The various rewards from the system appeared as blue translucent screens in front of Dean.
[You have completed several self-imposed objectives:
-Decision to enter the draft and re-evaluation- 800xp
-Entering your first flux zone- 800xp
-Defending yourself from Rogue - 1000xp]
[Bonus reward: Defeating Rogue - 1500xp]
[Total experience points: 4100EXP]
Whilst he read the screens, Dean didn't stop walking forward as several people ran past him towards the armoury shacks.
Most of them picked swords,throwing knives, staffs, and spears. But Dean only eyed one thing there, and he was fairly certain no one was going to pick it up.
This confidence was one reason he didn't even rush forward like the others.
Dispelling the screens for now, he decided he was going to deal with them once he was alone. After all, this trial was a chance for him to rank up even further.
It was an ample environment to amass experience points and grow as quickly as possible towards Elite rank.
When he arrived at the armoury, which was basically a string of weapons arranged in rough arrays, while some things like throwing knives and shurikens were scattered on the floor.
He didn't even bother with the swords and quickly picked up a pair of glowing black gauntlets.
They reminded Dean of his background as a brawler and were always going to be his first choice easily.
With the gauntlets in hand, he was already walking away even as several eyes settled on him.
None of them spoke, but he could guess just from their faces that they believed he was a madman.
'Good,' he thought.
He was about to sprint further into the zone when he caught something from the side of his eye.
He turned quickly and picked the sheathed tanto. He couldn't predict when he might need something sharp.. so having a back up that fit his style was only wise.
Placing it on the belt of his pants, he suddenly felt irritated. Why didn't the fucking W.S.A provide them with suits for this?
'Those cheap bastards,' he spoke inwardly while he began sprinting forward into the forest with Hermit's eyes now activated.
After covering a few metres, the forest had completely disappeared. The ground was now rocky, and even from a distance he could see the mountain peaks, even as cold air drifted down.
With hermit's eyes active, Dean took a few turns to avoid the other participants as he arrived at the base of a hill. He looked up and saw his next target. But first..
'System'
He willed the system screens to appear again as he quickly instructed the system to rank him up to the next level.
[You have ranked up from Aspirant - Tier 5 →Aspirant Tier 6]
[Total experience points: 1100EXP]
Dean looked at the screen as he calculated swiftly to determine that the rank up actually required 3000Exp.
It wasn't too steep, and according to his calculations and the system's antics, he could already tell it would require an increase of 500 experience points to get to the next rank.
Basically, he would need about 3500EXP to get to tier 7 of Aspirant.
"Let the hunt begin," he hyped himself up.
Closing his eyes slowly, he swiftly called for something from within his consciousness. A brief burst of light appeared on his side, and the slime manifested in all its glory.
Immediately, the creature appeared. It drew closer to Dean's neckline and began snuggling him.
"I guess you missed me," Dean chuckled.
Dean wasn't done yet. He stretched his right open palm forward and took a deep breath.
"Come forth," he spoke, as deep within himself, he felt his verge rise slightly as if he was searching for something before it settled.
Dean's black eyes shone as it reflected the appearance of a small creature, the creature was almost translucent, looking like a tiny female humanoid made solely from compressed air currents.
The wind sprite hovered above his palm, shifting from left to right with its single eye focusing on Dean like a lens.
Dean activated channelling, borrowing the gale breath skill from the wind sprite.
He then caused a burst of air that launched him upwards as he arrived on a jutting rock formation on the side of the hill.
This was a vantage point. Something he hoped to take advantage of as he looked out for suitable candidates that his slime familiar could use it's skills on.
He was scanning through with Hermit's eye that granted him incredible clarity even at this height, when a screen popped up.
[Familiar 3 - IMU Activated]
[Slot 1 - Flight
Source - Wind sprite ]
[Status - Processing]
The slime had just… copied it? Wait...stored it ?
Dean's eyes narrowed as he blinked a few times. He turned to his right shoulder where the slime was sitting, then back to the screen. Still in disbelief.
"You petty creature," he snorted.
The slime just stayed on his shoulder, wobbling without a care in the world.
Dean pinched the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes briefly.
"You have only four slots and you are wasting it on flight."
Dean couldn't help it, but this slime was definitely giving him a headache right now.
Suddenly the slime wobbled again and began to hover. It floated towards the wind sprite, waving from left to right almost like it were saying, if you can do it. I can too.
Dean almost facepalmed. "Of course, the first thing you learn from me is how to be petty."
<><><>
Dean was on one knee from the vantage point with the slime and the wind sprite hovering on his flanks, when he heard a rather disturbing sound from his left.
He turned in that direction and even with Hermit's eyes, he couldn't see through the thick slabs of rock on the path.
Dean ignored and was focusing on where to head too next when the shrilling sound came again.
This time it was alot clearer, it sounded like a bleat but an incredibly disturbing one, like someone was scratching metal on the ground.
Dean couldn't refuse the invitation any longer. After all, he needed experience points to rank up and even though he planned to keep a low profile after he reached elite rank. He just had to see where the sound was coming from.
He jumped over the slab of rock as his familiars floated behind.
To his surprise, there was an opening at the other side.
"Hmmm," Dean muttered as he wore the gauntlets and entered the cave cautiously.
The inside of the cave was dark with no hope for light as far as Dean can see.
'This is a death trap,' Dean's thoughts barely formed when he saw a trail of verge marked as green lines appear from behind him.
The creature didn't make a sound, like a predator that was just patiently waiting for its prey.
Slash
Swiftly Dean ducked as the claws tore through the air missing his head by a few centimetres.
He rolled forward and turned towards the creature who he saw clearly now.
"Damn, you're ugly,"
He spoke while adjusting his gauntlets that lit up causing a red menacing silhouette on his face.
A/N: if you're enjoying the story, add to Library and support with Powerstones. I need the P.Stones to gain more traction. Help a new Author. Thank you...