Plan

After clearing the entire hallway, Crudele checked every room but found nothing. He was now on the left side of the building.

"Shit, I have to finish this quickly," he said, activating X-20 power.

He leaped and punched through the ceiling, maintaining his momentum. Ignoring the misfits in the hallways, he kicked open every door he encountered, desperately searching for the hostage.

He checked the 8th floor but found nothing.

"Damn, it's already been like 10 or 12 minutes probably," he grumbled as he made another hole in the roof and reached the 9th floor.

Fortunately, the hostages were right in front of him. He didn't even check if any misfits were around; he grabbed the hostage and jumped straight through the window.

X-20 Durability.

He activated his ability and leaped through the window, prepared to endure the impact.

~

Thud!!!

Fenrir was struck by the baboon's arm and slammed straight into the wall.

Bell seized the opportunity, punching the baboon's head and sending it sliding several feet away. Enraged by the attack, the baboon shot a purple goo from its maw at Bell. She tried to evade it, but the goo still hit her calves.

A burning sensation surged through her leg, causing her to groan in pain as it spread to her thighs.

Seeing her in agony, the baboon advanced toward her on all fours. It felt as if her soul was leaving her body.

The misfit closed in, and a blood-curdling scream filled the air.

Kyahhhhhhhhhh!!!

Bell's face turned pale, but suddenly—

Puchh!!!

A sword pierced through the misfit's face, stopping just inches from Bell's nose. As the misfit fell to the side, it lost its life.

[ Congratulations ]

You killed a Level 5 Alpha Black Baboon

You Gained 300 Exp

291<591

"Sorry I'm late," a voice that warmed Bell's heart echoed through the chaos.

Looking at Crudele, she felt an overwhelming urge to be in his embrace, as it seemed like the safest place in the world. However, her injured leg prevented her from moving.

Crudele rushed to her side and assessed the situation. "This seems like acid to me. Come with me," he said as he carefully lifted her into his arms, carrying her like a princess. Bell's vision started to blur, and she clung tightly to Crudele's neck as she lost consciousness.

Meanwhile, Fenrir, having recovered from the earlier shock, was taking the hostages outside with Crudele's uniform clenched in his maw.

~

Bell's consciousness gradually returned as she asked the man beside her, "Where am I?"

Her vision was still somewhat blurred, but the response she received was, "You're in the school hospital."

As her vision cleared, she saw that the man was a doctor in a white uniform. Her gaze quickly moved around the room.

"You must be looking for the kid who brought you here," the doctor continued, checking her vitals on a machine. "He left just after bringing you."

Bell's face fell slightly upon hearing this. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment.

"What am I even thinking? He's just with me to pass the test, nothing more," she thought, her expression darkening with her realization.

"Hey, Bell, look at our score!" a familiar voice called from behind the door. The door opened to reveal a guy holding a bouquet of flowers.

"Hey, kid, don't shout in the hospital. There are patients who might get uncomfortable," the doctor said, clearly annoyed.

"Sorry, sorry," Crudele replied, closing the door quietly.

Bell's eyes lit up as she saw Crudele, holding a bouquet, approaching her. "Crudele, you're here for me?" she said softly, as if seeing a prince coming to her rescue.

"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" Crudele replied, then shifted focus. "But aside from small talk, check out how much we scored," he said, holding out a tablet for her to see.

Crudele Valerius and Bella Montgomery

Time Taken: 9:47

Total Hostages Saved: 6

Total Score: 100 ( +20 for Taken Less than 10 Minutes )

Ranking on Test: #24

Leaderboard: Crudele Valerius - Rank 8

Bella Montgomery - Rank 54

"See, we both got 100 on the test, and your rank went up by 70! Isn't that amazing?" Crudele said, his face beaming with pride.

"Y-yeah, it is," Bell stammered, not just from the score but from the sight of Crudele's bright smile. To her, it was so captivating that she could watch him smile forever.

"Hey, what's wrong? Are you still feeling sick?" Crudele asked, placing his hand on her forehead.

Bell's mind went into a flurry, and her face turned beet red.

"Huh, your forehead feels hot," Crudele said, his own face flushing as he started to piece together why she might be blushing.

"I-I should get going," he said quickly, leaving the bouquet of flowers at her bedside before hurrying out of the room.

The doctor, observing the exchange, said, "Enough of your lovey-dovey stuff. Now, rest here until you recover from your injuries."

With that, the doctor also left the room, leaving Bell alone.

"Why am I getting so nervous around him all of a sudden? This shouldn't be happening. What about my plan?" Bell thought, her anxiety mounting.

Suddenly, the door slammed open, and in walked a bald man with black glasses and two other guys.

"My little Bella, what happened to your leg?" the bald man said with a devious smile.

Bell's face went pale, and she began to tremble as if her worst nightmare had come true.

"I can explain, Thomas—"

"Oh no, no, no, you don't have to explain anything, Bella," he said, placing his hand on her injured leg.

"Ahhhhh!!!"

The pain was so intense that Bell screamed, her voice echoing through the hospital, but no one came to her aid.

"There's no need to scream; no one can hear you," he said, pressing down even harder on her leg.

"Ahhhhhhh!!!"

"Please, please stop! I'm begging you, please stop this! I'll do anything," she cried, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Okay, but you need to do your job seriously next time, my little Bella. Otherwise, the punishment will be much harsher," he said with a cold smile.

Afterward, Thomas and his companions left the room, saying, "See you soon, Bella."

Her face went even paler at the thought, and when she looked at her leg, she saw a bloodstain spreading on the bedsheet.

"Why did I deserve this?" she cried, holding her head in her hands, her tears flowing uncontrollably.

~

"Hey, Fenrir, you leveled up," Crudele said.

[Inspect]

Fenrir: Level 6

Species: Wolf Kin

Attributes: Enhanced Strength, Speed, Senses and Agility

Special Abilities: Loyalty Boost (+10 to all attributes when protecting its master)

Crudele, while checking to make sure Fenrir was okay, noticed a boost in his agility.

"You've leveled up in agility too," Crudele said, giving Fenrir a reassuring pat on the head. "Just stay by my side, and we'll transcend human capabilities beyond imagination."

Fenrir howled in appreciation, acknowledging Crudele's words.

They were now in the familiar hall of their usual base, a place they both felt comfortable.

[Status window]

Name: Crudele valerius

Level: 7

Exp: 591/4900

RBC Rank: F - Stage 7

Health: 100/100

RBC Energy: 90/90 ( +20 )

Fatigue: 0

[Attributes]

Strength: 13

Speed: 11

Intelligence: 15

Vitality: 12

Endurance: 16

Sense: 13

Durability: 12

Agility: 12

Charisma: 14

Wisdom: 17

[Skills and abilities]

Prime surge - Level 1

(Each attribute can be enhanced by the user, with a minimum boost of 10 times the original level. However, the actual increase in power is determined by how much RBC energy the user puts into it. The more RBC energy invested, the greater the enhancement)

(Temporary boost by ability enhancer)

"Yeah, I remember leveling up while fighting the horde," Crudele said, reflecting on his recent experience. "But leveling up itself doesn't directly give us new powers. From what I've read, the system mainly analyzes our growth and provides statistics. It doesn't directly enhance our abilities but does help in understanding our strengths and weaknesses."

He continued, "The levels determine our RBC rank, which means my stage increased by one after leveling up. It's essential for analyzing and inspecting opponents and items registered in the system's database. This information is invaluable and helps manage RBC energy levels effectively—knowing how much strength to use or how much energy I have left."

Seeing the advantages he had over his peers, Crudele felt a surge of excitement.

"At this rate, I'll be on top in no time."

"But this feeling of victory would be even greater if I didn't regret Bell's situation," Crudele thought, his mind lingering on her plight. "She gave it her all, but if only I had anticipated that a giant monkey would be at the exit, we could have avoided this mess."

He continued reflecting, "The problem was that the Misfit was an Alpha, and on top of that, a Level 5. Alphas are generally much stronger than regular ones."

Shaking off the gloomy thoughts, Crudele mused, "Did she really blush just because I touched her forehead? That would be insane if it were true."

A grin spread across his face as he contemplated, "I need to test this theory. At this rate, it might be worth investigating."