The air was thick, heavy with tension and the acrid scent of blood. Akira turned to the party, his cold, pale eyes scanning them with a sharp, unyielding intensity. His mere presence silenced any lingering doubts they might have harbored.
"You need to know something," Akira began, his voice firm and resolute, carrying an almost chilling edge. "I'm going to kill every last one of them." He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. "But afterward, I'll be completely drained."
His gaze shifted to the dwindling number of Aqua Genea, their snarls growing more desperate. Under his breath, he muttered, "That is the case, if I don't get enough experience to level up."
The gravity of his declaration fell like a stone among his companions. Grido's jaw clenched, his brow furrowing as he processed the implications. "Akira," he said, his voice low and measured, "are you saying that after this, you'll have no mana left?"
Anna stepped forward, her daggers glinting in the dim light. Her voice was urgent, laced with concern. "There has to be another way. Victor's wounded, and I'm the only one with more than half my mana left. We can't afford to lose you in this state."
Grido raised a hand, cutting her off. His eyes never left Akira. "He knows what he's doing," he said firmly. "If he's giving us this chance, we'd better take it."
Victor, his fists clenched and lips pressed into a thin line, nodded reluctantly. "Fine," he said, his voice tight with frustration. "But if this goes south, don't expect me to carry your corpse out of here."
Akira didn't respond. Instead, he turned to face the Werehyenas ( Aqua Genea ), his white cold eyes narrowing as he stepped forward. The yellow water rose to his knees, but he pressed on, undeterred. The remaining Werehyenas growled, their predator instincts overcoming their earlier hesitation.
Akira chuckled darkly, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. "Come on, then," he taunted, his tone dripping with defiance.
As the creatures lunged toward him, a memory flashed in his mind—a flashback of him scanning the First Mutated Werehyena with his system. "Lightning," he thought, the memory snapping into clarity.
Time seemed to slow as Akira leapt into the air, his figure silhouetted against the eerie glow of the yellow water below. He raised both hands, palms crackling with white energy. The air vibrated with a growing hum, static electricity prickling the skin of everyone watching.
"White Lightning. Maximum charge," Akira declared, his voice low and steady.
A massive bolt of white lightning formed in his hands, its brilliance illuminating the darkened battlefield. The Werehyenas hesitated, their feral instincts screaming at them to flee. But it was too late.
With a sharp thrust, Akira directed the bolt straight into the water.The ocean became a sea of lightning, each surge carving destruction into the battlefield". The Werehyenas thrashed and screamed, their cries echoing as the lightning tore through them, leaving them paralyzed.
Akira stepped into the electrified water, his boots meeting the surface with calculated precision. His right hand lifted, fingers twitching as countless arcs of lightning swirled around him, forming a halo of crackling destruction.
"Let's finish this," he muttered, his voice cold and final.
The bolts shot forward, each one finding its mark with deadly precision. The AQUA GENEAS didn't stand a chance—not against their weakness. One by one, they fell, their lifeless bodies floating aimlessly on the surface of the yellow ocean.
The party firstly stood in stunned silence, the weight of what they had just witnessed settling over them like a heavy fog. Victor was the first to break the silence, his voice shaky but filled with awe. "What the hell was that? Lightning? Since when can he do that?" He turned to the others, his expression a mix of confusion and disbelief. "I thought he was a close-combat Awakened. Since when is he an elemental user? A mage? What's going on?"
Grido exhaled sharply through his nose, his expression unreadable. "I don't know that but I can say this word for sure 'Impressive'," he admitted, his voice firm. "When it comes to raw power, he's on a level beyond us." His gaze never strayed from Akira as he added grimly, "But he's completely drained now. He won't have anything left for the boss—and neither do we."
Victor's fists clenched, his earlier shock giving way to frustration. "Yeah, he's completely drained, and we're not exactly in top shape either." He gestured to his wounded side, his voice rising. "We can't just rely on him pulling off another miracle!"
Meanwhile Akira stood amidst the corpses of the slain Aqua Geneas, his chest heaving with labored breaths. His body felt heavy, his limbs like lead. Yet, even in his exhaustion, his mind raced.
"Please... let it be enough," he thought desperately. "I need to level up. Without it, I won't recover in time for the boss. If I don't, the others won't stand a chance."
His heart pounded as he waited for the system's reply, his eyes locked on the ghostly glow of the holographic interface that appeared before him.
DING!
[Calculating the experience points earned from defeating the monsters...]
[Congratulations! You have leveled up!]
[+5 Stat Points awarded.]
[Perfected Symmetry in effect. Allocating stat points equally across all attributes: Strength, Agility, Stamina Endurance, and Intelligence increased by +1 each.]
[The user's level has increased, the body will be restored to peak condition.]
A wide grin spread across Akira's face as relief washed over him. "Finally," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "Yes!"
In an instant, a familiar rush flooded his body—his mana surged anew, his stamina fully restored, his strength back at its peak. The exhaustion that had weighed on him moments ago vanished as if it had never existed.
Then, with a final flicker, Soul Infusion deactivated. The white aura that had cloaked his body faded, his eyes returned to their usual dark hue, and the intense power coursing through his veins settled.
Battered and bruised, the others watched as Akira walked back toward them, his expression calm and composed.
"You okay, you crazy kid?" Grido called out, his voice a mix of incredulity and admiration. He shook his head, a slight smirk tugging at his lips. "I think you just shattered your limits back there.We really owe you one for that stunt."
He stepped forward, extending his hand. "And let me just say, the rumors in our guild about you being on par with Captain Imzar—and beating him by sheer luck? What an understatement. You've got so much potential to grow even more."
Akira hesitated for a brief moment before shaking Grido's hand, his grip firm but devoid of pride.
He turned to Victor, who had been silent the entire time, watching Akira with an unreadable expression. Victor's lips parted slightly, but no words came. Instead, he simply nodded, acknowledging Akira in his own way.
Anna approached next, her steps hesitant, her cheeks faintly flushed. She looked up at him, the usual sharpness in her eyes replaced by an unusual softness. "Are you all right?" she asked, her voice tinged with concern. "You pushed yourself so hard. Really, are you okay?"
Akira nodded slightly. "Yeah, I'm fine," he said. "That last attack took every bit of mana I had, but... for some unknown reason, my mana's back, and I feel full of energy again."
But his mind betrayed his calm exterior. "No one needs to know about the system, or how I recover after leveling up, or how I grow stronger faster than anyone else. This excuse—this lie—is fine for now. I don't want to deal with them later, asking how I was able to fight against the boss of the dungeon when I used all my mana in that lightning attack. This is simpler."
"That... that shouldn't be possible," Grido said, his voice full of doubt. "Tell us more. What did you feel? How are you recovered like this?"
"Tch"
Before anyone could answer, the ground shook violently, accompanied by a deafening roar that echoed like an impending disaster. Stones tumbled into the yellow sea as the entire island seemed to tremble.
"What the hell is that?!" Anna cried out, gripping her daggers tightly.
Grido's expression turned grave as he steadied himself. "It's coming," he said, his voice low and urgent. "The boss is coming."
Akira's gaze snapped into focus as he drew his Panthosword once more, the blade gleaming with a deadly light. The shaking intensified, and the sound of waves crashing and stone breaking filled the air.
"Get ready," Grido said, his voice calm but deadly serious. "This isn't over."
The party braced themselves, their eyes fixed on the horizon as the true threat emerged from the depths. The battle was far from finished.