I was an apprentice in Ferren

Chapter 161 The Blessing of the Natural Spirit

Although the berserk state lasted for less than six seconds, the resulting weakness still made DuPont shudder.

This kind of power derived from releasing muscle potential is still very taxing. Fortunately, it didn't take long enough to make me feel immobile. It's just that the feeling of hunger is really hard to get rid of.

Deva's Holy Healing can remove this weakened state. There should be similar magical items available. I should ask around later which one would be more suitable to buy.

Divine energy healed the wounds, and DuPont used magic to wipe away the bloodstains. He put on a robe and slowly made his way back to the campsite.

"Shouldn't we go pick him up?" the moon elf asked, looking at the two still sitting there grilling. "This should be something to celebrate, shouldn't it?"

"Calm down, we're just teaching skills and methods, not babysitting. What's there to worry about?" Man Shi said, but his face was practically beaming with joy. "Especially since he's more likely to be hungry after going berserk, it's best to let him have something hot to eat when he gets back. That's the most suitable way for a barbarian."

The druid nodded in agreement: "When wild beasts are wounded, they will return to their dens to lick their wounds and analyze their mistakes to avoid repeating them. We are smarter and wiser. If we cannot even do this independently, we will hardly amount to anything."

Moonflower glanced at the Sun Elf. Both of them felt it was a bit barbaric, but since the other person had said that, they couldn't say anything, so they changed the subject: "So his advancement ceremony was successful?"

“Although he used magic, he didn’t use it to directly harm anyone but instead used it as a tactic. It feels like a rather unique technique, so he should have succeeded.” Man Shi wasn’t too sure either: “Normally, you would have to pray to the spirits of nature or your ancestors, and if you get a response, you can gain power. But I don’t know what happened when this kid advanced before. Maybe he has already advanced now.”

"Can't you tell?" The sun elf said, recalling something: "Master, how do you distinguish the ranks of barbarians?"

While most adventurers wear nameplates that symbolize their identity, not everyone is so honest, and you can't tell the exact level just by looking at the nameplate. After all, both level 6 and level 10 are silver, but the difference in strength is huge.

“The most obvious thing is the physique, and the second is the temperament.” Man Shi pointed to his thighs, which were thicker than an elf’s waist. “Barbarians are stronger and more resilient than ordinary warriors. Even if they do nothing, they rarely get fat, and their muscles are more aesthetically pleasing. What does the bodybuilding competition in the Dawn Lord’s Games emphasize? Classic bodybuilding basically pursues our physique. However, for actual combat, we can’t be too thin. We still need a certain amount of fat.”

After hearing this, Moonflower suddenly realized: "Now that you mention it, DuPont does seem to be much stronger than his peers at this stage. His limbs are more delicate than an elf's, but his condition isn't that obvious."

"After all, he is still quite young, and his body has not yet fully developed. He is probably not taller than this, and it should be no problem for him to grow to six feet in the future. As for the fact that he usually wears a robe, the clothes of you spellcasters are generally quite loose and you can't tell. Normal people would not think that a mage has a barbarian class level, which is a waste of this talent."

The Sun Elf secretly scorned him, thinking to himself, "This little rascal is anything but normal. He hasn't worn any clothes since we met yesterday. He knows exactly how to seduce women."

"Walk the Totem Warrior path and gain Bear Frenzy..." Moonflower thought for a moment and asked, "By the way, don't the Barbarians have any classes that can be paired with spellcasters? Otherwise, this combination is not really suitable."

The druid continued, "Normally, it can be paired with battle runes. If you can find someone who knows this technique, you can tattoo a magic circle on your body. Once your skin is damaged and you bleed, the magic circle will be activated. Whether it's adding attack spells or buff spells, the effect is quite good. However, there aren't many battle rune masters who know the old system of spells anymore."

Upon hearing this, the Sun Elf nodded. The famous mage kingdom of Sel had similar techniques; they would get tattoos to increase their spells, which was a way of indirectly increasing their spell slots. However, the Druid was clearly referring to the Wood Elf method. Some Wood Elf rangers had battle runes, mostly carrying buff spells.

"There are also stories in the tribe about casting spells with muscles." Man Shi blinked. "It is said that some barbarians in ancient times mastered how to cast spells. They used their muscles to memorize spells and could release them instantly when they activated Berserk. However, it is said that this method requires passing a physical test, otherwise it will damage the muscles. And it can only be considered a legend among barbarians. I have never seen anyone who knows this skill."

DuPont returned during the chat, gave a perfunctory greeting, and plopped down on a nearby rock: "Luckily, the opponent was a brown bear. If it had been a ferocious, relentless owl bear, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to complete this promotion."

Moonflower asked with some surprise, "Such a big brown bear should be stronger than an owl bear, right? Why do you make it sound like you won by sheer luck?"

"No matter how big a brown bear is, it is still just a wild animal. This kind of creature has its own survival wisdom, and bears are even smarter than many animals. When they encounter a problem that they cannot solve, they will choose to run away, instead of fighting to the death like an owl bear. Therefore, DuPont's tactics were very successful."

The speaker was the druid. DuPont had completed her task but hadn't killed the giant bear yet, which pleased her greatly: "However, the bear seems to be quite badly injured. I need to go check on it. If it can't heal itself, I'll treat it with some simple medicine. Otherwise, if it dies unexpectedly, the ecological balance here might be disrupted. You guys eat first."

The druid left without warning, leaving the two high elves to exchange a puzzled glance.

Is this because you've eaten too much and are just looking for something to do?
Man Shi wasn't surprised at all; he was used to Morning Star's impromptu style. He patted DuPont on the shoulder and said, "You did a very good job. Those two elf girls thought you had no chance of winning, but you still found a weakness and won without even wearing magic equipment."

“They’re beasts after all; they rely more on their instincts to fight. If their weapons are weak, this is the only way to cheat. If the goal is to kill them, then we need a different strategy.” DuPont picked up the sizzling steak, blew on it, and took a satisfied bite. “But a normal barbarian should at least carry some weapons or armor, right? This is too difficult.” “Shamans in normal tribes have ways to communicate with the spirits of nature, and they just need to gain their approval. But I don’t know how to do that. You have many trump cards. If it gets really dangerous, you can just use magic to escape. There’s nothing to worry about.” Man Shi shrugged. “If you fail the challenge, you can prepare again. Anyway, you’re young. It would be even better if you succeeded. By the way, where’s that badge? Let me see it.”

DuPont took out the dirty badge, only to find that the憨厚 (honest and simple) bear head had suddenly roared to the sky, and even its eyes were shining. DuPont clicked his tongue in amazement: "This thing isn't a magical item, is it?"

His system didn't detect the attribute.

"No, it's more of a way for the tribe to communicate with the spirit of nature." Man Shi said, taking out a few stones and stacking them into a simple circle. Then he picked out a few pieces of charcoal from the barbecue and gathered them into a new fire.

Man Shi took out a small, deep red bottle. He unscrewed the cap, dipped his finger in it, and casually dabbed it on DuPont's forehead and cheeks. The smell, a mixture of blood and grass, made DuPont frown.

The barbarian handed the badge to DuPont and placed a jar of honey beside the fire: "Take this, stand in the center of the circle, and you will sing whatever I sing."

The boy did as instructed, but then Man Shi took out a leather bag, pulled out a handful of white powder, and threw it into the fire. Soon, the silhouette of a giant bear appeared in the smoke. He opened his throat and sang a song that was both melancholic and inspiring.

"Mother of the Northern Ridge, your children kneel and beg—lend me your claws to tear through falsehood, grant me your thick skin to defend against evil!"

DuPont repeated himself, and soon the giant bear's silhouette on the fire grew even larger. Wild Stone continued singing: "Blood for blood! Pain for pain! The hibernator will awaken—and all my glory will be with you!!"

As DuPont sang, the surrounding coniferous forest rustled without wind, as if the spirits of giant beasts were moving through it.

As the last word was uttered, DuPont's pupils dilated into amber-colored vertical lines, and a low growl rolled from his throat, then transformed into a deafening bear roar: "Roar!!!"

Countless birds were startled and took flight. The giant bear formed from the smoke nodded to DuPont and then quickly dissipated along with the smoke.

DuPont's pupils returned to normal. He was covered in sweat, yet felt an incredible surge of energy. The honey on the ground had vanished, and a series of enormous footprints rose from the circle and disappeared into the jungle, reaching the depths where even sunlight couldn't reach.

Man Shi wiped his sweat, and seeing that the ceremony seemed to have succeeded, he looked at DuPont: "How was it? Did it work?"

DuPont was speechless at this point.

[You have become a Level 3 Barbarian, gained the recognition of the Great Bear Spirit, and acquired the power of the Bear Totem.]

Bear Totem: While enraged, you gain resistance to any damage type except Mind damage.

Note: The spirit of the bear makes you incomparably resilient and fearless in the face of any blow.

[You have received the essence of nature: Blessing of the Giant Bear. Your Strength and Constitution will permanently increase by 1, and your maximum Strength and Constitution will permanently increase by 1.]

[A person can only receive a maximum of three types of Spirit Blessings. Blessings of the same level cannot be stacked. To receive a blessing again, one needs the recognition of a more powerful Natural Spirit than the one received this time.]

You have gained the Beast's Dark Vision, effective at a range of 30 meters. The effect will be reduced in complete darkness.

DuPont glanced at his arm instinctively; it did seem larger, and it didn't hurt as much as when he read the Book of Dexterity: "My strength and body seem to have improved."

“That’s right, that’s the power of ritual.” Man Shi laughed heartily. “Alright, let’s raise our glasses and drink to celebrate the birth of a true man!”

(End of this chapter)