’Why does her tone feel a bit different?’ Leon wondered. "Yeah, I am ready." He replied anyway.

"Good. Everyone, let’s move then."

The group soon left the place and started following an alternate route to their destination.

After walking for almost two hours, Emily suddenly stopped in her tracks. "Stop. A monster is ahead."

Everyone immediately crouched down behind her.

"That’s an A-Class monster. Sis, you should deal with it fast."

No. Emily slowly shook her head. "We need to conserve our energy as much as we can. And if I fight it now, it will expose our position and motives."

"Oh yeah. I didn’t think that far. Then let’s bypass it."

Emily nodded.

The group slowly headed away from the beast and resumed their journey.

Leon was walking with them at the back. ’That monster’s core could have helped me a lot. What a waste.’ He sighed. ’But well, it’s not like I can defeat it all on my own. At least, not now.’

As the group continued to walk, they met a few more monsters. Sometimes only a single one, while other times a horde. But they intentionally avoided all of them. Finally, they appeared before a narrow pass. The path that would lead them out of this territory.

The group stopped. Emily scanned the surroundings. No one.

"Let’s go." She rushed forward again, others following behind.

The freezing winds gradually disappeared. Forests and barren lands blurred past as the group rushed forward.

Leon was checking everything around him while running at the back. ’I planned not to use that sword. But what am I going to fight with then? To them, I am only capable of summoning swords or any other weapons. But that short sword I had brought from the system broke the last time against that horrifying serpent. I shouldn’t use magic before them as well. Sol and his sister are from one of the most glorious and trusted families in the entire world. But what if they share it with someone, and that someone becomes a thorn in my side going forward?’ Leon’s mind wasn’t idle while moving.

’Without magic and that sword, I am only at D-Class level. Will it be enough to leave this place?’

The surroundings were quiet. But now and then, howls could be heard in the distance.

Amidst that, the group continued forward without any hindrance. Or at least for a long time.

Just when the sun was overhead, and they were growing a bit casual, a trail of rising earth rushed toward them from the distance.

Suddenly, Noah noticed it. "Watch out." He screamed to warn everyone, but it was already too late.

Something big burst out from the ground, sending dust and chunks of land exploding outward.

"It’s... It’s that same monster again." Noah trembled.

"The icefang badger." Leon whispered.

It was the same monster that had attacked them the first day when they were about to cross the bridge.

The giant badger slammed its forelimbs on the land.

Everyone was thrown back. But Emily didn’t even budge. She had only raised her left hand, an ice barrier materializing before it. The barrier neutralized the shockwave and prevented dust and debris from reaching her.

The very next second, she unsheathed her sword and jumped, soaring high in the sky.

Her fingers tightened around the hilt as she spun sharply in the air. The blade of her sword was ablaze. It cut through the air as she struck the badger’s head.

The sword struck first, then continued forward like a knife cutting tofu.

The beast didn’t even get to resist before its whole body was sliced in half. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Emily landed back on the ground gracefully, the loose edges of her clothes fluttering in the air.

Two thud sounds followed. Each half of the beast’s body collapsed on the ground, sending smoke and debris outward.

Noah and Leon had been watching the whole scene unfold with their mouths wide open.

’That’s what an S-Class knight is for.’ Leon thought inwardly. ’Badass.’

"Quick, we need to leave this place before any more monsters are attracted due to the commotion." Emily suggested.

Everyone nodded and started following behind her. But Leon didn’t immediately follow. He rushed toward the beast’s corpse and struck the position where its core was supposed to be.

And his effort didn’t go in vain. A larger core than the one he used to swallow emerged from within. He quickly picked it up and followed behind the group.

While marching at the back, he quickly washed it with water and swallowed it without hesitation. He felt it instantly. A great amount of energy surged within him.

[You have absorbed Qi.]

[43,557,000/81,920,000]

Two notifications popped up in the panel. Leon couldn’t help but his eyes widened.

"5,000,000 Qi from a simple core? Damn! That’s huge. I should have tried to kill some of these bigger ones. I could advance faster that way." He whispered while running.

Along the rest of the way, the group didn’t face any more problems.

Suddenly, Emily stopped.

"We are here." Emily said.

Leon walked beside her.

In the distance, a tower stood like a mountain. Leon felt pressure rising in his chest as he stared at the towering structure.

"They are inside the tower?"

"Yes." Sol replied.

"Do you know their exact locations?"

"The tower has 10 floors. All humans are kept on the topmost floor. But it’s not just them." Emily said, tension creeping in her voice.

"You mean guards?" Leon kept pressing for more information. ’If I have to go there, I should be prepared. I want to save them, yes. But I don’t wanna be a scapegoat or a sacrificial lamb in their rescue. I have more important things to protect.’

"There are guards, yes. But amidst the humans, there are primals too." Sol answered this time.

Hearing that, a scene flashed before his eyes. A recent memory.

A graceful woman turning into something horrifying. Something that almost killed him.

"I see." Leon spoke. "And what about the lower floors?"

No one answered immediately. A brief silence lingered before Emily opened her mouth again.

"Monsters." Emily said with a solemn face.

"Which class?"

"All classes."