Chapter 34

  Richter felt a flicker of guilt as he lifted the lid of the chest and revealed the staff nestled within. It was long and metallic—dark, yet gleaming with subtle menace—etched with a vein of deep red metal that wound along its shaft in spiralling coils, forming elegant, intricate runes. Taking this meant letting go of the staff that had seen him through nearly every battle since his arrival in the System.

  This new staff definitely lived up to its rare tag.

  [Item Acquired: Veinspire Staff – Rare – Soulbound]

  While wielding this staff, any spell or item that consumes health will require less health to activate, while also becoming more potent and efficient.

  This staff forms a bond with its wielder. When the user is at full health, their natural regeneration passively charges the staff with energy. This stored energy can later be released to restore health to the user or an ally within range, with the effective distance determined by the user's Perception stat.

  Richter cast his healing skill, topping off the minor wounds he’d sustained in the fight—though in truth, he’d barely been touched. The real drain had come from his scroll and the Sanguine Barrier, both of which had siphoned his health significantly. This staff would make a difference—no doubt about it.

  Now at full health, Richter felt a subtle draw from the staff—a gentle siphon, absorbing a sliver of his vitality and making it its own. The red veins along the metal shimmered faintly, not yet fully aglow, but he imagined that with more energy absorbed, they would blaze like embers ready to ignite.

  Using his new staff for support, Richter pulled himself upright and cast his gaze toward the dusk-painted sky. The green beacon marking Liam’s destination still pulsed brightly in the distance. He trusted Liam—he was likely laying traps, moving with caution. Not everyone had the luxury of healing skills and mana barriers to lean on in a fight.

  With 20 Event Points already earned and a full day remaining, Richter knew he couldn’t afford to slow down. There was still daylight to burn—and one more beacon pulsing ahead through the trees. A common one.

  That night, Richter only rested for a few hours—just enough to replenish his strength. Under the pale moonlight, he found himself facing a beast that looked like an enormous mole, nearly the size of a bear. It wielded earth magic with frightening speed, tunneling rapidly to evade attacks and launching surprise ambushes from underground.

  But Richter discovered a new trick with his dagger.

  He could sense its location at all times—a faint tether linking him to the weapon, no matter where it was. That connection allowed him to use it as a makeshift tracker, predicting where the creature would emerge next. With his scroll back in action and the dagger acting like a magical sonar, the fight turned into a one-sided game of whack-a-mole.

  Once the creature finally fell, Richter stood over its body, breathing heavily but unharmed. As the dust settled and the mana quieted, he noticed a glimmer tucked between a shattered root and displaced soil—a common chest, likely drawn to the ambient magic or perhaps left behind as bait.

  He approached cautiously, then opened it with practiced ease. Another ring this one gold with a green gemstone.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  [Item Acquired: Common Ring of the Vitality– Common – Soulbound]

  While wearing this ring, all self-healing effects are slightly enhanced—including those from potions, healing skills, and natural regeneration.

  Now at 25 points, Richter headed for the next fight.

  By morning, Richter reached another common chest, pausing only once to roast a portion of the mole meat over a quick campfire—more for warmth and morale than necessity.

  This was his first insectoid-class creature. The large, wasp-like beast was fast and equipped with a dangerous stinger. Richter was hit once and injected with poison, but he used the staff’s effect to heal the wound with ease.

  He managed to defeat it by luring the wasp into a high-speed charge, causing it to slam into a tree and become briefly stuck. Richter wasted no time—he moved in swiftly and finished the job.

  This fight earned Richter his sixth level in his class, granting him a new skill choice. He opted for a healing ability to replace his basic heal—this one offered range, allowing him to target others from a distance, though that wasn’t something he needed right now. More importantly, it scaled in power based on missing health, making it far more efficient when used under pressure. It was a tactical choice—fitting for someone who spent as much time bleeding as he did casting.

  The chest had contained something for his profession: a pair of black, velvet-like gloves tailored for precision and control.

  [Item Acquired: Inkweaver’s Grasp – Common – Soulbound]

  These black gloves are laced with fine silver filaments infused with mana, enhancing the flow of magical energy through the hands. This stabilization improves control and precision, subtly increasing the potency and clarity of any scribe-based craft, from glyphwork to scroll inscription.

  These gloves would come in handy later, but for now, Richter slipped them away. He didn’t have time to admire his new gear—his eyes were already on the next target. An uncommon beacon shimmered in the distance, and by his estimate, it was only four to five hours away. Just enough time for one more run before the event time ran out.

  Richter was grateful for the stat boosts he’d earned through leveling. Before the System, if someone had told him he'd be trekking five hours through dense forest, scrambling over uneven terrain and shifting elevation, he would've told them to piss off without hesitation. But now it was nothing.

  The final uncommon chest was guarded by familiar foes—two massive Barkskin Bears, each Level 7. Their hulking forms stood like armored statues near the chest, thick bark-like plating shifting with every breath. Though not new, they were no less dangerous, and together they posed a challenge even Richter couldn't take lightly.

  The Barkskin Bear had been the first creature Richter faced in this world. Back then, he had a group. This time, he was alone—but no one was going to die. The bears fell quickly. Too quickly.

  A weight settled in his chest as he looked over their fallen forms. They hadn’t grown weaker—he had simply become stronger. And if he had this strength back then... maybe they all would have made it. Maybe they'd be living in Lakeside now, discovering professions, carving out normal lives instead of dead and burned.

  The thought lingered like a bruise—quiet, deep, and slow to fade.

  Among the fallen bark and broken earth, the final uncommon chest sat undisturbed. Richter approached, his steps slower this time, as if the ghosts of the past weighed on his boots. He opened the chest with steady hands.

  At the bottom rested a pair of dark leather boots, reinforced with subtle crimson stitching and an aura of restrained power.

  [Item Acquired: Bloodstep Boots – Uncommon – Soulbound]

  A lightweight pair of boots that allow the user to sacrifice a small amount of health to perform a swift, short-distance dash—ideal for evasion, repositioning, or closing the gap in a fight.

  Richter ran his fingers along the leather. They were practical—agile, efficient, and deadly when used right. Another tool to keep him one step ahead… even if it came at a cost.

  Richter collapsed to the ground, exhaustion finally catching up with him. He pulled on the boots, the leather still cool against his skin, then let himself sink into the forest floor.

  With 40 Event Points secured and his body battered but intact, Richter had pushed farther than he ever imagined. A beacon still flickered in the distance, unclaimed—but he felt no urgency to chase it. For the first time, he was content. He’d fought, survived, grown. And that was enough.