I smirked, pulling the first aid kit from my back and tossing it to him.
"I'm glad you're doing so good, here, use whatever you can and make it fast. I'll handle these bastards."
He took the kit and started patching himself up.
I stood up, my back to him, and kicked away the climbing trolls. My foot connected with one's face, sending it tumbling down the mount.
"So how the hell did you get stuck in this mess? It's not like you to throw yourself into dumb situations. Even I wouldn't go this far."
"Don't insult my intelligence by comparing me to yourself," he shot back. "Anyway, first, tell me how you even found me. Doesn't seem like a coincidence."
"Nope. The vice commander told me about your situation."
Steve's eyes widened.
"What the hell? I contacted her for help, but she didn't respond."
"Don't ask me, man. I have no idea what's going on in that bald demon's head." I answered.
"Well, something is definitely up." He spoke.
He fell silent for a few seconds. I turned my head slightly to check on him and found him struggling to wrap a bandage around his arm with just one hand.
"Come on, dude, I'm literally right here," I said.
He scoffed but didn't argue.
I checked my surroundings, making sure no trolls were too close, then crouched beside him and bandaged his arm properly.
The rain wasn't helping—soaking through everything, making the bandages slippery. The storm didn't seem like it would let up anytime soon, thunder rumbling and flashing light across the battlefield.
"How did you break your arm?" I asked.
Steve exhaled heavily, sitting cross-legged.
He raised his hand, pointing toward the other two figures on the rocky mount, much closer to the checkpoint pillar.
"What? You mean they attacked you on purpose?"
Steve stared at me, his expression dark.
"How would they unintentionally break my arm, Billion?" Steve muttered.
"Yes, we were fighting the golems together. Then the trolls joined in, and since those two are from the capital, they teamed up and kicked me out, forced me to fight the trolls alone. That's why they're closer to the reward.
I was the damn sacrifice."
I blinked a few times.
"Are we even allowed to do that? Sabotage our own?"
"Well, I don't remember Arkas saying not to."
"Yeah… he didn't say anything about that."
I stood up and walked back to the edge of the mount, kicking away the trolls that kept trying to climb up.
"Well, that makes things easier for me. Let them grab the reward, I'll just beat it out of them." I grinned.
"Yeah, whatever. I don't care anymore," Steve mumbled. "I've been fighting nonstop. I'm taking a nap."
He lay down in the weirdest position, trying to fit his massive frame on the uneven surface.
"Dude, it's raining. How the hell are you gonna sleep?"
I rolled my eyes and turned my attention to the two guys on the other mount.
Up until now, I had ignored them, my focus entirely on Steve. But now that I knew they were the reason he was in this mess, things were different.
I activated my scan. The system gave me their details.
[King Holt – Level 7]
[Michael Hightower – Level 6]
"Ohh… so you're King Holt," I muttered.
He was ranked second in the level rankings.
I narrowed my eyes at him, my jaw tightening.
I watched the duo fight. King wielded a spear with precision, his movements sharp and controlled. Michael, on the other hand, swung his swords wildly—effective, but nowhere near as refined.
They were clearly exhausted.
Sure, they were closer to the checkpoint, but getting the golden glass core wouldn't be that easy.
A level 10 golem and a level 10 troll stood guard near the pillar, along with several other lower-level golems and trolls.
There was no way those two could just waltz in and claim the prize.
If anything, the Abominations had a better chance. A cluster of them was already pounding away at the pillar, their relentless attacks shaking the ground around it.
I turned my thoughts inward.
In my current condition, there was no way I could clear the checkpoint. I was completely out of Essence and exhausted beyond belief. Even though I was stronger than anyone else here individually, the sheer number of Abominations made it impossible to push through.
The only way forward was to get stronger. And the fastest way to do that?
I had already killed a lot of Abominations and gathered Essence—if I took down a few level 9s, I should be able to push myself up another level.
I could generate Essence while fighting, but the real issue was fatigue. That wouldn't just disappear by leveling up.
I exhaled and kicked, sending another Tree Troll tumbling down the mount.
"I wish I had a big area of attack," I muttered. "Something to wipe these idiots out in one go so I could actually get some damn rest."
Looking back at Steve, still napping peacefully despite the rain, I shook my head.
He really could sleep through anything.
I exhaled and slid down the mount.
Cracking my knuckles, I got to work.
The Tree Trolls around the base were mostly low levels, Level 6 and 7, nothing I couldn't handle. I moved like a sentinel, circling the mount and smashing down anything that got too close.
Most of them crumbled after a single punch or kick if I aimed right. I made sure every move counted—no wasted energy, no unnecessary swings.
Just clean, efficient strikes.
Fatigue and aching muscles faded into the background as I focused entirely on my movements.
My combat skills were sharpening in real-time, each kill felt smoother, faster, more precise. I wasn't just throwing power around anymore; I was refining my technique.
[Level 10 → Level 11]
I let out a breath, my shoulders relaxing. The tension that had built up from exhaustion settled just a little.
I climbed back up the mount and sat down next to Steve, letting my body rest for a moment.
Looking up at the rotating projector, I noticed two changes. My level-up and something else.
North leveled up too.
She was now Level 7, ranked 4th on the list, just below Steve.
"Is she in a situation like Steve?"
The thought lingered for a moment. I hadn't gone to check on her, but it did worry me a little.
I added 4 points to Strength and 1 to Psynapse from the newly gained unused stats.
Then, I pulled up my status to check my progress.
----------------------------------------------------
Name : Billion Ironhart
- Essence Manipulation (Innate) Level 2
- Psynapse Boost (Innate) Level 1
----------------------------------------------------
I clenched my fist, feeling the subtle difference in my body.
My muscles tightened, denser and more compact than before. Even my bones felt sturdier, as if they had been reinforced. I wondered how it would feel when my Strength reached 50 points.
I wiped the water from my face and hair, then turned toward Steve. More than an hour had passed, and he was still asleep.
"Yo, wake up. It's time to move to the checkpoint."
Steve let out a long exhale as he slowly opened his eyes.
He sat up, rubbing his face.
He stretched his arms and rolled his shoulders.
"I knew there wouldn't be any peace with you around. So, what's the plan?"
"The plan is to get you to level 8 first. Then we'll target the checkpoint."
He gave me a side glance.
"Why don't you level up first?"
His eyes widened. He scanned me, then let out a groan.