Noel took a moment to weigh his options before deciding. He climbed to the top of the crevice, and as soon as he did, he came into view of the two who had reached it.
One was a young Caucasian male with messy brown hair and a lean build, not too tall. The other was a short Asian female with sleek black hair tied into a low ponytail. Both wore the same tactical outfit as him.
The moment they saw Noel appear, they pulled out their weapons from their Inventory. The male nocked an arrow and aimed his bow at him. The female pulled out a staff with a circular tip that burned with fire, ready to shoot.
Noel right away raised his hands and said, 'I mean no harm. I've been hiding here for a while.'
If he had stayed hidden, it would only have been a matter of time before they discovered him, and they might not have treated him as a friendly. So he revealed himself, but he stayed ready. If they turned hostile, he was prepared to activate his talent and strike first.
They eyed him with suspicion, but after seeing his level, their tension eased.
Zach lowered his bow and spoke to the woman. "It's just a Level 1 Drifter. I got worried for nothing," he said in a casual tone.
Aiko lowered her staff as well, though her gaze stayed sharp. "Don't try anything, Mister. Just stay to the side and don't meddle. Once we deal with them, we'll leave," she said in a firm voice.
Then they turned away, showing no concern that Noel might stab them in the back. Their ally's situation was urgent, and they had no time to waste on him.
They began firing at the Sand Stalkers charging against the rocky perimeter conjured by the broad-shouldered man below. Arrows whistled through the air, cutting down monsters one after another, while fireballs exploded on impact, scattering dust and limbs.
Noel knew the answer lay in their Innate Talents, but he still marveled at the sight of such abilities.
He stayed to the side, watching the battle unfold. One question lingered in his mind: how had they been able to see his level when he couldn't see theirs?
'I'll ask them once this is over,' he thought.
For now, he stood by and watched as the three of them fought against a horde of more than fifty monsters.
Any monster that slipped through the rocky perimeter was intercepted by the bulky man with a shield and short sword. He held them off long enough for the archer to finish them from a distance.
Meanwhile, the flame mage handled the Sand Stalkers that tried to climb the rock formation from the rear.
Slowly, their numbers dwindled. Noel couldn't help but admire their coordination and teamwork. Despite being surrounded, they made full use of the terrain and covered each other's backs.
Even so, it was clear they were reaching their limits. Their movements had slowed, their breathing was heavy, and their Stamina and Spirit Energy were running low.
Noel glanced around. The Sand Stalker count had nearly been cut in half, but something still felt off.
As the thought crossed his mind, subtle vibrations ran through the rock beneath his feet. They weren't strong enough to alarm the others, but Noel recognized the pattern.
He stepped back and peered into the crevice. The sand below shook harder until three Sand Stalkers burst out from beneath. More followed, crawling their way up the walls.
One after another, they emerged. Soon, ten monsters were climbing upward. Their pace was slow, and the narrow space gave Noel an idea.
"There are more climbing from the center," Noel shouted to the archer and mage. "I'll take care of them. You three focus on the rest."
He didn't wait for a response and dropped into the crevice.
The two froze for a moment, feeling certain they had misheard. How could a Level 1 Drifter think he could handle so many monsters alone?
Zach clicked his tongue while loosing another arrow. "Tch… are all newbies the same? He'll only understand this game's difficulty after a few deaths," he said in a low voice.
Aiko wiped the sweat from her face, "Leave him. At least he'll buy us time before they climb up. We need to use this chance to level and recover. At this rate, we won't last, and neither will Omar."
Zach gave a short nod and kept firing, targeting wounded monsters while covering for the broad-shouldered man, Omar, as he held the line.
Meanwhile, Noel equipped his Chain Reavers and activated Critical Liability, selecting his right thigh as the target.
Vapor-like layers formed around him, even more distinct than when he used Enhanced Liability. His damage was boosted sixfold, but any strike to his right thigh would also deal six times more damage.
With his improved agility, Noel trusted he could avoid taking a hit there. He swung a chain downward at the leading Sand Stalker.
The blade at the end of the chain shot toward the monster's head. It jerked aside at the last moment, avoiding a fatal blow, but the blade still tore into the side of its neck. Black blood sprayed as it lost its grip and fell, dragging another with it.
Neither died, but the opening gave Noel more room to maneuver inside the narrow crevice.
He aimed for weak points, but even while climbing, these Sand Stalkers reacted quickly. Unlike the earlier ones, they dodged fatal strikes, though Noel still managed to wound them and send several tumbling down.
'They're faster, and tougher than before,' Noel thought. 'If this was in the open, I'd be overwhelmed. But here…'
Instead of clashing head-on, he relied on the long reach of the Chain Reavers and the confined space. One after another, his strikes knocked the monsters down. Since they lacked ranged attacks, none of them managed to hit him.
The fight dragged on. Soon, all ten Sand Stalkers were cut and bleeding, their climbing slowed. But Noel was also tired. His arms ached from swinging, and keeping balance on the crevice walls drained his stamina.
'I have to kill at least one to level up. Otherwise, this will get out of hand.'
Making up his mind, Noel shifted tactics. He ignored the rest and focused on a badly injured one.
He leapt straight at it, gripping the Chain Reaver blades as daggers. Caught off guard and pinned to the wall, the monster couldn't evade.
Both blades drove deep into its head. With the added force of his fall and weight, the strike proved fatal. The wounded Sand Stalker let out a distorted screech before its body went limp.
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﴾ Lv.4 Sand Stalker ﴿
﴾ 100 Life Energy obtained ﴿
﴾ Congratulations! You have reached Level 2﴿
﴾ 5 Undistributed Stats are available ﴿
Rewards Obtained
4 Kentos 400 grams Sand Stalker Meat ⧼Edible⧽ added to Inventory. Healing Bandaids x 10
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'Finally!'
Despite the joy, Noel didn't use the five undistributed stats right away. He first put distance between himself and the monsters, climbed higher, and pulled himself up to the top of the crevice where Zach and Aiko were.
Aiko glanced his way, eyes wide. "Eh… the newbie's still alive! And what's with those blurry waves around him?" she said in a surprised tone.
Zach gave him a quick look and noticed the change in his appearance. "Maybe his Innate Talent? Not sure, but damn, that's a cool effect."
Noel ignored their remarks and opened his Status window. He placed one point each into Strength, Agility, and Endurance.
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Author Note:
ALTER REALITY: Online is the 1st Side Story of EARTH's ALPHA PRIME, a LitRPG System Survival novel that has completed 3 volumes so far.
The revamped version of EAP Volume 1, 2 &3 are now live on Kindle. You can find them on Amazon by simply searching the book title or go through the link provided here.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DR53YMV2
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Exclusive artwork for every free chapter is now available on my PATRE0N page! You can find the link in my Discord server.
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Discord Link for 'Earth's Alpha Prime' :
https://discord.gg/P6cWGg2G
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