Val’s boosted stats and ridiculous high agility allowed him to react in a split second, his body moving with a speed that seemed to leave an afterimage in the lynx’s path. He sidestepped the powerful leap, barely escaping the lynx’s razor-sharp fangs that snapped at the empty air where he had just been standing a fraction of a second ago. 𝑂𝓋𝐥xt.𝑐𝗈𝑚
Without wasting a moment, he brandished his sword in a counterattack. However, to his surprise, no sooner had he sidestepped than the Icefang Lynx rebounded and darted back to a safe distance, its frosty eyes gleaming with ill intent never leaving his muscular figure.
“Fast and tricky,” Val muttered under his breath, acknowledging the Icefang Lynx’s prowess. “This creature is stronger than any beast I’ve ever faced.”
Suddenly, a deep, guttural roar resonated from the Lynx, its warcry reverberating throughout the second region of the forest. Val’s ears bled because of its powerful roar, but his expression remained stoic, and his gaze remained fixed on its figure. Although injured, there was no change in his expression. It clearly highlighted the effectiveness of his Unfeeling Trait.
Shua!
The air around the lynx began to grow colder, and it began to manipulate that cold, causing gusts of wind to whirl around it. It willed, and the swirling cold winds condensed into numerous sharp, icy spikes that hung suspended in the air like frozen daggers, ready to be flung at a moment’s notice.
Rawooo!
The Lynx let out another powerful roar, and in an instant, the icy spikes were launched forward, hurtling straight towards Val like a hailstorm of lethal projectiles.
Seeing the incoming attacks, Val’s eyes narrowed, but not a hint of panic could be seen in them. Using his superior speed, he dodged and wove through the deadly rain of icy projectiles. As he narrowly but efficiently dodged the icy spikes, it seemed like a tight-knit dance of life and death. Although he dodged most of them, there were some he couldn’t dodge at them. They threatened to end his life!
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The few spikes that threatened to strike him were met with swift slashes of his cursed sword, causing them to shatter into a shower of frost.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Relentless in its pursuit, the Icefang Lynx conjured more and more spikes and threw them at Val. The level 28 beast seemed hell-bent on impaling Val, pushing its mana to the brink to sustain the relentless assault.
Val, despite having 60 points in his agility, was not entirely unscathed. Although he dodged and shattered most of them by moving too fast and using his cursed sword respectively, a few of the icy spikes managed to graze him, carving shallow cuts into his skin before moving past him. Although he was bleeding from his skim wounds, he remained focused on his goal, his inky black eyes locked onto the lynx, searching for an opportune moment to strike.
The Lynx once again bombarded him with icy projectiles, but he survived that without getting injured.
Immediately, he noticed the lynx faltering slightly, a clear sign of mana exhaustion.
At this sight, Val’s lips curled up, ‘My chance has arrived!’
Swoosh!
With a swift flexing of his knees, Val propelled himself forward, his form blurring across the terrain like a lightning strike. He closed the gap between him and the lynx in a heartbeat, even before the beast could react.
The next moment, his Aquarius Sword arched in the air, tracing a clean, horizontal line across the lynx’s body.
The speed and precision of the strike were such that for a moment, it seemed as though nothing had happened.
Then, almost in slow motion, the lynx’s body separated into it, a fountain of blood spewing from the gruesome wound.
Thud!
The lynx’s lifeless body thudded to the ground. Blood, along with intestines, gushed out of the two halves, staining the snow beneath with a deep, ominous red.
[Ding! Congratulation, Host! You’ve defeated level 28 Icefang Lynx. You get +280 EXP. As the monster you defeated is an entire stage above you, you’ve gained several hundred additional Experience points!]
[Ding! Congratulation, Host! You have leveled up. You have reached level 10 from 9. You get +2 Stat Points, and a 10% upgrade in your Level 2 Blood Devil Bloodline!]
[Current progress of the Host’s Level 2 Blood Devil Bloodline towards the next level: 50/100%.]
[EXP required to reach the next level: 800/3500.]
Another system notification chimed in his mind, but this one caught his attention.
[User can now register a secondary class.]
Several choices appeared before him, each representing a unique secondary class he could register for.
The first option was to register his Whitemore bloodline as the ‘White Devil’ class. White Devils were known for their agility and their ability to control the element of fire to some extent. Other Devil classes, namely Shadow Devils, Flame Devils, Wind Devils, Earth Devils, and Water Devils, were also present. Each class offered a unique set of skills and attributes, each equally attractive.
The last option was something entirely different: Wizard.
Wizards were powerful people capable of harnessing Soul Power to fight against corruption. They were better known for being skilled at creating various magical potions. Registering as a wizard would also grant him an Arcane Heart, a special organ that can produce soul power.
Val contemplated his choices.
His main class was already powerful enough. Gaining another Devil Class seemed unnecessary. Not to mention, registering his innate bloodline powers as a class didn’t seem as lucrative as becoming a wizard.
After all, wizards were the ones who created potions that could awaken and upgrade bloodlines. They easily become wealthy after selling a few potions and they are revered by the masses wherever they go in the kingdom.
Val squinted, a thoughtful look appearing on his face. ‘If I can join their ranks, I would certainly amass a fortune. It might take time, but it will happen. Plus, I wasn’t born with the Arcane Heart. If I missed this chance, I might never get another opportunity to acquire one.’
This was the kind of opportunity that came around once in a lifetime. Val was keenly aware of its value. He was well aware that chances like this were rare and precious. Interestingly, he was a man who recognized a golden opportunity when he saw one, and he knew exactly how to make the most of it.
Val made up his mind. He decided to register as a wizard. However, he thought that the process could be dangerous as an entire organ would be created in his body and this might leave him vulnerable, so he decided to act wisely and find a safe place before proceeding with the registration.
‘Before registering as a wizard, I’ll get back to the station first and gain the right to enter the frontier from Marshall, it’s safer there. I’ll take this step when I’m settled and ready,’ Val thought.