Reawakening: SSS-Rank Villain's POV-Chapter 121: A-rank Julius!
His kill point counter steadily climbed. 100… 200… 350… He was moving much faster than any ordinary freshman could dream of. The 15-kilometer boundary approached. Here, the environment shifted again. The forest thinned slightly, opening into rocky hills and sparse, tougher vegetation. The air felt heavier, charged with a more potent ambient energy.
He spotted movement high above. A creature with leathery wings, a sharp beak, and stony grey skin circled overhead.
[Level 15 Stone Gargoyle]
The Gargoyle shrieked, a grating sound like rocks grinding together, and dove towards him, claws extended. Lucian didn't wait for it to reach him. He channeled energy into his legs, crouched slightly, and launched himself upwards.
"Bang!"
The ground trembled and he shot into the air like a rocket, meeting the Gargoyle halfway. His spear flashed. "Clang! Slice!" The spear tip deflected the stone-hard claws with a shower of sparks, and in the same fluid motion, he twisted, bringing the sharpened edge of his spear shaft around in a devastating arc that connected with the Gargoyle's neck. Stone chips flew, and the creature's head was sliced out from its neck. It tumbled from the sky, crashing onto the rocks below.
[You have killed a Level 15 Stone Gargoyle. You have gained 60 experience points.]
[Kill Points: 425]
Lucian landed lightly, scanning the area. The 15km zone offered decent points, but still felt too easy. He pressed onwards, his pace unwavering. He encountered Level 16 Rock Lizards that camouflaged themselves against the terrain, and Level 14 Apes that swung through the craggy trees, attacking in groups.
None provided a real challenge. His movements were too fast, his attacks too precise, his spear too deadly. He was a tank that crushed everything in its way.
He pushed past the 20-kilometer mark. The landscape became harsher,
jagged peaks, deep ravines, and pockets of strange, glowing fungi illuminating the gloom. The monsters here were noticeably more dangerous. He fought a pair of Level 21 Sabertooth jaguar, large felines with elongated fangs dripping with corrosive saliva. The fight was slightly more involved; they were fast and coordinated, they provided many stat points as they clawed at his skin but they were simply too weak to bypass his physique.
Seeing how weak they were, Lucian easily killed them, increasing his stat points as well as his kill points and experience.
This content is taken from freёnovelkiss.com.
[You have killed a Level 21 Sabertooth Stalker. +110 XP. +21 Kill Points.]
[You have killed a Level 21 Sabertooth Stalker. +110 XP. +21 Kill Points.]
[Kill Points: 687]
He was making excellent time. At this rate, he could potentially reach the 30 or even 35-kilometer zone by the end of the first day. The points there would be significantly higher. He allowed himself a small, satisfied smile. The Dean wanted a spectacle? He'd give him one.
It was then, as he navigated a narrow pass between two sheer rock faces, that he heard it. Not the sounds of beasts, but the distinct crackle of energy, the roar of explosions, and the clash of a high-level battle not too far ahead.
His gaze flickered, a trace of genuine surprise touching his face. He hadn't been moving at high speed but his jogging was not something others could outrun. To hear someone else already fighting this deep was unexpected.
It was an exceptionally talented freshmen likely Level 25 or even 30, or possessed a high-rank talent that significantly boosted their combat prowess, maybe an A-rank or at least a B-rank focused on combat or speed.
Curious, Lucian moved towards the source of the sounds. He jumped 50 meters onto a large hill.
His enhanced eyesight cut through the distance. He saw him. A young man, probably around the same age as himself, with fiery red hair that seemed to almost smolder in the dim light. He wore expensive armor,
dark grey and black, that didn't hinder his movements.
The young man was currently facing off against a large, powerful beast – a tiger easily three times the size of a normal one, with fur as white as snow and claws like curved daggers. Its eyes burned with cold, blue fury.
[Level 25 White-Fur Frost Tiger]
The tiger lunged, trailing faint wisps of frost from its paws, its speed impressive. But the red-haired young man was faster. His hands were wreathed in bright, dancing flames. He didn't dodge; he met the attack.
"ROAR!"
With a shout, the young man thrust his palms forward. The flames didn't just burn; they exploded outwards, taking the shape of miniature, roaring dragons.
"BOOM! BOOM!"
Two fiery dragons slammed into the Frost Tiger's chest. The impact sent the massive beast stumbling back, roaring in pain and anger as its white fur was scorched black, the intense heat momentarily overwhelming its natural frost aura.
The red-haired youth didn't let up. More flame dragons erupted from his hands, striking the tiger repeatedly, pushing it back, burning it, overwhelming its defenses. The Frost Tiger, a formidable Level 25 beast, was being suppressed, unable to effectively retaliate against the barrage of fire. With a final, massive gout of flame that engulfed the tiger's head, the beast let out a dying snarl and collapsed, its form smoldering.
The young man stood breathing slightly heavily, the flames around his hands slowly dying down. He surveyed his kill for a moment, then, without turning, his voice cut through the air, cold and sharp.
"I know you're watching. Come out."
Lucian wasn't particularly surprised he'd been noticed. He hadn't made any serious effort to conceal his presence, mostly relying on distance and elevation. He had been staring intently for perhaps ten seconds, observing the fight. Even a moderately perceptive individual, especially one who had just finished a tense battle, would likely sense an unwavering gaze like his. Plus, this red-haired youth had just demonstrated considerable power; his senses were likely sharp.
With a light push-off, Lucian dropped silently from the rock face, landing softly on the basin floor a dozen meters away from the other student. He kept his spear held loosely at his side.
The red-haired young man turned fully towards him. His face was undeniably handsome, with sharp features and intense, steel-grey eyes that contrasted strikingly with his fiery hair. But his expression was glacial, devoid of warmth, assessing Lucian with a chilling gaze.
