Chapter 35: A step forward (1)

The team managed to turn in the mission but only Kira could return to the scavenger guild since he was the only one who didn't get hurt in battle. Just a few moments after they defeated the one-eyed spider monkey, they realized they were all working on adrenaline and they finally realized how serious their injuries were.

Dan had a few broken bones after he was sent crashing into a pile of building equipment, it could be considered a miracle that they didn't end up dead. Akila had a concussion and some deep cuts on his right hand which he used to deliver those powerful punches. Zero on the other hand was the worst of all, he had broken ribs and a broken hand. According to the medical experts, even with the aid of those possessing healing abilities, he would still need at least a month before his hand is completely recovered.

On the bright side, while they sustained casualties from the mission, they still acquired some interesting rewards. The acquired three fantasy leaves and one cyran soul crystal. The fantasy leaf was a cultivation material that can only be found outside the safety of the countries walls. Its ability to put those who inhale it into very deep meditation, where they can reach the depths of their souls and carefully analyze their special abilities perfectly. This tool is considered an absolute treasure for those trying to create a combat technique. Yes, there are hundreds of books containing the combat techniques used by famous people in the past, this can only give a general understanding of what a combat technique should look like, even then this tends to lead young guardians through the wrong path since most of them try to create combat techniques similar to that of the old generation.

When grading a person's combat technique, complexity and effectiveness are the key things that are usually looked out for. For someone like Zero who created a combat technique as complex as the turtle shell. Which focuses on defense and also grants the user freedom to counter-attack since the turtle shells move on their own to intercept the enemies attacks, it would be given a decent grade, unlike Akila whose combat technique requires him to focus more power on a single attack, dealing more damage while harming himself in the process. The combat technique is obviously riddled with flaws and will most likely get a low rating.

The fantasy leaf can help them create new combat techniques and perfect old ones as well. This could be considered a god-like item for young guardian aspirants who plan to achieve greater heights. The Cyran soul orb was quite similar, specially made to support the fantasy leaf, it clears one's thoughts and allows them to focus on the things they deem important. The major problem faced by all those who choose to meditate for greater enlightenment is quite simple, it is very difficult for them to focus on one thing without a foreign thought popping up in their mind. Every human has a problem and these problems are usually at the back of their mind even when they are not pondering on the issue. Most times during meditation, such thoughts may pop up instantly, ruining the whole rhythm The Cyran soul orb was the cultivation material necessary for this purpose and is considered extremely valuable for the team.

Seeing Kira walk up the counter with the corpse of the spider monkey been dragged along, the whole association was filled with shock. It didn't take long for the news to spread and further improve their reputation, even the three factions in the school found their achievement dumbfounding and they began making preparations of luring these four kids over to their side. These four have managed to defeat numerous opponents way stronger than them in this past and this was considered incredible but the fact remains that they only won those battles because those people lacked experience. The difference between those who fight humans and those who fight against magic beasts is quite vast, their combat standards are on an entirely different level. In the eyes of everyone, Kira, Zero, Akila and Dan have joined the ranks of people with great combat standards, which their mates in the elite class can never compare to.

As the news of their victory spread, so did the news of the casualties. The conditions of those injured during the battle were available to the public and their enemies. To prevent unexpected situations where they will be assassinated or caught off guard by their numerous enemies, they tightened their security even more and the school also deployed some low rated guardians to help reinforce it.

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Within Akila's room, all four of them sat down in a crossed-legged position with excited looks on their faces. They may have only acquired a handful of cultivation materials after risking their lives against an E rated magic beast, but in reality, these four items could easily sell for millions of Lu in the black market. Such godlike cultivation materials are never made available to the public and are only available to those cooperations with territories outside the country.

"This is why the gap between the strong and the weak keeps increasing..." Zero muttered with a stiff face.

The four of them are billionaires, with enough liquid funds to purchase over a hundred fantasy leaf and still not feel it, yet they had no access to such cultivation materials. It can only be found in the black market but the price is usually hundreds of millions higher than the original price.

Not wasting any more time, Kira locked the doors and windows before he used a lighter to set the three fantasy leaves on fire, watching the pink fist-size leaves burn like paper, releasing a pink mist as it burnt. Akila wasted no time to pick up the purple orb and smash it, releasing a thick purple mist that blended in with the pink mist spreading across the room, rushing into their lungs. Soon all four youths collapsed on the bare ground, unconscious and defenseless.