Free Web NovelChapter 133: Chapter 109: Promotion, Level 2 Warrior
Without much hesitation, Lin Mo dropped the Gale Fox’s corpse, activated [Invisibility], and immediately left the area.
When he returned to their original spot, Alton and the others had clearly heard the roar and were now waiting anxiously.
"I’m going to go take a look..."
Ali, the first to grow restless, made to leave as she spoke, but Alton stopped her.
"Calm down, Ali. Have you forgotten what Lin Mo told us? If anything unusual happens, he’ll come straight back."
Alton was confident in Lin Mo’s abilities. Even if he ran into a Crimson Flame Tiger, escaping wouldn’t be a problem. Acting rashly now would only cause more trouble.
"I’m back."
Lin Mo walked out from the forest, and everyone immediately gathered around him.
"Are you okay?"
Alton asked with concern.
"Mr. Lin Mo, are you injured?"
Feney gripped her staff, ready to cast Healing Magic at any moment.
Ali, however, just strode right up to him. After sniffing the air for a moment, she visibly relaxed and stood quietly by his side.
She was better at judging a situation with her nose than with her eyes.
Lin Mo shook his head, but a question lingered in his mind. "Captain, you said before that a sub-adult Crimson Flame Tiger is usually around three to four meters tall?"
"That’s right." Alton nodded. "Some individuals might be slightly larger, but they rarely exceed four and a half meters."
’That seems right. The Monster Atlas describes them the same way.’
"But the one I just saw was over five meters tall."
Lin Mo’s words made everyone tense up instantly.
"An adult Crimson Flame Tiger?"
Carson’s whole body tensed, looking as if he was ready to retreat at a moment’s notice.
Solan and Rick also had looks of terror on their faces; a creature like that was no joke.
Alton frowned deeply. "If that’s the case, we might have to find a new target, or even abandon this mission entirely."
As Adventurers, you can never be too cautious. An adult Crimson Flame Tiger appearing in this area was definitely an anomaly, and when faced with an anomaly, it was best not to linger.
"It won’t come after us, will it?"
Solan asked worriedly.
"I don’t think so..."
Lin Mo remained pensive, then provided a crucial piece of information. "It seems to be injured."
Although the Crimson Flame Tiger was massive and intimidating, it hadn’t shown much aggression. Its roar had been more of a threatening warning to drive him away.
Before leaving, Lin Mo had also noticed distinct bloodstains on the ground where it had passed.
"Injured?"
Rick asked in surprise, "What could injure an adult Crimson Flame Tiger?"
An adult Crimson Flame Tiger was practically the King of this forest. Aside from a handful of monsters in the Core Area, it stood at the very top of the food chain.
"I’m not sure."
Lin Mo shook his head. "But this might be why it left its original territory and migrated outward."
"You’re thinking..."
Alton immediately understood what he was implying.
"It looked quite weak. This might be our chance!"
Lin Mo narrowed his eyes. An attempt like this was certainly risky, but it also promised a massive payoff.
The price for an adult Crimson Flame Tiger was in a completely different league than that of a sub-adult.
’If we can pull this off, on top of the doubled reward...’
Besides, he was fairly confident he could succeed.
There were also differences among adult Crimson Flame Tigers. The one Lin Mo had just encountered was an individual just over five meters tall, meaning its Threat Level was only 3...
And now, he was already a Level 2 Warrior.
Lin Mo looked at his status panel. Things had been too hectic earlier for him to examine it closely.
[Invisibility] Skill Level +8
[Stabbing] Skill Level +8
Skill [Stabbing] Lv2 (20/20) has leveled up!
Current Skill [Stabbing] Lv3 (7/40)
Gained attribute point: Strength +1!
With this 1-point increase in Strength, Lin Mo’s Basic Strength Attribute officially reached 20 points.
And so...
Looking further down, another line of small, translucent text appeared.
Promotion conditions met. Professional Warrior (Level 1) promoted—Current: Professional Warrior (Level 2).
Gained Professional Attribute Amplification: Strength +1, Constitution +1, Agility +1!
With his promotion to Level 2 Warrior, the Attribute Amplification from the Warrior Profession was also enhanced. His Strength, Constitution, and Agility each increased by another 1 point. In total, the amplification bonus was now three points, up from the original two.
Lin Mo opened his status panel.
[Name]: Lin Mo
[Profession]: Warrior Level 2, Knight Level 1, Assassin Level 1
[Attributes]:
Strength: 20 (26)
Agility: 17 (25)
Constitution: 16 (24)
Spirit: 5
Magic Power: 3
Fire Element Affinity: 13%
With 26 Strength, 25 Agility, and 24 Constitution—stats that could be boosted even higher with his Wolf Bone Sword and Feney’s Skills—it might still be difficult to face a Level 3 Crimson Flame Tiger head-on. However, he was absolutely capable of kiting and distracting it, and he could make a clean getaway if needed.
And that was without even considering that it was injured.
’Even if something completely unexpected happens, I still have someone watching my back.’
The person Feney’s mother had sent to protect them wouldn’t be some nobody; they were most likely Senior Level, a Professional of Level 5 and above.
Alton fell into deep thought upon hearing Lin Mo’s words.
He understood, of course, what Lin Mo was implying. The rest of them couldn’t get involved; Lin Mo would have to attempt this on his own.
"Are you confident you can do it?"
"I’m at least seventy percent sure. If I can’t, I can still get away safely."
"Alright!"
Alton nodded. "Don’t push your luck. Your safety is the top priority."
The group headed in the direction Lin Mo had come from, and before long, they saw the corpse of the Gale Fox.
"Just as I thought..."
Looking at the untouched corpse, Lin Mo became even more certain that the Crimson Flame Tiger was in terrible shape.
It hadn’t even dared to touch the Gale Fox’s corpse, uncertain if he had truly left. This meant it was severely lacking in confidence.
They continued onward and, sure enough, found the blood trail left by the Crimson Flame Tiger. There was a lot of it.
The trail didn’t lead deeper into the forest but continued on a parallel path along its edge.
"After it!"
Alton’s command was concise. The team followed the trail, running for nearly a kilometer.
"It should be nearby. This is its resting area. The smell is very strong..."
Ali concluded after sniffing the air.
Following the intermittent blood trail, the group soon discovered a cave.
In the clearing before the cave, they could see many dried bloodstains.
"Feney, a buff, please."
"It’s called ’Light Aid’... Mr. Lin Mo, please be very careful!"
As Feney spoke, she raised her staff, and a beam of Holy Light shone down on Lin Mo.
His figure immediately vanished, and a shadow moved toward the cave.
Lin Mo moved closer quickly. As he neared the entrance, he heard heavy, labored breathing.
He glanced inside the pitch-black cave and saw the Crimson Flame Tiger carefully licking its wounds.
Beside it lay a skeleton, picked almost clean—the remains of the Gale Fox from earlier.
Lin Mo controlled his pace, using the sound of the Crimson Flame Tiger’s panting to cover his approach as he crept closer, inch by inch.
Ten meters... five meters...
Three meters!
Even in the darkness, at such a close distance, he could clearly feel the oppressive presence of its massive body. The foul, coppery stench of the Crimson Flame Tiger’s breath washed over him.
If it had been a rookie Adventurer, the sight alone would have been enough to scare them into collapsing to the ground, losing control of their bowels and bladder.
However, while Lin Mo might be a newcomer in terms of time, his experience had long since surpassed that of an ordinary Adventurer.
Far from being nervous, he actually felt a thrill of excitement.
Lin Mo carefully controlled his breathing, his grip tightening on the Wolf Bone Sword.
Less than three seconds remained on [Invisibility]’s duration—just enough time for him to charge his attack.
One charge... two charges... three charges...
A cold glint flashed in Lin Mo’s eyes as he suddenly swung his Wolf Bone Sword. Six consecutive streams of Sword Qi flew out, aimed straight for the vital points on the Crimson Flame Tiger’s head and neck!
The Crimson Flame Tiger sensed danger. As it scrambled to its feet, the first stream of Sword Qi had already slammed squarely into its face. The angle was perfectly vicious, slicing one of its eyes clean open.
The second stream of Sword Qi arrived a moment later, but because the Crimson Flame Tiger had moved, it failed to hit the other eye.
The remaining four streams of Sword Qi struck its snout, shoulder, and neck, each one leaving a bloody gash.
"Tsk."
Lin Mo clicked his tongue. As he continued to use and develop [Sword Charge Strike], he’d discovered that the skill’s Sword Qi could be precisely controlled.
He could make them all fly in the same direction, or he could control his Qi and Blood to make the other five streams of Sword Qi deviate slightly.
This was his first time attempting the technique in real combat. Unfortunately, the Crimson Flame Tiger had reacted too quickly, so he hadn’t achieved his goal of leaving it completely blind.
"ROAR—!"
The wounded Crimson Flame Tiger let out a furious roar, its massive paw swiping at Lin Mo.
Lin Mo was prepared. He withdrew, dodging the blow with relative ease.
’Just as I expected,’ he thought. ’I have a slight advantage in speed over the injured tiger.’
The Crimson Flame Tiger’s attack missed. It lunged again, only to stagger and collapse.
By the faint light filtering in from outside, Lin Mo could now clearly see its injuries. Its abdomen and one of its front paws were wounded.
Injuries like that would severely impact the Crimson Flame Tiger’s Combat Power. No wonder it had been so cautious earlier.
Furthermore, while his [Sword Charge Strike] hadn’t been fatal, the damage was not to be underestimated. Fresh blood gushed from the new wounds, soaking the fur on the tiger’s chest and making it look even more terrifying.
The excessive blood loss was making it dizzy, and its injured paw made it difficult to launch a continuous, effective assault on the enemy before it.
So, it opened its gaping maw, and searing Energy began to gather in its mouth.
’Here it comes!’
Lin Mo’s pupils contracted. This was the move that had instantly killed the Gale Fox earlier.
He quickly backed away. The next moment, with a thunderous roar from the Crimson Flame Tiger, a ball of raging flame erupted from its mouth, almost completely engulfing the cave entrance.
