"Maintain formation! Don't let them break us apart!" Ravon ordered firmly. He then repositioned himself, ready to attack the tiger with the red aura.
Fira, positioned on the right side, had already prepared her black sword for the next slash. Her body moved swiftly, waiting for the perfect moment to strike as the large tiger leaped toward them.
Fira moved with impressive agility, dodging the attacks of the mountain tiger that tried to pounce on her. With her black sword in hand, she waited for the perfect moment to strike. When the tiger lunged with its fangs bared, Fira spun her body, executing a swift and precise circular motion. Her sword sliced through the tiger's belly, leaving a deep gash.
The mountain tiger roared in pain, but before it could counterattack, Fira swung her sword once more, this time hitting the beast's neck. In an instant, the ferocious creature collapsed to the ground, dead.
[Successfully killed (Mountain Tiger | level 6), exp +15]
However, Fira had no time to rest. On the other side, Ravon was facing the largest mountain tiger, level 10, whose aura emitted a deep red glow. Both creatures appeared ready to pounce at any moment. Ravon stared coldly, preparing himself.
"Shadow!" Ravon whispered, and instantly his shadow split into two figures, moving swiftly and circling the mountain tiger with blinding speed.
The mountain tiger attempted to strike at Ravon's shadows, but each time its massive claws swiped through the air, the real Ravon appeared from the opposite side, plunging his dagger into the tiger's body. Wound after wound tore through the tiger, though its red aura remained strong.
As Ravon readied himself for the final blow, Reynor raised his hand from a distance. "Buff of Strength!" he shouted. Golden energy flowed from Reynor to Ravon, drastically increasing his strength and speed.
Feeling the surge of power, Ravon disappeared in a flash and reappeared directly in front of the tiger. With a single, sharp shadow slash, he drove his dagger into the mountain tiger's heart. The beast let out one final roar before collapsing, lifeless.
[Successfully killed (Mountain Tiger | level 10), exp +50]
Ravon exhaled, watching the large tiger's body fall. "Good, the boss is finally down."
"You're incredible, captain. Just as expected from the Shadow Slayer," said Reynor as he approached Ravon. The rest of the team also gathered around, discussing their next steps.
As the team leader, Ravon surveyed the area filled with mountain tiger corpses. They had killed over 20 tigers, with the strongest being the level 10 mountain tiger Ravon had just slain.
"Alright, everyone, help extract all the corpses."
"After that, we'll scout the surrounding area."
Ravon gave the orders. The mountain tiger pack they had just wiped out was only one of many in the Verdin Mountains.
The rest of the team approached the tiger corpses lying on the ground. As they neared the bodies, an extraction panel automatically appeared, allowing them to harvest materials from the mountain tigers.
Irsan, who had been looking slightly better, joined the extraction process. It was his first time extracting from a high-level monster. He approached one of the corpses, ready to begin the process.
[Extract corpse (Mountain Tiger), are you sure?]
Immediately, the corpse in front of Irsan was enveloped in white light, wrapping around the body before slowly disintegrating into tiny specks of white light and disappearing.
Irsan saw several materials fall to the ground, followed by item information from the extraction.
[Successfully extracted from (Mountain Tiger), obtained]
- Mountain Tiger Fang x1
"Wow... energy crystals," Irsan said excitedly. Ten energy crystals were a huge amount for him. He had done many physically demanding tasks unrelated to combat and had only ever received one energy crystal at most. But now, he had obtained ten energy crystals from just one corpse. "How many could I get from ten corpses?" he thought to himself, trying to do some quick calculations.
"Yosh... I'll become the strongest hunter in the future," Irsan declared with determination, his eyes focused on the energy crystals on the ground.
He gathered all the fallen materials and continued helping the team extract from the other Mountain Tiger corpses.
And so, after completing the extractions, Ravon's team moved on to another location where more Mountain Tigers awaited.
"Huufftt... i am back,"
An old man let out a long sigh as he stepped out of a large portal. He was currently standing in the Teleportation Hub on Lein Island. As usual, the area was bustling with activity.
The old man glanced around, taking a deep breath. His inner senses felt a vibrant energy, as if he could see the island's progress and development.
While the old man was observing the bustling area in the distance, two soldiers in white uniforms approached, their faces tense but respectful.
"Welcome back, Master Haikal..." one of them saluted, his voice filled with respect.
"Welcome back, Master Haikal..." the second soldier followed, saluting with equal firmness.
Yes, the old man was Haikal Emanuel. As one of the core members of the World Market Trade alliance, he was one of the most powerful figures on Lein Island—second only to Lein himself in terms of power and influence. His sharp eyes swept calmly over the surroundings, absorbing the familiar atmosphere of the island. The old man smiled faintly at the two soldiers.
"Haha... no need for the formalities," he said, his voice deep but light. He handed over a small, well-preserved leather-bound book. "Take this and document it properly," he continued.
The soldiers carefully accepted the book, realizing the importance of the information within. They nodded respectfully as the old man, Haikal, stepped out of the Teleportation Hub, moving through the busy crowd with calm yet deliberate steps.
When he reached the gate, a sleek black car was already waiting for him. The car exuded luxury, its metallic sheen seemingly untouched by dust or grime.
"Please, Master," the driver standing beside the car bowed slightly, opening the door with deep respect.
The old man entered the car without much fuss, his fit body moving with the ease of a seasoned warrior. The door closed softly, and the driver directed the vehicle away from the Teleportation Hub, heading towards their predetermined destination.
Inside the car, the old man leaned back quietly, his eyes gazing out the window. Lein Island, though changed, still felt like home. "How long has it been since I was last here?" he murmured to himself.
During the inter-racial wars, the old man Haikal had wandered through many realms, accumulating contribution points. Now, with more than 4,000,000 points, he ranked second—an achievement only made possible with Lein's help.
Lein had provided experience potions to all the core members, allowing them to reach level 30 and ascend to Tier-3, ensuring their survival in more dangerous realms.
But that wasn't all. Lein had also equipped them with high-level artifacts and gear. One of these, the Vortex Plate, granted exceptional flexibility in battle, allowing for teleportation skills to dodge enemy attacks.
Not to mention the golden defense talisman, capable of deflecting a full-force attack from a Tier-Master or even a Nascent Soul cultivator.
"Why is this young man so generous?" the old man Haikal mused. "Isn't he afraid of being betrayed?"
The old man pondered deeply, trying to understand Lein's motives. His long experience in the harsh world had made him skeptical. On Earth, a slave or beggar could rise to power with enough strength, often through betrayal or seizing opportunities. Friendships could easily crumble over valuable items, especially among those fighting to survive.
"Can I trust him?" he thought, his face filled with doubt.
Once again, his thoughts returned to Lein. The young man was a mystery. If Haikal had reached this level of power with Lein's help, then Lein must be far stronger.
This suspicion grew stronger as he recalled the only time he had seen Lein in action—during the silver badge quest after the first void monster invasion event. Back then, Haikal and Laras had traveled from island to island, defeating countless monsters, though the silver badge they sought never appeared.
During that mission, Haikal had witnessed Lein's power firsthand. The young man's sword strikes were extraordinary, his aura terrifying, and his buff skills could double combat attributes. But at the time, Haikal had felt his own abilities, enhanced by his dark book, were equally formidable. That's why he hadn't thought much of Lein's strength at the time.
They had seemed like equals—partners in the alliance.
However, as the days passed, Lein continued helping them all level up, providing heaven-grade equipment and artifacts that were incredibly hard to obtain. Deep inside, Haikal couldn't accept that someone could be so generous without expecting anything in return.
"Ugh... it's too hard to understand," he sighed, shaking his head.
Unable to find a reason behind Lein's actions, he decided not to dwell on it for now. But the curiosity lingered. If Lein was this strong now, how far had his power truly grown?