Chapter 91: An Anomaly: Twin Terror!
Chapter 90
Tring!
{Quest Completed!}
{Advanced tier beasts killed}
{Advanced tier beast killed}
{Advanced tier beasts killed}
{Goblins dead}
{Rewards distributed}
{Rewards: +10 free stat points; +5000XP for beasts killed; +5000XP for first-time killing goblin-type beasts; +5000XP for monster kills}
{Level up ×2}
"Status," Max muttered beneath his breath as he sheathed his sword.
{Name: Max Ashwell}
{Age: 18}
{Level: 22}
{XP: 1360/15,000}
{Race: Draconic Scion}
{HP: 100/100} {MP: 300/300}
{STR: 65} {AGI: 65}
{INT: 46} {Partners: 2}
{Free stat: 13}
’Ah fuck! My stats have been capped, and the more I level up, the more the XP bar increases, which would make it harder to reach level 30 anytime soon. Damn! I need a big kill fast so I can level up before I get faced with another demon.’ Max rubbed his temples in thought, his gaze lingering on the system screen floating in front of him.
’No new ski...’ He trailed off as a system notification interrupted his thoughts.
Tring!
{New skill granted.}
"Beautiful," he muttered with a wide grin, already itching to check out the details of his new ability.
"Hey, Jim, right?" Jake suddenly shouted, snapping Max from his thoughts.
"Ye... yes," Jim stuttered out, his voice trembling from the shock of witnessing Jake’s earlier carnage.
The memory still clung to him—the way Jake had moved through the battlefield without effort, tearing through dozens of goblins like they were nothing.
Not a drop of blood stained his clothes, not a scratch could be seen on his body. Meanwhile, Max, who was leagues above most hunters, had blood trickling down his arm. The comparison was unnerving.
This discovery didn’t escape Max’s sharp eyes either. He frowned slightly as he studied Jake from head to toe.
’How can one be this overpowered? Yes, they were just advanced tier beasts, but even I got scratched while he didn’t? He’s like someone pulled straight from a manga or anime.
And come to think of it... he reminds me of a certain anime character I used to watch in my past life. All he’s missing is white hair, a deep purple outfit, and a blindfold covering his bright blue eyes. Tch!’ Max scoffed softly, shaking his head before returning to his screen.
"That’s right. We’ve done our job, time for yours. Go scavenge for the beasts’ crystals so we can take down the boss." Jake’s voice rang out, carrying its usual playful confidence. He flashed a grin and waved Jim forward.
Jim nodded quickly, eager to prove his usefulness, and sprinted into the field to start gathering.
{Skill Name: Evolution Override}
{Description: This skill allows host to forcefully evolve any ability he possesses. Be it a system skill or a Draconic ability, the skill will forcefully push it to the next level, increasing its power exponentially.}
{Effect: Costs 400 MP to activate. Can only be used once a month before entering cooldown.}
’The fuck? Four hundred MP? That’s outrageous! I don’t even have that much. I only have about 300 MP. And worse, I can only use this skill once a month?’ Max clenched his fists and roared internally, his brows furrowing. ’Not fair!’ He clicked his tongue in frustration.
"Actually, it is fair," Pix chimed in lazily. "Such an OP skill and you expect it not to come with conditions? How delusional can you be? Everything has limits. Even in the countless anime you’ve watched, the overpowered characters always come with restrictions. So yeah, suck it up."
’Thanks for the pep talk I never asked for,’ Max thundered inwardly, his lips twitching into a grimace.
Huff! Huff! Huff!
"Damn! Now I’m weaponless." Jasmine’s frustrated voice cut through their thoughts. She staggered into view, her breathing heavy, annoyance painted all over her face. Jim continued his work in the background but couldn’t help glancing at her.
"You could have just bought a new weapon with the money we got from our previous mission," Jake teased, raising a brow. "But you chose to... actually, what did you even do with that money?"
"Girly things. And it’s none of your business." Jasmine scoffed, flipping her hair dramatically, though her shoulders tensed as if she regretted wasting the cash.
Jasmine scoffed as she threw her head away in annoyance, clearly unimpressed by the situation.
"Uhm... Some of the beasts here are too damaged to get their crystals. Looks like the impact destroyed them along with the bodies," Jim announced nervously as he stared at a diced-up beast, his throat bobbing as he gulped loudly.
"Just get the crystals from whichever beast you can salvage," Max said, waving his hand dismissively as though it was not worth a discussion.
"Yes, sire." Jim nodded quickly, a wide smile spreading across his face as he eagerly got to work, almost like a child who had been given candy.
"Don’t call me that," Max muttered with an annoyed frown, his eyes narrowing.
"Kek! Sire." Jake chuckled loudly, clearly enjoying himself as he nudged Max on the shoulder. Max in turn shot him a glare sharp enough to kill.
"Wait a second!" Jasmine suddenly shouted. She twisted and turned on her heels, her sharp eyes darting around as if searching for something vital.
"What is it?" Max asked with a raised eyebrow, noticing her sudden tension.
"Where is Lana?" Jasmine asked, and immediately the boys’ eyes widened in shock as they realized their fifth member was nowhere to be seen.
"Huh? That’s true. Oddly enough, I never noticed her absence," Jake muttered, his brows furrowing as he began scanning the area with his eyes.
"Probably because she’s always so silent, and whenever she does open her mouth, it’s just to insult someone," Max scoffed, though he too was now actively searching.
"Damn it! Is she okay?" Jasmine’s voice cracked with panic as she stared toward the looming cave with apprehension. A bad feeling crept into her chest like a cold hand. "Wait, what if she went into there to confront the boss alone?"
"Relax." Jake waved his hand with a carefree smile. "If she went in there, then there is nothing that could possibly happen to her. Besides, it’s just a king ti..."
BANG!
Jake’s words were cut short by a loud explosion from within the cave. Dust and rubble flew outward, drawing all of their attention. A figure suddenly burst out of one of the cave walls with violent force.
Her body shot through the air, and in a desperate hurry to stop herself, wings immediately sprouted from her back. They slammed into the ground, feathers slicing through dirt and stone as she dug in and finally came to a skidding halt.
"Lana?" Jasmine called out cautiously, her heart thudding as she approached carefully.
The kneeling female turned slowly, her pale face smeared with grime. Her mouth was filled with something, and when she coughed, a mouthful of blood sprayed onto the ground. She struggled to stay upright as her sharp eyes locked onto the others.
"Uhm... guys," Jim suddenly spoke up from his crouching position, his voice shaky. The group glanced at him, and he pointed toward the cave entrance with a trembling finger. "Is this supposed to happen?"
From the shadows of the cave, two bulky goblins stepped forward. Each stood at least six feet tall, their bodies heavily muscled, their yellow eyes glowing faintly in the dim light.
Both carried different weapons, and the way they moved together made them seem more dangerous than the average monster.
These goblins looked exactly alike, like twisted twins born of the same nightmare. One had a half-curled horn jutting out from the left side of its head, while the other bore its own half horn on the right. The first goblin clutched a massive hammer in one hand, while the second brandished a crude but deadly sword in his grip.
Together, they stepped forward in unison, their wide, malicious grins splitting their ugly faces as they radiated an oppressive aura that pressed down on the group like a heavy weight.
"Tw... two bosses?!" Jasmine stuttered in horror, her heart pounding loudly against her chest as cold sweat drenched her palms.