Chapter 131: System Notification 2

He’d completely forgotten to check them after the mine.

"Oh yeah..."

He leaned against the counter.

"I still managed to wipe out an entire colony."

He opened the first window.

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Level Progression

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Combat experience earned.

Previous Level:

19

Current Level:

46

Progress:

+27 levels

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Adam remained silent.

"Forty-six..."

He reread the number.

Then a second time.

Level forty-six.

In just a few hours of fighting.

Another notification appeared.

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Statistic Progression

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Levels Gained:

+27

Progression Achieved:

*Strength: +27

*Agility: +27

*Stamina: +27

*Intelligence: +27

*Spirit: +27

Luck:

None modification

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Adam was about to move on to the next notification when a new window suddenly appeared in front of him.

This time, the border wasn’t that of a regular notification.

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Grand Merit Awarded

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Action Completed:

Elimination of an Emerging Goblin Colony

Threat Neutralized:

*Goblin Queen

*High Goblins

*Goblin Shamans

*Approximately 1,500 colony members

Consequences Averted:

*Colony Expansion

*Absorption of Neighboring Tribes

*Future Attacks against the surrounding villages

*Likely emergence of a regional threat

Rating:

Great Merit

Reward:

+1,200 Satisfaction Points

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Adam remained silent by the window.

"Twelve hundred..."

This time, the system didn’t seem to simply count the number of monsters eliminated.

It was also assessing the consequences of his actions.

Adam immediately frowned.

"Wait..."

This time, it wasn’t the same pattern as in his previous levels.

In the Red Forest, his level-up bonuses had primarily strengthened Strength, Agility, and Stamina.

But now...

Intelligence.

Mind.

Everything had progressed.

He reread the notification.

Then he noticed an additional line.

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Contribution Analysis

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Primary Sources of Experience:

*Physical Combat

*Repeated Use of Martial Skills

*Infiltration

*Offensive Magic

*Indirect Kills Attributed to the Host

*Combat Against a Higher-Level Target

Enemies neutralized by the direct or indirect effects of magic cast by the Host are counted as kills. The Host.

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Adam understood immediately.

"Smoke..."

Fire.

Wind control.

The Queen.

The Shamans.

The High Goblins.

All the creatures that fell victim to his plan had been considered eliminations linked to his magic.

Which probably explained why Intelligence and Spirit had also increased this time.

Adam then understood why the reward was so much greater than the few points he had earned in his previous battles.

It wasn’t simply:

killing monsters = earning points.

His system judged the service rendered.

Eliminating a small hostile force on a road represented limited merit.

But destroying a colony ruled by a Queen before it could expand and threaten several villages...

That was on a completely different scale.

"So the consequences matter as much as the action itself..."

This information was probably far more important than the 1,200 points themselves.

He continued.

Another window awaited him.

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Information — Delayed Progression

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When a continuous encounter is considered incomplete:

*Experience gained is accumulated.

*Level increases may be delayed.

*The corresponding rewards are consolidated at the end of the encounter.

End of Encounter Detected:

Eastern Chain Goblin Colony

Progress Consolidated.

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Adam remained silent.

Then he smiled slightly.

"So that’s why I didn’t gain twenty levels in the middle of the cave."

The system considered the entire operation as a single encounter.

From the first goblins at the entrance...

All the way to the Queen.

Experience had accumulated.

Then it was granted once the danger was completely over.

Adam rubbed his chin.

"I’ll have to study this seriously later."

The very concept of levels was becoming increasingly strange.

Two people of the same level could have completely different stats.

Skills greatly influenced performance.

The blessings, even more so.

And now...

The very nature of the fight seemed to influence the growth achieved.

Adam clearly needed a better understanding.

But not tonight.

He opened the next notification.

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Progress validated

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Weapon Mastery

Lv. 1 → Lv. 2

Main Causes:

*Repeated use of many weapon categories

*Rapid transitions between weapons

*Adaptation to distances and situations

*Real combat against multiple opponents

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Adam smiled.

"Selene is really going to love this one." »

Then:

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Progress validated

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Adaptation

Level 2 → Level 3

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And finally:

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Progress validated

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Eyes of the World

Level 3 → Level 4

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Adam studied the latest development more closely.

Eyes of the World had been used almost continuously.

Analyzing the monsters.

Observing the tunnels.

Examining the air currents.

Identifying the Queen.

Assessing the passages.

He wasn’t really surprised, then.

A final notification confirmed the update.

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Satisfaction Points

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Previous Total:

7,624

Grand Merit — Goblin Colony:

+1,200

New Total:

8,824 Satisfaction

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Adam stared at the number for a few seconds.

It was rapidly approaching ten thousand points again.

"Awkward... my reserves never stay stable for very long."

He resisted the urge to immediately open the High Draw.

"No. I’m still keeping the points."

"Status."

The full window appeared.

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Status Panel — Adam

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Level: 46

Stats

*Strength: 66

*Agility: 66

*Stamina: 91

*Intelligence: 53

*Spirit: 51

*Luck: 13

Available Stat Points: 12

Talent

*Return to Player System Satisfaction

Satisfaction Points: 8,824

Blessings

*Mana Body — Orange Rank · Unique Grade — Lv. 3

*Eyes of the World — Gold Rank · Legendary Grade — Lv. 4

Skills

*Boundary — Rank - · Grade - — Lv. 3

*Adaptation — Blue Rank · Rare Grade — Lv. 3

*Vigorous Body — Blue Rank · Rare Grade — Lv. 5

*Healing — White Rank · Common Grade — Lv. 2

*Massage — Green Rank · Uncommon Grade — Lv. 4

*Fertility Control — Blue Rank · Rare Grade — Lv. 5

*Weapon Mastery — Orange Rank · Unique Grade — Lv. 2

*Kamasutra — Orange Rank · Unique Grade — Lv. 3 2

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Adam remained motionless for several seconds.

Strength: 66.

Agility: 66.

Endurance...

91.

He stared at that last statistic.

"Selene is going to kill me."

From the table, Elaria looked up from her report.

"Why?"

Adam instantly closed his interface.

"Nothing."

Elaria looked at him.

For a long time.

"Have your stats gone up again?"

Adam stirred the soup.

"Maybe."

Lyriana, sitting by the window, smiled immediately.

"How many?"

"The soup is almost ready."

"Adam."

"Let’s eat first."

The two elves exchanged a glance.

Adam sighed.

"Forty-six."

Silence.

Elaria slowly laid down her quill.

"Your level?"

"Yes."

Lyriana sat up.

"You were nineteen this morning."

"I know."

"Twenty-seven levels?"

"Yes."

Elaria thought immediately.

"The colony."

Adam nodded.

"Apparently, the system counted all the indirect eliminations from my magical plane."

He also explained the delayed progression mechanism.

Elaria listened intently.

"So your system defines the end of a fight according to a specific condition."

"Apparently."

"Interesting."

Adam immediately pointed at her with his spoon.

"No."

She frowned slightly.

"What?"

"I know that look. You want to try something."

"Several things."

"Later."

Lyriana laughed softly.

Adam went back to the soup.

A few minutes later...

Dinner was ready.

Three large bowls were placed on the table.

A thick chicken and mushroom soup.

A few pieces of vegetables.

Herbs.

Fresh bread from his inventory.

Adam sat down.

"Enjoy your meal."

Lyriana took the first bite.

She closed her eyes briefly.

"Simple."

Adam raised an eyebrow.

"That’s not very flattering."

She smiled.

"I was going to say simple and very good."

"Ah. Better."

Elaria dipped a piece of bread into the broth.

"After several days on the road, I almost prefer this to very complicated meals."

Adam nodded.

"That was the idea."

The meal proceeded peacefully.

This time, no emergencies.

No monsters.

No fires.

No underground settlements.

Just three travelers sitting around a table.

After a moment, Adam put down his spoon.

"So, tomorrow?"

Lyriana replied immediately:

"We’re leaving the outpost at sunrise."

"Still on horseback?"

"For part of the way."

Elaria added:

"The closer we get to the World Tree, the less useful the mounts will be."

Adam raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

"The roads change."

Lyriana smiled slightly.

"You’ll see."

Adam stared at her.

"Another surprise?"

"Several."

"I should have expected it."

Elaria continued:

"If we leave early enough, we should reach the World Tree region during the day."

Adam paused briefly.

Tomorrow.

After all this travel...

He would finally meet Astraea.

Lyriana’s mother.

The Guardian of the World Tree.

And most importantly...

The person who might hold the last piece of the puzzle they needed for several of their projects.

Adam nodded.

"Then we’ll leave early."

They finished their dinner.

Adam quickly cleaned the kitchen.

Lyriana checked one last time that the Steeds were being properly cared for.

Elaria finished her report and handed it to a guard at the outpost to be forwarded to the appropriate authorities.

Then they returned to the house.

This time...

No need to summon spirits.

No need for a watch.

They were in a protected elven outpost.

Adam lay down.

The mental fatigue of the past few days was finally starting to catch up with him.

Lyriana sat on one side.

Elaria on the other.

As if this arrangement had become perfectly natural.

Adam looked up at the ceiling.

"Tomorrow, the World Tree."

Lyriana replied softly:

"Yes."

A silence.

Then Adam added:

"And your mother."

Lyriana remained silent for a second.

"Yes."

Adam turned his head slightly toward her.

"Are you nervous?"

She thought for a moment.

Then she smiled faintly.

"A little."

Adam didn’t ask any more questions.

He simply closed his eyes.

A few minutes later...

The small house fell silent.

Outside, the elven guards patrolled along the walls.

Beyond the outpost...

The gigantic trees of Sylvaris stretched to the horizon.

And somewhere, far, far away in the heart of that forest...

The World Tree awaited them.