Leon couldn’t speak for a long moment. Emily and Sol also gave him the time to digest the information.

’Either I have to die or I have to be a killer?’ Leon’s mind was buzzing.

After a long time, he raised his head. "Is there no other way?"

"We don’t know yet. But that’s the thing we are also looking for." Emily said calmly.

"But hiding here, looking for a way to get back is no solution. Don’t you think we should rather join forces and fight against this Harold guy? That will be faster." Leon said.

"I wish it were this easy. Harold has this whole area guarded. And no one can leave without his permission. There are total five paths to leave this area. But each area is guarded by a group of monsters. With our magic sealed, there is no way we can defeat them and leave without Harold’s permission."

"Yeah." Sol started. "And if we leave with Harold’s permission, we all will be kept separately. Team members are also selected randomly. That’s why you can’t trust others and make a plan. Because sometimes, there are primals in the team and you don’t even know about it."

"That’s why we are staying in this area. Somehow we escaped and came here. We are trying to reach whoever is transported here before Harold. So we can make a team and then fight against them." Emily explained.

"And we two are the first ones you could reach?" Leon asked.

"Yes. And that was pure luck. We were returning to our hideout after today’s search when we found you. Normally we would go out every day to search for weaker beasts to hunt them and see if anyone gets transported here." Emily replied.

"But that means I have no time. Three of us were taken by that person who had come to rescue us. I need to do something fast or all of them will be dead." Leon said grimly. ’I don’t know them well but that doesn’t mean I can let them die.’

"You can relax. Or at least for the moment." Emily spoke. "Harold shouldn’t have more than 30 humans at the moment. Each transportation to this hidden realm happens at least after 7 days. And the number of knights is never more than 10. So to have at least 40 knights to start the next death tournament, Harold will have to wait at least 2 more weeks."

Sol nodded. "We can think of something in these 2 weeks."

Leon fell into deep thought hearing that. ’2 weeks. I need to get stronger within this time. The more the better. Or all of them might die.’

"Thank you for explaining all of this to me." Leon said.

"We are trying to help ourselves as well. So nothing to thank about. You can go and rest now."

Leon nodded.

Emily and Sol shared a glance before leaving. Emily sat in her earlier position while Sol went outside again to stand guard.

’I hope you are not one of them. Or I will kill you myself.’ Emily thought before closing her eyes.

Leon sat beside Noah again. He looked at the booklet in his hand. ’I will go for monster hunting in the morning. That way I can consume their cores and get stronger. I think two weeks will be enough to reach at least D-class. Or maybe even C-class. And for now. I should give this technique a few more tries. I just hope the system isn’t messing with me.’

Leon started reading the technique again. Seconds passed. Minutes turned into hours. Lines formed in Leon’s forehead in annoyance. ’What the hell man. I think I have already read it more than 50 times. But I still didn’t understand a thing.’ Leon cursed in his mind but still kept reading. Just because of one reason. He had seen the results. The change the system had really brought in his life. So he still clung to hope. Hope that the technique was something useful.

Sol had already changed his shift with Emily. And soon, it would be Leon’s turn.

Leon continued to focus, read word by word.

And finally, when he was reading the booklet for the 71st time, something clicked in his mind. All the words suddenly started to make sense.

Their orientation didn’t change but it was as if a veil of hallucination had been stopping his brain from understanding the meaning till now. And finally, that veil was being ripped to shreds.

Ding!

A notification popped up in the panel before him.

[You have comprehended the Mystic Monarch cultivation technique.]

[Cultivation rank: Mythic grade.]

[Cultivation speed: 10 Qi/s]

[Host has unlocked his status.]

"Status?"

[Host can now check his destructive power, defensive endurance, perception, speed, mana and soul power.]

"These all are unlocked because I comprehended a technique? Is it some kind of reward?"

[Negative Host.]

[Host needed to unlock at least four stats to unlock the status bar.]

"You are saying I hadn’t unlocked four stats before?"

[Affirmative Host. Host’s HP has just unlocked.]

"Okay whatever. Show me the status bar then"

[Host: Leon Bale

Status Bar

Damage: 22

HP: 8

Perception: 9

Speed: 21

Mana: Nil

Soul Strength: Nil]

"So my destructive power is 22? But how is that compared?"

[Damage of an average person is between 6 and 8.

Damage of an F-class knight is between 8 and 20. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Damage of an E-class knight is 20 to 40.

Damage of a D-class knight is 40 to 60.

Damage of a C-class knight is 60 to 90.

Damage of a B-class knight is 90 to 140.

Damage of an A-class knight is 140 to 200.

Damage of an S-class knight is 200 to 300.]

"What the... After that many breakthroughs I am just a beginner-level E-class knight? This is so fucking tiresome." Leon’s face became a little bit gloomy after reading the damage class.

"It looks like I need to kill more and more beasts." He sat straightening his back next. "For now. Let’s try this breathing technique."

He closed his eyes and crossed his legs into a lotus position. And then calmed his breathing.

A cold stream of air went through his nostrils. Slow, controlled. ’This! This is spiritual energy? It feels warm and relaxing. But.... Explosive. It’s as if it’s trying to detonate inside my body.’

Following the breathing technique, Leon quickly started refining that energy.

And before him. Notifications started to spam the panel.

[You have absorbed Qi.]

[You have absorbed Qi.]

[You have absorbed Qi.]