But tragedy struck when his parents died shortly after his advancent from incurable illnesses and old age, leaving him devastated and struggling with grief while trying to survive in the unforgiving Second Sanctuary.
Unfortunately, reality had proven far harsher than his expectations. Fighting creatures at the Evolver level was exponentially more difficult, especially with his weak class that provided only minor strength bonuses. After nearly two years in the Second Sanctuary, he'd only managed to reach level 30, and even at that level, he was considered among the weakest of his tier.
"Selene, trust on this," Julian insisted with growing worrying about her safety. "The senior Evolvers are saying that only a fool would venture out in this weather. Powerful monsters beco more active during storms, and in these unfavorable conditions..."
"I understand your concern, but I'll be careful," Selene interrupted gently but firmly.
Julian clenched his hands in frustration before sighing with resignation, "Alright, I've warned you. Please be extrely careful out there."
"Thank you, Julian. You take care as well," Selene replied sincerely before continuing toward the distant peak.
She appreciated his concern, but she couldn't afford to let fear or harsh weather prevent her from pursuing the strength she needed for the upcoming tournant. Not everything a person wishes for can be achieved; the winds blow in ways the ships do not desire.
So goals required accepting risks that others wouldn't take. Selene continued her journey, leaving Julian and the other Evolvers in the comfort of their cave, whilst she faced the dangers ahead.
♢♢♢♢
In another part of the Second Sanctuary, Yara found herself in a challenging underground environnt. The portal had deposited her in a tight air pocket within what appeared to be a subrged cave system.
"Is there even an exit on the other side of this water? This is quite troubleso," she sighed, examining the deep, dark pond that stretched before her.
She was trapped in an underground cavern with the only apparent exit being a water-filled passage just a few ters from the portal entrance. After thoroughly searching for alternative routes and finding none, Yara took a deep breath and dove into the mysterious waters.
Splash!
She moved through the water gracefully, living on Lunaris Island, swimming had been one of the few entertaining activities available to the Savi people. Since they were forbidden from venturing far from their holand, they had developed the practice of deep diving as entertainnt and exercise.
Through generations of this lifestyle, the Savi had evolved exceptional swimming abilities and could hold their breath for longer periods—skills that were very helpful for Yara in her current predicant.
As Yara navigated the underwater passages, she fortunately didn't encounter any dangerous aquatic predators. This was a relief, since as an archer, her arrows and combat effectiveness would be compromised in an underwater environnt where her weapon would be much weaker.
After nearly thirty minutes of deep diving and exploring nurous dead-end passages, Yara finally discovered what appeared to be an exit tunnel leading upward toward light.
Splash!
She broke the surface with explosive relief, imdiately gasping for fresh air.
"Ah!" she breathed deeply, savoring the blessing of oxygen filling her lungs once more.
Although she could have continued holding her breath for longer if necessary, the relief of breathing freely again was imnse. She treaded water for a mont, scanning her new surroundings to understand what kind of environnt she'd erged into and what kind of dangers the Second Sanctuary had to offer.
"I need to beco stronger... strong enough to protect those I care about, and return back to Lunaris..." Yara clenched her fists tightly, her blue-tinted knuckles turning darker from the force of her grip. A fierce look of determination blazed in her eyes, reflecting the responsibility she carried for her remaining people and friends.
The mory of feeling helpless during the battle against the heretics, of needing Moon and Selene's rescue, burned within her. She refused to remain a burden to those she cared about. More than that, she carried the hopes of her entire tribe—the very few Savi people of Lunaris who had entrusted that she would return to them when she was strong enough.
The luminous plants scattered across the cave walls and ceiling provided natural lighting, their soft glow illuminating the path she walked on. Yara adjusted her bow, nocking an arrow in place, ready to draw and release at the sight of any beast she might encounter in this new world, and terrain.
—
[ Na: Moon ] [ Race: Human ] [ Class: Classless, Swordmaster] [ Level: 25 ][Awaiting Evolution] [ Lives: 86,528 ] [Super Lives: 5] [ Strength: 48 ] [ Agility: 48 ] [ Constitution: 55 ] [ Mana: 82 ] ( 5 to all stats) [ Attribute Points: 0] [ Skills: Elental Attack, Advanced Elental Body, Tenacity, Golden Skin, Ignite, Dagger Arts, Rune Inscription, Appraisal, Lightning Raiju, Calmness, Beastmaster, Minor nd, Purify, Stone Clasp, Heaviness, Air Step, Piercing Sword, Bird dance] [ Talent: Grim Reaper ] [ Class Skill: Class Slot {1/1} ]
—
Moon's lives were increasing at an enormous pace, and Moon was struggling to keep up with its rate of accumulation. He was having trouble in spending them in evolving skills, the ti limit of one day placed a heavy restriction on him due to his powerful comprehension skills. 'The more lives, the rrier. They will be useful in the Second Sanctuary, I can't complain,' Moon thought internally before his eyes landed on the completion tasks of his advancent.
To his surprise, it had changed!
[Kill Fifty level 25 creatures classified at S-Rank power level alone. 23/50]
[Copy and comprehend 5 Uncommon/Rare or higher ranked skills. 5/5] - Complete [Gain a Legendary Rank Skill. 0/1] "After killing the first Evolver, the task increased by 1 digit…so I was right." Moon muttered thoughtfully to himself as he rode the direhorses back into the nearest base.
Since the mont he had killed the Supre-Rank Three Tailed Illusion Fox, Moon was almost certain that the system didn't just incrent the task by killing S-Rank, but it also accepted those stronger than S-Rank, like the Fox, and the first Evolver he had killed.
"So it's a threshold of power, as long as the creature I defeat is stronger than the threshold—S-Rank—it will automatically count towards it. That's useful to know."
***
Author's Note: I know that pacing has slowed a little, but things are speeding up really quick, and we are approaching the Second Sanctuary.
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