Helping others

"Yeah," the other girl cut in. "We didn't mean to spy on you."

"Good. I'm Jeremy," the boy said, offering a smile as he suppressed the pressure of his aura.

He didn't understand why he had been acting so standoffish.

Just a few days earlier, he'd been relatively normal with the other group.

'Maybe it's this power boost that's made me arrogant?' Jeremy wondered.

"So… you're a Necromancer?" Emily asked, a hint of fear in her voice.

"Something like that," Jeremy replied, glancing at his undead. "What about you two? What are you doing here?"

"We came to hunt, obviously," the serious girl answered, subtly flashing her sword. "I brought the prince—my friend Emily—for some real combat experience."

She almost slipped. Almost revealed who Emily really was. But—

"Yes, I need experience," Emily nodded quickly. "Also, I'm a princess."

"…"

Jeremy wanted to laugh. This girl was just too... stupid? No, that wasn't quite it.

Naive.

Yes. She was naive.

Jade facepalmed. "Forget what she said. It could cause problems."

"I honestly don't care," Jeremy replied, turning around. "If that's all, I'll be going."

"Wait!" Jade called after him. "Would you be willing to sell us the C-Rank Cores you just collected?"

"Sorry, not for sale," Jeremy said, shaking his head.

"Then," Jade continued, stepping closer, "would you be willing to help us collect two C-Rank Cores?"

Jeremy didn't answer immediately. Helping others wasn't exactly at the top of his to-do list.

"We'll pay you," she added quickly.

"Deal," Jeremy said without hesitation. He was broke, after all.

And so, the three of them set off in search of beasts to kill. Jeremy had stored poor Leo'sol away—one side of his body had been mangled and needed repairs.

Only Drae'mon remained at his side, pride evident in the way his hollow sockets seemed to gleam. He looked satisfied to have his master all to himself.

The two Flamehoof beasts Jeremy had killed were far from the only ones in the inner region. Once one died, another would take its place. The area was teeming with them.

Still, Jeremy couldn't wait to create a new Aberration from the twin corpses. He already had something in mind.

But first, he wanted to Rank Up. The mission was complete, but he wasn't about to waste those two precious Cores for a simple level up. He wanted them for the Aberration.

Which meant... he still needed one more C-Rank Core.

They had been walking for nearly half an hour now.

The tension had softened, but it still lingered.

Jeremy led the group with a confident stride, Drae'mon beside him like a loyal shadow.

Jade scanned the terrain for tracks. Emily lagged behind, trying her best not to step on anything explosive or flammable.

Drae'mon was the first to stop. A deep growl rumbled from his jaw.

Of course, Jeremy had already sensed them long before—but he said nothing. There was no need to worry.

"We've got company," Jeremy said. "One Flamehoof, C-Rank. And… four smaller ones."

"How many?" Jade asked.

"Four. D-Rank."

"Perfect," Jade said, unsheathing her sword. "I'll handle the C-Rank."

"Emily, keep the D-Ranks busy."

Emily nodded, clenching her fists. "I'll do my best."

The herd was just ahead, in a clearing scorched black by heat.

The C-Rank Flamehoof stood in the center, imposing, its flaming mane flickering wildly. The D-Ranks pranced restlessly around it.

Not too dangerous. The C-Rank looked recently evolved, just level 35. The D-Ranks were between levels 25 and 29.

Jeremy raised a hand—Drae'mon charged.

Battle erupted in an instant.

Jade dashed forward like lightning, sword already glowing with energy. The C-Rank Flamehoof immediately released a Flame Domain, recognizing the threat. This wouldn't be an easy fight.

Jeremy stepped forward and activated Death Aura, boosting Drae'mon's power while passively damaging all enemies. The aura's protective field also shielded him from the domain's burning effect.

This was no repeat of the previous weaklings he'd faced.

Drae'mon tore into the D-Ranks like a storm. The creatures could only flee or try to fight back—but his agility was far beyond their ability to handle. They got shredded.

Emily focused, drawing a circle in the air.

"Air Split!"

A blade of invisible wind sliced the space in front of her, slamming one Flamehoof D aside. Another charged her, but she blocked it with a hastily conjured sphere of ice.

"They're not that tough!" she shouted. "I can handle them!"

"Behind you!" Jeremy warned.

Emily spun just in time, launching an air blast that sent the last creature tumbling like a fiery tumbleweed.

Meanwhile, Jade was holding her own against the C-Rank Flamehoof with precise, calculated strikes.

She danced around it, slicing tendons and darting back before the flames could catch her. Burned, yes—but still deadly.

Jeremy, seeing everything under control, didn't lift a finger.

Drae'mon had already eliminated the D-Ranks without breaking a sweat. Not that he could.

"That skeleton is really strong," Emily said, stepping beside Jeremy.

He didn't reply. He was watching the swordswoman fight. Her movements were graceful, her strikes devastating. She'd taken a few hits, but she was holding her own just fine.

Within a minute, Jade plunged her sword into the beast's throat with a scream, driving it all the way to the hilt. The monster let out one final flaming neigh before collapsing.

Silence.

Jade dropped to the ground, exhausted but smiling. The fight had been short, but intense. She'd had to stay sharp to avoid being turned into barbecue.

"Nice work," Jeremy said as he approached. "Impressive control."

Jade wiped her forehead with the back of her hand.

"We got the Core. As agreed, this is yours," she said, tossing him a pouch full of coins.

Jeremy didn't even need to open it.

"You obtained 10 Gold Coins."

From what he knew, a C-Rank Core usually sold for one gold coin—if it was High Potential.

They had paid ten times that. They're loaded, Jeremy thought.

"Great. Then I'll be taking the corpses," he said, waving a hand.

The monster bodies vanished instantly.

"Well then," he continued. "If that's all, I'll be on my way."

"Thanks for the help," Emily smiled. "It would've taken much more effort without you."

"No problem," Jeremy replied without turning back. "It was a deal."

"Goodbye," he said.

And with that, the three parted ways. The girls were headed back to complete Emily's Rank Up to C.

Jade was already at that level. To go beyond, she'd need more than just a beast or two.

Emily, on the other hand, was still D-Rank—but not for long. With help, Rank Ups were easy.

Jeremy, meanwhile, still needed a C-Rank Core just to reach D-Rank.

Luckily, only a High Potential Core was required—not an APEX. Those were extremely rare.

After riding around on one of his skeletal mounts—this time built entirely for speed—he finally spotted a lone C-Rank beast.

He summoned Leo'sol again. The Aberration had fully recovered.

With just his Death Aura, Jeremy watched as his two undead tore the beast apart effortlessly. It tried to attack him, but Drae'mon and Leo'sol didn't give it a chance.

The fight lasted maybe ten seconds. It was glorious.

The black skeleton shredded the creature's legs, slowing it, while the Aberration hammered its head with brutal precision.

"120,000 EXP Gained."

"1x Rank C Core (High Potential) Obtained."

"Perfect. I can finally Rank Up," Jeremy sighed, satisfied.

"…Or should I farm a bit more EXP first?"

After all, killing monsters stronger than you gave a lot more EXP.