Reading the last notification flashing across his retina, an imperceptible smile formed on his face.

Bam!

He launched a powerful kick towards the incoming Saber Cat, rattling its balance, sending it flying a few meters further.

The Scaled Lizard tried to use the brief window while Moon's leg was still lowering to launch an attack. The attack would have been successful had Moon remained in his defensive stance.

He smacked the Scaled Lizard with his staff across its body. The creature let out a pained hiss as it was sent tumbling sideways, crashing through undergrowth from the sheer power behind the strike.

Afraid of another powerful attack of similar strength, the lizard immediately retreated, instinctively sensing the difference in Moon's stance and demeanour. The human who'd been passively absorbing attacks had transformed into an active threat.

Living in the forest for years, the Scaled Lizard had a good perception of danger that came from his survival instincts, and currently, Moon was not just any threat, but a major one.

Moon pulled up his full status while keeping his eyes on the two beasts before him.

—

[ Name: Moon ]

[ Race: Human ]

[ Class: Classless, Armoured Tank ]

[ Level: 18 ][ 27% ]

[ Lives: 4436 ]

[ Strength: 27 ] [ Agility: 29 ] [ Constitution: 32 ] [ Mana: 39 ] (+5 to all stats)

[ Attribute Points: 5 ]

[ Skills: Elemental Attack, Five Element Affinity, Tenacity, Bronze Skin]

[ Talent: Grim Reaper ]

[ Class Skill: Class Slot {1/1} ]

—

[Bronze Skin]

[Rank: Common]

[Level: 1] [Evolve]

[Details: Hardens the user's skin. Internal organs gain double their normal durability and resistance to impact damage.]

—

With the ability to finally evolve his skill, Moon didn't hesitate. He immediately began spending his hard-earned lives to power it up.

[Bronze Skin level 1 → 2] [2 lives consumed]

[Bronze Skin level 2 → 3] [4 lives consumed]

[Bronze Skin level 3 → 4] [8 lives consumed]

…

[Bronze Skin level 8 → 9] [256 lives consumed]

[Bronze Skin level 9 → 10] [512 lives consumed]

[Total Lives Consumed: 1,022]

[Your Skill Bronze Skin has evolved to Silver Skin!]

—

[Silver Skin]

[Rank: Uncommon]

[Level: MAX]

[Details: The user's body becomes vastly more resilient to damage. Non-magical weapons cannot penetrate the skin. Provides 5-20% damage reduction against First Order weapons and beast attacks, with reduction scaling based on the weapon's quality and the attack's power.]

Moon felt the change the skill brought immediately. His skin tingled for a brief moment as the skill's evolution took effect.

Although the skill's evolution wasn't visible to the naked eye, he could certainly feel the difference. The wounds he'd accumulated during the earlier fight still remained, though they hurt considerably less now. The bleeding had also slowed down slightly.

The two beasts, sensing their opportunity while Moon's attention seemed divided, attacked together.

The Saber Cat came from the left, launching its signature claw strike. The Scaled Lizard whipped its tail from the right.

Both attacks descended simultaneously, in an attempt to overwhelm him.

With the intention of testing his newly evolved skill, Moon allowed both attacks to land directly on his body without blocking.

The Saber Cat's claws raked across his arms, but found significantly more resistance than before. What should have been deep lacerations became shallow scratches. The Scaled Lizard's tail struck his right shoulder with its full force, but the impact that previously would have driven him backwards barely made him shift his stance.

Moon's foot planted firmly into the forest floor, absorbing the combined power of both attacks.

Both creatures stared at their failed strikes in confusion. The same attacks that had drawn blood minutes earlier now seemed almost ineffective.

Moon assessed the results internally. The skill was decently powerful, certainly not invincible, but his defensive capabilities had roughly doubled. According to his earlier experience fighting both beasts, he could now withstand attacks that previously caused significant damage.

The strikes were powerful, but no longer threatening. He felt the impact, evaluated the force behind them, and simply endured.

Moon's smile turned cold. "My turn."

Moon's aura changed drastically, flooding the immediate area with killing intent. Both the Scaled Lizard and Saber Cat immediately felt the shift and tried to create distance, preparing to deploy their defensive measures.

Unfortunately for them, before they could use the surrounding terrain as natural barriers, fire erupted from Moon's free hand.

Boom!

The flames engulfed the Saber Cat entirely, a concentrated inferno fed by significant mana investment. The cat's scream was brief as the fire consumed flesh, fur, and bone with no mercy.

[You have killed a level 17 Saber Cat.]

[You have gained 65 Lives.]

Epic skills weren't to be underestimated, especially when Moon was no longer holding back his strength. He'd placed considerable mana into that attack, and the results showed.

The Scaled Lizard tried to flee after witnessing its temporary ally's harsh death, turning and bolting toward the tree line.

An earth spike erupted from the ground directly in its path, piercing through its skull and ending the fight instantly. The creature's momentum carried it forward even as life left its body, and it crashed into a tree, dead.

[You have killed a level 16 Scaled Lizard.]

[You have gained 55 Lives.]

Moon's eyes landed on the time remaining on the Armoured Tank class. More than twelve hours left, but that didn't matter anymore. He'd already comprehended the skill he wanted and evolved it to the maximum level. The class had served its purpose perfectly.

Before leaving the blood-soaked clearing, Moon stored both corpses in his spatial ring. The materials would sell well at Ironpeak's trading centre, and wasting resources was foolish.

Moon began making his way back toward Ironpeak Base, his steps steady despite the accumulated damage his body had endured. He needed to rest for a while. Being constantly beaten by two powerful beasts without retaliating had taken its toll both mentally and physically.

His body ached from dozens of impacts. His wounds, while not serious thanks to Silver Skin and his constitution, still needed proper treatment before his next expedition.

[ Name: Moon ]

[ Race: Human ]

[ Class: Classless, Armoured Tank ]

[ Level: 18 ][ 42% ]

[ Lives: 3469 ] [ Strength: 27 ] [ Agility: 29 ] [ Constitution: 32 ] [ Mana: 39 ] (+5 to all stats) [ Attribute Points: 5 ]

[ Skills: Elemental Attack, Five Element Affinity, Tenacity, Silver Skin] [ Talent: Grim Reaper ]

[ Class Skill: Class Slot {1/1} ]

As the walls of Ironpeak came into view, Moon's body relaxed slightly. He remained cautious in case of any dangers, but the immediate threat level had reduced significantly.

Moon entered the base, the map Nathaniel had given him open in his hand. The map contained locations of important buildings such as the Trading Centre, the Lord's headquarters, the Awakeners Association branch office, lodging districts, and other significant sites.

Moon's first destination was the Trading Centre branch in Ironpeak Base. He wanted to buy stamina replenishing potions and health potions before doing anything else. His recent training session had depleted his energy reserves and left him with a few wounds that needed addressing.

The Trading Centre in Ironpeak was significantly larger than the one in his previous base. Multiple floors, dozens of merchants, and a constant flow of awakeners buying and selling materials created a bustling atmosphere that spoke to the settlement's importance.

Moon walked to the potions section and purchased what he needed.

—

[Stamina Replenishing Potion x5]

[Order: First]

[Grade: C]

[Details: Provides the body with concentrated energy, helps restore stamina and reduces physical exhaustion. Effects manifest within minutes of consumption.]

—

[Health Potion x5]

[Order: First]

[Grade: C]

[Details: Accelerates natural healing processes. Closes wounds, repairs damaged tissue, and reduces internal bleeding. Does not restore lost blood volume but speeds recovery from physical trauma. Effects vary based on injury severity.]

Each potion cost him two thousand dollars.

Moon didn't hesitate despite the cost. Potions were investments in survival. Having them available could mean the difference between escaping a dangerous situation and dying in the wilderness.

He stored them carefully in his spatial ring, organising them for quick access if needed during combat.

Not bothered to deal with the selling of the bodies at the current moment, Moon left the Trading Centre and headed toward the lodging district to find accommodations and finally get proper rest.

Moon entered one of the larger inns in the lodging district, a sturdy three-story building with a sign reading "Ironpeak Rest."

The innkeeper, a woman in her forties with sharp eyes but a soft smile, looked up from her ledger as Moon approached the counter.

"Welcome. What can I do for you?" she asked.

"I need a recovery room," Moon said directly.

The innkeeper nodded, pulling out a different ledger that listed available facilities. "What grade would you like, sir? We have E through B-grade recovery rooms currently available."

Moon considered briefly. "C-grade is fine."

He didn't have any serious short-term or long-term injuries; he just accumulated damage from deliberately taking hits during training. A decently built recovery room would be sufficient to accelerate his healing and restore his energy reserves.

"That will be five thousand dollars for an hour, sir. If you stay for longer, then you will simply be charged the same rate," the innkeeper stated matter-of-factly.

Moon nodded without complaint. This was the standard price for Recovery rooms. They were by no means cheap, but their value justified the cost.

They were built by awakeners who possessed special classes like Rune Master or variations thereof, Enchanter, Formation Specialist, and Array Architect.

These rare classes focused on inscribing magical formations directly into physical spaces or objects, creating permanent effects that ordinary magic couldn't replicate.

A recovery room worked by channelling mana through carefully designed runic formations carved into every surface, whether it's a wall, floor or ceiling. These formations created an environment that dramatically accelerated natural healing, reduced inflammation, and helped the body restore depleted energy reserves. The higher the grade, the more complex the formations and the stronger the effects.

Creating even a basic E-grade recovery room effect required dozens of hours of precise runic inscription by a standard rune specialist, along with expensive materials like mana-conductive metals and beast cores.

C-grade rooms represented even more investment, both in time, resources, and the skill of the rune master himself.

The path of rune masters was not easy; most awakeners who attempted to pursue it failed to advance beyond the first sanctuary. Those who succeeded could command enormous fees for their services.

The issue in their advancement was solely based on their creativity and ability to do the task they were given for their first class evolution. Most get stuck, unable to advance.

Every major base had at least one Rune Master on retainer, responsible for maintaining defensive formations around the settlement, creating recovery facilities, and inscribing enchantments into equipment for wealthy clients. The profession was lucrative but demanding—a single mistake in a complex formation could cause catastrophic mana backlash.

"Payment upfront," the innkeeper said, extending her hand.

Moon transferred the funds through his Association card. The transaction completed with a soft chime.

The innkeeper handed him a key inscribed with glowing runes. "Room seven, second floor. The formation activates automatically when you enter. Timer starts then."

"Understood."

Moon took the key and headed upstairs, his body already anticipating the relief that proper recovery would bring.

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