The Devil’s Cage

After settling his personal business, Kieran put on the virtual helmet once again. Everything became dark before he appeared in the lobby of the game again.

His mailbox had been spammed while he was away. Considering the number of the messages, it could only be Lawless.

...

Lawless: I found u a gauntlet!

Lawless: 800 Points, Rarity Great, it fits ur criteria!

Lawless: No Magic equipment though, it was too hard to find!

Lawless: Last time, when I bombarded that Burrow Dragon, it only dropped a Magical Rank item! Damn it, dragon! That’s totally unworthy of your bloodline! At least give me some Rare equipment!

...

After a lot of BS, Lawless finally sent over a screenshot and enabled the trading option.

[Name: Tiger’s Finger (Right Hand)]

[Type: Gauntlet]

[Rarity: Great]

[Attacking Power: Weak]

[Attributes: None]

[Effects: None]

[Prerequisites: None]

[Remarks: It might look like a punk accessory, but it sure can throw a punch if you know how to use it!]

...

The item on the trade window was exactly what Kieran had imagined.

It was black in color and made out of four pieces of metal chained together.

After a quick scan, Kieran accepted the deal.

He had mentioned that he was looking for a Magical Rank equipment as a last minute thought. if there had been one, it would have been good, but none would do him no harm either.

Kieran did not insist on getting a Magical Rank item, because embedding the jewel onto the equipment would enhance the equipment with magic as well.

After paying 800 Points, Kieran now had 32,400 Points, 17 Skill Points, 1 Golden Skill Point, and 1 Golden Attribute Point.

The total from the sale of the jewels was 21,000 Points and 12 Skill Points. The dungeon rewards had been 12,200 Points, 5 Skill Points, 1 Golden Skill Point, and 1 Golden Attribute Point.

After he calculated the total sum, he PMed Blacksmith.

...

2567: You there?

Blacksmith: Talk.

2567: Embedding.

Blacksmith: 1,000 Points.

...

A platform similar to the one Kieran had bought on the forum appeared in front of him along with a form.

”Please place the item to be embedded on the platform and pay 1,000 Points.”

”Fill in the form. The whole process is being monitored by the game system.”

The mechanical voice stated that the trade was being monitored by the system, a fact that gave Kieran some reassurance.

He signed the form and placed the [Tiger’s Finger] and the cracked [Topaz] on the platform.

After a minute, a new item called [Lightning Tiger’s Finger] appeared in Kieran’s hand.

[Name: Lightning Tiger’s Finger (Right Hand)]

[Type: Gauntlet]

[Rarity: Great]

[Attack: Common]

[Attributes: Lightning Enhancement]

[Effects: None]

[Prerequisites: Hand-to-hand Combat (Entry)]

[Remarks: This is a product of embedding.]

...

[Lightning Enhancement: Each attack will trigger 4-8 Points of Lightning Damage Effect]

...

The originally black item was now embedded with several lightning stripes, but other than that, nothing else was different.

Kieran put the glove on his right hand and clenched his fist. The glove produced a small lightning effect around his hand, but it did not harm him.

Kieran nodded in satisfaction.

He wanted to thank Blacksmith, but by that time, the player had already gone offline.

”A chatterbox and a man of few words...”

Kieran shook his head and left a thank you message for Blacksmith. Then he turned his eyes to the skills window.

Now that he had acquired the [Lightning Tiger’s Finger], he could leave the [Sharp Weapon (Dagger)] skill, and focus on the [Hand-to-Hand Combat] skill. According to his upgrading plan, after the [Hand-to-hand Combat] skill were the [Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm)], [Evading], [Undercover], [Tracking] and [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] skills, followed by the [Barsical Kick], which was capped by the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] skill.

[Hand-to-hand Combat (Master→Pro), costs 4,000 Points, 2 Skill Points, Yes/No?]

[Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm) (Master→Pro), costs 3,000 Points, 2 Skill Points, Yes/No?]

[Evading (Master→Pro), costs 3,500 Points, 2 Skill Points, Yes/No?]

[Undercover (Master→Pro), costs 3,500 Points, 2 Skill Points, Yes/No?]

[Tracking (Master→Pro), costs 6,000 Points, 4 Skill Points, Yes/No?]

[Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Arts, (Basic→Entry), Received lecture from skill instructor, cost dropped to 2,500 Points, 1 Golden Skill Point, Yes/No?]

[Barsical Kick, (Basic→Entry), costs 3,000 Points, 2 Skill Points]

...

It was a total of 25,500 Points, 14 Skill Points, and 1 Golden Skill Point.

Kieran accepted every single one of them.

[Name: Hand-to-hand Combat (Pro)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Offensive]

[Effects: You know how to use your fists and legs better during a fight, Increases Damage by 40%]

[Special Effects: Master of Kicks Pro (When your kicks land, Strength, Agility +1 Effect)]

[Consumes: Stamina]

[Prerequisites: Strength E-, Agility E-, Constitution E-]

[Remarks: You can beat a mixed martial artist champion easily!]

...

[Hand-to-hand Combat leveled up, Related attributes increasing…]

[Strength E→E+]

[Agility E→E+]

[Constitution E→E+]

...

[Name: Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm) Pro]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Constitution, Intuition]

[Skill Type: Offensive]

[Effects: You know how to use a handgun, rifle, revolver, assault rifle, submachine gun and sniper rifle better, Increases Damage by 40%]

[Special Effects: Professional Aim (When you aim at your target, Intuition +2 Effect)]

[Consumes: Stamina]

[Prerequisites: Strength F+, Constitution F+, Intuition E-]

[Remarks: Anyone you’re aiming at will tremble in fear!]

...

[Firearm Weapon (Light Firearm) leveled up, Related attributes increasing…]

[Strength has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]

[Constitution has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]

[Intuition has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]

...

[Name: Evading (Pro)]

[Related Attributes: Agility]

[Skill Type: Ancillary]

[Effects: You know how to evade incoming attacks better, Increases Evading by 40%]

[Special Effects: Master of Swift Steps (Your steps make you even nimbler, Increases Evading by 20%)]

[Consumes: Stamina]

[Prerequisites: Agility E-]

[Remarks: You can use steps, rolls and other ways to evade your enemies’ attacks!]

...

[Evading leveled up, Related attributes increasing…]

[Agility has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]

...

[Name: Undercover (Pro)]

[Related Attributes: Agility]

[Skill Type: Ancillary]

[Effects: Better use of shadows, Harder for your enemies to discover you, Increases Hiding by 40%]

[Special Effects: Shadow Stalker (You can hide better in the shadows, Increases Hiding by 20%]

[Consumes: Stamina]

[Prerequisites: Agility E-]

[Remarks: You might be good at hiding, but you’re not invisible!]

...

[Undercover leveled up, Related attributes increasing...]

[Agility has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]

...

[Name: Tracking (Pro)]

[Related Attributes: Intuition]

[Skill Type: Ancillary]

[Effects: You can track your target by following all sorts of trails and tracks!]

[Special Effects: Professional Trail Searcher (You will always know what tracks and trails you’re looking for)]

[Consumes: Stamina]

[Prerequisites: Intuition E]

[Remarks: You can already sense strange things living amongst us!]

...

[Tracking skill leveled up, Related attributes increasing...]

[Intuition D- → D]

…...

[Name: Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art (Entry)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution, Spirit, Intuition]

[Skill Type: Ancillary]

[Effects: You know special methods to move your body, regulate your breath and relax. All attributes +2 (+1 Basic level)]

[Consumes: Stamina]

[Prerequisites: Strength E-, Agility E-, Constitution E-, Spirit E-, Intuition E-]

[Remarks: This is the Basic Entry Skill for the Knights of Dawn. It’s the skill that determines your proficiency in other skills!]

…..

[Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art leveled up, Related attributes increasing...]

[Strength E+→D-]

[Agility E+→D-]

[Constitution E+→D-]

[Spirit E-→E]

[Intuition D→D+]

...

[Name: Barsical Kick (Entry)]

[Related Attributes: Strength, Agility, Constitution]

[Skill Type: Offensive]

[Effects: Your legs are nimbler than your hands, When you strike with your legs, each hit will increase Agility +1]

[Consumes: Stamina]

[Prerequisites: Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art]

[Remarks: Remember that the Barsical Kick level cannot surpass the Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art level!]

…..

[Barsical Kick level increased, Related attributes increasing…]

[Strength has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]

[Agility has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]

[Constitution has reached the capped limit, Unable to level up any further]

...

When all seven skills had been leveled up, Kieran’s attributes were as follows.

[Strength: D-, Agility: D-, Constitution: D-, Spirit: E, Intuition: D+]

The attributes had increased according to the upgrade of the skills.

Kieran felt a series of warm sensations on his body as if he was in a hot spring, his mind gushing out knowledge like a fountain.

The whole process lasted about ten seconds, before he returned to normal.

He released a long breath, and then frowned.

He had not achieved his original goal in leveling up.