"These ones are pretty weak. Why don't we go deeper?" Derek suggested, snapping the neck of another vermyrex, half of its body disfigured by fire, and only ash remained in its eye sockets.
Ren wore a satisfied, calm expression on his face after learning how to use Ash Manipulation, the first chapter of his Oblivion series skill in an entirely new and efficient manner.
---
｢Name: Ren
Level: 21~>22
Bloodline: Heir of Oblivion
Strength:52~>54
Agility:31~>32
Vitality:27~>28
Stamina:31~>32
Mana:42~>44 — [28/44]
Spirit Power:124
Skill: Oblivion Series, Oblivion Integration(0/1)｣
---
Glancing at his stats, the feeling of satisfaction was swept away and was soon replaced with irritation.
Before Kael could object, Ren interrupted.
"He is right. At this rate, I might not be able to obtain a class today."
"Only the weakest of the bunch are here, and to top it off with our equal exp distribution method, we are hardly earning any experience points." Luna chimed in.
Kael looked at Owen, waiting for his reply, but the kid simply shrugged as if he couldn't care less about Kael's decision.
"Fine. Let's go." With a sigh, he finally conceded.
Not because of their persuasion alone, that wasn't enough of a reason for him to risk the safety of others.
'I just hope your plan doesn't fail, captain.' Pondering, he guided the group to the central parts of the Outer region.
---
" OBLIVION SERIES "
Type: Inherent Skill
Progression: Chapter 1
Ash Manipulation: Grants dominion over residual remains of destruction and allows manipulation of ash, smoke, and lingering cinders born from combustion.
---
He reread the description once more, and a smile bloomed on his rather serious face.
The first time he was able to use Ash Manipulation only because the situation favored him, burning the vermins the instant the burning leaves latched onto them.
But with Kael, he now had a new method, though it consumed a lot of mana.
"Careful."
Suddenly, Owen alerted the cohort. Ren shifted his attention back to the surroundings and immediately spotted the vermyrex two houses ahead.
This one was different.
It had seven small pitch-black eyes, forming a circular pattern on its face, while its limbs only amounted to four.
It resembled a mutated four-legged panther due to its small body. But despite that, its hideous black skin was more than enough for them to identify it as a vermyrex.
The creature bent down slightly, muscles tightening to the maximum. And at once, it lunged like an object detached from a spring.
"OWENNN," Kael shouted, and a huge shield appeared in Owen's hands the second before the collision.
The vermyrex crashed onto the shield, but unlike their expectations, the force made it take only a single step backward.
'Still, it worked.'
Clenching his teeth, Kael used the skill fire manipulation and hurled a ball of fire towards it.
The vermyrex immediately felt the heat on its left and as if on instinct, it jumped back towards the roof of a nearby house.
But suddenly, an arrow pierced through the air and shot the vermyrex straight in its leg.
"Shrieeeekkkkkk." A loud, heart-wrenching voice escaped the creature's throat as it fell to the ground.
"Tch, missed it," Luna muttered as she lowered her bow. There wasn't a single arrow with her. She didn't need them.
The reason?
Her class.
---
[Archer]
Progression:- Level 1
Eye of the hunter:- a ranged ability that enhances perception and accuracy, generating one standard arrow every six seconds, ensuring reliable long-range combat support.
---
Even the system itself explained her class as a support. The reason likely related to the material and the speed at which her arrows generated; six seconds.
Nevertheless, seeing the progression bar, Luna didn't complain, knowing that the class could be upgraded later on and would become more powerful.
Meanwhile, the vermyrex now only had one thought left in its mind, escape. But the moment it tried to stand up, a dagger impaled its eyes.
But... nothing happened?
The dagger broke apart into dust and ashes but those particles didn't fall on the ground, instead, they flew into the creature's eyes.
For a second, the vermyrex got startled.
But the change registered a second late.
A wet, tearing wail escaped its throat as its pitch-black eyes got covered with a layer of ash. It tried to stand up again, but it was too late.
As if like rot, the part where it had been shot by the arrow had dried, the bleeding stopped and a type of black char fell from the damaged part.
The creature fell down to the ground, unable to apply force on its injured leg... or rather, the bone itself.
Before it could understand what happened, its eyes also turned to dust and... got swept away with the wind. It died.
[Ding! Level 21 Vermyrex exterminated!]
[Exp +184.]
Owen reached near the corpse and picked up the drops.
"Wow, it still sends me the chills when you use your ability," Derek muttered, who was standing near Luna the whole time. He didn't interfere in the fight because his mana reserves were almost depleted from using his ability continuously.
To be exact, it wasn't completely empty. He still kept some for precaution, or... an opportunity.
His eyes swept over Luna's body with a hint of greed and malice, but he hid it immediately before anyone could notice.
Ren exhaled as he lowered his hands. His mana reserves were high, though still lower than his strength, but remembering he had to act like a lower-level person, he informed the group that his reserves were low too. It wasn't that he wanted to hide his prowess to this extent, he could've told them his actual level, but the lack of a class didn't allow him to.
Even after asking Kael and Derek one at a time during their journey, he didn't find a single person who had crossed the twenty-level mark without gaining a class.
"Ren, what level are you now?" Kael asked curiously. He hadn't asked this question all this time, thinking it would be inappropriate to ask something this personal.
But they had now killed multiple vermyrexs in their way, but Ren still didn't mention reaching the twentieth level, making Kael a little bit suspicious.