Free Web NovelChapter 47: high-quality F-rank gate
Today was the weekend.
Finally, I could reward myself by sleeping until noon while hugging my wife in bed.
My wife didn’t wake me up. She hugged me and slept until 12 p.m. as well. Then, she woke up but didn’t wake me, letting me sleep until 1 p.m.
I cracked my eyes open before stretching my shoulders and getting out of bed. I headed to the bathroom, took a shower, then came to the main room to have lunch with my wife and Li.
About an hour later, we left the dormitory and headed to the academy’s monster gate area. I decided to choose a high-quality F-rank gate that cost 100 credits to clear with my wife and Li.
As soon as we stepped inside the gate, a lush green forest unfolded before us. The wind brushed against us, carrying a pleasant, refreshing breeze.
Normally, the gates maintained by the academy were thoroughly inspected, so they were much safer while still containing plenty of monsters for us to hunt. However, I had made an even riskier choice. I just hoped it would be worth it.
By killing them, I could speed up the absorption of mana from both the air and their mana cores. It accelerated my cultivation far more efficiently than relying on ordinary cultivation techniques.
A few minutes later, I heard the wild, hungry roars of monsters approaching us from deep within the forest.
A pack of wolves.
My wife said,
"I’ve got your back."
I nodded and said to Li,
"Stay with my wife. If the situation changes, they might go after the easier target."
Li nodded obediently.
"Yes, sir."
I summoned my sword while walking toward the pack of wolves. They glared at me with rabid eyes as vicious drools dripped from their maws.
They gradually spread out into formation, cutting off every possible escape route before lunging at me.
I brought my sword down, cleaving the creature in two. Then, I weaved through the monsters. Concurrently, I unleashed a series of thrusts at the enemy.
I frowned as I realized there were too many of them for me to handle alone.
It was the first time I had encountered any difficulty inside a monster gate.
Just as one of the wolves was about to bite me, one of my wife’s knives came flying out of nowhere and finished it off with a single strike to the head. Blood splattered across the grass below.
I exhaled deeply and dropped into a fighting stance as a dozen sewing needles hovered around me like a suit of spiked armor.
My eyes sharpened as I tightened my grip on my sword.
The monsters didn’t attack me in a disorganized manner like the mindless monsters I had faced before. Instead, they possessed high intelligence and fought with remarkable coordination.
I activated my footwork technique. My afterimage flashed across the battlefield as I cut down the monsters.
At the same time, my wife used her sewing needles to correct my sword movements with her [PRIMAL SWORD MANUAL].
I could clearly feel the improvement in my swordsmanship.
[You have mastered 2% of a Tier 1 technique]
Tier 1: Basic Sword Break (Mastery: 6/100%)
"Come on. Die, all of you."
Then, a Wolf charged at him, baring its fangs.
My eyes gleamed sharply as he released a simple slash.
Soon, the beheaded wolf collapsed beneath my feet.
Its eyes rolled back while its tongue hung out pathetically.
The horde of wolves glared at me warily before charging at me all at once.
I tightened my grip on my sword.
I began to move like I was dancing, performing skillful steps and finishing off each monster.
At some point, the immense number of wolves made me frown. Indeed, the monsters from the high-quality monster gates were no joke. Even now, my wife could no longer help me while she was surrounded by such a large number of monsters.
One of the wolves bit my leg, dragging me down from behind.
Taking the chance, the wolves jumped on me and began biting me, pulling me from every direction as if children were fighting over a toy. Each of them had a part of me in their jaws.
A piercing pain shot through my ankles and wrists at that moment. I was starting to think I’d been too reckless to choose this monster gate.
I could even die because of my decision, dragging my wife down with me. But now, I had no choice but to adapt to the situation.
If we survived this gate, the rewards would be beyond measure.
’’What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger.’’
I gritted my teeth and lifted my right hand along with the wolf that was biting it. I slammed that wolf into another one to free myself.
Once free, I quickly grabbed the wolf clamped onto my leg with both hands. With brutal force, I tore its maw in half, blood bathing over my body.
The scent of blood clinging to me began to stir the monster within me.
I grew stronger.
I began to give up using the sword.
At this moment, my fighting style looked more like a beast than a human’s. I crushed every wolf with my bare hands.
Each of my punches smashed a wolf’s head into a puddle of blood. I tore them apart and battered them as if they were nothing but ragged dolls.
They grew fearful and stepped back before my brutal display.
A literal slaughter.
I was already exhausted, gasping for breath.
My wife and Li quickly rushed over to support me and deal with the remaining monsters. Meanwhile, I sat down in meditation and used [Cultivation Art of Soul Stabilization] to suppress the monster within me.
A few minutes later, I opened my status window.
—
Title: The Chosen Villain
Name: Vyral Carlson
Age: 19
Rank: [F] (3532/5000) → (3884/5000)
Potential: [SSS+]
—
Title: King of Knights
Name: Arthea Albert (Wife)
Age: 18
Rank: [F] (3020/1000) → (3323/5000)
Potential: [SSS+]
A faint smile spread across my face. Just by killing a horde of wolves, we had already achieved the equivalent of a whole night’s cultivation with my wife.
I believed that my wife and I might reach [F+] Rank after clearing this monster gate. After that, we would need a few days before attempting another one. Killing too many monsters in such a short time would only put too much strain on our mana cores. They needed time to absorb and refine the mana.
