A few minutes after Ashtarh’s team entered the Thunder Region, Varian followed.
The land where lightning struck every five minutes wasn’t really fun for lighting awakeners except geniuses like Tiama.
But Varian thought he’d be happy.
“This is just too weak. Oh heavens, give me stronger lightning.” He almost yelled if not for the fact that he didn’t want to alert the messengers.
Messengers…they were the people ‘hired’ by these five teams that were competing for the flags.
After all, the original participants in the Solar Trial were in hundreds.
They knew they couldn’t win the competition, but the Theodra Realm itself was full of natural treasures.
As long as they avoided the five areas with the flags, they were free to explore wherever they wished.
Since they had the basic information about the secret realm beforehand, every participant was more or less prepared.
Thus, right after appearing in the Central Plains, they travelled to their chosen region and then rushed to the chosen area in the said region.
After all, just a single treasure would help them a lot.
Of course, once they ventured into areas without flags, they were disqualified and couldn’t participate.
They knew it and didn’t care. All they wanted was to make the best use of this opportunity to grow stronger.
But…there were some that were stay behind and help the five teams. They usually belonged to the same faction as a team member.
For instance, Priscilla Xander was one of the messengers of Charles Xander.
She would keep an eye on the people entering the Thunder Plains and inform Charles of the latest updates.
Or would’ve…
“Sorry, but I’m not sorry.” Varian looked down at the unconscious girl on the ground and said with an unapologetic face.
She was a peak level 5.
And he spotted her early on after entering the Thunder Plains.
So, he hid his presence and using his teleportation plus super speed, knocked her out.
“Oh well, there you go.” Varian gripped her neck and tightened his hand. Priscilla’s body twitched and her face turned pale. Unconsciously, she began to struggle.
Her body tried to transform itself into a snow leopard and defend her, but Varian simply tightened his grip.
Right when his grip was about to break her neck, a light flashed on her body and she disappeared.
“The elimination system works pretty well. I guess Secret Realms aren’t favorite for nothing.” Varian nodded in approval.
Zap!
He covered himself with lightning and rushed forward. Along the way, he kept an eye out for messengers.
Every team had messengers like these scattered throughout the six areas with flags.
If his plans had to go smoothly, Varian shouldn’t fall into the eyes of the messengers.
Or if he did, he shouldn’t be reported.
‘They’ll suspect my motives for appearing here. They might assume I’m Sarah’s messenger, but what would Sarah assume?’
Even Sarah shouldn’t know he’s here or his plan won’t work.
The thick vegetation was slowly disappearing as he went deeper and deeper into the Thunder Plains. But there was a plus side too…
‘Lightning mana here is soooo thick!’ Thick enough that he wished to breathe it in and store it away.
The deeper into the plains, the denser the mana.
“Denser mana means stronger creatures.” He muttered as he easily passed by hundreds of strange creatures.
Rabbits with flashing horns, wolves with golden lighting tails, snakes that spewed out lightning and so on…
But as the creatures’ strength slowly increased, he was met with an obstacle.
“Roar!”
A tall humanoid creature wearing full body armor in grey. Its face wasn’t visible, and given its burly stature and rough breathing, Varian wasn’t interested in finding out its appearance.
He pulled back his arm and punched dout.
Bang!
Despite being able to stop him, it couldn’t bear Varian’s punch.
The armor caved in and his arm pierced through the left chest of the creature before appearing on the outside.
“Ro…ar!”
“Not even useful for Xp.” Varian despised the fallen creature and as if the heaven was pissed, it dropped a lightning bolt.
Rumble!
Varian glanced uninterestedly as the lightning bolt struck his lightning armor. But suddenly, his eyes gleamed.
[Xp+1]
[Lightning Path L4: 866/1000 (+1)]
“Gimme more!” He raised his hands and shouted towards the sky.
“…”
“This is basic courtesy…” He shook his head and dashed forward.
As the mana density increased, so did the strength of the beasts. But they were only in level 5 and didn’t increase his Xp.
But there was the lightning.
Sweet, cute and bright lightning.
Varian wished he could bear all the lightning of the region…provided he wouldn’t die.
[+5 Xp]
[Lightning Path Level 4: 997/1000 (+5)]
“Just a bit more…” He glanced at the sky in anticipation, but like a tsundere, the sky ignored him.
“…Sigh!” Sighing, Varian opened the < Treasures and Items of Theodra Secret Realm>.
“Oh…Thunder Region, Thunder Plains, um, oh, I’m at a cross junction?” He looked ahead and confirmed that there was indeed a mountain range dividing the path into three.
He could go in only one path and the others would be covered the mountains.
On his left was the so-called ‘Thunder Shrine’.
“I can’t touch them for now…” Varian took a deep breath and searched for the location of ‘Fury Mines’.
“…twenty miles from here? Good.” After taking a quick look, he kicked the ground and sprinted.
Soon, he stopped in front of a large crater a few miles wide.
“Fury Mines.” He muttered and slid down. “Enemies are Fury Monkeys.”
As if proving their existence, short moneys with shining tails jumped out from the ground and surrounded him.
Their aura ranged from mid level 5 to peak level 5 and one seemed to be on the verge of advancing to level 6.
“Ka!”
“Ka!”
Varian’s expression didn’t change as he muttered. “Treasures to be found here…Thunder Dynamites.”
He sensed a slight presence below him and teleported away.
Boom!
The ground he was standing on was blown into pieces.
Varian’s lips slowly curled as he unfolded his lighting sense and caught the hundreds of thunder dynamites underground.
Creating thunder dynamites was a special talent of Fury Monkeys. They used these traps to kill their opponents and guard their land.
Fortunately for him, and unfortunately for them, Varian’s goal was to get as many thunder dynamites as possible.
“Sorry, monkeys.” His eyes turned cold and a sword appeared in his hands.
Rumble!
Lightning struck him from the heavens and the system prompted.
[+3 Xp]
[Lightning Path Level 4: 1000/1000 (+1)]
[Advancing]