The first Mauler lunged, its claws trailing sparks as they ripped through the earth. Noel stepped forward to meet it, Revenant Fang bursting into crimson fire as he whispered, "Ignition Surge." The cursed blade hissed, cleaving through the beast's forelimb in a shower of sparks.

Another came from the left, molten jaws gaping. Noel pivoted, shadows flickering beneath his boots as he slipped behind it with "Shadow Step." Revenant Fang punched upward, straight through its jaw and out the top of its skull. The molten glow in its throat died instantly as the monster crumpled.

The system chimed:

[You have slain Volcanic Mauler (Elite – Adept). You received 0.15%.]

[Current Core Progress: 7.43% – Mana Core: Ascendant]

"Next," Noel muttered, yanking the blade free, embers still clinging to its edge.

The rest of the pack roared in unison, molten drool sizzling against the dirt as their tails shattered trees. Noel surged forward rather than retreating, every strike of Revenant Fang wide and deliberate, demanding their attention. Flames licked the steel, dazzling bright enough to blind.

Selene's magic flared beside him—her wand raised as she intoned, "Glacial Thrust!" A shard of pure ice shot into a Mauler's shoulder, freezing the magma veins under its skin. Noel didn't wait for her to finish it. He cut across its chest in a single, brutal slash, toppling the beast before her spell fully detonated.

The system's voice followed at once:

[You have slain Volcanic Mauler (Elite – Adept). You received 0.15%.]

[Current Core Progress: 7.58% – Mana Core: Ascendant]

Selene's cyan eyes flicked toward him, cool and unreadable, though the faint crease of her brow betrayed her irritation. She knew he was taking the kills.

Noel only smirked, blade angled at the ground, flames dripping like molten tar from its edge. "Come on, then."

Two Maulers broke off from the circle at once, charging shoulder to shoulder, their molten claws raised to tear him apart. Noel planted his feet, eyes narrowing as arcs of electricity danced over his arm.

"Chain Flash!"

A bolt of lightning screamed forward, splitting into three as it struck the first beast in the chest. The branching arcs slammed into the second and a third trying to flank him, sending all of them convulsing, molten drool spraying as their bodies locked up. Noel lunged in before they could recover, Revenant Fang cleaving through throats and stomachs with brutal precision.

The system chimed again, one after another:

[You have slain Volcanic Mauler (Elite – Adept). You received 0.15%.]

[You have slain Volcanic Mauler (Elite – Adept). You received 0.15%.]

[You have slain Volcanic Mauler (Elite – Adept). You received 0.15%.]

[Current Core Progress: 8.03% – Mana Core: Ascendant]

Noel exhaled through his nose, sparks still crackling across his blade. 'Not bad. The system's being generous today.'

Another beast lunged at his exposed side—only for the ground beneath it to erupt in frozen petals.

"Frigid Bloom," Selene intoned, her voice cold and sharp. Ice flowered upward, slicing into the Mauler's legs and locking them in a cage of frozen shards. It howled, thrashing against the ice.

Noel stepped in without hesitation. One swing. Another kill.

The system chimed again.

Selene's lips tightened as she lowered her wand. "You could have let me finish it."

Noel smirked faintly, flames still licking Revenant Fang's edge. "Why waste time? We're supposed to be efficient, aren't we?"

She didn't respond, but her wand tightened in her grip, frost spiraling faintly at her feet.

Above them, the drones buzzed in lazy circles, recording every moment—his reckless charges, her sharp spells, their strange rhythm. To anyone watching, they looked like a seamless pair. But Selene knew he was stealing the kills deliberately, and Noel didn't bother hiding it.

The pack's remaining Maulers closed in, surrounding them tighter, molten drool dripping from their jaws like lava. The air grew hotter, heavy with the stench of burning earth.

Noel rolled his shoulders, blade poised at his side. "Guess they're finally taking us seriously."

Three Maulers lunged at once, their molten claws tearing grooves in the dirt as their combined heat warped the air. Noel's grip on Revenant Fang tightened, a spark of exhilaration flaring in his chest.

"Stormpiercer."

The world cracked with blinding light. His body blurred into a streak of pure electricity, cutting through the first beast before it could blink. Revenant Fang pierced scale and sinew, the impact sending a concussive shockwave that blasted the second off its feet. Noel reappeared behind them, arcs of lightning still dancing over his shoulders as the third tried to twist around.

He didn't hesitate. "Voltage Needle!" A razor-thin bolt speared through the monster's eye, dropping it mid-turn.

The system rang in his ears:

[You have slain Volcanic Mauler (Elite – Adept). You received 0.15%.]

[You have slain Volcanic Mauler (Elite – Adept). You received 0.15%.]

[You have slain Volcanic Mauler (Elite – Adept). You received 0.15%.]

[Current Core Progress: 8.48% – Mana Core: Ascendant]

Noel let out a low breath, shaking residual sparks from his arm. 'Half a percent from one swing. Now that's more like it.'

Across the clearing, Selene stood frozen for a fraction of a second, frost still coiled at her feet. To the drones, she was just calm and cold, as always. But inside, her chest tightened. 'He's treating Elite-class monsters like toys.'

Noel turned back toward her, smirking faintly. "You're falling behind."

Her jaw tightened, but she didn't rise to the bait. Instead, she flicked her wand upward. "Glacial Thrust." A spear of ice tore into a Mauler trying to flank them from the treeline, pinning it to a rock wall with a screech of splitting ice.

Noel was already moving again, flames flaring around Revenant Fang.

The horde had thinned, their circle breaking, but the ground still shook as the last few pushed forward. The clearing reeked of burnt earth, ozone, and blood.

Selene's eyes narrowed, wand poised. "Two left."

The last two Maulers hesitated, their molten drool sizzling as it hit the dirt. Noel was already moving, Revenant Fang blazing with fire as his voice cut the air. "Ignition Surge."

He closed the gap in a heartbeat. One slash cleaved through the first beast's jaw, the cursed blade erupting with flames that swallowed its head. Before the second could retreat, Noel flicked his free hand forward. "Chain Flash!" Lightning split the clearing, the bolt ricocheting between charred trees before snapping into the monster's chest. It convulsed once, then fell.

The system chimed relentlessly:

[You have slain Volcanic Mauler (Elite – Adept). You received 0.15%.]

[You have slain Volcanic Mauler (Elite – Adept). You received 0.15%.]

[Current Core Progress: 8.78% – Mana Core: Ascendant]

Noel exhaled, lowering his sword, sparks still crackling faintly around him. He turned—only to find Selene staring at him, her cyan eyes glacial.

"You can't keep doing that," she said flatly, her grip on her wand tightening. "If you take every kill, I'll never reach first place. You know that."

For a second, Noel almost laughed—it was rare for her to voice frustration so plainly. Instead, he raised a hand in mock surrender. "Alright, my bad. Next time, we split it. Fifty-fifty. Fair enough?"

Selene's frown didn't ease, but she gave the smallest nod. "See that you do."

Noel sheathed Revenant Fang, forcing a crooked smile. "Promise."

Inside, though, his thoughts were far less generous. 'Sorry, Selene… but I can't share. Not when the system keeps pushing me. Not when every percent counts.'

The clearing was silent again, save for the crackle of dying embers and the distant hum of drones above, recording everything. Selene turned away first, frost still faintly trailing at her boots as she walked toward the treeline.

Noel followed, his gaze drifting upward at the drones. He smirked faintly. "Fifty-fifty, huh? Guess I'll just have to make it look that way."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.