Maximilian did his best to appear ready to fight but he doubted it worked. He had used most of his strength and energy during the last fight. He had enough energy to activate his skills which was the only reason he hadn't suggested a retreat. Well, that and that he didn't think it would work. He could get away, but the prince would die. From what he could tell this guy was a speed-based attacker. The kind that would look to kill him through dozens of cuts. He had to assume the liquid on the blade was a poison. Which meant he had to avoid getting hit. Worst case scenario it was a poison that would paralyze him. He could then kill the prince and get away or kill everyone if that was what he wanted. He gritted his teeth and prepared himself to go all out.
"I don't have a problem with you practitioner. You can head back to your sect and no one has to know what happened here." The man's voice made him uncomfortable. There was a almost palpable blood lust to it. As if the man took pleasure in killing, as if he was a serial killer which Maximilian figured he was. Regardless there was no way he would agree. Not only would he fail the quest, but he doubted the man would let him go. If he was being honest with himself, he also didn't want to run. He wasn't sure if it was a desire to fight or his pride or both, but he would see the quest through to the end.
"I appreciate the offer, but I won't. I don't like going back on my word—" Once again his instincts warned him to move. He was fast enough to avoid a shadow spear that had attempted to kneecap him. A moment later the assassin leaped at him. Maximilian had to avoid two blows in the time it took for Static Bolt to activate. In a feat of flexibility that would've made an Olympic gymnast jealous. The assassin bent over backwards avoiding the bluish-white electrical bolt. He then spun on his hands and kicked Maximilian across the face. The bitter taste of blood filled his mouth as he glared at his attacker.
"I am pleased you refused." The man rushed him as the time for words ended. The barrage of attacks forced Maximilian to retreat. He had to devote most of spiritual energy to empowering his body to keep up with the assassin's speed. He gritted his teeth and pushed spiritual energy into Prismatic Barrier. He gave up on blocking anything that wasn't the dagger. By the time his defensive skill activated cuts and bruises decorated his body. His left leg struggled to hold his weight. The assassin unleashed several attacks against the rainbow barrier to limited effect. Maximilian activated both Static Bolt and Severing Disc. With his shield in place Maximilian assumed the assassin would change tactics. The assassin would target the prince and his guards. He needed to make his next move fast. Sure, enough the assassin flipped away. Maximilian launched both spells at the spot where he'd land. The assassin tried to contort his body to dodge but it wasn't enough. Severing Disc took several fingers on his right hand.
He scolded himself for missing his target as he focused on what came next. Now that the assassin couldn't break through his barrier he would shift and go after the prince. Which meant Maximilian had to move. He cancelled his barrier as the assassin's turned toward the prince. The prince's guards didn't back down. The spear wielder and swordsmen drew their weapons as if to accept a charge. Maximilian knew they wouldn't stand a chance. Not without sacrificing one or two. Maximilian resisted the urge to unleash another skill. At the distance if the assassin moved, he would hit one of his allies. A scream of danger was his only warning before a black spear shot out of the ground in front of him. His eyes went wide, and he did his best to avoid the strike. It was too fast. The dark spear shot through the flesh of his right thigh. He bit back a scream of pain and activated Severing Disc.
The assassin ducked between the guards as if he was wind. If he hadn't known better Maximilian would've thought, they weren't trying to hit him. The assassin slipped beyond their guard only to meet the Prince's sword. The moment they clashed Maximilian unleashed his skill. The assassin grinned but before he could slip away Prince Gong reached out and grabbed him by his hood. The prince held him for less than a second before the assassin cut himself free. It was enough. Maximilian controlled the disc's path and stopped it from hitting the prince. Maximilian's eyes widened as the assassin fell to the ground in two pieces. He diverted his gaze from the horrible scene and summoned his healing pills. He didn't think they would get attacked again but he didn't want to take the chance. He popped a healing pill into his mouth and let the energy work on the wound in his leg. He had to fight the urge to vomit when the kill energy flooded into his dantian. It wasn't real. It wasn't real. It wasn't real. He repeated the words to himself until the repetition convinced him he was right.
"Thank you for that." Prince Gong's voice sent utter fury through him. If they had left when he told them to he wouldn't have...He shook mentally scolded himself for the thought. He knew that wasn't true. He knew the group wouldn't have gotten away. He knew that if the prince hadn't distracted the assassin for a moment he would've lost. He gnashed his teeth for a moment and then opened his eyes. His emotions simmered beneath the surface, but they were under control for now.
"Thank you, for your help Crown Prince. As payment for my inability to defend you and your men you can take everything the assassin had. As well as anything valuable from the creature over there." Based on their reactions he gave them something life changing. Not that he cared. He wasn't sure they could keep anything from the quests, and he had failed. The prince was alive which was good, but he was weaker than the assassin. Not only that but he had to kill him. What would he do when he was back on Earth? He had to get stronger. He pulled out of his melancholy by several new prompts.
Burgeoning Warrior: Defeat an enemy ten or more levels above you in one-on-one combat. Reward: All Attributes +2
True Hunter: Kill a monster 15 or more levels above you without help from someone with Spiritual Energy before obtaining a Class. Reward: All Attributes +10, All Attributes +10%
Centennial: First in world to reach 500 total attributes. Reward: All Attributes +2
Early Ascendant: Reach 500 total Attributes while in the Tutorial. Reward: All Attributes +3
He was glad he had sat down before the new attributes surged into him. He still wasn't used to that sensation the sudden increase in power. He was sure that people would get addicted to it. It was enough to make him want another fight. One with an enemy even stronger than the last one. The smell of blood in the air dampened the mood. When he finished with his notifications. He got to his feet and scanned the trees. There was no sign of any enemies which should mean they were safe. He then watched them hack at the monster's body with sick fascination. The macabre sight juxtaposed the glee on their faces. Everyone except for the prince. Who was going through the remains of the assassin. From what he could see the prince had collected an impressive hall. Including something that looked like coins, but Maximilian didn't care. Looking at it made him sick to his stomach. He decided to rest against one of the trees. Despite how he got it, the kill energy was rather impressive. Based on the differences in their levels he figured he should've gained a level from the battle. Even counting how much energy he used which meant the Network had taken some of it. Or the prince got it. For obvious reasons he assumed the Network stole it. Which meant it wasn't a viable strategy to rely on the characters in the scenario.
He decided that he wouldn't increase the difficulty next time. His new found strength increased his confidence but it was still too much of a risk. If the next quest forced him to face them one on one he would be in trouble. He also figured the rewards at this level were more than enough. For now at least. He hadn't even received his reward or the title upgrade. He decided focus digesting the battle. He hated how accurate his memory was. It felt like someone were driving nails into him each time he spotted a mistake. Something he could've done that would have changed the outcome. He knew that it was easy to Monday morning quarterback but he couldn't stop himself. It wasn't until he felt someone approach that he stopped. He opened his eyes as Zhao looked down at him. The large man offered his hand and Maximilian took it. "Are you finished gathering everything you need?"
"Yes, we will the rest for the beasts unless you want some of it." When Maximilian shook his head, the prince gestured to the Northwest. "In that case we should continue. I have grown tired of the forest and of death for the time being." On that they agreed. Once again Maximilian took the lead as they ran through the forest. The group engaged in several small conversations. Conversations that went nowhere. The battle had a unforeseen benefit. The group didn't fear him as much as before though he wouldn't say they were friends. It was more like they were respectful strangers. It took them another three hours before something happened. The space in front of them ceased to exist. A sea of utter grey that made him think of the out of bounds line of a video game. He slowed as they approached but the prince and his group continued as if they hadn't noticed. He was pretty sure he understood what that meant so he prepared to stop. Sure, enough they all passed through the wall and faded away. It was bittersweet watching the group disappear. He reassured himself that they weren't real people, but he had started to like them if only a little. Regardless he completed his job.
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A moment later a familiar pillar of white light engulfed him. He was once again in an endless white void. He closed his eyes as the Network's healing energy got to work. The majority of his wounds had healed but he didn't mind the extra help. The feeling alone was more than worth it. He didn't open his eyes until he received the expected notification.
Quest 6 Complete. Quest Grade: A. Reward Distribution has begun. Tutorial Title has been improved.
Tutorial-6th Quest: Complete the Sixth Quest of the Tutorial. Reward: All Attributes +10, All Attributes +10%
When he saw the title his excitement increased. He wasn't sure what the beast's parts were worth but he doubted that they were worth more than what he got. The title alone was worth more than the beast. At least right now. He waited to find out what the reward was but there were no further notifications. Which had to mean he didn't get a choice this time around. Whatever the reward was had to be more than worth it, so he wasn't too worried. When the healing process ended, he prepared himself to return home. It wasn't until the void disappeared and his feet found solid ground that he relaxed. He didn't think he was safe here not by a long shot, but nothing here would try to kill him. At least not as far as he knew. He took a moment to gather his breath before he turned his attention to his reward. A slip in the middle of the table. The slip was more ornate and made out of a higher quality stone than any until now. The stone was mix of blue and white that made him think of the sky.
He picked it up and infused a small amount of spiritual energy. The resulting information download caused him to stagger back a step. When he processed what it was his lips curled into a smile. He had gotten a new cultivation technique. The technique was the "Ninefold Lightning Canon", and it was a lightning attuned method. He could even upgrade the technique. He had a long way to go before he could do it. The technique provided a 25% boost to his lightning-based skills. As well as his cultivation speed. The manual was even high quality which felt like icing on the cake at this point. The only problem was that it would lock him into cultivating lightning. He reviewed the information over the course of two hours. Before he entered his cultivation chamber. The situation wasn't as bad as he first thought. The method would into lightning, but it didn't mean he could only do lightning. It was more accurate to say that lightning would be a pillar for his cultivation. Which was more or less where he was going anyway.
The lack of compatibility would mess his channels to the point that it could throw of his skills. He could debate the issue with himself for hours, but the only way forward was to take a leap of faith. He had to trust that he could deal with it. He sat and let the calming effect of the mat wash away his anxiety until he was ready. The process wasn't hard. He had to alter the way spiritual energy entered his core. Like a muscle his channels would adapt to what the canon needed. He repeated the mantra that came along with the technique. "Guide the Power Within. With the speed and power of Heaven's fury." He took another breath and then abandoned the tutorial method. It felt like he had abandoned a small part of himself, one that he had gotten to know. He knew that was flawed thinking. That he was always meant to replace it, yet he couldn't stop himself. Next, he focused his mind on the image of a lightning bolt. Spiritual energy flowed into his dantian in tune with unseen lightning strikes. Each one felt tangible, as if he only needed to open his eyes to see it, to accept it. He pushed on. The crack of thunder filled his mind as he dragged spiritual energy into his channels.
It was like a torrent compared to the last method. It only took a few seconds for the change to spread. His channels became less malleable than before. Closer to tough leather than the rubber they used to be. His body convulsed and his muscles tightened. Phantom arcs of lightning charged into his dantian. The energy in his dantian transformed into a violent storm that felt like it would rip him apart. He gritted his teeth and kept the technique going. He needed to withstand the change for a few more moments. Second felt like hours as he waited and watched. When he started to doubt if he had made the right choice the storm in his dantian began to slow. He took another breath and waited. He didn't bother opening his eyes until his dantian returned to normal. He opened his status screen to confirm the changes.
He felt like a whole new person as he reviewed his attributes. All of them were closing in on the one-hundred-point barrier. With Intelligence chief among them. He was a bit surprised that both Constitution and Endurance took up the second and third places. Not that he could complain. He had taken more than a few hits in the last quest so the boost to his survival was welcome. He couldn't help but laugh at how much money he had now. If he assumed a credit was equal to a dollar than he would've jumped into and then beyond the 1%. The irony was beautiful. He was pretty sure that most people weren't at his amount of wealth. There was no way a lot of people would've taken the same quests he did. Of the few who would how many would die? The thought was morbid but if he was honest about, he had to be amongst the wealthiest people on the planet. He needed more ways to spend his money. Which he figured would be taken care of soon. The workers would charge them something. Or they would be told what they were saving toward. He wanted to save some of it for his return. He didn't know how shops would work but he figured that having money was better than not having it. He reviewed his points one more time and then closed the screen. He considered cultivating some more but he was tired. His body felt fine, but his mind was drained. It felt like he had lived a lifetime during that quest. He needed a shower and a good night's sleep.
