Chapter 11: Deterrence

Looking at the bloodstained and limp body of Andreus, Red heaved a sigh of relief.

He doesn't even care about the series of beeps that rang through his head. Raising his head to look at the sky, Red saw that it was almost evening.

"Luckily the battle ended before the sun disappeared or I won't have a chance fighting a Berserk Rare Monster in the night." Panting, Red dragged his body to a nearby tree, using it as a recliner. He stayed like this for a long time, with the last ray of light illuminating his visage painting a desolate picture in the Dark Forest.

With his condition, he looked like a soldier who survived a large-scale war. Climbing atop the body of his comrades and enemies alike, he managed to hold on to a breath of life and ultimately survive only to realize that he was the only survivor of the devastating battle.

That's just how realistic the world of Overworld was.

Time passed and Red decided to check his notifications.

[Do you wish to announce your achievement?]

• Yes

• No

Red didn't hesitate to answer 'yes'. If he wants to offer his service as a mercenary, he first needs people to know about him. System announcements are the best way to advertise his service and it is also a show of his capabilities to be deserving of a system announcement.

Suddenly, in the skies of Overworld, words in bold announcing Red's accomplishment lit up the sky.

Seeing his name in the sky, Red smiled in satisfaction before he continued scrolling down.

[Rewards:]

- 100 Gold

- +5 Free Attribute Points

- Mystic Chest

Even though Red already expected it, his breathing still became hurried when he looked at the generous reward of being the first to slay a Rare monster for the first time. Especially when he read the word Mystic Chest he almost couldn't resist laughing out loud.

The other rewards were also very generous. There were 3 forms of currency in Overworld: Copper, Silver, and Gold coins.

100 Copper coins are equal to 1 Silver coin; 100 Silver coins are equal to 1 Gold coin. When converted to money in the real world, 100 Copper coins or 1 Silver coin were equal to 2$. At its peak, the conversion rate even went as high as 20$ per Silver coin.

Needless to say, if Red converted the gold coins he received, he would have an easy 20,000$ in his bank account. This was a huge windfall, keep in mind that what he earned as a cashier was only 50$ per shift. And now, with that same amount of time, he earned 400x than his regular job.

This is the allure of Overworld, and that's why many opt to play the game rather than toiling in reality in his past life.

The second reward, 5 Attribute Points was average; it is equal to the number of attributes points one would gain per level. But since the game is only in its early stage, having an entire level of attribute points is a game-changer indeed.

What made Red so excited was the third reward. A mystical chest transcends tier. What they contained was mysterious and unique. From equipment, pet, and mounts to unique skills, etc.

He recalled that in his past life, a certain pro player managed to obtain a legendary skill that allowed him to revive in full health after dying. What made other people's eyes green with envy was the fact that it ignores the death penalty and the only downside of this skill was a temporary weakness of the caster resulting in a 50% reduction of all attributes for 2 hours.

With his heart beating faster, Red took a deep breath before giving the command to open the Mystical Chest.

An image of a chest appeared in Red's vision. The chest looked like it was made of crystal. It possesses a glossy exterior and its corners were inscribed with mysterious runes.

Looking closely, one would notice a faint sheen of black on its surface, appearing and disappearing from view giving it a sense of mystery.

With a flash of light, the Mystical Chest opened and birthed an even greater light. When the light dissipated, the only thing that remained in his vision was a skill book. Without even reading the description, Red's face already changed to shock when he saw the name of the skill.

[Skill book: Deterrence (Soul bound)]

[Deterrence:]

Effect 1 - Fighting against two or more enemies will increase your attributes by 5%. (2=5℅), (4=10%), (6=15%), and so on. Stacks up to 5 times.

Effect 2 - Fighting against 12 or more enemies will result in your attackers having a decrease in attributes by 5% up to 25%. (12=5%), (14=10%), (16=15%), (18=20%), (20=25%).