Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 379 Level 3 - [Rebirth] - Part-time Path
"The dream is over."

"Returning..."

The warm ashes that drifted slowly into the air turned into even finer ash and vanished without a trace; the crimson sparks, carrying a strange sense of desolation, disappeared as the flames on the body died out.

The battle is over, and the sixty-second duration of [Echoes of Ember] has come to an end.

The scorching heat emanating from the hilt of the [Emberfall] straight sword in my palm was gone, and the sword itself, which was originally surrounded by flames, turned into a cold, gray-black color.

Xia Nan stood there, his dark eyes slightly dazed, processing the massive amount of information that had suddenly flooded his mind.

"It's Moen... "

Perhaps his experience in the dream after activating the [Dream Corridor] led him to make a misjudgment.

Xia Nan had thought that he would become the creator of [Gravity Etching], just like last time, and walk through the entire process of creating this combat technique with the other party in the memories that had been buried deep in the river of history.

But to his surprise, the master of the dream he was experiencing this time was the same old priest who had been possessed by crystals, whom he had just defeated.

Involuntarily, I recalled the messages that the [Dream Corridor] had given me before the dream began: "Search failed," "Dream Weaver associated individual detected," and "Replacement simulation in progress."

A thoughtful expression appeared on Xia Nan's face.

Why did the file retrieval fail?
Is it that the [Dream Corridor] truly couldn't find any dream memories related to [Gravity Etching], or is it that this combat skill has too few practitioners and therefore no stories worth remembering, or is there some unseen force hindering it?
Moen was just killed by himself; is this his so-called "connection" with the other party?
How did the [Dream Corridor] extract those meticulous memories, even down to the embroidery on the bishop's robe, from the other person's mind and transform them into the dream it experienced?
Countless doubts arose in Xia Nan's mind, making him feel even more mysterious about this technological creation from another land.

Fortunately, he wasn't the type to dwell on things, so since he couldn't figure it out no matter what, he stopped wasting his energy on unnecessary internal conflict.

Moreover, compared to these issues that can be considered later, what is more important right now is the large amount of professional knowledge that has been force-fed into his brain as the dream ends.

How to manipulate force field energy to increase explosive power; how to use Gravity Etching more efficiently on objects of different types and sizes; five tips to increase the release speed of Gravity Etching...

Perhaps he won't undergo a transformation like [Fang Hunt], whose experiences in dreams could bring about a special skill, but there's no doubt that the infusion of this knowledge is allowing him to master everything he knows about [Gravity Etching] at an astonishing speed.

In reality, this manifests as a series of semi-transparent characters flashing through Xia Nan's mind like a screen being flooded with messages:

"Proficiency +1"

"Proficiency +1"

"Proficiency +1"

"..."

"Proficiency +171"

"[Gravity Etching] lv3 (29/100) → [Gravity Etching] lv5 (Max)"

Perception +1, Strength +1, Agility +1

"【Meteor Blade Hunter】lv2→【Meteor Blade Hunter】lv3"

"Combat Skill [Rebirth] has been unlocked"

"..."

Raising the proficiency of yet another combat skill to the "Master" level allows Xia Nan to take another step forward on the path of a professional...

I gained a full three attribute points!
Just now, I felt slightly weak and a little unaccustomed to the 33% overall bonus from [Echoes of Ember]. But as if I had taken a powerful tonic, my body suddenly felt full again.

From "11" to "12", their already keen senses were amplified, allowing them to clearly hear the sound of blood gushing from the wounds of the corpses on the ground ahead, smell the aroma of orange flesh mixed with the rich smell of blood in the air, and even see the edge of the breach that had pierced through the church door in the distance, with the charred area still holding traces of water vapor rising from the high temperature in the air.

The 9-point strength bonus made Xia Nan feel that his full set of metal armor suddenly became lighter, and the [Emberfall] straight sword he was holding in his palm also seemed to become lighter;

Instead of expanding, his muscles shrank slightly inward, becoming firmer and more explosive, with smooth, silky muscle lines visible even through his clothes.

Agility also reached 11 points, and reaction speed, balance and alertness all increased dramatically.

Three attributes, literally speaking, don't seem like too many.

But you should know that on the continent of Aifara, the average value of a single attribute for an ordinary person is only 5 points.

Each subsequent improvement is not simply one-fifth, but a precise figure that takes into account a large number of practical factors, and is much higher than twenty percent.

If two people are completely identical in all other aspects, but arm wrestle with a strength attribute of 6 and 5 respectively, the latter has a high probability of not lasting even a second before being completely defeated by having his hand pinned down.

For Xia Nan, the simultaneous increase in strength, agility, and perception attributes also means a surge in his actual combat ability.

Even when using the maxed-out [Spinning Slash] and [Fang Hunt], with the support of higher physical attributes, the power they can unleash is far greater than before.

At the same time, the [Gravity Etching] upgrade from lv3 to lv5 completes the final qualitative change on its regular upgrade path!
Not only have the release speed, combat power, and control precision been greatly improved, but the original "3/3" usage restriction has also been reduced to "5/5".

The usage limit has been increased by two times!

At the same time, the charging time has been greatly shortened, from once every 6 hours to now "4 hours".

It can be fully charged in less than a day.

This made the [Gravity Etching] skill, a trump card that consumes resources, almost instantly become a regular tactic for Xia Nan in battle.

Five consecutive opportunities to unleash [Gravity Etching]—if any enemy could withstand five hits of a "Mastery" level [Gravitational Etching], it would only mean that Xia Nan's strength was significantly inferior to the opponent's, unless the opponent actually had corresponding resistance to force field damage.

If he were to return to the present moment and face the crystallized Moen, with a slightly better plan, he might not even need to activate the second stage of [Echoes of Ember].

With its enhanced physical attributes and two additional [Gravity Etching] attacks, it can be defeated.

Moreover, Xia Nan's job, [Meteor Blade Hunter], progressed from level 2 to level 3, just as he had predicted, reaching a crucial milestone in his career path and acquiring a brand-new, powerful combat skill perfectly suited to his class.

——【Chongchao】!
Although combat skills are intangible and don't have attribute panels, Xia Nan still referred to the information about this combat skill in his mind and, according to his own habits, roughly created one in a respectable way:
……

【Chongchao】

Type: Combat Skill (Active)
Description: Guide gravity to imbue your next strike with a "heavy" force, dealing significant damage and interrupting enemies;
Specific effects:

1. Your next melee attack deals 25%–100% more damage (depending on the gravity applied);
2. During the release, the gravity you apply will interrupt the enemy's current action (such as a light spellcasting or attack animation).

3. Upon hitting, there is a chance to inflict the "Unbalanced" status on the enemy (Agility check).

……

First and foremost, it must be emphasized that...

[Chongchao] has no usage restrictions!
Unlike resource-consuming combat skills like [Gravity Etching], which require selective use based on the situation on the field and the enemy's status.

【Chongchao】 is a regular combat technique that can be used frequently in battle, just like 【Spinning Slash】 and 【Fang Hunt】.

Although it doesn't have its own unique stance or serve as the core of its fighting style like the latter two.

However, its versatile effect of increasing attack damage by utilizing gravity means that it can be perfectly integrated into almost every corner of the battle.

With punches, kicks, sword strikes, and shield bashes, Xia Nan's every attack in close combat is imbued with the [Heavy Tide] aura.

In this context, combining it with other combat techniques becomes a natural and effortless process.

What's even more terrifying is that Xia Nan suddenly realized that the combat techniques he currently possessed seemed to be able to be combined in some way.

In the [Ember Echo] state, use [Gravity Control] to reduce body gravity and increase the speed of [Fang Hunt], and use the resulting body inertia to swing the longsword and release [Spinning Slash] which is enhanced with [Heavy Tide] and [Gravity Etching].

With just one sword strike, a total of six combat techniques can be combined.

Achieving an exaggerated burst of power in an instant. At this moment, Xia Nan also vaguely gained a little more understanding of the [Meteor Blade Hunter] class itself.

"Shuttle, maneuver, burst... no wonder these were the key elements back then."

"So that's how it is."

Unlike other classes' attack-enhancing combat skills, [Heavy Tide] can flexibly adjust the intensity of the damage increase based on the strength of the gravity it applies.

It also includes two additional special effects that are highly characteristic of the profession:

Interrupting enemy actions, and the "Impact" check after an attack hits.

None of them are difficult to understand.

However, Xia Nan still needs to test its effectiveness in actual combat.

To be honest, he was already looking forward to the wonderful experience of unleashing his [Heavy Tide] punch on those green goblins.

The arduous and tense battle finally came to an end. The improvement in his professional level, the enhancement of his physical fitness, and the acquisition of new combat skills filled him with an indescribable sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.

Having felt somewhat depressed ever since arriving in Giethoorn, he couldn't help but feel a little relieved.

With a flick of his wrist, Xia Nan gently lifted the longsword. His cold, stern face was reflected on the smooth, clean surface of the blade. He hadn't used his full attribute panel in a long time.
……

Name: Xia Nan
【Profession】:
Meteor Blade Hunter lv3
【property】:
Strength: 9 (Muscle strength, athletic training, and physical potential)
Agility: 11 (reaction speed, balance and alertness)

Constitution: 8 (Endurance and Vitality)

Intelligence: 5 (Memory, logic, and thinking abilities)

Perception: 12 (Observation and insight abilities, also representing the degree of coordination with the surrounding environment)

Charm: 6 (Personality and Temperament)

Specialty:
Master of Chopping, Bone of Iron, Bathed in Light, Tide-Shaping, Heart-Gazing Vision, Staring into the Abyss, Night Mother's Gaze

【Skill】:
旋斩lv5（Max）、牙狩lv5（Max）、引力掌控lv1（27/100）、引力蚀刻lv5（Max）、余烬残响lv1（32/100）、重潮lv1（1/100）

[Equipment/Items]:
Deadline, Ashes, Pine Tree, Coin of Destiny, Ghostly Scales Guarding, Bone-Binding Iron Legs, Tears of Spring Breath, Dream Corridor, Pulse of Purgatory

……

More than a year has passed since I traveled through time.

Looking at the attribute panel in front of me, which was now filled with dense characters, I couldn't help but recall how empty my panel looked when I first came to this world.

Xia Nan felt a strong sense of accomplishment welling up in his heart.

On the panel, he could clearly tell the origin of every attribute, every feat, every combat skill, and every piece of equipment, recalling the memories from that time.

With a sense of satisfaction and enjoyment, Xia Nan browsed through the attribute panel briefly before closing it to deal with the battlefield.

His movements paused subconsciously.

All he could see in the void before him were the semi-transparent characters that had flashed past after his upgrade, and they still hadn't stopped.

You can see strings of characters flowing erratically.

"What do you mean? It's not over yet?"

Xia Nan was puzzled, but not impatient, and simply stood there waiting.

After about half a minute, the turbulent flow of characters gradually stabilized and transformed into text that he could understand:

"Ding!"

"Conditions met: 1. [Job Level] lv3; 2. [Job Level Cap] lv5;"

"Automatically searching for part-time job listings..."

Search complete!

……

1. [Shattered Armor Oathbreaker]

Degree of fit: 66.66%
Core skills: [Whirlwind Slash], [Slashing Master], [Heavy Tide]

Elements: [Lightness], [Breaking Oath], [Unarmored]

Job requirements:

1. Job Level lv5 - [Not Achieved];
2. Among professionals of level 5 and below, the wartime armor breakage rate is ≥85% (region limited: Efala Continent) - [Achieved];
……

2. [***]

Degree of fit: 32.5%
Guiding elements: [Iron Bones and Muscles], [Gourd Dew (Hidden)], [Coin of Destiny]

Elements: [Destiny], [Dharmakaya], [Mind/Nature]

Job requirements:

1. Job Level lv5 - [Not Achieved];
2. Knowledge of Eastern Mysticism (Introduction) - [Completed];
3. A divination/fortune-telling combat skill – [Not yet achieved];
……

3. [Popular Wandering]

Degree of fit: 86.7%
Guiding Core: [Fang Hunt], [Whirlwind Slash], [Tidal Shaping]

Key elements: [Wind Element], [Dodge], [Roaming]

Job requirements:

1. Job Level lv5 - [Not Achieved];
2. Combat displacement distance ≥ 50 miles — [Achieved];
……

4. [Steel Knight]

Degree of fit: 26.65%
Guiding Cores: [Echoes of Ember], [The Lightbringer], [Emberfall]

Elements: [Wasteland], [Salvation], [Embers]

Job requirements:

1. Job Level lv5 - [Not Achieved];
2. Ignite the flame – [Not achieved];
3. Death - [Achieved];
……

5. [***]

Degree of fit: 117.96%
Core Guiding Elements: [Night Mother's Gaze], [Gazing Directly into the Abyss], [Gravity Control], [Mind-Guiding Vision], [Rejuvenating Tide]

Elements: [Tyranny], [Fear], [Slaughter]

Job requirements:

1. Job Level lv5 - [Not Achieved];
2. [Gravity Control] lv2 - [Not Achieved];
3. Number of creatures killed (challenge level not less than 1/4) ≥ 999 — [Achieved];
4. A large-scale ceremony used for deterrence and intimidation – [Not achieved]

(End of this chapter)