Chapter 255: Touched by Madness
Coop approached Empress City on foot, looking like the Skunk Ape that Bobby Jon had enthusiastically advertised to ignorant tourists on their way to the amusement parks. Beneath the layers of mud splatter, Coop felt absolutely fantastic.
He had strolled across half the state of Florida, grinding monsters the entire time in what was essentially a marathon of high-tension combat, the likes of which would leave a better-adjusted person exhausted. For Coop, it had taken at least that much focus to shake off the stress of campaigning through the jungles of Central America and dealing with the Cult of Chakyum. Without the ability to linger on his thoughts, running through hypothetical scenarios, and asking what if he had acted sooner or done something differently, it gave him the opportunity to put space between any regrets that might have formed. There was a pep in his step that most people only got after an excessively refreshing vacation.
He thought it was a bit scary how easily he bounced back. The human mind was surprisingly pliant, or there really was something to be said about time healing all wounds. Less than a week of focused concentration and it felt like all of the misgivings and self-doubt that lingered in the back of his mind, threatening to take root and kill his growing confidence, were erased. He was as good as new, maybe even better than ever, and all it took was defeating 30,000 some odd manifestations of alien invaders that lingered within marshlands.
Admittedly, he could have used a shower and a nap, but with a full day remaining before the Underlayer Event, he had time for both. He hummed to himself happily as he followed the remnants of a state road and confirmed his progress. With the way he was feeling, he was already prepared to conclude that the grindcation had been an overwhelming success, but it didn’t hurt to keep track of his changes.
[Status]
HP - 22250/22250
MP - 42000/42000
Class - Revenant (Level 250)
Profession - Scavenging (Level 181)
Affinity - Spectral, Abyssal
Race - Human (Rank 1)
Faction - The Lighthouse