Chapter 127.: Achievement (3)
“Spit, it hurts like hell.”
I mused aloud, standing on the barrier I created in the air, spitting out a mixture of blood and saliva.
「You are the first player to be promoted to the Gold rank! Reputation increases by 200.」
A message similar to the one I received when I was promoted to Silver followed the third awakening.
But I barely registered it. The metallic stench of blood rising with each breath was overwhelming.
It seemed I had bitten the inside of my mouth during the awakening.
Ever since becoming Gold rank, my senses had become much sharper, making my own blood smell repulsive.
The aftermath of the awakening hadn’t completely faded.
The sensation of my flesh, muscles, bones, and organs disassembling and reassembling at an elemental level.
The additional awakening process was indescribably painful.
During which I wanted to let go of my consciousness several times.
But I didn’t for one simple reason.
“If I let go and can’t wake up again, it’s over.”
It was sheer stubbornness and tenacity that kept me hanging on.
Thanks to that, I could make use of the opportunity provided by Karlos’s authority.
I looked back at the general-rank and the “Evolved Species” that had fallen like bowling pins behind, rotating my arms and shoulders.
It was to check my changed body. The outcome drew a dry laugh from me.
“It’s phenomenal.”
From fingers, arms, shoulders, back, abdomen, thighs, calves, to feet.
I could feel the denser muscles all over my body.
The change brought back to my mind something I heard somewhere.
“Was it from a documentary?”
Carnivores have small muscle fibers, resulting in a high density, each fiber exerting two to three times the power of humans.
This perfectly described the transformation within my body.
With this body, I felt like I could play around with the 5-star Evolved Species.
“Kyaaa!”
“Kieek!”
Yet, seeing the throngs of Evolved Species below made me feel overwhelmed.
The thought of diving into those creatures made me sigh.
But I had to absorb mana as quickly as possible.
“If I’m not careful, I’ll have to go through the third awakening twice.”
That was something I really wanted to avoid.
Of course, that wasn’t the only reason.
The dozens of pairs of eyes looking up at me from within the Divine Canopy.
Some belonged to children whose names I didn’t even know.
“I don’t suddenly want to be a hero or swayed by sympathy.”
From the moment I recognized the Evolved Species’ assault, a number lingered in my mind.
“The fall of Callum Castle was eight years ago.”
Yet, more than half the children weren’t even eight years old.
The world they knew was nothing but a farm where monsters devoured adults.
Recalling such simple facts brought Bolvita the Baron’s voice ringing in my ears.
“Make sure to get them to a safe place.”
The unexpected words still resonated within me as I replied. There was no backing down.
“At least I’ll keep my word.”
Drawing my shoulders back and contracting my back muscles, I tightened my grip on my spear.
“Hoo.”
I began twirling the spear in a figure-eight pattern, murmuring to myself.
“17 minutes.”
After verifying the remaining time on my timer, I pinpointed the direction where the general-rank was flung and leapt downwards.
“Reduce the numbers before it returns.”
Then, with the spear engulfed in red mana, I impaled the Evolved Species directly below.
Stepping onto the ground soaked with black blood, I swung the spear, striking the Evolved Species surrounding me.
The backs of 5-star Evolved Species bent at bizarre angles from the spear’s blow.
Once the downed beasts were dealt with using attribute mana, mana exceeding hundreds of thousands was absorbed.
“Hoo.”
Just a single swing, with a single swing of the spear, neutralized six or seven 5-star Evolved Species.
The power of a player awakened to Gold rank was beyond my expectations.
Glimmer-eyed, I pounded on the ground with every intention to sweep all Evolved Species.
At that moment.
「Kerak’s will acknowledges the player’s intent.」
「For 10 minutes, attribute mana is amplified by 1000%.」
A completely unexpected message appeared at an unforeseen moment.
If I said I wasn’t astonished, it would’ve been a lie, but I didn’t dwell on it.
As soon as I felt the familiar sensation of a balloon inflating inside me, I instinctively arranged my mana.
Reading through the 2,000-page mana arrangement manual I received from Ahel, I recalled an elemental magic of the lightning type.
Though a simple form of elemental magic, it required about 100,000 attribute mana for implementation.
Having invested days memorizing the arrangement, believing a day would come to use it.
The lightning-type mana, which moved freely at my will, arranged itself swiftly.
「A fiery thunderbolt is forming.」
Crack!
The system message popped up, and lightning descended from a clear sky.
White flames began to spread from the spot where the lightning struck.
The phenomenon is called ‘white fire’, which only occurs above temperatures exceeding 1,000 degrees Celsius, engulfed the surroundings whole.
Given it was a magic that consumed 100,000 units of 5-grade attribute mana, it lived up to its potency.
The flames began devouring the evolved species greedily.
Even I, who implemented the magic, wasn’t exempt from its effects.
Feeling my flesh cooking, I instinctively covered my body with remaining attribute mana.
Yet, the sensation of my skin being scorched was vivid.
If it was challenging for me, with grade-5 attribute mana, the simplistic resistance against magic the Evolved Species had paled.
“Kieee!”
The screams from the Evolved Species consumed by the white fire echoed incessantly.
“Gasp!”
With those cries came an overwhelming rush of mana pouring into me.
From as little as 80,000 to as much as 100,000 per creature, an astounding amount of corrupted mana began its absorption.
Since I had disbanded the party to absorb as much mana as possible, I had to withstand the repercussions of absorbing the corrupted mana alone.
Contrary to the increase in mana I experienced borrowing authority, an internal transformation, this influx rushed at me from the outside.
Standing amidst a torrent of mana, the sensation felt akin to being caught within a waterfall.
As if I’d be washed away at any moment, within the intense flow of mana, the chaos rating began to skyrocket.
From 10% to 20%, then again to 30%.
The chaos rating climbed sharply, quickly surpassing my limit.
Although it was excruciating, an odd thrill accompanied the pain.
Within the pandemonium engulfed by the white fire, I danced between thrill and pain.
In a dazed state, as though drunk or drugged, faint noises reached my ears.
Screech, screech.
“Kurururu…”
The general-rank, who had returned, stood not too far away, writhing more violently than when I first saw it.
Unlike me, who could barely manage, it wasn’t immune to the effects of the white fire.
Seeing the white fire clinging to its ever-twitching body made it evident.
“The grade-5 elemental magic is effective.”
Smiling coolly, I flicked my fingers.
“Kuluk!”
As if understanding the provocation, the general-rank promptly used magic.
Sensing the mana shifting around my neck, I immediately twisted my torso.
Sure enough, the space where my neck was moments ago began distorting.
Had I not dodged, my head would’ve been cleanly severed from my body.
A hair-raising situation, oddly enough, made me chuckle.
As adrenaline surged within me, I could feel the thrill even amidst a life-and-death battle.
The memory of sparring with Ahel, who always teased my nerves with a gentle smile, ignited my fighting spirit.
Besides, I was already in a foul mood.
The creature decided to wreck my peaceful evening, leading to a nocturnal nightmare.
And there was pent-up frustration from the pain I endured through the third awakening.
So, I decided to vent my frustrations on the general-rank eagerly.
“You’re dead meat.”
I thrust my spear directly toward the creature’s head.
Instead of dodging, the general-rank twisted the space in front of its face.
Seeing the intact space crumpling, I retrieved my spear.
Then, I threw the blackwood dagger I retrieved with my left hand at my feet.
Ordinarily, the dagger would’ve lodged itself into the ground.
“Kuluk?!”
Instead, the vanished dagger reappeared from the side of the general-rank, flashing a bright white.
“Space magic isn’t just for you to use.”
As long as this creature’s magic was at the 4th-grade, Ahel’s magic couldn’t inflict direct damage.
“It’s at a higher rank.”
To win the battle of mana hierarchy, I’d need to use my magic.
But that didn’t mean Ahel’s magic was useless.
If outclassed in mana grade, one could use magic physically for effective damage.
Predictably, the general-rank hastily implemented additional magic to deflect the dagger targeting its face.
Though the attack attempt failed, it wasn’t a major concern.
“There are still opportunities.”
With Ahel’s magic and blackwood daggers at my disposal, I adjusted my attack strategy.
I immediately threw another dagger and implemented the Telekinesis magic.
This time, I deliberately made the fixed arrangement loose.
Using such a magic execution, the object moved through the space, unable to withstand the pressure, shattered.
“Just like now.”
The blackwood dagger shattered with a bang between the general-rank and me.
“Kaeek!”
Unlike me, who used a makeshift shield to block the debris, the monster took it head-on.
Still, even with sharp debris lodged in what appeared to be its eyes and face, it didn’t retreat.
Amidst the blistering hot white fire, the exchange of attacks was fierce.
And in that fierce struggle, I gained the upper hand.
I wasn’t only relying on magic.
The evolved species had to fend off both my magic and spear simultaneously, with only magic at its disposal.
“I suspected as much when it stealthily moved at a slow pace from the start.”
Its physical abilities weren’t that threatening.
Having had an upgrade in both hardware and software through the third awakening and Kerak’s recognition, it wasn’t a match for me.
Realizing that, I gritted my teeth and pressed the general-rank even harder.
Achieving this as a Silver would have been a pipe dream, but now that I was awakened to Gold, it was possible.
Using Acceleration without worrying about side effects made my advantage clearer.
Unable to keep up with my movements, the general-rank began allowing effective strikes.
“Kuaaakk!”
It missed the timing to execute magic, taking a spear to its body, and screamed as it staggered backward for the first time.
Of course, it wasn’t a smart move.
“You won’t escape!”
I relentlessly pursued it, swinging my spear.
Thunk!
A dull sound reminiscent of a watermelon splitting resounded as black blood spurted from the general-rank’s head.
That marked the end of its incessant writhing.
It seemed either subdued or sapped of strength.
The recent blow likely shattered its skull, causing at least a concussion. Naturally, the effect was noticeable.
I didn’t miss this chance, distorting the ground beneath its feet.
“Kurrukk!”
When it failed to avoid and stumbled, tilting to one side.
“I got you!”
A thrilling sensation coursed through my mind.
Lighting the fight in my eyes, I infused attribute mana into my spear.
How to describe the thrill when the spear, with a blue gleam, pierced the general-rank’s neck?
Shwaa-!
I swung the spear upwards, tearing the Evolved Species’ head into two.
As black blood sprayed, a familiar system message appeared.
「You have successfully eliminated the enemy. 211,169 corrupted mana absorbed.」
Each 5-star Evolved Species harbored mana within the range of 80,000 to 100,000.
However, the 7-star creature, dubbed general-rank, housed more than twice that, exceeding 200,000.
During mana absorption, I exhaled trembling breaths.
The sensation pounding down my spine and into my mind had turned somewhat pleasurable.
Once absorption was complete, I sighed languidly, surveying the area where the white fire had begun to subside.
“Too bad.”
I wanted to kill more, to absorb more mana.
Longingly, I turned to the direction where mana was felt.
When a nameless child from behind the Divine Canopy watched me and our eyes met.
Damn System.