The other two attacked, a swordswoman and a spearman, their movents coordinated. Kael weaved through their strikes, his —Night Predator— guiding him, his dagger a blur.
The swordswoman’s blade grazed his thigh, pain searing—[HP: 90%]. Kael gritted his teeth, his —Adaptive Regeneration— working slower. He rolled, slashing her ankle, then used —Eclipse Step— to flicker behind the spearman, his dagger severing his spine—[EXP 245].
The swordswoman lunged, her blade glowing with primal energy. Kael parried her attacks, sparks flying, and hurled his last obsidian knife, poisoning her. She faltered, and he drove the Abyssal Fang into her chest—[EXP 275].
Kael staggered, his HP now at 84%, his stamina was low but holding thanks to —Essence Latch. The forest quieted, the bodies dissolving into motes of light, absorbed by the pagoda.
His system chid: [First Floor: Trial of Strength – Progress: 5/100 Enemies Defeated]. "Still a long way to go," he muttered, his smirk returning.
Growl!~
A low growl echoed, and Kael’s —Predator’s Instincts— flared. Five massive Jade-Eyed Spirit Pythons as strong as Lvl 18 Pre-Awakening warriors, crashed through the trees.
Their thirty-feet scaled figure slithered forward, their aura wild. Two more Lvl 18 warriors followed with their spears raised. Kael’s silver eyes glinted, his bloodline roaring.
"Round two," he said, popping his neck.
The Jade-Eyed Spirit Pythons charged, the warriors flanking them, and Kael dove into the fight, his blade dancing.
His silver eyes blazed beneath the Shadow Veil Mask and his bloodline roared as the five Jade-Eyed Spirit Pythons slithered forward, their scales glinting like polished jade.
Each of them stood about nine feet tall when positioned on their underbelly, and their Lvl 18 Pre-Awakening auras pulsed with feral nace. Their slit eyes glowed green, fangs dripping venom, and tails whipping the air.
Flanking them, the two Lvl 18 warriors in ancient armor gripped glowing spears, their hollow eyes locked on Kael. The forest trembled, leaves scattering as the pythons’ hisses filled the air.
Kael’s enhanced Abyssal Fang Dagger tremble, its darker aura eager for blood. "Let’s make this quick," he muttered, his smirk sharp as he closed in on them.
The lead python struck, its massive jaws snapping for his torso. Kael’s —Eclipse Step— flickered, his form blurring as he dodged, reappearing beside the beast.
Clang!
His dagger slashed its flank, encountering tough resistance but it managed to crack the scales, green blood oozing. The python hissed, its tail whipping toward him like a lash.
Kael dove, the tail smashing a tree, splinters flying. Pain grazed his arm from a stray shard—[HP: 82%]. His —Adaptive Regeneration— kicked in, healing the wound, but the other pythons surged, their bodies coiling to trap him.
Kael’s —Night Predator— trait sharpened his senses, catching the warriors’ spears thrusting from both sides. He rolled, the weapons stabbing the earth, and hurled an obsidian knife at the nearest warrior.
The blade sank into the man’s chest, poison sizzling, slowing him. Kael darted in, his Abyssal Fang plunging into the warrior’s heart—[EXP 300].
The second warrior lunged, his spear glowing with primal energy. Kael parried his attacks, sparks flashing, and then he used —Eclipse Step— to flicker behind, severing the man’s head from his neck—[EXP 300].
The pythons tightened their circle, their hisses growing louder. One of them lunged, its fangs grazing Kael’s Bloodthread Mantle, venom sizzling on the fabric—[HP: 80%].
Kael gritted his teeth, his Essence Latch restoring a sliver of stamina. He leaped onto the python’s back, his dagger carving through its scales, blood spraying. The beast thrashed about, nearly throwing him off, but Kael held on, driving the blade deep into its skull—[EXP 300].
The Jade-Eyed Spirit Python collapsed, its body twitching in a pool of blood, but the remaining four coiled closer, their tails lashing out for Kael like whips.
Kael’s breath burned in his chest, his HP at 85% now. The forest’s primal energy pulsed, fueling the pythons’ ferocity. He dodged a tail strike, the ground cratering from the impact, and hurled another obsidian knife, its effect barely affecting the second python.
Its movents slowed slightly, and Kael took advantage, his —Eclipse Step— carried him to its side, and his dagger slashed through its throat—[EXP 300].
There were only three left, their green eyes glowing brighter, their bodies weaving in sync. Kael’s stamina waned, his movents lagging, but his bloodline roared, pushing him forward.
A python struck, its jaws wide. Kael rolled, the fangs missing by inches, and slashed its underbelly, blood gushing. The beast recoiled, hissing, and Kael seized the mont, leaping onto its head, his dagger plunging into its eye—[EXP 300].
Two remained, their tails whipping furiously, the air thick with venom mist. Kael’s mask filtered the worst, but his vision blurred slightly, his HP* ticking to 81%. His Adaptive Regeneration struggled, the pagoda’s trial unrelenting.
The pythons attacked together, one coiling to crush him, the other striking with its fangs. Kael’s —Eclipse Step— flickered, dodging the bite, but the coil grazed his leg, pain searing—[HP: 75%].
He gritted his teeth, hurling his last obsidian knife into the coiling python’s mouth, poison bursting. It thrashed about, loosening its grip, and Kael slashed its neck, scales shattering—[EXP 300]. The system chid:
———
[You have advanced to Level 14]
[Total Blood Points: 278]
[Experience Points: [6635/6600 EXP]
[Level-up Progress: Lvl 13 → Lvl 14]
[Experience Points: [35/6900 EXP]
———
The final python lunged, its tail smashing toward him. Kael dove, the ground shaking from the impact. Then he used Eclipse Step to flicker behind, his dagger carving through its spine—[EXP 300].
Kael staggered, his HP and stamina slowly increasing. His system chid: [First Floor: Trial of Strength – Progress: 14/100 Enemies Defeated].
"Still a marathon," he panted, wiping sweat from his brow. The bodies dissolved into motes of light, absorbed by the forest, and the air quieted.
Kael’s HP climbed past 82%, his Adaptive Regeneration working slowly, the pagoda’s trial draining him.
His Lvl 14 stats—[35/6900 EXP]—felt like a drop in the bucket against the first floor’s relentless tests. His bloodline thrumd, eager for battle, but his stamina was thin as the Essence Latch was barely keeping him in the fight by increasing it slowly.
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