Chapter 414 - 343: Perfect Counter

Chapter 414: Chapter 343: Perfect Counter

But most importantly, his Perception had also increased by one point.

Zelir was very pleased with this.

Other than Lucky, Perception was the only Attribute without any linked mechanics.

Zelir didn’t particularly want to level it up on its own, but he couldn’t ignore its importance.

In complex exploration and combat, anticipating the enemy’s moves was an excellent skill to have.

’Being able to round it out through Seizing Tyranny is pretty good, too.’

Zelir secretly made up his mind.

’From now on, I have to kill as many different types of Demons as possible to maximize the reward effects of Seizing Tyranny!’

After witnessing the destructive power of the Gravity Singularity,

the other members of the party now had a much deeper understanding of Zelir’s strength.

Although they were all technically Middle Level Professionals, the difference between them...

...was something only they could truly understand.

The minor incident with the goblins was quickly forgotten as the group continued toward the Ruined Temple.

After passing through the glowing curtain that served as the entrance to the second level, they were met with the profound darkness of night.

The starlight was bright, painting a magnificent galaxy across the sky drop by drop.

It was like a beautiful sash left behind by a god across the heavens.

Even the towering mountain ranges gained a desolate and profound air under the quiet night sky.

"It’s already the middle of the night..." Marcus said thoughtfully, looking up at the starry sky.

The time on the second level of the ruins was clearly out of sync with the outside world.

It had been morning when they entered the ruins from Sengu Town.

Traversing the entire first level had taken them less than half a day at most.

By the normal flow of time, it should only be afternoon at the latest.

Kilian’s previously stated rendezvous time was based on three days in the outside world, so they weren’t late.

"Let’s head to the camp and rest for now... We’ll figure things out tomorrow morning," Zelir said.

"Right." The others nodded.

Although the starlight was quite bright, Zelir cast a Lighting Skill anyway.

But with a sudden FWOOSH, it was as if a flashbang had gone off on the flat ground.

A blinding orb of light flared into existence.

Gray immediately turned his head to dodge, covering his eyes.

"My eyes!"

"Oh, sorry, sorry..." Zelir immediately dimmed the light.

’My Magic Power Strength really has increased a lot...’

His old Lighting Skill was about as bright as an incandescent bulb.

But now, if Zelir didn’t consciously control it, his Lighting Skill was like the high beams on a souped-up street racer.

In an open area, it could clearly illuminate everything within a hundred-meter radius.

The party followed the familiar path to the Adventurer’s Association camp.

The camp had expanded considerably since their last visit.

Not only had the original fence been extended in a large circle, but a second, annexed area had also been fenced off.

The tents inside were packed so densely that there must have been over a hundred of them.

After paying five Silver Coins to have their Land Birds cared for, the party found an empty spot within the camp to set up.

After casting a Whispering Barrier to ensure their safety, everyone drifted off to sleep.

The night passed peacefully.

...

「The next morning.」

Sunlight drifted in through the gaps in the tent flap.

Zelir awoke from a peaceful sleep.

Gray and Marcus were already gone; they must have woken up early.

"Ahh..."

Yawning, Zelir pushed aside the tent flap.

The cool mountain breeze drifted past, leaving him feeling refreshed and clear-headed.

After washing up, Zelir performed a session of Shallow Meditation to dispel any lingering drowsiness.

His Magic Power was full, his thoughts clear.

Zelir was now in his absolute best condition!

The other members of his party were also ready.

However, their expressions held a certain tension that was absent on normal days.

After all, they were about to face the Nine-headed Dragon Snake.

To say they weren’t the least bit nervous... that would be impossible.

While chewing on a piece of black bread and looking around, Zelir easily spotted Kilian’s party in the center of the camp.

Adrian and the others were there as well.

"Mage Zelir, good morning."

Seeing Zelir’s group approach, Kilian took the initiative to greet them.

He then gave a slight nod to the other party members.

Everyone from the elite subjugation team had now arrived!

However, there was also a new face Zelir hadn’t seen before.

It was a woman in a red coat who appeared to be in her forties.

She looked spirited and full of energy, however.

"Good morning, everyone. My name is Zanxi, and I’m a Recorder for the Adventurer’s Association."

Zanxi introduced herself in a clear voice.

"The process of fighting a Nine-headed Dragon Snake is an incredibly valuable experience, so the Association sent me to observe and record it."

She patted a leather pouch at her waist and took out a Crystal.

"This is a Recording Crystal. It can preserve images... Please don’t worry, I won’t interfere with your battle."

Zanxi also announced a piece of exciting news.

"Additionally, the Adventurer’s Association is offering a bonus of eight hundred Gold Coins as an extra reward."

’Eight hundred Gold Coins...’

Zelir thought for a moment.

’It sounds like a lot, but divided among fourteen people, it’s not all that much.’

Still, it was better than nothing. Even if the Adventurer’s Association hadn’t offered the bounty, they would have had to subjugate the Nine-headed Dragon Snake anyway.

"Mm..."

Kilian responded softly to Zanxi’s words.

Having an extra Recorder around didn’t matter; it wouldn’t affect the battle.

He then turned to the crowd.

"Everyone, in the last two days, another scouting party went to the Nine-headed Dragon Snake’s lair and gathered new intelligence."

"They’ve reconfirmed it: the Nine-headed Dragon Snake currently has only three special heads."