Chapter 299: My Bounty Hunters Suddenly Lost Their Enthusiasm During A Fight, So Being the Generous Prey I Am, I Decided to Increase Their Reward (Abridged)

Ruvian calmly activated [Assimilation].

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[Choose the character you wish to resonate with...]

◇ Julian Rozenberg

◇ Vanessa Eldrienne

◇ Calyra Arcanis

◇ Rosalin Varion

◇ Silvena D’Elvoire

◇ Loden Armand

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It didn’t take him long to decide. He had already made up his mind. Someone who would allow him to fight ideally against numerous enemies while still preserving his own fighting style.

"Rosalin Varion."

He uttered the name in a low, chilling voice, devoid of even the slightest hesitation.

Immediately, his body began to change.

It started with his Spellcore, then his bones, muscles, tendons, nerves, and even the flow of mana coursing through his veins. It felt as if his entire body was being enveloped by an immense borrowed power.

[10,000 Plot Points have been deducted!]

[Assimilation completed!]

[Time remaining: (04:59)]

’This feels amazing... like I could break through any mana-fortified wall with my bare hands!’

He also suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of determination, a steeled resolve that seemed to suffuse his entire being.

His heart began beating faster.

’So this is... Rosalin’s resolve.’

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{}---『RUNEHEART』---{}

◇ Name: Ruvian Castelor

◇ Age: 17

◇ Spellcore: Tier 3 (Tier 4)

◇ Rank: Second (First-Class Magus)

◇ Magic Affinity: None ([Fire], [Light])

==[General Attributes]==

Strength: C+ (B+)

Agility: C+ (B+)

Endurance: C+ (B+)

Vitality: C+ (B+)

Perception: C+ (B)

==[Mage Attributes]==

Mana Control: C+

Casting Speed: C+

Magic Power: C+

Mental Strength: S

Mana Sensitivity: C+

Mana Essence: [13,250/13,250]

==========

==[Innate Blessings]==

- [Blessing of Indomitable Will]

- [Blessing of War God’s Incarnation]

- [Afflicted: Darberg Syndrome]

==[Affinity Mastery]==

- [Fire, Pure Mana, Wind, Darkness (Advanced)]

- [Water (Intermediate)]

- [Light, Dark Mana (Basic)]

===============

’So the stats that are crossed out and replaced with upgraded versions are from Rosalin, while the stats where I’m already higher than her remain unchanged.’

Ruvian couldn’t help but smile with almost feverish exhilaration, his excitement rapidly bordering on delirium.

[Child, focus. They’re coming.]

Morvayne warned before shaking her head.

’Oh... I know.’

Sliding one foot behind, Ruvian lowered his stance, ready to move as a barrage of countless spells hurtled toward him from every direction.

’Let see...’

Then, he surged forward with [Body Enhancement].

The speed he moved at was unlike anything he had ever reached before. His figure practically blurred from sight as he accelerated with unprecedented velocity.

’Holy shit.’

Ruvian tore straight past the numerous spells hurtling toward him, slipping through the chaotic barrage before they could even graze his body.

Hell, he even shot straight past the twenty scholars themselves before any of them could properly register his movement.

BOOOOM!!!

A deafening explosion thundered across the entire lake as the countless spells simultaneously slammed into the spot where Ruvian had been standing moments earlier.

The violent impact sent a tremendous shockwave rippling outward, while an enormous cloud of smoke and pulverized stone billowed into the air.

Once the smoke finally dispersed, the cliff was practically gone.

The entire section had been obliterated by the concentrated bombardment, leaving behind a massive fractured cavity before what remained of the cliff crumbled apart and plummeted into the lake below.

"Take that, you arrogant bastard!" one of the scholars shouted triumphantly.

"Hah! Who’s talking now?!" another yelled, staring at the devastated cliff with a wide grin.

Several of the others also began smiling, their earlier anger quickly turning into satisfaction.

However, Ardyn didn’t join their celebration. His eyes remained fixed on the enormous cavity where Ruvian had been standing.

Something was wrong.

Then, a cold yet strangely amused voice echoed from behind them.

"What a delightful bundle of joy you guys are."

Immediately, every head snapped toward the voice behind them. Right after that, they saw Ruvian standing there with an entertained smile on his face. (+500PP)

"What’s the point of wasting all those spells just to demolish that poor cliff?" he asked casually. "It hasn’t done anything wrong to you guys."

Ardyn immediately frowned, and the same went for the others.

’When... did he get there?’

[Child... you only have four minutes and thirty seconds left. Enough fooling around.]

"I know, I know. I’m not fooling around..." Ruvian replied. "I’m just as surprised as they are. I didn’t expect myself to be this damn fast."

His physical boost was absurd!

For that reason alone, he had only just realized how much Rosalin had been suppressing her true strength when they explored the Deepmarch Dungeon.

The same could be said during the joint sparring session between Class E and Class A.

Not to mention, this was not even the full extent of her capabilities yet, since she was still being severely restrained by that accursed disease of hers.

Acknowledging that fact, Ruvian wore a slightly exhilarated smirk across his face.

’I need to hold back a bit... I don’t want to end it too soon.’

More importantly, he still wanted to test the full extent of this skill.

Ruvian pressed his feet against the ground.

Then, the stone beneath him cracked apart as he charged straight back toward the twenty scholars, closing the distance before most of them could even raise their weapons.

"Don’t let him get through!"

Three scholars immediately rushed to the front, one carrying a longsword while the other two wielded a spear and a heavy axe.

The swordsman attacked first, swinging his blade toward Ruvian’s neck, but Ruvian lowered his head and slipped beneath it. The spear came next from his right side, forcing him to twist his body before the sharp tip passed across his chest.

Then, the axe came crashing down from above.

Ruvian raised [The Endseeker] and caught the axe against its black blade, causing a loud metallic clang to ring through the air.

’I can easily see most of their attacks....’

Immediately, Ruvian drove his knee into the guy’s stomach.

"Gah!"

The impact lifted the scholar from the ground, but before Ruvian could follow with a combo strike, a bright red glow appeared from behind the front line.

[Watch out.]

Already aware of the incoming spell, Ruvian quickly leaned away as the flames passed inches from his face. But somehow, the attack suddenly curved before wrapping around his body and tied him up.

Turned out, it was a flaming rope spell that immobilised the enemy!

’Wasn’t expecting that. I thought it was a [Flaming Arrow].’

The moment that thought entered his mind, the ground beneath his feet suddenly softened.

’Huh?’

Ruvian immediately looked down.

The mud was wrapping around his boots.

An earth mage had mixed the ground with water from another scholar, turning the stone and soil beneath him into thick mud that tried to hold his legs in place.

"Now!"

The spear user immediately charged back in.

His spear shot toward Ruvian’s chest while the swordsman came from the opposite side, leaving him trapped between both attacks.

However, with his new incredible strength, Ruvian simply planted one foot deeper into the mud and twisted his body.

Clang!

[The Endseeker] knocked the spear upward, while Ruvian effortlessly freed his arms and caught the swordsman’s wrist before the blade could reach his side.

The swordsman’s eyes widened.

"Nice try, buddy. But try harder next time."

Ruvian pulled him forward, and slammed his forehead straight into the other scholar’s face, then released his wrist and kicked him backward into the spear user.

However, before he could chase after the guy, the rest of them gave Ruvian no time to breathe.

Ice suddenly spread across the muddy ground beneath him, freezing everything — including his legs — which locked both of his feet firmly in place.

At the same time, another scholar raised both hands. Then, several walls of earth erupted around Ruvian.

They did not attack him directly, instead, the walls blocked his vision of the mages standing farther away while leaving only a narrow opening directly in front of him.

[In trouble?]

Morvayne teased him.

’Not at all. I don’t know what they’re attempting to accomplish, but this combination of attacks is terribly executed.’

He sighed in disappointment.

Suddenly, the sharp crackle of lightning reverberated through his ears. Ruvian’s eyes narrowed as a violent bolt of lightning abruptly tore through the opening.

Yet he remained calm, the attack was within his expectation ever since they conjured up the earth spells. Because of that, he simply exerted strength through his legs, and shattered the ice around his feet.

Then as the lightning was about to hit him, Ruvian tilted his neck slightly to the side, allowing the lightning bolt to streak past his cheek before blasting into the earth wall behind him.

"Damn it!"

The scholars barely had time to comprehend how the hell he had evaded it, yet Ruvian had already vanished from their sight.

By the time the mages realized he was no longer there, Ruvian had already materialized directly before them with [The Endseeker] drawn back in his hand.

Their faces immediately turned pale.

Without giving them even a moment to recover, Ruvian swiftly swung his blade, and the black sword swept across all four mages before any of them could properly react.

Their bracelets immediately detected the lethal trajectory of the strike — four protective barriers instantly activated and intercepted the blade before it could reach their bodies.

It happened almost embarrassingly fast.

[You have eliminated ’Maurve Vordren’!]

[You have eliminated ’Juan Alonso’!]

[You have eliminated ’Catherina Kate’!]

[You have eliminated ’Kareem Ibrahim’!]

They could do nothing about it.

None of them were.

The remaining sixteen scholars were left utterly speechless as they stared at his back, struggling to comprehend the disparity of their strength.

"Hm? What’s with the long faces? Ah... don’t tell me. Is the bounty not tempting enough for you guys? Want me to sweeten it more?"

Still, no one answered him.

"No? Great, silence always means yes." (+500PP)

[Scholar ’Ruvian Castelor’ has added another 2,000 Points to his bounty.]

[Current Bounty: 7,000 Points.]

Then, he wore a wickedly devious smile.

"Come on now, show me some more spirit. It’d be disappointing if all that confidence vanished...."

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[Chapter 299: After Just One Exchange]

Plot Points= 32,000 PP