"Wait, that can’t be right," Amber muttered, her eyes narrowing as she struggled to take in the sight before her.
"Weren’t the blades blue just a moment ago?" she continued, staring wide-eyed at the sinister black blades suspended in the air, their aura radiating pure menace.
"I don’t know, but those blades look a hell of a lot more terrifying than the ones he used to deal with that bullying bastard," Emily mumbled, her dark eyes glinting with curiosity.
"Wait... does that mean he’s been hiding his strength all along, and this still isn’t the full extent of it?" Elya whispered.
Sporting short black hair and a pair of enchanting dark eyes, she could only stare in awe. And then the next series of events completely shattered her expectations.
The blades ripped through the air, leaving smoke-like trails in their wake. Before they could even blink, a sharp hiss rang out, followed by blood-curdling shrieks.
Six level-two goblins collapsed instantly, lifeless. Their scrawny frames shriveled, drained of vitality as if corroded from the inside out. The girls instinctively took another step back.
A talent with such devastating damage should have drained massive chunks of stamina, but the youth before them simply snapped his fingers. Another half-dozen blades materialized, shattering their understanding of the world again and again.
Every goblin that came within five meters was instantly reduced to a husk.
The girls’ eyes glittered with excitement as they watched him tear apart beasts as if they were nothing. The scene hammered home the painful truth: they were missing out on a path to true power by being stuck as F-rank talents.
But that was the least of their concerns. As they watched what could only be described as a one-man massacre, an unfamiliar warmth filled their hearts..adoration.
The simple act of giving them wristbands had already been endearing. This overwhelming display of power was the final nail in the coffin. Deep within, something ignited.
They wanted him. A powerful figure like that by their side. They couldn’t tame him, of course, but even being in his good graces would be worth celebrating.
"Huh?" they gasped in unison, eyes widening again. Another wave of conjured blades appeared before Aurelian, but this time, instead of firing at the remaining goblins, they spun.
They rotated in a circular formation until a black hole ripped through reality itself, dragging the remaining goblins in and erasing them utterly.
It took several long minutes before the girls snapped out of their daze.
"What sort of skill was that?" Amber stammered. Even at a distance, just watching the skill unravel had sent icy shivers down her spine.
The only thing grounding her to reality was the sight of the youth nearly buckling, gulping in ragged breaths.
It was reassuring to know he had limits. Despite his overwhelming feats, he was still human.
But their relief didn’t last. Aurelian straightened, his obsidian eyes glinting with an even fiercer battle intent.
Then came the words they’d expected the least.
"More... I need more."
***
"We head deeper into the dungeon," Aurelian said, his voice echoing to the girls as the last streams of energy washed over him.
Twenty-three attribute points had been seared into his body, and he felt every single one coursing through his veins.
The feeling was nothing short of exhilarating.
"Wait... but... you just fought. Don’t you need to rest?" Amber asked, her voice trembling. The image she had of him as a mortal had been shattered. Even prodigies needed rest after battles like that. Surely he was exhausted... right?
But as she looked closer, there was no fatigue in his eyes. If anything, those obsidian flames burned brighter than ever.
"Battle maniac," she muttered under her breath. It was the only explanation.
"No need," Aurelian said with a faint smile. The surge in strength had flooded him with adrenaline, washing away his fatigue entirely. He suspected it would be a long time before exhaustion could touch him again.
"Follow me closely," he ordered, his gaze fixed on the dungeon’s inner walls.
The runes etched into the stone grew more intricate as the light within them pulsed stronger, increasing the pressure in the air.
He barely felt a thing. But the girls behind him staggered under the strain. They wouldn’t last much longer. Eventually, they’d either have to wait behind, or risk being crushed as he ventured deeper.
Fortunately, they didn’t have to go far before the next group of goblins appeared.
Six of them.
But unlike the previous ones, these stood tall, two meters of solid muscle, each gripping enormous spiked clubs still glistening with fresh blood.
They weren’t pacing like the others. They stood unnervingly still.
Curious, Aurelian activated his appraisal skill. His brows lifted. "Level-five goblin demons?"
That was quite the leap from level twos and threes.
Before he could process it further, one of the goblins snapped to life, its gaze locking onto him. With a guttural roar, it charged.
The others followed suit, thundering behind it.
"Not completely mindless, then," Aurelian cackled. "You’ve got embers of intelligence in there, don’t you?"
He had been growing bored of mindless slaughter. This promised to be more interesting.
His figure shot forward like a cannonball, his fist tightening as he prepared to meet the beast head-on.
"Time to see what this strength can really do."