Level 2-5 [Archimantis Homicida] x5 has been slayed

Participation Rate: 100%

You have earned 700 experience

Level Up!

One [Status Point] rewarded

“Not now.” Adrian told the Record and the message vanished.

Subconsciously, Adrian assigned his [Status Point] that became three once it was applied to [Celeratio]. Between his augment speed from [Celeratio], now surpassing the triple movement speed milestone, and the 25% increased speed from [Rampage], Adrian moved a total of a factor of 3.75 the normal speed of a human. Even if Adrian himself didn’t notice, he was running at almost sixty kilometers per hour to the lair’s exit. That being approximately the highest speed limit at residential zones or twice the speed of a bicycle.

The would-be the fastest man in the Earth ran as he feared death from bleeding out. To be fair, humans at Earth normally don’t experiment near-death scenarios so its first case, like Adrian’s, could be greatly exaggerated.

[Rampage]’s boost wore off when Adrian finally saw the light of the tunnel's exit. He got out as his party watched him disconcerted.

“Oh my god, Adrian! You are bleeding!” Aby exclaimed as he saw the copious amount of blood flowing out of Adrian’s wound.

“Yeah, I can see that.” Even though Adrian was scared, he couldn’t just forget his sarcasm. Maybe it was some sort of escapism.

“Let’s calm down,” Mike stated calmly whilst his body was shaking. “Ehm… Axel! Tear your shirt so we can’t stop the hemorrhage.”

Mike’s restlessness made him eat some of the words, but the message was carried. Axel ripped off his left sleeve in order to stop the hemorrhage.

“We should clean that wound before,” Mike commented. “But I doubt we can’t without water.”

In the end, Axel also tore Adrian’s left sleeve so he could clean hastily the blood on his arm. Then Aby wrapped the wound with Axel’s torn shirt. It looked like the blood stopped coming out.

“You should clean that at the river before it gets infected,” Mike advised Adrian. “Let me accompany you.”

“No,” Adrian told. “I should go alone. It will be faster.”

“I won’t tolerate that,” Aby responded to Adrian. “Look how much blood you have lost! And that’s not even considering that you hadn’t had a nice meal for two days. You could pass away any moment now!” Aby grabbed Adrian’s right hand. “I am going with you. The rest stay here. We’ll be back once I treat him.”

“Okay.” Adrian didn’t try to protest.

Then he casted [Time Dilation I] in order to arrive faster at the river. He thought it would be no problem since it consumed mental power and not stamina. He got scolded by Aby about overexerting, but he felt just as bad as before.

They got there faster than usual, Adrian thought that he could cast constantly [Time Dilation I] to make the party go faster. He did not have any more [Skills] that consumed mental power, so he found no problem with that idea.

Adrian and Aby knelt before the river as she splashed some water into the wound. She removed the makeshift bandage first, of course. Aby cleaned the bandage, washing away all the blood that it had absorbed. After draining the water, she tied up the cloth once again.

“Are you alright?” She asked Adrian.

He took a sip of water before answering. “Yeah, just a bit dizzy. Nothing severe. Especially considering the amount of blood I lost.”

“I am sorry I can’t provide you any more help.” Aby said sincerely.

“Don’t worry.” He told her with a smile. “None of us can do anything else.”

“Either way, I am sorry.” Aby told him.

Adrian didn’t know why she apologized, but he was a bit too tired to continue talking. Instead, he decided to take a look at his [Status]. He couldn’t see the message when he obtained [Shadow Mantle] but he could still look the [Title]’s description.

[Shadow Mantle]: As one becomes one with the shadows, its ability to conceal is facilitated. Allows [Stealth] skill without any cost while being at shadows or dark places; and the user passively merges with the shadows, reducing any possible enemy focus.

The [Title] disconcerted Adrian a bit. He didn’t have any [Skill] about stealth, so how could he use this [Title]? Maybe [Stealth] is some kind of status effect instead of a streamline [Skill]? The phrase also presented him with some doubt, but it was just the wording. He supposed that enemy focus was aggro and its effect was the opposite of a tank role.

Adrian also looked at a message that he wasn’t notified.

As you progressed the path of the Time Weaver upon leveling up, you have upgraded a spell of your [Time Magic] grimoire. [Time Dilation I] has been substituted with [Time Dilation II].

[Time Dilatation II]: You can give a 15% of your own [Celeratio] to your allies. Consume a great amount of mental power to apply this effect for 10 minutes in a five-meter radius.

‘Nice.’ Adrian plainly thought as he read the [Skill] description. ‘The Record could have saved the text and just wrote the 5% increase to [Celeratio]. Even then, that’s a mild increase. Well, if the grimoire upgrades every level of the fourteen remaining of Time Weaver, then there would be plenty of increases. I would like more [Skills] rather than upgrade existing ones. I mean, isn’t that what [Growing] skills are supposed to do?’ Adrian meditated as he thought of his unusable [Court of the Broken King].

“Are you alright?” Aby asked once again, provoking a déjà vu feeling to Adrian.

“Oh, yes…” He responded while he was distracted. “I was reading some things after I leveled up my class.”

“You leveled up in such a short time?” Aby asked as Adrian leveled up recently. She did notice that leveling was getting harder with each level.

“Yeah, between those two that I killed at the beginning and the five I killed now; I had enough experience.” Adrian told her as he tightens up his bandage as he felt it too loose.

“You fought five mantises?!” Aby cried with fury. “How can you be so reckless?” Aby was now mad that Adrian got injured because he fought that of an overwhelming battle alone.

“To be fair,” Adrian started. “I only counted three mantises and I executed two of them before they could detect me. I didn’t expect a duo to be walking meters behind.”

Aby didn’t seem to like that response, but she left the matter as she thought it would only get her more enervated. “Let’s go back with the group.” She stated without force backing her words.