I asked Chole, "How much do you think we made from this? I think our five silver average just dropped"

"True, but right now, money runs aren't until at least C rank, well that's what Elder Baba told Hanguk and me."

"Why C Rank? What is this rating system, by the way, Hanguk mentioned it earlier when talking about the danger of [Seathra Forest]

"It goes from F-S, with C rank being the buffer between low and high rank. Every individual rank split into three sub ranks. From single to triple with SSS being the highest."

"Everything is ranked this way from skills, items, to danger."

"How do I see my skill ranks? Is it another hidden setting in the [System], like with the [system clock]?

"Setting? What are you talking about, Jack? I want to help, but we need to finish this up. Hanguk has been on watch, and we need to move from here. I {Purified} the area to remove the scent, but we've still made too much noise, so we have to hurry up."

Looking around, she was right Hanguk has been on guard, still sword and shield out just watching the surroundings. "Ahh, yeah, your right, my bad"

With the help of Chole, I was able to gut and clean the globins. Thank god we weren't eating these things. [Goblin] meat is rotten, most of the valuable parts being the multiple organs, alchemists use the secretions for something I could barely guess. The globins skin resembled that of rotten food, discolored with green and black splotches covering their filthy bodies. Having to dissect this thing was hell. The moist, sticky feeling didn't help with the smell. Looking at Chole, she had an almost laser focus on the goblins. All of her cuts were clean and precise. Even the organs were perfect. I noticed instead of placing the organs on the ground as I did. She instantly transferred them into her spatial ring, three each, so it didn't matter. But I was curious.

"Chole, why are you putting the loot in your spatial ring so quickly."

She didn't look my way, thinking she didn't hear me. I was going to repeat my question. It wasn't until she finished her second [goblin]that her head turned my way.

"It's because Plant-Type Monsters can suck the life force from the parts. That'll degrade them over time since time doesn't move in low-grade spatial rings, it's not affected by the life force drain."

"Damn Chole, you know your stuff. Is this all basic knowledge or were taught this?"

"Mostly basic, but I was taught by the best," she giggled when she said that.

"Who is it? Think they could teach me, I'll take anything."

"You already know him" In a strong man's impression, she said, "Hogard The Almighty." When I was younger, he saved me. He taught me how to survive." She had a solemn expression on her face. She looked off towards the remaining globin I haven't dissected yet.

Getting the hint, I continued my work, copying her spatial ring technique. "Hey, I wouldn't mind listening to that story, one day about how he saved you if you don't mind and all" I couldn't look at her as I asked the question. She responded either way.

"Sure, Jack, I don't mind."

Her voice gave off the feelings of acceptance. To her, it must be just one of another shitty thing one has to endure. But it was still her endeavor. Everyone has a story to tell, and I wouldn't mind listening to hers.

Hanguk spoke unexpectedly. "What's taking so long."

I replied, "I'm just wrapping up. Where are we off to after this?

"I think we should do another goblin raid."

"How much further would we have to go into [Seathra Forest], what's the chance of another ambush?" Before agreeing to anything, I want to know the worst possible outcome?

"The chance is pretty high. This is their turf. After all. I was thinking of another ten or so miles in. We got [Danger Sense], so we should get a heads up".

"[Danger Sense], that's the strange feeling that happened before the ambush."

"Yeah, stay aware, and you'll be good. So you guys are ready?"

Chole answered, "I'm ready for another raid."

Playing it safe helps no one "Let's go."

As we walked further into the forest, I did what Hanguk told me to do and stay aware. The first thing I noticed was my footsteps. Each step I took, I felt my path altered not by me but by [Sneak]. Multiple times on purpose, I would try to step on a branch, or a pile of dead leaves shits even a hole. A persistent nudge telling me why this step was wrong, and instead, it guided me to the correct path. This is where things got fun with the hole, [Danger Sense], and [Sneak] came into play, warning me to avoid that at all cost. It wasn't until I pushed aside the leaves covering what I thought was nothing more than a dip in the ground. Turned into a burrow, dug out by a medium dog size monster, I quickly could have snapped something if I landed on that. How in the hell could my [skills] even know about something I didn't know was there.

When I started correcting my footsteps without the skill's help, I could feel another doorway opened with a variety of different paths to traverse. From weight distribution, joint position, even different breathing patterns to help loosen my muscles on impact. [Skills] are more like tools, and it's my job to pick the right one for the job.

"Having fun, Jack?"

Chole talking abruptly spooked me to be honest, looking to my right, I answered her. "Yeah, these skills are pretty freaky."

"I can tell, you have a horrible poker face," she couldn't hold back the giggle afterward.

I was genuinely surprised. "You know what poker is?"

"Poker, what's that?" she was confused by my statement.

"Quiet you two." Hanguk more commanded than yelled that towards us. He didn't even look back as he said it but instead scanning the surrounding area for any.

I zipped my mouth, and so did chole. I copied Hanguk and focused my mind with the stamina regen and my increased stats. This expected hike was nothing more than a brisk walk, no soreness, or fatigued a little hungry, but I could manage.

Looking, I could see Hanguk had stopped more waiting. He turned and with his finger pointed towards his eyes, and I followed his. At 2'O clock 25 feet away, I looked and waited for nothing to change. Hanguk had his reason, and I trusted him. So I kept my eyes glued, then a branch moved. Then another, and before I knew, six large canines appeared into view. Holy shit, they were fucking camouflage. I looked back towards Hanguk. He extended four of his fingers twice, still using his thumb to grip his sword, then two. He made eye contact with me and Chole then the countdown started. 10 second countdown, for the first time, I even heard Hanguk chant something.

I didn't have anything long-range attacks. My best bet was to go in fast and hard. Take out anything that is still alive from these two. Using the same concept from [Sneak] and [Danger Sense], I activated {Qi Augmentation}, combined with my {Qi Vessels}. I soaked my body in the Qi instead of building up for an explosion. I wanted this to stay for the long haul, a rechargeable battery that charges itself. It felt good, like a natural high. I could get used to this.

As the countdown hit 0, a stone dome appeared surrounding the pack. I was confused, what Hanguk was thinking. In an instant, I saw Hanguk rush towards Chole dropping his sword at his feet and placing his hands on Chole's back. As I heard the pack ram itself into the stone dome, trying their hardest to break free. I also overheard the dual chanting from the two to my side "Consume and repel all that breathes, Expand, and burn to ash."

As they finished, an explosion appeared directly above the dome. If it weren't for {Qi Augmentation}, I would have flown back from the intense blast produced from the spell combination. The extreme heat that hit me made my skin sizzle and pop as my leather armor cooked it. I went blind from the flash, pure white, and then it turned into darkness. The same overwhelming dread as when Hoggard shattered my spine. I can't do this not again, what did they do!

First, my vision returned. It didn't take long. I could see Chole and Hanguk; they both had looks of excitement on their faces.

When they looked towards me, they excitement dimmed but still visible. My face must have had a mixture of shock and rage plastered across it.

"What The Hell! you detonated a damn bomb. I went blind you!" I was furious. I couldn't contain my anger.

"Jack, calm down, the effects not permanent you'll just regen it back."

He started walking towards me, but I wasn't done "Regen It Back! My eyes, my skin" As I rubbed my bare skin, it was smooth with no bumps or bruises. Then recognition of what he said finally clicked. The very thought of a bomb appearing in front of me made me forget and revert when I was earth. Dammit, Jack, I hit my forehead with my palm and relaxed.

"My bad Hanguk, Chole, I'm still all so new to this.".

"We get it, Jack, it happens to a lot of rookies still new to the System. As long as you have 1 Health left, you'll always make it alive", Emphasizing the word always as he approached me.

I let the anger flow, and I spoke, "I'm good now, but please explain to me what the hell you two just did."

"We made a vacuum bomb, Hanguk made a hole at the top of the dome. With him giving me mana, he helped support my spell, allowing me to combine {Fire Mastery} and {Air Mastery} to create that explosion. Those cooshee should have died from suffocation and there lungs popping".

"What she said," Hanguk spoke up after listening to Chole's explanation, he continued afterward. "I can't bloody believe that worked! We've tried it in practice, but Holy Shit!"

"Skill Creator, Chole!" He shouted those words up into the skies, not having a care in the world.

Chole had a giant grin even though this broke her usual calm composure, as she genuinely couldn't contain herself.

"Hurry up, that was way too big of a sound. We gotta get the bodies and get back to Algasta".

Now I was confused once again. "Why are we leaving? I thought we were hunting globins, how much are these things worth?"

"Adult Cooshees are worth 1 gold each, forget globins we hit the jackpot".

He touched the dome, and it crumbled. I'm guessing he released the mana that created the structure.

There were six dead Cooshee whose eyes popped, green blood leaking from their nose and mouth. But apart from that, they looked almost perfect, with no burn marks insight. Damn, these two are good.

The three of us each had two adults. Putting them in our spatial ring was easy. Adding up the globins and two adults, I made 2 gold, 15 silver in one day, but 50% goes to the guild with that, I have 1 gold, 7 silver, and 50 bronze left. Repairing my armor shouldn't be too expensive. Maybe get me a weapon while I'm at it.

"So is everyone ready to head back."

Chole and I replied before heading out. I had to check my suspicions looking into my spatial ring. I could see one cooshee adult missing and a couple of organs. The [System] knows when to take and to wait for loot. I'm positive that it has some higher form of intelligence. The more you know, I pondered as we ran back to Algasta, forgetting all the silence and hiding and replacing it with haste.