Arthur rode on Kira's back while stroking its back affectionately. He was taking them toward the underground tunnels where they would hunt mid-tier creatures until the night arrives. After that, Arthur would sneak into the camp using Miko's ability to ask Hazel to help him in his quest.
The two descended underground and were met with a giant spider that was a low-mid-tier monster. Its skills were shooting tiny spiders and electrifying webs, and it was a tough foe in such a narrow tunnel. However, the two's teamwork took it down after a short battle.
Arthur was able to block the webs with his protection rune easily and Miko was able to teleport above the monster attacking its eyes. The two then warped it up and killed the monster.
Arthur finally got to use his Earth manipulation skill as he split a rock into mana pieces and used them to attack the tiny spiders.
[Perception increased by 1.]
[Perception increased by 1.]
[Perception increased by 1.]
That was the result after Arthur absorbed the monster's body. His senses witnessed a sharp increase and the dark tunnel looked brighter than before. The only illumination came from the minerals in the walls, but they were enough for them to see.
[Scholar Guardian's Legacy]
[Level: 11 (22%)]
[Strength: 53]
[Agility: 50]
[Stamina: 40]
[Perception: 34]
[Mana: 22/42]
[Abilities: Beginner Runes Wordsmith (13%), Useable Runes: 8]
[Skills: Lesser-Mana Breathing Skill (F), Poison Strike (F), Camouflage (F), Earth Manipulation (E)]
Arthur looked at his legacy while they were resting and drinking water. After he leveled up from level 10, he was given two stats points to use. It seemed levels beyond 10 gave 2 stats points per level, or that is his initial guess. He spent the two points on mana again since it was his most lacking and essential stat.
He had come a long way from the time he didn't even have a skill, three runes, and 10-something stats. He was now a neo-ranker, albeit on the beginning line, but he was a ranker.
"Want to hunt another monster?" Miko asked, and Arthur looked at her with some confusion. She blinked and asked, "What?"
"Why do you hunt?" Arthur blurted out, realizing others didn't hunt to absorb essence like him. There was a different reason, one he didn't know.
"Oh, same as others. The usage of mana in stressful or dangerous situations would normally cause a slight increase in our internal mana. Pushing ourselves beyond our limits is a way to squeeze out our potential to evolve. Furthermore," She picked up the core that had appeared from the spider, "this can be used to make mana potions. Drinking them would also increase our mana."
As if a lightbulb has lit in his head, Arthur felt enlightened. He had never cared about how they got stronger since he had his cheat-like leveling-up legacy. Now, however, it seemed others also killed monsters to get stronger and reap some benefits.
However, this didn't mean this was the only way to get stronger. Arthur used his lesser-mana breathing technique to replenish his mana faster, couldn't there be a high-end technique to make mana his own?
Arthur didn't ask any more as it would raise suspicions about the method that he gets stronger, so he kept quiet. He thought about the stats point he gained, were they his potential, or was it a bonus from his legacy? He didn't know. So many questions, but Arthur had the time to seek their answers in the future.
The two kept hunting until the light was gone before they crept toward Erin's camp. They left Kira a distance away and they used the darkness to infiltrate the camp. Many were wounded in their ranks, bespeaking the chaos that had ensued due to the end of the first round. The monster has been slain by someone else, probably one of the powerful figures Arthur had yet to meet. He spent most of his time in the south of the trial grounds, without venturing toward the others.
It seemed a Monster Madness was happening last night, as the monsters got more berserk and threatening with each round. That's why many people were trying to gain their insignia and leave this place. With each passing moment, it would become a more hellish place.
"Why don't they just leave the tower alone, if it would result in more chaos?" Arthur asked Miko this question when they were underground. Her answer left Arthur deeply shocked.
"To gain an advantage. The earlier rounds are easier; thus, they don't want to wait for someone else to clear them. The more you wait, the less chance you have to pass. This is a competition, not a teamwork carnival where everyone would hold hands and pass together.
"This trial is set up in a way that passing would make it more difficult for others, increasing your chances of obtaining the holy crown."
That was her answer. It left Arthur with a newfound understanding of what he got himself into. This was the competition where you win by stepping on the corpses of your competitors.
This has further reinforced his determination to end this trial grounds. Many would die if he didn't, and he didn't care about the holy crown that much.
"Do you know where she is?" Miko asked with a low voice, scanning the camp with her silver eyes. The plan was to wait for Hazel to be alone before she would teleport Arthur to a nearby place. Arthur would then ask Hazel to help them.
The plan was going smoothly until now, but they couldn't locate Hazel anywhere. It was then that Arthur realized something. If Erin was after him and Miko, what would he do to Hazel, Arthur's friend?
He felt like he was the stupidest person alive at that moment. How did he not think of this until now? What if something has befallen Hazel because of his choices? There was no medicine for regret, and Arthur prayed in his heart that he wasn't late. It has only been a day since Erin saw him with Miko, not a lot could happen."
"Is it possible that Erin captured her?" Arthur asked, slightly worried. Miko froze at these words, further worrying Arthur.
"There's a reason I tried to kill Erin by myself." She said with a terrifying chillness. Arthur stared at her, waiting for her to continue.
"Under the guise of the genius berserker laid an ugly truth. His family invested in him so much that they were willing to cover up his misdeeds, assaults, and even ****. That's what we confirmed, there could be…" Miko had to cut her words short as she felt the unusual atmosphere. She turned around only to see his golden eyes were now shining brightly in the night's darkness as if torches lit up inside of them. No, torches were an understatement. She saw two miniature suns, threatening to overtake the world. Her body shivered as she felt threatened by the amiable youth for the first time. It was the first time he had shown this emotion. It was pure rage.
"Let's go," His voice was the calmest it had ever been. Miko snapped out of it, feeling like she was unable to stop him. He stood in front of the valley and raised his left hand toward it. Miko saw light shine from his hands, and it grew brighter by the second. Mana was leaking from his body at a noticeable rate, and she feared they might get discovered.
Arthur used his detection rune to find Hazel, but he tried something different. Instead of making the detection range a sphere, he sent mana toward the rune to change its properties just like the time he did with the bell. He stretched the range the rune worked on from a sphere shape to a rectangular plate, covering the whole camp. His legacy sent him some messages but he was too focused on scanning the camp to read them.
His brain almost overclocked because of the number of life-forces he felt. Some were flickering, others were being extinguished, and some were stronger than the rest. As it reached Erin's tent, Arthur felt several life-forces and he snapped his eyes open when he saw they were clashing.
"Miko! Teleport us into the giant tent in the middle!" His instincts were screaming at him that whatever happened there, it was related to Hazel.
***
Earlier, at the first sign of nightfall, Jin heard some gossip that made him frown. He was already in a foul mood since the return of Erin's elite squad, as Erin ordered for Hazel to be imprisoned at once. If not for his family and his group backing him, Jin didn't doubt that he would have also been confined.
When he questioned his decision, Jin learned of what has transpired during the squad's hunt. The person Hazel brought to the camp was an accomplice of the assassin who tried to take Erin's life a few days ago. Erin believed that that mutt was a spy that Hazel has brought into their midst, and Jin had no way of debunking his claims.
After having Hazel imprisoned and confined, the camp had to fend for itself for the whole night against the monsters going berserk at the end of the first round. It lasted for the whole night and many were wounded, temporarily burying Hazel's case. Jin was hopeful he could plead on her behalf from Erin and that Hazel would spill how she got to know the mutt.
The rumors shattered his hopes as they were talks about how Hazel's confinement place changed to be Erin's tent after nightfall. Even if he was with half a brain and as clueless as he came to life, he would still realize what Erin was doing. He knew of his foul reputation among the families, although it was a secret.
As soon as he heard these rumors, Jin started making his way toward Erin's tent. He prayed he could solve it easily. If that didn't work, however, he can only resort to dire means.