Chapter 6: A Proactive Choice
Matthew Serre,
Race: Human.
Age: 17 years and 9 months.
Profession: Level 1 Arist (1/1000).
Experience Pool: 0.
Talents:
Dragon Bloodline LV1, ???.
Feats:
Legendary Feat - Fate's Choice.
Passive: Insight into the essenost things, presented in the most familiar form.
Active: e 100 Fate s to activate Fate's Choice, where misfortune apanies opportunity, and danger is hidden within fortune.
Fate s: 108!
Spell Skills:
trips LV5,
Minor Repair, Detect Magic, Light, Ray of Frost, , Mage Hand, Magic Fireworks, Wither Flower, Cook Food.
Level 1 Spells (Cost 10 Mana Points):
Magic Missile LV3: Releases 3+3 magically structed missiles, each dealing 3 points of magic damage to the enemy.
Sleep LV4: Casts Sleep with a Will save of 3+4; the target falls asleep, waking upon taking any damage.
Rapid Fireball LV4: Sequentially releases 4 small fireballs, each dealing 2 points of damage.
Attributes:
Strength, 12, Modifier +1
Dexterity, 14, Modifier +2
Intelligence, 24, Modifier +7
stitution, 15, Modifier +2
Wisdom, 18, Modifier +4
Charisma, 16, Modifier +3
Luck, +4 (Temporary)
Spell Attack, 5.
Physical Attack, 3.
Defense, 2.
Hit Points, 31/31 (stitution x2 + Profession Level), Light Injury.
Mana Points, 250/250 (Intelligence x10 + Profession Level x10).
Skills:
Knowledge 198 (Near-Legendary), Meditation 158 (Near-Legendary), Perception 106 (Advanced), Deception 105 (Advanced), Leadership 101 (Advanced), Evasion 86 (Intermediate), Persuasion 75 (Intermediate).
Life tract: Time Drago!
Evaluation: A boss in normal development!
"An Arist truly lives up to its name as an advanced profession, and Matthew Serre’s talent does indeed qualify as a super genius. The sum of his six main attributes reaches 99 points, even higher than my total attributes as a Level 39 Great Arist!"
In Matthew's memory, the maximum attribute for an ordinary pyer ot exceed 18 points, with a total attribute value of only 60 points!
"The game *Are Emperor* is different from ames; pyers only increase their attributes by 1 or 2 points through leveling up every 4 levels, or by advang their profession and pletiain critical rituals."
"Just like me, as a Level 39 Great Arist, who’s standing at the pinnacle of pyer power, my total attributes are still lower than those of a Level 1 Matthew Serre!"
"Indeed, only games sider bance; reality only siders domination!"
"No wonder Matthew Serre er genius who could rival Karsas in talent!"
But Matthew quickly snapped out of his thoughts and, notig Ralph's hesitant gaze, instinctively asked:
"Wait, the Scarlet Moon? Aberration monsters?"
Seeing Ralph nod solemnly, Matthew's heart surged with turmoil as tless bloody and painful memories flooded back.
The Scarlet Moon, seemingly a terrifying presence from the realm of evil gods!
Every evening, the blood-red moon would cast twisted and terrifying light.
All creatures exposed to it had a ce to undergo aberrations.
It starts with physical ges—aberrant creatures would grow extra limbs, ans, and their structures would quickly alter.
This process sts from 0 to 7 days.
Soon after, ohe physical ges are plete, the dark side of their personality would grow untrolbly, peing deep into their minds.
Ohis stage is reached, the creature's sanity rapidly fades, repced by bloodlust and a craving fhter.
This process sts for a month!
Most aberrant creatures reveal themselves through wanton killing and die during this stage.
Only a few aberrant creatures, after dev enough flesh and souls, undergo aberrations deep within their souls.
Ohe soul aberration is plete, they regain their sanity but bee loyal followers of the Scarlet Moon.
From then on, their lives and time are dedicated to spreading the Scarlet Moon's influence, creating more aberrant worlds!
For thousands of years, the Scarlet Moon has influehe eerial ph its terrifying and twisted power.
Matthew Serre's memories tained much hidden knowledge about the Scarlet Moon and information about aberrant creatures that even Matthew had not known.
Every full moht the danger of aberrations that affected the eerial pne!
But in Matthew's memories from his past life, it was pletely different.
Pyers entered *Are Emperor* on this very night. While they occasionally entered strange aberrant creatures in adventures, pyers were usually the ones getting killed.
But the rge-scale Scarlet Moos didn't happen until 20 years ter!
Matthereviously thought that the appearance of the Scarlet Moos was just the release of a new expansion, increasing the game's difficulty.
But now it seemed things were not as they appeared!
There was a deeper secret at py here!
"Wow, after living here for decades, I never realized there were so mas hidden. The game developers and the pany really misled me!"
Though Matthew said this to himself, he quickly calmed down. He knew very well how terrifying the Scarlet Moon and the aberrant creatures were.
Uhe Scarlet Moon, the average adventure level in the wild would reach a staggering 7+, and it would require a team!
The average level of aberrant creatures also reached 4, and as the game progressed, legendary-level aberrant creatures even appeared.
These creatures, nearly impossible to kill like demigods, caused many catastrophid terrifying attacks.
Suppressing his unease and searg his memories, Matthew could now firm that while the current Blood Moon was dangerous, it was far less terrifying than it would be 20 years ter.
Thinking of the temporary "Luck 4" mark on him, Matthew licked his lips and chose a possibly more dangerous path:
"Let’s get to the outpost quickly, eat a immediately, then tinue on the road to avoid any ued developments."
Ralph agreed with Matthew's decision, feeling that today had been toe, and they couldn't remain passive, entrusting their safety to mere hope.
After all, pared to the isoted outpost in the Misty S, a vilge with about 2,000 people and dozens of soldiers was much safer.
This decision wasn’t hidden from the others; Ralph enced them as he spoke:
"Everyone, hang in there; we’re almost there, and then we’ll be safe."
"Prepare for any potential danger; any object approag without warning should be first warhen attacked!"
The group moved with more urgency, as for most of them, today had been an incredibly thrilling day.
But it was too thrilling; now, all they wanted was to get through it safely.
The sun gradually approached the horizon.
The red light peed the mist.
The dark green Misty S was tinged with dark red, giving it a desote and bleak sense of unease.
The voy arrived at the outpost at 4:40.
They were 20 minutes early!
Ralph had the Serre family banner raised and led a few soldiers io iate.
Matthew could vaguely hear that it was quiet inside, feeling a bit surprised.
The other side's rea suggested they were unaware of Sweetwater Town’s fate this afternoon.
Ralph returned, firming Matthew’s guess, bringing back two anxious soldiers:
"This is our Lord, and this is Captain Sean of Outpost 16."
"Captain Sean has agreed to let us rest a here, but he has a small request..."
Matthew noticed Aanding alertly in front of him, appreciating the knight's vigince, as he calmly focused his gaze on the anxious Captain Sean.
"As expected, Ralph is very shrewd, not revealing the situation iwater Town..."
"Given that..."
Uher transmigrators who might eagerly seek allies, Matthew instead maintained a distant and indifferent demeanor:
"Just say what it is."
Whether I agree or not is another matter!
Captain Sean, whose face bore a scar, saw the Serre family crest on Matthew’s chest, a hint of excitement fshing in his eyes. He slightly bowed his head and spoke in a soft, pleading tone:
"Honorable Lord, the soldiers of our outpost are all vilgers from Bay Vilge. We heard that a dangerous beast appeared in the vilge yesterday, and we're worried about our families' safety."
"But we are bound by duty and ot leave easily."
"Only you, my Lord, have the authority. Please, take us back to the vilge."
"Once we deal with the dangerous beast, we will return to the outpost as soon as possible..."
