Lucas immediately sent his fire elemental spirit charging into battle. The little spirit glowed with fierce orange flames, flashing its fiery fists as if daring the hulking Minotaur to fight.
Drawing close to the Minotaur's chest, the fire spirit unleashed Flame Burst, blasting intense heat directly onto its target. With a resounding "boom," flames erupted, scorching the Minotaur's fur, filling the air with the acrid smell of burnt hair.
But instead of falling, the Minotaur shook itself, inspecting the burn on its chest before letting out a roar so loud it shook the ground. Lucas took a step back, muttering, "Guess this guy's got thicker skin than I thought; regular hits won't cut it."
Lowering its horns, eyes blazing, the Minotaur charged at the fire spirit. The spirit dodged just in time, though it still felt the force of the Minotaur's charge, dimming slightly as it steadied itself in the air.
"This beast has some serious muscle," Lucas murmured, quickly casting an Elemental Barrier on himself and his spirit. The blue light of the barrier absorbed the Minotaur's impact, allowing the fire spirit to recover and ready its next attack.
Frustrated, the Minotaur raised its giant battle axe, jumping high into the air. When it landed, the earth trembled, kicking up dust as the ground cracked—its Earthquake Stomp in full effect. Lucas and his spirit quickly dodged out of harm's way, barely avoiding the devastating impact.
With the Minotaur momentarily focused on its own weapon, Lucas unleashed Fire Pillar. His fire spirit mirrored him, creating a dual-cast that accelerated their combined power and speed.
Two massive columns of flame erupted around the Minotaur, trapping it within scorching walls. The intense heat charred its thick hide as it stumbled, wheezing under the relentless fire until, finally, it collapsed to the ground, defeated.
As the Minotaur fell with a heavy thud, Lucas's experience bar shot up. He grinned, rubbing his chin with satisfaction. "This camp's a goldmine for grinding—great view, perfect targets!"
He explored the camp, finding several more Minotaurs lumbering around. Each one looked as muscular as the last, gripping battle axes and clearly assuming they owned the place. But Lucas wasn't buying it.
Not holding back, he summoned an ice elemental spirit to assist. With his upgraded mana pool, he could now handle two elementals simultaneously. "With fire and ice at my side, these Minotaurs are toast."
Fire and ice spirits launched coordinated attacks, trapping the Minotaurs between scorching flames and piercing ice. The once-imposing beasts barely had time to react before they hit the ground in defeat. Within a few rounds, the camp became Lucas's personal training ground.
Refreshed from a quick mana break, Lucas resumed grinding with boosted efficiency. His experience bar climbed as if he were riding a rocket.
Wave after wave of combat pushed Lucas closer to his goal. Finally, after relentless battles, his assassin character hit level 10!
"Time to see what I unlocked," he muttered excitedly, opening the skill tree. The screen glowed with three brand-new skills, each more enticing than the last:
Shadow Step
Teleport behind enemies to dodge attacks or launch surprise strikes. Low energy cost, ideal for critical hits.
Double Backstab
Deals extra damage when hitting enemies from specific angles. Unseen strikes inflict double damage and cause a bleed effect that deals extra damage for 3 seconds.
Assassin's Mark
Marks a target, increasing all incoming damage for 10 seconds—perfect for big monsters or bosses during long fights.
Lucas's eyes gleamed as he reviewed the options. "Ah, too bad I can't pick all of them!" He skimmed through the descriptions, deep in thought.
"Since I'm juggling multiple classes, skill synergy is everything. Choosing complementary abilities might lead to some powerful combos later on."
Smiling, Lucas made his choice, locking in his next big move.