Chapter 1363: Beginning(31)
The moon was hanging low in the night sky, casting a silver glow over the desolate battlefield. Laney stood her ground, knives in both hands and stared at her formidable opponent: a Level 195 Orc.
Even though it had only been four months since Laney began the training, she had already gained enough XP to cross the Level 190 mark. The Orc in front of her was her strongest opponent to date since it was five levels higher than her.
Laney and the Orc locked eyes. The Orc grinned and charged. Laney was no coward; she also rushed forward. Laney moved like a shadow while the Orc's heavy footsteps shook the ground with each stride.
As the two sides clashed, a shower of sparks rose from her knives. The Orc's skin was no less than a powerful durable metal. Laney immediately unleashed the skill "Shadow Dance." It was a skill she had gained after completing one thousand fragments.
With a graceful movement, she vanished into thin air, reappearing behind the Orc in an instant. The Orc swung its fists with thunderous force, but Laney's agility allowed her to dodge the strike with ease.
Laney retaliated with a flurry of slashes, her knives gracefully dancing through the air. The Orc's thick skin offered resistance, but Laney's blades finally found their mark, drawing thin streams of dark blood.
It angered the Orc, and it suddenly roared in fury. Its body seemed to have expanded while its movement had grown quicker at the same time.
Laney was caught off guard by the sudden, quick strike and was sent flying through the air, crashing into a cluster of destroyed trees. Intense pain hit her since many of her bones were broken by the harsh crash. Gritting her teeth against the pain, Laney pushed herself to her feet, her knives at the ready. She knew she couldn't afford to let her guard down.
With a combination of determination and excitement in her eyes, Laney activated her next skill, "Whispering Gale."
It was another skill gained by Laney over the past few months. In reality, Laney was a user of the wind and earth elements, but during the trial, that exclusivity didn't seem to matter.
Laney found that she was as capable with the shadow element as she was with the wind element.
The next moment, a whirlwind of sharp, invisible blades made of air surrounded her, forming a protective shield. She charged back into the fray, her knives slashing and parrying with unparalleled precision.
At first, her movements were slightly worse due to pain, but she seemed to have regained momentum in no time, and her body began to follow the rhythm as before.
The battle raged on, and the ground beneath them churned into a chaotic mess of dirt and wood. Laney's agility and quick thinking allowed her to dodge the Orc's powerful strikes while her skills slowly chipped away at its formidable defenses. Heavy blood dripped from the Orc's wounds, and frustration filled its eyes as it struggled to land a sufficient blow.
Knowing that there was a gap of five levels between the two frustrated the Orc even more.
Laney seized the opportunity in the moment of frustration, and with a final, powerful strike, she unleashed her ultimate skill, "Moonshadow Fury."
It was a skill she had received after completing ten thousand fragments, and it was also the one she liked the most.
The next moment, her knives began to crackle with dark energy as she danced around the Orc, landing a barrage of devastating blows. The Orc let out a deafening roar filled with humiliation and hatred before it crumbled to the ground in numerous pieces.
Laney sat down on the ground, gasping for breath, as the skill was too demanding for her.
The next moment, an excited expression appeared on her face when she found that there was loot and the battle wasn't wasteful.
As she bent down and picked up the item, she found it to be a talisman and extremely powerful at that.
It was an attacking talisman that allowed its owner to release the destructive skill stored in it.
The skill was immensely strong, and none below Level 200 could survive against it once released. It was more valuable than even a yellow recruitment token, so the excitement was clearly evident on her face.
Laney then put the talisman back in the space inside the pattern. It was time for her to wait for recovery when she suddenly began to squirm in pain. Her eyes were open, and no sound came out of her mouth, but the movement of her body showed the intense pain she was going through at that moment.
Since the resentment of a Level 195 Orc had joined, the effects had intensified. Laney kept struggling for a minute, but that felt more like years to her.
When it came to an end, her face had turned pale. But she still stood up and walked forward to find her next prey.
Time flew by, and two more months passed in the blink of an eye.
Laney's eyes contained excitement as she looked at the item in her hand. It was a red recruitment token, and using it, Laney could recruit one person between Levels 200 and 250.
If Laney found a Level 250 being to help her, the second quest would become too easy for her, and it would also be her greatest gain from the six months.
Laney's level at that time was also on the verge of reaching Level 191. The XP she gained from hunting was several times higher than what she gained originally, so what would have normally taken her around a year, she reached that mark in two months.
Since six months were over, it was time for her to exit the training. Leaving was a simple task since she only needed to tap three times on the pattern at the back of her hand.
Laney tapped thrice, and the next moment, a white light surrounded her. She had no choice but to close her eyes as the light was blinding.
When things returned to normal, she opened her eyes. She found herself standing in front of the nine-story pagoda with its door closed as usual.
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