Chapter 149 - 148: I’m Very Expensive
Chapter 149: Chapter 148: I’m Very Expensive
This team kill on the Challenge-rated One-Eyed Giant actually awarded 810 Experience Points!
Zelir shot up a full two levels in one go.
That was nearly ten times the Experience Points from some of the lower-yield Difficulty-rated Demons.
If he had killed it alone, the Experience Points would have likely been even higher.
Of course, the difficulty of fighting the One-Eyed Giant had also increased exponentially.
Never mind Difficulty-rated Demons, even the Fog Demon, which was also Challenge-rated, wasn’t as intimidating as the One-Eyed Giant.
Even with Upper Level Mage Manlin providing four different Gains, the team still ended up with three members heavily wounded.
Power: 93 -> 95
Agility: 99 -> 101 -> 105
Constitution: 96 -> 98
Spirit: 111 -> 119
Intelligence: 114
Perception: 32
Charm: 54
Lucky: 51
Talent Skills:
Technique Celestial Calculation
Magic Contract
His Spirit Attribute had now officially surpassed his Intelligence.
As his Attributes continued to rise, Zelir was certain that he was on a completely different level compared to before the Monster Hunting began.
He had gone up a full six levels!
Not only had his Blue Bar maximum and Magic Power Strength increased significantly, but it also came with an all-around boost to his Strength and Agility Body.
Zelir estimated that before they set out, the Magic Power Strength he tested in the Room of Serenity could reach a height of about two meters.
’If I tested it now, it should be at least 2.3 or 2.4 meters, right?’
’One step closer to my goal of becoming a Middle Level Mage.’
After the battle, although his physical wounds were being healed by Instructor Manlin, his mental exhaustion was unavoidable.
The feeling of being hit by the stray Magic Power radiating from the One-Eyed Giant still lingered in Zelir’s mind.
A stinging, burning pain...
It was a sensation completely different from physical damage, and one that was impossible to defend against.
’If a fist came at me head-on, I could cover my head and block, but if Magic Power attacked from the front, I’d be completely helpless.’
’The feeling is incredibly unsettling...’
Zelir opened and slowly closed his fist, making up his mind.
’Fog Flowing Gauze is no longer enough when fighting Demons of this level. I have to get a new type of Magic that can defend against Magic Power attacks.’
"COUGH COUGH..."
Clutching his chest, Marcus rested for a long moment before slowly sitting up.
He had been gravely wounded by the One-Eyed Giant twice just now, and each time he felt like he was about to die, his soul drifting upward.
But then a green light would envelop him, and he would be quickly brought back from the brink.
This feeling of repeatedly dancing on the edge of death’s door was truly bizarre. Marcus wasn’t even sure what his current condition was anymore.
His gaze fell upon the One-Eyed Giant’s corpse on the ground, and Marcus still felt a lingering fear.
’This battle was just too perilous...’
’As expected... none of the Challenge-rated Demons are pushovers.’
"When I’m out drinking in the future, can I brag about how I took down a One-Eyed Giant?"
Gray was the only one in the squad who was still full of energy. He walked up and stomped on the massive corpse.
"Think of the bragging rights."
"What does it have to do with you?"
Valles shot Gray a sideways glance. "Besides sneaking in a slash at its knee, what else did you do?"
"That still counts as a contribution, okay?" Gray argued righteously.
Rivaya was still lying on his back, looking completely burned out.
Even after being healed by Instructor Manlin, that heavy, direct blow from the Giant earlier made him feel like he’d been completely taken apart. He didn’t want to lift a single finger.
"Simply... incredible!" Lante whispered in awe, his admiration for Zelir reaching a new height.
’What’s a Giant Beast Dogman in comparison?’
’The One-Eyed Giant was the real monster!’
The other members in the observation area shared the same thought.
Zelir’s fighting form from the battle was deeply imprinted in their minds.
It could be said that the biggest reason for the One-Eyed Giant’s defeat was that it never expected to have its eyeball stabbed and exploded by a Mage in close combat.
"Zelir!"
Bev hurried forward and let out a small gasp. "Instructor Manlin! Zelir’s not moving!"
"I’m just taking a little nap..." Zelir opened his eyes.
Seeing the mischievous smile on Zelir’s face, Bev gave him a light kick with her soft-booted foot.
"You scared me to death..."
After complaining, Bev still took the initiative to extend a hand and pull Zelir up from the ground.
"Nicely done, kiddo."
Manlin said with a smile in her eyes, "Finally got you a proper workout."
In the Monster Hunting battles before this, nothing Zelir encountered could be called a Challenge. At most, they just made him break a sweat.
Challenging the One-Eyed Giant this time, with the help of the buffs, served as excellent training.
Moreover, this battle taught the other Mage Students another lesson.
In battle, courage is just as important as composure.
"It was all thanks to Instructor Manlin’s help," Zelir said sincerely.
’Without Instructor Manlin’s fourfold Gains, it would have been impossible for me to pull off that series of high-stakes maneuvers.’
"Thinking of recruiting me for your squad? My fee isn’t cheap."
Manlin chuckled. "I’m very expensive."
"Then I definitely can’t afford you..."
’Having an Empowerment Mage like Instructor Manlin on the team really boosts your courage. With good coordination, you could even trade blow for blow with a Demon.’
Manlin once again cast a wide-area Vitality Granting Magic. Specks of emerald green light merged into their bodies, hastening the recovery of everyone’s Physical Strength.
Next came Zelir’s favorite part: collecting the loot.
Aside from a Demon Core, the One-Eyed Giant had a special, extremely rare drop inside its single eye called the Heart of Giant Eye.
Zelir decided to do the carving himself.
He used his Longsword to cut open the One-Eyed Giant’s head, which had been blown to bits. After rummaging for a long time through a viscous mass of tissue mixed with bone fragments, he pulled out a fist-sized purple Crystal—the [Heart of Giant Eye].
The moment this crystal was exposed to the air, it radiated a dense Arcane Energy. Inside, a miniature nebula seemed to be slowly swirling.
"The value of this One-Eyed Giant’s Demon Core, plus the Heart of Giant Eye, is basically equal to the value of all our previous harvests from the Monster Hunting combined," said Instructor Lena.
’Excellent.’
Zelir nodded in satisfaction.
’This way, when the pay is divided up after the hunt, I’ll get another huge sum of money.’
Besides the money and the surge in experience, Zelir had gained quite a bit more this time.
For example, the four types of Beneficial Magic cast by Instructor Manlin.
’Once the analysis is complete, I won’t need another Empowerment Mage; I’ll be able to cast the buffs on myself.’
’Just like that Close-Combat Mage, Wyatt.’
’The feeling of being enveloped in those Gains just now was truly mesmerizing. The resulting power I could unleash far surpassed that of a Junior Warrior.’
Zelir was already looking forward to applying them in battle after he learned them.
Then there was the One-Eyed Giant’s Aurora Energy Beam.
’Judging by the analysis speed, the Aurora Energy Beam is at least a Level Four Magic.’
’A Level Four Arcane Magic.’
’And I just saw its power in action; it’s much stronger than Flame Breath Skill, Arcane Missile, and Water of Cutting.’
’This is also the first Level Four Attack Magic I’ve analyzed. My offensive capabilities will be significantly boosted in the future.’
...
"Is this the place?" Zelir asked, looking at Valles.
"This is it." Valles nodded gravely.
After confirming, Zelir drew his Night Peace Magic Wand and stuck half of the staff into the small, weed-covered hole.
And then...
’Vortex Skill, activate!’
A powerful gust of wind shot into the hole, swirling through the narrow underground tunnel with a WHOOSHING sound.
Immediately, the sounds of a commotion and impacts came from deep within the burrow.
A moment later, from another grass-covered hole not far away, a fluffy white head popped out.
A rabbit!
Just as it was about to bolt, an arrow from Valles flew past.
It pierced straight through, pinning the rabbit to the grassy ground.
Following that, rabbits with nowhere else to run began emerging one after another from several other holes.
Without exception, Valles took each one down with a single, clean shot.
After killing the One-Eyed Giant, the group found a place to make camp and rest. Zelir and Valles had gone out to hunt.
However, probably because the One-Eyed Giant had eaten most of the nearby animals, and because of the huge commotion from the earlier battle, Zelir and Valles wandered around for a long time without finding anything.
In the end, they had barely managed to find this rabbit warren.
"Hmm... not bad."
Zelir rubbed his hands together and picked up the rabbits one by one. "Six in this litter. That’s enough for us to eat."
Returning to the camp with their bountiful hunt, they were greeted by the familiar warmth of the campfire.
A soup pot was already set up over the fire, with a steaming wild vegetable soup bubbling inside. With the addition of the hunted rabbits, they could enjoy another fine dinner tonight.
The members of the Third Squad had also set up the tents; their camping experience from the past few days had clearly taught them something.
As dinnertime arrived, the last crimson glow of sunset vanished behind the mountain ridge, and the sky turned completely dark.
In the center of the camp, two bonfires burned with a CRACKLE, their orange-red light dispelling the chill of the mountain forest.
Everyone sat around the fire, enjoying their hard-earned hot meal.
The plump rabbit legs were roasted until they were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Sprinkled with a few spices, every bite was pure bliss.
The mushrooms and wild vegetables Marcus had found were simmered into a soup, which tasted quite good when eaten with dark bread for dipping.
Zelir was enjoying his rabbit meat when he suddenly heard a slight stir beside him.
He turned his head and saw that Yanni had just sat down next to him.
Zelir glanced at her, a little surprised.
Yanni glanced back at Zelir.
However, neither of them spoke.
Zelir couldn’t be bothered to start a conversation, so he just continued gnawing on the roasted rabbit in his hand.
"Uh... um."
After a while, Yanni finally spoke, her voice as quiet as a buzzing mosquito.
"Zelir, I’m sorry..."
"What?" Zelir frowned slightly.
It wasn’t that he was trying to be difficult; Yanni’s voice was just so quiet that he genuinely hadn’t heard her clearly.
"I said, I’m sorry," Yanni repeated, raising her voice a little.
"Why are you apologizing out of the blue..."
"Because of what I said to you before. Thinking back on it now, I feel really bad about it..."