MM - Chapter 91 - POWERLEVELING

Raine swung open the door cleverly tucked within a recess of the keep’s curved wall. Inside was a sprawling staging area with enough space for hundreds of Vaaterrans. More than fifty of them were already gathered, separated into small groups of fifteen. They eyed Raine’s group wearing frowns rank with surprised disapproval.

“How could they hope to survive with their levels?”

“Are they out of their minds?”

“The Travelers are clearly mocking us!”

The Vaaterrans weren’t being subtle, and Richtor’s concern grew rapidly, “Uhh, why does everyone think we shouldn’t be here?” He turned back to Raine, only to discover his brother was no longer standing with the group.

In the brief moment they were distracted, he moved to a man wearing sharp military attire. Raine bowed crisply, repeating his earlier words, “My lord, we were sent by a guard captain in Silverlight City to assist with minor exterminations. If it pleases you, we would begin straight away.”

The adjutant swept a piercing gaze over Raine’s companions, his features tight with displeasure, “The defenses of Celendine’s Shield are no game! Each blastslit is valuable beyond measure yet you dare to bring those incapable of utilizing them?! If I allowed you filth into the walls, they’d crumble in a day!”

“Of course, my lord. We’ve no intention of taking a valuable position. We’ll be participating on the field.”

A pall of hushed silence swept through the staging area. It lasted a whole five seconds before every Vaaterran in attendance erupted into laughter.

“They really are crazy!”

“I don’t dislike their ardor though!”

“It’ll only add entertainment to the night shift, boys. Watching them be eaten alive is going to be great!”

Their laughter spilled out all the harder at the last comment, causing Richtor’s group to flush bright crimson. Mel, Celeste, Fizgore, and Rhino adopted determined glares. Not one of them showed fear. Raine nodded, pleased at their desire to face unknown dangers for the sake of advancement.

The adjutant collected himself, eyeing Raine with new appreciation, “Very well, you may proceed.”

[Repeatable Quest: Minor extermination accepted]

[Survive the forces of the Dantinian Empire for 1 hour]

[Rewards: Variable depending on performance]

The adjutant swept his arm to the side, indicating a heavy metal door in the center of the room, “Shifts last an hour. Regardless of your position, you’re expected to remain on duty throughout. Desertion will be met with severe consequences. Queen protect!” The man stood straight as a board and lifted his arm in a crisp salute.

“Thank you, my lord! Queen protect!” Raine returned the salute to perfection, then joined his group at the thick door. Jeers and snickers filled the crowd as he squinted at the barrier. “Give me a hand with this,” he tilted his chin at the door, then placed his hands against its left side while adopting a low stance.

Utilizing his high Connection, Raine solidified the air behind his boots so he wouldn’t slide backward. Then, he pushed with a roar of effort. The left door budged a few centimeters and the chuckles died down in an instant. Fizgore was there a heartbeat later, his considerable physique straining to help. The others joined in and the large door slid smoothly until they could squeeze through.

Beyond, they found themselves in a dimly lit, stone hallway that continued straight ahead. The exit, if it had one, was beyond sight. Shaking out his arms, Raine trotted forward. After a few minutes of running, it became clear they were well within the gargantuan wall. The thought of so much stone above them triggered an oppressive claustrophobia that settled on the group’s shoulders with the weight of a mountain.

“Should we really be doing this?” Milkdud’s whispering was muffled by their footfalls echoing down the crowded tunnel.

“You’ll understand when we get there. Your only concern is staying alive. Keep your backs to the wall and don’t get hit.”

“Stay alive. Don't get hit. Right. Okay.”

Confused, Mel raised her hand, “If we won’t actually be fighting, how are we going to level?”

“That’s right, this is your first time in a raid group. All Superiority and Attunement is split between each member, regardless of participation. So in a way, my kills are your kills. The total gained is determined by the highest level member, in this case, that’s me. If the enemies were two levels below me, we wouldn’t get anything. Since they’re significantly higher level than me… Well, you’ll see.”

Reminded that he would be doing all the fighting, Raine removed his obfuscating face mask and replaced it with his armored helmet, re-activating the six set passive. He then swapped his title back to Sky Catcher.

[Prestige of the Transcended: (6 Piece Set - Lustrous Blue - LVL 15) (HP +250) (AP +50) (DEF +200) (RES +50) (Move Speed +2) (PTC +25) (FIN +25) (ACU +25) (PHY +25) (CNC +25) (Durability 275/275) (4 set bonus: 50% Reduction in fall damage) (6 set bonus: 15% Additional damage dealt with martial weapons and skills)]

[Sky Catcher: (Title - Upgradable) Bonus 50% SP and AT when defeating monsters above your level]

They passed guarded tunnels with curving staircases to the left and right. Raine pressed straight ahead. A basso rumbling, barely heard in the background soon grew in intensity until the groups’ teeth ached. Booming thunder pierced the stonework, and the bricks beneath their boots vibrated ominously. With each step, the sounds of battle grew louder until it felt like they were directly in the line of fire.

Finally, the end of the tunnel came into view. It was a room less than a tenth the size of the staging area. Inside, three dozen Vaaterrans in heavy metal armor stood at the ready, facing another, even heavier door. Each wielded a long poleaxe with a short-handled axe and shield strapped to their backs. At their hips were swords just as decorated as the rest of their equipment. There was no comparing these vetted soldiers to the rabble of Rising Endlessly. These men and women were the real deal, each exuding a powerful aura that reeked of endless death for any foolish enough to approach.

The group faltered, except for Raine who pushed through their combined killing intent. He marched directly toward a woman with a purple sash around her waist and offered a salute, “Reporting for frontline duty, ma’am!”

She looked them over with a critical eye, then nodded sternly. Without a word, she snapped at the soldiers closest to the door. Even though they were level one hundred, they strained to budge one side enough to reveal a narrow gap. Raine motioned his friends forward with an urgent wave and they filed through the door, into hell itself.

The ground was burnt to the point lesions and blisters pocked its surface. From them, jets of magma burst forth to spray the air with molten lava. The thunderous rumbling was revealed to be innumerable elemental skills thrown from within the blastslits all along the massive wall. High level casters and archers released a steady stream of devastation, some flung so far they vanished out of sight. Their targets were a never-ending swarm of insectoid monsters that pushed through the onslaught with single-minded determination.

Further out, firepower was focused on the largest insectoid beasts, drowning them in a sea of fire that further polluted the devastated land. Only the smallest monsters, and their sheer number, allowed a few to trickle through and reach the wall. They zipped forward with incredible speed, their bodies turning bright red just before impact. A shimmering localized shield flickered into being and the beasts exploded into it, detonating their bodies to deal truly massive damage. After the first, a new indicator appeared in their HUDs.

[Regional Shield Stability: 76%]

The battlefield was a chaotic mess. Eruptions of deadly energy and blazing fast, suicidal insects were everywhere. The noise alone was enough to leave the group dazed. Raine’s roar shattered their trance, “Stay along the wall! Do not follow me and don’t get hit, the shield won’t save you!”

He charged forward, stopping before the point where the smaller bugs picked up speed and turned into crimson suicide murder machines. Killing intent roused within him, extending a field of bloodlust that drew the beasts’ ire. Ten changed focus, charging him with clicking mandibles. Due to Milkdud having Farsight and being in his raid group, Raine was granted with more information than usual when he examined the nearest.

[Kamikazee Rabinoid (Spawned): Level 25 (HP 18K/25K)]

Raine’s large axe appeared in his hands just as it arrived. He met its charge head on, sharp blade clanging against blindingly fast mandibles.

[Spine Splitter Greataxe: (Lustrous Blue - LVL 15) (Attack Power +105) (Attack Speed -.25) (PTC +35) (PHY +10) (Durability 200/200)]

Raine was knocked back a half-step from the clash. His arms stung from the blow but it was manageable due to most of the damage being absorbed by the weapon. [-35] The rabinoid suffered far worse, its face sporting a nasty gash. [-383] He immediately dove to the side to avoid the attacks of two more beasts. The rest were nearly upon him, ready to swarm and tear him apart in seconds.

Reveling in the pressure of a worthy fight after too long, Raine’s face was stretched by a manic grin. He shuffle-stepped back, lining up a Rupture that hit all but one of the rabinoids. Two expanding cones of force cracked their shells, spilling multicolored blood on the hot ground. [-2,621] [Critical hit! -5,346]

The beasts quickly recovered, crawling over each other in their haste to get to him. They were faster and stronger than him, and significantly more durable. Knowing he wouldn’t escape without sacrificing some weapon durability, Raine reluctantly swung his axe from below. 

Great Divide tore up a huge column of ground that sent thick streamers of molten fire plunging through the insects. [-10,977] [Critical hit! -21,543] Only three of the bugs survived and Raine spun through them, his axe striking each three times, finishing them off. A few coins dropped and he quickly scooped them up, preparing for the next wave of enemies.

[Spine Splitter Greataxe: Durability -10]

[Obtained 5,544 Raid Superiority (1050% bonus for defeating a monster 10 levels above you)]

[Obtained 4.04% Raid Attunement (1050% bonus for defeating a monster 10 levels above you)]

The same kill messages flashed across his HUD ten times. Regardless of how damaged the beast was by other sources, Raine’s group split the full rewards. Afterall, ZionLine wasn’t such a kind place as to disallow kill stealing. Only the final hit mattered, and those belonged to Raine.

Not bad, but my axe is going to break in no time. The common weapons I liberated are going to do way less damage. Since I’m going to be here all night, I need a better solution.

Raine forcefully activated his cursed ring’s roulette and the axe was surrounded in a bright glow. The light crept up his arms, sizzling his skin until smoke leaked from his armor. Raine grit his teeth, bearing with the painful backlash of the cursed item. [-120]

When the light faded, the same axe was still clutched in his hands. He growled and tried again, once more bearing the intense burning pain. [-120] Tauntingly, the axe was still there.

Are you kidding me?!

The next wave of bugs was at most fifteen seconds away. Rational sense was overruled by stubbornness. Another flash of light swept up his arms, this time burning him all the way to his shoulders, neck, and upper torso. When the light faded, his fists were covered in thick, spiked gloves. 

The weight on his hands triggered a thousand memories where he wielded similar weapons year after year. He wanted so badly to rush into the thick of the battle, challenging his enemies with nothing more than martial prowess and the deadly little blades protruding from his knuckles.

That’s not me anymore. I have to change. I have changed.

Raine triggered the cursed ring. For a brief moment, pain overwhelmed his senses. When it cleared, a short, blunt object with an obnoxiously jeweled tip rested in the palm of one hand. His grin returned in a flash and he was no longer upset about rolling the axe three times in a row.

Raine waited for five seconds, allowing the creatures to come closer. Pointing at the center of their group, he shouted at the top of his lungs, “PuriPuri Rainbow Release!” Through the existing cracks in the ground, fantastical streamers of energy poured into the air. They gently wrapped around the rabinoids, holding them still. A moment later, the ground erupted with a kaleidoscope of colors. An ear-splitting explosion enveloped the trapped creatures and they screeched helplessly as their health was plundered. [-12,785]

The attack wasn’t over yet. The blast launched them high into the sky. The further they went, the more the streamers still coiled around their bodies stretched. Like taught rubber bands, they accumulated force until they could stretch no further. Then, they pulled with tremendous force and the rabinoids helplessly plummeted to the ground. The moment they collided, they took the same damage all over again. [-12,785]

[PuriPuri Rainbow Release: 10 meter circular ground-based AOE dealing 500% damage with 1000% bonus force and lift. Ignores all defense (Skill name must be shouted to activate) (Cost: 50 of highest resource) (Cooldown: 5 minutes)]

In the aftermath of his devastating skill, the creatures lay unmoving while Superiority and Attunement flowed into the party. From behind, the blaring trumpets of his friends leveling was a perfect punctuation to the battlefield that raged around them.

There is something seriously off about this weapon. Both its innate skills have hidden effects not listed in the description. I've never heard of anything like this before. That succubus recognized it too. This thing definitely isn't simple.

No point dwelling in the middle of a battlefield. I'll look into it at the noble’s library when I get a chance. Now, how many of these bugs can I fit inside of ten meters?

Chuckling darkly, Raine dashed deeper into the battlefield, bloodlust pulsing and drawing the eyes of too many beasts to count.