Free Web NovelChapter 12: Collecting the Perk in Advance
A purplish-black magic circle slowly spread out beneath the Sage Skeleton’s feet.
The white bone staff touched the ground, giving off a dry sound that echoed across the third-floor arena. Right after, smaller magic circles appeared all at once on the gray stone ground. The dark patterns interwove with one another like a colossal web, quickly covering nearly the entire area in front of Ethan and Laira.
The air immediately turned cold.
Wisps of black mist as thin as smoke slowly rose up from the ground, making the already old stone slabs look even gloomier. From beneath the layer of stone, dry scratching sounds kept ringing out.
Crack. freēwēbnovel.com
Crack.
Crack.
White skeletal hands pierced through the ground.
Then arms.
Skulls.
And skeletons clad in tattered armor.
They weren’t as strong as the Sage Skeleton standing before the stone throne, but their numbers rose rapidly. Ten. Twenty. Thirty. In just a few short seconds, a small Undead army had appeared beneath the dark magic circles.
Information kept appearing on the central screen of Aurora Academy.
[Sage Skeleton.]
[Race: Undead.]
[Level: Silver tier 10.]
[Trait: Dark Magic.]
[Trait: Summon Undead.]
[Trait: Soul Curse.]
[Trait: High-level Fire Resistance.]
Below the main information was a whole series of other data lines.
[Skeleton Warrior.]
[Level: Black Iron tier 8.]
[Skeleton Archer.]
[Level: Black Iron tier 9.]
[Skeleton Mage.]
[Level: Black Iron tier 10.]
[Current total number of Undead: 36.]
In the main hall of Aurora Academy, the murmurs that had just died down immediately rang out once more.
"The third floor already has a Silver tier 10 monster?"
"It’s not just a higher level. It also knows how to summon Undead."
"High-level Fire Resistance."
"Everyone look at that line."
"This time Laira can’t just toss out a fireball and end it all anymore."
A student from the combat class unconsciously sat up straight. His face had turned far more serious than during the previous two floors. "The Sage Skeleton doesn’t need to close in directly. It just needs the Undead army to pin Laira down, then use a soul curse on Ethan. Ethan hasn’t opened his Heaven’s Gate. He has no ability to resist a mental attack."
The one sitting beside him answered in a low voice: "And Laira has to protect him too. Just letting a single curse through is enough to end the trial."
In the VIP seating area, Ryan looked at the central screen. The corner of his mouth slowly curled up.
This time, his smile was much more obvious.
"The first floor only had one stupid Berserker Skeleton. The second floor was just a pack of low-tier Undead too. But this floor is completely different." Ryan leaned back against his seat, his eyes carrying a malicious anticipation. "High-level Fire Resistance. Summon Undead. Soul Curse. Someone like Ethan who hasn’t opened his Heaven’s Gate can only become a burden."
Selene, sitting beside him, didn’t say anything right away. She still stared at the screen. Her face was calmer than before, but the hand resting on her knee was still slightly clenched.
Lionel Hart nodded faintly.
"Finally, a suitable opponent." The White Lion Guild Master looked at the Sage Skeleton standing in the middle of the Undead army, his voice dropping low. "That Crimson Dragon can rely on overwhelming power to wipe out weaker targets. But when she meets an enemy with fire resistance and summoning ability, the battle won’t be so simple."
Vanessa Crowe didn’t immediately chime in.
Her pale violet eyes were still focused on Laira.
"I don’t think she’s been serious."
Lionel turned to her slightly.
Vanessa slowly continued: "In the previous two floors, Laira never actually used a complete combat skill. Even the ring of fire on the second floor was just a quick way of dealing with things."
Rowan pressed his metal staff against the floor. "No matter how great her power is, Ethan is still the weak point." The old man looked at the central screen, his voice hoarse but clear. "A Partner must share fate with its master. If Ethan dies, it all ends. The Sage Skeleton doesn’t need to defeat Laira. It only needs to get past her once."
Inside the third-floor arena, Ethan understood this clearly as well.
He looked at the Undead army that kept appearing, then looked at the Sage Skeleton raising its staff. The purple stone atop the staff glowed without stop. Threads of dark energy as thin as smoke were converging around its body, like a curse not yet taking shape, preparing to lock onto his soul.
Ethan frowned slightly.
Even though he knew clearly that Laira was far stronger than anything the human system could display, he couldn’t help feeling wary. This was the Abyss Tower. Each floor was clearly stronger than the last. Only the third floor and already a Silver tier 10 Sage Skeleton had appeared. No one knew what kind of monster the next floor might still bring.
He looked at Laira.
The Crimson Dragon, over two meters tall, still stood before him. Her long red hair stirred in the current of cold air. The faint, hazy black chains coiling around her wrists and ankles trembled slowly, giving off a soft sound of clashing metal.
Unlike the previous two floors, this time she didn’t act right away.
Laira only looked at the Sage Skeleton for a few seconds.
Then curved the corner of her mouth slightly.
A rare hint of interest appeared in her amber-red eyes.
Ethan was silent for a brief moment, then asked: "Is it going to be okay?"
Laira turned to look at him.
The instant their gazes met, the coldness on her face immediately softened. She stepped closer to Ethan and slowly reached out to caress his face. The motion was so gentle it was almost the complete opposite of the terrifying aura that had just made the entire arena tremble.
Her fingertip brushed across Ethan’s cheek, like touching a fragile treasure. Then Laira lifted his chin, forcing his gaze to look straight into her blazing amber-red eyes.
The corner of Laira’s mouth curled up.
"If you give me one kiss..." She smiled, her voice carrying a touch of lazy, natural teasing. "I can definitely help you get through this floor."
Ethan was silent.
"..."
For a moment, he didn’t know how to react.
Not because Laira’s proposal was too hard to understand.
But because he knew very well that this place was not a private space. Outside, Aurora Academy was certainly still watching every action of theirs through the observation screen. Headmaster Cole, the three major guild masters, Ryan, Selene, Claire, and hundreds of students could all see.
Ethan had no intention of putting on too intimate a scene in front of hundreds of people.
At least not in the current situation.
He let out a soft breath, then calmly replied: "After we get back, I’ll pay you in full."
Laira blinked.
Then, her amber-red eyes curved up slightly.
She slowly licked her lips. A faint blush appeared on her beautiful, almost unreal face. Not too obvious, but enough to make her natural allure far more dangerous.
Laira looked at Ethan like she was looking at a delicious dish that had just been promised to her own mouth.
"In that case..." She chuckled softly. "I’ll collect a little perk in advance."
Ethan paused.
"What?"
Before he could react, Laira had wrapped one arm around his waist.
The difference in physique and strength between the two was too great. Ethan only felt his body go weightless. Right after, he had been easily lifted up by Laira, as if he had no weight at all.
"Laira—"
The words hadn’t finished.
She had already bent down.
Her long red hair fell over Ethan’s shoulder, carrying a very faint warm fragrance. Her soft lips touched his neck.
Not too hard.
But enough to make Ethan draw in a soft breath.
A numbing sensation spread out from the point of contact, running down his spine. Laira was in no hurry to leave. She just held Ethan in her arms, her lips lingering on the skin of his neck, like leaving a small mark that belonged to her alone.
Ethan lightly clenched his hand.
He didn’t resist.
But he couldn’t be completely calm either.
Outside the screen, the entire main hall of Aurora Academy fell utterly silent.
No one said anything.
No one knew what to say.
A few male students looked at the scene before them, their faces almost turned to stone. The girls sitting near the screen all blushed at once. Not because the scene was too bold, but because Laira’s presence was too overwhelming.
A Crimson Dragon over two meters tall, beautiful to the point of near perfection, had just lifted Ethan up with one hand while naturally bending down to leave a kiss on his neck.
Strong.
Free-spirited.
And intimate to the point of not caring about anyone’s gaze in the slightest.
Claire, sitting in the combat class area, was completely silent.
The hand resting on her knee unconsciously clenched tight.
She didn’t understand why a hard-to-describe pang of pain had appeared in her heart. Ethan had once been her boyfriend. During the two years he fell behind, she had gradually lost patience. She thought he would never be able to catch up to Ryan. She had also once thought she was merely choosing a better future.
But now, watching Laira hold Ethan in her arms like protecting a precious treasure, Claire couldn’t take her eyes away.
A feeling like regret began to appear.
Very faint.
But impossible to ignore.
Ryan was completely different.
He looked at the screen, his eyes reddening with jealousy.
Laira was too beautiful.
Not only because of her long red hair, her curved black horns, or her almost perfectly mature figure. More importantly, she possessed power that made three guild masters wary, yet all of her gentleness was given only to Ethan.
If Laira hadn’t been a Mythic Partner, Ryan would still have used every means to fight over her, to turn her into a treasure that belonged to him alone.
But now, she was holding Ethan.
The brother he had always looked down on.
Inside the arena, the Sage Skeleton paid no attention to the scene before it. It raised its staff. The purple stone atop the staff blazed bright. Dozens of magic circles trembled all at once.
The Undead army immediately charged toward Ethan and Laira.
The Skeleton Warriors raised their swords.
The Skeleton Archers drew their bows.
Dark orbs began to converge atop the Skeleton Mages’ staves.
But Laira still didn’t let go of Ethan.
She only slowly raised her other hand. ƒreewebɳovel.com
Then casually swung it to one side.
Whoosh!
A sharp sound of tearing wind rang out.
From the center of Laira’s palm, a chain of fire over two meters long immediately appeared.
Each link was formed from dark red flame compressed to the extreme, giving off a dazzling light. When Laira swung her arm, the chain immediately stretched out, turning into a shape like a fire dragon charging straight at the Undead army.
