Novel Full Chapter 443: Untainted Race
Chapter 443: Untainted Race
Just like how Shyra possessed the trait [Feline Agility], which boosted her agility and technically made her superior in speed compared to beings of the same star-level.
For Gnomes, however, it was more like:
[Small Physique] — Due to their short stature and limited body size, Gnomes naturally possess lower physical strength, agility, and shorter reach compared to most larger races.
[Low Combat Aptitude] — Gnomes generally struggle in direct frontal combat, especially against physically dominant opponents, often relying instead on preparation, tools, or strategy.
[Limited Mana Capacity] — While compatible with earth-attributed energy, most Gnomes possess relatively modest mana reserves, making prolonged high-level spellcasting difficult.
Just like Shyra’s trait—[Feline Agility]—provided her with a 100% boost in agility, [Small Physique] imposed nearly a minus 60% strength factor, alongside a minus 30% agility and endurance factor.
But things were actually different for the Dwarven race.
They possessed:
[Compact Sturdy Physique] — Despite their small stature, Dwarves possess dense bodies, remarkable endurance, and greater physical strength in exchange for agility, allowing them to withstand labour-intensive and harsh environments better than most races.
It granted a plus 50% boost in strength and stamina, alongside a minus 30% reduction in agility.
And because of this, inferior and superior races were differentiated.
Any race burdened with negative traits was considered inferior, while races with overwhelmingly positive traits were considered superior.
As for Humans, they stood directly in the middle. Neither blessed with positive traits nor burdened with negative ones. Even Elves, despite being similar to Humans, possessed the positive trait of longevity, granting them greatly extended lifespans and better looks.
Dragonoids—Dragons in humanoid forms—were an entirely different breed altogether, possessing numerous positive traits that made them vastly superior.
The same applied to Demons as well, though their traits differed according to the beasts assimilated into their bodies.
So it was as if Humans were naturally taken as the base comparison for everything—an untainted race untouched by blessing or curse, yet with paths open in all directions depending on their talents and hard work.
Leo finally closed the book and rubbed his face, forcing himself to refocus after being buried in the pages for so long.
23:36, February 13, 501 AA
“Damn, nearly 8 hours,” Leo muttered as he swiped the books away. They returned to their original places on the shelves as a refresh magic washed over them with a faint glow.
But after spending all this time in the library over the past few days, Leo realised one thing.
“Wow… a higher intelligence stat simply means having photographic memory,” he muttered.
Even the first book he had read inside the library remained crystal clear in his head whenever he focused slightly on recalling it. His brain itself had become like a supercomputer. But it was only possible because he considered the information inside the library worth remembering.
It wasn’t like his everyday interactions and actions were being recorded like a video inside his head. He could still forget things if they weren’t important to him, or if one priority naturally overshadowed another.
He still functioned like a normal human, but his memory feedback was faster, and his memory storage had vastly improved. Though the main factor was still Leo himself. He was smart enough to make use of what he had. It wasn’t like there weren’t other High 4-stars, but not all possessed the same biological structure, IQ and smartness to fully utilise everything in their arsenal.
When Leo came out of the library, night had already fallen. Though he wanted to return to the territory by flying through the night sky, he knew it was late and used the teleportation array instead.
When he arrived back, the territory was silent. It was obvious many were already resting while a few patrolled the surroundings. Curious about the arrangements Lily had made for the Gnomes, he went to check on them while remaining in stealth.
Turns out, they weren’t on the surface at all, but rather inside the bunker Leo had constructed during the King-beast storm. The same bunker Katherine had reinforced as a gift for allowing Brant to rest there.
And the reason low-level beings like Gnomes were now capable of living beneath the plateau was because the mana density had plummeted to less than 50% after the mana generator was installed. So now, technically anybody could walk onto the plateau, though of course, Leo and Lily wouldn’t allow that.
When he quietly entered, he was amused to see almost all the Gnomes still wide awake, worry etched across their faces. Some nervously tugged at their newly worn clothes, while others examined the walls carefully, trying to locate a weaker section they could potentially break through and escape from.
But, however much they tried, they couldn’t find even a single flaw. Walls reinforced by a Peak 5-star being were no joke. They probably wouldn’t be able to leave even a scratch behind after an entire day’s worth of effort. So in other words, they were trapped inside a prison with no possible escape.
Food had already been placed in one corner, and they had been instructed on where the restrooms were. So there were no actual difficulties aside from the fear lingering in their minds.
Leo noticed a few Gnomes staring intently at the food, nearly salivating from the aroma, yet restraining themselves because they didn’t know what would happen if they ate without supervision. A few others, who had already given in to hunger and eaten their fill, anxiously searched for a place to lie down and hide.
But the resting area had been prepared with clean mattresses meant for high-class people, making them too uncomfortable to lie on them. They first tried lying on the floor, only to realise they might dirty their new clothes, so in the end they awkwardly remained standing in strange postures that looked even more exhausting than resting itself.
Leo didn’t bother explaining anything and simply left the bunker the same way he had entered, allowing them to figure things out on their own. He was sure Lily had already briefed them enough, so there was no need for him, as the leader, to repeatedly speak to them when they could understand simple actions well enough.
His territory was already beginning to take shape, and there was no longer a need for him to appear friendly toward everyone. Doing so would only lower his value in their eyes.
Let himself remain unknown, mysterious, and unpredictable, and people would naturally adjust themselves accordingly.
Since Leo had no intentions of tormenting them, his image would improve even without him trying to act kind. Actions spoke louder than words, and that was exactly the approach he planned to follow here.
He already had experience with the Elves. In the end, despite all the reassuring words spoken, they hadn’t truly become comfortable until Leo and Lily’s actions proved otherwise. Now they had become happy and integral members of the territory.
And the same would eventually happen with the Gnomes.
But that was for tomorrow morning.
“Lily, I am bac—!”
Leo didn’t even manage to open the door halfway before Lily yanked him inside and shut it behind him.
00:01, 14 February, 501 AA
The rest of the night passed with someone getting milked dry.
…
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A/N: Volume 3 comes to an end!