Kael stood atop the tallest tower of his base, surveying the surrounding lands. For four days, they had scouted tirelessly but still hadn’t found the undead. Before arriving here, they had expected fierce resistance, yet the undead were nowhere to be found. Had they all advanced to the fifth stage to prepare for the final battle?
Were they being outmaneuvered? At the very least, his warriors had made significant progress in the past few days. Perhaps they would still encounter the undead on this stage. The fourth stage was far larger than the third, and they had barely mapped even the third stage in its entirety.
Kael was nearing his evolution to E-grade, currently sitting at level 77. Each level now required significantly more experience. But the real question was: should he evolve imdiately or wait? Being able to gain more stats by advancing to E-grade would be an incredible boost, and he could take his ti on this grade to search for an optimal D-grade evolution.
With his legendary blessing, his evolution was unlikely to result in a poor class, and the blessing granted him significant bonus stats. Additionally, his god had explained that the amount of credits accumulated could improve the rarity of one’s evolution. This was a secret most information scrolls didn’t reveal, and Kael hadn’t shared it with anyone. Maintaining his position of power was his priority.
The doubling of credits earned by every survivor in his base on the fourth stage was a welco benefit. If it weren’t for the looming threat of the undead, this situation would have been ideal. He could focus on power leveling and honing his combat skills against creatures often of higher rarity than those from earlier stages.
Kael’s ranger class was especially formidable, offering incredible flexibility. His ability to switch weapons mid-fight was one of its strongest features, and his attacks were devastating. He had many powerful options to deal with a threat: ranged strikes, a speed-boosting ability, and another skill that empowered a single attack for massive damage.
On top of this, he had purchased scrolls that taught advanced combat techniques and weapon mastery. These scrolls were exclusive to those blessed by Aeta, and they were remarkably cheap considering their value. He had spent the last four days training rigorously and hadn’t even completed the first layer of what they offered.
Kai and Sylas had also acquired similar items and risen significantly in power. They would likely evolve alongside him soon. Of course, they would consult their gods for guidance on the smartest path forward. When Kael first entered the tutorial, his primary goal had been to bring as many people as possible through to the next stage. That goal hadn’t changed—except for one person.
Finding and killing Thalion had beco essential. Kael’s patron had warned him that even if the vampire god Tenebrice no longer rembered Thalion, the god was aware that one of his blessed had been slain and that the sanguine thorn had changed hands. Kael’s god would forget Thalion after each conversation, but Kael diligently reported everything, knowing that once the tutorial was over, gods would have more ans to gather information in the wider universe.
The sanguine thorn was central to Kael’s plans. He had purchased another mystical plant with the sole purpose of corrupting and consuming the thorn, reshaping it into sothing that better suited him. With this new plant in his body, achieving a mythic-class evolution would be inevitable. However, the process wouldn’t be easy. He needed to prepare a ritual to neutralize the thorn’s resistance while the new plant fully assimilated its power. Kael eagerly anticipated that day.
Although he didn’t relish the thought of killing Thalion, it was a necessity. With the transford Thorn, Kael could potentially achieve eternal life. Such a future was too important to jeopardize for sentint. Sylas was equally eager to see Thalion dead, though his motivations differed. Early in the tutorial, Thalion had purchased an amulet that had since beco so valuable it was almost unaffordable. Even Kael had struggled to acquire items worth two million credits. Thankfully, he had already secured near-perfect equipnt for himself.
Kai, on the other hand, wished they could avoid Thalion entirely. But Kael was certain that wish wouldn’t co true.
There was one other way to acquire a sanguine thorn, though it was far riskier: killing one of the vampires blessed by Tenebrice who possessed the thorn on the fifth stage. However, Kael’s god had warned him this was unlikely. Such vampires were incredibly powerful and later often reached A- or S-grade. Over five percent of them even ascended to godhood, an extraordinary rate by any standard.
In comparison, Thalion was far weaker. He was still stuck around level 40 for so unknown reason. This anomaly worked in Kael’s favor. His god had suggested several possible explanations: a parasite leeching Thalion’s power, a curse, or sothing equally debilitating. None seed particularly convincing to Kael, but it didn’t matter.
All that mattered was that Thalion died—and that Kael gained the sanguine thorn.
User Comments
0 comments from readers