Chapter 163: Why Isn’t It Moving?

The rest of the group had already entered the battlefield.

They did not kill randomly as Jack, Maya, Evelyne, Professor Ian, Cole, and Professor Irina still needed experience far more than the newly advanced members.

That was why the 2nd Echelons focused on controlling the area and preventing the disabled enemies from doing anything unexpected.

Nathan used his bow to destroy the arms of one soldier attempting to throw a weapon from the ground.

Elara froze the remaining hand of another against the black-gray soil.

Alex casually kicked away a crawling zombie that tried reaching Evelyne.

The finishing blows were left to those who needed them.

Jack moved quickly.

Despite remaining in the 1st Echelon, his current physical power had already become far greater than when they first entered the Corridor.

He approached one of the disabled soldiers, raised his gauntleted fist, and struck downward.

BANG!

The zombie’s skull collapsed.

He then moved to the next right away.

Maya killed the zombie differently as her sword pierced through exposed eyes or entered beneath damaged sections of armor around the neck.

Evelyne had usually remained behind everyone as a healer.

This time Cain specifically told her to participate.

She still carried the staff in one hand, but whenever a sufficiently weakened zombie was placed in front of her, she borrowed Ron’s weapon to finish them.

Her expression was not particularly comfortable with the act.

However, she understood why Cain wanted her to do it as experience was currently the fastest way to increase her overall strength.

Notifications continuously appeared in front of the group.

Cain ignored most of them as his attention shifted somewhere else.

He could sense Mana fluctuations deeper inside.

Several figures moved between the buildings after witnessing the destruction of the outer defense.

Yet strangely, nobody powerful enough to make him worried had appeared.

’Where is that 3rd Echelon bastard?’ Cain thought to himself as his golden eyes narrowed.

He could not see the 3rd Echelon Zombie from his current position.

But he could feel that there was definitely a stronger presence somewhere deeper inside the town.

The difference was faint at this distance, but his sense could detect something that did not belong to the ordinary 1st or 2nd Echelon soldiers around them.

However, it had not moved at all.

’Interesting.’ Cain raised an eyebrow.

Even though he found it interesting, he became more cautious because of it.

A powerful enemy staying still even after its outer defenses were destroyed could mean many things, but he currently had no way of knowing why he did so.

"Cain!"

Jack’s voice pulled his attention away.

Cain looked over.

[Ding! You have reached Level 50.]

Jack stared at his own status before grinning.

"I’ve finally reached level 50."

Not far from him, Maya finished another disabled soldier.

Her sword entered beneath its jaw and pierced through the brain.

The zombie stopped moving.

Then another notification appeared.

Maya’s eyes widened.

"I reached it too."

"That’s good." Cain smiled faintly.

Both had already reached the Perfected Stage before leaving the previous outpost.

That meant there was no reason for either of them to delay accepting their Advancement Missions.

Jack focused first.

Maya did the same.

After several seconds, their expressions changed.

Jack looked toward Cain.

"Mine’s the same as Elara and the others."

Maya nodded with a smile.

"So is mine."

Cain was not surprised.

Their missions required cooperation with another Level 50 1st Echelon Awakener in defeating a 2nd Echelon being, with both participants directly contributing.

Conveniently, Cain still satisfied the partner requirement.

Even more conveniently, several disabled 2nd Echelon soldiers were still alive.

Cain walked toward two of them.

The first zombie tried dragging itself backward. Its lower body ended at the waist, but both arms remained functional.

Cain lightly swung his sword.

The tip cut across the soldier’s shoulder.

The True Ruin Energy entered the wound and weakened the surrounding armor without causing enough damage to kill it.

He looked toward Jack.

"He’s yours."

Jack grinned as he approached the zombie and raised his fist.

The zombie attempted to defend itself with one arm.

Jack’s fist smashed through the guard and struck its face.

BANG!

The head snapped backward.

Jack stepped closer and punched again.

The second strike destroyed the skull.

Then another notification appeared before his eyes.

His grin widened.

"Completed."

Cain had already moved toward the second target.

He made another controlled cut before stepping away.

"Maya." He called.

She approached with her sword raised.

The wounded 2nd Echelon commander tried to strike her with one remaining arm.

Maya shifted aside, then thrust her sword.

Her blade entered through the eye.

She pushed until the point reached deep into the skull.

A moment later, she also received another notification from the system.

Cain nodded in satisfaction.

"Move away from the battlefield and advance."

Neither wasted time as they found an open section of ground behind the group before sitting down, allowing their Perfected Mana Cores to react to the completed missions.

Cain then continued helping the others distribute the remaining kills.

By this point, the number of World Announcements they had received during the journey had already filled the first hundred advancement positions.

Cain had seen the hundredth announcement shortly before reaching the settlement.

So when Jack’s advancement eventually completed, nothing appeared across the entire world’s vision.

Only a personal notification appeared before him, confirming that his Mana Core had successfully advanced to the 2nd Echelon.

The same happened with Maya shortly afterward.

Jack stood and clenched both fists.

The physical reinforcement from advancing with a Perfected Core was immediately obvious.

Maya also looked noticeably different despite not possessing the same physically overwhelming constitution.

The threefold reinforcement had strengthened every base stat she possessed.

She drew her sword once, testing the change in weight and movement, before quickly sheathing it again.

They joined the others only to help restrain whatever was still capable of resisting.

By the time the final 1st Echelon soldiers were being executed, another two people reached the Level limit.

Professor Ian lowered his sword and looked toward the notifications before him.

"I’ve reached level 50."

Several meters away, Evelyne had just finished helping kill another wounded Zombie Race soldier.

Her eyes widened as a similar panel appeared.

"Me too."

Cain looked toward her immediately.

Unlike Jack and Maya, Evelyne’s Mana Core had only reached the Flawless Stage.

He walked over before she could do anything.

"Don’t accept the mission yet."

Evelyne looked at him.

"I know."

"You actually remembered?" Cain raised an eyebrow.

Her eyebrow twitched.

"Do you think I’m stupid?"

Cain merely chuckled in response.

Professor Ian also refrained from accepting his Advancement Mission for the time being.

Cain had already made his rule clear.

Nobody important to their group was advancing before creating the best foundation they reasonably could.

If reaching the Perfected Stage meant waiting slightly longer, then they would wait.

There were enough resources inside the Invasion Corridor to make the delay worthwhile.

The battlefield soon became quiet.

Nearly fifty 1st Echelon soldiers and twelve 2nd Echelons had been killed.

Most of the outer entrance to the Southern settlement was destroyed.

A section of wall had collapsed inward, while several damaged buildings beyond it continued crumbling under traces of True Ruin left by Cain’s attack.

Yet the powerful presence deeper inside had still not moved.