Chapter 321: Surprise~



[Solaris Lion Has Been Defeated]

[Congratulations! You Have Defeated an A-Rank Boss Monster!]

[You Have Leveled Up!]

I ignored the glowing system notifications flickering before me, my focus instead shifting to

the scorched and dismembered remains of the once-powerful Solaris Lion.

Its majestic golden mane-now charred and blackened-swayed faintly in the heat still lingering in the air.

I exhaled slowly, wiping away a few stray beads of sweat from my forehead as the residual mana fluctuations around me began to settle.

‘It’ll take a few more battles before I get used to the sheer intensity of mana inside me now…’

The overwhelming surge of power from the battle faded, allowing my internal mana flow to finally stabilize.

“Man, that guy sure was tough,” Flamme remarked casually from the side.

I shot her a glance.

“You didn’t exactly help out…”

She grinned, tilting her head playfully.

“Hehe~ Well, I knew you could handle it! Besides, it totally seemed like you didn’t want me interfering~”

At least she was quick on the uptake.

In truth, while the fight had dragged on longer than expected, it hadn’t been difficult.

The Solaris Lion was a monster I had fought countless times in the game, making its strengths and weaknesses practically second nature to me.

It was physically superior, with raw power that could overwhelm most combatants in direct confrontations-but maneuverability was its greatest flaw.

Exploiting that weakness had made the fight manageable, even if I had to be extra cautious around its more dangerous techniques.

Especially its special attack-[Laser Sight].

A continuous beam of searing heat, capable of melting through any form of defense, [Laser Sight] was by far the most troublesome part of the battle.

Even a moment’s hesitation could’ve resulted in serious injuries-not just for me, but for Flamme as well.

Had it not been for her high-ranking fire spirit, which had instinctively shielded her from the aftermath of my battle, she would’ve suffered from the lingering effects of the Solaris Lion’s attacks.

I let out a slow breath, my gaze lingering on the fading embers of the fallen Solaris Lion.

‘I really have grown stronger…’

Back when I had just entered the academy-or even before that-the idea of casually defeating an A-rank dungeon boss like this had never once crossed my mind.

Back then, such a feat seemed impossible.

But now?

Here I was, standing victorious, barely winded from the fight.

For someone like Flamme, or any of the other prodigies in this world, today might have felt like nothing more than just a passing moment-just another dungeon, just another battle. But for me, it was different.

I couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride in my progress.

Sure, I had hurried through this battle-there were still one or two more dungeons I needed to clear before the day ended-but the time spent fighting the Solaris Lion hadn’t been wasted.

The fight had given me the perfect opportunity to properly test out most of the new skills I had gained.

Now, all that was left was to readjust myself and improve my proficiency with them.

With my strength stat now reaching S-rank, the fundamentals I had relied on before would no longer be enough.

I needed to rework my foundations, making sure my body and skills aligned properly with the sheer power I was now capable of wielding.

Once I return to the academy, I should probably ask Kagami to join me for some gym training…

Kagami’s combat instincts and raw power would make him the perfect training partner.

Since I just leveled up, now would be a good time to sort out all of the excess status bonus points that I’ve gotten after finishing my trials… and a good time to decide which stat I should upgrade next…

[Name: Riley Hell]

[Race: Human]

[Level: 141]

[Strength: S[???]]

[Agility: B [0/80]]

[Endurance: C[0/60]]

[Luck: o [????]]

[Power: C [0/60]]

[Available Status Points: 14+ 15 +20 +20 +20 +20 + 12]

[Skills Info:]

[Advance Swordsmanship (Proficiency 90%)]

[Absolute Strike!] [Proficiency (90%)]

[Aura] [Proficiency (80%)]

[Dashing Sprint] [Proficiency (75%)]

[Heavenly Strike] [Proficiency (75%)]

[Blink Step] [Proficiency (100%)]

[Blood Rampage (Rare)] [Proficiency (60%)]

[Thought Acceleration] [Proficiency (45%)]

[Bonus skills:]

[Time Dilation] [Proficiency (100%)] → [Time Stop] [Proficiency (60%)]

[Return] [Proficiency (20%)]

[Blessed Skills:]

[Raging Storms] [Proficiency (55%)]

[Golden Lightning] [Proficiency (85%)]

[Passive Skills:]

[Monarchs Will] – [Skill archive upgraded skill now absolved…. Soul skill is ow transferred

in soul archive.]

[Soul Archive:]

[Extra skills:]

[Skill: Archive (S)] [Proficiency (90%)]

[Skill: Pain Nullifier (A)] [Proficiency (100%)]

[Note: Newly acquired Soul skills will now be summarized….]

[Note: Hidden Skill: Great Restart] Is now absolved from Soul records, the user is cautioned

to take care of current life.]

[Tutorial Protection is now invalid…]

[New skill summary and descriptions.]

[Skill: Divine Will (Ultimate)] [Proficiency (15%)]

[Skill: Effects and description Extensive…. Skill will now be summarized…]

[Skill: Divine Will (Ultimate)]

[Effect: Unleashes the divine might of the user, cutting off 90% of enemy status effects

within a certain radius.]

[Evil Entity Enhancement: When facing an Evil entity, the user receives a 500% stat boost.]

[Commanding Presence: The user’s words become absolute. All within the area of effect are compelled to obey the user’s commands, regardless of their will.]

[Divine Ascension: The user’s divinity skyrockets to 100%, amplifying all divine attacks. All power sources within the area of effect are converted into divine energy.]

[Skill: Hidden Blade Technique (S)]

[Skill: Hidden Blade] [Proficiency: 40%]

[Forms unlocked: 1/5]

[Skill: Hidden Blade Technique (S)]

[Proficiency: 40%]

[Forms Unlocked: 1/5]

[Description:]

[A devastating swordsmanship technique utilizing a concealed blade, allowing for attacks of incredible speed and precision. This technique possesses five distinct forms, each unlocking

greater power and versatility.]

[Current Form: Blue Moon]

[Effect: Unleashes a swift, straight-line attack in either a horizontal or vertical direction.]

[Reach: Determined by the amount of mana infused into the attack.] [Consecutive Attacks: The user can perform multiple, rapid-fire strikes in succession,

increasing the attack’s overall damage and area of effect.]

[Unlockable Forms:]

[2nd form: [New Moon]

[Grants the user near-instantaneous movement and repositioning capabilities.]

[3rd form: [Full Moon]

[Allows for a devastating area-of-effect attack, cutting down all targets within a 10-meter

radius.]

[4th form: [Eclipse]

[Unleashes a simultaneous three-way attack that bypasses all physical defenses].

[Final form: [Null Space]

[A single, guaranteed hit that completely negates all physical and magical defenses, capable

of striking at the very essence of the target.]

[Notes:]

[Proficiency in this technique will increase over time with continued use and mastery of its

forms.]

[Each form will unlock upon reaching specific skill level milestones.]

[The “Null Space” form is an incredibly powerful and potentially dangerous ability, likely

requiring significant mastery and a high level of risk to utilize.]

[Skill Proficiency is advised. for skill final form as user attacks will cut time and space itself…

Plausibility of spacial crack high likely]

[Skill: Empathic Pain (S)] [Proficiency (35%)]

[Description: A skill born from empathizing the pain and suffering of others.]

[Effect:]

[When the user receives damage, they can choose to reflect a portion of that damage back to

the opponent who inflicted it.]

[The amount of reflected damage is determined by the user’s ability to empathize with their

opponent(s) at the moment of receiving damage.]

[Deeper empathy leads to higher reflected damage.]

[Skill: True Sight] [Proficiency: 30%]

[Description:]

[True Sight grants the user a profound understanding of the world through their vision. It

goes beyond mere sight, allowing them to perceive the underlying truth and essence of all

things. By peering into the core of reality, the user gains invaluable knowledge and a

significant advantage in combat and exploration.]

[Effect:]

[Enhanced Vision: Significantly increases the user’s visual acuity, allowing them to perceive

details and distances far beyond normal human limitations.]

[Supernatural Perception: Detect hidden objects, invisible creatures, and subtle energy

shifts.]

[Night Vision: See clearly in complete darkness.]

[Far sight: Observe distant objects and events with exceptional clarity.]

[Note: Distance observed will base upon skill proficiency]

[Essence Perception: Allows the user to “see” the core essence of any target they focus on:]

[Enemy Weaknesses: Automatically identify weaknesses in their opponents, such as specific elemental vulnerabilities or sensitive areas.]

[Enhanced Understanding: Gain a deeper understanding of any object, creature, or phenomenon they observe, even if encountering it for the first time. This could include

insights into its history, function, or potential uses.]

[Note: True Sight could have a limited range or require concentration to maintain.] [The skill might be susceptible to High rank illusions or deceptive techniques.]

[The user might experience sensory overload when observing particularly complex or

chaotic scenes.] [Skill: Rune Mastery] [Proficiency: 0%]

[Description: This skill allows the user to manipulate and utilize runes with increased

effectiveness.]

[Increased Rune Power: Runes cast by the user become more potent, dealing increased damage, providing stronger buffs, or imposing more debilitating effects.]

[Reduced Rune Cooldown: The time required to recharge runes is significantly decreased,

allowing for more frequent use.]

[Rune Combination: The user can combine multiple runes to create powerful synergistic

effects, unlocking unique and devastating spells.]

[Rune Crafting: Grants the ability to craft and inscribe runes onto weapons, armor, or other

objects, imbuing them with magical properties.]

[Rune Comprehension: Deepens the user’s understanding of runecraft, allowing them to decipher ancient runes, learn new rune combinations, and unlock hidden magical

knowledge.]

[Skill: Last Stand] [Proficiency: 0%]

[Description:]

[A desperate act of defiance, “Last Stand” allows the user to defy death itself. Driven by an

unwavering will to survive and a refusal to succumb, the user enters a state of temporary invulnerability. All incoming damage is negated, and their wounds miraculously heal, allowing them to rise and continue the fight. However, this power is fleeting and reliant

solely on the strength of the user’s spirit. Any doubt or hesitation will cause the effect to

falter, leaving the user vulnerable once more.]

[Effect:]

[Invulnerability: Temporarily grants the user complete immunity to all forms of damage.]

[Instant Healing: Rapidly heals any existing injuries and restores the user’s health to full

capacity.] [Activation Condition:]

[This skill activates only when the user is on the brink of defeat and their will to fight

remains unbroken.]

[Note: “Last Stand” is a powerful but potentially risky ability. The user must be willing to push themselves to their absolute limits to activate and sustain this skill.]

[The psychological and emotional toll of utilizing “Last Stand” could have lasting consequences.]

[Great caution is advised!!!!]

It hasn’t been too long, but it looks like most of the skills I’ve acquired have already reached a

decent level of proficiency.

At this rate, it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to say that my progress was nearing Lucas’s

level of speed and skill mastery.

Of course, there were still a few outliers-skills that required time and effort before they

became truly practical.

One such skill was [Runic Mastery].

To this day, I still wasn’t sure why the mage version of myself had chosen to bless-no, gift

me with this ability.

At first glance, it felt like an odd choice.

I had no experience with Runic Magic, nor did I know how to craft runes. Without any foundational knowledge, the skill was practically useless to me right now.

That said, I was sure I’d find a way to utilize it in the future. After all, I had Rose, Snow, and Alice-practically powerhouse mages in their own right.

Each of them had probably dabbled in Rune Magic at some point, meaning that if I needed guidance, I wouldn’t have to look far.

Another skill that still needed refinement was [Last Stand].

Based on its description, it seemed like an emergency-type skill-something that would activate under certain conditions rather than something I could freely trigger.

While it wasn’t too hard to understand the mechanics behind it, I still had to test its activation

limits.

It’s a powerful skill… but only if I can control when and how it triggers.

In life-or-death situations, relying solely on instincts and passive activation wouldn’t be

enough. If I truly wanted to make the most out of it, I had to practice activating it manually.

I stared at the numbers in front of me, my mind processing the sheer potential laid out before

me.

[Available Status Points: 14+ 15 +20 +20 +20 +20 + 12]

[Total Skill Points: 121]

To think I’d have this many free points to allocate… especially with the level cap closing in on

me. It was an opportunity I couldn’t afford to waste.

My other selves were truly generous-especially the last three, who each gave me 20 status

points just from defeating them.

With this much, I could guarantee my Agility stat reaching Rank A.

But that didn’t mean I could afford to neglect my other stats either. Most of the time, I had been relying on mana to compensate for my lacking physical

capabilities, but that wasn’t a sustainable long-term solution.

Magic alone wasn’t enough.

Just like how magic required knowledge to wield effectively, my body needed a proper

foundation if I ever wanted to use higher-tier S-rank skills in the future.

One of those foundational stats was Endurance.

I glanced at my current status.

[Name: Riley Hell] [Race: Human]

[Level: 141]

[Strength: S (???)]

[Agility: B (0/80)] [Endurance: C (0/60)]

[Luck: o (????)] [Power: C (0/60)]

With greater Endurance, I could likely do far more than usual-fight longer, recover faster,

and withstand attacks that would otherwise cripple me.

But at the same time, I had to consider the synergy between my stats.

With [Last Stand] as a skill and my Strength already at S-rank, boosting Endurance too much

might actually backfire on me.

After all, [Last Stand] thrived under desperate conditions.

It activated when I was at my limit, and if I built up too much Endurance, I might not reach

that threshold when I needed the skill to kick in.

That left Speed-a crucial element in any battle.

An extra boost to Agility would definitely help… but then again, I could always use Mana to

enhance my speed instead.

Agility was extremely useful, but it wasn’t the only way to move faster. With Mana Reinforcement, I could surpass the natural limitations of my physical body.

I tapped my fingers against my arm, deep in thought.

‘How should I distribute these points…?’

I stood there, deep in thought, carefully weighing my options. But just as I was about to make

a decision-

Something unexpected happened.

A presence suddenly invaded my personal space, making me instinctively take a step back. My

body tensed for a brief moment before I recognized the culprit.

“What are you doing?” I asked, blinking in surprise.

It was Flamme.

She had leaned in way too close, her face nearly pressing against mine.

But what caught my attention even more was the ugly, wart-covered frog-like wind spirit she

was casually shoving in front of me.

“Hehehe~ You kept ignoring me, so I thought a little blessing from this ugly-I mean, cute

guy’s face would fix it.~”

She grinned mischievously, clearly entertained by my reaction.

I narrowed my eyes. This girl…

“Anyway, I thought you were in a hurry. Why are you just standing there blankly, staring into

the air? You were even ignoring me!”

She pouted before pointing at the ground. And then I noticed it.

The dungeon was starting to collapse.

Cracks began to spread across the stone

and the walls trembled,

ding debris like

loose skin. A low, ominous rumble echoed through the air, signaling the inevitable.

“We need to leave. Now,” Flamme urged, snapping her fingers.

A swirling portal flickered into existence beside her a shortcut out. Normally, dungeons had an automatic transfer system that kicked in once the boss was

defeated or the dungeon core was destroyed.

But since Flamme’s spirits had devoured the dungeon core, she had essentially become the

temporary master of this space. That meant she had full control over its exits.

‘Convenient.’

Without hesitation, she stepped through the glowing rift, motioning for me to follow.

I sighed, giving the crumbling dungeon one last glance before slowly making my way toward

the portal.

Just as I was about to step through—

Something grabbed me from behind.

A pair of soft, familiar hands suddenly wrapped around my waist, pulling me back just before

I could

exit.

My breath hitched.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep