Deeper and deeper, Jet ventured into the forest in search of beasts to y for EXP points. "I haven''t gone this deep into the forest before. I wonder if I''ll find stronger monsters here."


    He checked the stats of the egg that kept hovering around him since the moment he got it from the king. ''Hmm, the egg should be hatching soon, right? I''ve already given it a dragon scale from the royal treasury as a catalyst, and it even asked for my blood to ascertain ownership.''


    The forest seemed unusually quiet as he continued moving. Just when he thought that there were no monsters in that area, three Grand Orcs around Level 30 emerged, instantly attacking Jet.


    These were High Orcs, low-level monsters devoid of intelligence, driven only by primal instincts. Their eyes were vacant, mouths hanging open in perpetual hunger, and they wielded crude, heavy weapons.


    d in simple leather armor enchanted with runes of protection, he gripped the sword he had wielded alongside Finn during their quest, its aura radiating power.


    The first orc, a towering brute with a rusted cleaver, let out a guttural roar and charged at Jett with mindless aggression. Jett''s expression remained calm, almost bored. With a subtle shift of his weight, he evaded the orc''s wild swing effortlessly, his de striking with the precision of a serpent.


    The enchanted steel sliced through the orc''s thick hide with ease, and the beast copsed with a heavy thud.


    The second orc, wielding a massive club studded with nails, lumbered forward, its steps reverberating through the ground. Jett moved like a whisper in the wind, darting to the side. The orc swung its club down in a heavy, clumsy arc, but Jett was already behind it. A swift, upward sh severed the tendons in the orc''s leg, bringing it crashing to its knees.


    Without hesitation, Jett delivered a final blow to the back of its neck, ending its pitiful existence.


    ''Compared to sparring with Jerry, this is a piece of cake. I don''t even need to use skills.'' But deep down, something nagged at him, though he brushed it away.


    The third orc, slightly smaller but no less ferocious, snarled and charged with a crude spear. Jett sidestepped the thrust with ease, his movements a dance of grace and lethal precision. In a single, fluid motion, he spun around the orc, his de cutting a perfect arc through the air. The orc''s head separated from its body, tumbling to the ground before its body followed in a lifeless heap.


    Jett stood amidst the fallen bodies, his de dripping with the blood of his enemies. He exhaled slowly, sheathing his sword. The forest, momentarily silent, seemed to breathe again, the whispers of the trees growing louder, as if acknowledging the boy''s effortless victory.


    He nced around the clearing, ensuring no other threats lingered. Satisfied, he turned and walked away, but he immediately paused.


    [Tactical Mirage]


    "Something''s wrong somewhere. I''m sure I took down the orcs, so what''s this thing I''m feeling?"


    Jett paused, scanning his surroundings. Grand Orcs, more formidable than the High Orcs he had just dispatched, emerged from the darkness. At first, he counted a dozen, then two dozen. As more figures stepped into the view, his estimate quickly rose.


    "A hundred? No, two hundred? Maybe even more." The forest seemed alive with their presence, a sea of green flesh and crude weapons.


    "I knew seeing those three High Orcs was weird, but why are this many Grand Orcs inhabiting a ce like this? Seeing one would''ve been understandable, but this is well over a hundred." He was lost in thought as the orcs marched towards him.


    "Should I run away and get some help? They are level 40 after all," he thought, "but then again, my stats now can rival those of a level 71 warrior. Maybe I can finally let loose."


    A smile tugged at the corner of Jett''s lips. "Now things are getting interesting," he murmured to himself, drawing his de once more.


    The air thrummed with tension as the High Orcs encircled him, their eyes glinting with primal fury.


    Jett took a deep breath, centering himself. His grip tightened on the hilt of his sword, the runes along the de glowing with a fierce light.


    With a fluid motion, heunched himself into the fray, his de a blur of deadly precision.


    The first wave of High Orcs rushed at him, their roars deafening. Jett met them head-on, his movements a symphony of lethal grace.


    He ducked under a heavy axe swing, his de slicing cleanly through an orc''s midsection. Spinning on his heel, he deflected a spear thrust, severing the weapon and the hand that held it in one swift motion, waiting for them to gather at one spot.


    "Now,"


    [Inferno S]


    Set everything within a designated area aze. Size can be reduced or increased based on the user with a limit of fifty seven thousand square meters. The smaller the AoE, the more powerful the effect.]


    [Cooldown: 1 hour]


    He quickly incinerated them all. For every orc that fell, two more took its ce. Jett moved like a dancer, every step calcted, every strike lethal. He felt the thrill of the fight surge through him, his senses heightened, his mind razor-sharp. The forest floor became a blur of motion, blood, and steel.


    Jett''s de cleaved through armor and flesh, each swing precise and devastating. He parried a flurry of blows from a particrly massive orc, slipping under its guard to deliver a fatal strike to its heart. Without missing a beat, he whirled to face the next opponent, his de shing in the dim light.


    [Limitless Casting S]


    Cast multiple spells without their incantations at incredible speed. The amount the user can cast solely depends on Intelligence.]


    {Light Javelin}


    {Mud Curse}


    {Lightning Rain}


    {Extensive Mine Trap}


    {Wind Slice}


    Despite their numbers, the High Orcs were no match for Jett''s skill and agility. He weaved through their ranks, his sword dancing, leaving a trail of fallen foes in his wake. The battle was a whirlwind of chaos and bloodshed, but Jett remained calm, his focus unbroken.


    As thest of the High Orcs fell, Jett stood amidst the carnage, his chest heaving from exertion. His de dripped with dark blood, the runes along its length still glowing faintly. The forest, once again silent, seemed to acknowledge his victory.


    He sheathed his sword and looked around, the adrenaline still coursing through his veins. The fight had been exhrating, a true test of his abilities.


    "Hehehe, think I went overboard," With a satisfied nod, Jett turned and continued onwards.


    Jett spotted a cave after walking for a few minutes. "Gosh, I''ve been walking for 10 minutes, any further and I''ll go outside her spell range. I''ll just rest here for now and turn back since [Checkpoint] is on cooldown right now."


    *****


    "What the...?" Articus jerked awake from his quiet rest in the cave, a faint signal reaching him.


    Gabo noticed the sudden movement. "What is it?"


    "Get ready. We havepany," Articus replied, his tone sharp.


    Astonished that such a ce existed in the forest, Jett ventured deeper into the cave, noticing signs of habitation. "Whoa, it seems like someone actually lives here," he called out while sifting through the scattered junk. "Hello? Is anyone here?"


    Gabo emerged, spotting Jett. "Who are you? Who sent you here?" He scrutinized the child standing before him. ''He''s just a kid. How did he get this far on his own? Someone must be with him.


    But why does he look so familiar? I can''t believe I''d feel this much resentment for a kid I just met.''


    ''This guy looks oddly familiar,'' Jett thought to himself.


    ''Who is it, Gabo?'' another voice echoed from deeper within the cave. It was Articus, slowly emerging from the shadows, holding the bottle they had used to extract Freya''s blood.


    ''Gabo? Gabo... Hold on, that bottle. Oh crap, it''s them. What should I do?''


    "Hold on, I know you; you''re one of those meddling kids from the capital," Articus yelled in annoyance and pure fury.


    ''I got found out so soon?'' Jett thought to himself before asking, "What gave me away?"


    Articus replied, "I never forget the face of someone I promised to kill."


    "Is that a fact?" Jett smirked as he thought about the gap in their strengths. ''They''re both Level 60 and 64, I can take them.''


    "I knew it, you''re dead meat, kid. I won''t let you leave this ce alive," Gabo eximed.


    "Let''s face it, my fate was sealed the moment I entered this cave. All I can hope to do is end this here."


    He immediately went on the offensive, avoiding Gabo and targeting Articus, who only had one hand. ''I need to take out the mage.''


    Hended an attack, but Articus turned to mist and quickly evaporated. More images of Articus started to appear around him.


    ''An illusion? I need to quickly break fr...'' Before he couldpose himself, he received a massive punch from Gabo, sending him flying into the wall and sustaining serious injuries.


    [Regeneration]


    They both watched as his injuries slowly disappeared. "That hurt, like a lot," he groaned in pain.


    "How is he still alive?" Gabo was astonished, as that was him going all out. He then turned to Articus, "Articus, this kid is dangerous."


    [Misty Buff C]


    [Cloud Restraint C]


    Articus and Gabo stole quick nces at each other before attacking simultaneously.


    Gabo charged forward with brute force, swinging his weapon with ferocity, while Articus supported from behind, casting spells one after another to try and slow down Jett''s movements, giving Gabo an opportunity to deal damage.


    Jett held on as best he could, his movements bing morebored with each passing moment. He parried Gabo''s strikes with precision, his de moving in a blur of motion.


    Despite the overwhelming onught, Jett refused to yield. He gritted his teeth, his determination shining through the fatigue that threatened to overwhelm him. With a burst of energy, he countered Gabo''s attacks, driving him back momentarily.


    As the fight intensified, Jett found himself dodging spells and deflecting blows from all directions. The forest echoed with the sh of weapons and the crackling of magic.


    "This is super annoying. Can this even get any worse?" Jettined.


    [Boost]


    Just then, three other men walked in. They were amazed at what they saw; Articus and Gabo, their leaders, struggling with just a kid. They quickly joined in to subjugate him.


    "I take it back, it got worse," Jett regretted ever making the statement in the first ce.


    The attacks became more concentrated and deadly as the mages dealt damage from afar while the melee fighters closed in.


    Spotting Articus in the heat of battle, an idea came to Jett. ''You''re not the only one who can use illusions. Even if mine isn''t as strong, it''s still good enough.'' He advanced toward Gabo at full speed.


    [Ground Breaker]


    Gabo pounded him to the ground, but immediately, more of Jett emerged—two clones, each advancing toward one of them, making a total of three clones.


    "Illusions are my domain, kid. This can only slow me for 5 seconds," Articus boasted.


    "That''s all I need." Jett appeared behind Articus, swinging his sword at him. Articus reacted swiftly, causing the sword to shatter the bottle he was holding, sshing its contents everywhere.


    "Nooooo, this can''t be happening," Articus yelled.


    The blood managed to touch Jett and the egg hovering around him, causing a notification to emerge.


    [A new catalyst has been forcefully added.]


    [The new Catalyst is shing with the old one, and ownership is shaking.]


    [Adjusting Data]


    [Duration: 4 years]


    That window of opportunity was enough for Gabo and three others tond a decisive hit on Jett, sending him flying again.


    [Quick Heal]


    After such a devastating attack, Jetty sprawled on the ground, his body battered and broken. His clothes were torn, blood seeping from numerous wounds. Bruises and cuts covered his skin, and he struggled to catch his breath.


    ''No, I can''t die here, not yet. I need to survive, but how? How?'' Then he remembered the ne Nerissa had given him. ''Right, I can summon somebody for help—father, that''s who I need right now.''


    With ast effort, as the men slowly walked towards him, as one of the mages stepped on his leg, as his healing had stopped due to him slowly losing consciousness, he used thest energy to infuse Mana into the gem on the ne before crushing it.


    BOOOOOMMMM


    A figure appeared before him. He was too out of it to make out who it was.


    "Are you…?" His consciousness slowly deteriorated, but the voice he heard, it was familiar, but it wasn''t his father''s.


    "You did well, kid. Just rest easy. I''ll take it from here."


    *


    *


    *


    Can you guess who got summoned?


    Tried experimenting with this chapter so please feel free to tell me what you think.