Markus sat on the edge of his bunk in the military barracks, the rhythmic sharpening of swords from the neighboring rooms acting as a grim lullaby.
He pulled out a Tier 4 Purple Recluse core he had 'saved' from his earlier hunt. He didn't absorb it yet. Instead, he felt the faint vibration of the forest through the floorboards—a low, subsonic growl of an entity that knew it was about to be attacked.
Markus sat cross-legged on his bunk bed, meditating, checking in on Nagini absorbing the Tier-7 Beast core.
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[Nagini]
[Age: 1]
[Element: Space]
[Level: 30]
[Health: 150,000]
[Mana: ∞]
[Strength: 300]
[Agility: 300]
[Constitution: 300]
[Intelligence: 300]
[Law of Space: 100%]
Active Skills:
Spatial Domain
Spatial Barrier
Spatial Constriction
Spatial Swallowing
Space Portal
Star Storm
Passive skills:
Spatial Inventory
Spatial Perception
Telekinesis
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Markus reached into Nagini's spatial dimension atop his dead and stroked her head, "Take your time to grow, little one, I'll be waiting for you to join me in battle."
Markus grinned and closed his eyes, letting the darkness claim him.
General Braveheart wanted land. The adventurers wanted credits. Markus? He closed his eyes and felt the Void rippling beneath his skin. He wanted the forest to try to stop him.
**
[6 a.m.]
Markus's communication watch vibrated on his wrist, waking him up from his much-needed rest.
'Today's the day, time to reach level 50!'
Markus went to the mess hall, filling himself up with a hearty breakfast.
[All Stats + 20] for 1 hour
[Health Regen + 10%] for 1 hour
[Mana Regen + 10%] for 1 hour
The military chefs enhanced the meals by infusing beast meat with mana-rich herbs, concocting a potent meal that provided diners with temporary buffs.
"Wow, the food in the military is always top-notch," a group conversed loudly at a table on Markus's right.
Markus nodded, although the flavor profile is lacking compared to top restaurants in the cities, their nutritional value is a cut above all else.
His blood and mana pathways flowed smoothly as if they had been lubricated by grease.
"Great purge assembly at the south-western gates in 20 minutes."
The public address system within the city announced.
Markus returned his tray to the self-return corner and headed to board a private military bus headed towards the south-western gates.
A subsonic growl could be heard by Markus, a natural reaction from the forest. His 18 points of perception allowed him to perceive things he had missed before.
The air at the south-western gates was thick with the smell of ozone and diesel.
Thousands of soldiers stood in perfect formation, their armor glinting under the harsh morning sun.
Beyond the walls, the Forbidden Forest seemed to loom larger than yesterday—a wall of emerald defiance.
Markus stepped off the bus, the mana-rich breakfast still warming his veins like liquid fire.
Markus stared towards the city walls. General Braum, flanked by his loyal Colonels stood facing the forest, his wide back blocking parts of the sunlight shining down upon his men below.
Braum raised his arms, creating ground formations outside the city walls.
Earthen Barriers, deep trenches, defensive formations, and the skillful manipulation of the Law of Earth completed the work of a hundred men in mere seconds.
Braum jumped down from the towering city walls, the ground cushioning his impact as if a feather had just landed.
(I wonder if Headmistress Elena's mastery of the Earth Element is comparable to General Braveheart."
Markus could see several similarities between the Headmistress and the General in their manipulation of the Earth Element.
Soldiers followed General Braum, getting into defensive formations within the trenches and behind the barriers.
The awakeners stepped past the defensive formations and entered the forest, eager to hunt and farm for Valerian Credits.
Markus strode forward, wrist resting on the Black Steel Blade, entering the Forbidden Forest as if it were his second home.
A cacophony of explosions sounded deep in the forests.
General Braum and his fellow commanders unleashed their abilities against the beasts in the black region, warding off any potential danger that would interfere with clearing out the red zone.
Markus tensed his lower body.
"Bam"
In 1 jump, he ascended a 4-meter-tall tree, gaining high ground, granting him a bird's eye view of the battles below.
Groups spread out, engaging in different beast domains.
A group of 50 awakeners was assaulting the Tier 2 Leaf-Cutter Ant hive, sealing off all entrances but two.
The ant beasts forced to exit through 2 tunnel pathways were slowly being exterminated by the strategic planning of the awakeners.
When their mana ran out, they stepped back and let another take his place; everyone got an equal amount of kill participation, utilising this tactic.
Markus spread his spatial domain far and wide, reaching a radius of 200 meters.
[Starlight Bow]
[Starlight arrows]
[-200 Mana]
[-200 Mana]
[-200 Mana]
[-200 Mana]
[-200 Mana]
[-200 Mana]
Markus continuously fired off starlight arrows, whistling through the leaves, striking their intended targets.
[Kill Counter: 108]
His accumulated kill counter racked up past the 3-digit mark.
[Level Up]
..
..
..
[Level Up]
..
..
Markus, getting bored farming from the high ground, leapt through the treeline, delving deeper towards the border of the black region.
"Boom"
"ROARRR"
"BANG"
"KABOOOOM"
Markus felt the ground quaking, the air burning, as an intense battle was taking place before him.
Braum and his commanders were battling three Tier-7 Silverback Gorillas.
Braum engaged them in melee combat, assisted by his Earth Golem summons; he held them down on his own.
The commanders were assisting him, utilising their flame and wind abilities to control the range of movement of the beasts.
[Starlight Bow]
Markus released his arrows, targeting the vulnerable eyes of the massive Tier-7 Beasts.
[Critical: -2000 damage]
(Only 2000 damage striking its eye?, This is way out of my league..)
The beast struck in the eyes, flinched backwards, caught off guard.
Braum took the opportunity to step in and manipulated the sand underneath to encase it in a sarcophagus.
His ultimate peak tier 7 law ability, Eternal Damnation.
A sand mausoleum formed around the Tier 7 Silverback Gorilla, its struggles futile.
This ability possessed quicksand characteristics, trapping its prey within it, suffocating and grinding its body down until it turns to dust.
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
Markus gained two levels from the assist, finally reaching level 50.
Braum, getting some relief on the battlefield, looked back towards where the arrows came from.
He noticed Markus hidden within the treeline, wielding a bow made of starlight.
Braum nodded, sending his thanks towards Markus as he turned back, battling the two remaining Silverback Gorillas.
(A summoning ability sure is useful. I wonder if I'll awaken one.)
Markus stood on the swaying branch, the light of his Starlight Bow fading into the smoke of the battlefield.
The ground beneath him was still trembling from the weight of the Silverback's fall. He could feel his core vibrating—the 40% ceiling was no longer a barrier; it was a pressurized vessel ready to burst.
He looked at the General, who was already engaging the next beast, a mountain of earth and iron.
----------------------------------------------------------
Name: Markus Blackwell
Age: 10
Class: Void Apprentice
Affinities: Space (L), Time (L)(Sealed), Fate (EX)
Health: 22,000/22,000
Mana: 40,000/40,000
Level: 50
Strength: 180
Agility: 180
Constitution: 180
Intelligence: 208
Hidden Attribute
Perception: 18
Available free attributes: 0
Laws: Space (50.00%)
Active Skills:
Spatial Slash (5x)
Void Severance (5x)
Spatial Bubble (5x)
Spatial Domain
Spatial Detonation
Sword Skills:
Vorpal Strike
Meteor Strike
Spatial Ascension
Legacy Skills:
[Legacy of Sagittarius]
Starlight Bow
Passive Skills:
Body refinement (Tier 4)
Void Perception
Dimensional Inventory (100 x 100 sqm)
Fate's Eye
Equipment:
Heavenly Scriptures of Space
Key to the Temple of Space
Valerian Academy Student Badge
Aurelian Royal Family Crest
Dimensional Storage Ring (Tier 3)
Dimensional Storage Ring (Tier 1)
Prayer Cushion
----------------------------------------------------------
'Level 50', hairline fractures appeared on Markus's core, and the law restrictions on his body were shattering.
"Not good, I'll need to head back to relative safety. If the expansion of my core compromises my combat capabilities, I'll be a sitting duck waiting for beasts to tear me down." Markus turned and sprinted through the moss-covered ground, headed back towards the city gates.