6. Points

Noticing the lack of movement from the charcoal lion, Nolan cautiously jumped down from the tree. Despite his fragile level 0 body, the Spear Mastery skill had refined his movements, making agility feel like a simple trifle.

Each step he took was calculated, his eyes never leaving the massive form of the lion, whose head was almost level with his waist.

Swallowing nervously, he thought, Surely, it won't wake up, right?

His body screamed for him to run, but he clenched his teeth, determined to strike first. Taking out his Scarlet Spear, he aimed carefully at the lion’s forehead. The beast lay still, unaware of its impending doom.

"Don't blame me, bro. Blame the fact that you're a beast. No human rights for you. Remember to be a 'good person' next time you reincarnate," he muttered under his breath, a dark humor coloring his words.

With that, he whispered a quick prayer—Mercy God—three times, then stabbed the spear with all his might.

The spear pierced through the lion's skull as if it were soft meat. The beast trembled for a moment before falling completely still, its breath fading to nothing.

A cascade of system notifications suddenly filled Nolan's mind:

Ding! Congratulations, you have leveled up to level 1!

Ding! Congratulations, you have leveled up to level 2!

Ding! Congratulations, you have leveled up to level 3!

Ding! Congratulations, you have leveled up to level 4!

Ding! Congratulations, you have leveled up to level 5!

Ding! Congratulations, you have leveled up to level 6!

The rapid leveling left Nolan momentarily stunned.

When he finally regained his senses, he broke into a shameless laugh, pushing away the feelings of guilt and disgust that had momentarily surfaced.

"That's a level 10 monster for you! Took me from 0 to 6 in one go! Finally, I've shed the title of 'weak as a chicken'!" Nolan boasted to no one in particular, his laughter echoing through the quiet woods.

He lifted his arms, feeling the newfound strength surge through his body.

His limbs were lighter, more powerful, as if his very bones had been reinforced. The fog in his mind cleared, replaced by a sharp clarity.

His body, which had been fragile, was now honed by the system's power.

The act of leveling had reshaped him, fortifying both his physique and his latent potential. It’s no joke.

This leveling system really does enhance a person’s body, improving not only talents but physical aptitude, Nolan thought excitedly.

With the system’s abilities, becoming an overpowered protagonist is no longer a distant dream!

Just as he was basking in his newfound power, the system's voice chimed in again.

'Beep! Organic materials detected. Do you wish to offer them to the system for Ip?'

'Beep! Level 10 magic crystal detected. Offer it to the system for Ap?'

Nolan froze for a second. "Organic materials? Magic crystal? What's going on?"

He pondered for a moment, his brow furrowed.

Magic crystal... yeah, that's something I've read about in novels. It makes sense to exchange it for Ap, he thought, but the term "organic materials" still left him confused.

"Could it mean the lion’s body?" He glanced back at the lifeless charcoal lion, still unsure. Curiosity got the better of him.

"Transfer!" he commanded.

To his surprise, the lion’s body gradually faded, becoming transparent before completely vanishing.

Almost immediately, the system rang out:

'Ding! Ip 3000, Ap 500!'

"Holy crap, it works!" Nolan’s grin widened.

He couldn’t believe it. So, the body of monsters can be offered for Ip. Interesting.

Feeling more confident, he posed a question to the system. "What are the conditions for exchange?"

'User, the type of points corresponds to the materials offered for exchange.'

He scratched his head. While he wouldn’t call himself dumb, the explanation seemed a little vague.


After a round of questions and answers, he pieced it together.

So, equipment gets me Ep, items and materials give me Ip, and energy sources like magic crystals yield Ap. Since the lion’s body is technically a material, it counts toward Ip.

"Okay, but what about Sp? What do I need to transfer for that?" Nolan’s mind raced.

Sp, huh? That’s gotta be the key to summoning some legendary stuff… or anime girls!

Muehehe!

'Beep! Items containing life energy can be exchanged for Sp.'

"Life energy?" Nolan felt a cold shiver run down his spine. "Surely, you're not talking about living beings…" He laughed nervously.

'Reminder: sentient life forms are invalid. Valid units are those without sentience.'

"???" Nolan raised an eyebrow. "System, can you give me an example?"

'Life energy matter, such as magic beast eggs or seeds of spiritual plants.'

"Oh, so that’s what you meant. Why didn’t you just say that earlier instead of throwing out cryptic terms like 'life energy'?" Nolan sighed, feeling like he'd wasted time.

Seems like I need a certain level of intelligence just to talk with this system...

He closed the system menu, briefly glancing at his mission tab. Mission 1 and Mission 2, both have kill ratios of 1:100 and 1:10, respectively.

Looks like I’ll be dealing with a bunch of low-level monsters for a while. Clearing this survival drill and reaching a place with people has to be my first priority.

With no time to waste, Nolan steeled himself.

He couldn’t afford to linger too long—after all, squabbling with this strange system would only increase his chances of dying from stress.

Still, it's kinda surprising that monster eggs could be exchanged for Sp... should I go crazy and raid some monster nests?

He mused, a mischievous grin forming on his face.

Yeah, that’s definitely worth considering…