Their figures streaked into the distance as Ulric whisked Lyra away. The crowd watched blankly for a mont, trying to process all that had just happened.
Before they snapped out of their stupor, slowly walking out of the safe zone in coordinated groups.
The display of power Ulric had just perford had relit the fire in their eyes, as courage slowly followed after.
Sure, their bodies were not as strong or as tough as beasts’ hides, nor did they have claws. But they had sothing much better.
Untapped potential.
If they acquired their classes, they too could wield power. Not as monstrous as Ulric had displayed in one go, but eventually. And for most of them, that was enough.
Rushing forward, Ulric inhaled sharply, Lyra’s scent rushing into his nostrils as he whisked her into the depths of the dungeon.
His eyes swept across the dungeon walls, the torches illuminating the path ahead. The air grew heavy. Cracks surfaced along the ground and walls, marks left behind from previous battles.
He noted inwardly what appeared to be a pile of bones resembling that of a human.
His jaws tightened slightly at the sight, his grip over Lyra inadvertently tightening as he groaned inwardly.
A ruthless world. To survive, he would have to be just as ruthless, if not more. His thoughts were cut short when, from a distance, he spotted traces of beasts.
Walking further ahead, their outlines grew clearer, allowing him to gauge them instantly with his Basic Appraisal.
Almost ten Level 3 wolves, with a few Level 4s packed within. Their pelts were grey, towering a little over two ters. Soft growls echoed from them as they lay on the ground.
Their eyes scanned the surroundings, and it wasn’t long before they spotted him too.
Slowly rising to et the new threat.
Watching their approaching figures, Ulric smiled faintly, gently setting Lyra to the side. His crimson eyes glowed faintly with anticipation.
Breathing heavily, Lyra watched as Ulric stepped forward, that now-familiar maniacal smile tracing his lips. Her own lips curled slightly, lost in thought.
Wild thoughts flared at the back of her mind.
Just now, when Ulric had grabbed her by the waist, her fingers had brushed against his arm.
The result sent thrills across her body.
It was as if she had touched reinforced steel, so gentle yet so firm.
The way he carried her easily with one arm... she could only imagine the level of strength required to pull that off. More than that, when her head leaned against his chest, a faint whiff of his scent drifted into her nostrils. The urge to sink into him rose unbidden.
For a mont, she had forgotten the world existed. Growing up, she had learned to rely solely on herself, which for a while had shaped a huge part of her. But with Ulric by her side, she felt strangely free, revealing a side of herself she never knew existed.
The thoughts unsettled her more than the wolves did. She only managed to suppress it because of the sense of danger ahead.
One green-robed youth against multiple Level 3 and 4 wolves. Their numbers nearly crossed twenty.
If it had been any other ti, she would have been worried. But after the last display, and his class awakening. Only curiosity burned in her eyes.
Still, that didn’t stop her from walking forward behind him as she dropped into a battle stance. She would fight with him, now and in every other battle.
Waving his hand slowly, he felt the power thrumming deep inside him. All that pent-up energy made him restless. He unleashed it, and the results were no less surprising.
Waves of inky dark energy spread outward, slowly filling the area around him, steadily extending to five ters, then ten ters, and more.
When almost half the pack had crossed into the darkness, the smile on his face turned evil as he suddenly clenched his fingers into a fist.
The waves of inky darkness unfurled, raging uncontrollably. Agonizing shrieks echoed inside the darkness, lasting for a few seconds before eventually fading as well.
This ti, it felt a little different.
Last ti, when he ordered the darkness to corrode his foes, he could only control it.
But just now, he had gotten a better feel for it, allowing him to see inside and partially feel through the darkness. It was almost as if the darkness was growing to beco an extension of his being.
"Interesting," he thought, watching the darkness retreat.
Half the pack had now been reduced to bones. The rest still charged mindlessly, but he could have sworn he saw a tinge of fear in their crystalline eyes.
At the side, Lyra froze as she witnessed the damage. A single wave had erased half a pack of wolves.
That was manageable after seeing what he could do, but he had hardly broken a sweat.
His figure and stance remained firm, as if he had barely done anything.
His talent must have truly been enhanced to unleash such damage so easily, she thought, slowly coming to a conclusion as she murmured beneath her breath.
"A... mage?" she muttered.
Watching as he waved his hand again.
This ti, the darkness shimred and compressed before taking the shape of a deathly dark blade that hovered nacingly in the air.
Her eyes barely settled on it when he flicked his wrist. The blade pierced through wolf after wolf’s head, blowing them apart.
The wolves never stood a chance from the mont he stepped in.
Even then, two wolves slipped past his grasp, rushing toward her. But the side glance he flashed at her as they lunged, caused her blue eyes to flutter in excitent.
He was leaving so of the fun for her. The thought ward her as she utilized her class-gained skill, Ice Spears. Two shards of ice appeared in her hands as she locked into combat with the beasts.
Much more nacing than the Level 1 grey wolves, she stretched herself to her limits, utilizing all her knowledge and combat expertise.
Barely managing to clinch a win, she finally drilled an ice shard into the last wolf’s eye, watching it collapse lifelessly as sweat dripped down her face.
As she regained her breath, her eyes narrowed at Ulric. Long finished, he stood staring down at the rows of corpses and bones.
Not a trace of fatigue on his face. Only the maniacal glint in his eyes deepening.
A thought struck her, causing her to clench her fists tightly.
With the power he wielded, it was only a matter of ti before he grew very strong, much stronger than her.
How was she supposed to protect him then?
The thought gnawed at her endlessly as her fists tightened.
She had to grow stronger fast as well. She couldn’t be left behind. Whatever the cost.
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