Lin Jun planned to thoroughly search this level to find a suitable Acceleration Skill.
However, what he was looking for was a demon that could consistently provide a fixed skill, and this time, he dispatched the scout Puki to survey the situation in the Jackal Wolfman Forest.
Unexpectedly, he hadn't encountered the jackal wolfmen yet but first came across this—
A dead human.
More accurately, a just-dead human mage whose blood hadn't even coagulated.
Although Lin Jun couldn't see the dead man's panel, the standard mage attire was still quite identifiable.
He was obviously severely injured, fleeing all the way from the forest, leaving a long trail of blood behind him.
Unfortunately, just as he ran out, he collapsed from excessive bleeding, and when Lin Jun found him, he was already not breathing.
Human adventurers typically act in groups, but seeing him in such a state, he either got separated or the entire group got wiped out inside.
The life of these low-level adventurers is tough; they risk their lives just to make a living.
According to Inanna, there is something like resurrection in this world.
But in Lin Jun's view, this so-called resurrection is similar to soul summoning.
First, use every possible means to perfectly repair the body, then pay a massive amount of rare resources that could make a nation flinch, and finally perform a ritual to summon the hero's soul back into the body to complete the resurrection.
Under normal circumstances, no one would organize a resurrection ceremony, and indeed, resurrection hasn't occurred for hundreds of years.
Common folks might even believe it to be mere legend, while Inanna, backed by her duke father, knows more.
Just from this simple explanation, one can see that this stuff has nothing to do with ordinary adventurers, even unrelated to nobles, only true legendary figures might experience it.
Overall, unlike some games and anime from the past life where death was a joke, in this world, death is truly final.
He simply flipped through this unlucky mage's satchel.
A small metal plate with a mage's portrait and other information, an identity card?
A booklet full of notes but incomprehensible, half a bottle of yellow potion, just some currency, and some gathered plants left.
Along with his magic staff inlaid with a C Level Demon Crystal, this was the entire inheritance of the mage.
The magic robe on his body should also have been a good item, but it was already half-burned, and the remaining parts were tattered beyond recognition, obviously worth nothing.
Rustling sounds came from the forest, a few hunched jackal wolfmen emerged, wielding wooden bows or sword and shield.
Particularly that sword and shield, stained with fresh blood yet clearly well-maintained, clashed with the jackal wolfmen's raggedy appearances.
Probably stripped from the mage's companion's corpse.
So he didn't actually escape, but the jackal wolfmen deliberately let the severely injured prey exhaust its last energy in fleeing?
Not lacking in intelligence at all.
The jackal wolfmen also noticed the scout Puki by the corpse, and glanced at each other, surprisingly mocking in a very human-like manner.
The jackal wolfman holding the sword and shield even put away his weapons and came over.
He seemed not to intend on swiftly handling Puki but rather to play for a while.
The jackal wolfman grinned menacingly, reaching its bloody claws towards Puki but failed to touch—its whole claw disappeared without a trace.
"Ga-ooo—"
The painful howl didn't last long, another Mushroom Cannon shot smashed the head of the best-equipped jackal wolfman.
Startling the remaining three jackal wolfmen into clutching their weapons tightly, looking towards the direction of the attack.
Seven strange Pukis they've never seen before!
Seeing the Pukis launch another attack, the jackal wolfmen hurried to hide behind big trees, retaliating with wooden bows.
Lin Jun had already dispatched Puki to relocate when he first discovered the mage's body, but unexpectedly still had to fight these jackal wolfmen.
Fine, just as well to test the power of the new Puki models.
Two Pukis curled into a ball, swiftly rolling towards the forest, soon locating the hidden jackal wolfmen.
[Self-Destruction Level 3]
With a rumbling sound, two jackal wolfmen with missing arms and broken legs were blasted out.
The last jackal wolfman hiding the furthest, witnessing this scene, ran so scaredly away, leaving his weapon, dashing into the forest. Lin Jun couldn't be bothered to chase.
Lin Jun was quite satisfied with the results of the new self-destructing Puki.
Self-destruction, being a sacrificial technique that kills enemies at one's own cost, has pretty decent power even at just Level 3.
What's even harder to come by is that it can combine with Rolling Charge, whereas the previous self-destruction required magic power to overload the Demon Crystal, which couldn't be done during a charge.
Now, using the skill for self-destruction simplifies the operation greatly.
The two blasted jackal wolfmen were gravely injured yet not dead, lying on the ground, whimpering toward the Pukis.
What did it mean? Begging for mercy?
What good is it even if they survive with such a broken body?
Jackal wolfmen don't look like a race that takes care of their weak and disabled, such ones probably wouldn't meet a good end going back either.
Lin Jun, being merciful, couldn't stand such misery, and promptly gave them a swift end.
Thereafter, the Pukis collected the items and corpses, moving them to the Swamp Area.
————
[Seven Sins of Greed activated]
[Plunder Skill: Precision Level 4→Level 5]
[Plunder Skill: Bow Mastery Level 1]
[Plunder Skill: Wind Magic Level 1]
[Plunder Skill: Human Universal Language Level 1]
The first two came from the jackal wolfmen, and the latter two from the mage.
Although he didn't find the Acceleration Skill, there were still some gains.
Not mentioning the bow skill, which is useless to Lin Jun, precision is far more valuable and can pair with the Mushroom Cannon.
Wind Magic seems good, but he still lacks a skill called Magic Manipulation; without it, he can't finely control magic power to form spells, so this skill must be shelved for now.
The most surprising thing for Lin Jun was that even language can be acquired this way!?
This indeed counts as a pleasant surprise.
However, even though he's never seen this Human Universal Language skill on other adventurers' panels, he did notice an Ancient Elf Language Level 2 on Inanna.
Is it that native languages don't display?
Speaking of which, jackal wolfmen should also have communication skills, right? Why didn't they yield a language?
Is it because it wasn't drawn or their language system is too incomplete to count as a skill?
Unclear, anyway, now I should be able to comprehend human writings, right?
Eagerly flipping out the booklet, Lin Jun immediately experienced the sensation of being illiterate.
Among a long string of words, he could only recognize two or three…
Damn it, still can't understand!
Will it require reaching Level 10 to fully read all texts?
Mind you, my highest skill is only Level 7.
Forget it, after all, these are unexpected rewards, perhaps while scavenging corpses in the Underground City, it'll eventually get absorbed, no need to rush.
My main goal of finding an Acceleration Skill is still incomplete; maybe I'll check the other end tomorrow.