Chapter 75 – Gains and Limits
The forest settled properly this time, the lingering tension fading in a way that confirmed what the fight had already shown, because the pressure that had pushed the earlier pack into Silver Vale’s territory had been removed at its source, leaving behind a space that felt controlled again rather than contested.
Jack stepped forward toward the fallen Dire Wolf, his breathing steady, his body not strained but aware of the effort it had taken, because while the fight hadn’t pushed him to his limits, it had required enough attention and timing to matter.
The system followed.
[Level Up — 26 → 27]
He acknowledged it without opening the interface immediately, his focus staying on the field, on the people around him, and on how the fight had unfolded rather than the numbers alone.
Sophie exhaled beside him, rolling her shoulder slightly as she checked herself.
“That one actually felt worth it,” she said.
Jack glanced at her.
“It was better,” he replied.
Not by a large margin.
But enough.
The system flickered again.
[Level Up — 15 → 16]
Sophie let out a quieter breath this time.
“Yeah,” she said. “I’ll take that.”
Jack nodded once.
That tracked.
The rest of the group showed smaller reactions, some gaining experience, some not enough to push further yet, but no one looked shaken, and more importantly, no one had made a mistake that couldn’t be corrected.
That mattered more than the levels.
The Dire Wolf’s body shifted.
[A Core has been generated]
The mass collapsed inward, the dense structure condensing toward a single point before stabilizing into something far more compact, darker, and heavier than the core Jack had taken earlier.
Lira moved immediately.
“Wait,” she said.
Jack paused.
That alone was enough.
He didn’t reach for it yet.
“Why?” he asked.
“The energy hasn’t settled,” she replied, her attention fixed on the forming core. “If you take it too early, you lose efficiency.”
Jack didn’t ask how much.
The tone told him enough.
He waited.
The faint distortion around the core tightened over the next few seconds, the surface stabilizing as the internal energy condensed fully.
Lira nodded.
“Now.”
Jack stepped forward and picked it up.
[Item Acquired: Beast Core (Elite+)]
He felt the difference immediately.
Not just in weight.
In density.
Contained power.
Sophie leaned slightly closer.
“That one’s stronger,” she said.
Jack nodded.
“Yeah.”
Lira’s attention didn’t leave the core.
“That can be used for more than reinforcement,” she said. “If you don’t waste it.”
Jack glanced at her.
“I’m not planning to.”
Kael stepped forward, his posture relaxed but his attention sharp.
“That fight was cleaner than I expected,” he said.
Jack looked at him.
“You’re used to that kind of coordination,” he replied.
Kael nodded.
“We have to be,” he said. “We don’t rely on overpowering things.”
Jack didn’t comment on that.
He didn’t need to.
The difference had been obvious.
Sophie shifted beside him.
“…You’re already thinking about using that,” she said.
Jack nodded.
“Yeah.”
She glanced toward Lira.
“With her?”
“Most likely.”
Lira didn’t respond, but the way her focus sharpened slightly was enough.
Jack finally opened his status.
Name: Jack Reed
Age: 28
Profession: Blood Reaver (E-Grade)
Strength: 78
Agility: 76
Endurance: 70
Intelligence: 52
Wisdom: 50
Willpower: 64
Perception: 62
Vitality: 72
Luck: 10
- Blood Draw (Common)
- Sanguine Surge (Common)
- Blood Shield (Common)
- Sanguine Grasp (Common)
- Blood Scythe (Rare)
- Blood Bolt (Rare)
- Dungeoner II (+2 All Stats)
- Dungeon Pioneer II (+6 All Stats)
- Regional Slayer (+10% All Attributes)
Jack let the interface linger for a moment before closing it again, not because he needed to study it, but because it confirmed what he already felt.
He was stronger.
More efficient.
More controlled.
And still—
Not where he needed to be.
Sophie watched him.
“Well?” she asked.
Jack looked at the core in his hand, then at Lira, then briefly at Kael and the others.
“Better,” he said.
She nodded.
“…Still not enough.”
Jack almost smiled.
“Not yet,” he replied.
This time, it didn’t feel like a problem.
Just the next step waiting to be taken.