CHAPTER 52: INSIGHT

"I understand... it all makes sense now." Aurelian groaned, forcing himself up, his eyes scanning the carnage he had wrecked.

His body, now almost fully healed, save for the sour feeling coursing through him, left him refreshed as a smile danced across his lips.

"Inferior, common, uncommon..." he mumbled, scanning through the beasts, a theory now playing at the back of his mind. This new rank tab that appeared after his appraisal skill evolved, he surmised, tied back to the dungeon points he gained when he slew beasts.

The Armored Alpha Quadrupedal Wolf he had just slain was ranked uncommon, with the dire wolves common, and the grey wolves inferior.

"Interesting," he smirked. "Learning something new every day, huh?" Though the real question was why the previous host didn’t possess this information. Was it not mainstream knowledge? Or was he just too far up his ass to know this basic information? Whatever. He sighed, his face lighting up. It was time for his second best thing after battling monsters... looting!

Especially after his pockets had been picked clean by the entry tickets to the dungeon. He had to make sure it was worth his while. After all, he wasn’t the favored young master he once was, and even if he were, it was better to rely on himself for a change. There was no such thing as a free lunch in this world; a price was required for everything given.

With that in mind, he began his search, scrummaging through every beast he had slain but not devoured with his Vortex of Doom, saving the Armored Alpha Quadrupedal Wolf for last.

***

"He won?" Seraphina breathed, her eyes narrowing, her brows creasing at the absurdity of it all.

One moment he was struggling for his life, damage piling up fast on his body, the next he was attacking the beast’s supposed weak spot and killing it instantly.

Did he know its weak spot all along? And why hadn’t he unleashed that defensive skill from the start? Surely he could have blocked some of the damage. Or was this part of his plan from the beginning, to have the beast lower its guard by underestimating him, then swoop in for the kill?

Inhaling sharply, her emerald eyes glowed with a knowing light. Either he was playing the long game, making him even more terrifying, or he was insanely lucky. Whatever the case, both only served to reinforce his monstrousness in her eyes.

And even if she hated to admit it, she reckoned she wasn’t this much of a monster even when she was at F-rank, though she would never willingly divulge such information, even if someone tried to beat it out of her.

That aside, her eyes only grew more intent, noticing something else she had been putting off. "Wait... that’s not right. That’s not...how it should be..." She gave up on the last part. It was best not to compare him to other people at this point. He was already a walking anomaly. But his healing speed, wasn’t it a bit too fast?

She watched the wounds close before her eyes, the blood drying from his body, the pale look fading from his face.

At this point she was growing more accustomed to surprises and being shocked. Just when she thought she had seen it all, he pulled out another move that left her jaw dropping.

Now she could only look at him, a thoughtful expression etched on her face, curiosity welling up inside her. "Just what can’t you do?" She wouldn’t even be surprised at this point if he suddenly claimed he could fly.

He was turning into a true enigma, growing more mysterious by the second, drawing all her attention. And unknowingly, the more time she spent observing him, the closer she felt to him, a connection of some sort forming between them.

She was growing too attached, and she couldn’t help herself.

Still, she had to make preparations. With the potential he had just displayed, she was sure he would participate in the academy selections. She had to make sure he joined the Grand Ancestral Academy. If he performed the same as he had now, the other supreme academies would surely notice him. And if he aligned himself with them, they would lose a once-in-a-thousand-years monstrous genius. She had to report back to the academy and finalize everything. She was sure when they heard of his feats, they would be just as eager to have him join.

"A stamina potion?" Aurelian breathed, scanning it with his appraisal skill.

[Basic Stamina Potion]

(Rejuvenates ten percent of user’s endurance when consumed)

Only applicable to F-rank beings!

(Cooldown: 30 minutes)

"Great stuff!" he murmured, swiping the cork open before gulping down the contents. Given his rate of advancement, evolving to E-rank was just around the corner. He couldn’t let it go to waste, especially with how sore his muscles felt.

The liquid flowed into his body, spreading warm surges of energy. To his satisfaction, he could feel the soreness reduce, significantly at that, making it much more bearable.

Nodding at the amazing effects, he moved on, continuing his rampage.

Most low-level beasts didn’t drop loot, and coupled with his nonexistent luck, it was safe to say he wasn’t doing that bad. Some loot he found entirely useless, like a bow. On one hand, they were cool, but on the other, he had no interest in them. The blades he conjured suited him well enough. But of course, that didn’t mean he tossed it away. Even if he wanted to, his stingy inner self would never allow it. Placing it in his interdimensional storage ring, he nodded. It was sure to fetch a good price at the market.

His eyes peeled over the ground as he searched the entire battlefield, only growing satisfied when he had looted everything, before making his way back to the Armored Alpha Quadrupedal Wolf. Its essence had long dissipated, leaving behind a silvery box.

With a frame of half a meter or so, he crouched low, picked it up, caressed its surface, admiring the intricate patterns and runes that spread across it. His imagination already running wild.

What was it? A huge shield just as tough as the beast’s armor had been? A skill? A supreme weapon discarded to the mortal realm, only dropped after slaying this kind of beast? A....

"Just open it already!" Seraphina snapped, her figure now hovering before him, her eyes floating toward the box. She watched in growing amusement as he looked at the treasure chest as if it were some supreme relic.

"Way to kill the suspense." He inhaled sharply, tracing the small lock on the box before opening it wide, revealing a pair of... gauntlets?

Better than nothing. He cast his appraisal on it, eager to see its attributes.

[Armored Gauntlets: A pair of gauntlets forged from the armor of the Armored Alpha Quadrupedal Wolf, granting the user the following stats:

+25 Strength +10 Agility +10 Constitution when equipped

Blood-bound weapon, attunable only to a warrior’s essence]

"Jack... fucking... pot!" Aurelian breathed, reading through its description. It wasn’t as bad as he had expected. As for it being exclusive to the warrior class? It was about time he unleashed the terror of his unique class as the classless one.