Chương 23: B1 | Chapter 21

Aidan I stand at the top of a building looking out over the main battlefield while wearing the 'offering' the Fifth Ranked spoke of. Which is just an outfit and armor made by the voidlings during the time I was creating voidlings. The outfit is very nice and is completely pitch black in color. It's largely made out of leather, with a hood, pants, shoulder pads, boots, and fingerless leather gauntlets for my claws. And the rest of it is simple leather clothes with a belt and bag around my waist.

It's a pretty cool looking outfit, although I don't know where they got this material to make it out of. Although it's a similar sleek black color to their carapaces… Well, whatever. The battlefield below has hundreds of shiny, black bugs – voidlings – all rushing through the street to clash against a bunch of humanoid lizards in leather armor. With the lizardkin killing more of the voidlings than the voidlings are killing them.

But since there are significantly more voidlings than lizardkin, the number of lizardkin gradually begins to decrease while the visible number of voidlings doesn't. Simply because more voidlings always replace them. This System really is turning the Tutorial's fourth floor into a warzone… It's sad. And twisted. I can't help but scowl at the streets down below as the battle continues going on, but something inside of me makes me want to fight as well. To avenge the fallen voidlings. Is this due to that hierarchy?

What's more is that I don't feel any resistance to the idea of killing the lizardkin. Maybe because they don't look human? Or maybe it's because the hierarchy and my change in species are affecting me more than I expected? Then again, this is a warzone. One filled with people of all sorts of species killing each other, regardless of whether they're the same species or not. Plenty of humans have killed other humans. Even Ali has killed a couple humans who tried to steal from her group.

Modern morals don't really stand very strong when on the battlefield. Or when facing other species trying to kill you. I've even fought a human before. That woman who was trying to assassinate me on the second floor. After thinking for a few seconds, I eventually just shake my head and jump down onto a balcony. Then I jump further onto the ground before moving to tear my way through the much lower level lizardkin. Heading straight in the direction of the cause of this particular conflict.

A lizardkin charging through the voidlings closer to the center of the battlefield's frontlines with a single sword. One who the fifth ranked said was the leader of these lizardkin. The average level of these lizardkin is about level fifteen, while the upper levels amongst their numbers are generally between levels eighteen and twenty. But I find their leader to be level twenty-one when I identify him.

[Rejax Dresfell – Level 21 Lizardkin Flamesword Berserker] And, as his class would imply, he is running around like a berserker with a flaming sword. Of course, I'm not charging in alone. I have over a dozen voidlings following behind me. The ones I created myself. And they're also cutting through the lizardkin on our path using their sharp pincers. Which makes for a bit of a scene. Myself especially, since most of the voidlings are all just large ants the size of wolves.

Making me a lot taller than them, while obviously not being a lizardkin. So I stand out as my voidlings around me attack lizardkin trying to get closer to me. The ones I haven't engaged with personally yet. And when the lizardkin leader sees me, he quickly changes his target to charge straight towards me.

"First Ranker! For your aide of these pests, I shall smite you down myself!" the lizardkin leader shouts, making me frown slightly. Right. I almost forgot that these idiots are attacking us because they're assuming the voidlings are like the zelbar. This is annoying. I open my mouth to try and explain that voidlings are very different from the zelbar, only to close it again when he reaches me and swings his flaming blade directly at me.

Making me instinctively activate Void Pit in the path of his blade as I move to the side. The flaming sword passes straight through the orb of void energy, letting said orb absorb the mana and flames coating his sword. Meanwhile I move to slash my claws at his side. Piercing straight through his armor and tearing gouges out of his waist. A couple of my voidlings that aren't handling the nearby lizardkin trying to help their leader attack said lizardkin leader.

But the lizardkin just kicks them away while quickly pulling back. Sending the voidlings flying in the process. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. But I don't let him just back away as I rush after him, duck under his no-longer-flaming blade, and claw at his legs this time. And before he can even cry out from the pain of the gouges cut through his legs, I grab his sword handle with my claws digging into his own hand on it.

Then I stand up straight and kick at the lizardkin leader's gut. Sending him backwards while his weakened grip makes him lose his blade. I lightly smile as I step backwards, letting a couple of the voidlings take the space between us as the lizardkin leader glares at me with more than a little shock mixed into his gaze. But his shock grows quite a bit more when he sees me absorbing the source mana in his weapon. Turning said weapon into a regular piece of metal after several seconds.

All while leveling me up both in Class and in Profession. With a new skill in my Profession at level 25. [User's Class, Void Devourer, has reached level 24. User's stats have risen by the following amounts: +2 Physical, +2 Magical, +2 Mind, +2 Soul.] [User's Profession, Void Creator, has reached level 25. User's stats have risen by the following amounts: +1 Mind, +1 Soul.] ◊*New Profession Skill*◊ [Crowne of the Creator(Legendary) – Automatically enforces absolute loyalty in all voidlings regardless of mental manipulation or mind control attempts on the void creatures.] ◊*New Profession Skill*◊ At this rate, I should be able to reach Bronze Tier after this battle. Then I can leave this war-torn floor. I focus on the lizardkin leader while throwing the sword straight at another lizardkin that is about to kill one of my voidlings.

Not quite killing the lizardkin in the process, but still injuring him and pushing him back to give my voidling space to move. This particular lizardkin leader isn't on the leaderboards, nor are they incredibly powerful. So he isn't a very big threat despite being their leader. If anything's annoying, it's the other lizardkin around us trying to attack. But even they are being dealt with by the voidlings that are pushing the frontlines back to where we are. Joining me in the assault and giving my voidlings backup.

Well, I should wrap this up before the war drags out for longer and more voidlings are killed. So, with that plan in mind, I go ahead and move right up to the lizardkin leader without letting him snap out of his stupor. Then I grab him by the throat and lift him into the air as he grabs at my arm. Slamming his fists and claws into my arm and tearing rigged lines through the armor on my sleeves. I just ignore the bruises and cuts he makes though as my claws dig into his throat.

Immediately beginning to drain his lifeforce in the process to heal the wounds he's making.

"Disss-gust-ing pest… lover!" the lizardkin leader croaks out through his mouth, making me lift an eyebrow before digging my claws further into his throat. Finally finishing him off. A small part of me wanted to consider giving him a final chance to retreat. Simply because this war was caused by his fanatical hatred of the zelbar. But it's obvious he wasn't planning on listening.

I drop his corpse before looking up at the voidlings currently rushing around me to push past all of the lizardkin and wraths who are running away. Clearly marking the end of this battle. Then I go ahead and begin absorbing the source mana from all of the lizardkin and wrath who fell in battle around me. But I don't stop there as I absorb the source mana from their System Items as well. Even as I get a message about hitting level 25 in my Class and get a new skill, I continue going.

Albeit while reading the message for the skill. [User's Class, Void Devourer, has reached level 25. User's stats have risen by the following amounts: +2 Physical, +2 Magical, +2 Mind, +2 Soul.] ◊*New Class Skill*◊ [Devour(UNIQUE) – Allows the Void Devourer to slowly digest the source mana in anything he eats.] ◊*New Class Skill*◊ I'm guessing that skill means I can absorb the source mana in anything, even if it isn't a corpse or System Item, so long as I eat it.

Which means that I can eat regular food and get a tiny bit of source mana from it, filling my stomach a little from actual food. That's… a wonderful thing. And it's a unique rarity skill, too. I can't help but smile a little as I continue absorbing more source mana from the corpses of the enemies and their equipment. All the way until I level up my Profession to level 26. Bringing me to Bronze Tier as I feel a wave of energy fill my body. To the point of overflowing in fact.

[User's Profession, Void Creator, has reached level 26. User's stats have risen by the following amounts: +1 Mind, +1 Soul, +1 Free Point.] ◊-User has now Ascended to Bronze Tier. All stat points will henceforth be two times as affective as when in Iron Tier. As the user reached Bronze Tier with their Profession, all Profession levels hereon grant one additional Free Point the user may distribute to any stat.

-◊ Meanwhile black mist, similar in form and color to the black mist that constantly emits from my body, leaks out and begins to flood everything within a few meters around me. But the voidlings all ignore it. As if they already know what's happening. The energy continues to flood my body, making me feel significantly more powerful in the process. And after a while of this, the energy finally begins to settle, and the black mist starts to dissipate. Except for the black mist that is usually emanating from my body.

After the Ascension process finishes, I proceed to finish absorbing enough source mana to reach level 26 in my Class as well. Giving me more messages. [User's Class, Void Devourer, has reached level 26. User's stats have risen by the following amounts: +2 Physical, +2 Magical, +2 Mind, +2 Soul, +1 Free Point.] ◊-User's Class has now reached Bronze Tier. As the user reached Bronze Tier with their Class, all Class levels hereon grant one additional Free Point the user may distribute to any stat. -◊ Good.

Both my Class and Profession are Bronze Tier now. I turn to find Ali, her group, and the Fifth Ranked approaching me with curiosity on Ali and her group's faces, and pride on the Fifth Ranked's face. Which is slightly weird for the latter.

"I'll be heading to the fifth floor," I tell the Fifth Ranked without hesitation. Because I want that first clear bonus that the empress implied. Assuming I'm not just imagining the implication.

"Of course, Esteemed One!" the voidling declares as he kneels on one knee. I ignore his overly dramatic actions as I turn to Ali and tell her, "Make sure you stay safe." She smiles and says, "Just go get your Tutorial Points. And you make sure you stay safe as well." I nod my head with a smile of my own before focusing on the flashing message at the center of my vision. ◊ Mission Complete ◊ Would you like to leave the fourth floor?

Yes / No Then I select the yes option and find myself teleported straight to the little in-between room between floors.