Chương 86: The Threshold

The moment Kaden heard that, his face instantly turned deathly pale. A violent urge to vomit surged up from his stomach. He could still remember it clearly. Not long ago, Amy's body had been bitten in half by the Earth Lizard. The sight of the beast carrying her broken lower body in its jaws, the sickening crack of her shattered spine, had left him trembling with terror. And Amy hadn't died immediately. She had thrashed desperately in the mud, screaming for help, reaching out toward Kaden with a trembling hand.

But in the end, she was still...

"What rank of profession are you?" Zeliel turned his head to look at Kaden.

"Apprentice?"

"Apprentice rank..." Kaden lowered his voice.

"I'm a Warrior Apprentice."

"Your teammates were the same?" Zeliel asked again.

"Yes... all of us were Apprentice rank." Hearing that, Marcus couldn't help shaking his head. Apprentice-rank professionals were only slightly stronger than ordinary people. They hadn't even figured out how to form their Aura Core yet. Forget Kaden's group—even if Marcus' own team replaced Zeliel and Vaelis with two Lower-Tier Rangers, he still wouldn't have chosen an Earth Lizard as their target. That would be gambling with their lives.

A team made up of four Apprentice-rank fighters had actually dared to challenge an Earth Lizard. Was that courage... Or just ignorance?

"It's really strong..." Kaden's voice trembled with fear.

"We should leave."

"Quiet." Zeliel raised his hand. The whitewood wand in his grasp pointed directly at the Earth Lizard still resting in the mud pit. The familiar blue glow began gathering at the wand's tip. Seeing this, Marcus and Gark exchanged a glance. Without needing to speak, they both stepped forward and raised their shields, one on the left and one on the right, forming the first line of defense for the team. Vaelis also drew his bow, nocked an arrow, and infused it with Aura, beginning the charging process.

Once their two main damage dealers were ready, they looked at each other and nodded. The next instant— Arcane Missile and Thunderclap Arrow erupted simultaneously!

"Whoosh!"

"BOOM!" Brilliant flashes of light illuminated the muddy pool as the attacks tore through the air toward the Earth Lizard. Direct hit!

"BOOM...!" The violent energy sent waves of muddy water exploding outward. Amid the thunderous blast, the Earth Lizard let out a painful roar. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings. However, the scene they expected never happened. There was no spray of blood. No shredded flesh. Neither Thunderclap Arrow nor Arcane Missile could directly break through the Earth Lizard's thick hide.

The beast's scales, coated with layers of mud, sand, and gravel, possessed a defensive power far beyond their expectations. Thunderclap Arrow only blasted a charred crater into its hardened back. Arcane Missile achieved a similar result. It shattered a section of the scales and punched a hole through them, but failed to penetrate deeper and damage the flesh underneath. It can't break through...? Zeliel narrowed his eyes slightly. This Earth Lizard's hide was tougher than he imagined. In that case...

He would use another spell. Zeliel immediately began charging a second spell.

"ROOOAR!!!" The Earth Lizard's furious roar shook the swamp. It had just finished its meal and was preparing to rest, only to be disturbed by humans. The beast locked onto the direction the attacks came from. Then it lowered its body and charged. The Earth Lizard's four legs moved with shocking speed. Despite its enormous size, it accelerated like a hunting predator, each step sending muddy water splashing into the air. Kaden's face turned even paler.

His entire body trembled uncontrollably, and for a moment, he had the desperate urge to turn around and run.

"It's coming!" Marcus' heart tightened. His muscles tensed as he prepared himself for a brutal clash.

"Gark, get ready!"

"Bring it on!" Gark lowered his stance and growled. Grey also tightened his grip around his sword, waiting for the right moment to strike. Then— Zeliel stepped forward between Marcus and Gark. He moved past the two warriors and took a single step ahead.

"Zeliel...!" Marcus stared at him, confusion filling his eyes. He had no idea what Zeliel was planning. Zeliel stared straight at the charging Earth Lizard. The distance between them was rapidly shrinking. The enraged beast wanted nothing more than to tear the human apart and swallow him whole. At the tip of the whitewood wand, a dazzling blue light suddenly ignited. Then it stretched outward. A blade of water, thin as a cicada's wing, slowly formed. Severing Water! Zeliel swung his wand. A horizontal slash.

The razor-sharp blue arc flashed across the battlefield. It passed directly through the Earth Lizard's body. Marcus hadn't even realized what happened. He was about to rush forward and shield Zeliel, but then— Something felt wrong. An unbelievable scene unfolded before his eyes. The Earth Lizard, still charging forward at full speed, suddenly froze. The water blade had sliced horizontally across its body, perfectly aligned with the massive gap of its open jaws. Then— The beast split apart. Cleanly.

Its upper body continued sliding forward due to momentum, while thick, foul-smelling blood and internal organs erupted from the smooth cut. Its lower body continued stumbling forward for several steps, driven by residual muscle reflexes, before collapsing heavily into the mud. Blood and organs poured from the flawless wound, staining the gray-black swamp water an eerie crimson. Split in two. The Earth Lizard was dead. Kaden's eyes widened. He even forgot to close his mouth. His mind went completely blank.

He couldn't comprehend what he was seeing. That Earth Lizard— The terrifying monster whose scales could withstand arrows and blades. The creature that had slaughtered his entire team without giving them any chance to fight back. It had just been... Cut in half. Instantly killed. By a single spell. At this moment, Zeliel was in an excellent mood. Because after killing the Earth Lizard, he had successfully leveled up. [Level 8 (247/275) → Level 9 (92/300)] [Level Up!] The four attribute points he received were once again allocated into Intelligence. Strength: 65 Agility: 61 Constitution: 68 Spirit: 71 Intelligence: 90 → 94 Perception: 30 Charisma: 51 → 52 Luck: 41 Talent Skill: Talent: Spell Genesis As his Intelligence increased once again, an unprecedented wave of insight surged through Zeliel's entire body. Inside his Sea of Consciousness, something exploded with overwhelming force. Years of accumulation. Countless moments of growth.

Everything had finally reached the threshold. The door to becoming a Lower-Tier Mage had already opened. All that remained was for him to step through. But not now. He needed a sufficiently quiet place, somewhere without interruption, to complete his advancement. Returning to his senses, Zeliel suddenly noticed something strange. The surroundings were far too quiet. He turned around. His teammates were all staring at him... With the exact same expression they would use when looking at a monster.

"What...?" Zeliel felt slightly uncomfortable under their gazes.

"..." Silence. Gark subconsciously touched his treasured broadaxe. For the first time, he began questioning his own strength. Vaelis also glanced at his longbow, Luna's Edge, his expression complicated. His mind was already trying to figure out how he could possibly replicate Zeliel's previous strike.

"Nothing." In the end, Grey was the first to shake his head.

"I've just become even more determined to become a mage in my next life." A monster as tough as an Earth Lizard. A single horizontal slash of water from Zeliel had cut it apart instantly. That kind of destructive power... Even a Mid-Tier Swordsman would struggle to achieve something like that, wouldn't they? And Zeliel was still only a Mage Apprentice.