Chapter 171 Aurelia's Advancement Task, The Angel Trio
It didn't take long for Alex, Alice and Aurelia to find their first monster in the [Double Experience Zone].
"Stay sharp," Alex said, scanning the horizon.
His sharp eyes caught the faintest ripple in the air, a movement too fluid to be natural.
"We're not alone."
Aurelia tightened her grip on her newly enhanced daggers, their shimmering blades catching the sunlight.
Alice, ever composed, rested a hand on her bow, her gaze ready.
From behind a rise, the creature emerged, and its sheer size was enough to make the ground tremble slightly beneath their feet.
A [Solar Worm] rose before them, its scaled body glistening with a fiery radiance.
The creature was massive, its elongated form coiled tightly like a serpent preparing to strike.
It didn't have eyes, but molten flames dripped from its jagged maw.
The creature's level displayed prominently above its head.
[Solar Worm - Level 550 - Mythical Boss]
[HP: 75,000,000]
"W-What the fuck..." Aurelia really believed she would never get used to this.
And yet when she looked at Alex and Alice, both of them were surprisingly calm, pulling out their weapons to fight.
'I can't be the only weak one...' she thought to herself, "Alright, I'll manage..."
But even though she said that, Alex and Alice were the ones that did everything.
And so a few minutes later, the giant worm was already dead on the ground.
Ding!
[You have slain "Solar Worm" and gained 30,000,000 experience points!]
This was Alex's panel, and even Alice's wasn't that impressive, only giving her around 60,000,000 experience points, which allowed her to level up.
But for Aurelia...
Ding!
[You have slain "Solar Worm", and gained 250,000,000 experience points!]
[You have extracted 20 Spirit Points!]
And of course, that could only mean one thing.
"Level 250!" she exclaimed, her voice a mixture of shock and exhilaration. "That was insane! One fight, and I gained so many levels!"
She was level 247, so after gaining three levels, it meant that she had reached another milestone.
As Aurelia continued to check her interface, her expression shifted, growing serious.
"I got my tier-5 advancement task," she murmured.
"And?" Alice prompted, curious.
"I need to beat the [Dark Dungeon] from the entrance all the way to the end," Aurelia explained.
"That's a tough one," Alex said, crossing his arms thoughtfully. "But not impossible, especially with those daggers."
"I guess I'll find out," Aurelia said, flashing a determined grin.Nôv(el)B\\jnn
Alex opened his [World Map], pinpointing the entrance to the [Dark Dungeon].
With a gesture, he activated the teleportation spell, surrounding them in a swirl of light.
Moments later, they stood before the dungeon's ominous entrance, a massive stone archway shrouded in darkness.
"Good luck," Alex said simply.
"Thanks," Aurelia replied, securing her daggers. "They gave me a time limit of a week to do it, and my rating will be based on how far I actually go, I'll manage."
She gave him one last grin before stepping into the dungeon, disappearing into the shadows.
Alex and Alice stood in silence for a moment, watching the entrance.
Then, with a nod, Alex turned back to the [World Map].
"Alright," he said. "Back to the [Double Experience Zone]. We're heading deeper this time."
Alice raised an eyebrow. "Deeper? You sure about that?"
"The monsters will be stronger, but we can handle it," Alex replied confidently.
Continue reading at empire
Alice smirked. "Fine by me. Let's go."
With another burst of light, the pair teleported back to the [Light Plains].
This time, they ventured further into the rolling golden fields, the grasses growing taller and thicker as they approached the heart of the zone.
The air felt heavier here, charged with an energy that made Alice glance around warily.
It wasn't long before they encountered their next challenge.
Ahead, three figures hovered in the sky, their forms glowing with a soft radiance that marked them unmistakably as angels.
Two of them were two-winged, their white feathers gleaming like polished silver.
One carried a spear, while the other a bow that shimmered faintly with divine energy, their levels displayed as [Level 550].
But it was the third figure that caught Alex's attention.
This angel was taller, his golden armor ornate and gleaming under the sun.
Four massive wings extended from his back, their feathers edged with a faint blue light that pulsed rhythmically.
His level stood out boldly: [Level 600].
"Now that's interesting," Alex muttered to himself, a grin spreading across his face, "If anyone here knows something useful, it's him..."
At this point, Alex knew that no matter what he tried, entering angel city alone was impossible, and neither Artemis nor Arceus would give him any info.
If he couldn't find the path with this, then he would have to switch strategies entirely.
Alice glanced at Alex, her sharp eyes narrowing. "You want to take on all three of them? Or just the big one?"
She implied that there was a chance they could separate after a while.
After all, fighting two levels 550's and one level 600 at the same time was suicide.
Alex's grin widened as he slashed his palm, his [Blood Art] beginning to manifest.
Dark crimson energy swirled around him, forming a menacing aura that made the air seem colder, even in the sunlit plains.
"All three," he said, his tone casual yet laced with confidence. "No sense leaving loose ends, right?"
Alice smirked and nocked an arrow, its tip glowing faintly with an icy blue light. "Guess we're doing this, then."
The angels, sensing the hostility, turned their radiant gazes toward the pair.
The two-winged ones spread their wings, rising higher into the air, their weapons ready.
The four-winged angel, however, stayed still, his expression a mix of disdain and intrigue.
"Oh? Mortals in here," the four-winged angel said, his voice echoing with divine authority, "It seems like the rumors about humans entering this place are true, and so there truly is a traitor among us."
Being a two-winged, four-winged or even eight-winged angel doesn't depend on your level, as obviously Artemis was level 700 yet only had two wings.
The more wings you acquired, the more powerful and famous you became in the angel world, which is probably why the reason Artemis didn't advance.
Alex chuckled, stepping forward, his [Blood Blades] hovering around him.
The angel with the bow drew back its radiant weapon, a glowing arrow of pure divine energy forming at the tip.
The sheer intensity of it caused the air to hum with tension, a blazing light radiating from the arrowhead as it pointed straight at Alex.
"Divine Arrow," the angel intoned, its voice resonating with holy power as the arrow launched forward with blistering speed, leaving a trail of golden sparks in its wake.
Alex's [Blood Blades] surged forward, a dozen crimson streaks slicing through the air to intercept the projectile.
Each blade struck with precision, but the divine arrow shattered them one by one, its relentless force cutting through Alex's defenses with ease.
"Oh shit, that's bad," Alex muttered, his eyes widening as the glowing arrow closed in on him at an unstoppable pace.
In the fraction of a second before impact, Alice stepped forward, her movements swift and precise.
She grabbed one of her [Blood Arrows], the dark energy empowering her strength as she infused it with her skill, [Sparkling Star Shot].
The arrow began to shimmer, a mixture of her icy aura and starlight radiating from its tip.
With practiced grace, Alice loosed her arrow, the glowing projectile streaking upward to meet the divine arrow head-on.
The two collided in mid-air, a blinding explosion of light and crimson energy erupting above them.
The shockwave rippled across the plains, shaking the ground and throwing loose debris into the air.
"Thanks, Alice," Alex said, a grin spreading across his face as the dust settled.
"No problem," Alice replied, her tone calm but her eyes focused on the angels.
The angel with the bow scowled, its glowing form dimming slightly as it hovered in the air.
"Persistent mortals," it hissed. "You won't survive the next one."
The two-winged angel with the spear and the four-winged leader descended to the ground, their movements fluid and purposeful.
They landed with a thud, their combined presence radiating an oppressive pressure.
The four-winged angel's golden armor gleamed as it raised a glowing longsword, pointing it directly at Alex.
"If you won't fall to divine judgment from above, then we shall deal with you the old-fashioned way."
Meanwhile, the bow-wielding angel hovered above, drawing another arrow, ready to provide cover fire.