Chapter 28 | Climbing The Mountain [2]
Over the course of the next two days, the group kept climbing the mountain without any major problems, finding refuge in some caves they discovered along the way, their shelters offering brief respite from the harsh environment.
[Evolution Points: 6]
Alicar had also made his choice at that moment as to how he wanted to allocate his Evolution Points, having saved them up carefully over the past few days.
---
[Skill: Elemental Attack]
[Rank: Rare]
[Level: 3 (+)]
[Evolve for 4 Evolution Points?]
---
[Skill: Six-Elements Affinity]
[Rank: Epic]
[Level: 1 (+)]
[Evolve for 2 Evolution Points?]
---
"Yes to both," Alicar nodded faintly, his voice filled with determination as he made his decision. "Evolve!"
Ding!
[Level 3 → 4]
Ding!
[Level 1 → 2]
And with that, the descriptions had changed, making each skill much stronger than before, their power surging through his veins.
---
[Skill: Elemental Attack]
[Rank: Rare]
[Level: 4 (+)]
[Description: Make use of the power of your affinities to conjure different attacks. Your proficiency with this skill will determine your attacks’ power. +60% Damage.]
[Insufficient Evolution Points. Cost: 8]
---
[Skill: Six-Elements Affinity]
[Rank: Epic]
[Level: 2 (+)]
[Description: Grants an affinity to the six elements. Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Ice, Lightning. +10% Mana. +15% Elemental Control.]
[Insufficient Evolution Points. Cost: 4]
---
"Increase in Mana?" Alicar grinned, his eyes lighting up with satisfaction as he felt the change. "Good, using these evolved skills takes more mana so this is gonna be helpful."
Meanwhile, Iris was simply there in shock as she saw her skills level up again, her power growing even more out of nowhere, catching her completely off guard.
The group made steady progress, and though the monsters grew stronger as they climbed higher, they had mostly nothing to fear with their combined strength.
Especially with Leon, Iris and Alicar tearing through anything they found with devastating efficiency, their attacks leaving nothing but rubble in their wake.
Or at least, that was the case until the third day, when they got extremely close to the Sun Temple at the summit, the air growing colder and more oppressive.
"Here’s the area where we had to run from last time," Leon informed the group, his voice low and cautious, his eyes scanning the surroundings nervously. "Be careful—"
Slash!
Before he could even react, an entity appeared behind the group and swung its claws at Alicar and Leon, who were at the front of the formation, its movements swift and deadly.
The two instinctively dodged out of the way, their bodies moving on pure reflex honed by countless battles, but the tree that was beside them was cut into pieces instantly.
"—Of them," Leon completed his sentence as his eyes widened, immediately taking his combat stance with practiced precision, his body coiled like a spring.
And indeed, before them was an extremely powerful monster that radiated a dark, oppressive energy, its form flickering like a shadow given life.
[Scorched Wraith Lv.10]
[Rank: Epic]
"That thing..." Leon took a step back, sweat appearing on his forehead as he assessed the threat, his instincts screaming at him to be cautious. "It’s extremely strong, we might struggle—"
BAM!
Alicar launched a devastating water ball at the wraith, since it seemed to be its elemental weakness based on its ethereal, fiery appearance, and indeed, the monster fell instantly, dead, its form dissolving into nothingness.
Leon turned to look at Alicar with a shocked expression, his jaw hanging open in disbelief, his eyes wide with amazement.
But Alicar simply shrugged, his expression calm and unbothered, as if he had done nothing extraordinary. "If we can’t even beat that thing, we stand no chance against the Sun Beast, right?"
The group stared at him in stunned silence, the weight of his words sinking into their minds.
They pressed forward through the treacherous mountain path, their determination unshaken despite the growing danger that lurked around every corner.
Monsters emerged from the shadows with increasing frequency, their forms twisted and corrupted by the malevolent energy that permeated the mountain.
[Temple Guardians] rose from the earth like ancient sentinels, their stone and wood bodies cracking with each movement, but they fell just as quickly.
Leon’s Demon Fist shattered them into rubble, his attacks growing more precise and devastating with each encounter.
[Scorched Wraiths] materialized from thin air, their ethereal forms flickering like dying embers, their claws reaching for the group with deadly intent.
But Alicar was ready, his water balls consuming them before they could even get close.
And then came the [Obsidian Stalkers], sleek creatures made of black volcanic glass that moved with terrifying speed, their bodies reflecting the dim light like dark mirrors.
Iris met them head-on, her fireballs tearing through their brittle forms, sending shards of obsidian scattering across the rocky terrain.
The three of them worked in perfect synchronization, their attacks complementing each other, their movements instinctive and fluid.
Leon would smash through the front lines, his brute force creating openings for Iris and Alicar to exploit with their devastating ranged attacks.
It was a dance of destruction, and the monsters of the mountain had no answer for it.
Sera, Darian and William followed behind them, their roles reduced to support and observation, but they didn’t complain.
They understood that without Alicar, Leon and Iris, they would have been dead long ago, their bodies joining the countless others who had fallen in this nightmare realm.
After a few more hours of relentless climbing and fighting, the group finally reached the very top of the mountain, their bodies exhausted but their spirits soaring.
And there, standing tall against the dark sky, was the Sun Temple, its ancient stone structure pulsing with an almost sentient energy, as if it had been waiting for them all along.
The temple was half destroyed, with a large chunk of it, including its massive pillars and walls, being utterly shattered by some unknown force.
Cracks ran through the remaining structure like veins, and the air around it hummed with a power that made their skin tingle.
"Oh my god," Sera gasped, her knees shaking as she fell to the ground, tears welling up in her eyes. "W-We did it! We actually did it!"
"Yeah," Darian sighed in relief, his voice trembling with emotion. "Kind of crazy to think it was this easy..."
"Well, if not for Alicar, Leon and Iris, it would be impossible," William shrugged, his expression a mixture of gratitude and awe. "These monsters were too strong for the rest of us."
Indeed, if not for the fact that Alicar and the others could deal with these epic-rank monsters with such devastating efficiency, none of them would have stood a chance.
That is why Leon’s group once tried and failed, their numbers whittled down by the very creatures that the trio had just demolished.
But now it was right in front of them: their escape, their freedom, their salvation.