Book 4: Chapter 52: Slowed Progress
<strong>Scarlet</strong>
I wipe the sweat from my brow as I walk through the streets of the city that was made into a temporary base out on the frontlines after we recovered it from the demons and freed the humans in it. Then I blink, realizing that I have Clean and instead use that.
<strong>You must be tired if youre forgetting Clean, </strong>Tar points out, and I just nod my head in response.
Well, Ive been trying to get to ss V as quickly as I possibly can over the past month, even if thats only left me at level eight hundred and fifty. Much lower than I was hoping for.
<strong>I mean, it makes sense considering that most of the demons youre killing arent even ss IV, and the ones that are? Theyre only levels five hundred and one through seven hundred for the most part, </strong>Tar says, making me numbly nod my head again.
At this point the only reason Im still gaining EXP is because of the whole tenth of a level thing that I get after killing a certain number of beings.
And inching up to a thousand through that alone isnt helping me much.
I tried taking on a Noble over the past month but lost spectacrly despite Apex Predator and all of my other skills. So I wont be trying that again until Im at the cusp of breaking through to Tier V myself.
<strong>Allen gave you a real scolding for that one, </strong>Tar says with a chuckle. <strong>Amelia as well. And pretty much everyone else you know.</strong>
Yeah, yeah, everyone was mad. But I had to try it.
And Ill be trying it again when I reach level 1000.
<strong>Hmm, yeah, I think you should be able to handle a Noble at that level as long as the Noble is only level 1001, </strong>Tar says after a short pause to think about it.
I nce at my shoulder with surprise visible on my tired face as I walk.
You actually approve?
<strong>Yes, I do, </strong>he says with an amused snort at my surprise.
Nice.
Anyways, I walk into the base located near the wall of the city, only to pause in ce when I hear a familiar voice from within the building now that Im actually paying attention. One belonging to Emily.
Then I hear Michael and Michelles voices next after hers.
Theyre finally here?
Belle made it to ss III very quickly thanks to her unique mental barrier magic, since its a known fact that mental magic users often level faster purely due to them having one of the easiest magics to attack and involve themselves inbat out of all known magics. Since theyre directly attacking or blocking mentally from a distance without even having to get up close and personal.
So from what Ive heard, Belle snuck her way to the frontlines while still at ss II and participated in the war by using her mental barriers on everyone, giving her a little bit of the EXP of everyone they killed.
A rather sneaky way to get EXP, but it worked in the end for her. And she survived, albeit with an earful from her father. So thats all that matters in the end to me.
<strong>Like youre one to talk about recklessly endangering yourself for levels, </strong>Tar grumbles, but I, of course, ignore him.
I close my eyes for a second and focus my senses on the building itself before narrowing in on where I hear their voicesing from. Then I open my eyes again after finding the group to all still be at ss II, but theyre at least in their low 200s, so theres that.
Its the beginning of November right now, so its been a little over a year since we all contracted. Close to a year and three or four months. Although closer to a year and two months for me.
Also, why does it feel like its always snowing wherever I go? I dont mind the snow myself, in fact I like it, but it always seems to be snowing.
<strong>Does it really matter? </strong>Tar asks, and I shrug the shoulder hes on, making his ws dig into my armor to stay in ce.
Not really.
As I walk, I nce at my status to find all of the improvements Ive made over the past month of demon ughter.
<strong>Name: Scarlet Art Asger de Archeron</strong><strong>Species: Human/Blood Lycan Hybrid</strong><strong>Magic: Blood</strong> <strong>Titles:</strong><strong>The Apex Predator</strong> <strong>Age: 20</strong><strong>Level: 850</strong><strong>SP: 4</strong> <strong>Stats:</strong> <strong>Physical: 2,547</strong><strong>Mental: 2,547</strong><strong>Magical: 2,546</strong> <strong>Physical/Level: 2</strong><strong>Mental/Level: 1</strong><strong>Magical/Level: 2</strong> <strong>Free Points: 0</strong><strong>Mana: 300,133/ 11,996,624.7</strong><strong>Free Points/Level: 5</strong> <strong>Active Skills:</strong> <strong>Pain Diffusion</strong><strong>Skill Level: 26</strong><strong>Description</strong> <strong>Null Magic Field</strong><strong>Skill Level: 24</strong><strong>Description</strong> <strong>Blood of Ruin</strong><strong>Skill Level: 20</strong><strong>Description</strong> <strong>Blood Nullification</strong><strong>Skill Level: 15</strong><strong>Description</strong> <strong>Rain of Blood</strong><strong>Skill Level: 13</strong><strong>Description</strong> <strong>Metallicized Blood</strong><strong>Skill Level: 21</strong><strong>Description</strong> <strong>Blood Empowerment</strong><strong>Skill Level: 18</strong><strong>Description</strong> <strong>Blood Swarm</strong><strong>Skill Level: 12</strong><strong>Description</strong> <strong>Beast Transformation</strong><strong>Skill Level: Static</strong><strong>Description</strong> <strong>Metallicized Blood ws</strong><strong>Skill Level: 29</strong><strong>Description</strong> <strong>Life Absorption</strong><strong>Skill Level: 30</strong><strong>Description</strong> <strong>Partial Shift</strong><strong>Skill Level: Static</strong><strong>Description</strong> <strong>Blood Pull</strong><strong>Skill Level: 22</strong><strong>Description</strong> <strong>Blood Chains</strong><strong>Skill Level: 20</strong><strong>Description</strong> <strong>Blood Diffusion</strong><strong>Skill Level: 18</strong><strong>Description</strong> <strong>Gradual Corruption Nullification</strong><strong>Skill Level: 20</strong><strong>Description</strong> <strong>Blood gue</strong><strong>Skill Level: 15</strong><strong>Description</strong> <strong>Crimson Overdrive</strong><strong>Skill Level: 20</strong><strong>Description</strong> <strong>Blood Shadow</strong><strong>Skill Level: 15</strong><strong>Description</strong> <strong>Blood Retribution</strong><strong>Skill Level: 15</strong><strong>Description</strong> <strong>Blood Armor</strong><strong>Skill Level: 10</strong><strong>Description</strong> <strong>Blood Manifestation</strong><strong>Skill Level: 10</strong><strong>Description</strong> <strong>Blood Sacrifice</strong><strong>Skill Level: 10</strong><strong>Description</strong> <strong>Blood Boil</strong><strong>Skill Level: 10</strong><strong>Description</strong> <strong>Blood Bank</strong><strong>Skill Level: 10</strong><strong>Description</strong> <strong>Passive Skills:</strong> <strong>Blood Regeneration</strong><strong>Skill Level: 26</strong><strong>Description</strong> <strong>Blood Aura</strong><strong>Skill Level: Static</strong><strong>Description</strong> <strong>Blood Absorption</strong><strong>Skill Level: Static</strong><strong>Description</strong> <strong>Sanguine Effect</strong><strong>Skill Level: Static</strong><strong>Description</strong> <strong>Life Sense</strong><strong>Skill Level: 20</strong><strong>Description</strong> <strong>Apex Predator</strong>
<strong>Skill Level: Static</strong><strong>Description</strong> <strong>Blood Thirst</strong><strong>Skill Level: 15</strong><strong>Description</strong> <strong>Bloody Thorns</strong><strong>Skill Level: 15</strong><strong>Description</strong>
Everything is really shaping up to look quite nice.
Although Im still annoyed that I havent gotten another inherent skill for who knows how long.
Just when am I going to get my next inherent skill? Thest time I got one was over a hundred levels ago, and thest time before that two hundred and fifty levels before it.
<strong>Youll probably get one at level one thousand, </strong>Tar says, giving me an answer I really didnt want to hear. <strong>Hey, its either get really good and powerful legendary inherent skills once every blue moon, or get a bunch of low rarity run-of-the-mill skills every couple dozen levels. Id rather have the legendary ones.</strong>
I mean, you have a point. But still. Its annoying.
My thoughtse to a halt when I enter the hallway that Emily and them are walking down, making me smile at the sight of their faces. Faces that look pleasantly surprised to see me.
Now this is a reunion thats been long in the making.