Legends: The Emerald World

As Shin finished braiding the hemp rope Ase and Mary had finished cutting the abomination's skin up so they started sewing it together with a sharpened stick.

After wearing the shoes Shin could finally step on the snow without his whole legs sinking in and freezing. Seeing that a few scraps of skin were left Shin gave Ase the nod to use them to make underwear, but it wasn't much. She could only make two pairs of panties held by hemp rope like a bikini.

"We can't just move in the snow. I'll look outside, find a cave or a new tree, then we sprint for it." While Shin was busy making the hemp rope his mind worked on a simple plan to find the dead egg and clear this stupid trial.

Arachne's limbs were long, massive, and sharp, she must've left a trail while walking around. Her footprints would've long been buried, but her demonic aura should stay, as faint as it may be, Shin was confident in his ability to track his old tamed beasts.

He sat beside the flame for a minute and focused on his core since he had finished the quest earlier he should've already entered the second stage of Mortal core. His power had grown and he could reinforce his body even further.

Mary and Ase looked at him for a second, "Ase…is he a cultivator? He's meditating, right?"

"He does it every now and then. Just ignore him for a while, he'll get up soon." Ase looked outside. She must keep watch now that Shin had suddenly decided to meditate, if one abomination showed up that meant another might as well. They can't relax until they get back to the blue manor.

This time, Shin decided to give this system a try. If the overgod who sent him here is behind it as well, it might hold keys to making this trail manageable.

The moment he tried to focus on reinforcing his body, a message popped up before his eyes. He could see it floating in front of him even with his eyes closed. It seems to be a projection that is cast directly into his mind…no, his soul.

{Notice: Available stat points: 4}

Those stat points the system talks about, he could see them floating around his core. They are fragments of power similar to what he and his students absorbed from the world tree, only their color and waviness seemed different, he could tell they came from another source.

It took Shin a few moments to realize that they were pretty similar to what the overgod showed him before when he recreated his cores. 'How powerful is this overgod to be giving fragments of his power to people like this?'

It was simply baffling to him to see a being that grants power like that. The world tree that Shin knew to be a legendary existence of unimaginable power seemed to pale before this overgod's endless energy.

Since Shin was focusing on his stat points a bit too much, the system responded with an explanation.

{Notice: Fragments of power born from nothing, a prize to compensate for something. Solely created by the overgod, a reward for those who serve the world. To get more, finish quests, hunt monsters, help people, and worship the gods.}

Reading the explanation Shin became worried, if the overgod is the one granting this power, can't he take it away? Just like he did with him before. He gave him his core back and then took it away just as easily.

'Damn it, can't I get more?'

{Notice: Available quests to get more:}

[Kill ten abominations: Reward: 5 stat points]

[Slay one hundred monsters: Reward: 2 stat points]

[Slay a thousand monsters: Reward: 8 stat points]

[Save a life: Reward: 1 stat point]

[Become a father: Reward: 2 stat points]

[Worship a god that isn't the overgod: Reward 2 stat points]

[Worship more than a single god without getting smitten{The overgod isn't included}: Reward 10 stat points]

…

[Clear the overgod's trial: Reward 10 stat points]

A long list of quests appeared before Shin's face, most of them unattainable at this moment but doable. The two that sparked his interest were the one about slaying abominations and the overgod's trial.

He now has four stat points, if he managed to kill nine more abominations he should be able to get another five stat points…but something worried him.

'Kill ten abominations quest'

{Notice: Kill ten abomination quest has been pinned!}

{Notice: Kill count for the [Kill ten Abomination quest] is 0/10}

The tentacle snake didn't get counted. 'Come on! Should've told me about the quests before, I've wasted a kill now.'

{Notice: Those quests are permanent and always active. Once finished they never come back.}

Shin sighed, if the quests are always active then the tentacle snake kill didn't count because Ase helped…no, she is probably the one who got the kill. Since he managed to give her the Beast Form he had released her from the tamed contract, but now he regrets that decision.

But that didn't matter now, killing nine or ten abominations wasn't different. For now, he focused on using the four stat points he has to empower himself.

Shin circulated the stat points around his core, hesitating about merging them in for power. He wished that just like in his previous world he could use them to enchant specific parts of his body.

{Notice: stat points can be used to gain skills in specific circumstances. Would you like to exchange your stat points for skill points?}

'Can I get cold immunity? Or fire magic?'

{Notice: Immunity is a part of the resistance skill tree, you must level up the skill [Cold resistance] to level 10 to gain it. The skill can be attained for free through extreme exposure to cold, but that isn't recommended. Fire magic could be attained for free by studying magic, using skill points to get it is not recommended.}

'First, let's see my skills.'

{Skills/ Quests/ Classes/ Stats}

[Fasting Fast: Rank B: Level 12]

[Fasting Fast: The ability to abstain from food and water for a prolonged time without suffering mental damage. Allow the skill holder to survive harsh living conditions.]

'Only one somewhat useless skill. This one seems to be level 12, isn't 10 the limit if immunity is gained at level 10 of a resistance skill?'

{Notice: Different skills work differently.}

'I'll take the cold resistance skill, how much does it cost?'

{Notice: Cold resistance skill cost one skill point. Convert a point and get the skill?}

'Of course, or don't you see the snow outside?'

{Notice: One stat point converted into a skill point. Stat points remaining: 3}

{Notice: One skill point spent to get the skill [Cold Resistance: Rank A: Level 1]. Skill points remaining: 0}

[Cold Resistance: Level 1: Resit cold and cold damage by 10%]

{Notice: The skill [Cold Resistance] can be leveled up to level 2 with one skill point.}

'Give me fire magic, I need to be able to make flames in this frozen hell-hole.'

{Notice: One stat point converted into a skill point. Stat points remaining: 2}

{Notice: One skill point spent to get the skill [Fire Magic: Rank C: Level 1]. Skill points remaining: 0}

[Fire Magic: Level 1: The ability to conjure flames. Max output is one square inch. Cost 1 Mana per cast]

'How do I increase my mana?'

{Notice: Mana can be increased by consuming cores, mana crystals, and some potions. It can't be increased by leveling up.}

After looking at his stats, Shin remained a bit disappointed. He can grind the levels by absorbing life force and get two skill points each level, or finish quests from extra stats. But all he wants now is to stave off the cold so he can fight properly.

It took a lot of willpower to resist the urge to dump his remaining stat points into the cold resistance skill, he must save them later in case he needs them.

{Skills/ Quests/ Classes/ Stats}

[{Level: 12}===={Name: Shin}===={Race: Human}]

[{Health: 420/420}{Stamina: 420/420}{Mana: 12/12}]

[{Strength: 12}==============={Intelligence: 12}]

[{Speed: 9}=================={Wisdom: 17}]

[{Dexterity: 5}================{Charisma: 2}]

[{Constitution: 14}==============={Spirit: 21}]