Aetherios System [Slow Build OP MC, Isekai LitRPG/Cultivation] Chapter 165: Book 3: Chapter 20: Tattoo parlor (pt.2)

Read chapter 165 of Aetherios System [Slow Build OP MC, Isekai LitRPG/Cultivation] by TTReynolds on NovelPedia.

Book 3: Chapter 20: Tattoo parlor (pt.2) Chapter 20: Tattoo Parlor (pt.2) Martial Advancement Quest Complete! Advancement Quest: Survive 1,000 strikes from your enemies; 1,000/1,000 Demon Asura Style Tier II → Demon Asura Style Tier III ~Born from the rage of fallen gods and the agony of severed dreams, the Demon Asura Style fuses body, soul, and wrath into a single destructive force. It is said the first Asura refused ascension and tore down a star instead.~ New Skill: [Rage-Siphon]: Choose a single target to focus your wrath. Once a prey is chosen, an Asura stops at nothing to vanquish their target. Advancement Quest: Kill 100 Rage-Siphoned Targets Obby whistled inside his skull, “Well, well, meatboy. You’ve gone and fed the monster. The System likes what it sees.” He ignored the rock, as always, and focused on Holly’s reaction instead. Her brows raised over time as she read each line, once she got the end, she shook her head. “Wow, my advancement quests just ask me to practice and use the skills I learned. Meanwhile, you’re over here getting beaten to death and forced to tally kill-counts. Sucks to be you.” “Eh, it’s not all bad. Like I said, its a powerful Martial Style.” Alex closed the notification screen, not needing it open anymore to know the information The System wanted him to understand. He intuitively knew that the last few strikes Beithin hit Alex with had counted because the intent behind them was indeed to greatly harm him. That, despite the two of them being in a spar, which the advancement quest would not usually count. This meant that the Cresselian, despite saying not to, was actually trying to maim or cripple, maybe even kill him, at the end there. Alex wasn’t too upset by that though, he was close to doing the same thing after all. And when two warriors got into it like that, passions are bound to run high. The new Martial Skill was also interesting. Alex understood it to be a mark of some kind that he mentally placed on a target. Any damage he dealt to the target would siphon off aether from them and give it to Alex, basically recharging him during the fight. It was interesting, but Alex wasn’t sure how effective it would be. How much aether did it really siphon away? Was it more or less than the energy he would expend attacking? Not to mention the small amount he lost due to the [Burning Strike] passive? There were some tests he would have to run. “Anyway, with this new upgrade,” Alex continued his explanation to Holly. “That passive pain debuff is also going to increase substantially. That’s what happened last time I upgraded the martial style’s tier anyway. I doubt a single meridian imprint will be able to keep up with that. So for now, my problem is solved.” “And when you unlock your next meridian? And the next? And the one after that?” Her tone asked the question like it was an inevitability on par with the days changing through the week. Alex smiled, glad that Holly knew him so well, because of course he wouldn’t just stop at one. “Well, we will have to cross that bridge when we get to it.” He smiled, leaning forward to kiss her forehead softly. “Just, be careful okay,” She grumbled into his shoulder. “I will be, don’t worry.” They stayed like that for a few more minutes, just enjoying each others company, and needing nothing else. Eventually, a few of the others had finished their gathering technique diagrams and began bringing them over. That was Alex’s cue to get back to work, so Holly left him to train by herself. He looked over each of his friend’s parchments carefully. Noting fine details and personal, unique, flares to each of their techniques. He made specialized enchantment designs for each one rather quickly. He was already very familiar with elemental-attuned glyphwork after all, and none of their techniques were vastly complex. Holly’s was the hardest, but also the simplest, as she had done what Alex had suggested many weeks ago and married the concepts of the [Condensing Spiral] with h