Seeing the expansive reach of the Dark Wave, Adam was mildly surprised, then flashed a grin.
Step!
Adam's foot struck the ground, his body vanishing in a blur. In an instant, he reappeared before the Petrified Lizard attacking the Archangel Flame.
His arm swung, the iron sword's blade slicing toward the creature's neck.
Pfft!
Foul blood sprayed as the massive head was severed.
Thud!
The Petrified Lizard regained its ability to move, but its headless body collapsed, crashing heavily to the ground.
[Gained experience: 723]
[Experience Gauge: 10355/10000]
"Such low experience for a Petrified Lizard? Or is it the curse's effect?" Adam wondered, his thoughts racing as he pivoted, charging another lizard.
Crack!
The iron sword shattered.
Another appeared in Adam's hand, and he struck again.
[Gained experience: 539]
Whoosh!
Adam swapped swords, his figure darting through the darkness. Each sword's destruction marked another Petrified Lizard's death.
The Dark Wave's power left the creatures defenseless, frozen in place, awaiting their end.
Without resistance to the "fear" And "weakness curse" effects, Dark Wave was an exceptional crowd-control skill.
As experience accumulated, Adam felt the curse energy within him grow more distinctly.
The curse energy within these Petrified Lizards far surpassed that of any monsters he'd encountered before.
Yet, Adam remained unsure of the energy's purpose. Its intensity didn't seem to change.
In moments, the dozen Petrified Lizards lay dead.
Crack!
Tossing the cracked sword hilt aside, Adam glanced at his experience panel.
[Experience Gauge: 16789/10000]
The slew of Petrified Lizards had skyrocketed his experience, enough to level up again.
"Not a bad haul." Adam said, a smile tugging at his lips. He approached the unconscious Dorgan, frowning as he saw its skin, now half-rotted.
In this state, he had no means to help. Only finding the source might offer a solution.
Adam hoisted the comatose Dorgan, signaling the two Archangel Flames to lead the way.
Time ticked by.
A few more rotting monsters ambushed them, but Adam dispatched them with ease.
[Experience Gauge: 17520/10000]
Regrettably, these creatures, weakened by the curse, yielded modest curse energy but substantial amounts nonetheless.
As they ventured deeper, the rotting monsters dwindled, while bones littered the ground in increasing numbers.
After another twenty minutes in the dark valley, a massive stone wall loomed ahead.
"No way forward?" Adam approached the rough wall, rapping it with his hand. A dull thud confirmed its solidity.
Something's off.
He directed the Archangel Flames to circle the wall, using them as searchlights.
Though his left eye bore a "Night Vision" Magic item, it couldn't reveal fine details as daylight would.
After a thorough inspection confirmed no gaps in the wall, Adam sent the Archangel Flames to probe higher.
At about ten meters, they found a concealed crevice where the wall met the left rock face.
Adam had one Archangel Flame carry him up, revealing a broken cave entrance.
Judging by its size, it was likely dug by a Petrified Lizard.
"The curse energy is growing more active. It's definitely in there." Adam noted, his expression neutral. He sent the second Archangel Flame into the cave. When nothing happened, he followed.
The cave walls bore fine scratches and dust, suggesting age.
Soon, the dark cave's exit came into view, illuminated by the Archangel Flame's glow.
Adam stood at the entrance, peering down.
It was a cramped space, a cleft between rock walls, small enough for the two Archangel Flames' light to fully illuminate.
"That's…" Adam's eyes narrowed, spotting something.
Thud!
Dropping from ten meters, Adam landed heavily, the impact echoing through the narrow space.
Dense, invisible curse energy swirled in the confined area.
Adam's gaze locked ahead.
A human skeleton slumped against the rock wall, its bones grayish-white, the joints long corroded.
No stench of decay lingered; the corpse was ancient.
Most striking was the enormous scale before the skeleton, taller than a man, pitch-black.
Visible black curse energy seeped slowly from the scale, dissipating into the air.
"What is this?" Adam's eyes widened, fixed on the massive scale.
He'd considered many possibilities, but never imagined the curse's source would be a scale.
And who was this human?
Given the time, an ordinary corpse wouldn't endure, especially in a space saturated with curse energy.
Stepping forward, Adam's mana flared. "Item Appraisal!"
…
[Item: Mysterious Scale]
[Level: ?]
[Description: ?]
…
Adam blinked, stunned. It was the first time an appraisal yielded nothing.
Given its size, the scale likely belonged to a colossal creature.
The curse energy within him churned wildly.
Instinctively, Adam extended a finger, brushing the black scale.
Boom!
Instantly, the scale's seeping curse energy found a conduit, surging into Adam's body.
The curse energy he'd accumulated reached a breaking point in moments!
[Cursed Knight: 1Lv → 2Lv]
The attribute panel flashed, and Adam's face lit with astonishment.
The process didn't stop!
The Mysterious Scale's curse energy continued to pour in, joined by the ambient energy in the air.
This lasted longer, allowing Adam to keenly sense the changes in his curse energy.
Buzz!
The attribute panel updated again.
[Cursed Knight: 2Lv → 3Lv]!
Only then did the Mysterious Scale's curse energy deplete, grayish-white patterns emerging on its once-black surface.
"My class… leveled up?" Adam glanced at his experience gauge, then at the Cursed Knight, now level three, his expression a mix of shock and disbelief.
A revelation dawned.
Until now, Adam believed class levels could only rise two ways: training like New World natives, which was too time-consuming, or spending experience points.
But this was a third method!
"Absorbing energy tied to a class can level it up?" Adam muttered, stunned, then shook his head.
This method wasn't universal.
For instance, a class like "Sword Saint" couldn't advance this way, only through training.
"What a discovery!" Adam's eyes gleamed with excitement.
***
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