[Successfully killed a foreign creature...]
[Main Quest Completed! You have obtained: 10 Permanent Base Attribute Points, 15 Mana Crystals, and a new Skill: (Aegis)]
The crisp sound of the system notification refreshed Zen's weary mind. Moments later, several bright blue crystals materialized out of thin air and fell into the shallow river water. Zen picked them up one by one.
[Mana Crystal]
A crystal with a high concentration of pure mana. The source of all energy and the foundation of life.
"The foundation of life? Is this even edible?" Zen muttered, ignoring the overly dramatic description. He quickly stuffed the crystals into his pocket and checked his status panel.
Ten attribute points were now available. Zen decided to distribute them evenly to balance his physique: 3 points into STR, 3 into AGI, and 3 into RES. He had wanted to increase his INT to boost his magic power, but for now, he could only invest in base attributes.
Next, he examined his new skill.
[Skill: Aegis]
Gathers mana energy to form a transparent shield.
Cooldown: 1 Minute.
"Good, at least now I have some defense," he whispered, satisfied.
Done with his rewards, Zen dragged the Elf's body to the riverbank. He wasn't about to miss an opportunity to loot. Tucked beneath the Elf's black cloak, he found a bag containing 20 Mana Crystals, a skill book, and a unique red whistle.
[Skill Book: Fireball]
A manual for the technique of hurling fireballs. Contains 200 pages of mana control instructions.
[Echo Whistle]
A signaling device. Its sound can be heard by owners of similar whistles within a 100 km radius.
[Mist Camouflage Cloak]
A lightweight leather cloak. Conceals the wearer's presence from low-intelligence creatures.
"Low intelligence?" Zen felt slightly flattered. The fact that he could see through their camouflage earlier meant his intelligence was far above the average Ogre. As it should be.
Zen stood up and hurried back to find the first Elf he had blasted. He had only 4 minutes left on his [Ogre Soul] buff; he needed to move fast before his strength vanished.
The first body was about 70% charred. Zen searched the remains and found another 10 Mana Crystals and one more Echo Whistle. He left the cloak behind, as it had been ruined by the fire.
With a burst of speed, Zen sprinted back toward the Elven village.
However, the scenery had changed completely. The once-lush village was now razed to the ground. Fire devoured the treehouses, and the beautiful gardens were withered and buried under ash.
Zen looked up at the sky. High above, two figures were locked in a fierce battle. "An Ogre Captain?" Zen's heart trembled. A being capable of flight meant their power was on a completely different level.
'How many attribute points does it take to fly like that?' he wondered in awe.
Suddenly, Zen's path was blocked by a massive Ogre clad in iron armor. The giant cleaver in its hand made Zen flinch.
"You! What are you doing here? Get moving and join the ranks!" the Ogre barked in a thunderous voice.
"Yes, sir!" Zen replied instinctively, like a soldier. He immediately ran to join a group heading toward the next Elven village.
Zen felt a pang of regret for not yet completing his side quests: destroying the gardens and houses. Looking at his buff timer, he had only 1 minute left before his body would shrink back to its original size.
Suddenly, thunder roared across the sky. The sunlight dimmed instantly as the heavens turned a deep, bruised blue.
"GLORY TO THE EMPEROR! ADVANCE!"
It was the voice of the Ogre Captain, clad in purple robes and wielding a skull staff. He seemed to have just won the aerial duel against the Elven Captain. The Ogre Captain waved his hand, and a sudden, invisible force enveloped Zen's group.
Zen's head throbbed with a dizzying pressure. It felt as if he were inside a jet fighter traveling at extreme speeds. In an instant, they were transported to another village and dropped right beside its defensive walls.
The Ogre Captain streaked toward the center of the village to assist other leaders. Zen saw flashes of light from Elven spears clashing against Ogre shields. Heavy tremors continued to shake the earth.
Zen steeled his heart. One day, he wanted to be that strong. But for now, he had to focus on the mission. Fortunately, this village hadn't been completely leveled yet. He slipped through the gates, ignoring the soldiers locked in combat.
He spotted a building that was still intact. Inside, he saw wooden tables and cups filled with flower nectar. "An Elven bar?" Zen guessed.
While running, he cast his spell. "TEBOKA!"
The fireball shot out, smashing into the center of the building. Since the structure didn't fully collapse, Zen grabbed a large wooden beam and hammered at the support pillars. As the main frame snapped, the entire building came crashing down with a deafening roar.
[Side Quest: (Destroy Residential Houses) Completed! You have obtained: (Bronze Skill Scroll)]
A white scroll with bronze tips fell from the air. Zen caught it mid-flight.
[Bronze Skill Scroll]
A scroll containing instant comprehension. Can upgrade any basic skill.
Zen's eyes lit up. He immediately used it on his primary skill.
[Are you sure you want to use the Bronze Skill Scroll to upgrade the skill (Fireball)?]
"Yes!"
The scroll in his hand glowed brilliantly. Ancient runes emerged and swirled around Zen's body before finally merging into him.
[Skill Fireball has leveled up: Big Fireball!]
Zen furrowed his brows. "Big Fireball?"
He checked the new details immediately.
[Skill: Big Fireball]
Gathers mana into a massive fireball. Deals massive Area of Effect (AoE) and burn damage.
Cooldown: 45 Seconds.
Radius: 5 Meters.
"Incredible... it's an area attack now!" Zen cheered internally.
At that exact moment, an overwhelming weakness surged through his body.
[Ding! Ogre Soul buff has ended...]
His physical strength plummeted. The +25 attribute boost had been truly significant; now, his body returned to its thin and frail state.
"It's fine. With Big Fireball, I can still destroy them," Zen said with newfound confidence.
He exited the village, weaving through the stream of Ogres still pouring in. Outside the walls, he found a vast plantation of flowers and vegetables. Using the last of his energy, Zen swung a long wooden pole to level the beautiful plants to the ground.
It took only a minute for Zen to flatten the 10x10 meter area.
[Side Quest: (Destroy Plantation) Completed! You have obtained: (Basic Potion Pouch)]
[Basic Potion Pouch]
Contains 10 bottles of low-grade healing potions.
Zen stuffed the pouch into his loot bag. To him, securing loot was just as important as completing missions.
[Ding! All missions have been completed. Evaluating achievements...]
[Completion Time (1 day): 3 Stars]
[War Contribution: 2 Stars]
[Evaluation Reward: 70 Empty Attribute Points!]
Zen's jaw dropped. 70 points! That was far more than the Ogre Soul buff. With this many points, he could become a true monster without a time limit.
However, the next panel presented a difficult choice.
[Mission Complete. Please choose: Return to your world now | Stay in this realm for 1 month.]
Zen didn't think twice. Staying for a month in the middle of this unpredictable war was a suicide mission. With absolute certainty, he pressed the option to return home.