Chapter 21 | Level 10, Tier-0 Advancement Tasks
The group continued their hunt through the forest, their determination growing with each monster they encountered and defeated.
William was the first to spot their next target, a massive creature lurking behind a cluster of scorched trees.
[Ironhide Boar Lv.10]
[Rank: Uncommon]
The beast was covered in thick, metallic plates that gleamed dully in the dim light, its tusks curved and deadly.
William stepped forward, his sword gripped tightly in both hands as he prepared to face the creature head-on.
He activated his skill, [Strong Strike], and his blade began to glow with a faint, concentrated energy.
With a powerful swing, he brought his sword down on the Ironhide Boar’s flank, the impact sending shockwaves through the air.
The creature roared in pain, its metallic hide cracking under the force of William’s attack.
He followed up with another strike, this one aimed at the beast’s exposed neck, and the Ironhide Boar collapsed to the ground.
Ding!
[You have killed Lv.10 Ironhide Boar.]
William let out a breath of relief, a wide grin spreading across his face at his accomplishment.
Iris stepped forward next, her hands already crackling with elemental energy as she scanned the area for her next target.
A group of Gloomfang Rabbits emerged from the underbrush, their glowing teeth bared and ready to attack.
But Iris didn’t hesitate, launching a massive fireball that engulfed two of the creatures instantly.
She followed up with another, then another, each fireball more powerful than the last.
Her Spirit stat had grown significantly, just like Alicar’s, and she had also received the bonus from his skill leveling up.
That meant her attacks were now devastatingly powerful, capable of taking down even level 10 monsters with ease.
The remaining Gloomfang Rabbits tried to flee, but Iris’s fireballs found them before they could escape.
"Not bad," Leon commented, his arms crossed as he observed the battle. "You’ve both gotten a lot stronger in just a few days."
Iris smiled faintly, her chest heaving slightly from the exertion. "Not enough."
She glanced at Alicar, her eyes carrying a silent message that only he could understand.
’You’ll have to teach me how you use several elements at the same time,’ Iris told Alicar with her eyes only.
He simply nodded in response, understanding her unspoken request. ’Later, though I can only use water and lightning right now. I’ll have to test other combinations.’
And as for Alicar, he was without a doubt the strongest of them all, able to sweep a horde of monsters using his different affinities.
A pack of Scorched Bears rushed toward them, their sharp claws aimed directly at the group.
Alicar raised his hand, and a torrent of electrified water shot forward, striking the bears mid-attack.
The combined elemental attack was devastating, the water carrying the lightning into each of the creatures.
One by one, the Scorched Bears were stunned, their bodies smoking from the electrical damage.
He followed up with a barrage of ice spikes, impaling the few that had managed to dodge the initial assault.
Within seconds, the entire pack was eliminated, their bodies scattered across the forest floor.
Ding!
[You have killed x6 Scorched Bear.]
Leon watched the display with wide eyes, his jaw dropping slightly. "You make it look so easy."
Alicar shrugged, his expression calm and focused. "I mean, you did one-shot one of these things before."
"Yeah... but not in a group like this..."
The group continued their hunt, moving deeper into the forest as they sought out more monsters.
William and Iris took turns fighting, each of them growing stronger with every battle.
And finally, after hours of relentless combat, Alicar unleashed one last fireball at a monster had charged toward them.
The flames engulfed the creature completely, and as it collapsed to the ground, a familiar chime echoed in Alicar’s mind.
Ding!
[You have levelled up to Level 10!]
[You have gained one point in every attribute, and two free attribute points.]
[You have reached the peak of Tier-0 and thus cannot level up or accumulate experience points.]
[Please complete your Advancement Task to evolve from Tier-0 to Tier-1.]
Alicar felt the power surge through his body, his stats increasing as he reached the maximum level for his current tier.
Tier-0 was the very first rank any awakener from any race received upon entering the Eternal Realm.
Which meant that awakeners who could enter the First Layer were also referred to as Tier-1 awakeners.
Similarly, items were also categorized in such a manner, in addition to their ranks.
For example, items from the First Layer were named [Tier-1] items, Second Layer were named [Tier-2] and so on.
There were also other names that each tier was named by many people to make it more distinguishable, but Alicar didn’t care much about that.
[Generating Advancement Task fit for user’s class: Soulless...]
Alicar felt something click inside of his very being, and energy fueled his body as he felt it course through him.
"Alicar’s receiving his Advancement Task!" Leon warned the others, his voice urgent. "You two are close to levelling up, so observe!"
Fwoosh!
[Advancement Tasks:]
[Evolve one of your Skills to Max Level: 0/1]
[Have 3 Vessels: 1/3]
[Kill a Level 10 Legendary-Rank Monster: 0/1]
’Three?!’ Alicar’s eyes widened, his expression solemn at the sight of the requirements. ’Damn...’
Usually, most people only had one advancement task, which could take them several weeks to complete based on the difficulty.
Some very rare classes could have two tasks because of their powerful nature.
But for Alicar, he had three, each one forcing him to grow stronger in different ways.
He wanted to immediately open his status panel to check everything, but Leon intervened before he could.
"So, what’s the advancement task?" Leon grinned, his eyes gleaming with curiosity. "You’d usually be able to leave the Initial Stage after reaching Level 10, but since we’re stuck in this secret realm, it’s impossible. I can’t complete my advancement task in here either."
Alicar looked at the man with a neutral expression, then he spoke carefully. "My task is to kill a level 10 legendary-rank monster."
Revealing the other two tasks seemed idiotic, since no one really needed to know about them.
Still though, as soon as they heard that, Leon, Iris and William’s eyes widened in disbelief.
"But..." Leon mumbled, his voice trailing off. "The number of legendary-rank monsters ever discovered in the Initial Stage can be counted on one hand, meaning..."
"...Alicar has to kill the Sun Beast," Iris completed, her face pale. "Otherwise he can’t rank up."
"Holy hell bro, I’m sorry for that," William placed his hand on Alicar’s shoulders and shook his head sympathetically. "That’s the kind of task that you always hear are impossible."
"Oh well," Leon coughed, trying to change the subject. "Let’s focus on you two still. Alicar’s still the strongest among us at this rate."
The group continued forward, with only William and Iris killing monsters to level up since Alicar didn’t need to anymore.
Meanwhile, Alicar was busy thinking about what to do with his new tasks.
The first requirement was seemingly the easiest, all he needed to do was wait a few weeks to have enough Evolution Points to evolve his skill to Level 10.
The second one though was what made Alicar want to open his panel immediately.
"Status," he muttered, and it appeared before him.
[Name: Alicar Soulveil]
[Class: Soulless (Unique), Elemental Mage (Special)]
[Talent: Infinite Evolution]
[True Title: None.]
[Level: 10 (Max)]
[Constitution: 14]
[Strength: 14]
[Agility: 16]
[Spirit: 30]
[Attribute Points: 4]
[Skills: Six-Elements Affinity (+), Elemental Attack (+)]
[Class Skill: Contract Slot (1/3)]
’As expected, my contract slots grew from 1 to 3,’ Alicar nodded to himself, a smile tugging at his lips. ’This means... I can unlock two more classes by granting them to others.’
He wanted to do this immediately with Leon, but Alicar restrained himself, as William was still present.
William was fairly strong, and it wasn’t that Alicar disliked him, but it was simply that his "potential" according to his class wasn’t good enough for him to consider recruiting him.
And finally, the third requirement, the most daunting one of all: defeat a legendary-rank monster.
This meant that no matter what, Alicar would need to kill the Sun Beast, whether he wanted to or not.
There was no escape anymore, he would need to face this impossible opponent and win.
Fortunately for him, while others were stuck with their skills and attributes at the same level, Alicar had [Infinite Evolution] to aid him.
Plus, he could always grant a class to another awakener if the situation got too bad.