Glancing at the changes in his attribute panel, Adam felt that his efforts over the past days hadn't been in vain. His Sword Saint class had reached its maximum level.
Next, he needed to focus on leveling his Genius class. Raising it to 10th Level should meet the basic prerequisites for further advancement.
"The experience requirement has hit 5,000. As my level rises, the experience needed keeps increasing." Adam swallowed the last bite of boar meat.
But there was no helping it.
Adam had always worried that, at higher levels, there might not be enough monsters for him to kill.
He shook his head.
That wasn't something he needed to think about right now.
"My Karma has changed."
"Killing so many goblins has resulted in a positive shift. So, is 'Karma' determined from the perspective of one's own race?"
Adam stared at the Karma on his attribute panel, lost in thought.
In the game YGGDRASIL, "Karma" was a crucial statistic.
It didn't just affect race, equipment, or class-related matters, it also significantly amplified or weakened the effects of certain skills.
For example, the 8th-tier spell "Moral Distortion" could twist an individual with a high Karma into one with a negative value.
The 10th-tier spell "Divine Flame" dealt greater damage the higher one's Karma was, but when negative, its power was weaker than even a 1st-tier attack spell.
In Adam's view, having a Karma that was too high or too low was problematic. In YGGDRASIL, there were plenty of skills and spells that targeted Karma.
Keeping it at a low level was the better choice.
If his class, race, or equipment didn't require it, maintaining a Karma of 0 would be the safest option.
Glug~
Adam took another swig from his water skin, his gaze falling on his iron sword, now riddled with nicks.
It seemed this sword was nearing the end of its usefulness. Fortunately, he had prepared ten iron swords, so he wouldn't be left weaponless.
"Based on the stats provided by mid-tier classes, which are higher than those of low-tier classes…"
"A max-level 'Sword Saint' should surpass the attack capabilities of a 15th-level adventurer in this world. It might not be much higher, but it should at least be… around 17th-level strength, right?"
Adam mused to himself.
When combined with the skill "Rapid Slash" And his passive bonuses, it would boost his physical attack strength by 120%, effectively raising his power by another level.
Rustle!
Rustle! Rustle!
Hm?
Adam's expression remained stoic as he lifted his head, looking toward the noise coming from the jungle's underbrush.
Thud!
The heavy crunch of footsteps on fallen leaves echoed, and a massive, dark-yellow figure pushed through the tall bushes, emerging into view.
"An ogre?"
"I knew it. This goblin tribe had too many goblins for there not to be an ogre around."
At the sight of the ogre, not only did Adam show no trace of panic, but a faint smile curled at the corners of his mouth.
But the next moment,
Adam's smile froze.
Behind the first ogre, another appeared.
Two of them?
Rustle! Rustle!
Crunch!
Rustle! Rustle!
The surrounding forest came alive with the sound of branches and leaves being disturbed.
Heavy footsteps echoed from all directions.
The smile on Adam's face vanished completely.
One by one, ogres emerged from the surrounding trees, fanning out to encircle him!
"Hey, hey, six ogres? That's a bit excessive, isn't it?" Adam muttered to himself.
The appearance of six ogres turned the atmosphere heavy and oppressive.
Adam stood, his expression grave.
With his current level and strength, handling one ogre was no issue. Two would hardly be a challenge. But taking on six at once?
This wasn't just a question of whether he could win.
"With the limited intelligence of ogres, they shouldn't be capable of setting up an ambush like this."
Adam's eyes flickered as he subtly shifted his stance, trying to keep as many ogres as possible in his field of vision.
The small goblin tribe he had just cleared wasn't large enough to sustain six ogres. And their coordinated encirclement didn't align with the low intelligence typical of ogres.
However!
The ogres clearly had no intention of giving Adam time to think.
"Human!"
"ARHHHHH!"
"Die!"
Almost simultaneously, the six ogres' grotesque faces let out thunderous roars, brandishing their massive wooden clubs as they charged toward Adam.
The ground trembled with the synchronized thud of their heavy footsteps.
Their towering, over-two-meter-tall frames generated an invisible wave of force and pressure as they rushed forward.
I can't let them surround me!
The thought flashed through Adam's mind. He quickly scanned his surroundings, locking onto the ogre farthest from him.
"Magic Arrow!"
This wasn't the time to conserve mana.
Mana surged from Adam's body.
In an instant, three magic arrows materialized in the air, streaking toward the farthest ogre.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The three magic arrows slammed into the ogre's chest, leaving three fist-sized, bloody holes.
"Argh!" The ogre let out a pained bellow.
But!
For a creature as massive and thick-skinned as an ogre, such wounds were far from severe.
After all, Adam's "Magic Attack" Stat was only 13.
He hadn't expected the magic attack to deal significant damage to the ogre.
As the magic arrows struck, the ogre's charge faltered, creating a gap in the encircling formation.
While casting the spell, Adam had already begun moving, sprinting toward the opening.
"Wraargh!"
The ogre hit by the magic arrows spotted Adam rushing toward it and swung its massive club in fury.
A heavy whoosh cut through the air!
Swish!
Adam ducked low while charging forward, the club grazing over his head, narrowly missing him. With that, he broke free from the ogres' encirclement.
"I'll play with you guys next time."
Without looking back, Adam kicked off the ground and bolted away.
But!
The six ogres behind him had no intention of letting him escape, roaring in unison as they gave chase.
Thud! Thud!
Their heavy footsteps sent faint tremors through the ground.
The dense underbrush and trees posed no obstacle to the ogres. Their massive frames smashed through interwoven branches and foliage, shattering them to pieces.
The forest was their domain!
For Adam, however, the branches and bushes severely hampered his speed.
***
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