Chapter Seven: Fighting for the Sake of Skills

After reading through the descriptions of the skills, as well as his current levels and stats, Wang Ling’s eyes grew even redder.

"Speed Burst: When running at full speed, you can enter an accelerated state. Current level: LV7. In this accelerated state, your speed increases by 70%, consuming 1 point of spirit per second. During acceleration, your jumping ability increases by 70%, but your agility decreases by 70%.

Learning and usage requirement: Basic Footwork LV2.

Speed Burst LV4 additional effect: Your base speed increases permanently by 10%.

Speed Burst LV7 additional effect: Your base speed increases permanently by an additional amount (effects do not stack; the LV4 effect is overridden. The same applies to the following skills).

Skill type: Active. Skill rating: E."

"Super Jump: Greatly increases your jumping height and distance. Current level: LV8. You can increase your maximum jump height by 4 meters and your maximum jump distance by 4 meters.

Learning and usage requirement: Basic Footwork LV3.

Super Jump LV4 additional effect: Landing shock is reduced by 10%.

Super Jump LV7 additional effect: Landing shock is reduced by 20%.

Skill type: Passive. Skill rating: E."

"Iron Skull: You possess a head as hard as iron. Current level: LV7. Your head's resistance to impact is greatly improved, making it less prone to injury and abnormal status; physical attacks to this area deal 70% less damage.

Learning and usage requirements: Basic Parry LV2, Basic Endurance LV2.

Iron Skull LV4 additional effect: Reduces basic physical damage to this area by 10 points; if damage is lower than 10, you take no damage.

Iron Skull LV7 additional effect: Reduces basic physical damage to this area by 30 points; if damage is lower than 30, you take no damage.

Skill type: Passive. Skill rating: D."

"Iron Legs: You possess legs and feet as hard as iron. Current level: LV7. Your legs and feet resist impacts much better, making them less prone to injury or abnormal status; physical attacks to these areas deal 70% less damage.

Learning and usage requirements: Basic Parry LV2, Basic Endurance LV2.

Iron Legs LV4 additional effect: Reduces basic physical damage to this area by 10 points; if damage is lower than 10, you take no damage.

Iron Legs LV7 additional effect: Reduces basic physical damage to this area by 30 points; if damage is lower than 30, you take no damage.

Skill type: Passive. Skill rating: D."

"Mario’s Head-Stomp: This skill is Mario’s signature ability from Super Mario World. Current level: LV9. Jump and stomp on an enemy’s head with both feet to deal base damage equal to your current Strength plus 9 times your maximum jump height in meters. You suffer 9% of the base damage as rebound damage, transferred through your feet.

Learning and usage requirements: Basic Melee LV1, Basic Footwork LV5, Basic Endurance LV1.

Head-Stomp LV4 additional effect: 10% chance to land a critical hit, dealing double damage.

Head-Stomp LV7 additional effect: 20% chance to land a lethal hit, dealing triple damage.

Skill type: Active. Skill rating: C."

"Underwater Breathing: Enables you to breathe freely underwater. Current level: LV4. You can stay underwater for 40 minutes. After reaching the time limit, you must surface for air before using the skill again.

Learning and usage requirements: None.

Underwater Breathing LV4 additional effect: While underwater, all physical attributes increase by 4 points.

Skill type: Passive. Skill rating: D."

Each of these inherited abilities was incredibly useful! The more Wang Ling looked, the more conflicted he became...

Mario’s Head-Stomp was the highest-rated skill at C-level, and its main feature was its massive damage potential! This skill was clearly meant to be used alongside Super Jump. For example, if Wang Ling had 8 Strength points—just for ease of calculation—and a base max jump height of 1 meter, then the skill would deal 8 + (9 × 1) = 17 base damage.

However, with Super Jump at LV8 granting an extra 4 meters to maximum jump height, the damage would become 8 + (9 × 5) = 53 base damage!

And if the 20% chance for a lethal hit triggered, that would be 159 base damage!

While base damage could be reduced by defenses and other factors, such a high value would instantly kill Wang Ling, who currently had only 45 Life points—meaning, if an uninjured Mario had stomped on his head before, he’d have been dead in an instant.

Wang Ling’s Strength was currently very low at 8 points, but as he grew stronger, this stat would only increase, making the Head-Stomp even more powerful! If he learned skills similar to Super Jump in the future that further increased his max jump height, then the stomp’s damage would skyrocket!

Remember, Super Jump is only an E-ranked passive skill. How much would D, C, B, or even A or S-ranked similar skills boost his maximum jump height? The damage potential for this skill is boundless.

However, the rebound damage also made the skill somewhat dangerous. If his maximum jump height reached dozens or even hundreds of meters, stomping an enemy could very well kill himself from the rebound...

Nevertheless, this was an incredibly powerful skill—no wonder it’s Mario’s exclusive specialty!

Speed Burst, though only rated E, could have unforeseen uses for escaping, stealing treasures, or launching assassinations. Moreover, the jump boost during acceleration could further enhance the power of Mario’s Head-Stomp.

Super Jump, which enhances jump height and distance, is similarly invaluable for escape; at critical moments, it could be a lifesaver. It’s also closely tied to Mario’s Head-Stomp.

These three skills—running, jumping, and stomping—seemed to form a system, each complementing the others.

The three skills Wang Ling inherited from Mario were at LV7, LV8, and LV9. He recalled that the maximum level for both active and passive skills was LV10, meaning there was still room for improvement—they could become even stronger!

As for the other two abilities—Iron Skull and Iron Legs—they were simply too useful! Reducing damage, boosting impact resistance, lowering the risk of injury, and preventing abnormal status—such abilities were invaluable.

Unfortunately, their effect was limited to the head and legs, and only against physical damage; his torso and arms remained fragile and were major weaknesses. If not for these glaring drawbacks, Wang Ling believed these two passive skills would never be rated only D!

The use of Underwater Breathing was also clear—in worlds like "Contra on Water," this skill was practically a game-breaking cheat.

Just imagine, ambushing enemies from underwater, sneaking through rivers into hidden areas, escaping into the water when facing unbeatable foes, or luring them into aquatic combat... Plus, with the added attribute boosts underwater, his combat strength would soar, making it possible to defeat monsters above his level while submerged.

"Every skill is this strong... If I can only pick one, there's no way I’ll agree!"

Besides the six skills, Mario had also taught him four basic abilities: Basic Melee LV1, Basic Footwork LV5, Basic Parry LV2, and Basic Endurance LV2.

Basic Melee LV1: increases physical melee damage by 10%. Basic Footwork LV5: increases speed and jump by 50%, plus the extra 1 point of Agility at LV4. Basic Parry and Basic Endurance, both at LV2, boost block rate and defense by 20%, as well as endurance and physical strength.

Seeing Wang Ling gritting his teeth with such fierce resolve and fiery eyes, Mario thought he was simply worried about the upcoming battle and reassured him, "Your physical attributes might be far inferior to mine, but with the skills I’ve passed on to you, defeating Bowser’s duplicate won’t be difficult."

Wang Ling nodded with pursed lips and helped Mario up. Seeing this kind protagonist’s twisted ankle, he felt a pang of guilt and silently thought, "You came to Bowser’s castle to rescue Princess Peach. Now I will inherit your mission and save her, so don’t blame me for the harm I caused you..."

Indeed, the person Wang Ling thought of rescuing was not the Mushroom Kid, but Princess Peach!

Having played the original Super Mario Bros. on the FC, he knew Princess Peach was held captive in the final castle. The main storyline would end after rescuing the Mushroom Kid, and he’d be forced to leave this novice world.

Clearing every castle one by one was impossible, but... in the second area of the first castle (World 1-2) was a warp pipe that led directly to the fourth castle (World 4-1)! And in the second area of the fourth castle (World 4-2), there was another warp pipe leading straight to the final castle (World 8-1)!

Since the scene faithfully recreated the game’s secret passages and treasures, the hidden warp pipes should exist as well. Most people wouldn’t find them, but Wang Ling was different—he knew their locations from the game. Even without a map, he was confident he could find the secret passages and head straight for the final stage!

Inside the final castle, Princess Peach was imprisoned; there were no duplicates of Bowser there, only Bowser himself standing guard before her!

"I’ve gained all of Mario’s skills and I know where the secret passages are—this is a golden opportunity! Facing Bowser will be extremely dangerous, but without high risk, there’s no high reward!"

"If the Dreamspace restricts me for following the main quest, then I’ll just charge straight to the final boss! When the quest difficulty skyrockets, will Dreamspace still only let me keep one skill?"

Wang Ling’s heart roared, his eyes blazing with mad determination: "So, for the sake of skills, for the future, for a perfect completion of the novice quest, and to prevent the beautiful princess from suffering at the hands of the demon king—Bowser, you big turtle, just wait in your castle for me to come and defeat you!"