Chapter 66

The scent of the sea and fish, the cries of seagulls, and the muttering voice of Bor as he worked. I lay on my stomach while the master applied my first tattoo. The smell of tobacco brought back memories of my father, sitting on the porch in the evenings with a pipe in hand.

What can you do with six kilograms of blood malachite? Yes, that’s exactly what I used to create the mixture—malachite and my own blood. It became the ink for the tattoo master. Blood magic and a bit of alchemy, and I had a solution with all the necessary properties. Now, the backlash from using "scrolls" would be absorbed by my body. Experiments in Hell’s alchemy labs had shown that malachite resembled blood and dissolved perfectly in boiling liquids. But all of this was trivial compared to the power I was gaining. I had become a mage in essence, not just in class.

Done!

Tattoo Obtained: Seal of the Spell "Dragon’s Breath."

Effect: When activated, allows the use of the spell "Dragon’s Breath." Spell damage scales with Intelligence and Fire Magic skills. The caster takes 5% of the spell’s power as fire damage.

Mana Cost: 900 units.

Tattoo Effects:

Intelligence +5%

Wisdom +5%

Spirit +5%

Additional Ink Effects:

Mana Pool +610 (does not deplete upon use).

"So, how do you like it?"

Bor was as pleased as a child. He charged a thousand gold per tattoo—an exorbitant price, but I didn’t complain. For work like this, he was worth it.

"I can’t see it, but the effects are great. Bor, what’s your skill level to create something like this?"

"Just over five hundred. I’m not in the top five of the Tattoo Masters’ Guild for nothing."

"I believe it. With bonuses like these, you should be number one."

"Nah, it’s all about the ink. My skill just boosts the bonus size and adds extra effects," Bor said, stretching his back.

"Rest a bit. I want to test it out."

While Bor cleaned his tools, I couldn’t wait to try the tattoo. I decided to "breathe" right out the window.

"Dragon’s Breath!"

The effect surpassed all expectations. People below started screaming curses, threatening to kill the idiot who tried to burn everything down. The window frame charred, the glass cracked, and heat flooded the room. Bor fell off his chair.

Damage Taken: 880 (Ignored: 0).

20/900 HP.

Fire Resistance +0.02%.

Thermal Damage Ignored: Up to 36/sec.

The recoil made me sick. It felt like a chunk of my skin had been burned away. Zero resistance, and the backlash nearly killed me.

"You idiot! What the hell was that?!"

"Bor, relax! I’ll pay for the damage. It’s worth it."

"Worth it, he says."

"Bor! You just saw the result of your masterpiece!"

"Screw the masterpiece! You almost burned down my shop! No more experiments here! That’s an extra thousand gold for damages."

"Fine."

"Now lie down before you blow up the whole building by evening."

Oh yes! I didn’t seek out a grandmaster tattoo artist for nothing. The detail mattered, but so did the size of the design. Bor’s skill was high enough to fit this seal into a quarter of my palm—tiny, yet terrifyingly powerful. The strongest ink ingredients—blood and malachite, enhanced with blood magic. Crafting skill for bonus quantity, tattooing skill for size and potency. This would be my "blade." My "shield" would take more work.

"Hey, wonder boy, lie down already! We’ve got hours of work ahead."

"Yes, my lord!"

Bor burst out laughing, dropping his tools.

Could words even describe this joy? For a non-mage, the tattoo was useless—no skills, no developed Intelligence or Wisdom. Even for mages, it was risky. Why use it when spells already have cooldowns? The backlash would shred a mage’s health.

We spent the evening covering my back in tattoos, keeping them small to save space. Today, we stuck to basic spells. Tomorrow—complex, interdisciplinary ones, and the most expensive at five thousand gold apiece.

I spent half the night testing every new acquisition. This was paradise—a monster with an ocean of mana. Two contracts later, charred and crushed bodies earned me another five hundred gold. High-tier spells were still locked—I lacked the endurance and resistance to handle the recoil. But tomorrow, I’d get something even stronger.

Morning at the Port

Dawn at the harbor meant hundreds of boats and the clamor of workers. The day was spent on six more tattoos—my torso now a canvas of etched seals. Simple ones on the back, intricate designs on the chest. Neck, arms, and legs remained bare. Not aesthetic, but brutally efficient.

"Status Window!"

Name: Saji

Level: 0

EXP: 0/100

Race: Human

Class: None

Stats:

Strength: 90

Agility: 90

Endurance: 90

Intelligence: 116

Wisdom: 116

Free Points: 0

Secondary Stats:

Speed: 90

Athletics: 90

Spirit: 116

Vitality: 90

Combat Stats:

Physical Damage: 45 (STR/2, min 1)

Carry Capacity: 225 kg (STR × 10/4)

Mana: 16,410 (WIS × 10)

HP: 900 (END × 10)

Stamina: 1,000 (END × 10)

Regen Rates:

HP: 900/min (VIT × 10)

Mana: 1,160/min (SPI × 10)

Stamina: 900/min (ATH × 10)

Movement Speed: 36 km/h (1 + SPD/10)

Defense: 1

Resistances:

Physical: 1.72% (Ignore up to 421/sec)

Poison: 8.66% (Ignore up to 25,811/sec)

Fire: 0.02% (Ignore up to 36/sec)

Skills: (Abridged for brevity)

Professions: Herbalist, Fisher, Tailor, Blacksmith, Carpenter, Miner.

Abilities:

Imp’s Eye

Eleven Streams of Thought

Insider

Veil of Darkness

Gifts:

Delayed Encounter

The game limited players to 25 tattoos, regardless of size or placement. Each class had specialized designs, some even granting set bonuses. I now had 19 basic and 6 advanced spell seals. After the first tattoo, each new one only added a 1% boost—but that was enough. My mana pool was vast, and my Wisdom, Spirit, and Intelligence had increased by 29%. Most importantly, I now had access to stronger spells. The "blade" was forged. Now, to sharpen it.

I needed high-level monsters—and I knew just the place. No humans to interfere, perfect for resistance training. I couldn’t wait to see what Eleven Streams of Dragon’s Breath looked like. High-tier spells were still off-limits—I wouldn’t survive the recoil. But Meteor? Oh, what would eleven meteors do? I craved that first level-up.

A month of farming in the local Monster Guild earned me "Respect" in Sural. Just 3,000 more points (or 30 contracts) for "Revered." Seventy contracts down, first rank in the local Monster Slayers’ Guild. A level-one menace in sandals! I bought new clothes—the old ones were falling apart, and I didn’t want to flaunt my tattoos.

Before heading out, I needed income.

"Hello, Miss Nell."

"Hey, Saji. Another quest? You’re already leading our branch in completed contracts. Leave some for others."

She joked. Nell found it amusing that a "kid" outdid adult players.

"It’s nothing. For a beauty like you, I’d cross the Hashan Desert."

Nell’s smile vanished.

"You never joke. Are you serious?"

"Dead serious. Sure, it’s for me—but your praise means a lot. You’re the only one who’s cheered me on."

"Gods, you’re really going? That place has an aura even bandits avoid. No people, no water—just monsters."

"Auras don’t scare me. Neither do monsters. And hunger? I’m a kid."

"Right."

"Any contracts for Hashan’s monsters?"

"Yes. The Caliph offers 10 gold per head. But they’re all raid-boss tier. Some even roam the edges."

"So, a nightmare for the unprepared. Perfect. Where’s the board?"

"Fourth floor. Open quests."

"Thanks. Have a good day!"

One problem: I needed a cargo mount resistant to fire and mental damage—the desert’s primary threats. The marketplace had mounts, but none fit. A merchant pointed at a hulking, six-legged lizard.

"Only Crux survive there."

"Sir, are you trying to sell me your most expensive mount?"

"It’s the only one that can handle the desert."

"It eats its weight daily. It’d starve in two days."

"Then bring grass. Buy a cart."

"..."

What a scam. I’d rather carry everything myself.

I bought a one-person cart, loaded it with sacks, and… harnessed myself. Yes, I pulled an empty cart through the city. All I needed was a horse mask.

Thus began my trek across the region. Running wasn’t hard—my stamina was endless. By evening, I reached the desert’s edge, camouflaged the cart, and logged out.

Morning brought a jog—and local beasts eager for meat. First hides and trophies collected. By noon, I entered the desert.

Damage Taken: 100 (Ignored: 0).

800/900 HP.

Mental Resistance +0.01%.

Mental Damage Ignored: Up to 16/sec.

Ah, how I missed these notifications. Time to remove the poison bandage—wouldn’t want to miscalculate and die. Sand, dunes, and monsters everywhere. These weren’t just mobs—they were high-HP horrors.

The desert stretched two thousand kilometers inland. Today, I covered thirty, already pushing my health limit.

Damage Taken: 1,000 (Ignored: 106).

108/900 HP.

Mental Resistance +0.01%.

Fire Resistance +0.01%.

Small numbers now, but I needed resistance. Every spell had lethal backlash. "Dragon’s Breath" proved that—one more Intelligence point, and I’d have died. I couldn’t use high-tier spells yet. But I had an idea.

Monsters: Sand Hounds, Level 244.

A quick fight—paralyze and stun. I’d never find 500 victims here, but patience was key. I waited, letting the paralyzed pile grow.

On Heron, I’d learned that sand turns to glass at 400°C. Hours of prep later, I had my playground. A child in the world’s largest sandbox! Forty victims now, all aggro-free. Not my fault they attacked first.

Time to test Pain-Sharing Ritual.

A torrent of fire erupted from my palm, melting sand into glass.

Damage Taken: 1,135 (Ignored: 152).

458,831/461,200 HP.

Fire Resistance +0.01%.

Weak. Let’s try two streams.

Damage Taken: 2,270 (Ignored: 167).

Still low. All eleven streams.

This time, the flame wasn’t orange—it was blinding white. A roar echoed. A debuff flashed: Blinded. It felt like paper facing an inferno.

Damage Taken: 12,845 (Ignored: 167).

Fire Resistance +0.02%.

Before me, a fifteen-meter cone of molten glass hissed. If I took 5% backlash, the spell’s raw power was 250,000. Enough to vaporize Sand Hounds (45,000 HP each).

Distracted. More prep—the light show drew a crowd.

Two hours later, I had my first test group: 100 monsters. Snakes, hounds, giant ants, even sand fae. The fae were the only magic casters—unlucky for them. My HP pool was half a million.

On a glass field, I crafted an altar and began the ritual. This time, excess sacrifices meant a Twilight Iron Ring. Not mithril, but my blood-forged masterpiece.

Ring of the Monster Eater.

A legendary killer devoured his prey to steal their strength. Only his ring remained.

Effects:

Intelligence +5

Wisdom +5

Spirit +5

Endurance +5

Athletics +5

Scaling item.

Indestructible (damage transfers to wearer’s HP).

Not mithril, but five effects. Craftsmanship mattered. My mithril blanks paled in comparison. Likely a world-order difference. Scaling items were rare at low levels.

Unique items had higher bonuses but became obsolete faster. Pity. Still, 150 sacrifices in a different seal. Loot collected, cart buried—just in case.

Morning meant unearthing the altar and gathering more test subjects. No rush. I’d wait as long as needed for another ring.

The day passed in prep—no experiments, stakes running low. By evening, I’d paralyzed 332 creatures. Not enough for 500, but close.

Ring of the Sun Eater.

Fenrir, the Great Wolf, terrorized the world until he bit a god’s hand off. Only his toy remained.

Effects:

Endurance +5

Athletics +7

Vitality +3

Strength +7

Intelligence +3

Scaling item.

What strength to harm a god? This ring favored physical stats—sacrifices’ traits influenced results.

Deeper into the desert, fire and mental resistance grew. The cart slowly filled—soon, I’d need more sacks.

The desert’s ecology shifted. Early on, small packs roamed. Now, solitary but deadly predators lurked.

A week later, I found a stone plateau and level 400 Lamia—snake-women with potent magic.

Their mental assaults bounced off my defenses. An hour later, I’d gathered ten. Beautiful, but hauling their massive bodies (each weighed five men) was exhausting.

Evening ritual—85 Lamias on stone.

Ring of the Red Lord.

A ruler famed for his harem of enthralled slaves.

Effects:

Speed +4 (first speed bonus!)

Agility +2

Vitality +2

Spirit +7

Intelligence +7

Wisdom +3

Lamia traits boosted mental stats and speed. Five more rings followed, optimizing magic damage and speed.

Now, the real work began.