With a powerful leap, Mercer exited the giant hole that had appeared in front of the gate. The poison that exuded from every single one of the pores in his body was now visibly weaker. Dark green blood seeped from his wounds, bubbling and hissing as it dripped onto the ground. Yet, it was that very liquid that began to close his wounds, healing him.

  A few steps behind him, Wu Ling appeared, her appearance a complete mess. Her blue robes weren’t ripped nor were they that visibly damaged at all, the damage went deeper to the magic contained within it. The material that her clothes were made of were the best that her family could afford. The very magic and techniques used on the materials were all geared toward survival and defense. She had been chosen as one of the possible leaders of her house, so no expense was spared.

  Yet, that mattered little before the monster she was facing. It had torn an entire sleeve, damaging her left arm in the process. Unlike Mercer who had medical poisons within him that could help him, she was a normal cultivator that had to recover the old fashion way, through the passage of time and usage of medicine. And that wasn’t all, any magic that had been engraved on her robes, was dispelled, the shock that they withstood was far too much.

  As the pair struggled to catch their breath, the hole in the ground became full of movement. They were rushed by the foliage covered figures that roamed the tunnels. The rapidly approaching figures were deceptively fast. They appeared like lumbering trees but moved like hungry beasts, only focused on their prey, everything else was secondary and useless.

  Mercer tightened his grip on his staff, the poison that traveled through it becoming visibly more potent. The air around him became heavy and sluggish as it was infused with his poison. When the figures were close enough, he began to strike with as much force as he could. His strike was powerful, pushing beyond the roots, breaking and tearing through them.

  The intention behind his strikes wasn’t to harm the plant life that covered the figures, no, his target was the body that lay beneath all the foliage. As soon as that body crumbled, the rest would follow suit.

  The first one he struck, paused, noticing that the target’s staff had passed the roots and branches that covered their abdomen, their own tangled armor of vines. But other than the fact that the strike had gone deeper, everything was normal. Trying to turn around and face the target once more, the figure failed. The target failed to notice that its body had begun to melt from the inside out, collapsing to the ground.

  For a moment and only for a moment, after the spores had died out and had nothing more to support, the true owner of the body underneath came to. There was almost a smile, the owner wanted to celebrate having regained control of their body. But then came the pain and they screamed in agony. The melting had not ceased.

  The number of screams only increased as Mercer tore through the approaching horde. Each scream lasted mere seconds, but they were the final proof of the life that had once flourished on this planet.

  Wu Ling gritted her teeth, her left hand momentarily crippled, as she adjusted her posture and got into a ready stance. The figures that had gotten past Mercer or had simply gone around him, rushed her, leaving her little chance to get a hold of her situation.

  Even then, under all the pressure, she drew strength from years of practice. Decades of training to solidify her foundation, centuries grasping the changes that occurred after evolution and finally, countless practice sparring matches against the fiercest in her house and its branches.

  After scrambling to clear the first wave, she jumped backward and inhaled deeply. With a swift motion, she tucked her injured arm behind her, and with her right palm steady, she went on the offensive.

  Her palm connected with the first figure with brutal force, the impact so strong, that flesh and viscera shot out from the figure’s back. During the various fleeting moments amidst the chaos, in which all those present blinked, turned, or otherwise just lost sight of Wu Ling, she vanished, immediately appeared beside her next victim, their head already flying as her heel connected with it.

  In a flurry of movements which had been refined through years of relentless training, Wu Ling moved with ease across the battlefield, as if flowing through it. She not only dodged those controlled by the spores, but also the aimless attacks of the others who had entered the tower. Each blow she delivered was sure and deadly. No trace remained that she had been flustered mere moments ago.

  ----------

  The group that had stood near the gate, patiently waiting for something to occur ever since the trembling began, quickly leaped into action as soon as they got the quest for extra reward points. They also weren’t the only ones. From within the forest that now surrounded the hole in the ground, groups of various sizes were appearing.

  The battlefield quickly became a chaotic mess of abilities, magic and techniques that quickly began to overwhelm the incoming horde of foliage covered figures. Sword strikes that traveled meters forward, cutting multiple targets in two were common. Magic that ignored the floor’s disruption flew from all directions.

  A lightly armored minotaur with brown fur and white patches, flared its nostrils, loudly huffing as its mouth turned into a wide grin. Reaching for the large double headed axe on its back as it advanced menacingly. Each step was heavy, and the axe split the ground as it was dragged behind.

  Before the horde could close the distance, the minotaur swung its axe in a low, sweeping arc, the blade never leaving the ground and instead digging further into it.

  Immediately after the minotaur finished its swing, the earth beneath the minotaur rumbled, hardening. With a violent crack, jagged spires of hardened earth erupted from the ground, tearing through the air like spears. They impaled the front lines of the horde, their bodies pierced and lifted off the ground, killing them instantly.

  With a roar, the minotaur raised its axe high above its head. When it brought the weapon down, the earth split in two with a deafening crack, but the wound on the earth wasn’t deep. In an instant, the hardened earth, as if ignited, exploded outward. The sharp projectiles ripped through the horde, leaving nothing but shattered bodies and dust.

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  Before the dust could even settle, multiple figures sprang from behind the minotaur, taking care of the stragglers. Fireballs, lightning bolts, and blasts of arcane energy flew forward. Whatever had survived the minotaur’s attack, was reduced to nothing but ash and dust.

  Atop the cliff, a lone hooded figure covered in red clothes stood still, the blue flame on their chest flickering faintly in the wind. The figure narrowed their eyes, carefully observing the battlefield.

  From their waist hung five metal rings, four of them occupied by small lanterns of metal and glass containing a small blue flame. The figure’s gaze moved toward the towering mushroom that had erupted from the earth. Slowly, they raised a hand toward one of the lanterns, fingers brushing the cool glass, as if preparing for something.

  ----------

  Eric’s sword made a loud clanging noise as it was struck by a thrown dagger, the sheer force of the impact making it vibrate uncontrollably. His arm trembled from the shock, barely allowing to remain in control as a sword swipe came down on his position. He twisted his entire body, barely managing to dodge the strike, only for the lightning that followed to graze his skin, leaving a scorch mark across his shoulder.

  Snapping his head upward, Eric’s gaze met that of the leader’s. In one hand, the man held a dagger and in the other, he firmly grasped his sword, imbued with lightning that crackled violently. Greed was plastered all over his expression, his eyes most of all.

  Why the fuck does he want my ring for? Eric asked himself as his gaze darted between the man before him and those that were behind him.

  Behind him, his companions kept the incoming horde at bay, and they were doing so with incredible ease. Their movements were efficient, calculated—not an ounce of energy wasted. It was clear that all of them, including their leader, had undergone rigorous training at some point during their life.

  The only reason they all decided to take care of the incoming enemies together was so that they didn’t tire themselves out, and also, because they didn’t think Eric was worth it. They were so free and unbothered that they liberally glanced back, keeping an eye on the situation.

  Eric immediately knew that he was outclassed when it came to basically anyone he had come across ever since he woke up on the frontier. Ondal and Ta’ir were obviously some kind of monsters that could at least put up a fight against a force capable of destroying entire galaxies, though, that was still quiet hard to grasp at his current level.

  Those that worked at the pagoda where he had cultivated all the way to level twenty were also above him, even after he evolved. He didn’t necessarily think that they were a higher level, just that they were more experienced in combat than he was and could have easily subdued him.

  His brief journey toward the tower had further solidified his belief. He could feel the dense mana from those he passed by. Some even projected it outward, marking themselves as formidable people.

  Lastly, he had his ass handed to him only a few minutes ago by a lizardman and a cold woman. Sure, it was two on one, but the exchange itself only lasted a few seconds before he was completely destroyed. And now, the person in front of him, who was basically robbing him, wielded the sword with such expertise and finesse, that it made Anna look like an amateur. Though, to be fair, the man that stood before Eric, was far older than he appeared.

  “I keep telling you that Ondal only gave me weapons!” Eric shouted.

  “I don’t care about the lies that you tell me.” The leader approached Eric with little worry for his safety. “Just hand it over and we’ll be done with this. Or are you really willing to die?”

  The steps that the man took appeared ordinary, but they were anything but, each step covered more ground than it appeared, until suddenly, he was before Eric, who was still trying to grasp his movements.

  “Fucking xianxia! This is so fucking cliché!”

  With great effort, Eric managed to block the attack. Only to be sent back a couple of meters, his muscles spasming as lightning violently coursed through them. The lightening was so powerful, that as it traveled, it ripped his muscles apart.

  Bloodline assimilation increased!

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  “I have no idea what you’re saying. But I’ve indulged you enough,” the man said. “Let’s end this.”

  With a light jump, the man once more appeared before Eric and the air that surrounded him was far heavier than a second ago. With muscles that twitched with pain, Eric lifted his sword, blocking the strike and using his left hand to push the back of his sword.

  “Just give it up!” the man screamed as the intensity of the lightning in his sword increased.

  “Ahg!!” Eric grunted in pain. His eyes peeled as he noticed the intensity of lightning increase. “Agggh!!!!” he grunted again holding back a scream of pain. His skin had begun to peel from his hand.

  “Come on! Come on!” Eric screamed at himself. “Think of something!”

  The man lifted the sword once more, determined to break Eric through sheer force, and brought the sword down once more.

  Eric’s raised his sword and tried to redirect the approaching sword with all his might. His movement was awkward and appeared forced. Even then, he managed to do it. But it meant little, this wasn’t something that surprised the man, as he easily brought his sword back and stabbed Eric on the side.

  As blood pooled in Eric’s mouth, he felt the familiar tug of the System. A message now awaited him.

  Not feeling any different, other than the wound on his side, Eric’s body reacted before his mind did. His left hand, trembling violently due to the lightning that was assaulting his body, shot forward, grasping the man’s own.

  Eric's grip on the man's wrist tightened, as did his grip on his own sword. My sword won’t connect. How do I get it to connect? Can I get a single strike in? His mind raced uncontrollably, fueled by the pain and the primal need for survival. For a brief moment, he felt an odd sense of incongruence, where even his desire for survival seemed alien.

  But soon, something bloomed from deep within and everything else faded into the background. The pain, the lightning, even the man’s greedy face—all of it disappeared as Eric's mind went blank.

  Then, a moment of clarity broke through the haze. It was as if something unlocked in his mind, a fragment of knowledge that had always been there, buried deep within. No, not knowledge—not mine—Anna’s, he told himself. A clear image of Anna practicing her sword skills through the years started to flash through his mind. The images ending on Anna’s fight against the trolls.

  A new tug from the System—No, not the System, not only the System... It’s from deep within. His body responded with a newfound ease, as if finally understanding something that he had seen on multiple occasions. His grip loosened on the man's wrist.

  With a sharp breath, Eric let go. The man frowned, removing his sword.

  Eric stood firmly, raised his sword and brought it down. The man easily blocked it, but instead of being shocked and not knowing what to do, Eric redirected the blow, slashing upward. Again, the man easily blocked the blow, but the furrow in his brow grew deeper.

  “Did you really just gain enlightenment?” he asked. “And you barely grasped the basics?” A sneer appeared on his face. “Truly pathetic. What kind of backwater planet did you come from?”

  Eric ignored everything the man said and instead indulged fully on the feeling of comprehension that was engulfing him. His strikes weren’t changing dramatically, but they were becoming firmer and more regular. He could feel himself increase at an unnatural speed.

  The mana within his body began to stir, seemingly wanting to go somewhere but it didn’t know how. The violence with which it stirred increased with every blow that was exchanged.

  Eric was so indulged with his actions he didn’t even realize that his wound had already closed. His fatigue increased further, a toll for the miraculous recovery. But it didn’t matter, he was growing, and he couldn’t help but be happy. Happy…? An odd smile began to tug at the corners of his lips, it was... off.