A tall silhouette loomed over the mist and soon revealed a pale humanoid monster similar to a certain two-digit numbered entity found in the SCP containment.
Pale, hairless, fleshy skin. Limbs that extend over the ground, white eyes, a thin figure, a bloody mouth that has a protruding jaw similar to that of a Predator, and hands that bent with sharp sickles.
It could only be described as a nightmare that you'd see in your sleep. It was horrifying to look and just by being near it alone, one could feel the terrifying dark energy it was releasing that inhaling it almost makes you puke.
"KHUAAAAAAAKK!!"
Its scream was loud and raspy. It inflicted a Fear effect on the two but due to the side effects of the antidote, they were immune.
Lazarus had a good grip on his katana but Xerel stopped him.
"Let me handle this guy."
"Handle him? That thing will kill you. I've fought these guys a couple of times and based on my experience, their foes are meant to be avoided in a head-on fight. You're still young and immature and I can see why you're so antsy but don't be blinded by your confidence, you'll be killed before you even realize it."
Lazarus said to Xerel via Mana Communication as he was worried about what might happen to him.
"Fine, only assist me if things got out of hand."
"..."
Kieh-kik! Kieh-kik!
Ting~
[Aswang
Rank: Enchanted Evolver
Level: 78
HP: 100,000/100,000
State: Hungry]
'I still don't understand how the ranking system works but seeing its level and health, it's a lot stronger than Jude. It would've been better if I could also see its information like Lazarus but now's not the time to fret with that.'
It was hungry in no time, the aswang lunged at him with its mouth open and ready to bite off Xerel's head.
Kwang!
Xerel used the mana blades to block the aswang and pierce it through its skull. He rolled on the side to avoid crashing with the monster and as he looked at its health, Xerel couldn't help but frown.
[97,004/100,000]
'I struck him on the head yet it only took 3% of its health? What the hell is its a weakness then?'
"I can understand how you'd feel. I too thought that aiming for the head would kill it but even if you behead that thing, it still won't die. It will regenerate back after you stop dealing damage in 3 seconds so you must deal damage to it continuously. Do you still wanna fight it by yourself or do you want my help?"
"Thanks but no."
The aswang stood up from its hinged legs and its head rotated 360°. The Mana blades that struck its head dissipated and the wounds that were left were slowly regenerating. There wasn't a single shed of blood almost like it was a lump of flesh and nothing more.
Kieh-kik!
The monster again leaped towards Xerel without any hesitation but Xerel wouldn't repeat the same pattern. He summoned back the blades and started cutting the defenseless limbs bit by bit just to accumulate damage and stop its regeneration from happening.
-100
-102
.
.
.
The aswang didn't care about the blades as it doesn't feel any pain and considering that the damage was simply a tickle, it leaped at Xerel again.
Kieh-kik!
"[Repel]."
Xerel used one charge of [Repel]. The blade of his rapier shun in a black haze and quickly he struck it at where the weak point was showing.
Too!
A ballistic sound of an explosion echoed from the impact of his blade. The left abdomen of the aswang had a drilled hole in it as its health quickly dropped by 70%.
"..!"
Lazarus was spectating and couldn't help but be in awe of what had happened.
Kieh-kik!
The aswang was starting to get agitated after seeing its opened wound. Its dark nails grew by a meter in length and now look like dark blades that emanate the dark element.
Its vibe started to shift as a red aura enveloped its body. Xerel quickly backed away out of Instinct and form a defensive stance.
"Shit! It's going berserk already?"
"It's not berserk, it's one of its attributes. The more you deal damage to it, the stronger it gets. I was surprised that you were able to deal that much damage in a single blow but once it reaches a critical state, its overall properties will be quadrupled."
"Oh, so it's better to kill it in one single blow before it can grow stronger. Hehehe, I get it now."
With a wide grin on his face, Xerel opened his window status.
Ting~
[Player: Xerel
Level: 31 (+22) [LOCKED]
Class: None
+Sub-class- Sorcerer Supreme's Disciple
Title: One in a million (6 more titles)[LOCKED]
Race: Human
State: Thrilled
HP: 600/600 [LOCKED]
MP: 100/100 [LOCKED]
STR: 135 [LOCKED]
AGI: 135 [LOCKED]
INT: 10 [LOCKED]
DEF: 60 [LOCKED]
Status Points: 0 (+220) [LOCKED]]
From killing a thousand Sigbins, Xerel earned 22 more levels. The amount would've been half of that if it weren't for the experience boost that was still active.
'Invest 200 points in strength and 20 in agility.'
Ting~
[Player: Xerel
Level: 31 (+22) [LOCKED]
Class: None
+Sub-class- Sorcerer Supreme's Disciple
Title: One in a million (6 more titles)[LOCKED]
Race: Human
State: Satisfied
HP: 600/600 [LOCKED]
MP: 100/100 [LOCKED]
STR: 135 (+200)[LOCKED]
AGI: 135 (+20) [LOCKED]
INT: 10 [LOCKED]
DEF: 60 [LOCKED]
Status Points: 220 (-220) [LOCKED]]
'Envelope my blade with mana to increase the attack potency and sharpness. Use a charge of [Repel] for penetration. Charge up a magic missile in the tip of the blade and as I strike its weak point, I'll let [Death Touch] do its job.'
Although there were no more blades that dealt damage to it, its regeneration was still not working since it had 8 stacks of [Death Mark] which dealt a portion of its health every second but having it would make it stronger with each second that passed so Xerel had to make sure it to fully stack it quickly to maximize the damage.
"Now, let's do it."
Kieh-kik!
The aswang charged at him with saliva drooling on its face. It began thrashing its nails at him leaving traces of dark energy in the air. Waves of hex flew at a speed of a bullet but Xerel was able to dodge each one of them with the help of his [Heavenly Footwork] that even Lazarus who was spectating nearby couldn't help but be impressed.
Xerel dodged the blows and slashes of the aswang as he charged the magic missile in the tip of his rapier. He absorbed the dark essence around the surroundings and turn it to mana to increase the potency of the spell.
Kieh-kik!
The aswang started twirling around like a whirlwind of blades so Xerel had no choice but to jump on a higher plane. Using the blades as a stepping stone, he avoided the assault of the aswang and as it stopped, he thrust himself at the weak point of the aswang which was conveniently marked in its chest.
Too!
I giant hole appeared on its body and its health fell by 30% but before its regenerative attribute could activate, the magic missile that was charging in the tip of his rapier exploded.
Boom!
Its entire upper half disintegrated but it still had 10% of its health left yet Xerel simply walked away and didn't finish the aswang to check on Lazarus.
"You okay?"
"Uh..-hey! It's still alive!"
The lower half of the aswang started to run towards Xerel but suddenly, its entire flesh reddened in blood and shook violently as it expanded like a balloon and exploded to mush and gore.
Splat!
[Death Mark has been inflicted!]
The full stack of the passive ability meant a sure kill. Xerel simply wipe off the flesh that got on his shoulder as he return his rapier to his inventory.
Ting~
[+501,890 EXP]
[LEVEL UP]
[LEVEL UP]
[LEVEL UP]
.
.
.
.
.
The sound of the system alert was music to his ears and the result of killing the aswang gave him 15 more levels as a result.
"Who are you?"
"You've been asking me that same question every single time."
"No, what I mean is that what are you? I've never had someone fight as you do. You're fighting style is unpolished and mostly derived from experience and instincts and it's also random and unremarkable."
"Are you insulting me?"
"Your magical aptitude is that of a great wizard and your footwork is the best one I've seen in my life. You exude the aura of a weak and pushover man but when you're in a fight, you're as reckless as you are calm."
"Thank you?"
'What is this burning feeling in my chest? It's the same thrill I've forgotten years ago! Back when I was still a Knight of the empire who wishes nothing more but to teach and polish the next generation of knights. That feeling of finding gold in a field full of rocks. It's ecstatic! This kid, I must make him my disciple no matter what!'
Ting~
[Your affinity with Lazarus has increased by 80]
"You are a one-of-a-kind genius of this generation. Your potential is immeasurable. Leaving such an unpolished gem to rot would be a waste."
'A gem doesn't rot through?'
"I will get this straight, become my student!"
"Wha-"
Ting~
[LAZARUS HAS OFFERED TO TEACH YOU HIS WAY OF WEAPONS.
HE WILL PASS ON HIS KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE TO YOU AND WISHES FOR YOU TO BECOME THE STRONGEST KNIGHT SPECIALIZED IN BOTH WEAPON AND MAGIC COMBAT.
BY ACCEPTING HIS OFFER, YOU WILL BE GIVEN THE SUB-CLASS: "WEAPON MASTER" INCLUDING CLASS-RELATED SKILLS EXCLUSIVE TO THE JOB.
DO YOU WISH TO ACCEPT THE OFFER?
Y/N]
'Holy shit another SUB-CLASS! I shouldn't even think twice about this since the job is being a master of all types of weapons! Just that shit is something to die for! I know for a fact that main characters would usually think deeply about this type of offer but I'm not! With this, I wouldn't need to be a genius to learn weapons and this would also help me get the knack of my weapon manifestation using mana.'
"Yes!"
"Good choice."
Ting~
[YOU HAVE BECOME THE DISCIPLE OF THE WEAPON MASTER, LAZARUS!]
[YOU HAVE EARNED THE SUB-CLASS: WEAPON MASTER (INCOMPLETE)]
[CLASS-RELATED QUESTS WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU WHICH WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE COMPLETION OF THE SUB-CLASS]
[SUB-CLASS: Weapon Master (Incomplete)
Attributes:
Weapon Proficiency: Unlocks mastery to all variety of weapons. After reaching a certain percentage of mastery, advance to a higher level of proficiency which opens perks from the specified weapon.
Weapon Aura-(Exclusive Passive): +10% armor penetration when using a weapon. Attack speed is increased by 15%. 20% critical chance. 20% chance of dealing 5 consecutive strikes after dealing a critical strike. Enhances the overall attributes of the weapon which increases depending on the proficiency of the weapon that is being wielded.
True Wielder: Unlocks hidden attributes from a weapon. Understanding of weapons has been greatly Enhanced.]
"...!"
Xerel's eyes grew wide seeing the contents of the sub-class.
'Although it's still an incomplete class, the attributes that were given to me will greatly help me in the level that I am currently at.'
Lazarus couldn't help but be proud to see their reaction to Xerel.
'I've had a lot of students when I was still in the empire but this is my first seeing such grand of an expression. Well, they'd be like this on the first day but when the training starts their expressions will quickly turn 180. My teaching will be harsh and no student has yet completed it so no one has become my official disciple. Even if this kid can't reach the heights that I wished for, I'm sure he'll go far.'
"We'll begin our training once we arrive at the hidden valley. For now, we must enter the Suba Swamp to propose with the guardian, Berberoka."
"Berberoka?"
"Yes, Berberoka is a humanoid siren monster that can speak the Aldean's tongue. He's a neutral monster who likes shiny crystals. Be wary as he speaks spiteful words every time his mouth opened so don't be offended by anything he says. Once we give him this gemstone that I brought, he'll guide us to the hidden valley."
In his hand was a red jewel similar to ruby. Despite its dark and bloody color, it shined bright like a diamond. Xerel was curious as to what it was so he asked.
"What's that jewel?"
"It's the pendant that my late wife gave me. It's made from a bloodstone which increases my vitality by a bit but its effect has long disappeared. I only kept it for sentimental reasons."
"I see...then why would you give it away?"
"There's no point in carrying something of no use to you. It's better to make use of it than to make it a burden."
"Man, don't say that. What would your wife be saying right now if you'd give it to a greedy monster?"
"She'd be thinking the same thing as I am."
"Sigh~ just keep that jewel, just use this one."
Xerel opened his inventory and brought out a high-grade Mana crystal. It was the size of an apple and when Lazarus saw it, with no hesitation, he grabbed his hammer and smashed the crystal to the ground turning it into shards.
Kwang!
"My money!!!"
Xerel exclaimed as he watch the Mana crystal turn into powder due to the multiple smashes that Lazarus threw out.
"Are you crazy? You just show off a life crystal in a deathly forest! It's like holding a live grenade in your hands. We could've died!"
Just as he said it. The powdered Mana crystal was contaminated by the eerie Mana on the environment and sparked in a red flash of flames which disappeared immediately.
"Damn, you should've said it at the beginning."