Dominion Bond System: The Only Man Left Has A Yandere Girlfriend

Chapter 71: I Need A Plan

Ding!

[Host has killed a C-Rank Twelve Winged Blue Centipede!]

[+15 EXP]

Reiji wiped the dark green blood off his hands.

’No Monster Core again...’ He muttered under his breath.

He had been grinding for about thirty minutes since killing the Thorn Blade Bird.

Seventeen E-Rank monsters. Twelve D-Rank monsters. Three C-Rank monsters. Including this one, that made four.

Thirty-three creatures in total.

The Backlake Realm felt different from the usual Gates.

The system had sent him here after he chose the Celestial ArchMage path.

Prove thyself worthy, it said. No combat with hands, legs, or weapons. Only magic-related skills were allowed. Shadow Step. Rupture. Verdant Grow. Rainfall. Blood Rage if he pushed it.

The restriction made everything harder, but it also forced him to rely on magic properly.

Reiji moved deeper into the dense forest.

Towering trees with thick canopies blocked out most of the sunlight, casting the entire area in a dim green hue.

The air felt heavy with mana. He kept his footsteps light.

Detect Presence remained active.

A rustle caught his attention.

A monkey swung down from a branch. It bared its teeth and charged.

[Wild Monkey (D++)]

Reiji didn’t hesitate.

[Shadow Step.]

He appeared behind it and pointed a finger.

[Rupture.]

BOOM!

The monkey exploded into a mist of blood. No Monster Core dropped, but he still gained eight EXP.

More rustling sounds came from above.

Several Wild Monkeys appeared.

They swung through the trees with surprising speed, their eyes glowing with hostility.

Reiji narrowed his eyes. "Come on then."

He used Shadow Step repeatedly.

Each time he reappeared, he tapped another monkey with Rupture.

Explosions echoed one after another. Blood and fur rained down onto the forest floor.

Ding!

[Host has killed a D++ Wild Monkey!]

[+8 EXP]

Ding!

[Host has killed a D++ Wild Monkey!]

[+8 EXP]

The monkeys screeched in anger. They tried to surround him. One leaped from a branch with its claws extended.

Reiji dodged and countered with Verdant Grow. Thick vines burst from the ground and wrapped tightly around its body.

He followed up with Rupture.

BOOM!

The monkey burst apart. More kept coming. They sacrificed themselves without fear.

Their overwhelming numbers pressured him from every direction.

Reiji kept moving. Shadow Step allowed him to stay one step ahead. Rainfall created a thin mist that blurred their vision.

He picked them off one after another.

Bursts from Rupture repeatedly lit up the dark forest. The ground gradually became slick with blood.

Ding!

[Host has killed a D++ Wild Monkey!]

[+8 EXP]

Ding!

[Host has killed a D++ Wild Monkey!]

[+7 EXP]

The last monkey fell. Silence returned.

Reiji breathed steadily.

His mana had dropped, but not to a dangerous level.

The quest restriction forced him to use every skill efficiently. No sword swings. No punches. Only magic.

Fortunately, thanks to the boosts granted by Blood Rage, he didn’t have much trouble using his mana efficiently.

A loud roar suddenly echoed from deeper within the forest.

The ground trembled. Heavy footsteps rapidly approached. Trees snapped and crashed aside.

A massive gorilla burst through the foliage.

Its muscles rippled beneath dark fur. Its crimson eyes burned with rage.

[Apex Ape (C++)]

Reiji’s eyes widened slightly. He slowly realized what had happened.

The monkeys hadn’t been fighting to win. They had sacrificed themselves to lure him here.

’A setup.’

The Apex Ape roared and charged.

Reiji narrowed his eyes. He dodged the first punch.

The gorilla’s fist smashed into a tree, completely shattering it. Wood splinters exploded into the air.

’This damn thing is strong.’

Reiji countered with Rupture. He appeared beside the ape and tapped its side.

BOOM!

A chunk of flesh exploded. Blood sprayed everywhere. The ape roared in pain but didn’t slow down.

It swung again.

Even with Shadow Step, the punch grazed Reiji’s shoulder.

Pain flared through his body despite Blood Rage. Reiji landed more attacks.

Rupture after Rupture.

Verdant Grow temporarily restrained its legs. Rainfall filled the area with mist to obscure its vision. But the ape’s raw strength was overwhelming.

Every punch carried terrifying force.

One of them unfortunately connected squarely with Reiji’s side.

He was launched backward and crashed into a tree.

BOOM!

The tree shattered.

Reiji gasped for air, his ribs throbbing in pain.

Blood Rage dulled the pain, but the gorilla’s strength was simply on another level.

He forced himself back onto his feet. Shadow Step. Rupture.

Again and again.

He continued landing blows, but the ape’s attacks hurt far more.

Every impact rattled his bones. The battle dragged on.

Reiji’s mana depleted faster than expected.

Blood Rage had only a limited duration.

Suddenly... he sensed an overwhelming aura.

Something vastly stronger than the Apex Ape. His body moved on instinct and vanished with Shadow Step.

The gorilla wasn’t as fortunate.

Something descended from above.

BOOM!

The full force of the attack landed directly on the Apex Ape. Reiji’s heart pounded violently.

Whatever had arrived, he couldn’t possibly handle it.

Especially with only seven minutes of Blood Rage remaining.

The massive shadow landed heavily on the ground. The earth cracked beneath its weight.

Reiji immediately widened the distance with Shadow Step while carefully observing from afar.

The Apex Ape roared defiantly.

But the newcomer existed on an entirely different level. It resembled a gigantic serpent fused with a bird.

Scales intertwined with feathers. Massive wings spread across the sky.

Its mere presence made the surrounding air feel heavier.

Reiji didn’t wait to see how the battle would end.

He activated Rainfall, creating a curtain of mist, before repeatedly using Shadow Step to retreat deeper into the forest.

Behind him, the two monsters clashed violently. Roars and explosions echoed endlessly through the trees.

’This realm is no joke...’ Reiji muttered as he continued running.

The system had sent him here to prove himself. But the restriction against physical combat forced him to rely entirely on magic.

It was frustrating. But necessary.

Reiji continued moving. He cleared several more weaker monsters along the way.

E-Rank lizard variants.

D-Rank plant beasts.

Each kill granted only a small amount of EXP. Still no Monster Cores.

The Backlake Realm seemed incredibly stingy with drops.

His mana reserves were gradually running low. The Blood Rage timer continued ticking away. Six minutes remained.

Eventually, Reiji found a relatively safe location behind a cluster of enormous rocks.

He sat down.

Using Rainfall on himself, a gentle shower descended over the area.

His mana slowly began recovering.

Verdant Grow created a simple vine barrier around his position for additional protection.

’I need to be smarter.’ This quest left no room for mistakes. No weapons. No fists. Only magic.

He mentally reviewed his skills. Shadow Step for mobility. Rupture for damage.

Verdant Grow for crowd control. Rainfall for support and recovery. Several minutes passed.

The distant roars gradually faded.

The two powerful monsters had either finished fighting or moved elsewhere.

Reiji stood up and resumed hunting carefully. He encountered another troop of D++ Wild Monkeys.

Using the same hit-and-run strategy, he trapped them with vines before finishing them with Rupture.

Ding!

[Host has killed a D+ Blacklake Swan!]

[+5 EXP]

Ding!

[Host has killed a D+ Blacklake Swan!]

[+4 EXP]

The EXP bar continued climbing slowly, but steadily.

Time continued to pass.

Blood Rage had only four minutes remaining when Detect Presence picked up another powerful monster.

This time...

Reiji chose to avoid it.

There was no reason to push his luck.

He found another quiet clearing and sat down once more.

Opening his status, he checked his progress.

[EXP: 1245/200]

He remained Level 12.

Although the class change had reset several things, the additional fifty stat points made a significant difference.

’Still a long way to go.’

The system remained silent. No sarcastic remarks. No mocking comments.

Reiji leaned against a tree and closed his eyes briefly.

The Backlake Realm challenged him in ways ordinary Gates never had.

Magic only. Stronger monsters. Hidden dangers everywhere.

He slowly opened his eyes and stood up.

Three minutes of Blood Rage remained.

He dealt with another small group of monsters efficiently.

Shadow Step. Verdant Grow. Rupture.

The combination flowed together naturally.

By the time the sun disappeared beyond the mountains, darkness had swallowed the forest.

Reiji had already returned to the hiding place he found after escaping from the mysterious creature that had suddenly attacked the Apex Ape.

Whatever it was... He wasn’t ready to fight it.

Not yet.

He would continue tomorrow.

After all, he still had six days remaining. There was no need to rush. Rushing would only get him killed.

He needed to observe, plan, then strike.

Reiji narrowed his eyes. "I need a plan..."