Samuel looked around him. When he realized what was happening, Samuel couldn't help but marvel at how he was feeling right now.
Everything around him right now was something that previously made him afraid and worried. Every Ruin was a new challenge and the slightest mishap could cost his life and the lives of his friends.
However, he felt a huge change in his body. It turns out that the power of system directly adjusts his body's current condition which has developed further than in the Selection Stage.
Everything he gets is processed into Exp points and then becomes Level. Currently, his proficiency with all the Skills he acquired in the system had also increased; Samuel could also feel Mana flowing smoothly in every cell in his body.
When he saw them, Samuel also realized that his friends felt the same way. On their faces plastered a wide smile and eyes full of enthusiasm. Their movements were much more flexible and faster than before.
A Ruin, which was usually a place they faced with gloomy and anxious faces, now seemed to be a playground they had not visited in a long time. Now when they come back here they seem to really enjoy it.
Even Leyan who must have felt a bit disturbed when returning to his ruined world was smiling broadly as he shot his arrows. Sometimes the sound of laughter also comes out of him, Leyan enjoys all of this just like Kei, Haru, and Kiara enjoying it.
The five others who were hunting with them watched the party with puzzled faces.
"Why are they like that?" Lola asked with a frown.
Leon, who happened to be next to her and was the target of the question, glanced at Samuel and his friends.
"Maybe it's because they just got their power of system back," Leon said.
"Yeah but... do they have to act like that? They're laughing while killing those black monsters."
Leon chuckled. "You can't understand it because you've never lost your power of system. We don't know how those who have tried to reach their current power level feel. Just let them be."
Lola paused. Leon is right. She didn't feel the difficulties they were facing at all, so she didn't actually have the right to comment on their behavior. Suddenly she felt guilty.
"Never mind. Focus on hunting these wraiths," Leon said.
Lola nodded then aimed her crossbow again. These black monsters that looked like wraiths weren't strong at all so Lola didn't even need to use her skill for a glimpse into the future to kill them.
Coupled with her current stats, Lola could easily aim and shoot them.
They continued their hunt. Notifications indicating that they had gained experience kept popping up but they didn't pay much attention to it. Moreover, Samuel's party continued to kill the black wraiths mercilessly with their new powers.
Clyde who was still watching them from the edge of the forest smiled. Seeing them, he was like a father watching their kids play.
While watching them Clyde thought: 'With this many members one day a disagreement will occur. What should I do when that time comes?'
The smile that was previously on his face is now gone, replaced by a frown. His mind became restless as that thought came back to him.
What if... the same betrayal happened to him from the Selection Stage? Clyde suddenly felt angry with himself for having been happy about a situation like this even though the bad possibility was still going to happen.
'I have to be even more careful.'
He had been a bit more off guard lately and Clyde only realized it now. He began to feel comfortable with having a companion next to him without thinking about the consequences he would get in the future.
'Don't be an idiot. You've come this far so don't let them betray you.'
Clyde sighed while looking ahead; towards the people who will be his companions to carry out the expedition this time.
He would get closer to the Celestials after finding the path to find that thing called the Nexus of Creation. And after that, the revenge process will be easier.
He unsheathed his fiery sword which was called the Inferno Blade. Immediately, flames ignited on the blade and created a bright light around him.
A dozen black wraiths rushed at him from all sides. Clyde swings Inferno Blade from left to right at normal speed and sends a slash of fire that expands into a wall of fire. The black wraiths that rushed towards him were immediately struck by the wall of fire with intense heat then evaporated in the blink of an eye.
Samuel looked back because he caught a reddish glow from the corner of his eye while slaying these black wraiths.
'As I thought. His strength was indeed on a different level. Just a little more, Clyde. I will challenge you to fight again.'
Now Samuel no longer thinks of Clyde as an arrogant person who doesn't want to share the secret of his strength anymore.
He now sees Clyde as a rival. Clyde was someone who could be a measure of his strength; if he could defeat Clyde, Samuel would be more confident in his own strength.
Accompanied by a grin Samuel swung his spear again and once again killed the black wraiths.
After roughly ten minutes had passed all the black wraiths in this place had disappeared; died at the point of the guns of the ten men. Some of them had leveled up 1 because the black wraiths were just small monsters that didn't give much experience.
Clyde walked towards them at a leisurely pace. The fiery sword in his hand made all of them subconsciously intimidate.
"Where can we find big monsters?" Clyde asked Leyan.
Leyan nodded. "Follow me."
Leyan walked leading them. No one complained because they really had to fight monsters that were stronger and bigger to get more Exp.
"I have an idea," Wiley suddenly said in the middle of their walk.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Hunting in such a large number feels a little bit... cramped, don't you think?" said Wiley. "We better split up into smaller groups."
"I think it's a good idea," Leon said. Then looked towards the rest. "What do you think?"
"I agree," said Samuel.
And then, they all turned to Clyde as if waiting for his decision.
Clyde blinked getting stares from them. 'Since when did I become a leader?'
Clyde was silent and pondering for a few moments. He didn't need to waste time thinking about that and just needed to say something.
"I think that's a good idea too," Clyde said, nodding. "But won't we get lost without Leyan?"
"Don't worry. There's only barren land like this here, no matter how far you walk," said Leyan.
Clyde nodded again.
Samuel asked. "How about you?"
"I'll go myself," Clyde replied.
"Oh alright." Samuel didn't say anything else after that; in the end, Clyde was someone who wanted to be alone and kept them at a distance.
Everyone understood Clyde's nature and then immediately dispersed with their respective parties leaving Clyde alone in the middle of the barren land and floating corpses.
Clyde let out a sigh. "This is better."
He started walking to find his own monster prey.
~~~
Anahita walked between the bright white corridors of this palace. After walking for a while she entered into a room. Within the room were already four other people seated with stiff expressions.
"Did I miss something?" Anahita asked while seating herself on the only chair left.
"There are two warriors dead from Archangel Uriel's troop," a man who also had silver hair but in a short cut replied.
That reply made Anahita widen her eyes. "What?!"
The man looked at her and gave a slow nod. "We must prepare for the worst-case scenario."
Anahita becomes silent and thinks. She already knew about some of the details of the conflict in the Far East, as well as the other members of the Senior Councils. But she didn't know that the scale of the matter had already risen to this level.
Two warriors of one of the fiercest Archangel have died? That hasn't happened in several thousand years. Anahita didn't expect that she would get news like this once she came back from Sivagadh Fortress. She has to tell this to the Senior Councils but Anahita can't go away after just coming back or it will be suspicious.
"That's escalated quickly, isn't it? Some time ago we only knew that strange monsters kept coming out of that black wall but suddenly we knew that there were warriors who died," another woman with shoulder-length blonde hair said. She is a woman with a petite body.
"Has Archangel Michael decided to act yet?" Anahita asked.
The four people in the room shook their heads almost simultaneously.
"But we never know," said a thin man among them. "You guys know the nature of the Archangel. He could suddenly decide to act."
"You are right," said Anahita.
~~~
