CHAPTER 6: CHAPTER 6: EVOLUTION POINTS DROPS, HAND OF AVARICE

Thanks to the fact that he had reached level 2 so quickly, Stark gained one point of prestige.

In the future, the more of these points he had, the better.

Later on, he could use them to buy high-level items from NPCs, items that normal players wouldn’t even get to see, let alone touch.

It wasn’t something he could use right now, but Stark knew the value of preparing early.

In addition to the prestige, leveling up to level 2 increased each of his four core attributes by 5, and also gave him another 5 points to allocate however he wanted.

He didn’t hesitate for even a second. All 5 went straight into [Spirit].

---

[Constitution: 15]

[Strength: 15]

[Agility: 15]

[Spirit: 15 → 20]

---

Stark grinned with satisfaction. His damage output was going to skyrocket.

But there was still loot on the ground.

He turned his attention back to the boss’s corpse and the bodies of the other monsters he had slain.

Several small glowing orbs lay scattered around them, pulsing faintly.

Without wasting time, he crouched down and swept them into his inventory.

Ding!

[You have gained 21 Lives.]

The boss had given him the most Lives by far compared to the regular monsters.

If this had been a normal team fight with several players, each person would have only gotten one or two Lives at most since the rewards would be split evenly.

But Stark was alone, which meant he got it all.

[You have gained 1 Evolution Point.]

"Huh?" Stark blinked at the notification. "But I already got the ones from the boss..."

And then it clicked.

Every monster had a chance to drop evolution points.

That meant that the drop rate for regular monsters was abysmally low, but bosses were almost guaranteed to drop at least one.

’Incredible,’ Stark thought, eyes narrowing in excitement. ’No wonder this is an SSS-Rank Talent.’

He turned to the rest of the loot.

’Most of this is junk... except for two things.’

The first made him grin.

[Shadow Staff (Uncommon): +10 Spirit. Requirement: Level 1.]

’Perfect.’

This staff alone would add +10 Spirit to every attack he cast.

With his build, that meant an extra 100 points of damage per spell.

For a player who had just reached level 2, this was absurd.

He equipped it immediately.

The weapon felt light in his hands, yet radiated a cold, shadowy energy that seemed to hum with power.

The second notable drop was even more intriguing, a skill book.

And not just any skill book, but one he could actually learn.

[Skill Book: Hand of Avarice (Uncommon): Can be used on corpses, has a 25% chance to obtain another loot reward. Requirement: Level 2.]

’Holy shit.’

The skill wasn’t tied to any specific class, meaning anyone could learn it. That alone made it extremely valuable.

The effect itself was simple, but terrifyingly useful.

A 25% chance to get extra loot from corpses? Even if the rate was low, the sheer number of monsters Stark planned to kill made this potentially game-breaking.

And the best part? He could evolve it.

He pressed his hand to the book and poured mana into it.

The pages dissolved into black smoke, which wrapped around his arm before seeping into his body.

Ding!

[You have learned the skill "Hand of Avarice"!]

Another prompt appeared almost immediately.

[Do you wish to consume 3 Evolution Points to evolve "Hand of Avarice"?]

"Hell yes."

Ding!

[You have evolved "Hand of Avarice" (Uncommon) to "Hand of Avarice" (Rare)]

[Current Evolution Points: 0]

[Hand of Avarice (Rare): Can be used on corpses, has a 25% → 50% chance to obtain another loot reward.]

The percentage had doubled. For Stark, this was a jackpot.

"Time to test it."

He pointed his staff at the pile of bodies.

Hand of Avarice!

A dark, spectral hand burst forth from the staff, coiling through the corpses before sinking into them.

Ding!

[You have obtained 7 Lives.]

[You have gained 1 Evolution Point!]

His eyes widened.

That was only from a single use. And he’d just earned back one of the evolution points he had spent.

’Yeah... this skill is insane.’

After clearing up the area, Stark decided it was time to move deeper into the hunting grounds.

The stronger the monsters, the more valuable the loot, and the higher the chance of gaining evolution points.

The only way to leave [Eternal Soul] the first time was to reach level 3.

Twenty minutes had passed since he had unlocked the [Level Leaderboard] of his novice town. Only now did other players start catching up.

The first to reach level 2 after Stark was a team of six led by a [Holy Warrior] named BraveCop, real name David.

His group took up the 2nd to 7th spots on the board.

While they were celebrating, Stark had already spent those same twenty minutes killing dozens of monsters, gaining a handful of Lives and another precious evolution point.

His current damage was nothing short of terrifying.

Great Fireball!

BOOM!

-900!1

Almost 1,000 damage in a single hit.

In his past life, reaching this level of power so early would have been unthinkable.

’To extract equipment and skills into reality, I’ll need far more Lives. I have 51 now, but I’ll also need to reach level 10 before it’s even possible.’

That goal would have to wait. For now, strength came first.

As Stark ventured further, the monsters began to change.

And then, he saw it.

---

[Shadow Bear King (Level 2)]

[Rank: Uncommon (Boss)]

[HP: 3,000]

---

Its massive frame moved with surprising speed, crashing through the forest as if the trees were twigs.

But it wasn’t charging at him, it was chasing something else.

Stark paused, lowering his staff. Instead of attacking right away, he decided to follow.

The Shadow Bear King’s claws slashed with lethal precision, striking faster than most players could dodge.

For new players, this boss was a nightmare.

After a few seconds, Stark saw its target, a team of six.

At the front, a burly man held a heavy shield, parrying blow after blow while steadily retreating.

It was David, the second-place player in the novice town.

Behind him, the rest of the team unleashed a flurry of arrows, spells, and strikes.

Their expressions were tense, their movements stiff.

Hitting the boss was proving harder than they expected.

’People don’t adapt instantly to their powers,’ Stark thought, watching closely. ’It takes time to adjust.’

The bear king kept darting in and out, its shadowy claws hammering David’s shield until his health dropped to half.

David’s [Holy Warrior] class let him absorb damage for his allies, but against a boss of this rank, it wasn’t enough.

Worse, the boss had barely lost any HP, still sitting at over 95%.

"J-Just keep attacking!" David shouted, trying to stay calm. "Even if we can’t kill it, we can chip it down!"

They couldn’t have been more wrong.

Because from the shadows, other monsters began to appear.

---

[Poison Snake (Level 2)]

[Rank: Common]

[HP: 600]

---

Slithering forward, the snakes reared back and spat venom at the group.

"Ahhh—!"

A female mage was struck.

-48! -2! -2!

Not only was she hit, but the poison effect began eating away at her health.

"I-I can’t hold on for long!" she gasped.

The team’s formation crumbled. The bear king still loomed over them, and now poisonous projectiles rained from every side.

Health bars plummeted.

Watching from a distance, Stark remained still, eyes narrowing.

’I guess I should deal with that boss,’ he thought. ’I’m sure it’ll drop evolution points.’

20 Spirit + 10 Spirit from the staff = 30 x 300% = 90 x 10 = 900.