Lexel sat on the cold stone bench, crossing his legs in a meditative pose.
"Psst! Hey!"
A man's voice hissed from the shadows of the cell beside him.
"What?" Lexel furrowed his brows, not opening his eyes.
"I've heard what you did, hehe," said the man, his voice scratching like dry leaves. "Oops! Where are my manners? The name is Flinn."
"Nice to meet you, Flinn," Lexel said, his tone flat. "What are you in here for?"
"Eh... hmm. Stealing," Flinn whispered.
"Oh? What did you steal?"
"Just a few G's," Flinn chuckled nervously. "Nothing serious. At least... not as serious as you."
"And what exactly did you hear?" Lexel asked, finally opening one eye.
"I've heard that you killed Viscoff. Damn crazy, I would say. But the craziest part? The rumors say you're still [Level 1]. Are you really Level 1?"
"I am."
"Nah," Flinn scoffed. "I don't believe you. You must be hiding your levels, right? Some kind of artifact? Or a stealth class?"
"Perhaps. Who knows?" Lexel shrugged.
"Well, either way, Viscoff is dead," Flinn sighed, leaning against the bars separating their cells. "You're going to spend a long time here, buddy. Unless someone bails you out. And bail for murder ain't cheap."
"How about you?" asked Lexel. "How many days until you're released?"
"Released? Hah! That's not how this works. Is this your first time being jailed?"
"Of course it is," said Lexel.
"I guess you're a rookie at breaking the law then," Flinn grinned, revealing a missing tooth.
Lexel looked at the thief. An idea formed.
"Would you help me get out of here?" Lexel asked casually. "Since you're a thief, you must have some [Lockpicking] skill, right? I mean, it's a standard class skill."
"..."
Flinn looked away.
"Well...?" Lexel pressed.
"I... uh... forgot to put points into that one..."
"..."
Silence descended on the dungeon. Only the rhythmic drip-drip-drip of water from the mossy ceiling filled the void.
"BUT!" Flinn perked up. "You can always bribe them."
"Oh great," Lexel rolled his eyes. "You're a thief, so you must have some Gs hidden away, right?"
"..."
Flinn looked at his empty pockets.
"Fuck this," Lexel muttered. He raised his arms above his shoulders in a stretch, signaling his surrender to the conversation. He settled back onto the bench, crossing his legs again.
I need a plan. Brute force? Magic? No, I don't have mana.
Then he remembered.
Oh right. The Skill Points.
Lexel closed his eyes and focused.
[Menu]
The Skill Tree interface exploded into his vision. It was massive—a sprawling web of nodes connected by lines of light, vast and intimidating. However, nearly all of it was greyed out.
Only the center star was lit.
"Hmm," Lexel examined it closely.
There were different shapes: small circular nodes, larger diamond-shaped nodes, and the massive star node in the center. All the distant branches were labeled [???].
I see. So 'Will of Torga' is the core.
He looked at the smaller nodes connecting directly to the center star.
[STR +]
[DEX +]
[END +]
[INT +]
[LCK ++]
LCK++?
Lexel put a hand on his chin. He remembered his Status Screen listed his Luck attribute as S.
Father said that S is usually the highest rating there is. Does that mean I'm lucky?
He looked around at the damp, moldy brick walls that were his current home. He made a wry smile.
I guess not so much, Dad.
"You know, you're oddly calm for someone going to jail for a murder charge," Flinn observed.
"And you're quite leisurely taking your time as well," Lexel replied distractedly.
Lexel paid no heed to Flinn's blabbering. He focused on the UI. He selected the [LCK ++] node.
Unlock [LCK ++]?Cost: 2 SP
Accepted.
The node shimmered green. Instantly, the grey fog covering the next node in that branch—a large Diamond Node—cleared. The question marks morphed into words.
Lexel's pupils shrank. His lip twitched.
Pig Nose... What the fuck is that supposed to mean?
Skill: [Pig Nose]Cost: 10 SP ]
Description: For 7 seconds, treasures and high-value items will emit a scent.
AP Cost: -5
Oh... loot radar. Lexel nodded slowly. That's interesting. But 10 SP is too expensive for me now. I only have 6 SP left.
He looked at the other side of the tree. The Red Branch.
I need power. Pure, physical power.
He selected the [STR +] node.
Unlock [STR +]?Cost: 2 SP
Accepted.
The node glowed angry red. Strength flooded his muscles, a warm rush of heat. The fog cleared on the Diamond Node connected to it.
Tiger Stomp?
Skill: [Tiger Stomp]Cost: 4 SP
Description: Stomping the ground heavily causes a shockwave. Staggers enemies and damages structures in a small radius.
AP Cost: 5
The name... hmm. If I can make a connection... the skills in this tree correlate to Dad's prowess. Or should I say, the Zodiac Emperor's martial arts?
The Tiger. One of the Zodiacs.
This is it.
Lexel mentally confirmed the selection.
[Assigned][Remaining SP: 0]
Lexel raised his brows. Something was coursing inside his body—a euphoria, a surge of raw kinetic energy waiting to be unleashed.
This feeling... it's like breaking through a new cultivation realm!
Lexel looked at the black iron bars confining him. They looked... flimsy now.
Clack. Clack.
Footsteps echoed in the corridor. Lexel's ears twitched. He saw the same jailor who had thrown him in walk past his cell—and stop at Flinn's.
"Took you long enough," Flinn said with a smirk, standing up.
"New tenant got in the way," the jailor grunted, extending an open hand through the bars.
"4 Gs," Flinn whispered.
Lexel heard the clink of coins being counted. Then, the distinct click of a key turning in a lock.
The metal door creaked open.
"It was nice knowing you, Lexel," Flinn called out cheerfully.
Lexel undid his crossed arms, staring in disbelief. The fuck?
Flinn stepped out. He was wearing a brown cloak now—a very common, oversized cloak that he must have pulled from his inventory—and a mask that completely hid his features.
He walked past Lexel's cell.
The jailor ignored him completely. He just glared at Lexel. "Don't stare, prisoner."
"It was short, but alas, it was nice knowing you," Flinn whispered as he passed Lexel, giving a mock salute.
Bribery, Lexel thought, watching the thief disappear up the stairs. Mother always said it is one of the few ways to negotiate—the little brother of blackmail. I guess I can practice it here then... if I had any coins.
Lexel sighed, looking at the empty corridor.
"Perhaps it is a good time to refl—"
"HAH! HAH! HAH! YO!"
Lexel blinked.
Flinn came sprinting back down the stairs, his cloak flapping wildly. He dove back into the dungeon corridor, panting heavily.
"Eh?" Lexel blinked twice, dumbfounded. "You forgot something?"
"A m-monster!" Flinn wheezed, clutching the bars of his old cell. "Gone rogue in the village! Adventurers are getting slaughtered out there! It's a bloodbath!"
"What?"
"It's better to hide here!" Flinn shivered, trying to pull his cell door closed again. "The guards are dead! It's chaos!"
Shit! Anthierin!
Lexel stood up instantly. The calm meditation was gone.
He looked at the iron bars.
He spread his legs into a low stance. He took a deep breath, channeling the new energy in his veins into his right leg.
He pulled his knee up to his waist.
[Skill: Tiger Stomp]
He slammed his foot down.
BOOOOM!
The impact wasn't just a stomp; it was a localized earthquake. The stone floor cracked, sending spiderwebs of fractures shooting toward the cell door and around him, like a drop of water into a calm pond. The iron bars vibrated violently, the stone anchors holding them in the ceiling and floor crumbling into dust from the shockwave.
"Now!"
Lexel pivoted on his left foot.
He delivered a perfect, cultivation-honed roundhouse kick to the center of the vibrating bars.
CRASH!
The entire iron gate was ripped from its weakened hinges. It flew across the corridor, slamming into the opposite wall with a deafening clang.
"What the fuck?!" Flinn shrieked, pressing himself against the wall.
Lexel stepped out of the dust cloud, his eyes burning with urgency. He didn't even look back as he dashed toward the exit.