Connor had accomplished his first task of taking control of Julian's stronghold. It was only possible due to his high level, and he realized that he needed to stay on top consistently.
Otherwise, one day, someone would come and snatch everything he worked for, just like he overtook Julian.
Taking one final glance at everyone, he told them to prepare to leave tomorrow and left.
Julian, Elena, and the rest followed him, wondering how he would deal with the fallen tomorrow. Connor stopped midway and turned to look at Elena.
"I am going to start clearing the path ahead. Elena, when I get tired, I'll call for you. Use your Esper transformation and come help me retreat."
Everyone was left stunned at his proclamation. He intended to fight the army of fallen by himself until he got tired. Wasn't his plan too reckless and straightforward?
Hearing his plan, Silvia called out, "Isn't that too risky? You want to fight them all by yourself and only call for Elena when you get tired. What if by the time she comes, you get scratched or bitten?"
"Wasn't it you who told me to use my overwhelming power to save everyone? Now that I am doing it, you still have problems with the way I fight them. Do you have any better option that is less risky?" Connor rebutted Silvia with a hint of annoyance.
"That... I mean if we all could work together—"
"Oh, so you plan to have all of them fight, where one of us could end up becoming fallen and wreak havoc in our team." Connor refuted her ideas again with more annoyance.
"Then are you planning on killing all of them by yourself and growing stronger by farming SP?" Julian caught on to his plan. What he did not know was that Connor had a x2 SP multiplier.
"I am doing it to get those people to safety, but if I am getting SP for it, it is because of the risk I am taking. If not, you are free to join me, but I won't be saving you in case you are in trouble."
Connor didn't give Julian time to think as he jumped out the window from which he had entered the building.
As soon as he landed, he summoned his undead gorilla and gave it a single order, "Destroy everything and everyone."
The undead gorilla ran wild, swinging its arms in fierce motions and sending all the incoming fallen flying through the air. Each giant fist sent a fallen hurtling away like a ball hit by a bat.
Connor also rampaged wildly, unleashing his sword with an explosive amount of mana. He dodged the enemies' attacks and finished each of them with a single swing.
Every move was filled with caution as his mind was in full battle mode.
He fought behind his giant summon, who took the brunt of the incoming enemies. Since the gorilla was unaffected by their scratches, Connor used it as a tank to draw the aggro of the enemies and finish them swiftly by throwing his blade charged with mana.
Connor's strategy was clear: use the gorilla to draw the enemy's fire and finish them off with swift, decisive strikes. It was a clever tactic born of quick thinking and adaptation to the chaotic battlefield, and it worked flawlessly.
The fallen fell by the dozens, their numbers dwindling as Connor and his summon carved a path of annihilation through their ranks.
At one point, they were surrounded on all sides as they drifted from the hospital. There were still many more fallen approaching from all directions, so Connor decided to step up his game, attempting the same move he used to defeat the gorilla.
Connor activated his skill [ Darkness Surge ] and spammed its size back and forth to increase the intensity while atop his summon to create distance from his foes.
This time, he achieved the increased level in just 34 seconds. What followed was Connor controlling the darkness at the edge of his sphere while completely isolating the inside.
The barrier for the field became pitch black while the inside remained dark as usual. After realizing the fault in his execution last time, he improvised it into a better version. He and his summon were safe from disintegration by pushing all the Darkness particles to the edge of the field.
Even though the range was decreased, those who came in contact with the barrier began dissolving in the concentrated darkness.
This improvised version did not require him to be an expert in controlling the mana particles. As he leveled up and grew stronger, each of his AP was spent solely on MP, making his control of mana better than the average rookie.
All he had to do now, with his increased control, was to push the condensed darkness particles to the outer edge and have them compressed.
This increased the intensity sixfold than the first time, making it much easier to kill the group of enemies in one go.
"This has turned to more like a death barrier skill now, but the mental toll it takes to keep the particles away is too much," he said as his vision became blurry, and he started to lose consciousness.
"Not yet, just a bit more," Connor urged himself, gaining many kills as the fallen army marched into his field. They were being pushed by the incoming horde and had no choice but to move forward, unaware of the barrier's deadly nature.
Connor was on the brink of passing out, his mental power drained from converting so much mana in such a short time. The influx of SP from the thousands of kills in just a minute was overwhelming.
His weak core struggled to process the immense strain. His mana veins glowed a fiery red, smoke oozing from his body. Using over 10,000 mana in a minute had taken a severe toll on his internal organs, but still, he resisted unconsciousness.
Finally, after what felt like hours of agony to him, he deactivated the skill and commanded his summon to protect him. He threw his sword high into the air, signaling for Elena's help.
Elena and the others were still reeling from the massacre he had caused. It was only when Alya pointed out his signal that Elena activated her Esper and rushed to Connor's side.
As she neared him, the gorilla was about to attack her as well, but Connor stopped it just in time.
Elena swiftly used her skill, Thunder Arrow, to launch six golden streaks of lightning, two on each side except behind her, clearing the path with lethal efficiency.
The lightning streaks instantly dispatched the fallen, buying enough time for her to reach Connor. She felt the heat radiating from him as he fell against her back. As she opened her mouth to say something, Connor shouted, "Let's go!"
Her demeanor shifted from a worried expression to a determined look as she channeled 40% of her mana into her legs and another 20% to shroud her body in crackling lightning.
The energy surged through her, heightening her senses and boosting her speed beyond normal limits. With a single determined step, Elena and Connor blurred into streaks of light, racing towards the hospital with urgency etched on their faces.
At supersonic speed, they darted towards the entrance. Elena's heart pounded with a mixture of adrenaline and concern for Connor.
As they reached the entrance in just a couple of seconds covering more than 500 meters, she glanced back at Connor, who had fallen unconscious due to her sudden charge. She was relieved that her transformation had protected her but worried about him.
Meanwhile, the rest of the group stood in awe and disbelief, processing the astonishing sight of Elena darting like a comic book speedster.
"They're both incredibly strong," Julian muttered through gritted teeth, his admiration tinged with a hint of resignation.
He realized at that moment that he might not even rank as the second strongest among their group, overshadowed by the sheer power and capability displayed by Elena and Connor.
Connor's monstrous strength and Elena's swift movements made them be seen as saviors by those around them. While some cast envious glances, most could only admire their display of sheer strength and agility.
***********
The Next Day:
Connor groaned as consciousness slowly returned. Attempting to rise, he found himself drained of strength.
"You're finally awake."
The voice, laden with relief, drew his gaze to Elena's concerned eyes.
"How are you feeling now?"
"Pain everywhere," Connor managed with a pained smile, earning a wince from Elena.
"That's what you get for trying to show off," she chided, though her displeasure masked a deeper worry.
"I never knew abusing that skill could come with such side effects. I guess I have to be more careful experimenting with it," Connor replied, inwardly reviewing his gains.
[ Name: Connor Lennox
Race: Human
Class: None
Subclass: Necromancer
Rank: Unranked
Level: 21 (319/2200)
AP: 3
.... ]
His level had jumped by 3 with just the first attempt, and he could still use [Soul Eater] on the corpses to gain more SP.
"You were experimenting with a skill in the middle of a life-or-death battle! Are you insane?" Elena shouted in shock and anger at his lack of caution.
"Relax. It's not the first time I've done this," Connor retorted.
"You mean even when you fought Thor, you were just testing your powers?" Elena's voice rose incredulously.
"Yeah, well... How else am I supposed to face a foe like that unless I risk everything?" Connor defended himself. "I'm doing this for my sisters, so they can live peacefully. No pain, no gain."
"Are you a gambler? Don't you fear death? Have you thought about how they'd feel if you died?" Elena's anger seethed.
"I'm pushing myself to gain strength. Sacrifices are necessary," Connor replied tiredly, feeling the weight of her concern.
"Why do you care?" he challenged, his brow furrowing into a sharp frown.
"Because..." Elena struggled to find the words, her voice softening. "Because you're our leader, our savior. Everyone's life in this building depends on you and your actions."
"Isn't that a selfish expectation?" Connor questioned sharply, his tone laced with frustration.
"I know, but you're our only hope," Elena admitted softly, her gaze shifting away. "Yesterday, you only took out a fraction of their numbers, maybe a tenth. But you gave us all hope. Hope that with time, we can escape to safety." She pleaded with her eyes, and Connor could only sigh in response.
"Alright, I'll be more careful from now on," he conceded reluctantly, raising his hands halfway in a gesture of defeat.
"That won't do. You have to promise me. Promise in the name of your most treasured item or person in the world," Elena insisted firmly, refusing to accept his vague assurance.
"Most beloved thing, huh... Alright." Connor brought his pinky finger forward, a gesture that momentarily puzzled Elena until she realized his intent.
"Isn't that a bit childish?" she asked, her cheeks flushing slightly.
"Your whole act is childish, girl. Now raise your pinky finger or I'm out," Connor retorted with an irritated look, masking his own embarrassment. It reminded him of a childhood habit, making promises like this with his elder sister.
"Alright," Elena agreed reluctantly, lifting her pinky to meet his. Their fingers intertwined briefly as Connor spoke with solemnity,
"I promise to be careful with my fighting style and plans ahead. I swear on my Bugatti Veyron... Oh, fuck," Connor cursed suddenly, the realization hitting him hard that his most treasured car in London might have been destroyed.
"What was that for?" Elena asked, taken aback by his sudden outburst.
"My car... my lovely Veyron... it might have been destroyed," Connor said, his voice cracking slightly with emotion.
"It's just a car, why are you so—"
"It was my most treasured possession I have... or had," Connor's outburst subsided into sadness.
Elena looked at the depressed Connor, his despondent expression tugging at her heart. Uncertain of how to console him, she glanced at the soup she had carefully prepared.
"Anyway, eat this for now... you need to recover."
"I can't," Connor protested weakly.
"Don't be a spoilsport. Eat it while I'm asking nicely," Elena insisted gently.
"No, it's not that I don't want to, but my hands..." Connor gestured towards his hands, which were still weak and uncoordinated.
"Oh... In that case..." Elena hesitated briefly before making a decision. "I'll feed you," she said softly, taking the bowl and preparing to feed him.
"No, that's embarrassing," Connor protested, looking away.
He didn't want to be pampered or coddled like this; this kind of affection was something he had yearned for in the past, but now it felt suffocating and childish.
"Was it not embarrassing when Silvie fed you?" Elena frowned, her voice tinged with disappointment and a hint of jealousy.
"Alright, alright, I give in," Connor relented, quietly accepting his situation.
Both of them felt awkward as they glanced at each other, Connor eating slowly as Elena fed him.
"Could you eat a bit faster?" Elena broke the silence, her discomfort evident.
Connor found himself oddly comforted by this situation. Initially shy, now it didn't seem so bad. It was strangely comforting and warm, despite the awkwardness.
That comfort was quickly interrupted when Elena urged him to eat faster.
As he was about to reply, the door swung open, and another figure walked in.