"Now… who's going to save you, kid?" Seskel provoked, as dust swirled again—forming into small pellets.
Rex and Darius stood opposed to the man. As the dust danced, Rex, for the first time, spoke to Darius using telepathy: {Use Noise Clone behind him quickly.} Darius glanced at him with a sharp, shocked gaze, then nodded in understanding as a sweet voice echoed from behind Seskel.
"Prepare for my dangerous attack," it called out.
Not giving it much importance, Seskel glanced from the corner of his eye—only to spot sharp daggers hurtling toward him.
Rex had silently used…
[Phantom Blades: Creates ethereal duplicates of the user's weapon that can be thrown at enemies. These blades cause no damage but confuse enemies by creating multiple sources of attacks.]
It was a skill he had just obtained from Seraphine. With the clever combination of [Noise Clone] and [Phantom Blades], Seskel's attention reluctantly shifted toward the incoming daggers from behind.
[Zone of Null Sound], Rex muttered, layering skill upon skill with cunning precision.
The lightning bolt that formed above his head flickered silently, then with a [zap], it shot toward Seskel, aiming for his heart. When he was distracted.
Even though Seskel was preparing his lethal Dust Pellet Barrage, the skill required time and focus—a clear weakness Rex exploited to strike first.
However, despite all this planning, Seskel sensed the coming lightning bolt at the last moment and dodged frantically, his collected dust scattering onto the ground.
The bolt still grazed Seskel, leaving a deep wound on his arm—even though the injury wasn't anything fatal. It left behind a stun effect for 2 seconds.
Rex had prepared for this possibility. He had deduced only two outcomes remained: Either Seskel died… or he survived.
Unfortunately, the latter proved true.
How could he deduce so calmly and plan things during a life-threatening battle? The answer lay in a second skill he had obtained from Seraphine [Calm Mind]—alongside [Phantom Blades].
A skill that helped him still his mind and think clearly, allowing him to calmly process everything unfolding. But with each layer of skill cast, for the first time, Rex noticed his mana depleting—and rapidly at that.
In moments, he would be empty… and turn into a normal being.
But Rex, he wouldn't allow that.
In a swift motion, unnoticed, he slipped his hand in his pocket and crushed all seven mana crystals he had saved up until now. Hoping if it could help him rank up, things could be easier, but alas, nothing of the sort happened.
Mana surged from the seven crystals, refilling his reserves while slightly making him stronger.
The next moment, when Seskel had just frantically dodged from the lightning bolt as it grazed him, Rex immediately threw both his daggers at him, taking advantage of the stun effect.
Seeing this, Darius charged forward, sensing a perfect opportunity. His expression was that of a reckless soldier diving into battle. His steps silent, as [Zone of Null Sound] was still active.
Rex also charged, his mindset firm: two is better than one. All his skills still active.
As they rushed toward Seskel—his body still stunned for two seconds from the [Zap]—Rex prepared as another bolt hovered above him while closing in.
Once they were close enough in range, Rex muttered, [Paralyze], using it as a surprise to catch Seskel off guard.
The thrown daggers hurled fiercely, gleaming in the flashing lightning. Seskel, unable to move from the [Zap] and [Paralyze], now had limited movement.
Voices rang from every direction, thanks to [Noise Clone], in an attempt to confuse him.
Though the daggers were aimed at his vitals, Seskel still moved like a stiff puppet. Even though [Paralyze] restricted his movements.
A 3-Star's mana was clearly superior against Rex's 2-Star. So a complete restriction was impossible.
One dagger grazed his side; another lodged into his thigh. Both missing vital points.
[Blink Step], Darius dashed, eyes locked onto Seskel's neck.
With everything stacking up, panic surged within Seskel as his progress bar moved rapidly.
[Taming Complete]
[Subjugated Rank: Seskel]
"Dammit!" Seskel roared with frustration.
He tried to dodge but couldn't move freely. In a desperate act, he gave up an arm, Darius slicing it off cleanly in a hurried motion.
"Arggh," Seskel growled.
When Darius stepped in again for another strike—{Move back}, Rex instructed. Darius obeyed, leaping backward.
Zap!
Through the combination of Rex and Darius's relentless teamwork, and their perfectly stacked skills…
The final prepared lightning bolt struck Seskel square on the forehead. It pierced deep into his skull—leaving a gory scene.
After a cunning display of synergy—Seskel was finally put to rest.
"Huff… huff…" Rex and Darius panted, watching the man collapse.
Then, with an exhausted sigh, they looked skyward—not at the dark clouds where lightning still cracked around Arcane—but at the five figures hovering above, each with a different expression.
Congratulations. You have obtained:
[Skills…x3]
[Mana Crystals…x3]
[Remnant Shard…x1]
[Tamed Entity: Arcane | Bloodline Awakening: 53%...56%]
When Rex collected the loot from Seskel's orb, a clap resounded.
And a man stepped forward from the five figures, his purposeful smile shifting into quiet amusement. Dressed in a black suit and white gloves, he clearly looked like a butler—but carried himself like a lord. In the weak eyes of Tollin City's citizens, he was one.
He spoke, tone dripping with amusement. "No need to check the corpse—he's truly dead," he said calmly as he landed smoothly and saw Rex doing something around Seskel's corpse.
"Truly remarkable," he mumbled.
But Rex's focus was on Arcane, as her difficult expressions still lingered with the lightning slowing down.
Then his brows shot up, as if realizing something, he asked the system: what if I use those 3 drops of blood essence to help her with awakening?
[System recommends the host to use Blood Essence…x3 from {Arcalis} on {Arcane} immediately. Use Y/N]
Rex furrowed his brow but agreed without hesitation.
Three drops of Blood Essence vanished from Arcane's lightning habitat within Tamer's Sanctuary. Ignoring the lightning ball she was covered in, it appeared near the lightning mark on her forehead, which devoured the 3 drops hungrily.
[Tamed Entity: Arcane | Bloodline Awakening: 56%...66%]
As Rex quietly handled his own task, the four figures in the sky frowned, bitterness flashing on their faces—they had lost what they wanted, all because the suited man had acted. Yet, they lingered, watching to the end.
"Scurry away," the butler's voice rumbled. He didn't even glance at them, but they all knew who he meant.
"Sir, we're not interested in the kid. We just want the beast," one man said hesitantly, announcing what they wanted.
The butler turned his head, eyes sharp. As he gazed at them. Without a word, the four of them immediately scattered—each offering a respectful nod before vanishing.
"Now, Rex, was it?" the man spoke in a calm, almost respectable tone. "I come in peace, so calm down," he said, eyeing Rex and Darius's wary stance.
Rex frowned. "What do you need?"
"I offer you two conditions. Think carefully before answering—your life depends on it," he said, his tone suddenly razor-sharp. Then he paused, letting the gravity of his words settle.
Rex and Darius remained silent.
"One," he began, "come with me. I promise you—and your companions—safety."