Chapter 34 – Level Up
It's worth noting that Vick University is not only the oldest university in the Kingdom of Bryston, but also the most prestigious in the entire world. Its history even traces back to the era of the Four Heroes. To carry out a bombing here—only a lunatic would dare such a thing.
It was foreseeable that if those madmen really pulled it off, the entire Kingdom of Bryston would be shaken. And needless to say, it would be a disaster, not a good kind of attention.
Zhou Ning's expression was grim. Although he still didn't feel fully immersed in this world, he was a student of Vick University, after all. More importantly, if he remembered correctly, he was scheduled to help run the orientation event in three days.
Tch, what a coincidence.
This couldn't be ignored.
Sherlock's face was pale as he took a deep breath. "This is urgent—I have to report this to Lord Kien West immediately. The police will be coming shortly to handle things here."
"Oh, and the suspect was taken down by you. After I file the report, you'll receive a pretty hefty reward."
As soon as Sherlock finished speaking, he saw Zhou Ning shake his head and say seriously, "I didn't kill him. That was you—Agent Sherlock, brave and fearless, who brought him down with your own hands."
Sherlock gave a small nod. He understood. If it were him, he wouldn't want to expose his identity either—not with those maniacs from the Life Alchemy Society potentially coming after him.
He pointed at the journal in Zhou Ning's hand. "Mind if I take that Holwig diary back as evidence?"
"Of course." Zhou Ning wasn't about to refuse such a reasonable request and handed the diary over.
"Thanks," Sherlock said with a formal nod and tucked the journal away. "One more thing. We tested that batch of firearms you supplied. Not bad at all. Got any more?"
"Plenty. Send someone over anytime." Zhou Ning perked up at the mention. He still had five revolvers and two rifles in his inventory, all needing to be offloaded.
"Great. I'll send someone by tomorrow afternoon," Sherlock replied. "Same pricing—fifteen Vecktas for a revolver, eighteen for a long gun. By the way, do you sell the bullets too?"
He had seen that earlier firefight firsthand. What impressed him the most were the bullets sparking with fire. If they could replicate those, the Sunwatchers' combat strength would skyrocket.
"I only have eight rounds left, and the manufacturing process is extremely complex. Every bullet is practically handcrafted."
"I can pay well," Sherlock urged, putting emphasis on the "pay well" part.
Zhou Ning shook his head. "What I mean is, yes, they're for sale. But the price goes up."
Sherlock: …
In the end, they negotiated a deal for a special batch of bullets.
Even though they only cost about two Roshens each to make—possibly even less—Zhou Ning sold them for ten Roshens a piece.
To show good faith, Sherlock even paid a ten-Vecktas deposit, which gave Zhou Ning's thin wallet a much-needed boost.
"Keep this quiet," Sherlock reminded him. "If word gets out, it could cause trouble for you."
"I understand." Zhou Ning gave a serious nod, fully aware of the implications.
Sherlock tipped his hat in farewell, then climbed into a carriage and quickly departed.
Zhou Ning watched it disappear into the distance, then took out his pocket watch. Click. It was only 4:20 a.m.
He took a deep breath, picked up his umbrella from the ground, and opened it. His mood was cheerful.
Tonight had brought him his biggest haul since the game started. But the ever-shifting nature of this game world—and the dangers lurking in every corner—also made him more eager than ever to strengthen himself.
Back in the dorm, John and his dog-son were still passed out together on the couch.
"Truly, ignorance is bliss," Zhou Ning murmured.
He closed the door behind him and began going through tonight's gains.
The hidden quest [Literary Life] gave him 30,000 XP. The B-rank quest [Alchemical Phantom] gave 50,000 XP. Counting the earlier gains and the kill on Holwig Gai, Zhou Ning had racked up nearly 90,000 XP.
With his XP bar this full, there was no point in holding back. Zhou Ning decided to invest it all into his sub-class, [Alchemist Apprentice], and began leveling it up rapidly.
[Alchemist Apprentice] leveled up to Lv2: Will +1 (Extra +0.35 via Extraordinary Physique), Spirit +1 (Extra +0.35 via Extraordinary Physique), gained 1 Free Attribute Point.
…
[Alchemist Apprentice] leveled up to Lv10 (Max): Will +1 (Extra +0.35 via Extraordinary Physique), Spirit +1 (Extra +0.35 via Extraordinary Physique), gained 1 Free Attribute Point.
Each class had a level cap of 10. Further progress required a class upgrade.
It cost 80,000 XP to max out [Alchemist Apprentice], bringing it from level 1 to 10. With the bonuses from Extraordinary Physique, Zhou Ning earned a total of 12 Will, 12 Spirit, and 9 free attribute points.
His overall level was now 13.
Normally, core classes like Mage, Warrior, or Paladin were prioritized because they boosted health points and were critical for survival.
But Zhou Ning was a special case—he still hadn't picked a combat-related main class. So for now, leveling Alchemist was his best bet.
Now that [Alchemist Apprentice] was maxed, further leveling would require promotion to a new class, which meant reaching a high level of alchemy proficiency. That would take time.
What about using Goethe's Alchemy Manual?
Too inefficient. It could work, but it wasn't worth it. Better to save it until his alchemy level was higher.
After maxing his alchemy class, Zhou Ning had about 10,000 XP left. Rather than hoarding it, he spent it upgrading [Rapid Pursuit] to intermediate level. That skill had proven incredibly useful in combat—his awareness during the last fight had felt unnaturally sharp, almost shocking even to him.
Holwig had been significantly stronger in raw stats, but Zhou Ning had killed him thanks to his unnerving calm and combat intuition. [Rapid Pursuit] had played a crucial role.
Just like that, all 90,000 XP was gone in under 30 seconds, and Zhou Ning's status screen was completely refreshed.
———
Name: Zhou Ning / Wayne Sturwell
Race: Human
Template: Elite NPC [Closed Beta Countdown: 43 days 12 hours 22 minutes]
Level: 13
Class: Student / Teaching Assistant [1/10]
Sub-Class: Linguist [2/10] / Alchemist Apprentice [10/10]
Attributes:
Strength: 20
Agility: 23
Stamina: 18
Will: 21
Spirit: 27
Charisma: 99
HP: 180/180
Stamina: 196/196
Willpower: 18/21
Free Attribute Points: 9
Combat Power Rating: 399
(Other details omitted.)
———
In just one night, Zhou Ning's combat power had soared to a whole new tier.
He chose to hold onto the remaining 9 attribute points for emergencies.
After assigning his points, he checked the time—it was 4:50 a.m. in-game. Feeling satisfied, he decided to get some rest. This time, there were no strange dreams. His sleep was deep and restful.
[Important Notice: Episode 2 of Apocalypse the series has been released on the forums and all major platforms. This series is automatically generated by the AI core. Interested players are encouraged to watch for lore and game background information.]
At 7 a.m., Zhou Ning was jolted awake by a system notification.
When he opened his eyes, he was completely startled—he had been sleeping soundly when a robotic female voice suddenly boomed in his mind. The fact he didn't fall off the bed in shock was a testament to his composure.
(Support me and read ahead on Patreøn: patreøn.com/craxxtranslation. Thanks for your support! Don't forget to send Power Stones—300 Power Stones = +1 bonus chapter!)