Completing absorption. Under the effect of cripple, Agility increased by 1.

‘Such a weak monster could condense a soul?’ Regis looked at the dead snake in amazement.

“Regis!” Zoe and Alan rushed up to him. They stared at him in astonishment. Was it even possible for a level 1 human to do this?

“How were you able to catch it?” Alan asked.

“It was just squirming about behind me so I just reached down and grasped it. That is all.”

‘That is all?’ They thought in amazement.

“It’s very weak. I’m sure you guys could do the same,” Regis continued.

Was the snake really weak like Regis said? He was only level 1 yet he was able to catch and kill a level 16 snake. It had to be luck they assumed.

“Wait!” Zoe and Alan screamed in shock as Regis was about to toss the corpse away.

Regis tilted his head to the side. “What is it?”

“Why are you throwing away such precious nourishment?” Zoe asked in complete shock.

“You want to eat this thing?” Regis said as swung the corpse in front of them.

“Of course we want to eat it. Don’t you know eating the flesh of monsters can make you stronger?

“It does?” Regis asked. Back then those people always told him he wasn’t allow to eat. Was that a lie?

“Should we be eating here?” Regis asked seeing Alan and Zoe sitting down and taking out materials. “Won’t there be more monsters?”

“The fresher it is, the more we can get out of it.” Alan replied with his eyes on the snake carcass. “Not to mention, we were simple unlucky. My sister and I had been traveling about here for quite a while. Usually, it’s relatively safe here. Of course, there were times we did encounter monsters but they usually were pretty weak. But most of the times it’s just wild animals. This is the first time we encounter such a high level monster, but I doubt there is more.”

Using some of the scrapes they collected, they started a small fire. Zoe and Alan mouths were watering the entire time. They kept on mumbling to each other how tasty a level 16 snake meat would be.

“Here,” Zoe said smiling as she handed Regis a chunk of snake meat. You killed it so you should get the largest piece. He thanked Zoe and took the meat. Upon seeing the short piece of meat in her hand. He compared it with his and Alan’s. Hers was two times shorter than her brother and four times shorter than his. He tore up his piece in half and pushed it into Zoe’s mouth.

“I don’t like snake meat,” Regis said giving Zoe no time to counter. Zoe gave him a strange look before eating it.

The aroma of the barbequed meat smelled better than anything Regis had smelled before. Seeing how Zoe and Alan ate the meat cheerfully, Regis threw away his reluctance and chowed down on it.

Level up! +2 attribute points

Level up! +2 attribute points

Level up! +2 attribute points

Level up! +2 attribute points

Regis eyes widened in surprise.

“So you have gained four levels,” Zoe said smiling.

Zoe who used to be level 5 was now 7 and Alan who used to be level 9 was now level 10.

“How many attribute points did you gain each level?” Alan abruptly asked.

Regis opened his mouth slightly about to say two. But a thought crossed his mind making him stop.

Instead, he asked, “How many did you gain?”

“…Only 5,” Alan said, uncomfortably. “Zoe and I, both have mediocre growth rate.”

“Mediocre growth rate?” Regis asked, confused. That was three more than him.

“Yeah,” Alan replied with a difficult look. “That is the lowest growth rate a human can get.

You were stuck in the lab so you probably don’t know this. Growth rate are separated into mediocre, average, great and hero. A person with a mediocre growth rate gets 5 attribute points each level. While a person with an average growth rate gets 7. And a person with a great growth rate gets 10. Then lastly, people with hero growth rate gets 15.

You know… Most human are born with average growth rate. Then there are about 10-15% of people that are born with great growth rate. And above them, there are a few chosen people destined for great things. Just like their growth rate name, they are the heroes and the shining stars of this generation. They are the ones that will vanquish the monsters and bring us back to the promised time." Alan said with an awry smile.

He stopped for a bit and then breathed in before continuing in a bitter tone, “Then there are us who are below everyone else. We are the forgotten. The abandoned. The despised. The unlucky fools. The laughing stock of the human race. That is why we live out here in this wasteland.”

“Why are we talking about this?” Zoe said, stopping Alan from saying any more.

For a long time, neither Zoe nor Alan spoke another word. Only the sound of the wind blowing the desert sand could be heard.