Alex materialized in the [Fox Tribe Village], greeted by the gentle rustling of leaves and the rhythmic clash of weapons echoing through the courtyard.
The familiar scene before him brought a small smile to his face.
Alice sat beneath a massive tree as she watched with quiet amusement as Aurelia and Alera sparred in the open training ground.
The two women moved with a fluid grace, their movements precise and calculated.
Aurelia’s [Shadow Control Daggers] floated around her, dark and sleek, their edges pulsing faintly as if absorbing the surrounding light.
Alera, on the other hand, wielded her [Frost Spear], its icy blue surface glinting as she twirled it expertly.
Each strike she made left a shimmering trail of frost in the air, a testament to her mastery over ice magic.
The contrast between them was striking: shadow and frost locked in a deadly dance.
“Why are they fighting?” Alex asked, sitting next to Alice.
“Aurelia said she wanted to test her strength.” Experience more on empire
“Fair.”
Alera made the first move, thrusting her spear with lightning speed, sending a sharp gust of icy wind toward Aurelia.
But Aurelia was faster.
She sidestepped gracefully, her daggers spinning through the air like black vipers, aiming for Alera’s exposed side.
Clang!
Alera deflected the daggers with the shaft of her spear, frost creeping along its length.
She countered with a sweeping arc, forcing Aurelia to retreat momentarily.
With a flick of her wrist, Aurelia recalled her daggers, their dark forms snapping back into her hands.
Her eyes glimmered with focus as she feinted left, then disappeared entirely, reappearing behind Alera using her skill, [Shadow Blink].
Caught off guard, Alera spun on her heel, her spear whipping around to parry a swift strike.
“You’re fast,” she admitted, her voice steady despite her quickened breaths, “And stronger than the first time we met.”
“And you’re relentless,” Aurelia replied, her tone calm but her gaze unwavering.
Alera smirked and thrust her spear again, this time summoning sharp shards of ice that shot forward like crystalline bullets.
Aurelia twisted and flipped, her form a blur of motion as she avoided the frost projectiles.
Her daggers floated around her, ready to strike at a moment’s notice.
The icy ground provided Alera with a solid foundation, and her agility allowed her to easily rush.
On the other hand, Aurelia had a hard time, and her daggers weaved intricate patterns in the air, cutting off Alera’s attack routes.
Alera growled softly, slamming the edge spear into the ground.
A shockwave of frost spread outward, coating everything in a thin layer of ice.
“Let’s see how you handle this!”
Aurelia remained unfazed.
The cold didn’t bother her; it only sharpened her senses.
She leapt into the air, her daggers responding to her mental commands.
They circled Alera like vultures, forcing her into a defensive stance.
With one decisive motion, Aurelia sent her daggers flying in a pincer attack.
Alera spun her spear to deflect them, managing to block one dagger, but the second grazed her shoulder, leaving a thin line of red.
“Not bad,” Aurelia said as she recalled her daggers.
She confirmed that she could hurt Alera, even though she was a level 500 NPC.
Alex had been silently observing, his arms crossed as he analyzed their movements.
Both had improved significantly: Aurelia’s mastery over her [Shadow Control Daggers] was nearly flawless, and Alera’s frost magic had become more refined and versatile.
But Alex wasn’t just watching for the sake of entertainment; he was thinking ahead, about the challenges they would soon face.
As the sparring match ended in a draw, Alex stepped forward, his presence commanding immediate attention.
“You’re both improving,” he said, his voice cutting through the stillness, “But we need to get stronger to get rid of that boss.”
Alera, who wasn’t here, frowned while gripping her spear tightly, “How strong are we talking?”
“Strong enough to kill all three of us in seconds,” Alex replied bluntly. “This next boss isn’t like the others. It’s fast, too fast. Even I couldn’t detect it until it was too late.”
Aurelia’s eyes narrowed. “So, what’s the plan?”
Without a word, Alex opened his [World Map], the glowing interface displaying various locations.
He pointed to a marked area labeled [Cave of Oblivion].
“I’m going there alone,” he said. “You three take the time to rest.”
“What?” Alera and Aurelia exclaimed in unison.
“Why?” Alice finished
“Don’t worry about me,” Alex reassured them. “I’ll handle the grinding and preparations. You’ve earned a break.”
Before they could protest further, Alex joined them for a meal, enjoying the brief moment of peace.
As they finished, he stood and activated his teleportation skill.
“See you later,” he said with a wave, vanishing in a flash of blue light.
“We can do whatever we want now,” Alice sighed as Alex departed, “Alera, wanna go to a city or something, we can also go to another zone.”
“Hm… why not, we can also grow stronger in the way.”
Back to Alex, he appeared inside the [Cave of Oblivion], more specifically in the middle of the [Heart of Calamity Chamber].
This was where he had first sealed the [Three-Headed Hydra] using the [Heart of Calamity].
[This place feels familiar,] a voice echoed in his mind.
It was the [Heart of Calamity], its tone calm yet laced with an eerie undertone.
At first, it didn’t even seem to acknowledge his existence or interact with him, yet slowly but surely it had started helping him and talking to him.
Maybe the reason was because it was inside of him and thus could see everything he was going through?
[Do what needs to be done.]
Alex grinned. “Let’s get started.”
He had spent countless hours grinding in this cave before, raising his stats to be able to use [Demonic Spear].
Now, with his newly unlocked [Bleeding Claws], the process would be much faster.
A rustling sound alerted him to the presence of enemies.
Emerging from the shadows, a pack of monsters revealed themselves.
[Shadow Dire Wolf – Level 400 – Superior Monster]
[HP: 25,000,000]
[Shadow Great Serpent – Level 420 – Legendary Boss Monster]
[HP: 30,000,000]
[Scorpion of Oblivion – Level 450 – Legendary Boss Monster]
[HP: 33,000,000]
Alex smirked at their health bars.
“Bleeding Claws,” he muttered, his left arm transforming into wicked, crimson claws radiating a malevolent aura.
The monsters hesitated, their instincts warning them of imminent danger.
But it was too late.
Alex dashed forward, his claws slashing through the air with lethal precision.
Each swipe resulted in a shower of blood and the swift demise of one or more enemies.
Within a single minute, the entire pack lay lifeless on the cavern floor.
[Please extraction something.]
Ding!
[+33 Attribute Points Packs]
[+25 Superior Attribute Points Packs]
“…” Alex couldn’t help but grin at the sight, if he continued like this for a month, then he would truly be able to kill level 1,000 monsters.
He felt even stupid for no doing that before, but to be honest, before unlocking his [Bleeding Claws], killing these monsters would have taken more time.
The thought filled him with anticipation.
With his newfound power, grinding in the [Cave of Oblivion] would be both efficient and rewarding.
“Let’s clear this place,” he said, stepping deeper into the cave, ready for whatever came next.