Sal Mine & Salt Snakes -VII

After three relentless hours of non-stop combat, Saad's persistence began to pay off. He had not taken a single break, carefully conserving his stamina to ensure he could maintain his attacks. While his basic attack wasn't particularly powerful, dealing around 20 damage per strike, it was enough to chip away at the salt critters' health.

He could also only use [Whip snap] once every 10 minutes, but in the end, he had still dealt the salt critters with around 5000 damage with the skill alone. Unfortunately, the reward wasn't so great.

Each level of salt critter had varying amounts of HP. The level 6 critters had 60 HP, level 7 had 70, and level 8 boasted 80 HP. Just as before, Saad received 6 experience points for defeating level 6 critters, 7 experience for level 7, and 8 experience for level 8. The rewards in salt crystals remained consistent as well, with 10 salt crystals awarded regardless of the critters' levels.

However, Saad couldn't help but feel a sense of frustration as the hours passed. Despite the sheer number of salt critters he had dispatched, experience points seemed to be doled out sparingly. It felt like a cruel jest, a relentless grind with slow progress.

After what felt like an eternity, Saad finally reached level 9. He wasn't tired, per se, but rather, he felt utterly exhausted by the repetitive combat. Deciding it was time to take a break from the relentless slaughter, he opted to allocate his attribute and skill points.

First, he focused on his arcane points, knowing that the ability to cast powerful skills would be essential in the challenging days to come. However, even with his points invested, he still needed more to cast the skill [Soulrend]. He felt like it was an essential skill. He was going to avoid the salt snake at all costs until he was prepared. Of course he couldn't do much about the accidental encounters but he was going to try.

Saad really wanted to invest in his physical attributes, knowing well that improved strength and agility would aid him in dealing with the increasingly formidable salt critters but his priority was arcane points. His status window now displayed his character's updated attributes.

Character Window - ID: 1221

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Name: Kael Emberflame

Age: 15

Race: Human

Main Class: Whip Master (In Progress)

Main Weapon: Basic Whip

Level: 9  (208/450) 

HP: 190/190

Wealth: 2830 SC

Attributes:

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Stamina: 10  Strength: 10

Agility: 14  Intelligence: 10

Charm: 7  Dexterity: 7.75

Vitality: 23  Arcane Points: 31.75

Status point: 0

Skill points: 4

[Whip Snap]

Description: Unleash a rapid snap of the whip that creates a powerful sonic boom, delivering a burst of damage to a single target and potentially knocking them back.

Damage: 275-400 points of physical damage.

Knockback Chance: 65% chance to knock back the target.

Cooldown: 5.8 seconds.

Range: Melee range (up to 2.5 meters from the player character).

Special Effect: The sonic boom created by the whip snap may temporarily disorient the target, reducing their accuracy and movement speed for 3 seconds.

Skill Level Upgrade: The damage is increased by 25% and the knockback chance by 15%. The cooldown is reduced by 0.2 seconds.

(Required skill points: 20)

Skill Mastery: At maximum skill mastery, the damage is increased by 25%, the knockback chance is increased by 15%, and the disorientation effect lasts for an additional 1 second. (Locked)

Consumption: 5 stamina

Saad, now riding the waves of excitement and thrill from his earlier successes, decided to explore the shop once more. To his surprise, the shop's offerings had changed since yesterday. The skills he had seen before were nowhere to be found. However, something else captured his attention—a brilliant red gem known as the "Glass Token of crimson demons"

[Glass token of Crimson Demons]

Price: 50 salt crystals

Description: It's a basic enchantment material to increase the base attack of a weapon.

Intrigued, Saad inspected the item. It was described as a small gem used for enchanting weapons, increasing their base attack. Without much hesitation, he decided to purchase one and apply it to his basic whip by selecting the [Enchant] option.

As the gem touched his whip, it emitted a radiant red glow, casting a warm hue over the room. Saad watched in anticipation as a message window appeared:

[Successful enchantment! Basic Whip > Basic Whip+1. Base attack 20 > 30]

Saad couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement. It had worked! Emboldened by this success, he decided to purchase another [Glass Token of Crimson demons] and use it on his whip once more. Once again, the enchantment was successful, raising his weapon's base attack with another message window.

[Successful enchantment! Basic Whip+1 > Basic Whip+2. Base attack 30 > 40]

Saad repeated the process, each time the gem glowing with a vibrant red as it enhanced his whip. But on the fourth attempt, he was met with an unexpected outcome. The enchantment failed.

Confusion and disappointment washed over Saad as he tried again, but the result remained the same—another failure. It was as if the gem had lost its luster, refusing to yield to his desires.

Staring at the now dull Glass Token of Crimson Demon in his inventory, Saad couldn't help but wonder if there was a limit to its enchantment potential. Nevertheless, the boost in his weapon's attack power was a welcome addition to his arsenal.

He had wasted 200 salt crystals over nothing. It left a bad after taste in his mouth so he decided to go through the shop once more and try to find perhaps another skill that could help him out.

Besides, he still had enough salt currency left, he decided to scroll down through the extensive list of skills in the shop, the options seemed nearly endless. Each skill had its own unique description, promising power and abilities that were beyond his imagination. The text appeared on his screen, illuminated against the backdrop of the virtual shop, and he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. If it was just about the skill, he had enough salt crystals to but the

The virtual shop itself was a fun little design. It resembled a fantastical marketplace, with stalls and shelves adorned with shimmering crystals, glowing gems, and arcane artifacts. It was as if he had stepped into a hidden chamber of treasures, and the options before him were as varied as the stars in the night sky. The only problem, the things weren't stacked in any order and rather things were placed in whatever order. By touching a shop, you would be able to open it and go through the merchandise but it was definitely messy and time consuming.

So many of the skills made him thrilled as gamer however, amidst the allure of these powerful skills, Saad couldn't help but notice that many of them came with extraordinary requirements. Some demanded levels far beyond his current status, while others required arcane points, stamina, or attributes that seemed unattainable in the foreseeable future.

He couldn't help but wonder if this was also because of him choosing hard level. If these skills were here, then that meant you would be able to use them, but currently, it was impossible feat since he only got meager experience points.

Despite these challenges, Saad's determination remained unshaken. He had already made a bad decision in his immaturity, so he needed to be rational while choosing what he needed the most here. So, he sifted through the skill list, his eyes scanning the descriptions and requirements, searching for the abilities that would best serve him in his quest to conquer the salt mine.

When he stumbled upon "[Whip Tornado]," his heart raced with excitement. The description painted a vivid picture of his whip mastery transforming into a swirling storm of lashes, a deadly whirlwind capable of dealing damage to multiple foes. It was a skill that was good for getting out of a sudden sticky situation, and the unlock requirements were within his reach.

[Whip Tornado]

Price: 350 salt crystals

Description: Channel your whip mastery to create a swirling tornado of razor-sharp lashes. This active skill unleashes a devastating whirlwind of whip strikes, damaging multiple enemies within range and inflicting a bleeding effect.

Skill Type: Active

Damage: Inflicts 100-130 damage per second to enemies within the tornado.

Duration: Lasts for 6 seconds.

Area of Effect: Creates a 10-meter radius whirlwind centered around the player.

Bleeding Effect: Inflicts 30 damage per second as bleeding damage for 3 seconds.

Cooldown: 15 seconds

Skill Improvement: As you level up the skill, the damage per second will increase to 120-160, bleeding effect will increase to 45 damage per second.

Skill Unlock Requirement: Reach level 15

As Saad examined his remaining 1880 salt crystals, a sense of caution washed over him as he thought of leaving the safe room. He knew that venturing beyond the safety of the safe zone, back into the treacherous salt mine, was fraught with danger. The memory of his encounter with the salt snake, with its deadly fangs and corrosive breath, was still fresh in his mind.