THE SYSTEM I MADE
Chapter 30
"The battle of wits and will"
Alex shook off the flashback, his mind now clear. He knew the Elder Centipede King's strengths and weaknesses better than anyone.
"Now I remember," Alex thought as the chaos of the battle swirled around him.
"Who would have thought I'd end up fighting a creature I once helped create? It's a good thing I remember its design. Both Lucien and Kaidën were able to damage the exoskeleton because their magical abilities have light properties and light is it's weakness, but the monster took safety measures by burrowing underground to buy time to regenerate." He thought to himself.
"Alex! Don't space out in the middle of a battle!" Kaidën's voice cut through Alex's thoughts, a warning as he dodged another attack from the Elder Centipede King.
"Just give me a moment," Alex replied, his mind racing. "The weaknesses are the joints. If we can just destroy its joints, we can minimize its movements and deal massive damage. That's our only option, and since Kaidën's magic is star magic, which has light properties, we have the advantage."
"Kaidën!" Alex shouted, his voice urgent. "I figured out a way to defeat the Elder Centipede King. We need to focus on destroying its joints. Its weakness is light!"
Kaidën nodded, his eyes narrowing with determination. "Got it, Alex. Let's do this!"
The battle resumed with renewed intensity. Kaidën summoned every ounce of his magical energy, casting "Star Magic: Constellation Chains" to bind the creature. The celestial chains wrapped around the centipede's massive form, constricting its movements.
"Star Magic: Meteor Shower!" Kaidën cast, aiming for the joints. Stars fell like rain, striking the creature's weak points with unerring precision.
Despite their efforts, the Elder Centipede King fought back fiercely. It lashed out with its tail, sending Kaidën sprawling. The Grandmaster student got back on his feet, but his magical energy was running dangerously low.
< Movements will decrease by 45%>
< Reaction speed decreased by 30%>
< Agility decreased by 40%>
AIDA's voice announced, as these notifications appeared on the systems interface screens.
"Damn it," Alex muttered, gritting his teeth. "We can't afford to slow down now."
Kaidën managed to destroy several joints, but the last one proved elusive. The Elder Centipede King roared, its massive form thrashing wildly. Just as all seemed lost, Lucien burst onto the scene, his body glowing with light magic.
"Light Magic: Solar Flare!" Lucien shouted, unleashing a blinding light that temporarily blinded the monster.
Alex seized the opportunity.
"AIDA, take out my sword from the inventory " he commanded, as he pulled a sword from the interface screens before him. He grasped it, feeling a surge of energy as he imbued it with sword aura. Dark purple energy crackled along the blade's edge. (Nightshade blade dance aura specifically)
"Take this!" Alex yelled, throwing the sword with all his might. It flew through the air, striking the last joint with pinpoint accuracy. The dark purple aura penetrated the exoskeleton, shattering the joint.
The Elder Centipede King let out a final, deafening roar as it collapsed, its body writhing in its death throes. Alex, Kaidën, and Lucien stood victorious, their breaths coming in ragged gasps.
"We did it," Kaidën said, a weary smile spreading across his face.
Lucien smirked. "Looks like we make a pretty good team after all."
Alex, exhausted but relieved, nodded.
Kaidën gave Alex a look of genuine respect. "You did well, Alex. Damon said you were weak, but you've proved him wrong today."
The principal and councilors, watching through the magical screens, were equally impressed. "To think a freshman could contribute so much," Councilor Roderick remarked.
Principal nodded in agreement. "Kaidën's team ... They've shown remarkable courage and skill. This battle will be remembered for a long time."
As the dust settled and the Elder Centipede King lay defeated, a series of notifications appeared before Alex, Kaidën, and Lucien.
Elder Centipede Exoskeleton :
- Type: Material
- Description: A durable and regenerative exoskeleton piece from the Elder Centipede King. Can be used to craft powerful armor or weapons.
Centipede King's Venom:
- Type: Alchemical Ingredient
- Description: Highly toxic venom that can be used in potion-making or applied to weapons for additional damage.
Regenerative Core:
- Type: Special Item
- Description: A core that grants regenerative abilities. Can be integrated into equipment to provide self-repair capabilities.
- Bonus: +10% damage to insect-type monsters
Elder Centipede Shield:
- Type: Shield
- Description: A shield crafted from the Elder Centipede King's exoskeleton. Highly durable with a unique regenerative property.
- Stats: +50 Defense, +20% Damage Reduction, +10% Regeneration Rate
- Special Ability: "Centipede's Fortitude" - Grants temporary invulnerability for 5 seconds when health drops below 20% (cooldown: 1 hour).
As Alex reviewed the notifications, a satisfied grin spread across his face. "Wow, these are some really nice items," he muttered to himself, scrolling through the list of rewards. "I even got a skill upgrade, and I have enough points as well."
He glanced at the weapons section of the store, mentally noting which items he wanted to purchase. "There are some weapons I need to buy at the store. I'll re-arrange everything tonight before going to sleep."
Opening his inventory, he began to store the new items and rewards. "For now, I'll just store everything in the inventory," he said, feeling a sense of accomplishment. The day had been challenging, but the rewards made it all worthwhile.
As he finished organizing his inventory, Kaidën's team; Lara, Alex, Kaidën, and Lucien began to make their way out of the dungeon. The walls that had once seemed so foreboding now felt like a conquered realm, a testament to their hard-fought victory.
Emerging into the sunlight, they saw other teams gathered outside, some looking worse for wear, while others appeared triumphant. A large screen created with magic that displayed the current rankings of the teams that had cleared their respective dungeons.
Lucien squinted at the screen and smirked. "Oh look, Damon's team has already cleared the dungeon." He pointed to the top of the list where Team Damon was proudly displayed at number one.
Kaidën glanced at the screen, his eyes closing briefly as a smirk formed on his lips. "Hm, I see they beat us to it."
Alex looked at the screen, noting their own team's rank at number four. "Not bad for a team that got separated and had to deal with a giant centipede," he said, shaking his head slightly.
"Not bad at all," Lucien added, wiping the sweat from his brow. "I'd say we did pretty well, considering."
Kaidën looked over at Alex, his expression serious but with a hint of admiration. "You did well, Alex. For someone who got separated and fought alone, you held your own."
Alex nodded, appreciating the acknowledgment. "Thanks. And you guys weren't too shabby either."
As they stood there, catching their breath and observing the other teams, the principal and councilors approached, their expressions a mix of pride and curiosity.
Principal Alden addressed them first. "Congratulations on a job well done. Your performance was impressive, especially given the circumstances."
Councilor Elara added, "We were particularly impressed with how you all handled the Elder Centipede King. That was no small feat."
Kaidën nodded. "Thank you, Principal, Councilor. We did our best."
Councilor Roderick looked at Alex with a raised eyebrow. "And you, Alex, showed remarkable resilience and ingenuity. Not many freshmen would have survived, let alone contributed so effectively."
Alex shrugged modestly. "I just did what I had to do. We all did."
Lucien smirked, nudging Alex with his elbow. "You can admit it, Alex. You were pretty awesome back there."
Alex rolled his eyes but smiled. "Alright, maybe a little."
Team Kaidën has cleared the dungeon.
Current Ranking: 4th Place
Top Teams:
1. Team Damon
2. Team Fiona
3. Team Marcus
4. Team Kaidën
5. XXXX
6. XXXX
7. XXXX
8. XXXX
9. XXXX
10. XXXX
Rankings of team who cleared the Dungeon were displayed in the screens.
.....
(THE SAME DAY)
(ACADEMY CAFETERIA)
Alex sat alone in the bustling cafeteria, lost in thought as he replayed the events of the day in his mind.
Just then, Emily, his group member from potion studies, rushed towards him, her excitement palpable.
"Alex!" she called, weaving through the crowd. "Alex, you won't believe it!"
Alex looked up, surprised. "Emily, what's going on?"
Emily reached his table, catching her breath before she spoke. "I just heard from Professor Elara. You're being promoted to Adept level!"
Alex's fork clattered onto his plate. "Adept level? But freshmen usually get promoted at the end of the year, not during, is it not?."
Emily nodded vigorously. "Exactly! It's incredibly rare for a freshman to be promoted so early. It just proves how strong and capable you are. Professor Elara said your performance in the dungeon and your potion studies were outstanding."
Alex's surprise slowly morphed into a smile. "Wow, that's incredible. Thanks for letting me know, Emily."
Emily grinned. "Speaking of which, I saw the rankings. Your team came in fourth place. That's impressive! My team was only in tenth."
Alex nodded, feeling a mix of pride and gratitude. "Yeah, we worked really hard. It's nice to see it pay off."
Emily's expression turned more serious. "I noticed Ethan hasn't returned yet and I haven't heard from him since he went to resolve his family issues, have you come in contact with him recently?."
Alex frowned. "No, I haven't seen him since that day. I hope everything's okay with his family. He seemed pretty stressed when he left."
Emily sighed. "Yeah, I hope so too. It's just weird not having him around."
Alex nodded in agreement. "I'll try to reach out to him. It's important we stick together, especially now."
The cafeteria buzzed around them, but for a moment, it felt like everything had fallen into place. Alex had taken a significant step forward, and he was ready for whatever came next.