As the ascenders with support skills buffed their allies, Hans summoned a massive iron crockpot. When he lifted the lid, the aroma of meat and vegetables filled the air. The stomach of a young woman wearing embroidered robes rumbled. She rushed forward. “Me first!”
The Crusaders members followed after her, each taking out a bowl from their inventory. Hans turned to Jason and handed over his bowl. “Take mine.”
“Thanks.” Jason took the bowl and waited. When it was his turn, he approached the crockpot and breathed in through his nose. The meat and vegetables mixed with the broth, creating a fragrant aroma. The cook who made this was at least Apprentice grade. Jason filled his bowl and went back to leaning against a boulder. He lifted the bowl to his nose and took another whiff. This time he could smell the subtle scent of herbs. After savoring the smell, he slowly began to eat, making each bite last.
Health, Stamina, and Mana have risen by 400 and all regeneration is increased by 150% for 4 hours. Primary stat (Vitality) increased by 20. All damage dealt is increased by 2%. All damage taken is reduced by 2%.
Compared to Jason’s favorite restaurant on the thirtieth floor, the buff created by this meal was vastly superior. Jason glanced at Hans. “Your guild’s cook is this good?”
“I wish.” Hans shook his head. “My guild master purchased a hundred of these meals from a top-tier guild. He allotted ten to me.”
“Ah. I see.” Jason now had a clearer understanding of the top-tier guilds’ power levels. From this meal alone, he could tell that they had already invested heavily into cooks, blacksmiths, and alchemists.
When Hans finished his meal, he stored his bowl away and handed Jason an inventory ring. “Take what you need from here.”
Curious, Jason took a quick look inside. The ring was filled with potions and herbs. In total, everything combined was worth over ten thousand gold. Jason nodded slightly. To be expected of a high-ranking officer in charge of thirty ascenders. Preparation is key to success.
“Thanks. I just need a few bloodseal potions.” Jason transferred five dark red vials to his own inventory before handing back the ring.
Bloodseal Potion
Removes the bleeding status. 30 second cooldown.
Hans put on the ring as he raised an eyebrow. “You already know the abilities of the boss?”
Jason panicked. Based on the identity he’d created, he had no backing, meaning he would have no knowledge of the skills that monsters had on this floor. Especially a raid boss. Jason quickly put on a casual expression and shrugged. “Just a precaution. It’s a beast monster, so odds are it has a bleed skill.”
“Oh.” Hans nodded, finding nothing unusual. Seeing that the coast was clear, Jason sighed inwardly and berated himself.
“Here. Take a quick look.” Hans summoned a thick folder and took out a piece of paper.
Jason gave it a glance and found that it contained a report about the hyena raid boss. Just in case, he compared the report with his memory. A few moments later, he handed it back.
“We paid quite a bit for this.” Hans shook the folder. “One advantage us upper-tier guilds have is that we don’t have to experiment and take things slowly when ascending a floor. Those top-tier guilds already did the legwork for us.” He stored the folder away. “You ready?”
Jason straightened his posture. “Let’s do this.”
Hans returned the now empty crockpot to his inventory ring before clapping his hands. “Okay, folks. You’ve all read the report, so you know what to do. Just stick to your roles and everything should be fine.”
Everyone grew serious as they spread out and prepared for battle. When everyone was in position, they glanced at Jason. Sizing up the hyena, Jason stepped forward, entering the clearing. His heart pumped with adrenaline. This would be his first raid boss since time-traveling. Tank stood on standby, ready to activate her shield at any moment.
The hyena’s eyes snapped open. The beast silently rose to its feet and glowered at Jason. There was no growling or snarling. Just absolute silence. Jason slammed his sword against his shield and activated Taunt. “Bring it on!”
The hyena, previously calm and observant, suddenly felt a compulsion to attack rise from within. Letting out a low snarl, it lowered its posture, then dashed forward in a zigzag pattern.
Jason’s eyes darted left and right. In less than a second, the hyena was at his side, its foreleg already mid-swing. Its claws were as long as daggers, and if they made contact with Jason, he would be severely wounded.
“It’s so fast!” A ranger exclaimed from the side. Only with a skill could the ranger keep up with the hyena’s movements.
Just in the nick of time, Jason leaned backwards. The claws narrowly missed his cheek. Following through with the momentum, Jason performed a backflip, releasing Cleave at the same time. When he landed, he immediately jumped backwards. The hyena’s mouth snapped shut in the place where he just stood.
The hyena stared at Jason, realizing that a mighty foe stood before it. For a moment, time stood still. Jason’s mind raced as his body absorbed all of the stimulus around him. On each side of the hyena, Crusaders charged forward. Arrows flew through the air, accompanied by all type of spells. A complete image of everything within thirty feet appeared in Jason’s mind.
Dodging around like he did might look cool, but it wasn’t helping anybody at all. He was currently tanking, which meant that he had to keep the boss as still as possible in order for his teammates to deal damage. As his thoughts reached this point, a bead of sweat fell from his cheek. When it hit the ground, both he and the hyena moved.
Sparks flew through the air. Jason’s arm was knocked backwards, his sword threatening to leave his grasp. Tightening his grip, he raised his shield, just in time to block a bite from the hyena.
-214
He lost over two hundred health in a single attack, even with the Block skill taking effect. If he took ten more attacks, death was all that awaited him.
Jason tried pulling his shield back, but the hyena’s jaws held it in place. The hyena raised its head, lifting Jason off the ground. Its claws turned red as it sliced through Jason’s legs.
-290
You are bleeding.
-33 Health a second for 30 seconds.
Jason noticed the hyena’s eyes squirm with glee. Instead of feeling like his life was in danger, he chuckled. “Idiot.”
Over twenty attacks landed on the hyena. Several arrows pierced its skin. One was covered in poison, while another exploded upon contact. Fireballs charred parts of the hyena black, while frostbolts burst apart at its feet, slowing it slightly. Daggers and swords left small cuts, while hammers smashed against its body. The hyena cried out in pain, inadvertently dropping Jason.
When Jason landed on his feet, he quickly drank a bloodseal potion, removing the bleeding effect. At the same time, his body began to glow with light.
You have been healed.
+142 Health.
You have been healed.
+22 Health a second for 10 seconds.
A barrier has been cast on you. It will absorb 200 damage. Lasts 30 seconds.
Jason’s plan was a success. He had baited the hyena into staying still, allowing the first wave of attacks to take away a large chunk of its health. Now the true battle would begin. Jason needed to maintain aggro over the boss. If he didn’t, it would be able to kill someone else in less than five attacks. That was unacceptable. Taunt was still on cooldown, so he needed to deal damage.
When the hyena recovered, Jason had already used Chop three times, securing aggro. The hyena focused on Jason, unleashing one attack after the other. Unable to move, Jason dodged and blocked as best he could. Still, there was a limit when facing a raid boss, and he was hit time after time. Jason’s health fell, only to rise again. This process was repeated continuously. His life was truly in the healer’s hands.
A
s the battle raged on, the hyena suddenly raised its body. Noticing this, Hans canceled his attack and exclaimed. “Back off!”
The hyena briefly stood on its hind legs and swiped with both arms. Ten thin lines of white energy shot out from the hyena’s claws. The energy continued outward, disappearing only after traveling fifteen feet. As members of an upper-tier guild, everyone was experienced and followed Hans’ command, dodging the attack in the nick of time. Well, almost everyone. An ascender dressed in heavy armor was hit, dropping his health to dangerous levels.
Hans’ eyes scanned around the battle like a hawk. Upon seeing his ally get hit, he shouted. “Rob was hit, quickly heal him!”
It took a few moments for the healers to locate Rob in the chaos of battle. As the healer’s attention was focused on Rob, Jason had to make sure his health stayed at a safe level. During moments like these, he used Shield Block, saving Tank’s Bulwark for emergencies. When Rob’s health was restored to full, he unleashed a roar and re-entered the fight.
The battle raged on, with the hyena unleashing its special skills every now and then. Occasionally someone would be hit, only to be healed to full a few moments later. The hyena’s health continued to drop, and inevitably, it fell before the might of Crusaders.
As its body dispersed into light, a plethora of loot was left in its place, forming a small hill. Bloodline vials, equipment, potions, currency, and herbs. A raid boss was truly a gold mine.
Chapter 14
Some ascenders fell to the ground, exhausted from the battle. All of them specialized in close combat. This boss was only a danger to those close to it, so the ranged ascenders were the most energetic. “Anything good drop?”
“Let’s see, let’s see.” The Crusaders surrounded the pile of loot, searching for anything that stood out. There was no worry for anybody stealing anything; they were all allies here.
“Ah! A Unique grade leather belt dropped.” A female ascender held up the belt for everyone to see.
Jason stood in the back, calmly observing how excited everyone was. A memory of his early days surfaced, causing him to smile. Back then, he had been in a guild that was like a family to him. Much like the scene before him, he and his friends would get excited over every drop. Then they fell. One after the other. In time, he grew numb to their deaths. Who did he have now? He had no close friends. No family. Was it even possible for him to find that happiness again? Olivia and Roy were both so young, compared to him, and he felt responsible for them. But the differences made it hard for him to feel close to them.
“Hey,” Hans slapped Jason’s shoulder, breaking him away from his thoughts, “Nice tanking. Some of the best I’ve seen.”
Jason shook his head, clearing his mind and focusing on the present. “Your guild is pretty good too.”
“Hahaha!” Hans burst into laughter, proud that someone in the second realm praised his guild.
A youth, more boy than a man, rushed up to Hans with a handful of red vials. “Hans, look at all these bloodline vials. We struck it rich!”
Hans’ eyes lit up as he counted the number of vials. “A raid boss sure does give plenty of vials compared to the common monsters. It looks like at this rate we’ll have enough for the entire guild in a month.”
Hans stored the vials in his inventory, then stepped over to the pile of loot and did the same to that. The ascenders who were inspecting the loot cried out. “Hey, Hans, we were still checking that out!”
Hans gave them a stern look. “I’ll hand out the loot later. Don’t forget that we need to be as efficient as possible or else we’ll fall behind.”
The ascenders collectively groaned as they stood up. Seeing their defeated looks, Hans frowned. “Vengeance will be back before we know it. Quit dilly-dallying and go, go, go!”
Everyone seemed to wake up at that. They formed their squads and headed back to their farming spots, leaving just Hans and Jason. Hans turned to Jason. “As per our prior agreement, we’ll fill up your bloodline slot once all the damage dealers get theirs.”
Jason waved his hand dismissively. “You don’t need to remind me. I trust you.”
Jason agreed to delay getting any bloodline vials from the raid boss in order to let Crusaders’ damage dealers hunt faster. Of course, the hyenas he hunted were his alone.
Hans was relieved. “That’s good then. I’ll let you know when the raid boss respawns.”
As Jason watched Hans jog away, he recalled the recent battle. There were a few things he could have improved on. For example, when the boss employed its Cleave skill, he could have used Defense Aura on an ascender who got hit, reducing the damage they took slightly. Since it was a relatively new skill, and added to the fact that Jason never really hunted with anyone, he didn’t know exactly how best to use it. Only now did he understand how it was meant to be used. Who knows, using it at the right moment might save someone’s life.
Jason returned to his farming spot and resumed hunting. He had almost gained enough blood to reach the 10% limit. Once he reached that, common hyenas wouldn’t raise it any further. He’d have to hunt higher grade monsters. Still, he planned to hunt enough for Roy and Olivia too. They were focused on building up their kingdoms. If he could let them skip these bloodline floors entirely, that would speed things up. Jason was really looking forward to the forty-first floor and beyond.
As the days passed, Jason was called over several times to tank the raid boss. It usually respawned every three days or so. Like with every boss, it became easier to hunt over time. Every boss had a pattern which could be exploited, especially bosses on the middle floors. The hyena boss in particular had very noticeable movements when it was about to execute its skills.
After a week, the members of Crusaders grew tense as they anticipated the arrival of Vengeance. However, after two weeks passed and they still hadn’t arrived, Hans decided to message his guild master. “Hey, Otto, you have any idea why Vengeance hasn’t shown up at the hyena hunting ground? ”
Otto was a middle-aged man. As the guild master of an upper-tier guild, he was an exceptional fighter and an experienced leader. In particular, he was on the verge of reaching the second realm. He was stronger than the vast majority of ascenders. He was on the thirty-ninth floor hunting for bloodlines like every other upper-tier guild. After hearing Hans, Otto was reminded of a report from his scouts. “Oh, I forgot to tell you. Ivan and his group ended up claiming another hunting zone instead of duking it out with you. ”
Hans rolled his eyes. “That would have been nice to know a week ago. Everyone was stressing out over why they hadn’t showed up. ”
“Sorry, I’ve been busy .” Otto sighed. When the top-tier guilds headed to the next set of floors, the newly available hunting grounds became highly contested territory. Especially at the start.
“Ah, whatever. I’ll leave you to it then .” Hans ended the call and informed his subordinates of the news.
Now that the hyena hunting zone was fully occupied by Crusaders, with no one to contest them over it, everyone felt a heavy weight lift off their shoulders. Two weeks after arriving, Jason finally acquired enough blood for three people.
2/5 Bloodlines Slotted.
Twin-Fanged Fox - 3.5% Harder to Sense
Hyena - 25% Attack Speed
Empty
Empty
Empty
With no reason to stay, Jason headed towards the next hunting zone on his list. It was occupied by Valkyrie, an upper-tier guild with close relations to Crusaders. As per the agreement Jason made with Hans, Hans vouched for Jason, informing Valkyrie that Jason could guarantee victory whenever any duels occurred. They were more than happy to have him.
Due to the fierce competition between upper-tier guilds, alliances eventually formed. Over time, alliances turned into coalitions. Crusaders and Valkyrie were in the same coalition. Having already picked a side, Jason went around to
every hunting ground owned by the guilds in Crusaders’ coalition.
As the weeks passed, Jason helped kill raid bosses as well as win duels. Every upper-tier guild soon learned that Jason was in the second realm. It reached the point that when Jason stepped forward in a duel, the opposing side automatically forfeited.
Unfortunately, because of picking a side, it was impossible for him to acquire certain bloodlines due to enemy guilds occupying them. As a result, he had to spend twenty-thousand gold to acquire what he needed for himself, Roy, and Olivia.
Three months after reaching the thirty-sixth floor, Jason finally acquired every bloodline he wanted. As he inspected the screen in front of him, he felt that all of his hard work had finally paid off.
5/5 Bloodlines Slotted.
Fusion - 25% Attack Speed + 25% Movement Speed
Fusion - 25% Health + 250 Health
Fusion - 25% Increased Physical and Magical Defense
Fusion - 25% Reaction Speed + 25% Critical Damage
Fusion - 5% Experience Gain
The last bloodline in particular stood out from the rest. Unlike the others, it had a maximum of 5%. Still, it was enough for Jason, who was trying his best to beat the tower as fast as possible. With his title included, Jason now had a bonus of 10% experience gain.
Chapter 15
Jason hovered thousands of feet above the ground. Directly underneath him was a small city. The city was filled with stone houses and all sorts of facilities. A magnificent twenty-foot high stone wall surrounded the city, protecting the villagers from monster attacks. Most striking were the four towers on each corner of the city wall. On top of each tower was a ballista.
Villagers could be seen running around. Soldiers patrolled the city, blacksmiths hammered away, and scientists researched new technologies. Outside the city, hundreds of villagers toiled away in the fields. Wheat could be seen stretching for a mile in every direction. Cobblestone roads led in each cardinal direction, boosting movement speed by 40%.
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