Ex-Human Morphus [A Mutant Evolution Apocalypse LitRPG]
Chapter 228

Chapter 228

Immediately, a bunch of notifications filled his mind.

Enemy killed. +25,000 XP

You have gained enough XP to level up. Your level went up from 84 to 85. You have gained 5 SP.

A new feature has been unlocked: Inventory. 

You have received a new perk: Mana Absorption. 

So for defeating the secret enemy, he received a couple of interesting rewards. He first examined Mana Absorption. This perk allowed him to absorb mana from mana clouds. It was classified as Uncommon and came with two available upgrades. Jake decided to spend two of his newly acquired skill points to upgrade the perk from Rank I to Rank III, and then he reviewed it again. 

Mana Absorption: Rank III (MAX) (Uncommon)

Description: Allows you to absorb mana from mana clouds. You can also absorb mana from living beings upon touch. Additionally, you can absorb mana from living beings at a distance, although at a slower rate.

So he no longer needed to rely solely on mana consumables to restore his mana. It was great. He then allocated the remaining three skill points to one of his attributes. 

Body: 75

Mind: 75

Magick: 90 → 93

After that, Jake tried to access the Inventory feature. As soon as he issued a mental command, a piece of information emerged in his mind. 

Slot 1: Empty

Slot 2: Empty

Slot 3: Empty

Slot 4: Empty

Slot 5: Empty

Unlock 5 more slots: 10,000 MP (Y/N) 

Ten thousand mana points wasn’t an excessive amount, so he unlocked five more slots. When he did so, he was informed that he could unlock five additional slots, but the price had increased to 25,000 MP. For the time being, he decided not to unlock any more slots.

He then tore the key from the dead shadow caster’s belt and approached the majestic chest. Confirming it was not trapped, he inserted the key into the keyhole and unlocked it. When he lifted the lid and looked inside, he discovered a collection of various items.

First, he extracted mana from several greater mana consumables, nearly filling his mana reserves to capacity. Inside the chest, he also found a helmet and a sword, both of Epic rarity and equipped with slots for gemstones. However, there was nothing special about the sword, so Jake chose not to take it. Sure, it had been carrying the battleaxe for a while, but mainly because he needed it to kill ghosts. As for the helmet, he couldn’t even wear it, as its design did not fit the non-human contours of his head.

Out of curiosity, he attempted to store the sword in his Inventory. The moment he issued the mental command, the sword vanished. When he commanded his Inventory to fetch the sword, it immediately reappeared in his hand. It was that easy. However, since he preferred using his natural weapons, he decided against carrying the sword. Especially since it took up not just one or two, but three precious slots.

After setting the sword aside, he looked back into the chest. A handful of gemstones rested at the bottom, including several rubies, a few emeralds, and a variety of others. He meticulously checked them all, one by one.

Name: Ruby

Rarity: Common

Description: Inserting this gem into a slot on your weapon gives it the ability to set aflame any enemies vulnerable to Fire. When placed in your armor’s slot, it increases your Fire resistance.  

Primary Effects: 10% chance to ignite the target when inserted into a weapon. Increases Fire resistance by 10% when placed in armor. 

Status: 100%

Name: Emerald

Rarity: Common

Description: Inserting this gem into a slot on your weapon gives it the ability to deal Corrosive damage to your enemies. When placed in your armor’s slot, it increases your Corrosive resistance.  

Primary Effects: 10% chance to deal Corrosive damage when inserted into a weapon. Increases Corrosive resistance by 10% when placed in armor. 

Status: 100%

Name: Topaz

Rarity: Common

Description: Inserting this gem into a slot on your weapon gives it the ability to deal Frost damage to your enemies. When placed in your armor’s slot, it increases your Frost resistance.  

Primary Effects: 10% chance to deal Frost damage when inserted into a weapon. Increases Frost resistance by 10% when placed in armor. 

Status: 100%

Name: Amber

Rarity: Epic

Description: Inserting this gem into a slot on your weapon grants it the ability to deal Explosive damage, creating a small explosion upon hitting an enemy. When placed in your armor’s slot, it increases your Explosive resistance.  

Primary Effects: 25% chance to deal Explosive damage when inserted into a weapon. Increases Explosive resistance by 25% when placed in armor. 

Status: 100%

Since Jake wasn’t planning to take the sword with him, there was no point in inserting the gemstones into the weapon’s slots. However, he also didn’t want to leave them behind. Perhaps there was another way to utilize the gemstones besides embedding them in weapons and armor. He decided to collect the gemstones, placing each of them into his Inventory. He was pleased to find that gemstones of the same type occupied a single slot. After that, he shifted his attention to the remaining items in the chest.

Name: Demon Blood

Type: Charm (Shard)

Description: This is a shard of a charm, which was formed from the coagulated blood of an ancient demon. When absorbed or used for enchanting, it grants permanent boosts to your skills.

Primary Effects: +5% in Claws, +5% in Smashfists, and +5% in Bladed Tentacles

Jake found two shards of the Demon Blood charm in the chest. As he put them together, he noticed that only one more piece was needed to complete the charm. He tried to absorb the shards with a mere thought, but nothing happened. It appeared that the process of absorbing shards was more complicated than that.

Name: Tortured Soul

Type: Charm (Shard)

Description: This is a shard of a charm, which contains the agonized soul of an ancient creature of darkness. When absorbed or used for enchanting, it grants permanent boosts to your skills.

Primary Effects: +5% in Enhanced Senses, +5% in Enhanced Intelligence, and +5% in Mind Reader

Just like the previous charm, there were two jagged pieces of the Tortured Soul charm in the chest. When assembled with all the pieces, each of the two charms would take on a round form, approximately the size of his palm.

Name: Frost Essence

Type: Relic

Description: This relic contains the solidified essence of frost. When absorbed or used for enchanting, it grants permanent boosts to your skills.

Primary Effects: +5% Frost Resistance

The Frost Essence relic appeared as a round stone adorned with intricate designs carved into its surface. Just like with the charm shards, when he tried to absorb the relic with just a thought, nothing happened.

Name: Spectral Matter

Type: Relic

Description: This relic contains the wispy, glowing substance ghost-like creatures are made of. When absorbed or used for enchanting, it grants permanent boosts to your skills.

Primary Effects: +5 SP to Mind

This relic also resembled a small rock, but the ornate designs etched into its surface were different. Although Jake couldn’t do anything with these finds at the moment, he was pretty sure he would find a use for them later, so he decided to place them all in his Inventory. As soon as he gave the mental command, all the items vanished. Jake found himself loving this new feature more and more. He no longer had to carry useful items in his mouth. Instead, with just a thought, he could store them in his Inventory, and they would always be with him and readily accessible at a moment’s notice. It was amazing.

Only one item remained in the chest that he had yet to explore.

Name: Basic Elemental Shielding

Type: Lesser Artifact

Description: This ancient scroll contains an arcane formula for creating an artifact by merging the necessary materials through a magical ritual.

Required materials: Tongue of Flame, Frost Essence, Venom Heart

Effects: +25% Fire Resistance, +25% Frost Resistance, +25% Poison Resistance

Jake had no idea what an artifact was, how it functioned, or how to create one. Nevertheless, he was sure he would discover the answers when the time was right, so he stored the scroll in his Inventory as well. He then rose from his crouch, as there was nothing more in the chest. Before exiting the room, he took a moment to check his Inventory.

Slot 1: Ruby (x3)

Slot 2: Emerald (x2)

Slot 3: Topaz (x3)

Slot 4: Amber (x1)

Slot 5: Demon Blood (x2)

Slot 6: Tortured Soul (x2)

Slot 7: Frost Essence (x1)

Slot 8: Spectral Matter (x1)

Slot 9: Basic Elemental Shielding (x1)

Slot 10: Empty

Unlock 5 more slots: 25,000 MP (Y/N)

He then made his way to the portal. With no more enemies left, he reached it in just a couple of minutes, running quickly and undistracted. After a quick glance at the portal, he stepped inside. Instantly, darkness surrounded him, and he felt himself lose all sensation. Since he was already familiar with this experience, he wasn’t spooked this time. A review of his accomplishments materialized in front of him.

>>> Completion Status <<<

Time Taken: 8 hours, 37 minutes

Enemies Killed: 100%

Mini-Bosses Defeated: 3 out of 3

Clues Found: 4 out of 4

Secrets Discovered: 1 out of 1

Floor Completion Rate: 100%

Reward for Completing the Second Floor: Drill Gauntlets (An Epic Ability)

Choose Your Reward for 100% Completion:

1. 200,000 XP
2. 75,000 MP
3. 100,000 EP

So he gained another Epic ability. However, he was aware that he wouldn’t be able to acquire it yet because he hadn’t evolved into the next form. Just like the ability he received for completing the first floor—Chainsaw Arms—Drill Gauntlets also sounded promising. He couldn’t wait to put both to use.

Jake finished reviewing the information. He noted that he had achieved 100% completion once again and was offered an additional reward. As he had before, he opted for EP, and moments later, he was teleported to the next floor of the dungeon.