When he checked his stats and saw the sheer number of question marks, Arthur was astonished and furrowed his brows in confusion.
'This is much better than I expected, but why haven't I ranked up yet? I've collected all the required XP. Is there a problem?'
From his modest understanding, ranking up wasn't supposed to be difficult or complicated, so he felt a bit anxious.
Without hiding his concerns, he quickly asked the System.
"System, what's going on? Why haven't I ranked up even though I've met all the requirements? And please, don't tell me I'm facing some kind of unsolvable obstacle, enough with everything I've been through already."
[Rank-Up process temporarily suspended. Your physical condition is currently unsuitable, and you still need to distribute the remaining Evolution Points you possess.]
[Note: You may rank up now if you wish, but it will not be optimal, and you will lose some of the additional Evolution Points you would gain.]
After reading the System's reply, Arthur nodded in understanding.
'So that's it. I was worrying for nothing. Anyway, I'll wait until the ranking conditions are perfect. I can't afford to waste these precious Evolution Points.'
It had taken him a whole month to reach this point, and it would be foolish not to wait a few more hours or days.
Clearly, a non-optimal rank-up could cause some bottlenecks in the future and might even halt his progress at some stage. He wasn't about to risk his future for the sake of momentary curiosity or excitement.
Now that everything was clear, he felt a sense of relief and focused on the new skill he had acquired from killing the snake.
[Regeneration (F): An advanced skill that allows you to accelerate the healing of internal and external injuries by consuming your vitality or mana.
– Effects –
• Heals wounds and broken bones
• Restores damaged organs
• Reduces pain
• Purifies weak toxins from the blood
Note: Excessive use of the skill may cause dizziness, fatigue, or heart pain.
At the current skill rank, severed limbs cannot be regenerated.]
A smile returned to his face as he scoffed, 'Looks like I won't have to wait long to rank up. And with this skill, I won't have to worry about serious wounds again.'
Although Arthur possessed incredible endurance and the superhuman regeneration speed of beasts—far surpassing that of humans—serious injuries still posed a threat to his life and weakened him greatly.
Unfortunately, unlike humans, he could not heal himself with natural medicine, and there was no one to care for him if something went wrong.
But now, all his past fears faded, and without hesitation, he activated "Regeneration" skill.
At that moment, a gentle warmth spread through his body. His pain eased significantly, and he felt a great sense of relief, wearing a blissful expression.
Magically, his injuries began to heal at a visibly rapid pace. Small scratches closed within seconds, leaving no trace.
For larger wounds, new tissue first grew inside them before the edges contracted and sealed together, and finally, a layer of soft, beautiful fur sprouted over them.
All his old scars also disappeared, and his broken leg was fully healed. Within just an hour, he felt as good as new and regained all his vitality.
"This is truly amazing." He stood up straight, emerged from the bushes, stretched his tense body slightly, and wore a satisfied smile.
The results had exceeded his expectations, and he had lost very little of his vitality.
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and let the sunset breeze play through his fur. He enjoyed the surrounding nature, feeling his spirit refreshed and his thoughts settling.
He stood still for a few minutes, contemplating, then opened his eyes and looked at the sky, noticing it had darkened—but he paid it no mind.
With a clear mind, he distributed the remaining Evolution Points he had into Speed, Endurance, and Agility. Then he checked his HP bar and confirmed it was full.
Everything was perfect, and without wasting any more time, he said calmly:
"System, begin the rank-up."
[Executing…]
[Ranking up to Rank E…]
[Alert]
[The effectiveness of all your skills will decrease during the rank-up process.]
[1%… 2%…]
Arthur watched the loading bar, simultaneously sensing his physical condition and carefully observing all the changes occurring within him.
Slowly, his body began to grow, becoming more massive, and his skin hardened. His fangs and claws grew longer and sharper.
His features became fiercer and more majestic, and his stance more imposing. Most importantly, he felt power surging through every part of his body.
His muscles pulsed with energy, and he felt a newfound lightness and vitality. Even his fur grew thicker and tougher, becoming more resistant to external factors.
[… 99%… 100%]
[Rank-Up Complete]
Excitement surged through Arthur, and all his calmness vanished.
He quickly inspected his body and measured his size. His height had increased by about a foot and a half, and his length by more than two feet.
Overall, he was now slightly larger than the lions found on planet Earth.
"Wow, now I really look like a true monster."
He let out a strange growl—or rather, a laugh—then raised his paw and revealed his long, dagger-like claws.
Without warning, he drove them into the massive tree trunk beside him, easily tearing it apart and leaving four long, deep gashes.
Feeling a deep sense of satisfaction with his strength, He retracted his claws and summoned his Status screen to check what changes had occurred to his stats after the Rank-Up.
– – –
[— Status —]
Name: Arthur
Race: Wolf?
Rank: E
XP: 6 / 800
HP: 248 / 250
Mana: 0 / 0
Evolution Points: 0
[— Basic Status —]
Strength: 33
Endurance: 22
Speed: 23
Agility: 20
Vitality: 25
Perception: 21
Mana Control: 2
[— Skills —]
Primal Predator (SSS)
Dimensional Storage (C)
Evaluation (C)
Enhanced Senses (E)
Iron Will (E)
Regeneration (E)
– – –