Ethereal Ascension

Chapter 5

~ Vanquishing the Beast ~

[† Name: Alan Monolith.]

[Alias: The One.]

[Race: Human.]

[Level: 1.]

[Title: Nil.]

[Class: Awakened.]

[Health Points (HP): 100]

[Mana Points (MP): 55]

[Experience (XP): 10 / 100]

[† Attributes:

- Strength: 10

- Agility: 10

- Intelligence: 10

- Endurance: 10

- Dexterity: 10

- Luck: 5

- Wisdom: 5

- Charisma: 5]

[† Skills:

- Combat Skills:

- Basic Swordsmanship: Level 1

- Magic Skills:

- Basic Fireball: Level 1

- Miscellaneous Skills:

- Basic Cooking: Level 1]

[† Abilities:

- Active Abilities:

- Quick Strike: Level 1

- Passive Abilities:

- Enhanced Senses: Level 1]

[† Equipment:

- Weapon: Wooden Sword

- Armour: Locked.

- Accessories: None.]

[† Inventory:

- Health Potion: 1

- Mana Potion: 1

- Enhancement Potion: 1]

[Quests unlocked]

[† Secret Advancement Quest: Courage of the Weak >>> Completed.]

[† Active Quests:

- Complete Daily Basic Training: To be completed before noon.]

...

“I still don’t get how cooking is going to help me fight monsters like that,” Alan grumbled, swiping the screen aside. It crumbled into pixels and dissipated back into the void.

“I mean, look at those guys,” he muttered, fixing his gaze on the Hunters fighting the large beast.

The brown-haired Sophia raised her right foot at the incoming Armoured Tusk. Frosts of ice began to flood her boot, growing rapidly to form a bigger construct of the boot, which she kicked forward, pounding it into the beast’s torso.

The force of impact drove the Armoured Tusk to a stagger.

She didn’t possess the needed strength to bring it down. She was well aware. That’s why she had her teammates with her.

She slouched forward a bit, almost touching her boots. The lazy Liam used her back as a platform, drawing back the hammer of his revolver before flipping over her. He aimed and pulled the trigger mid-flip.

By the time he rolled over her, a large hole had bored into the Armoured Tusk’s chest, the skin and scales around the hole melting like lava.

Liam stood before Sophia, his revolvers pointed forward. He channelled his mana through both hands and pulled the triggers simultaneously, without stopping.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Bullets of condensed mana went flying forward, cutting through the air like a pin through water. They struck the beast in a flurry, puncturing multiple holes through its body before it could even lift a muscle.

Liam exhaled wisps of hot fumes with closed eyes, cooling his body. He spun the revolvers and holstered them at the same time.

The Armoured Tusk grunted lowly as it struggled to heal its many wounds. The side of a bluish ball shone from one of the holes in its chest. The rest of the ball was still kept safe in its unscathed flesh.

“You didn’t even take out its core. A great sharpshooter indeed,” Sophia muttered in sarcasm, conjuring another spear of ice.

Liam walked backwards to stand beside her, “I can’t shoot what I can’t see. There’s also been cases of the cores changing locations in the sense of danger.”

“Of course you have an excuse. You always do,” she scoffed, closing one eye as she took aim at the core.

Liam’s brows twitched, “Are you kidding me? I--”

“-- I would stop bickering if I were you, and focus on what needs to be done,” Captain Beaumont chipped in abruptly, nudging his chin at the Armoured Tusk.

Sophia and Liam tilted their heads like rusted clocks, their eyes dilating gradually.

Like its name, curved tusks grew out of its mouth, quivering at intervals as they contained a very volatile energy. The holes in its chest began to close to guard its core.

“Shit! It’s using the Last Testament!” Sophia gritted her teeth, throwing her spear forward with all her strength.

Its flight speed was phenomenal, closing the distance between her and the beast so fast, one would think it teleported.

However, the Armoured Tusk was advancing into a higher state. It caught the spear before it could pierce its core, frosts of ice creeping over its hand.

It was only a second away from fully growing the scales around its chest.

At that moment, an ethereal voice came from above, soothing, and yet terrifying at the same time.

“Finger of God!”

A loud whir boomed right above the Armoured Tusk as a magnificent pillar of light descended from the heavens, piercing through it without effort. Its body and core vanished instantly without a trace. There was no after effect from the impact. The pillar of light was only there to eradicate its target and nothing else.

The pillar of light dissipated into white flakes.

Liam dropped his hands from his eyes once the bright light faded. He shifted his gaze to the sky, where their last squad member, Light Becker — the girl who attended to Alan earlier — stood with an angelic posture.

“Tsk. Show off,” Sophia clicked her teeth.

Light descended slowly and landed softly before them. She stroked down her lush white hair, “You guys really need to learn to finish off the monsters before anything else. You know they run amok once they fully unleash their Last Testament.”

“Still, that pillar of light was you overreacting. We could have taken it down with a more subtle means,” Liam shrugged. Then he cracked his neck, “At least that’s over. Now can we go?”

“Yeah, I guess. The Raven Squad wiped out about sixty percent of the gateway break monsters. We were left to pick off the scraps,” Sophia muttered with a tinge of jealousy.

“Wait... Not yet. Hermolith needs to answer some questions,” Captain Beaumont stepped away from the wall he leaned on and marched toward Alan, his steps heavy, the ground begging.

Alan was busy questioning The System about levelling up, when he noticed the entire squad of four standing before him.

He sat up, unsure of what to do. He simply kowtowed, “Thank you for saving me.”

“If I had a Surn for every time we’ve had to carry you and you appreciate us, I would have bought a car,” Sophia scoffed, staring at her nails.

“Don’t be rude,” Light nudged her shoulder. Sophia rolled her eyes.

[Surn is Oratoa’s official currency.]

‘Figures...’ Alan shrugged.

Captain Beaumont cleared his throat and went straight to the point, “Where is it?”

“Where is what?” Alan answered with a question, his brows scrunched.

The Captain’s gaze and fit were quite imposing. No doubt about that. But Alan has gotten tired of being looked down upon like some worthless individual.

Captain Beaumont scoffed, “You know what I’m talking about. That’s why the Armoured Tusk came here. The gateway break occurred at the edge of town. That beast had no reason being here, if not to get back what was stolen.”

“Oh, no wonder the other monsters were moving toward this area,” Liam rubbed his chin in realization.

Alan was completely confused, “Seriously, I have no idea what you guys are talking about.”

“Do you really want us to say it out loud?” Sophia asked with a grunt.

Alan shrugged, “Maybe.”

Captain Beaumont looked down at him, “You stole the forbidden artefact, didn’t you?”