Somewhere in the outer forest, Jett's group was pushing deeper through the trees. A few meters ahead of them, a darker zone began, the ground a sickly pink—a fusion of snow-white and blood-red.
Suddenly, noises echoed. Low growls. Coming from far behind them.
Jett spun around. "What was that?"
Leo and Marcus turned as well.
"Sounds like a monster stampede?" Leo muttered.
"They're swarming toward something. Did someone aggro them?" Marcus asked.
"Aggro them? Who's crazy enough to pull every monster in the Outer Zone? And for what?" Leo countered.
"Maybe that person plans to wipe out the entire zone," Marcus suggested.
"Can they even handle that many?"
Marcus shrugged. Jett stared back into the forest behind them.
Who could lure monsters like that? I don't know anyone in the other classes capable of it. Except... her.
His eyes narrowed. If it's her... it means she's with him. Only he would do something that reckless.
He turned back toward the dark zone. "Let's move. There's no time to waste. We need to get into the Inner Zone fast and level up."
He set off, an azure glow flickering in his eye. The other two followed.
If that's the case, then I'll be waiting for you in the Inner Zone... Remedy.
***
Elsewhere in the zone, white heels sank into the snow. An unmoving white dress, her back turned to the dark portion and the pink soil. The wind whipped through her long, silver-white hair.
Neve Frost.
Her icy blue eyes were locked onto two Level 15 players trapped in a vice of ice. Only their heads and hands were free. Her ice clone stood beside them, its translucent sword pressed against their throats. Their hands trembled, holding a return scroll which they tore, vanishing instantly.
She turned and headed toward the dark zone. Suddenly, noises from behind made her stop. She tilted her head, her cold gaze scanning the bright forest for a moment, before she resumed her path. Her clone followed right behind her. The ice cages shattered into dust behind them.
***
An hour and a half later, back in the Outer Zone.
Remedy sat atop a pile of monster corpses. The smooth black sphere orbited above his head. His chains dangled over the bodies, dripping blood onto the snow, which was now stained a sickly pink. The forest around them was eerily silent, hollowed out. Broken trees, scattered debris—the place was an absolute wreck.
He didn't blink. His hands, usually so active, rested motionless on his knees. The corpses piled up beneath him. He looked at them the way one looks at stones.
Devour.
[15 LEVEL 10 MONSTERS, 9 LEVEL 11 MONSTERS, AND 5 LEVEL 12 MONSTERS DEVOURED. +30,900 MP, +30,900 EXP.]
The bodies vanished, leaving the bare earth.
His body glowed. Fatigue receded a notch, and his muscles loosened. He landed lightly on the balls of his feet. He unlooped his chains from his wrists and coiled them.
It's a real shame there aren't many monsters left.
A water bottle appeared in his hand. He poured the water over the chains, rinsing away the blood.
Maybe we should push into the Inner Zone.
[CAUTION: You are currently affected by Serene's energy. You are becoming colder and less like yourself in your reasoning.]
He opened his hand. The chains dissolved into pixels. He looked up at the sphere above him. A sigh escaped him, and then he stepped toward Serene, who sat motionless against a tree.
He stopped in front of her. "Have you rested enough, Serene? If you're good, let's head to the Inner Zone."
She turned her head toward him, slowly. Nothing else.
"By the way, can you take this off? I think I can manage on my own now." He gestured to the sphere above him.
She stood up, her gaze directed toward the sphere—though she seemed to be looking at something else entirely. Then, the sphere evaporated into thin air.
Remedy closed his eyes for a second. When he reopened them, his shoulders had dropped.
"Alright. Let's go."
Without another word, they turned their backs on the now-barren Outer Zone and headed toward the dense shadows of the Inner Zone.
Party: Remedy & Serene
Party Points: 758
***
Remedy took the lead, with Serene trailing quietly behind. They walked through the silent forest, crossing paths with the corpses of monsters and a few students.
Remedy stared at his interface.
Now that I don't have that 50% buff anymore, fighting monsters in packs is going to be difficult. Especially since we're entering the Inner Zone.
═══ STATUS WINDOW ═══
Name: Remedy
Lineage: Human
Tier: 1 — Optimized Human
Level: 15
EXP: 72%
MP: 84,350
Health: 65%
Energies:
• Mana: 100%
═══ CLASS ═══
• Primary Path: Sealed
• Secondary Path: Scourge of Reality
═══ SKILLS ═══
• Secondary Path: Steal, Manifest, Bind, Devour
═══════════════════════════
Stolen Law Structures Available:
* Law of the Weight of a Feather: Level 5
* Law of the Sharpness of a Vibrating Blade: Level 5
I have enough MP now to upgrade the level of my manifestations. If I upgrade the level of the weight of a feather, I can finally swing that giant sledgehammer. But...
He brought a hand to his chin.
All this time, I've noticed that I receive the same amount of EXP as I do MP. And it takes just as much to upgrade my manifestations as it does for me to level up. This means if I upgrade them blindly, they'll lag behind my level and the weapons I use. Like right now with the giant hammer.
Maybe I shouldn't upgrade the level of every law? Maybe I can use them differently?
He bent down and picked up a small wooden twig from the snow.
For instance, the Law of Sharpness doesn't depend on the object itself. No matter the level of the object...
[LEVEL 1. 10 MP CONSUMED. LAW OF SHARPNESS MANIFESTED SUCCESSFULLY.]
...I can give it the edge of a vibrating blade. Unless it's to counter an opponent's weapon that is already sharper than a vibrating blade, there's no point in using it on a high-level weapon. The only issue would be durability. So for my uses, there's no point in continuing to upgrade its manifestation level—especially since its cutting edge will always remain that of a vibrating blade. It's not every day I'm going to run into an opponent with a weapon sharper than a vibrating blade. And with my limited resources, there's no need to take that risk.
But the Weight of a Feather is different. The heavier the object, the more beneficial it is to me. Therefore, the manifestation level needs to be high. Which means I can categorize my laws into two groups: those whose benefits depend on the level of the object, and those that I can use through an external medium.
They stopped at the edge of the dark zone. He tossed the twig aside.
Then:
[DING! CONGRATULATIONS. YOUR COMPREHENSION LEVEL OF THE CLASS "SCOURGE OF REALITY" HAS INCREASED: 1/?]
Oh? Looks like I hit the nail on the head.
[Yes. The "Scourge of reality" doesn't just break the rules. It breaks the rules in the worst way possible.]
[Making a low-level wooden twig as sharp as a vibrating blade is far worse than making an already sharp weapon even sharper.]
I see... By the way, what's this "1/?"?
[When your comprehension level of the "Scourge of reality" is high enough, you will unlock another facet of your Class.]
Right, I remember. It's like how players unlock other class skills when they gain a deep understanding of their path.
[Yes.]
He stretched, cracking his knuckles and then his neck. Tension finally drained from his shoulders. He turned his head toward Serene.
"Shall we?"
She nodded.
Good. This is where the real work begins.
Then, the two stepped into the dark zone.
End of chapter 17
SUMMARY (Elapsed time: 2h15)
Initial participants: 101
Returned (scroll): 40
Confirmed dead: 9
Students remaining in the dungeon: 52