Chapter 11 The Power of a Protagonist
Fragments of spiritual-infused stone burst outward in all directions. The [BOSS] [LV15 Tiger-Eyed Lunar Wolf Leader]'s perfect domain wavered for just an instant as its power was partially scattered by the destruction. Its eyes widened in surprise. Not at the pillar's destruction, but at the dark figure suddenly emerging through the rain of stone fragments.
Lin Tian moved with desperate grace, his sword trailing frost as he charged straight for the massive wolf. Even with his enhanced abilities, it was a suicidal rush. But in that moment of disrupted focus, it was their only chance.
Zhao Lingfeng wanted to help, to do something, anything. But his limbs felt like frozen lead, the last of his strength spent on that crucial dodge. The frost was claiming him inch by inch, his vision beginning to blur. Through the haze, he watched Lin Tian charge toward what seemed like certain death. He could see his Health Bar soon about to approach the red again.
As always, he prepared himself to take out another elixir before he reached critical territory…
Wait!
Then he remembered.
With trembling fingers, Zhao Lingfeng formed a fist. "This is going to hurt," he whispered to himself.
BAM!
He slammed his Qi infused fist into his own chest with every bit of strength he could muster. Pain exploded through his frozen body as his health finally dropped into the red.
Ding!
[Protagonists' Resolve Activated!]
[Lin Tian's Stats increased by 150%]
[Lin Tian's Health and Qi Regenerating increased up to 50% of maximum over 10 seconds]
The air around Lin Tian suddenly erupted with power. His movements, already impressive, became something transcendent. The frost that had been slowing him seemed to evaporate from his form as spiritual energy surged through his meridians.
Fifteen seconds.
Lin Tian only had fifteen seconds before the buff expires.
The Leader's eyes narrowed as it sensed the change, but it was too late to retreat. Lin Tian's blade, now moving faster than the eye could follow, struck with the force of an avalanche.
The chamber erupted into a blur of silver and shadow as Lin Tian and the Leader clashed. Zhao Lingfeng's vision swam, but he could still make out the battle unfolding before him.
[14 seconds remaining.]
Lin Tian's health fluctuated wildly, dropping dangerously low as the Leader's claws found its marks, then surging back up as the regeneration took effect. Each exchange was faster than the last, neither combatant willing to give ground. The Leader's spectral wolves howled in confusion as their pack leader met an equal in pure martial might.
[12 seconds.]
"What the?"
Something had changed in Lin Tian's swordplay. Gone were the efficient but basic, skilled movements from before. Now his blade danced with deadly grace, each strike flowing into the next like water cascading down a mountain.
It was a style Zhao Lingfeng had never witnessed.
No perhaps he had seen it from Lin Tian before, but it appeared completely different. What he saw before was like a crude sketch of something great, and now the finished work stood before him in all its glory. The two were so starkly different that if he hadn't personally witnessed their use, he would never have believed they were connected.
Could it be a secret sword art from his sect?
Something that cannot be revealed to others.
In fact, the style was so polished and intricate that Zhao Lingfeng felt that Lin Tian's sword techniques right now made even his elders of the Liuyun Sect look like children playing with sticks.
All the eggs were in one basket. Believing in the power of the protagonist, he did not hesitate to use the item that had been stuck in the back of his mind.
Ding!
[Lucky Loot Charm has been consumed.]
[The next defeated enemy will guarantee at least one high-quality drop.]
[Damage to BOSS: 285]
[Damage to Lin Tian: -320]
[10 seconds.]
The Leader's claws left trails of silver light as they sought Lin Tian's flesh. Each attack carried enough force to shatter stone, yet Lin Tian's enhanced body withstood the onslaught. His counterstrikes drew blood that froze mid-air, creating a deadly beautiful display of combat.
[8 seconds.]
Then it happened.
Zhao Lingfeng's heart almost leapt out of his throat.
Lin Tian's foot caught a patch of treacherous ice. The slip was minute, barely noticeable, but the Leader's predatory instincts seized the opportunity. Its massive jaws lunged forward, seeking to end the fight in one decisive bite.
[7 seconds.]
But Lin Tian turned what should have been his death into opportunity. His body twisted impossibly fast, using the momentum of his slip to slide beneath the Leader's strike. In one fluid motion, he grabbed the beast's thick fur and swung himself onto its back.
[6 seconds.]
His sword plunged deep into the [BOSS] [LV15 Tiger-Eyed Lunar Wolf Leader]'s shoulder.
AWOOOOOOOO!!!
Drawing a howl of agony that shook the chamber's foundations.
[Critical Strike! Damage: 345]
[4 seconds.]
AWOO!
AWOO!
AWOO!
The Leader bucked and twisted, trying to dislodge its rider. Lin Tian's legs locked around its massive neck, his body moving in perfect counter-rhythm to the beast's desperate attempts to throw him. The sword came free in a spray of silver blood that crystallized instantly in the freezing air.
[Damage: 323]
[2 seconds.]
The sword swept around in a perfect arc, pressing against the Leader's throat. Lin Tian's roar echoed through the chamber, drowning out even the spectral wolves' howls. His muscles strained against the beast's incredible strength as he pulled the blade tight.
[1 second.]
"HAAAAAAAAAH!"
The final roar carried everything he had. Beyond his cultivation base or enhanced strength. It was the desperate roar promising triumph and victory. The sword blazed through the Leader's neck in one perfect cut, its head, beheaded, separating cleanly from its body.
[DECAPATATION]
[Fatal Strike! Damage: 482]
[[BOSS] [LV15 Tiger-Eyed Lunar Wolf Leader] has been SLAIN!]
[Congratulations!]
[You have emerged victorious against a foe that far exceeded your cultivation realm. Through sheer determination and tactical prowess, your Party has achieved the impossible!]
[Your Party Member Lin Tian has achieved the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award!]
[Experience Gained:
Lin Tian: 2500 (80% contribution)
Zhao Lingfeng: 625 (20% contribution)]
[Party Bonus: +937 experience each]
[Total Experience: Lin Tian: 3437 + (2000 MVP Bonus) Zhao Lingfeng: 1562]
[Your Party Member Lin Tian has Level UP! to Level 11!]
Ding!
[Level UP! You have reached Level 5!]
[You have 1 Stat Point Available.]
[Bonus: For surviving a great life and death battle, you have gained: +2 Endurance +2 Perception +1 Dexterity]
[You have obtained + 50 Reputation]
[You have obtained +150 Achievement Points]
[Hidden Title Earned: "Moon Slayer's Companion"]
[Special System Notice: Hidden Titles function has now been unlocked. Would you like to equip your new Hidden Title?]
[Special System Notice: First High-Tier Spirit Beast slain! Your understanding of combat has deepened considerably. Additionally, a new System Feature will be unlocked once you reach Level 10.]
[You have obtained +200 Achievement Points]
Zhao Lingfeng watched in awe as the [BOSS] [LV15 Tiger-Eyed Lunar Wolf Leader]'s form collapse to the ground, particles of moonlight sparkled the air as the spectral pack faded with their master. He had witnessed the essence of what made a protagonist truly special. That ability to seize victory from the jaws of certain death, to surpass all logical limits when everything was on the line.
Moreover, from the look of things, Lin Tian held back his ring cheat power, but Zhao Lingfeng now had a glimpse of one of his secrets.
Lin Tian landed gracefully despite his wounds, his chest heaving with exertion. The enhanced state faded, leaving him looking mortal once more. But Zhao Lingfeng would never forget what he had seen in those fifteen seconds—the true face of this protagonist, the Son of Destiny.
"Are you alright?" Zhao Lingfeng asked, his teeth still chattering slightly from the residual cold.
Lin Tian turned to him, his expression a mix of exhaustion and concern, but also something else. "You really are an interesting one aren't you. Shouldn't I be the one asking you that? You're the one who looks half-frozen to death."
There was something more guarded in Lin Tian's posture now.
It was subtle, but felt different from the wall he usually maintained.
Zhao Lingfeng could guess the reason. That sword technique had been far too refined, too unique to be something commonly taught from a no-name sect. He pretended not to notice Lin Tian's unease, instead focusing on trying to stand without his legs giving out.
Then Zhao Lingfeng's eyes widened in sudden panic.
Wait a minute...
WHERE ARE MY DROPS?!
He had definitely used the [Lucky Loot Charm]! The system notification had confirmed it! Zhao Lingfeng's eyes darted frantically around until they landed on Lin Tian, who was staring rather oddly at something on the ground.
The beast's core gleamed in Lin Tian's palm, its crystalline surface still radiating traces of moonlight. But it was what lay scattered on the frozen ground that made both cultivators pause.
Several objects hung suspended a few inches above the body of the beast, gently rotating as if caught in an invisible current. There was a pristine pearl that seemed to contain twin moons in its depths, a crystal that pulsed with lunar essence, and what appeared to be a perfectly preserved fang that still carried traces of spiritual frost.
"That's... unusual," Lin Tian said carefully, prodding one of the floating items with his sword. It bobbed away like a cork in water before settling back into its hovering position. "I've seen spirit beast remains before, but they don't typically... float." The core that Lin Tian had picked up was one of those floating objects.
Zhao Lingfeng could only stare, torn between relief at seeing his guaranteed drops and horror at their rather conspicuous method of appearance.
Author Note: Reminder, this is a Weak to Strong novel. Rest assured, readers will not need to wait too long for him to fairly grow in strength. Around Chapter 40 is when hype begins. Also, Zhao Lingfeng is not one of those cold, selfish protagonists that take everything for themselves.