There were many ways to become more powerful, but intensive training and life-threatening combat were the most common and ‘cheapest’ methods to gain experience, while raising stats. However, the world was much more complicated than a simple ‘video-game’, and not everyone would be willing to risk their lives killing others in order to gain strength.

Thus, when the original Players and Arcana developed the ‘System’, they made sure to include a wide variety of Professions. Many jobs would seem mundane and monotonous in the initial phase, such as Farming; yet, for the few people who actually enjoyed their work and broke through, into the Intermediate stage, they would realize how amazing it was.

“Intermediate Farming Level 1: All crops and livestock grow 10% faster. The Farmer receives 1 experience point for every week that they tend to their fields and animals. Every acre of land that the Farmer owns, will generate 1 copper coin per day.”

It wasn’t much compared to an adventurer who hunted magical-beasts or a mercenary who fought wars and killed people. However, that single experience point would swiftly grow into ten, and by the time that they made it to Advanced, the benefits would begin to increase much more dramatically.

The most important factor, was that they never needed to risk their lives, and if they had no livestock, then they wouldn’t have to kill anything either. Unfortunately, it was far more difficult for NPCs to get stronger in a world without Players to ‘feed’ on.

Throughout all of the Archean Solar System, Michael was the only Player. ‘Hell’ only had one-hundred, and they had been there for centuries or millennia. In the far distant past, there had been thousands of populated ‘systems’, but the current situation was fairly grim. Arcana was starving; the ‘Goddess’ was fine, the ‘Universe’ was not.

The Chaotic Nephilim Guardian and his Companions were almost completely oblivious; however, anyone who was familiar with astronomy or astrology was horrified at what they were witnessing. Every single day, for over one-hundred years, thousands of stars would simply vanish from the distant skies.

It didn’t matter if they were millions of light-years away, because time was irrelevant to a being like Arcana. If she decided to ‘delete’ something, it was instantaneous; not a single photon or point of mana was able to escape from her control.

A few million stars disappearing was terrifying, but in the midnight sky above Michelle’s Prairie, it was possible to witness entire galaxies and nebulas blinking out of existence. Of course, to those with poor Perception, everything just looked like miscellaneous shiny dots. People were far more concerned with their petty wars and disputes, to notice that trillions of worlds were being constantly consumed and destroyed.

 

Alice was cackling hysterically, as she finally achieved the first part of her nearly impossible plan. “Master Alchemist Level 1: Able to utilize 100% of the Alchemist’s aura during the ‘concocting’ process. Capable of utilizing Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced and Master rank recipes.”

Before then, it wasn’t even possible for her to begin ‘attempting’ to create the most difficult and expensive alchemical concoctions in her recipe book. However, just because she could try to make them, didn’t mean that she was willing to risk wasting her only ‘high-end’ mana-cores to simply improve her proficiency.

“Mad Alchemist Level 4: Increases the speed of advancement in alchemical studies by 40%. The first time using a recipe will always have at least a 40% chance of success.” Only at the moment that she managed to reach level ten with that Passive, would she be able to take her ‘chances’.

“Damn, ugh, so fucking tired~! The ‘stims’ aren’t working anymore… My immune system keeps getting stronger, but at this point, if I pass out, I’ll have to sleep for days. Guess it’s finally time to start taking these, huh?” Alice was in her ‘neutral’, giant orange dragoness form, sitting upon a comfortable sofa-chair made out of soft white sand.

As she stared at the table in front of her, she saw some of her finest and most difficult creations. Compared to the ‘junk’ that she gave Michael or her ‘test subjects’, the concoctions that were displayed before her half-shut eyes, were hundreds of times more valuable.

“Long Dong Elixir: Increases Strength, Endurance, Vitality, and Agility by 10. Can only be consumed by Dragon-kin without adverse side-effects. Grants the consumer 1400 experience. Epic Quality, must be under level-40 to use.”

The tired, naked, lizard-woman, reached out with her right hand and used ‘Water Manipulation’ to pull the huge wine-bottle off of the table. There was at least a gallon of crimson liquid in the glass container, and she needed to drink all of it, or she wouldn’t receive any benefits.

Thus, she began earnestly chugging the delicious ‘Dong-Juice’, feeling slightly tipsy, but continuing until the very last drop. When it was finally over, she felt her blood boiling and her senses were completely unresponsive.

A few minutes after the bottle fell out of her hand and onto the ground, the unconscious dragoness was suddenly engulfed in a blinding radiance. ‘+4060 Exp’ had popped up over her head immediately before then, though she wasn’t able to see it. Not only did she instantly gain five levels, she also increased her Strength, Endurance, Vitality, and Agility by twenty-nine points each because of her amazingly overpowered Passive.

“Intermediate Potion Mastery Level 9: Increases the likelihood of creating perfect potions, elixirs, remedies and other alchemical products by 190%. Raises the effectiveness of potions, elixirs, remedies and other alchemical products when used by the creator by 190%.”

Once her Stamina was forcefully recovered to full and all of her drug-related debuffs were removed, Alice quickly awoke from her momentary slumber. Then she used her newly acquired stat-points from leveling up, to raise her Wisdom to twenty-five and Dexterity to twenty.

[Companion Information

Name: Alice Flameborn
Titles: The Neet, The Nudist, The Junkie, The Insane
Level: 31
Experience: 151/1240
Age: Adult
Race: Draconic Lava-Fairy
Rank: D
Class: Elementalist
Specialization: Ranged and Melee Damage Dealer, Tank
Profession: Master Alchemist Level 1]

[Stats

Health: 590/590
Mana: 150/150
Stamina: 295/295
Mana Regen per minute: 500
Health Regen per hour: 590

Strength: 59
Vitality: 59
Endurance: 59
Dexterity: 20
Agility: 59
Intelligence: 30
Wisdom: 25
Perception: 6
Charisma: 6

Willpower: 13
Luck: 15
Aura: 125

Attack Power: 295(+295)
Defense Rating: 29.5]

 

To create that elixir, Alice needed to sacrifice one of the Long Dong, level-forty, rank-C, World Boss mana-cores, along with many other precious ingredients. For that price, the rewards weren’t nearly as amazing as they seemed. Then there were also the mysterious and incredibly dangerous ‘side-effects’ which she managed to avoid suffering from.

However, many of the other concoctions that were sitting upon that mundane metal table, were meant for her Companions to consume. Even with her outrageous Passive, all alchemical products would always have diminishing effects; the consumer may even develop an allergy or have a severe, adverse reaction to the magical medicines.

After stretching her arms, legs, neck, tail and flexing her bulging muscles a few times, Alice snickered. Then she bent over and asked “Mike, I know you’re watching me, so why don’t you just teleport over here already?”

Michael had only been sleeping for an hour or so, but with his ‘Arcane Body’ Passive at max, he didn’t really get physically tired anymore. The six-foot tall, Nephilim nudist abruptly appeared behind the dragon-girl and had a meter-long, smooth, crystalline object in both hands.

Without any warning, he swiftly shoved the flexible, vibrating tentacle inside of Alice’s anus, before thrusting his right arm into the other hole. She gasped, roaring “Ah~! Um~, Mike~! What is that thing?!”

He smirked, “Hahaha~, it’s called the ‘Rectal Wrecker’! Cost me like two-hundred gold in a Nekoshire sex-toy shop, but totally worth it if I can make you cum~…”

 

After the two of them were finished fooling around, Alice and Michael were sitting down at the table full of random pills, elixirs, medicines and potions. The dragoness grabbed a small bowl of a yellow gelatin, which had no scent.

She was using her Earth Fairy form and wearing her bright-red robe, while the Nephilim was in a white t-shirt and black boxers. He ‘Scanned’ the strange substance and grumbled “Ally, I really don’t like drugs…”

Alice snickered, placing the bowl in front of him, “I know~, so just imagine that this is one of those ‘gummy vitamins’ you were telling me about. It’ll definitely make you a lot stronger, heh-heh~.”

“Ugh, fine~, but I’m gonna be really pissed if this makes me throw up!” Michael telekinetically lifted the blob of yellow gelatin into his mouth and swiftly swallowed it, while ignoring the terrible, raunchy taste.

“Naga-Gel: Increases Strength, Endurance, Vitality, and Agility by 11. Can only be consumed by Demon-kin without adverse side-effects. Grants the consumer 1512 experience. Epic Quality, must be under level-42 to use.”