Chapter 63

Darius watched Gunner walk over to him while still panting as the lad fell to his knees before him and reported: "The threat to Master has been dealt with."

Darius nodded and cast a heal on Gunner as the lad had lost some HP after being clubbed by the Ogre earlier. Gunner sighed with pleasure as the whitish-blue light of healing washed over him and restored his health.

Darius noted this effect and checked the post-battle spoils before he decided what he would do next.

[You have gained 640 EXP.]

[Gunner has gained 640 EXP, 1 Intelligence Boost Potion, and 2 Fireball Scrolls.]

As Darius expected, they both split 1,280 experience points which was the same amount he would have gotten if he had single-handedly defeated a monster 4 levels above his own.

He also noticed that he got no drops, likely due to him not doing anything in the fight, while Gunner got some good items for his efforts.

Gunner was busily fiddling with his system menu while Darius checked how many levels his servant had climbed up.

[Name: Gunner

Race: Half-Human, Half-Giant (Royal Blood)

Class: Vanguard

Sub-class: Open

HP: 180/180

MP: 52/52

Level: 4

Exp: 40/400

Strength: 12

Agility: 6

Endurance: 15

Intellect: 13

Charisma: 16

Luck: 9

Physical Status: Healthy

Mental Status: Intrigued

Affection: Friendly lvl max

AP: 9

SP: 3

Skills: Engage - Lv.1, Earth's Guardian - Lv.1

Spells: None.]

Darius frowned once he realized that Gunner had only gained 3 AP and 1 SP per level up. This meant that the growth rate of his Branded Servants in terms of power would not equal or surpass his.

Darius sighed with lament. There went his master plan of contracting someone at a high stage with obscene starting stats, while watching them gain new stat points to further double or triple their power, allowing them able to even contest the Gods and Demons.

Clearly, he would have to do it himself.

Gunner turned to Darius. "Master, please allocate my stats for me."

Darius nodded and proceeded to do so. He understood that Gunner was entrusting his growth into his hands, and Darius would make sure the half-giant progressed in the way he not only wanted but also needed him to.

After all, that was the entire point of acquiring his Branded Servant in the first place!

Since Agility was Gunner's only real weakness, Darius decided to turn it into a strength. He placed all of 9 AP points into the stat, bringing it up to 15 points, surpassing even Darius himself.

This was something only the Supreme System's artificial growth mechanic could achieve, and Darius was beginning to love it. Gunner, for that matter, suddenly shivered as if someone had poured a pail of ice-cold water over him.

Once he stopped, he seemed to be more relaxed and peaceful. His shoulders seemed less slumped and his posture more vibrant.

Darius nodded with satisfaction and placed the Vanguard's three skill points into Earth Guardian. This was a skill with far more importance and value than his Engage skill, which already pretty much did everything that Darius needed it to do.

[Earth's Guardian - Level 4 Skill

Cost: 3 MP per second

Description: The natal skill of every royal blooded Giant. This skill is a blessing of Gaia to her protectors that grants them the ability to borrow some of the planet's power in combat. The user of this skill is granted +25% Strength, Endurance, Damage, and Defense for the duration of its activation.]

Once Darius saw how the skill grew, he knew he had made the right choice.

It was a skill that could not even be compared to his Sparks and co, which were all basic skills. This skill could grant a percentile boosts to Gunner's battle strength and survivability, making him more and more ridiculously resilient.

It had started out as a mere 10% boost, which was enough for him to turn the tables on the Ogre, but had now climbed to 25%. The more Gunner's base stats increased, the more valuable this skill's effects would be.

Satisfied, Darius turned to Gunner. "How do you feel?"

"Master, I feel lighter, like someone had been sitting on my back all this while, but finally got off. That someone was almost as heavy as that monster from before." Gunner replied honestly.

Darius chuckled. "That's good. With your increased Agility, you should now become the perfect frontline fighter, able to absorb and dish out all kinds of damage to enemies in my way."

Gunner agreed. "That is my life's goal, Master."

Darius then turned to the cave which the Ogre had been trying to breach and saw that it was absurdly quiet within. Chuckling, he commanded his servant: "Gunner, let's explore this little cave and see what was held within that made the Ogre want to break in at all costs."

Gunner assented and obeyed his master's command by walking fearlessly into the cave while he maintained his mental alertness.

It was a mixture of caution and carelessness, an oxymoronic situation brought about due to his confidence in his own resilience, yet his wariness towards unwelcome surprises that could hurt his master behind him.

Darius followed along while rubbing his chin idly. His mind was lost on his earlier speculations about the trick or secret Vena and Caesar had failed to inform him of, which had to be the basis of their nonchalance towards the Supreme System's various flaws.

'The Supreme System told me that it was merely a version 1.0, and warned me that there would be flaws. However, it also stated that there would be system updates to patch those flaws.'

'Could that be what the duo of Vena and Caesar are relying on? If so, that seems to be truly poor planning on their part, no to mention extreme laziness...'

Darius sighed as his thoughts reached that point. He was not fully satisfied with that explanation, but at the same time, he wondered if he should really expect anything else from a deity who summoned evil souls into fiction-like worlds and scenarios to quell her boredom.

After walking for a bit, Gunner suddenly halted and Darius came to stand beside the large lad as he wanted to see what had him pause.