12 Breaking the Predator
Kael's body trembled, but not from fear.
His hands clenched into fists, his nails digging into his palms, but he barely felt the sting. His heart pounded furiously, his breath ragged, his entire being consumed by an uncontrollable, burning rage.
The zombie was toying with him.
It knew it had the upper hand—that much was clear from the twisted grin stretched across its rotting face. It took slow, deliberate steps toward him, savoring every second of Kael's suffering.
Kael hated it.
This wasn't like before, when he had fought to survive with every ounce of his will. This was humiliation. The creature wasn't just trying to kill him—it wanted him to break.
But Kael wasn't going to break.
Not here.
Not to this thing.
As his anger boiled, a sudden flicker of blue light in the corner of his eye caught his attention.
A notification was blinking on his system interface.
Kael's brow furrowed in confusion, his fury momentarily replaced with curiosity. He had no idea what it was, but right now, anything that wasn't complete despair was worth checking.
He quickly clicked on the message.
[System Notification: Congratulations! You are the first to pioneer a new way to enhance the Mana Bolt!] [Due to your innovative application of the spellcraft, you have unlocked the ability to level up Mana Bolt OR evolve it into a new form.]
Kael's eyes widened.
A chance to evolve his magic?
Here?
Now?
His heart skipped a beat. This was a miracle in the face of certain death.
If he leveled up Mana Bolt, it would get stronger, but—
Would it be enough?
The fusion technique he had used earlier—his unstable Mana Bolt explosion—had barely done anything to the zombie.
A simple level-up wouldn't cut it.
He needed something more.
With zero hesitation, Kael chose to evolve his spell.
Choose your Evolution Path:
Exploding Bolt – Upon impact, the bolt detonates, causing an area-of-effect explosion.
Homing Bolt – The bolt locks onto a selected target, continuously consuming mana until impact.
Charged Bolt – The bolt's power can be increased based on how long it is charged, consuming 1 MP per second.
Kael's breath caught.
Three options.
Each one had its advantages, but not all of them would work here.
His mind raced.
Exploding Bolt could knock the zombie back, but that's all it would do. If his previous fusion bolt had only staggered it, this wouldn't be enough.
Homing Bolt would ensure a hit, but what's the point if the bolt couldn't even pierce its skin?
Then, there was Charged Bolt.
It had one key difference.
It wasn't fixed in strength. The more mana he poured into it, the stronger it would become.
Kael's jaw tightened.
That was it.
That was the key to bringing this thing down.
He selected Charged Bolt.
[System Notification: Congratulations! You have evolved Mana Bolt into Charged Bolt.]
[Charged Bolt:]
Base mana cost remains the same as Mana Bolt.
Additional mana can be infused (1 MP per second) to increase power before firing.
Kael barely had time to process the information when a sharp growl reminded him of the zombie's presence.
It was only ten meters away.
Its blood-red eyes gleamed with amusement as it continued to mock him.
Kael gritted his teeth. Let it mock.
Because in the next few seconds, he was going to kill it.
Kael thrust his hand forward.
A bright blue sphere of energy flared to life, but this time—
It was different.
The moment the Charged Bolt materialized, Kael felt the spell absorbing his mana.
He didn't stop it.
He kept feeding it.
One second.
Two seconds.
The mana rushed into the spell like a raging river, its color shifting from pale blue to an ominous dark navy, crackling with violent energy.
The zombie paused.
It tilted its head slightly, watching Kael charge the spell.
Then—
It laughed.
A deep, guttural sound, mocking his effort.
Kael's grip on the spell tightened.
Fine. Laugh while you still can.
Five seconds.
Six seconds.
His vision blurred slightly from mana exhaustion. His arms shook from the sheer weight of the energy coiling within the spell.
But he kept going.
Seven seconds.
Eight.
The zombie's grin faded.
It sensed something.
A danger it hadn't anticipated.
Kael's eyes locked onto the monster.
Nine seconds.
Ten.
This was it.
Kael launched the Charged Bolt.
The air cracked like thunder as the spell rocketed toward the zombie at breakneck speed.
The zombie lunged.
It had been in the middle of preparing its attack, but by the time it realized the danger,
The Charged Bolt was already at its head.
Its red eyes widened.
For the first time—
It looked afraid.
BOOM!
The dark-blue bolt shot straight through its skull, vaporizing its head instantly.
But it didn't stop there.
The attack continued past the zombie, hitting the cavern wall behind it.
And then—
The entire wall exploded.
Rocks and debris rained from above, the cavern shaking violently as cracks spread outward from the impact site.
Kael stood, panting hard, his body trembling from mana depletion.
He stared at the zombie's decapitated body.
It took a step forward.
Then another.
Then—
It collapsed.
Dead.
The same undead monstrosity that had been toying with him moments ago…
Was now nothing but a corpse at his feet.
Kael's breath was still ragged, his body screaming from exhaustion, but a slow, disbelieving smirk spread across his lips.
He won.
A familiar ding sounded in his mind.
A system notification appeared.
[System Notification: Congratulations! You have completed the 5th Trial.]
[Hidden Achievement Unlocked: First to Discover the Hidden Area in the 5th Trial.]
Kael's tired eyes flickered toward the destroyed cavern wall.
Beyond the crumbling debris, a hidden passage had been revealed.
His lips parted in disbelief.
Did he just uncover something that wasn't meant to be found?
He stumbled forward, his curiosity outweighing his exhaustion.
Whatever lay beyond that passage—
He had to see it.
[System Notification: Congratulations! You have leveled up.]
Name: Kael Veran
Race: Human
Class: Mage
Level: 5
EXP : 680/2000
HP: 140/140
MP: 70/70
Base Stats:
Strength: 5
Agility: 8
Stamina: 8
Intelligence: 12
Luck: 4
Free Stat Points: 4
Charged Bolt (Lv.1): A basic ranged magic attack. (Costs 5 MP per use.)(Additional mana can be infused (1 MP per second) to increase power before firing.) Proficiency Level : 01%
Arcane Sensory (Lv.1): Allows the user to perceive mana in the surroundings. (Passive skill.) Proficiency Level : 51%
Free Stat Points: 4
[New Skill Unlocked: Mana Manipulation (Lv.1)]
Description: Your control over mana has improved due to the evolution of your Mana Bolt. You can now shape and refine basic mana-based spells more efficiently, reducing energy loss and increasing output potential.
As Kael stood before the shattered cavern wall, his vision flickered as the system notification flooded his interface.
A level-up.