Chapter 23—level up
Again, an arm-size rock sunk to the bottom, joining the others to create a surge of unregulated energy. "This should do it." Valor who was looking at the pool of energy nodded with satisfaction and avoided another set of bullets. He squatted before diving away from the generator and strapped the shotgun unto his back then unsheathed his knife.
With hunting mode activated, he gazed at the mutated beings rushing for the wooden stairs. He for sure cannot use the path he threaded before, or can't he?
The bomb is already set, remaining here will only lower the rate of success. Knowing how the events will transpire, Valor can plan ahead and checkmate beings with levels far ahead of him—he's still weak for this world's standards after all.
Valor smirked and murmured, "I think my exp will have improvement today, I'll level up before the parasites target me." he smiled and continued, "And my vital-energy stock seems to be depleted, better change it into life force again."
After he made his decision, Valor quickly built his Steam-rush foundation and endured the pain while he avoided 9 bullets clumsily, luckly he wasn't hit or a hole was left on his body, "aghhh shit!" he couldn't help but curse with the pain ravaging his whole body.
but after three second pause, he got used to it and started counting. His breath steaming and his skin turning red, A sizzle rushed out the gaps of his lips before his sight hued serious, mixed with a little tint of redness.
Near the stairs, the still rushing parasites—who don't know the recent command of their leader. Saw a rapid shadow, quickly nearing them with a glinting blade at its right limb. With the thought of meeting their leader, They couldn't react fast and got slashed with the fast blade instead.
A shriek echoed within the group of monsters, raising the attention of the others nearby.
Valor's hands moved fast and decapitated a he'sd from its crocodile body, with his sharp eyes, he saw multiple limbs coming out the slashed flesh of the neck and extended to the body while being airborne, so with another fast slash on the forehead. The parasite inside the head was instantly killed.
Valor gained two different exp by that kill, one from the crocodile, and one from the parasite.
Soon he ran at the middle of the stampede and found ten to twelve monsters going for him. They slightly altered their course and jumped over his possible paths to block his way, ogling their hellish mandibles to his flesh, ready to devour him anytime their teeth touch his skin. Valor who should be considered helpless in the middle of this fry, as ten to twelve monsters jumped over him at the same time—a situation no human of their first path can trample over nor escape—Only smiled, before a vast amount of steam sizzled out his body.
"Rushed skill: steam combustion."
The magic circles on his chest revolved faster, and the circulation inside surged violently—empowering him to activate the skill. His skin fumed with steam, rushing all over the direction with extreme heat and speed. The monsters who are one meter near him were blown away, while those who came near an inch were simmered. Falling to the ground dead and cooked.
The notice of him gaining three hundred exp showed, looks like weaker monsters don't have that much exp to give. And the parasites' power is based on their host's power, also not having that much exp. But it's better than nothing.
"This [knowledge] thingy is sure handy." Valor said before he rushed to the nearest monster again.
For him, the very merit of the buff he got isn't the fact that he knows what will happen, but it's the knowledge and experience of him practicing some skills and moves. In the near future, he will practice this skill, but with the power of the tree, he can use it now with the experience of his two weeks future self. This means he won't need to learn this anymore, and can now practice another set of moves or skills. The change of decision will activate the [knowledge] again, and he'll again know how to use the skill he'll choose. Valor smiled with this discovery, he can benefit more if he kept changing the future. He saw two different futures now, he learned this skill from the second one.
Valor looked at the distant stairs before focusing his gaze on the new enemies again, 'It's just a matter of minutes before the monsters who knows I'm here would hear the command of the boss, I'll become the target by then.' he analyzed while slashing the monsters that came to him.
'If we follow the current flow of situations, the future guarantees we can complete the missions without many sacrifices but not acceptable...' He slashed the head of a crocodile, with the power of the thirteenth move, the parasite inside was surely killed. 'I better climb up and teleport away from the manor, the suit must be at the door by now, I can use that to pass the parasites and go to my room unnoticed.' Valor decided before a notification showed, it said.
"You have enough exp to level up, want to level up now?
Yes or No."
"Yes"
"Congratulations! you're now a (Versatile Magic enhancer)— your ability is enhanced, with two more different magic circles as accompaniments to your magic body, you can create a much complicated build. Viable to different situations."
"Current Stat points
Str: 12 Dex:14 Int: 29
Agl: 17 Ch: 7 Prc: 10
Sp: 18 Lu: 4. "
Valor smiled with the notice, he stopped attacking while he sheathed his sword. The magic circle on his chest vanished, and his circulation stopped. The parasites didn't care and kept on running to him, they jumped again while he wore a new magic body. Like the skills, Valor with the [knowledge] can use the magic body he'll learn. And this is the build written on the book of his great-grandpa, the magic body of a versatile magic enhancer.
He built the upgraded version of steam-founded circulation, before a glowing red magic circle appeared on his chest, then another two on the back of his shoulders— with a red circle as the center, three blue ones revolved around each. He then started counting his breath again.
"Magic body—Steam burst
Main circle—flame burst
Accompaniment—steam rush
Accompaniment—steam rush"
"You're using the magic body, Steam burst. +20 str, +11-15 sp, +9-13 Agi, +5 Dex. 5 mana points will be consumed in every minute that you're using it."
"You are using The Steam Foundation, Plus +1 str, +1 sp, +1 agi, +1 dex, +1 prc Every breath. Current Buff: +2, 1 mana is needed for every breath."
"Current Stat points
Str: 12+(20+1) Dex:14+(5+1) Int: 29
Agl: 17+(9+1) Ch: 7 Prc: 10+1
Sp: 18+(11+1) Lu: 4. "
A mutated rat jumped into the air and gnarred its claws to him, smiling maniacally. "First breath, first move." The magic circles on the back rotated faster and produced a rush of steam that boosted his movement. His sword came from the left, against the hideous head, it went through the body and the parasite inside was killed mercilessly. Its white blood splattered on the ground, mixed with the red colored blood of its host.
Three more came, but they were left behind by nothingness, as valor already went off to the stairs. Killing a portion of those he passed by.
With the boost on his back, his speed is like of a wild cheetah. His feet barely touching the ground, seventy percent of the time him running is used on-air, shortly flying before he lands again and leaps to the air.
At the distant end, he saw the door, worn out by time. Here he heard the distinct sound of the fast revolving fans, high pitched and loud, the drone floated above the wave of waste monsters. Ventilating them with gales.
Below the drone is a one-meter box, hanging with a string, connected at the plastic bottom of the drone. He smiled and quickened his pace, while he remained the carnage of slaughter. The drone with a 3d scanner quickly identified him, the box opened and the folded suit was revealed, it fell to the ground while the drone got out his way.
Valor bent while running and grabbed the suit. In the abandoned hallway, he discarded his old leather set, revealing his usual clothing below. But they weren't exposed very long, as he wore the suit and separated from the stampede, he went left while the wave continued going straight before they took a right.
To him who is now fully enclosed with the black suit, covered with triangular shape—outlined with blue gaps, from his toes to his head, the ranger suit fully covered him. It is composed of stretchy materials with metals on some part of his body—protecting him from attacks. For eyesight, The suit has dark goggles in front of his eyes, while filtered holes were in the nose so he can breathe.
This suit might have a low defense stat, but it outdoes those armors that have high defense one. With the technology specialize in stealth, this suit can let him pass through a group of monsters unnoticed. The triangles aren't mere decorations but are low key LCD lights, with a program where the suit copy the surroundings, and project images that make him transparent— almost invisible if used properly. But that's not all, this suit can cover his heat emission, making him undetectable with infrared cameras.
---
"You all ran with the chimp and didn't do anything? Our intelligence is set to 12 just as we were born and will further increase as we devour brains, yet why are you all so stupid!? We were born to conquer this world! Block all of the hallways he might use, Go now!" The boss was angered more, it fumed in fury and pondered why does it have such kinds of mobs.
"We are all clones of the same origin, it is an insult that they are the same as me yet this stupid, how frustrating..." He muttered while the waste monsters that ran with Valor lead the way to the possible route he'll take.
The boss also moved and continued exploring the manor, "As I remember, the higher humans whom I can't contest yet will return tomorrow, so we shall be away here before the sun can be seen."
The boss turned right and passed many doors, before it soon took another turn. In one of the rooms it passed by, a voice echoed, "The big guy went way, so what's the plan?" Rein, removed her ears from the walls and confirmed the boss's departure from the near hallway.
"We'll scatter these bombs by placing them on these remote-controlled cars. Then to confuse the parasites, Angela will cast two spells, one is to deploy multiple images— this will make the boss think we're already running. But we will remain here and control the toys and scatter the bomb, we'll wait till seven before we teleport away here. Second, is Angela casting illusion to our door. This can increase our success rate and further hide us from the parasites." Marcus explained, took a deep breath, and continued.
"Angela will then again cast an illusion to these four thermal dolls and make them look like us, before I will activate the program where they will run to the hallway, act scared and cornered, while secretly leading the majority of the parasites and the boss to the basement."