Chapter 54 - Limit Release (I)

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"Do you all see that back there?" Lucian muttered while making eye contact with the savage eyes in the distance. An impending sense of doom assaulted his mind as he stared into its eyes. Although it didn't affect his mental state, Lucian was aware of some of the team's weak links.

Even though he made some progress in handling Quinn, if danger was forthcoming then there was no telling how much Quinn would revert to his prior ways. As for Lucian, he didn't have other cards up his sleeve to jolt Quinn's mental evolution again.

The only thing Lucian could do was try to minimize the issue as much as possible. Thus, he brought the frightening presence to their attention immediately. It removed the element of surprise in case they failed to sense the threat with their current perception.

"I see it! What the hell is that thing? If the eyes are that massive, it must be goddamn enormous!" Desmond exclaimed. In light of Lucian order's he raised all of his attributes to the D+ standard based on their use in his attack style.

At a glance, the top 4 needed attributes for him were Strength, Agility, Perception, and Dexterity. Seeing as he was a ranged fighter, these 4 attributes combined could elevate his capabilities to new heights. After all, with his abilities, the sensory side of the battle took precedence.

Like most abilities, Desmond's came with a huge drawback. The smoke he created compromised his vision as well. While some stronger abilities mended their weaknesses, it was clear Desmond's ability had not reached that level yet. Although his ranking was undisclosed, Lucian estimated it to be lower than A Rank.

Otherwise, such a glaring weakening wouldn't exist.

"I see it as well. Will it be a problem? How should we move forward?" Ahri questioned. While asking this, she also activated her ability while grasping a wolf's neck. Several bubbles appeared on its neck as it whimpered and thrashed about before dying.

Afterward, Ahri sped off in the direction of her next target. Simultaneously, she kept her attention fixated on the three gigantic wolves. While the smaller ones were limited to a certain area, the other three were too shocking. Their leaping ability was immaculate, allowing them to soar over the others underneath with ease.

"Damn! That's not good at all," Olov shouted before moving to intercept one of them. With a strong dash, Olov arrived right under the gigantic wolf closest to him. However, after bearing the brunt of the attack, Olov was devastated by the strength behind their attacks.

Even after redirecting the force, there was still enough residual force to sink his feet into the ground. Not to mention, the weight of the wolves was absurd. If Sylvia were to attempt attracting one of them, the immense strain was bound to damage her internally!

"My lord! These fucking things are heavy. Stop feeding them dammit!" Olov bellowed. A strange light illuminated his body as he attempted to push the wolf back. However, even after roaring and amplifying his Mana output, the wolf proved to be an immovable wall.

Upon noticing this, Lucian's eyes narrowed. If these three wolves, who were previously unaccounted for, produced this much of a time-consuming issue, then how strong was that mystifyingly large wolf in the distance?!

Before acting, Lucian exhaled and viewed the battlefield from a subjective viewpoint. The positioning of his team entered his mind as small dots while the wolves appeared as lines of varying thickness. At first, Lucian didn't understand why they appeared this way.

But, a hieroglyph in his mind started vibrating. The change caused a chain reaction as each point in his mind brightened with several unique densities. After a few seconds, Lucian understood their meaning.

'This is their Mana Signature! So perhaps this is what the skill description meant by my mind will know when my eyes fail. I can see it!'

Immediately, Lucian pinpointed the mismatched opponents. The gigantic wolves didn't require 1 but 2 of their members to neutralize them. Or, at the very least, the required the strongest one in the party.

After comparing the densities, Lucian found that his own triumphed over the three wolves. Although their ranking appeared on the same on the surface, a Limit Refinement differed greatly from a regular Refinement. If not, the Limitless Stone wouldn't be fit to be called a sacred item.

The difference lied in the divide caused by the stone's presence. Each level possessed a uniform power increase according to the Fractured Monolith indications, but the Limitless Stone bypassed that and set a unique standard for Lucian.

To reach that standard, not only did the item need to be unique, it needed to be unsurpassed in a certain field. That and it needed to be strong enough for even higher existences to revere, hence its classification as a sacred item.

Suddenly, Lucian's eyes flung open, and he burst forth while moving at a baffling speed. A loud crash was heard about a second later as Lucian turned his head toward Olov with a faint smile.

"Kill it," Lucian ordered. The wolf's body was embedded into the wall with two pronounced indents on its ribs. On the other hand, Lucian's body was overflowing with a monstrous Mana signature.

〈Alert: The first activation of «Limit Release» has been exhausted. Ability deemed to be inferior state along with the vessel. Granted Over-Release: 25%〉

〈Alert: «Limit Release» flow directed towards the limbs. Strength and Agility raised to C Standard.〉

After reading the notification, it elated Lucian for two reasons. One reason was that it seemed he possessed the ability to temporarily enter a new standard depending on the area he deluged with Mana.

The other reason was simple. If the first activation was the weakest of the three, then the other two were bound to be much stronger. The only gripe he had with the ability was the unknown aftereffects. Would it reduce his stats? Would the sudden jump in strength raise flags with the Overseers monitoring? Could he be weakened afterward?

The wanton use of the skill was too risky. After experiencing its effects, Lucian learned just how careful he needed to be with it. 'I've never heard of an ability capable of elevating one's strength so much and I don't wish to be the first target. Let's do things sensibly.'

"Ahri, assist Olov. Desmond; you and Adonis handle the surrounding wolves. Aeran, come with me," Lucian instructed before pausing, "We're going to clear an uncontested path."

"W-Whoa! Are we going to charge right into that mess? Heh, count me in!" Aeran smirked. Rippling tendrils composed of pure vibrations waved back and forth. Afterward, it converged into a single point, which extended Aeran's range by 1 meter.

"A new technique, I assume?" Lucian commented before rushing forth.

"Likewise," Arean shouted while noticing the change in Lucian's billowing aura. The palpable change was strong enough to warp the immediate space around him.

Bang!

Suddenly, a terrifying explosion jostled Aeran awake from his stupor. In a daze, he identified the cause after witnessing Lucian's bizarre actions. A single punch and the closest gigantic wolf was pushed back!

'A monster! This guy is en route to becoming a monster,' Aeran thought. Gradually, his shock turned into an excited grin, 'I hope we can become one as well. Only a monster can cultivate other monsters.'

Whoosh!

Aeran stormed forward while his own aura escalated. Emptying 24 Enhancement Points, he elevated his combat attributes to the peak of the D standard. This, accompanied by his fluid sword movements, turned Aeran into a grim reaper alongside Lucian.

While Lucian pushed back the large wolf, delivering forceful blows to drive it back and deal with straggling wolves at the same time, Aeran handled his rear. Any of the wolves that flooded behind Lucian were dealt with quickly.

Hesitation wasn't permitted as the slightest delay in attack would give the wolves the window needed to attack Lucian. As their unofficial leader and the most valuable asset to the team, Aeran couldn't allow that.

The extension added to his sword emitted a nearly inaudible screech. However, the frequency was fatal to the wolves as every time Aeran passed by they froze. In that tiny window, a perfect cut appeared on all of their throats.

Only after Aeran moved on to the next target did blood endlessly spray from the wounds.

Witnessing this scene of gore, Ahri questioned this team. 'Where did this drive come from? Compared to before, it's like a new flame has invigorated everyone; even me. Is this the effect he has on people? Or, was this just his goal for us? Wherever he came from and whatever he experienced, his previous team is a bunch of fools.'

After realizing Lucian's prowess, Ahri couldn't imagine a scenario wherein she would jeopardize his presence in the team. For one, his strength was frightening, and so was the distant gaze he gave everyone.

On top of that, Ahri saw his worth as incalculable.

Meanwhile, the numbers of the wolves continued to dwindle. But, a large upheaval drew Ahri's attention away from her thoughts.