"Why are you here?" he spoke, his tone flat, suspicious.
Lucian offered a slight, almost lazy smile. He wasn't intimidated the slightest bit. Even a level 50 ranker died in his hands bit to ntion soone with a weaker level. "Why can't I be here? This is part of the testing ground, isn't it?"
The young man's face turned even colder, if that was possible. His eyes narrowed. "You were waiting. Watching. You wanted to sneak an attack on while I was recovering, steal my kill points, right?" The accusation hung heavy in the air. It was a plausible scenario in this ruthless competition.
Lucian nearly rolled his eyes. The thought hadn't even crossed his mind. Points from a single Level 25 kill weren't worth the trouble of an unnecessary fight, especially against soone who clearly wasn't weak. "If I wanted to sneak an attack on you," Lucian replied calmly, his voice laced with a hint of amusent, "you wouldn't have sensed , and I would have already done it while you were busy incinerating that overgrown cat. Besides," he gestured vaguely around them, "we just got here. The ti is not ripe to start stealing kill points from other participants. There are far more valuable monsters deeper in."
He t the cold stare directly. "Look, I'm not interested in you or your points. I just heard the commotion, saw the fight. Your fla talent is quite nice, powerful control," Lucian offered a nod of acknowledgent, a genuine observation. "That's all. I'll take my leave."
Without waiting for a reply, Lucian turned, intending to walk past the other student and continue deeper into the dinsion. He had wasted enough ti here.
The red-haired young man didn't say anything imdiately. He watched Lucian walk away, his grey eyes remaining intensely cold, calculating. He hadn't been able to get a read on the newcor. The guy projected an aura of casual confidence that seed entirely out of place this deep in the realm, yet he didn't radiate overwhelming power either. It was… unsettling. He clearly wasn't just so random freshman who got lucky. Reaching this depth so quickly, and remaining so unfazed after witnessing his power, marked him as extraordinary.
'Hidden tigers,' the red-haired youth, whose na was Julius, thought bitterly. He had co to Primordial Godslayer University expecting his A-rank Fla Dragon talent to place him leagues above the rest. He had envisioned dominating the freshman rankings easily.
But this nonchalant person… Julius couldn't be certain of victory if they fought. A battle now would drain precious mana and stamina, potentially jeopardizing his overall score in the ceremony. He had underestimated the competition. This academy, despite its strange reputation, clearly had its share of monsters among the students. He watched Lucian disappear around a bend in the pass, committing the face to mory. This wasn't the last he'd see of him.
Lucian, anwhile, put the encounter out of his mind almost imdiately. The red-haired kid, Julius, was strong, yes. A potential rival for the top spot? Maybe. But Lucian had his own path to forge. He increased his speed again, pushing past the 25-kiloter mark.
The terrain beca even more treacherous. Deep chasms split the earth, glowing faintly with geothermal energy from below. Strange, crystalline structures jutted out from the rock walls, pulsing with soft light. The air humd with power, and the monsters grew larger, tougher, and weirder.
He ca across a pack of creatures that looked like wolves made of living shadow, their forms indistinct and shifting.
[Level 26 Shadow Wolves (Pack of 5)]
They moved with unnatural silence, attempting to surround him. Their claws seed to pass through solid rock montarily before solidifying to strike. Lucian beca a grinding machine. His spear was everywhere at once – parrying shadowy claws, thrusting into incorporeal forms the instant they solidified, dodging ethereal bites. It was a dance of death in the dim light. He moved like lightning, his enhanced senses piercing their shadowy camouflage.
"Awoooo!" One wolf lunged, its form dissolving into shadow mid-leap, aiming to reform inside his guard. Lucian reacted instantly, spinning low, his spear sweeping in a horizontal arc that caught the reforming wolf across its midsection. "Slice!" The wolf dissipated with a final, agonizing howl.
The others pressed the attack, but Lucian was too fast, too precise. One by one, they fell to his spear.
[You have killed a Level 26 Shadow Wolf. 150 XP. 26 Kill Points.]
[You have killed a Level 26 Shadow Wolf. 150 XP. 26 Kill Points.]
... (x3 more)
[Kill Points: 817]
Wiping spectral residue from his spear, Lucian pressed on. He found a small cave emitting a faint, alluring scent. Inside, guarded by a hulking beast that looked like a cross between a bear and an insect, with multiple glowing red eyes and sharp mandibles, was a cluster of glowing blue herbs.
[Level 28 Cavern Guardian]
[Soul-Soothing Herb (Rare Resource)]
The Guardian shrieked and charged, its mandibles clicking nacingly. This fight took a bit more effort. The creature's carapace was incredibly tough, deflecting several of Lucian's initial thrusts. It spat corrosive acid and swung powerful, clawed limbs. Lucian had to rely on his agility, dodging the acid spits, weaving between the clumsy but powerful swipes, looking for a weak spot. He noticed a slight gap in the armor plating under its forelimb. Waiting for his mont, he feinted high, then dropped low as the Guardian swiped, thrusting his spear precisely into the gap. "Shhhnk!" The spearhead sank deep. The Guardian roared, thrashing wildly, but Lucian held firm, channeling energy through the spear. With a final shudder, the beast collapsed.
[You have killed a Level 28 Cavern Guardian. 190 XP. 28 Kill Points.]
[Kill Points: 845]
He quickly harvested the Soul-Soothing Herbs, recognizing them as valuable ingredients for potions that aided ntal recovery and focus. A nice bonus. Stowing them securely.
Although they weren't useful to him, he could sell the herb for a massive about of relic coins or credits. Though, Lucian would prefer relic coins instead of credits.
Converting credits into relic coins was more expressive than converting relic coins into credits.
Reviews
All reviews (0)