Kailen's gaze lingered on the night sky for a few breaths, a wide smile plastered on his face. His shadow creatures disappeared, retreating into the shadow expanse.
"I really would have died, huh… yet it was a thrilling battle, and I survived. But why did this wicked time dilation artifact give me a boost?"
Ignoring the artifact's usual silence, he stood, his gaze settling on the gory scene of the beheaded corpse before him.
"I might need a psychiatrist after all. All these headless corpses could make me start dreaming about headless horsemen."
His sarcastic remark was met with his own brief laughter, though his eyes widened slightly afterward.
His feet carried him toward the corpse, his gaze narrowing on the insignia on its chest.
"Interesting. Sunset Guild. So, the guilds didn't take it well that I rejected their offers. I should probably pay the Sunset Guild a visit when I get back. Perhaps I can use them to teach the others a lesson—that I'm not to be trifled with. I should focus on increasing my strength as soon as possible."
A cold, angry glint flashed in Kailen's dark eyes.
Reaching into the corpse's pockets, his fingers brushed against the slightly cracked surface of the object he'd been searching for.
"Should be really expensive to maintain such small cracks… possibly gifted by some S-ranked Awakened," he muttered, tapping the screen of the phone.
"Ten days, huh. Four days left—and if this quest isn't completed, I'm screwed. Too bad the system boost was just temporary, though."
Just as Kailen was about to venture into the forest in search of opportunities to increase his strength, a holographic notification popped up before him.
[Head deeper into the valley. There's something worthwhile there.]
"Oh, finally decided to help me out?"
[Tsk.]
Ignoring the system's curt response, Kailen hesitated no more and glided swiftly through the valley terrain, heading deeper inside.
From a distance, he saw it.
Nestled beneath a tree was a crystal ball the size of a soccer ball.
"Of course… an A-ranked diabolic creature, again. There has to be some sort of trouble whenever this system is involved."
Kailen scoffed. Around the crystal ball, a ginormous cheetah—nearly four meters long—lay asleep, radiating an intense aura of barbarity.
[It's pregnant. What you see over there is an energy orb—a crystal formed from the natural condensation of worldly energy.]
"I've read about energy orbs. But I definitely don't have the nerve to offend an A-ranked creature. Of course, if you'd be willing to give me another temporal boost, things would play out differently."
The system ignored his bait and continued:
[It's in its final stages of pregnancy, rendering it extremely weak, vulnerable, and immobile. The creature has remained in that posture for the past week.]
An excited glint flashed in Darkhaven's eyes. The system's hint was clear: he could snatch the energy orb without facing the creature's wrath since it was weak, immobile, and heavily pregnant.
Another thought—selfish and fleeting—crossed Kailen's mind, but he dismissed it quickly.
"A weakened A-ranked diabolic beast is still an A-ranked diabolic beast. Let's just snatch the energy orb. Besides, I'd gain nothing even if I managed to kill it; I don't have any slots left for creating new shadow creatures. I should focus on stealing the orb to increase my strength."
He also reminded himself that only four days remained to complete the system's mission.
"Even if it's extremely weak, I can't risk waking an A-ranked creature. I've already earned the ire of a wyvern I haven't even dealt with yet. Can't have too much on my plate. Luckily, energy orbs aren't heavy."
A cacophony of shadows stirred to life, forming into two obsidian-colored forearms floating in the air. Defying gravity, they stretched out rapidly toward the energy orb.
Once they secured the orb, the shadow arms retracted swiftly, delivering it straight into Kailen's hands.
As soon as it landed, the shadows dissipated. Kailen turned around, summoned Avarice, climbed onto the shadow creature's shoulders, and sped away from the scene.
"One can imagine how angry that creature will be when it wakes up… It was clearly absorbing the energy orb slowly to increase its strength. Sorry, Miss Chee…"
He shook off the thought as he arrived at an empty cave where he could safely focus on his breakthrough.
"Caves, huh. The last one didn't leave that much of a good impression on me."
He examined the cave carefully for any hidden dangers. It seemed normal.
"Then again, the last one looked normal too…"
It had—except that the previous cave was on a mountain peak and surrounded by massive, threatening beasts.
"I've had one dramatic ride. Well, let's see what this energy orb can help me accomplish."
Avarice, Feral, and the three unnamed C-ranked dark fiend shadow hounds stood guard outside while Kailen sealed the cave entrance with a shadow wall.
A man could never be too careful.
Forming a shadow blade with a razor-sharp edge, Kailen made a small cut on his right finger. A droplet of blood fell onto the orb's smooth exterior, initiating the absorption process exactly as he'd read about.
Soon, his accuracy was confirmed—a powerful wave of worldly natural energy surged into his body, far stronger than before.
The process of attempting a breakthrough had begun.