Chapter 315: Endless Enemies?
"What was that?"
"Why does it feel as if an earthquake is about to occur?"
In other parts of the Level Four dimensions, the examinees momentarily stopped their fighting, and terrified looks appeared in their eyes the moment the gigantic blood pillar made contact with the ground.
The fierce blood pillar sent waves of tremors spreading outward in all directions, making the knees of some low-level awakened tremble as they struggled to stay on their feet.
The trees swayed, and small cracks appeared beneath the feet of the examinees, who were shaking like leaves in the wind. The cracks in the ground filled them with dread, and they thought it would divide into two, burying them in rubble.
At that moment, their heads whipped toward the far distance, where they could see a thick blanket of dust with a gaseous reddish substance rising into the air.
The noses of the examinees scrunched, their expressions turning disgusted as they caught a whiff of the metallic and dusty smell. It was then they realized that this wasn't a mere earthquake, but something much more!
Growl! Growl!
Suddenly, as they were temporarily lost in thought, bestial roars pierced the air. Although it was still daytime, countless pairs of glowing eyes appeared from the bushes. Those eyes were fixed on the humans, with a hint of murder within them.
"Shit! Whatever caused that has drawn all the beasts out!" someone yelled at the top of his voice, snapping the others out of their daze.
"We have to deal with the beasts first!"
"Attack!"
---
Unaware of the misfortune he had brought to the other examinees, Nox leaped past a relatively deep chasm as he made his way to the spot where the blood pillar had impacted.
But it was a bit difficult to see clearly, as the air was especially thick with clouds of dust and gaseous blood. Everywhere, there were deep craters and rocks protruding at unnatural angles. With his limited vision, if one wasn't careful, they could seriously injure themselves.
However, Nox simply disregarded this and pushed forward. In a split moment, he arrived at the point of impact. Though the air was thick with clouds, he was able to make out the vague outline of the two beasts, whose eyes were still wide in horror. They had not expected to die like this, even in their dreams!
Of course, they were well aware that one of them would die here today, but they never thought it would be both of them.
"This dimension is very strange," Nox mumbled to himself as he scanned around for the loot that had dropped. "Sometimes the beasts completely disintegrate, and sometimes they just remain here. Truly strange."
At that moment, his eyes gleamed with excitement as he spotted what he was looking for. The things the Furious Ape and Ravenous Wolf had dropped were two items!
A ring and a skill scroll.
Nox picked up the ring, and all its information appeared before him.
[Item: Ring of Vital Replenishment (King Tier)
Description: [A finely crafted silver ring adorned with a vibrant emerald at its center. Ancient inscriptions encircle the band, glowing faintly when activated. The Ring of Vital Replenishment harnesses the power of rejuvenation, instantly restoring 100% of the wearer's stamina. Known as a lifesaver among warriors and adventurers, this ring allows its wielder to push through fatigue and remain in peak condition during critical moments. Cooldown: 24 Hours]
Nox read through the description and smiled as he slid it onto his finger. Stamina was very important in battle, and this had been one of Nox's biggest weaknesses in the fight against the Elemental Beast in Snowhelm.
Nox clenched his fist, and his eyes flashed sharply. With this, he wouldn't be left in such a miserable state again. Though the cooldown period was once a day, it was still a game-changer!
After placing the ring on his finger, he picked up the skill scroll and looked at it with a strange glint in his eyes. "I already have one of these in my inventory, but because of the system upgrade, I refrained from using it."
The description of the skill scroll unfolded before him a moment later.
Furious Ape's Enhanced Strength (Intermediate)
An enhancement-type skill that temporarily augments the user's physical strength to monstrous levels. When activated, the skill temporarily increases the user's Strength stat by +60%. Consumes 40 MP to activate and lasts for 1 minute. Cooldown: 60 seconds.
"+60% strength... this skill is pretty useful, but I could get a better version of this if I simply copied it," Nox thought as he paced back and forth with his arms behind him. This was a habit he liked doing as it immersed him in his thoughts. "Should I give it to someone and then copy it?"
This was the only way. He didn't want to have any mediocre skills in his possession. Nox knew very well that the reason he could win his fights was because of his broken skills, which were all at the highest tier known to humanity.
Learning this skill as it was, was simply a waste of time.
Just then, Nox had a brief moment of realization as he remembered that he could now ask the system questions. "Hey, is there another way to upgrade this skill 10X?"
[The only way for the host to upgrade skills is by witnessing it being used! During the fight, although the host didn't notice it, the Furious Ape had used the skill in the final clash with the Ravenous Wolf, and I recorded it. Do you wish to learn the upgraded version of this skill?]
"You can do that?" Nox's eyes shot wide open in excitement.
[Yes]
"Bring it up!" Nox didn't hesitate, as he wished to learn the upgraded version.
[Barbarian Strength (Ultimate)]
An enhancement-type skill that temporarily elevates the user's physical strength to unprecedented heights. Upon activation, the user's Strength stat is increased by +600, transforming their physical power into an unstoppable force. Consumes 400 MP per activation and lasts for 5 minutes. Cooldown: 30 seconds.]
Nox clicked his tongue, slightly annoyed at the absurd mana points needed, but he decided to learn it anyway. His mana reserve was steadily increasing, after all! And besides, the only skill missing from his arsenal was a strength-based skill.
As he learned the skill, a feeling of euphoria washed over him. His entire being was brimming with power. It was both thrilling and intoxicating, as if he could never get used to it.
"From now on, I want you to record every skill!" Nox ordered with a smirk on his face. "When I'm less busy, I'll be able to go through it that way."
The system agreed. [Recording will commence, but skills can only be recorded for twenty-four hours. After that, they will all disappear.]
"That won't be an issue."
After looking around one last time, there were no more drops, so Nox decided to head deeper. Just as he came out of the fog of dust and blood mist, he was met with an endless sea of wolves with glowing blue eyes glaring at him as if he had murdered their loved ones. Chapter Stay:
"So that was the Alpha, huh?" Nox connected the dots quite easily; no hint of remorse or whatsoever in his voice. A smile was all that could be seen on his face. "Well, you guys just presented me with a chance to test out my new skills and farm experience points!"
As Nox prepared to engage the beasts in a fight, hundreds of examinees who were curious about the blood and dust mist were heading toward his direction.