The Iron-Blooded Ratel was a monster version of an animal called a honey badger. These monsters while not incredibly strong were courageous to the point of insanity and would attack ANYTHING that came close to their nest. Their innate ability was to become stronger the lower their health making them a strange creature to fight. You had to either easily kill them in a single overwhelming strike or use attacks that ignore health, lest the two-foot-long monster triple its strength over the duration. These creatures would have been listed as a good familiar except for the fact they were almost impossible to bond with. They would take any spoils they found back to the nest to eat, would move their burrow if it had been disturbed and starved in captivity.

The only way they could be captured and transported alive was by use of a sustenance spell which while useful would not act as an offering for the familiar circle. Luckily, I had additional knowledge on the creature and had planned ahead. I placed the unconscious animal in a small room into which I had drawn an expanded familiar formation to cover the entire space and sprayed the walls with a potion of calming that the princess produced. Then in the centre of said room, I placed a nether core.

A nether core was an item that would almost never occur naturally. The small black gem was produced by crystallising a portion of the energy contained within mana. In order to create it, I had to liquefy over a thousand mid-level mana crystals with space magic and extracting the small amount of pure non-elemental mana found within. That extracted energy then had to be split into its opposing elements nether and aether before being forged into a physical crystalline form.

The aether core could be used to amplify a single skill or purify corruption while the nether core would be a potent shield breaking attack corrupting anything it touched. Despite their uses, these gems were not commonly seen due to their very inefficient production method. the same thousand mid-level mana crystals could be used to create numerous greater staffs of focus allowing one to boost every skill they used or a few ankhs of purification that creat a constant area of purification.

The Iron-Blooded Ratel, however, naturally sought such a gem to temper its blood and it was one of the very few things it would risk eating outside its nest. Unable to overcome its instincts, it consumed the core thus sealing its fate. Seeing as this creature was now my partner, I fed it several other supplements to boost the effects of the core and waited to find out what mutation variant it would become. Ratel mutated as their blood was purified gaining additional abilities as they progressed.

While the Iron-Blooded variant was seen as a weak monster the Silver Blooded variant was seen as an unkillable demon due to gaining both natural healing and a random element. Beyond silver, there were gold, platinum, crystal, mythril and adamantium Blooded variants each more frighting than the last.

After playing around for a day because even the best humans need to just chill every once in a while, I heard a crack from the room containing my Ratel. When I entered there was a discarded shell of pure iron and in its place was a four-foot-long creature that looked like a cross between a weasel and a bear. Sporting a silver coat covering its back and black fur everywhere else the monster already looked fierce but I could only laugh when it lit itself on fire.

Being bonded to me meant it was friendly to me and saw those who I worked with as part of its family, defending us as if we were members of its nest. Deciding to go all-in on this flaming guardian, I pulled out a second nether core and some additional rare materials. Despite the fact it would need a nether item vastly superior to this manufactured core to break through to gold it was still possible to reinforce its body and possibly cause further mutation.

Unlike the breakthrough to silver, this event barely lasted an hour and ended with the best possible outcome. The already impressive flames had changed into void fire. Not ice-fire that would sap energy, not golden fire that would heal but void fire. This flame was a derivative of space magic and bypassed health shielding while consuming the target's mana and devouring any spell it came in contact with. My almost physically unkillable tank had just gained true damage and magic shielding. Realising the ridiculousness of it all, my chuckle turned into full-blown uncontrollable laughter as I fell to the floor.

The princess entered the room while I was in the middle of my maniacal laughter. She looked at me before stating “I saw nothing!” and running away.

Deciding that my luck was awesome today I used all my retained class levels supported by levelling items and attempted to absorb additional skill stone via a pheonixian method that had a low chance of working with each level advancement. It only worked twice and each time only produced a skill point but any gain was beneficial.

Name

Jack

Age

0

Level

34

Statistics

Strength

212.6

Dexterity

111.8

Constitution

111.8

Mana Sense

109.8

Mana Control

109.8

Magic Resistance

198.6

Ki Sense

109.8

Ki control

109.8

Physical Resistance

198.6

Healing Affinity

109.8

Space Affinity

109.8

Luck

297.6

Status

Health

1118

Stamina

1118

Mana

1098

Ki

1098

Alignments

None

Class

Resurrection Seed

34

Rebirth of a myth

Class Skills

Proto-Dragon Skin

Passive - Doubles stat gain on Resistance

Active – Invalidate one magic attack every 24 hours

Proto-Phoenix Wings

Active – Flight, Doubles spell potency while active

Dragons Blessing

Doubles stat gain on Strength

Phoenix Blessing

Gain bonus Affinity for each 25 levels

Cultivation

Seven Chakras Scripture

1st Chakra - Root

+2 strength, dexterity and constitution

Cultivation Skills

Strengthened Skeleton

1

Increase the strength of bones (Iron rank)

Skills

Offensive Casting

2

Increases the damage of all spells by 20%

Energy Drain

1

Draws any available energy from the area increasing regeneration

Doubles when stationary

Triggered Spells

1

Allows spells to be stored at the cost of 1 level of damage

Fusion Spells

1

Allows for advanced spells to be cast through fusions.

Natural Regeneration

1

Increase natural health regeneration can be boosted with energy

Origin of Potential

x

Increases stat gain on levelling [2.0] and doubled skill point gain.

Child of luck

x

Doubles stat gain on luck

False Life

x

Convert health into overhealth, health converted this way can not be recovered until the skill is cancelled

Familiars

Mirage Turtle

26

Active – magic reduction sphere every 24 hours

Active – Void shrouding every 24 hours

Silver Blooded Ratel

6

Passive – increase strength and physical resistance by 1% for each 1% of health lost.

Passive – all fire attacks upgraded to void fire

Titles

Reborn Human

Reborn through a magical ritual

Bonus skill experience

Behemoth Hunter

Gain stat points for consuming the heart of boss monsters

Stats gained 0

Realm Breaker

Reach the standards of a higher layer

Ascension possible

Once again throwing my free points into luck I looked at the admittedly crazy numbers and the new title I had gained. The system was now actively trying to make me ascend and I was barely a third of the level cap. Deciding to try my new false life/Silver Blooded Ratel exploit I moved all bar one point of health to overhealth and felt enormous pressure as my strength stat surged to 425.2. Unlike increasing my stats this felt more like my muscles ballooning beyond their limit and I could immediately tell this technique would have ramifications if used for too long. The ability to use it, however, would be the perfect ace in the hole for anyone dumb enough to get close to the 'squishy mage' and I simply decided to call it 'Berserker mode'.

letting the technique end I decided to keep a few points of overhealth, providing some form of defence against space magic and a 1% strength increase that my body would be able to maintain.

Looking at the changes I had twenty skill points to use plus two new skills to chose and a new affinity from gaining level 25. I had to have a second look because the number of skill points was insane. Doing the maths it looked like the skill point boosting rings stacked with my new Origin of Potential skill and the gained skill points from the skill stones to create this stupidity. Normal people would literally have more points than skills at this point but luckily, I was not normal.

Perusing over the skill list I aimed for abilities that would be rare for others since I had access to the entire human skill list I might as well go rare or go home. It was as I was browsing the list I spotted a somewhat mediocre skill that immediately caught my attention. there was a skill called Magical Might that let a person convert physical strength into mana control or affinities. The skill in question started at level one with a 10% conversion but reached a maximum of 150% at level 5. I would have had to have been stupid to ignore this skill, it was not rare but what it could do was incredible. Selecting it, a incredibly rare skill called Titan Transformation and the time affinity I finalised my changes by placing five points into both of the new skills, eight points into Offensive Casting maxing it out and the remaining two points into natural regeneration.

With the biggest shit-eating grin, I started testing my new found combination. I first activated Titan Transformation doubling my strength for ten minutes, then I activated Berserker mode. The feeling of power was eclipsed by the pain I was suffering but I pressed on. Using Magical Might I converted the 850.4 strength into 1275.6 Space Affinity before passing out as my brain simply overloaded. The body of someone in the seventh layer was never meant to contain the power of someone in the fifth even if it was just a single stat at the level of a commoner.

As was becoming common, the princess found me unconscious, curled up in the fetal position and crying. Once more adding to my shameful moment's list.

When I returned to the world of the living, I had the greatest headache known to mankind and felt like my body had been torn to shreds. But I was also aware that during the moment I glanced the stat total and was shocked, I would have had just enough time to cast a single spell. Seeing as the power of this combination would only increase with time not decrease, I began searching through the pheonixian knowledge for a way to rectify my bodies retribution problem.

It appeared the cultivation methods I intended to use would help alleviate the incredibly painful effects of both strength boosting methods but it would do nothing to stop the mental strain. The only method for lowering that particular problem was called 'brain box', it was a literal combination of a cloned mind and a computer. Specifically forged to amplify a persons mind and something I would need sixth later materials to create thus rendering this “overlord mode” a forbidden technique for now.

Dodging the princess question of “what happened?” I had her assist me into bed.

Looking at me with a stern face she repeated, “tell me what happened or next time I am leaving you in a crying heap.”

Deciding half honesty was the best option I replied, “I did something stupid that pushed my magic stat to five hundred. My current condition is the consequence of that stupidity.”

the princess's gobsmacked look was kind or rewarding as she stammered “five hundred?” Over and over. I wonder what she would have looked like if I told her the truth.

It took three days before I could walk and a literal week to fully recover from my experiment. During this time the princess had made friends and started networking with others for when she returned to her throne, which given my latest increase would not be far away. Talking to her when she returned, we decided to wait till I was level 50 having gained another two attributes and another two skills.

The biggest problem was taking back the kingdom would require fighting the holy dragon empire as they had formed a 'protection' pact with the new rulers of the spirit wind kingdom. Not only would this mean fighting the holy knights but it would also anger the entire dracon population on the planet. The elves were not willing to start a world war to fight for a fallen princess, especially when the new kingdom was providing them generous trade deals.

Essentially at worst it would be me against the combined armies and powers of the dracon world including their five level 90+ leaders, one thousand level 55+ holy knights and the rumoured ancients that have ascended. Despite this impressive lineup, I knew this would never be the case but it was always better to plan for the worst event. For starters not every leader would take the field and the holy would never leave their temples unguarded. As for the ascended, I doubt they would ever get off their ass to help a lower world.

Deciding not to re-enter the dungeon for a while as the isles promotion exam was happening soon, increasing the likelihood of being discovered, we chose to leave the island and head to the wild lands via the free trade republic. The wild lands were once the earth spirit kingdom and got destroyed by the appearance of a level 99 monster. This monster in an attempt to ascend, crafted a giant blood magic ritual and sacrificed the entire population of elves but failed. The act both damming it to forever remain in this layer and be bound to the location of its ritual. The resulting area became a monster paradise and while the average monster is weaker than in the higher floors of the tower dungeon it had a larger variety of monsters and rare materials that could be collected.

Upon seeing our ship pull into the harbour I could not help but swear. The ship we had selected coincidentally happened to be the same ship that delivered us to the isle. The princess looked at me with a smirk before whispering, “looks like I get to have a slave servant again.”

Once again accepting that I would be suffering an injustice we boarded the ship headed towards the waters of the inner ocean. The ship had not changed despite its encounter with the kraken last time, the rooms were just as boring and the oracle meant we once again had to play our roles. It was on the fourth day when I watching my “master” sunbathe that I noticed a gathering of ships in our path. I thought nothing of it until I saw the fear in the sailor's eyes and the black flags hanging from the mast.