cultivator Companion] weren’t singular but random.
One time it might be Strength, the next it could be Agility, and the time after that, Constitution...
So even though Ali was of the Warrior Profession, her Constitution and Agility weren’t low. While they were far from matching a dedicated class of the same level, she was already much stronger than her peers.
After so much "train—" ahem, "practice," Ali had become more and more proficient. She licked her lips quite naturally and began her late-night snack...
[Cultivator Companion] Skill Level +1
[Cultivator Companion] Skill Level +1
...
The night passed in a flash. As was his habit on rest days, Lin Mo slept straight through to noon.
Opening his eyes, Lin Mo very naturally patted the soft form beside him, feeling a wave of emotion.
’All I can say is, having high Constitution really lets you do whatever you want.’
His Constitution, as high as 48, made both his Durability and his recovery ability extremely powerful.
Over the course of the night, the [Cultivator Companion] skill had increased by a full 11 points.
’Of course, this thing isn’t based on the number of times... it’s probably related to duration?’
In any case, it had leveled up again.
"Skill [Cultivator Companion] Level 3 (40/40) has leveled up!"
"Current Skill: [Cultivator Companion] Level 4 (0/100)"
After reaching Level 4, the effects of [Cultivator Companion] should be even stronger. At this rate, it wouldn’t be long before Ali reached Level 3.
’Right now, she’s probably around Level 2.3 or 2.4?’
On another note, Feney also seemed close to reaching Level 2. After this expedition, she was likely just on the verge of leveling up. It should happen in the next day or two.