Chapter 162: Justice Value Drop and Journey to the Upper Lake

Words : 1408 Updated : Sep 23rd, 2025

Lyle sat across from Crusch Lulu, who stared blankly at the wooden wall as if lost in thought. He scrutinized her status panel one more time, just to be sure. Still nothing. No indication of any unique class, let alone one with dragon-like properties. That alone confirmed Lyle's suspicion - she likely didn't possess any relevant skills tied to that mysterious bloodline class. Her so-called "Draconic Heritage" class seemed more like a dormant power gifted by blood rather than something learned. And if she didn't even know she had it, then naturally, there were no skills to extract data from. No use obsessing over it, Lyle thought, turning his attention back to his own stats. His eyes narrowed at the experience bar. "Time to level up." With a focused thought, he activated his system interface. A surge of experience poured straight into his Magic Swordsman class. His level ticked upward rapidly, blinking higher and higher until it finally hit the cap. Just a few breaths later, the upgrade was complete. A ripple of power exploded outward from him. Magic surged, his body buzzing with newfound strength. Even the candlelight in the room flickered, shrinking under the pressure of his aura. Status Screen Innate Ability: [Player] Total Level: 36 EXP: 25775 / 120000 Skill Points: 67 Attributes Justice Value: 51 → 23 (Neutral) HP: 313 → 373 (+29%) MP: 128 → 188 (+14%) Physical Attack: 313 → 373 (+29%) Physical Defense: 248 (+19%) Agility: 213 (+16%) Magic Attack: 158 → 218 (+17%) Magic Defense: 188 (+14%) Total Resistance: 255 (+20%) Special Attributes: 230 (+18%) Total Attribute Growth: +176% Upper Earth Moon, October 16. The sun rose gently over the misty wetlands, casting warm golden light across the landscape. Outside the wooden cabin, Lyle stood still, bathed in morning light. Blue magic shimmered faintly across his skin. He raised his hand, summoned mana into his palm, and conjured a sphere of pure magic the size of a clenched fist. It pulsed once, twice, then shifted shape before he allowed it to dissolve back into his body. "Control feels smoother," he murmured. "Level 36... I guess that puts me just into the 'Abnormal' tier in this world." The classification of power varied wildly across the New World, but in most corners of it, that kind of level made him a serious threat. Still, in the face of true monsters out there, he was just getting started. "There goes 28 points off my Justice Value," Lyle added with a dry chuckle. "Honestly, not a bad trade." In his experience, maintaining a Justice Value of zero helped him avoid all sorts of moral-triggered magic and passive skills. Too many holy-type spells got nosy about his soul alignment. Neutral was safer. More practical. With Magic Swordsman now maxed out, it was time to consider the next evolution of his class tree. He had originally eyed [Disciple of Disaster] as a second advanced class, besides [Valkyrie], which remained locked behind annoying prerequisites. The problem? There was zero data on Disciple of Disaster. The only crumbs he had came from Mare's vague class disclosures: "Druid," "High Druid," "Nature's Herald," "Forest Mage." A cluster of nature-based faith professions, sure, but not exactly enlightening. When Lyle first came across Mare in the records of the Great Tomb, he'd dismissed the elf-boy as a weak support caster with a penchant for crossdressing. That changed the day he read about an adventurer's desperate all-out strike, a full-power final blow that failed to scratch Mare's defenses. That was the moment Lyle sat up straight. Digging deeper, he realized Mare's total stat pool ranked second among all Floor Guardians, right behind Shalltear. Which meant the true meat of Mare's strength came from hidden classes not shown on the surface. And that was the issue. No matter how he sliced it, he didn't have enough information to reverse-engineer that build. Those nature druid classes? Probably exclusive to the elves of the Great Forest of Evasha. Unfortunately, that also happened to be the domain of the Elf King, someone estimated to be above level 70. Lyle would basically be walking into a dragon's den dressed as a steak. Worse still, the Elf King could summon a primordial Earth Elemental stronger than himself, clocking in at level 87 and specialized in defense. Lyle didn't even need a spreadsheet to know the odds of victory were lower than zero. "Getting that Apostolic class right now... not happening." He sighed, rubbing his temple. For now, he'd need a transitional class, something high-level but more accessible. That meant new research, new grinding, and probably new headaches. But first things first. "Let's grab that Lizardman Cauldron," he muttered. That alchemy device was now his top priority. According to Crusch, it had remarkable synergy with his current alchemical path. She also revealed some new intel about the Twin Witches who had stolen it. Lyle had initially assumed the twins had gone to war with the Lizardmen and looted their relic through brute force. Nope. Apparently, they'd swiped it through some sneaky magical trickery. That meant they probably weren't very strong. If they were, they wouldn't need to steal. "Twin Witches, huh? If they're only around level 20, this won't be difficult." Lyle tugged gently on the bony reins of his mount. "Let's move out, Black." "Ruff!" the barghest barked, leaping from the cabin with unholy energy. He rubbed his skull-shaped snout affectionately against Lyle's shoulder. With practiced ease, Lyle swung onto his back. He'd gotten more details from Crusch about the relic's last known location, deep within the Great Marsh, near the Upper Lake. That region was known to house a fair number of magical creatures, but if the strongest enemies there were in the 20s... well, this would be more of a light stroll than a quest. The Barghest bounded across the wet ground. As for Crusch Lulu? She remained safely tucked away in Lyle's item box. A Lizardman with draconic blood was far too valuable to waste. Her blood alone might fetch a fortune. And since he had resurrection magic, she was practically an investment now. If he ever needed her again, he'd just pull her out and revive her. As they exited the ruins of the Dragon Tusk Tribe, Lyle noticed something peculiar. The field once filled with dead Lizardmen was now half-empty. "Hmm. Guess some survivors came back to collect the bodies," he muttered, tone flat but curious. "Persistent little reptiles." Not that he cared. He had already stripped this tribe of everything valuable, treasures, magic, even careers. The rest were just experience points waiting to happen. The marsh widened around him as they followed the river northward. Dense foliage crept in on both sides. The air grew cool from proximity to the Azerlisia Mountains, but the humidity still clung stubbornly to his skin. Eventually, boggy terrain returned, squelching under the barghest's paws. Buzzing filled the air. Swarms of mosquitoes the size of thumbs began to cluster. Lyle didn't hesitate. He crushed a third-tier [Angel Summon] scroll between his fingers. A flash of divine light burst into existence as a blazing Flame Angel appeared in midair. With a flourish of her flaming sword, she swept through the air, purging the swarm with radiant heat. The deeper they went, the stranger the flora became. Odd trees. Exotic fungi. Glowing moss. The Barghest slowed, ears twitching warily. Something moved. Ripples spread across the swampy waters. Then— SPLASH! A group of swamp sharks, slick with mud and reeking of rot, burst from the water with snapping jaws. The Flame Angel soared above, sword spinning in a fiery cyclone. By the time the creatures reached Lyle, they were already severed into chunks of stinking meat. [EXP Gained: 131] [EXP Gained: 137] But before they could relax, the ground ahead rustled. What looked like innocent reeds suddenly stretched out, wide, flat leaves thick as arms, snapping open like giant mouths. "More weird swamp freaks," Lyle said, unamused. He raised a hand. "Magic Arrow." Three streaks of mana zipped forward, striking the plant's core. The monstrous flora recoiled, withered, and browned instantly. [EXP Gained: 172] And so the journey continued. Weird monsters. Swamp stink. Fire angels. All in a day's work. Lyle nudged the hound onward, not slowing for a second.

Chapter 162: Justice Value Drop and Journey to the Upper Lake

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