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Baaz checked his status window and saw that it was the truth,he was already level 25.He pondered a little bit before a light of clarity flashed in his eyes.He looked up at the crab and said:
" So it was that,the energy that went inside me when I was out.It augmented my level and pushed it to level 25 right?"
" Yes it is,but let's not get distracted here and pay attention to me ,I'm going to start,I'm sure you don't want to miss that." Baaz sat down and a look of concentration appeared in his eyes.Right now he was focused.
The Hermit looked at him,a small smile appearing on its face,he then started narrating:
" Quatlas is as you already know,the home of many races,and ,so every race has its own specifics and specialities,for example you have goblins,they are close to soil mana,the Hawks whose are attuned to breeze mana and usually low ranked monsters master only one form of mana."
"So you mean that the environment they're in determines their Affinity toward the element they will master?."
" Basically yes but you should also take the bloodline in consideration, because it's one of the things that dictate "race ranking" you should have received knowledge about it already." Said the hermit.
"I do, but I thought that bloodline purity only determine how easy your path to power will become." Baaz said
" Young one let me tell you this.Bloodline shackles are not that easy to break as it demands so much effort that only the most unyielding ones arrives to make them tremble."
" Bloodline shackles,what's that? that's my first time hearing about this." He asked
Taking a few seconds to observe the young demon,the hermit responded:
" The best way to picture this would be to imagine yourself being chained to a big rock,let's say that the chain allows you to walk the distance of one mile.So the closer you get to that mile the harder it become to advance and when you reach that one mile distance It would require an immense effort and willpower to go beyond that.And remember, the higher you go the harder it become."
" So I'm basically fucked right."Baaz sighed,diverses calculations running in his head.The Hermit stayed silent,watching him on the sidelines.Baaz tried again.
" What are my chances at becoming a greater demon?"
"Pretty high I would say,further than that you would have to work very hard for it."
After a quick moment of silence which quickly became awkward, the Hermit added
" You know,one of the things that affects base stats the most is your race ranking,a high ranked existence such as yourself get like 50 or more points in your attributes,Do you know how much a normal goblin get?,two on average."
" Let me guess,Base stats is one of the criterion at classifying ranks." Baaz analyzed
" Hummm,so you do got a brain actually, you are also right about this,base stats does indeed help determine the ranking of beings,so you know demons,dragons,phoenixes... are what you could call Apex races.The get differents treatments compared to other races as they rule supreme,with beings of incommensurable bloodline purity at their lead,but this is not what we are talking about."
" Then if what you said is true How was the goblins able to hurt me if I get so much stats points?"Baaz asked
" You are a newborn demon you still don't know anything about mana,that's the weakness of the Apex races,low ranking races instinctively learn to manipulate mana in a primitive way,but Apex races cannot,they have to wait after they get a class, but there's way around that,a well trained demon with your stats could have destroyed a village filled of normal goblins and some could even take on a Hobgoblin."
" I see so I'm not trained no wonder I lost" Baaz said with a straight face.The crab started laughing,shaking the cave,saying:
" Yeah,I'm sure about that,I'm starting to like that head of yours."
" Dude,I don't swing that way" Baaz said in a joking tone.Suddenly,he saw a half cruel and half cruel smile form on the crab lips, an heavy pressure crash on him, and the Crab told him in a cruel voice:
" Tell me boy do I seem that harmless to you that you do not seem intimidated by me."
Bazz started trembling,the pressure that the one known as The Hermit was releasing was so powerful that he was brought on his knees and had to bent his back.He was finding out that breathing became very difficult for him and he could not move an inch.He was still able to think so he managed to say
" It's not that you can't,it's just that if you wanted you would have killed me already."
Like a dream,the pressure disappeared and a sonorous laugh was again heard as the giant was almost laying down on the ground.Baaz's eyebrows twitched in annoyance and he said with a cold tone,almost with hatred
" I'm getting tired of this,every being that I met so far seemed to have only hobby and that is messing with me."
" Then become strong boy,become so strong that they will not be able to mess with you at least in the outer parts of the forest I thing you can at least become a Baron if you train hard enough."
" What's that?, a Nobility title?"
The crab gave him another odd look and said
" Don't worry you'll know in due time,it should be soon anyway, don't bother with that and choose a class because I'm going to eject you soon "
" Already,I thought I could..."
"What you thought you could stay with me
Ahhh Ahhh..." Once again the sonorous laugh of the Crab was heard.
" I already told you young one,I will not meddle in anything in this forest, so let me enjoy my peace and quiet."
" At least let me sleep here for tonight."in a plaintive voice,trying to appeal to the Crab.
" Boy you have one hour after that done or not,I will throw you out." Said the Hermit leaking his aura.
" Fine,Fine no need to get riled up." He grumbled with an expression of displeasure.
Baaz opened his status window wanting to see his progress.His status and options were then revealed to him.