Chapter 95
Tring!
{Mission Accomplished}
{Boss level beast killed}
{Rewards will now be distributed}
{Rewards: 5000XP for killing a goblin boss; 5 INT stat for creatively defeating the beast.}
Now Max’s XP had gone from 1,360 to 6,360 while his INT stat increased from 46 to 51.
Sadly, he didn’t level up from the kill, and the fact stung a little as he stared at his system screen while huffing and panting.
Before he could complain further, the screen flickered again.
{Congratulations! New Skill received}
"Huh? Now that’s interesting." Max muttered, a wide grin spreading across his face as he quickly opened the details.
{Skill na: Ruler Hand}
’Huh? Ruler Hand? What the hell is with this skill?’
{Description: This skill allows host to lift anything without directly touching. Be it creatures, humans, or objects, he can lift them. Skill can also call back host’s weapon from wherever it is back into his hands.}
’That’s odd. Didn’t I see the hamr goblin call back its hamr earlier? So how did I get this skill all of a sudden after killing it? Wait... if I can lift humans or creatures with this skill, why didn’t the goblin use it earlier too?’ Max thought as he rubbed his temples, frowning deeply while staring at the dead beast in front of him.
"What are you thinking, brother?" Jake asked as he strode over, grinning as if the fight had been nothing but a morning jog.
"I said don’t call ...you know what? Nevermind, again." Max sighed, waving his hand dismissively. His face was carved with irritation, but Jake’s face lit up like he had just won a jackpot.
’Who could guess that soone as cheerful and smiley as him is dangerously strong? Dude could beco an A-ranked hunter in no ti if he wanted.
With his strength, he’s easily the type to fit into the bully category in many of the novels I read. So why is he so kind to ? Who even is he really? Is he truly the son of one of the kings?’ Max mused silently, eyes narrowing slightly.
"That was an aweso job!" Jim’s ecstatic voice suddenly cut through Max’s thoughts with glee. He walked over with a bright smile on his face, actual stars practically shining in his eyes.
"From the 1v1, to the punches, kicks, dodges, and finally, that slingshot move. That was crazy creative, by the way." Jim added, his tone dripping with excitent.
Jake scratched his head and chuckled nervously. "Yeah. I guess we did a good job. Right, Max?" He nudged the dragon hunter on the shoulder.
"I guess so." Max shrugged nonchalantly, his tone calm but his eyes still faintly glowing with lingering energy.
"Yeah, we did. But..." a cold voice interjected, slicing through the mood like a blade. The group turned around to see Lana approaching with Jasmine’s help.
She was clutching her side in pain, her breathing heavy. One hand was wrapped firmly around Jasmine’s neck for support as they staggered forward. Despite her condition, her piercing gaze didn’t waver.
"One person hasn’t done his job yet."
"Who do you speak of?" Jake asked, one eyebrow arched as he folded his arms.
"The weakling among us. Remind , what was his job again?" Lana asked sharply, her expression laced with scorn as she scanned the group.
The stars that had been dancing in Jim’s eyes shattered instantly. His face fell into a resigned grimace as he let out a long sigh and trudged toward the corpses of the dead bosses.
"Yeah, yeah. I rember my duty. Tch!" he scoffed bitterly, crouching down as he began the unpleasant work of extracting the beast crystals.
The mont he pulled the glowing cores free, the corpses began to twitch unnaturally. Their flesh shriveled, decaying at a rapid rate, until within monts, their bodies crumbled into fine ash that drifted into the air.
Max’s eyes narrowed slightly. The sight reminded him of sothing unsettlingly familiar.
’This process... it’s exactly like the demon I killed. When I struck it down, its body turned to ash and vanished the sa way. Don’t tell ... these beasts and demons share sothing in common?’
A chill crawled down his spine at the thought, but he clenched his fists and buried the unease. Whatever the connection was, he would uncover it sooner or later.
’I wonder if they are linked sohow,’ he thought, a deep frown etched across his face. ’Thinking of demons, I need to level up and evolve soon. Who knows the type of demon I will face next? And who knows, the demon might just be stronger than anything I’ve ever faced before.’
’Pix! You still haven’t told the demon hierarchy yet. How am I supposed to protect myself the next ti if I don’t even know the enemy I’ll be facing?’ Max demanded internally, his brows furrowed as he felt the small spirit sigh in his mind.
"I’m not supposed to tell you anything until you evolve, but I think I can make an exception. You at least need to know what you’re getting yourself into," Pix replied calmly. "But right now, this isn’t the place. We can’t say anything here until we get back, so hold it in till then."
’You better keep your word,’ Max scoffed inwardly.
"I always do. I ain’t no liar, and betrayal isn’t in my nature. I’m not a human. So calm down until we return," Pix retorted with a hint of annoyance.
’If this was when I was still human, I would have argued that was a wrong notion. But right now, after everything I’ve gone through, I actually agree with you. Humans are evil, untrustworthy, and manipulative, with hearts darker than demons.
They will kill, cheat, and shatter your trust just to satisfy their desires. They don’t care if it hurts the other person or not. As long as they are comfortable and smiling, then everything else can burn. I hate them so much, especially won!’ Max declared inwardly, his fists clenching so tightly that his nails bit into his palm.
"Yet you still keep a harem of won. Kek! So hypocritical," Pix chuckled loudly inside Max’s mind, the laughter bouncing mockingly in his head. Max only scowled and waved a hand dismissively, refusing to take the bait.
"Alright! I’m done," Jim suddenly announced, his voice sharp as he stood up. His hands were soaked in crimson, still dripping with blood after rummaging through the beast’s insides.
’The association really needs to give us proper equipnt for this. Sothing to make the process easier, faster, and less disgusting,’ he muttered inwardly with a grimace before pulling out the glowing beast crystals and storing them in the pouch with the others.
"Alright then, let’s move before the gate closes. Otherwise, we’ll end up trapped inside this cursed place," Jake reminded them, his tone stern.
With a final glance at the corpse behind them, they all gritted their teeth and sprinted into the dense forest, each step pounding against the earth as they raced against ti. Branches snapped, leaves tore beneath their boots, and the air grew heavier the closer they got.
In only a few minutes, the group finally broke through the last thicket and arrived before the swirling portal. Its surface rippled like water yet buzzed faintly with crackling energy, the sound sharp against their ears. Without wasting a single second, they went through one after another, their figures vanishing into the glowing vortex.
And finally, Max was the last to step in. He hesitated only for a breath, casting one last look at the forest behind him before striding forward. The instant he crossed, the portal swirled violently, warped, twisted, and then snapped shut with an electric-like buzz that echoed across the silence.
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