NOVEL NEXT Chapter 69: So That's What's Up
A couple of minutes ago…
[EXP +7]
[EXP +7]
[EXP +7]
"Fine, if you're not gonna let me join," Lanz said, his feet hitting the ground with sharp precision, his balance never faltering even in the middle of the chaos. "Then I'll just kill every single one of you myself."
The words had barely left his mouth when something changed in the air.
The wild noise of beasts tearing into each other, claws scraping against fur, and snorts filling the clearing, all of it suddenly began to collapse into silence.
None of them lunged at anything anymore.
Instead, the creatures shifted in unison, dragging their paws and hoofs across the dirt, pulling back from their skirmishes, and forming a path as if something had just ordered them to make way.
For a moment, Lanz's brain failed to catch up with what was happening.
His system feed was still pinging with small bursts of experience, his pulse was still racing from the fight, yet the battlefield itself had already changed into something else entirely.
He narrowed his eyes, his grip tightening against the hilt of his weapon.
He called upon [Phantom Stride], his body flickering out of where he had been standing and reappearing against the rough bark of a nearby tree.
The branches creaked faintly under his weight, but he moved quickly enough that the noise barely registered.
From his higher vantage point, he scanned the area, trying to understand what exactly had forced an entire group of wild beasts — creatures that had been tearing each other apart — to suddenly coordinate their movements and leave the clearing.
'What the f*ck is happening…' Lanz thought, his gloved fingers pressing against his chin as he tried to process the sudden shift in the battlefield.
The tension in the air was different now, not the absurd chaos from before, but something heavier that made the skin on his arms prickle and his instincts flare.
That was when it hit him.
A sudden pressure tore through the area, a wave of force that didn't come from him, didn't belong to the scattered mobs around, but carried a weight that silenced even the sound of his own breathing.
His eyes widened instantly, snapping toward the center of the clearing where that oppressive aura had burst out.
The source wasn't hidden.
They stood there with authority that could not be mistaken for anything else.
The boss. And not just the boss, but the alpha at her front, both releasing a power that made the rest of the beasts retreat in compliance.
For a second, Lanz froze, his thoughts scattered, his body refusing to move as his brain lagged behind the reality unfolding before him.
He felt the absurdity of it all pressing into him.
But then the gears in his head finally turned, which was a shock in and of itself, then snapped into motion so fast it surprised even him.
The confusion washed away.
His lips curved upward, stretching wider, pulling into the most sinister grin known to mankind.
His visor caught the reflection of his own face, twisted into something unrecognizable compared to the hesitation he had shown seconds ago.
"So that's what's happening," he muttered, his voice low but filled with something sharp, a tone that betrayed the excitement coursing through him.
The glow from his visor shifted, a faint glint breaking through as though something within him was beginning to surface.
His eyes swept across the clearing, sharp and precise, tracing the movement of every beast that hadn't already fled or been torn apart.
He focused first on the shifting line of wolves gathering near the edge of the trees.
Their steps were steady and disciplined.
He counted quickly, lips moving without hesitation, the numbers searing themselves into his head as he went.
'Nine gray wolves. Three white wolves. That's what's left,' he thought, his jaw tightening.
He didn't waste time lingering there.
His gaze cut across to the opposite side, where the ground shook under the heavy strides of boars moving toward the lake.
Their formation was looser, but the sheer weight of their bodies made every step matter.
He narrowed his eyes, mouth already forming the numbers before his brain could stop him.
"Six males. Three females. And the three small ones trailing behind," he whispered under his breath, the tone of his voice getting more excited with each count.
By the time he hit the last number, a spark of excitement had already slipped out, his words carrying a sharper edge, his whisper growing lighter, almost eager.
His grin tugged wider, widening the more he acknowledged what stood before him.
The choice was right there, laid bare in front of him.
Two groups, two very different fights.
"Alright then," he said, tugging at the gloves wrapped around his hands until the leather bit firmly into his skin.
The sound of the stretch reached his ears, grounding him in the moment.
He wanted to feel every sensation of this decision, every ounce of power coursing through him as he prepared to move.
"I'll pick that one," he declared, his eyes locked on his chosen target.
The words carried weight, spoken not to anyone else, but to the air itself, but more on to the battlefield. "So let's make this quick before the leaders notice."
His entire stance shifted then, muscles tensed, boots braced, his body ready to launch forward without an ounce of hesitation.
He could hear the thrum of his own heartbeat in his ears, steady and powerful, aligning itself with the decision he had just made.
Every breath, every flicker of movement from the beasts in front of him, every ounce of pressure in the air — it all collapsed into one point of focus.
End of Chapter 69.
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ALT SYSTEM — USER PROFILE: ZERO
Level: 15
EXP: 60 / 150
Next Reward: Quick Sever
Global System Tracking: DISABLED
World Rank Association: UNLINKED
Stats:
STR: 20 | AGI: 10 (Affinity) | VIT: 5 | DEX: 5 | INT: 17 | WIS: 5
[Available Stat Points: 0]
[Derived Stat — MANA: 90 / 90]
Skills:
[Crimson Slash Lv. 1]
[Phantom Stride Lv. 2]
[Instinctive Blade Lv.1]
[Predictive Guard Lv.1]
[Skill Fusion Menu: Active]
[Dev Tree: Tier 0 Access Granted]
[Developer Node – Fusion Core Anchor: Active]
[Skill Slot Available — Unassigned]
Equipment:
Aged Blade Fragment (??? Rarity) (Bound)
Training Ring (+1 VIT)
Bag :)
Ring of Genorya - ???