Chapter 76
Chapter 76
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 76
Chapter Title: Poko's Mana Feast
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Absorbing mana wasn't all that impressive an ability.
It simply stole a portion of the opponent's mana and converted it into your own.
The amount absorbed was minuscule.
Even the duration wasn't particularly long.
As a result, most mages who had learned Mana Drain still resorted to potions in emergencies to replenish their mana. But the Mana Absorption skill that Poko had just acquired was different.
An absorption space that even included a subspace.
A long duration that allowed continuous absorption until that space was full.
It was on a completely different level from the Mana Drain used by ordinary mages.
That was why they had valued Poko so highly... or so he thought.
Look at those unbelievable stats.
For its level, they were ridiculously high.
'It leveled up a bit from party EXP in the demon cave this time, but...'
To think its mana stat had risen this much.
It was all thanks to the mana it had absorbed.
Even now, it was digesting the absorbed mana in real-time, boosting its mana stat.
'Are all spirit beasts like this?'
He had no idea.
Before meeting Poko, he hadn't even known spirit beasts existed.
Poko was basically his first encounter with one.
Naturally, he had zero information on other spirit beasts.
'If it learns even one magic skill, won't it become stronger than me?'
Like Fireballs exploding like meteors.
'Holy shit.'
A bit of exaggeration, but still something to be wary of.
Of course, the ones trembling in fear would be everyone else.
Why?
Because he was the one carrying Poko around.
"Poko, what the hell are you..."
"Po, Poko?"
Just then.
Poko, who had been lying on the bed, suddenly opened its slowly closing eyes.
Had it woken up from his voice?
It rubbed its cute little paws over its eyes and tried to sit up.
Thud!
Of course, its still-full belly made it flop right back down.
"Pokoooo!"
"Whoa?"
"Pokopokopokopoko!"
Unable to move as it wished, Poko puffed up its cheeks in frustration.
Then it flailed its hind legs, trying desperately to stand.
Just like a bird flapping its wings.
Luke chuckled at the sight and patted Poko's fallen belly.
"In that state, where do you think you're going?"
"Poko!"
"Looks like you haven't digested yet. Stay at the inn and rest until your belly deflates."
"Pokopoko!"
"Hey now, this is your own doing. Who told you to overdo the mana absorption?"
"Poko...!"
Was it upset?
Poko glared at Luke with teary eyes.
If you leave me behind, you'll regret it.
That's what its gaze seemed to say.
"So stubborn. How do you plan to follow in that state?"
"...Poko."
"See? You can't, right?"
"Po, Poko!"
"Well, if you really want to come along, there's one way..."
Luke muttered slyly.
Poko's eyes sparkled as it reacted immediately.
"Pokopoko!"
"What, you don't care what it is?"
"Poko!"
"No, but I figured you'd hate it..."
"Poko-!"
"Ah, it's fine?"
"Pokopoko!"
It nodded vigorously.
Anything to tag along.
Luke glanced at the small backpack in the corner and smirked.
"Well, if you insist."
A short while later.
Outside the inn, the small backpack from earlier was now strapped to Luke's back.
The Small Backpack.
A portable storage space to supplement a lacking inventory.
'Though right now it's got Poko inside.'
Perhaps feeling stuffy, Poko poked its head out.
"...Poko."
"What, dude? You said any method was fine."
"Poko!"
"If you're mad, hurry up and digest the rest of the mana. Until then, bear with the stuffiness if you want to keep following."
That was it.
Poko couldn't even move on its own.
To take it along, this was the only way.
No other options.
Poko seemed to understand, sulkily shutting its mouth.
A sight unimaginable from when they first met.
'At least raising its affinity by dragging it through demon caves paid off.'
Otherwise, it would've stubbornly refused the backpack.
'It'll get used to it after a while.'
The inn.
The backpack.
If so, he could log out worry-free for a bit.
As a temporary measure until he prepared other countermeasures.
With that judgment, Luke headed to the swamps near Jermi.
Average level 70.
Bipedal lizard humans.
The Black Swamp where lizardmen dwelled.
'Hunting grounds around here: just this one and another, total two.'
Because it was the city of dungeons?
Fewer nearby fields compared to demon caves.
So why come here suddenly?
Simple reason.
To properly test Corpse Scavenging, which he'd only sampled in the demon cave.
And.
To test the weapon he'd bought at the auction house for a hefty sum.
Those were the two reasons.
'It was a bargain, but still 50 gold!'
Before job change, maybe not, but now it was a big investment.
Nearly 5 million won in cash on a weapon.
Remaining assets: 15 gold.
Plus the Insight Scroll worth tens of millions, but he'd been pondering that lately.
'I can always steal more money...'
The issue was efficiency and speed.
'Yeah, skills like Great Thief are stagnating too much. Can't settle for this if thinking ahead.'
That's why he was considering using the Insight Scroll.
To level up a job skill and accelerate farming and growth.
Kieek!
'I'll think it over again after testing.'
Luke gripped the kukri in one hand.
Lizardmen cries echoing around.
Splash!
His foot sank into the soggy swamp bottom.
Terrain penalty.
'Thanks to the Wind Bracelet, it's back to normal speed anyway.'
Plus.
Minus.
Back to baseline.
There were trees and plants to grab between swamp patches.
"Tsuak!"
A perfect prey appeared.
Fork-shaped spear.
A green-skinned lizard human walking with a trident in both hands.
Level 62 Lizardman Warrior.
'Braincleaver as sub...'
Main weapon: Bloodied Kukri.
Shunk!
"Tsuak!"
The curved dagger blade sliced the green skin.
Bleeding from the first hit.
As expected of a rare-grade weapon, high bleed proc rate.
'And it persists until they heal it themselves.'
Normally, bleeding fades after a set time, like electrocution.
Very short duration.
Plus, items like bandages could prevent reapplication for a while.
But this Bloodied Kukri's bleed was different.
It kept going until healed.
Until death.
And not just that.
It even stacked.
'Perfect synergy with Shadow's Grudge.'
If he added poisons absorbed via Poison Source...
Thud!
'No skills needed to kill quickly.'
Luke looked down satisfied at the lizardman that collapsed from stacked bleeding.
Bloodied Kukri, a 3rd-tier rare dagger.
Low base damage and easy to heal, so unpopular among others.
But paired with Shadow's Grudge and other skills, effects doubled.
Without interruptions, he could stack bleeds before they heal.
'Worth the price.'
High praise from Luke.
Afterward, Luke hunted dozens more lizardmen, fully testing the weapon.
Next: Corpse Scavenging.
Time to test the new skill in various ways.
Corpse Scavenging
Loot items from corpses
First target: monster, as expected.
Luke scavenged a lizardman warrior he'd killed himself, thinking:
'Same as in the demon cave.'
Any corpse works.
Items random.
Once scavenged, can't redo.
'Then...'
What about lizardmen killed by others?
Possible.
Even long-past corpses.
Even mangled beyond recognition.
As long as others' kills remained, scavengable.
'So I can just loot others' kills?'
Farming on farming.
Double farming.
'With Steal, almost triple.'
Like the vagrant from Memory Recall, looting corpses for cash.
Now, NPCs left.
Players' corpses vanished instantly, impossible.
But NPCs differed.
Like these swamp lizardmen, corpses stayed.
'If NPCs work, game changes.'
Why?
NPCs had higher expected value than monsters.
Guards and patrols alone had higher average levels than city players.
Maybe unrecovered valuables on their bodies.
With that guess, Luke scoured fields near Jermi.
'Start with NPCs killed outside the city.'
Like patrolling guards.
Or knights and soldiers under lords or families.
'Oh?'
After wandering awhile, he found a patrolman's corpse in nearby bushes.
Seemed ambushed by lizardmen while patrolling.
'Knew there'd be some.'
Clear trident wounds, stabbed dozens of times.
Luke approached.
Scavenge prompt appeared.
'It works.'
Then...
Following the hand gesture, he rummaged the corpse.
Soon, results.
'Ah...'
Luke blankly stared at the bow in his hand.
'Fucking awesome.'
Beyond expectations.