Chapter 96 Incredible Heist

Nathan and Meriel raced through the darkness of the ancient wood atop Fang. The chill of the night was palpable, a stark contrast to the previous night when Nathan traversed the forest with his own golem. Now, the tension was real, as they could barely make out their surroundings.

The two were well prepared for the night's events, aware of the potential danger they could face, not only from their intended monster target but also from other challengers who might attack out of their own self-interest.

"I haven't checked out the new quest from the Stormweaver class yet." Nathan muttered to himself, "Skill Creation Route Quests." He was eager to find out what exciting new challenges awaited him.

[Skill Creation Route Quests]

[...]

[Stormweaver 2/5]

[...]

[Kill 50 monsters of the same level or higher within a 30-minute period.]

[Progress: 0/50]

[Rewards:]

[70,000 Skill Points]

[1 Skill Slot]

[Bonus Rewards:]

[Lightning Thief Bracelet]

'Kill fifty monsters within a period of thirty minutes? And the reward is a bracelet called Lightning Thief. Hmm...the reward seems tempting, but the challenge is quite tricky. How can I manage to find that many monsters in such a short amount of time? Should I postpone this quest until I enter the dungeon raid?' Nathan thought to himself.

Ever since Geen, Nathan's hawk spirit beast, was killed by someone yesterday, he felt his sense of security had been completely taken away. If Geen had still been there, the task of hunting would have been much easier. This time, Nathan had to wander aimlessly without his reliable companion in search of monsters.

The two of them had been traveling for hours now, and they were starting to grow bored. The night was still and silent, and the cold air made it difficult to breathe. The only sound that could be heard was the steady thud of Fang's hooves against the ground as they rode.

Suddenly, Fang's nose twitched, and he began to howl. Meriel grabbed Nathan's arm and pointed ahead to a clearing. In the center of the clearing, they could see a large creature, a monster, struggling against around five to seven people.

[Elite Frostclaw Lv. 71]

That was a large beast covered in thick, long white fur, designed to protect it from the cold temperatures of the ancient forest. It had four massive, powerful legs and a long, curved tail that helped it balance when running across icy terrain. Its claws were razor sharp and looked like they could easily pierce through their toughest target. Frostclaws was a monster with the form of a giant bear, about two meters high when it stood on its four legs.

"What? Another Elite monster?" Nathan said admiringly, looking back at Meriel. They were still sitting atop Fang, far enough away not to draw attention to themselves. "How can CEHA gather this many Elite monsters in this place? Is this within reasonable numbers?"

"Elite monsters are actually not difficult to find, if one goes to their habitat in person," Meriel answered quietly. "At least one out of every thousand monsters has at least one Elite. But, yes, I'm aware Human Hunters usually encounter Elite monsters at least twice a year when they hunt. So, I'd say this is still within reasonable numbers."

Nathan's Greed Meter soon reached 72%.

"Are you planning to snatch the last hit from those guys, Mr. Nathan?" Meriel asked.

"Sure, why not?" Nathan gave a slight smile and chuckled.

Meriel laughed softly at Nathan's response. "Isn't it just yesterday that you got annoyed at someone who did the same to you?"

Nathan nodded. "Yes, of course, but I'm a very greedy person and I won't pass up on an opportunity like this." He answered confidently.

The monster looked incredibly strong despite the fact that seven people were fighting it simultaneously. Although it was becoming clear that the monster was getting tired and was closer to being defeated.

"Meriel," Nathan spoke slowly, "could you please wait here for a moment? I plan to only take Fang into the fight, since we both possess camouflage skills."

Meriel nodded in agreement. "Yes, of course. I'm reliable enough that you don't have to worry about me," she said with a warm smile. She then jumped from Fang, and Fang's and Nathan's bodies immediately turned transparent, completely blending into the darkness of the night.

Fang immediately darted quickly, watching the fight from a close enough distance to avoid disturbing it.

The party was composed of two tanks, a wizard, two close-range fighters, someone with a bow, and someone with a Grimoire who seemed to be a support. And they were all humans with an age range of around 19 to 25 years. Each of them had their own unique skills and abilities that enabled them to fight as if they had been trained for their respective roles.

The battle raged on, with Frostclaw's icy breath freezing any of them who got too close. The party fought hard, but the monster's strength and size were too much for them. Just when it seemed like they were going to be defeated, the knight managed to land a powerful blow with his shield, driving the creature back.

Seeing an opportunity, the wizard cast a spell to bind Frostclaw's movements, giving the others the time they needed to regroup and make their next move. The warrior moved in, using her agility to dodge Frostclaw's attacks and land a few strikes of her own.

"Remember, stay together and focus your fire!" A female warrior was the first to speak.

"We need to change tactics! John and Gale move in close and distract the beast, while the rest of us hit it from a distance!" The other shouted.

Nathan noticed a badge on their armor that read, "Vanguard", likely denoting the group to which they belonged.

Nathan immediately summoned his two swords and prepared himself to strike the monster with all his might. "I'll just steal the experience from them, let them have the reward." He muttered under his breath.

Stamping his foot, Nathan shouted, "Come on Fang!" His loyal companion responded immediately.

"Berserker Form! Fire Blade Aura! Thunder Cloud! Lightning Step!"

Nathan's body experienced a remarkable transformation; his dual swords began to ignite with blazing flames, and he felt an immense surge of power throughout his entire body.

Then, a deafening clap of thunder reverberated through the frosty night forest, and a lightning bolt illuminated the impenetrable darkness. Believing he could move faster than Fang, Nathan leapt away from it.

"Ambush!!!" they all screamed when they realized they were under attack.

As Nathan had predicted, some of the lightning strikes hit those people, who were not at his party. Time seemed to stand still as he swiftly ran past them, and a bright yellow energy blast was released every time he darted between them.

He moved with lightning speed, evading the monster's claws and teeth as it lunged forward. He struck back with his swords, sending bolts of lightning directly into the monster's hide.

The bear monster howled in pain and rage and tried to retaliate. But Nathan was too fast. He dodged the monster's attacks and continued to send powerful lightning strikes its way.

The battle raged on. Nathan kept up his lightning assault, dodging and weaving around the monster's strikes. He felt the power of the lightning coursing through his body and the exhilaration of the fight.

Those people quickly huddled together, seeking refuge behind the protective magic of one of their comrades. They were trying to avoid the lightning bolts that were randomly striking the ground.

Nathan continued to slash the monster's body with his burning sword, and lightning explosions kept hitting non-stop. His body moved as if lightning itself was dancing on the ground.

Nathan continued to swing his flaming sword, slashing the monster's body again and again. Non-stop lightning explosions illuminated the scene in a dazzling display, almost as if the lightning itself were dancing on the ground.

Dozens of lightning strikes came from the sky, crashing down around the monster. The monster was overwhelmed and staggered backward, giving Nathan the opportunity to land the final blow.

"Dragon's Fury! Dragon Breath!"

Nathan, summoning the last of his strength, sent a powerful fire elemental magic strike straight into the monster's chest. The creature let out a loud roar of agony as the attack hit its mark, its body trembling from the impact. The beast stumbled and eventually fell to the ground, defeated.

[You've killed Elite Frostclaw Lv. 71]

[You received 27,900 experience]

[Level Up]

[You received 6 stat points]

[You received 100 skill points]

[Name: Nathan Gardner]

[Race: Half Human]

[Level: Beginner Lv. 57]

[Exp: 11,338/18,782]

He looked around the battlefield, surveying the aftermath of the battle. The lightning had scorched the ground, leaving behind charred earth.

As the notification of his success appeared in front of him, Nathan felt a deep joy. He had finally avenged his defeat from the Elite Monster the day before. He activated Magic Detection and discovered a Monster Core inside the monster's carcass. He tried his best to control his greed and left it to those people.

The lightning still crashed down from the sky, and Nathan quickly jumped onto Fang and rode away from that place, celebrating his victory. He was now one step closer to getting the reward he had so desperately desired - Barbarian Skill Tier 2 - Bloodlust Empowerment.

"Don't let him get away!" They shouted desperately as they sprinted after Nathan. The distance between them and their adversary seemed to grow with every step they took.

Despite their best efforts, Nathan managed to evade them and disappeared out of sight.

"Don't blame me for this; it was the Quest that made me do it." he said with a happy smile.