[Evolution stat: +10 Physique; +5 Constitution; +3 Will.]
[...Error… Due to the lack of a physical body, Physique and Constitution stats cannot be added.]
[Converting all stats to mental stat: +18 Will.]
–––
'What do you mean I don't have a physical body?' Draven thought, his mind racing. 'What am I, then? A ghost? Technically, I might… be…'
Suddenly, he felt his thoughts sharpen, becoming clearer and faster as the last notification faded. But he didn't feel any stronger.
He quickly summoned his panel:
–––
[Name]: Draven
[Class]: None
[Race]: Human
[Legacy]: Soul Mystic (Sealed)
[Rank]: Transient
[Order]: Second
[Soul Vitalis]: 2
[Mana]: 1/100
> Physique: 2
> Constitution: 1
> Will: 28
[Skills]: [Mental Serration], [Soul Eyes], [Stasis], [Ethereal Dominion], [Soul Covenant (25% Unsealed)]
[Gear]: [Desolate Might], [Ironforge], [Verdant Reapers]
–
[CURSE OF VOIDHELL]
–––
"My Physique and Constitution stats didn't increase…" Draven mumbled, his voice distant.
"You advanced?" Vera asked, her tone curious.
Draven snapped out of his thoughts and nodded, masking his unease. 'I'll figure this out when I get back.'
"Then we need to leave. With your increased Physique and Constitution, I won't have to slow down for you," she said.
Draven nodded, hiding his frustration.
He quickly checked the swords she had sent him:
–––
[Gear: Verdant Reapers]
[Rank: Transient]
[Order: First Order]
[Type: Weapon]
[Description: Light pair of verdant steel!]
–––
'No additional effects? I guess it's just a First Order weapon. The same as Ironforge,' Draven thought.
He stood slowly, ignoring the pain in his wrist, and summoned the pair of swords. They materialized in his hands—thin, curved green blades, each about half a meter long. They felt almost weightless.
Draven flexed his arms, swinging the swords to get a feel for them. As expected, his right arm was nearly three times faster than his left.
"If you're done, we should leave," Vera urged.
"We can leave now, but running might not be the best idea. Those crabs could ambush us again," Draven cautioned.
Vera thought for a moment before nodding. "Then we'll move quickly while keeping an eye on our surroundings."
They set off, walking side by side in silence, their senses alert.
'Phew. I need a way to break their camouflage.'
As they moved, Draven's eyes roamed the terrain. 'Will my Soul Eyes be useful here?'
He activated the skill, and the world shifted. Everything looked the same, but in the distance, he spotted a tiny white flame. Unlike his own, which was surrounded by a thin blue membrane, this flame was pure white.
Turning to Vera, he saw a similar flame within her, though it was far more vibrant.
"There's a crab ahead," Draven whispered.
"You can see them?" Vera asked, keeping her voice low.
"Yeah."
"Then why didn't you warn me about the last one?"
"I just figured I have an ability for detection now," Draven replied.
Vera opened her mouth to retort but stopped herself. "Where's the crab?"
Draven pointed ahead. "We'll pretend we don't see it and ambush it."
Vera nodded, and they continued as if unaware. When they were about five meters away, they lunged at the buried crab, which was poised to attack.
Draven paused, letting Vera take the lead. With a single slash, she decapitated the crab.
"I'll take this one. You get the next. Deal?" Vera proposed.
Draven agreed, and she absorbed the monster crystal.
'This speed gap is going to be a problem.'
They ambushed another crab, and Vera passed the monster crystal to Draven. He absorbed it.
[+1 Mana Absorbed.]
'Looks like the mana I get from First Order Transient monsters has decreased since I ascended.'
"Let's go," Vera said, snapping him out of his thoughts.
The duo pressed on, picking off unsuspecting crabs as they moved, their coordination growing sharper with each ambush.
"This is actually kind of fun," Vera chuckled, her eyes gleaming with excitement.
Draven offered a faint smile, his mind still preoccupied with how to bridge the gap in speed and strength between himself and others.
"You know, I always thought you were this cold, brooding guy who tells everyone to…" Vera deepened her voice, "...f**k off."
"You just come to school, eat the free lunch, and leave. I hardly ever see you in class," she added, her gaze still scanning the surroundings.
Draven chuckled, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Unfortunately, I do tell some people to f**k off."
"Really?" Vera turned, arching an eyebrow.
"Two crabs ahead. I'll take the left; you take the right," Draven replied, cutting the conversation short as they approached the next targets.
When he was close enough, Draven launched himself at the crab. It uncoiled its body, swinging its pincers at him.
Draven struck the pincer with his left sword to create an opening and split its skull with his right.
[+1 Soul Vitalis.]
[+1 Gear Received.]
'How does Vera always cleave them so cleanly? Her strength must be off the charts. If this is how strong all Second Order Transients are, I'm in trouble. With how easy it is to ascend to the Second Order, almost everyone should be at that level by now,' Draven mused as he picked up the monster crystal.
Just as he was about to check the new gear, a deafening roar echoed from behind, sending a chill down his spine.
Draven spun around, scanning the area, his grip tightening on his sword.
Loud Tremor shook the ground, accompanied by rhythmic quakes that grew louder, like chaotic drumming. The air was filled with piercing shrieks and the sonorous snapping of pincers, creating an eerie symphony that tingled his nerves.
Crabs began emerging from their hiding spots, rushing toward them.
"Run!" Vera's urgent voice jolted him into action.
He turned to see her sprinting away at full speed. Draven followed, but the gap between them widened quickly.
'Stupid legacy. Why give me a strong Will but leave me so physically weak?' Draven cursed inwardly.
Luckily, there were only a few crabs in their immediate vicinity, and a dense green forest lay ahead.
Vera glanced back, her eyes widening when she saw Draven lagging behind. "Why are you so slow?"
Draven didn't reply, focusing on running as crabs closed in from the sides.
Suddenly, Vera doubled back, and before Draven could react, she scooped him up and slung him over her shoulder, sprinting toward the forest.
"Hey! You can't just carry a grown man like this!" Draven protested.
"Shut up, or I'll throw you to the crabs!" Vera snapped, and Draven fell silent.
Even with Draven on her shoulder and a sword in her other hand, Vera was still faster than he could ever hope to be.
In no time, they reached the forest, and Vera darted through the trees like a blur.
Draven activated his Soul Eyes, guiding Vera toward a safe path free of monsters.
"Stop!" Draven growled, and Vera skidded to a halt.
Draven quickly slid off her shoulder and stared ahead. Through his Soul Eyes, the world shifted, revealing countless white flames piled together like a heap of pebbles in the distance, each as vibrant as the ones burning within his chest and Vera's.
To his normal vision, the area appeared as a field of green vines, neatly arranged like haystacks. He might have dismissed them as harmless—if not for the 'ominous' flames he now saw.
His gaze locked on them. 'Don't tell me all of those are Second Order Transients? Hell, there are over a hundred of those flames. Vera and I barely handled one Second Order crab. A hundred of them? Not a chance! Those vines look harmless, but…'
The vines suddenly stirred.
'F**k me!'