B-Rank OutBreak (3)

Sylara's blade cut clean through another Lingol's throat. The creature barely had time to react before its head tumbled to the ground, its lifeless body following a second later.

Her breath was steady, her violet flames still flickering around the Pantho Sword.

Only one left.

But then—

—she saw it.

Across the ruined street, at the very edge of the battlefield, the last Lingol loomed over a fallen man, its massive foot raised, ready to crush him like an insect.

Sylara's eyes widened. "Damn it! We're too late!"

She burst forward, feet pounding against the shattered pavement, but she already knew—

She wouldn't make it in time.

Akira saw it too. His mind sharpened, calculations running at lightning speed.

"Tch"

"Even in my full speed im too far to reach in time at him"

Then—his eyes flickered to the ground.

A small stone.

Probably debris from the destroyed buildings.

"Maybe..."

There wasn't time to hesitate.

His fingers tightened. "Energy Infusion."

The stone pulsed with raw white energy, glowing faintly as mana surged into it.

Akira hurled it.

The moment it left his hand, it became a streak of white light, cutting through the darkness like a shooting star.

—CRACK!

The stone struck the Lingol's head with a sharp impact. It didn't kill the creature—far from it—but it stunned it, its foot pausing inches above the man's trembling body.

For a brief, crucial second, the Lingol staggered, shaking its head.

And that second was all Akira needed.

—BOOM!

White lightning erupted from his body as he launched forward at full speed.

The Lingol barely had time to blink.

"White Lightning—Engage."

Akira arrived.

His fist, wreathed in raw power, struck the monster's chest like a thunderclap.

—BOOOOM!

The impact ripped through the Lingol's body, its monstrous frame convulsing as white electricity surged through its veins.

Then—its red eyes flickered.

And it collapsed.

Lifeless.

Silence.

The man, still frozen on the ground, stared at Akira in pure shock. His mouth opened and closed, words failing him—until finally, he croaked out—

"Th-Thank you! Thank you…!"

Akira barely acknowledged it, exhaling as his system screen flickered before him.

[Calculating the experience points earned from defeating the monsters.]

[Congratulations! you have leveled up!.]

[Congratulations! you have leveled up!.]

[+10 Stat Points awarded.]

[Perfected Symmetry in effect. Allocating stat points equally across all attributes.]

[Since the user's level has increased, the body will be restored to peak condition.]

In an instant, a familiar rush flooded his body—his mana surged anew, his stamina fully restored, his strength back at its peak.

Then, with a final flicker,

He smirked. "Not bad."

Sylara arrived just as the last Lingol's body hit the ground. Her gaze snapped to the kneeling man—the civilian Akira had just saved. He was frozen in place, trembling, his breath ragged from the brush with death.

Before she could say anything, the heavy thudding of boots filled the air.

A squad of STARS operatives arrived, their armor scratched from battle but their postures firm. The leader, a man with a stern face and a broad frame, approached.

Sylara straightened. "Sylara Veilheart GulidMaster Of Silver Aegis Guild."

The moment her name left her lips, recognition flashed in their eyes.

They saluted instinctively. "It's an honor."

One of them spoke up,

"All the monsters in this zone have been neutralized. This was a B-rank outbreak. However—" he exhaled, "we have yet to locate the dungeon entrance."

"I don't know why, but with this much scattered mana in the air, we can't pinpoint the exact location of the dungeon."

Sylara nodded. "Understood."

"Take care of this civilian and begin a sweep of the area. We'll do the same."

"Yes," The leader turned to his four subordinates. "Secure the perimeter, and check for any signs of the gate."

As they moved into formation, Sylara's gaze drifted to Akira.

He was standing still, eyes cast downward—like he was staring at the ground.

"What a monster."

She clenched her fingers around the panthosword.

"That last attack... what the hell was that?"

"A mere stone infused with his power nearly made a C-rank monster kneel. A Lingol, at that."

"I have seen his fight against the Troll King before, but now—"

"He is sharper. More precise. More determined."

"And even more terrifying."

"A blade that knows its purpose will always cut deeper."

She exhaled, shaking the thought away. There was no time for distractions.

"Akira."

He blinked, lifting his gaze.

"We need to find the entrance."

He nodded. "Yes."

As they moved, Akira's thoughts drifted to his status screen.

"I have gained three levels in total from this battle alone. The difference is tangible—my body feel stronger, more refined."

"It's a given higher-ranked monsters means faster leveling."

"Even though Sylara did most of the killing, I only incapacitated them before she finished them off, yet the ones I took down still contributed significantly to my growth."

"Not bad," he muttered under his breath.

But there was no time to dwell on it.

"Let's finish this."

Then—

A new presence emerged.

From the shadows of the wrecked city, a lone figure stepped forward.

Much smaller than the Lingols, seven and a half feet at most, but their appearance is almost the same.

Different eye colors , he had blue eyes, glowing with unnatural light.

Its gaze locked onto them, unblinking.

Akira's voice was calm. "Is he the boss?"

Sylara saw it.

Her face paled.

Then—

"Oh, shit. We're fucked."

"Why are we fucked?" He asked Sylara his eyes widened"

Sylara, standing beside him, took a deep breath, her expression grim.

"The one before us isn't even a boss."

"It's a-"