Chapter 14 - The Morning After

Day 9

Late morning

Erin woke up late in the morning laying on the wicker bench. She had a blanket draped over her, and Eun-ha was nowhere to be seen. The empty bottle of soju sat off to the side, reminding Erin that she and her mother drank together the night before. There's a first time for everything, Erin thought to herself.

As she sat up and stretched, Erin was surprised she didn't feel hungover. Aside from a slightly clammy mouth, she felt fine. Starving, but fine. Standing to stretch her stiff legs, that bench really wasn't big enough to sleep on, she was greeted moments later by her mom coming outside, followed closely by Noah.

"Fresh food for my growing child." Eun-ha said with a light tone, "Very fresh, since this pan heats itself." Gesturing Noah to bring the plate he was holding around, Eun-ha started shoving food off the still-sizzling pan and onto the plate.

Erin gave the pan a questioning look, and Eun-ha replied to it by saying "Super fancy self-heating pan. I got it in those box things when the assessment stuff was done."

Noah piped up, sounding really excited considering it wasn't his pan, "It's really awesome, Erin. It's an Exalted tier item. She could beat someone to death with it and it wouldn't even get scratched."

Eun-ha gave Noah a disapproving stare, "We are not using my nice new pan to beat someone to death. It said of the Loving Mother, not of the beat people to death."

"Yes, ma'am." Noah was chastised certainly, but still smirking. He knew Eun-ha was only partly serious.

Erin took the plate and a fork offered by Noah. An omelette, just the way dad liked them. Four eggs, diced bell peppers, onions, and tomatoes folded over a thin layer of feta. Erin's mouth watered, and her heart ached. Sometimes Erin felt like she got a better mother than she deserved.

"I know you like yours the same as your father, so I scrounged up what I could. Had to trade with the Sanchez family two houses down for some feta, but they were reasonable."

Erin cut a piece off with her fork and stuffed it in her mouth. Closing her eyes, she savoured the taste a moment before she said through a mouthful, "Thanks, Eomma."

"You're welcome, Ttarai, and don't talk with your mouth full."

Swallowing the mouth full of food, Erin responded, "Yes, mom." Before going back in for another piece.

Eun-ha just kissed her daughter's forehead, then gave Noah a shooing motion to head back inside.

Erin sat back down on the bench to enjoy her breakfast. It didn't completely resolve her feelings from the night before, but mom's cooking was still the best non-martial arts method for soothing her in the rough times.

Once she finished eating, Erin set the plate aside and brought up her character sheet. All that XP had to have leveled her, which meant attribute points. Plus she had some reward boxes to open. Her eyes shot open at her level, and it took her a second to understand. She was level 17 now. Almost three times her previous level. She received the 600XP x2 from the quest last night, but she hadn't even considered the intelligence bonus that would apply. It amounted to over 1800XP, putting her more than halfway to level 18.

Erin reviewed the main categories for her stats to confirm where she was currently at.

Unassigned Attribute Points: 132

Unassigned Body Type Boosts: 0

➕Physical: 25.30

➕Mental: 13.96

➕Combat: 718.90

➕Resource: 1693.81

➕Social: 25.97

Just the passive boosts from the new level had given minor boosts to her base attributes and combat stats, but her resource pools had jumped by more than triple. There was no way this could be considered normal, she thought. What could I possibly fight that will stand up against me after I apply those attribute points?

Reviewing her current base attributes, Erin decided first thing to dump 25 points into Intelligence, bringing her up to 49.. She wanted those XP and attribute bonuses to keep growing. 22 points in strength put her at 53, making it her highest stat. She decided on an even 14 into each of her other physical stats, tying Dexterity with Intelligence as her second highest. 12 points into Perception, because she suspected that impacted Accuracy. Then 11 into Willpower, and the last 6 in Wisdom. I need to show some love to those last three stats next time I level, or my Mental attributes will fall behind.

Once she was done, all she could do was whistle appreciatively at the seemingly monstrous growth.

Unassigned Attribute Points: 0

Unassigned Body Type Boosts: 0

➕Physical: 44.05

➕Mental: 33.86

➕Combat: 2050.58

➕Resource: 6885.42

➕Social: 33.62

Erin found herself contemplating if this was how characters in stories felt when they reached an overpowered state. Will I just start going around punching people once and killing them? I don't want to lose my hair though. What if my life turns into some weird shoujo where I just keep fighting increasingly more powerful enemies? Questions she couldn't even have imagined asking just over a week ago.

Letting those lingering thoughts fade, Erin brought her attention back to the task at hand. Attributes updated, now reward boxes. Reading the first reward box name, she had to laugh. The Smack My Bitch Up Reward Box, given by the quest, was awarded for the deforming beatdown she gave The Antagonist. The second box was okay, but Stamina For Days Reward Box just wasn't as fun to say. The last one made her pause. It was distasteful in her mind, the way the System named things certain ways. The Student Surpasses The Master Reward Box definitely qualified as a distasteful name. She decided to open that first, if for no other reason than to get it out of her sight.

Gold Enhanced Skill Advancement Coupon - Martial Training

Quality Level: Gold

Description: The Skill Advancement Coupon - Martial Training guarantees you a level up in a martial skill of your choosing.

Modifier: Enhanced. This modifier enhances the benefits of the item it is attached to. In the context of this item, the skill you choose will increase by 2 levels.

Notes: You did the time, now…wait…no you didn't, this coupon LITERALLY skips the time and effort portions of leveling. Ah hell, take your damn coupon already.

"So much for no free lunches." Erin mumbled to herself. Two free levels in a martial art of her choosing. She would need to think on how to use that.

Next she opened the Smack My Bitch Up Reward Box.

Silver Stacking Red Oak Bo Staff

Quality Level: Silver

Description: A relatively decent quality Red Oak bo staff. At least 25% less likely to break than the Bronze one.

Modifier: Stacking. This modifier increases the damage per successive hit by 0.075%.

Notes: 🎶Change my pitch up! Smack my Bitch up!🎶 Look, I feel really bad about giving you that crappy Bronze Red Oak Bo Staff that you didn't even bother telling anyone about. It was a bad roll, I'm sorry…NOT.

"Oh yeah!" Erin opened her inventory and pulled out the Bronze Red Oak Bo Staff. The description made it sound so crappy that she had basically forgotten it existed. Holding it upright with one end on the ground, she lightly tapped it with a fingernail and felt the nail dig in. Flicking the staff with her middle finger took a divot out of the side the size of that finger and launched the shard through the fence across the yard. Leaning the staff against the wall between the bench and a side table, she then pulled out the Silver Stacking Red Oak Bo Staff. Her fingernail didn't dig in easily, and when she flicked it the staff vibrated like a gong. "Tougher than the bronze one, that's for sure."

Sticking the silver quality bo staff back in her inventory, she left the crappy quality one out. She would look into disposing of it, or maybe throwing it in the direction she kicked the lump of nasty flesh. "One last box." She said as Erin focused on the Stamina For Days Reward Box, which opened with some fanfare.

Exalted Enduring Resistance Breaking Taekwondo Hand Protectors

Quality Level: Exalted

Description: Taekwondo Hand Protectors are designed to protect both the wearer, and the sparring partner, during practice. As an Exalted item, these hand protectors are nearly indestructible.

Modifier: Enduring. This modifier increases the endurance of the user by +25% while wearing the item

Modifier: Resistance Breaking. This modifier will cause hits against an item to weaken its resistance. If all resistance is removed, the target will take bonus 15% damage to HP instead.

Notes: Taekwondo is the theme, and these notes are the meme. Don't forget that Exalted items are incredibly difficult to damage or destroy. If you punch someone and they explode, it's not my fault.

This last item had Erin a little speechless. Exalted was the highest tier she had seen thus far. Focusing on the item she selected Equip and found them materializing on her hand. The style was similar to the sparring gloves at Gumiho, with the fingers missing from the middle knuckle to the tip, and thin padding on the striking surfaces. Flexing her hands, the gloves moved with her as naturally as her own skin.

Focusing on the gloves again, Erin went to unequip them, but found a new option. Dismiss. Selecting the option, she received a message on her HUD.

Are you sure? Yes/No

Dismissing items will transfer them to a stored state on your person, where others will be able to see them. If you want to re-equip the item, you need only think Re-Equip with the item in mind.

Erin focused on Yes, and felt a shift in her clothes near the right-front of her belt as the gloves disappeared from her hands. Looking down, there they were. Tucked into her belt, ready for easy access. Nodding contently at that, Erin grabbed her dishes to head inside.