"IMPUDENT." The Kobold Chieftain was totally enraged by the interactions between the duo. In his own perception, they didn't even place him in mind.
He pulled out Malik's sword from his chest and flung it away as he dashed toward the duo.
Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.
He took large strides, and Malik knew he'd reach them in just seven.
"The potion has increased my intelligence from 85 to 125, and my spiritual energy is now full to the brim. I can unlock the skill of this Nuturer Fang now. I wonder what effect it has on Luna..." Malik turned to the mage, whose eyes were closed as she chanted. Suddenly, a magic array appeared right above the Kobold Chieftain, whose attention remained locked on the duo.
The Kobold Chieftain disregarded the magic array and leapt high into the air, wanting to pound them into the floor, when a loud roar was heard. The magic array opened, and a Level 27 Beast emerged from it, falling directly onto the Kobold Chieftain.
Bang!
The ground around them quaked violently, and the impact sent both Malik and Luna flying backward.
"That potion is the real deal. To think she was able to summon a beast ten levels above her. I don't even need to lay a finger." A fiendish smile appeared on Malik's face as he watched the Level 27 beast assault the Kobold Chieftain, who was trying hard to fight it off.
"What are you just standing here for?" Luna asked Malik, who turned to her with an arched brow.
"What should I do? That's a Level 27 monster facing off against a Level 20... The end is already determined," Malik replied.
"Are you daft? Can't you see that the beast isn't real but summoned? Every attack and damage drains my MP… I'm almost out of it," Luna reminded him, and Malik's eyes widened.
"That's true… How come I never thought about that?" Malik's expression grew serious as he dashed into the battlefield.
The same way Malik used Spiritual Energy, the others used their Mana Pool. Once the Mana Pool is depleted, one won't be able to use skills anymore, as everything depends on Mana.
It was the same for Malik—once his Spiritual Energy was depleted, he'd be nothing more than a sitting duck, even if his HP was full.
Malik picked up his sword and switched the handle. He grabbed the sword with his right hand and the dagger with his left as he closed in on the Kobold Chieftain.
"WebSling!"
He activated the skill of the Nuturer Fang, which was enhanced by the Webweaver Robe, and a line of web wrapped around the Kobold's paw just as it was about to pound the summoned beast, which had only 10% of its HP left. The Health Points of the beast depended on the Mana Pool of the Summoner. So even though the summoned beast was seven levels higher than the Kobold Chieftain, it couldn't match the Chieftain's attack prowess.
The Kobold Chieftain tried to free himself from the web as Malik pulled its hand to another direction and, with the momentum, charged forward.
"Yes! The chest is open. The chest is the weak point—I need to stab through it."
Necro Slash!
Malik was like an arrow as he flew straight toward the Kobold's chest—but he seemed to have forgotten that the Kobold had two hands.
He had already trapped one with his web, and the Kobold raised the other to smash Malik to the ground. If that attack landed, Malik would be in a sorry state...
But Malik wasn't the only one forgetting something—the Kobold Chieftain had also forgotten that Malik wasn't the only enemy around him.
"That Crimson bastard..." Luna gritted her teeth as she commanded her summoned beast to bite hard on the Kobold's other paw, giving Malik free access to the Chieftain's chest.
He drove the sword directly into the red point he saw through the Eyes of Insight, and then Necro Slash activated.
White arcs of electricity flashed both inside and outside the Kobold Chieftain's body as its HP depleted at a visible rate.
Malik didn't waste time. He leapt high into the air, infusing all his Spiritual Energy into the Nuturer Fang as he gripped it with both hands.
"Die!"
He cried loudly as he plunged it directly into the Kobold Chieftain's chest, and both of them fell flat as the Kobold groaned loudly and then scattered into particles of stone.
"He did it… He really did it. He defeated a Level 20 beast at Level 4." Luna still thought Malik was Level 4 due to the number floating above his head. But unbeknownst to her, Malik wasn't at Level 4—his progress was different from the others.
> [You've slain a Level 20 Boss Monster]
[You've broken through... ×2]
[+10 stats to all attributes]
[+20 free stats]
[You've earned 3 Runic Stones, 1 Runic Crystal, 1 Skill Book, Forging Material, and 10 Gold Coins]
[Quest Updated: You've completed the Mission of The Blacksmith. Submit the Runic Stones to the Blacksmith within 5 minutes to get your reward]
"I only have five minutes to reach the Blacksmith's abode. Is this system crazy or something?" Malik's eyes widened as he turned tail and instantly began running.
Luna, confused, thought another monster was coming. Just moments ago, she had been excited that she finally reached Level 20 and could head to the Beginning Tower to challenge the fifth floor for her talents. Now she was agitated, thinking they were being pursued.
'Why is he running? Is there still another monster coming?'
"System, add all my free points to Agility!" she didn't hesitate as she saw Malik wasn't even waiting.
"CrimsonFlame… CrimsonFlame… you bastard! Don't you dare leave a lady behind!" Luna cried out, doing all she could to catch up, but Malik was too fast—and in the end, she lost sight of him.
"He's such a snitch… He took all the loot and didn't even spare me anything." Luna gritted her teeth angrily.
'Although we only agreed he'd give me the enhancement potion… No, this won't work. I've got to contact him.'
Luna finalized her thoughts as she pulled up her system interface and clicked on her friend list. She tapped on Malik's codename and initiated a video call immediately.