Chapter 327: Options!

[Disruption Mana Blade Spell can now evolve. Choose an evolution: Mana Vortex Spell, Mana Barrier Spell, Disruption Mana Saw Spell.]

Alex looked at the three available evolutions, finding all of them rather interesting. There were only three choices this time, but that made sense considering these evolutions were created by combining two different Spells. All three sounded quite powerful, although he would have to think about them before deciding which one to choose.

However, now wasn’t the time to focus on new Spells. His companions had already begun gathering around the dead Krakens, so Alex dismissed the notification and joined them in harvesting the loot.

They extracted the Gene Potentials and Elemental Stones from the five monsters, carefully separating everything according to rank. The four Mid Rank Species Krakens possessed A Rank Elemental Stones, each containing the properties of Water and Life.

The High Rank Species Kraken’s Elemental Stone was considerably more interesting. Although Sarah’s final attack had damaged it, the stone was still classified as S Rank, and even in its damaged condition, it was noticeably brighter than the others. It also contained the properties of Water and Life.

’I wonder if all Krakens possess the same elemental properties,’ Alex thought, examining the damaged stone.

"Sorry about damaging it," Sarah suddenly said, approaching him with a slightly apologetic expression.

Alex looked up from the Elemental Stone, wondering why she was apologizing.

"You mentioned wanting to experiment with Elemental Stones to see if you could make something useful from them, and you’ve been collecting them ever since. But I ended up breaking this one," Sarah explained.

"Don’t worry about it. In fact, you actually discovered something quite useful. Now we know that damaging a monster’s Elemental Stone can interfere with its elemental abilities. That’s a pretty important discovery, especially when we’re fighting monsters with powerful regeneration, and might encounter monsters with dangerous abilities in future," Alex replied, shaking his head.

Sarah blinked, apparently not expecting that response. Before she could say anything, Emma approached them with an amused expression.

"I told you he’s weird like that. Somehow, he always manages to find something good even when things go wrong," Emma commented.

Alex ignored her comment and stored the Elemental Stone away. Once they finished harvesting the loot, the group began discussing how to distribute the Gene Potentials, particularly the one obtained from the High Rank Species Kraken.

Since Alex had only fought the four Mid Rank Species Krakens, he had no intention of claiming it. However, deciding who deserved it proved surprisingly difficult, since everyone had contributed to defeating the monster.

"I think Sarah should get it. She took the biggest risks by fighting the Kraken at close range, and she was also the one who blinded it and created the opening for our final attack," Joseph suggested.

"But I didn’t do everything myself," Sarah began, looking uncomfortable.

"Nobody said you did. You also kept distracting the monster whenever the rest of us needed time to recover, so I agree with Joseph. Without you constantly moving around and drawing its attention, we would’ve had a much harder time," Frank added.

The others gradually expressed their agreement, leaving Sarah looking increasingly flustered. Alex also supported their decision, having noticed something interesting about Sarah’s performance during the battle.

Although Sarah didn’t possess any particularly outstanding ability compared to the others, she was remarkably versatile. She had repeatedly switched between attacking, defending, and distracting the Kraken, allowing her companions to concentrate on their respective roles. Her contributions weren’t especially flashy, but she had essentially been the core of their entire fight.

Seeing Sarah blush at everyone’s praise, Alex couldn’t help smiling. Not long ago, Sarah had been terrified of monsters and constantly worried about her surroundings, yet now she could relax enough to become embarrassed even inside a dangerous Dungeon.

’Perhaps my earlier assumption was correct. The Pioneers were chosen on the factor of who can adapt to this new world the fastest,’ Alex thought.

Eventually, Sarah accepted the Gene Potential, although she examined it thoughtfully before turning toward Alex. To his surprise, she suddenly held it out toward him.

"Here, you should take this instead," she said, prompting Alex to look at her questioningly.

She added, "It’s a Gene Potential from a Mage-type monster. I know we’ve been absorbing whatever Gene Potentials we can find until now, but after watching you last time, I’ve realized we should probably be more selective. This one suits you better than me, so you can have it. Just give me a Gene Potential from an Aura-type monster sometime later."

Alex looked at her for a moment before asking, "Are you sure? This is your first Gene Potential from a High Rank Species monster."

Sarah blinked before laughing. "I didn’t realize you were the sentimental type. I’m not giving it away for free, you know."

Alex shrugged and accepted the Gene Potential before absorbing it. Once everyone had finished preparing, they resumed their exploration, although Petra noticed that Alex still hadn’t fully recovered from his injuries and offered to heal him.

Alex declined, explaining that he wanted to use the opportunity to train his spells.

It was the perfect opportunity to train Minor Heal Spell and Advanced Blood Vitalization Spell simultaneously. Although the injuries were uncomfortable, the pain was suppressed by Advanced Battle Instinct, and he could already feel his body recovering steadily. Wasting such a good training opportunity seemed unnecessary.

After walking for several dozen minutes, the group eventually encountered an enormous hole in the corridor’s floor. The surrounding metal had been violently gouged apart, and several deep marks resembling claw scratches covered the damaged sections. Beneath the opening was dark water, extending farther down than they could see.

"The Vault has air inside, so I suppose whatever keeps the water outside is still functioning. This hole probably connects to the lower sections of the Vault, and there might be similar openings throughout the structure that the Krakens use to move around," Joseph observed, examining the opening. "

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