Infinite Cube: Extra's Life in Another World-Chapter 40: Dungeon [3]

Raiders—Though they couldn't be classified as actual drifters due to their unknown origins.

They were, without question, one of the most formidable and erratic species that existed during the Fourth Genesis.

This was attributed to three primary reasons. Firstly, Raiders lacked ranks or tiers, as they weren't connected to the Cube through the System but were instead born from it.

Secondly, unlike mages with their traits and abilities or drifters with their skills, Raiders possessed neither, rendering them extremely unpredictable and unreadable.

And last but not least, Raiders exhibited intelligence that vastly exceeded their physical prowess.

This meant that an average Raider, equivalent in strength to a Tier 7 drifter, could possess the intellect of a Tier 5 or even Tier 4 drifter.

But what did all this signify?

"Sly fox," Kai muttered under his breath.

A dark smile gradually stretched across his lips as he observed Matthew, who remained remarkably composed in the face of the monster's presence.

'I understand now. This explains why the drifter, capable of annihilating us in an instant, didn't. It wasn't for amusement.'

[Yes, he is long deceased, and the Raider is merely utilizing a fragment of his soul to intimidate you.]

'But the system?'

[The system typically registers the soul, not the physical body... Which means that, to it, the Mollusk was still alive.]

Kai exhaled deeply before setting his gaze on the onyx wolf.

Observing its head, Kai noticed jagged horns, which undoubtedly functioned as a substitute for a core, since unlike mages and drifters, Raiders lacked cores.

Matthew raised his spear, determination blazing in his eyes, an unquenchable fire fueling his stance.

Drawing nearer to him, Kai leaned in. "You feel it too, don't you?"

Matthew nodded in acknowledgment. "I thought it would take you forever," he paused. "But I still don't understand why a Raider would cooperate with a drifter?"

'Seems like he doesn't have the full picture.'

[Cough cough.]

'Thank you, Alpha. I wouldn't have figured it out either without you.'

[You're welcome.]

Kai redirected his attention to Matthew, who divided his focus between him and the looming wolf.

"Let's formulate a quick strategy," Kai proposed.

Raising an eyebrow, Matthew questioned, "While that thing is still here?"

Kai smiled, shaking his head subtly. "It won't move from that spot. Trust me."

"It wouldn't dare sever its link to the Mollusk's soul, now would it?" Kai concluded.

Seeing the confidence and resolve in Kai's eyes, Matthew offered a faint smile and dispelled his spear.

"So what's the plan?"

Kai turned to the rest of the group, gathering them for a quick huddle.

The strategy was relatively simple, just as Elia had mentioned earlier, they only needed to kill it, with cunningness and deceit.

Each member had a specific role to play, but since their synergy was far from flawless, Kai had to devise at least one contingency.

The assault commenced shortly after.

[YOU HAVE ACTIVATED THE ABILITY: SWORD SAINTESS.]

Dodging a streak of black lightning, Elia advanced with agile precision.

Seven swords composed of white light manifested above her head.

The light shone brightly causing the raider to lose its vision momentarily.

Wiping the sweat brought on by the exertion of Elia's ability, Junpei positioned himself at the far end of the cave, which lacked any visible exits.

He crouched behind jagged rocks, gripping his sniper tightly as he peered through the scope.

Elia swung her wands, dispatching two swords toward the Raider. Upon noticing her, it immediately reacted, only to halt abruptly.

Its dark-blue eyes locked onto Junpei, who remained hidden between two substantial stone spikes.

It swiftly repositioned, leaping into the air to evade the sniper's line of sight and create distance from Elia's attack, yet carefully avoided straying from the stairway to the throne.

The attack caused a loud explosion to erupt, causing mild dust fill the cave.

Kai, observing its behaviour, smirked. 'Clever creature.'

But mere intellect wouldn't suffice.

Junpei's sniper suddenly gleamed.

[YOU HAVE ACTIVATED THE ABILITY: BUFF.]

This was the most critical component of Kai's plan... Junpei's ability.

Contrary to popular belief, Junpei possessed no combat-centric sniper ability. At first glance, one might assume otherwise due to his trait, 'Range', but in reality, it granted no offensive skill.

'Buff' was a supportive ability, and one Junpei had acquired at birth as an apprentice.

Unlike Kai and Matthew who could acquire abilities on a fly, or Elia, Ikenna, or Lilith, who were statistical anomalies among apprentices for possessing powers pre-ascension, Junpei was ordinary.

However, his trait was by no means inferior, the capacity to enhance anyone within his line of sight, or those whose voice he could hear or be heard by.

This surge was sufficient to grant the injured Lilith enough energy to once again activate her new ability.

Follow current novℯls on ƒгeewёbnovel.com.

[YOU HAVE ACTIVATED THE ABILITY: RAMPAGING EMOTIONS.]

Recalling the anguish from her vision of Kai's death, Lilith gave up her emotion, 'Fear' in exchange for the power of 'Rage', which augmented her strength exponentially, enabling her to channel that fury as one would mana.

Crimson light ignited in her palms as her eyes mirrored its intensity.

She formed an orb in her hand, just as the system echoed in every member's mind.

[BUFF HAS BEEN GRANTED... YOU HAVE X2 POWER INCREASE.]

'Times two?' Kai thought, his eyes widening in astonishment.

Lilith too was initially surprised but quickly adapted. With her amplified speed and strength, she hurled the orb at the Raider's throat, eliciting a shriek.

The creature writhed, weakened. Elia, reactivating her ability, advanced and drove the remaining swords into its form, causing it to stagger and collapse.

But its eyes still burned.

As if foreseeing its end, the Raider attempted to tap into the Mollusk's residual soul energy.

But Kai had already accounted for this, that's why he instructed Ikenna to wait before making his move.

And why Matthew remained on standby.

Yet, none of these were his true motives.

He simply desired to land the finishing blow.

'My glorious stat points... I know I should be focused on helping Matt grow, but this is too enticing.'

[I'm glad you never played video games.]

Kai paddled across the red lake, making his way to the side of the stairs.

His mind filtered out every revolting word and replayed only one term:

"Stats."

'Thank the gods this bastard is dead.' he thought, channeling mana to his feet and leaping from the side into the throne room.

It was his highest leap to date, the stairs from that vantage point were at least three stories high.

His eyes locked on the creature, slowly mobilized under the Raider's command.

Kaiser's leg buckled as he collapsed, stifling a scream so as not to alert the vigilant Raider.

The pressure emanating from the Mollusk was suffocating, it felt as though his bones might shatter.

His only salvation was the Elixir of Immortality, which had fortified his bones, and the fact he was within Junpei's effective range, otherwise, he'd already be dead.

'If a mere wisp of a Tier 6 drifter's soul is this potent, how terrifying would the full entity be?' Kai wondered, struggling to rise.

'Good thing I came alone, I won't want to let my friends die, now would I?' he thought sarcasticly.

[You're evil!]

'... Isn't that a bit harsh?'

[Haah... You've reached the end of your transmission.]

Kai thrust one trembling leg forward.

[YOU HAVE ACTIVATED THE ABILITY: TRANSMISSION.]

In a flash, he reappeared beside the Mollusk. The Raider instantly turned, disregarding the other five, and fixed its contemptuous gaze on Kai.

Grinning uncontrollably, Kai met its eyes. It was then that Elia understood his scheme.

'Bastard,' she thought, deactivating her ability.

Kai summoned Sasauno, thrusting it into the deceased Mollusk's foot.

[YOU HAVE EARNED 10 STAT POINTS AND 5 ABILITY POINTS.]

'Wait, I haven't fully extinguished the soul, have I? It's not dead, is it?'

[Correct. Do you know what this implies?]

Kai's grin broadened, he also instinctively felt Alpha's doing the same.

The wolf growled, advancing on Kai, but his backup had already arrived.

Standing at the tenth stair was Ikenna, unwavering in his stance, smoke billowing from his Zero as he pressed one foot firmly to the floor.

"Kai-brouh, leave this to me," Ikenna said, a smile forming on his lips.

[Seems like he acknowledges you... Kai... Kai... Haah!]

"Hey Raider, I'm not a fan of monster meat, but if you like it charred, I'll cook you up." Flames surged from Ikenna's hand as the Raider lunged at him.

Sidestepping swiftly, he launched a fist at the Raider and ascended a step.

The Raider's eyes flared in rage at the figure blocking its path.

It opened its maw wide and leapt, aiming to tear off Ikenna's left arm.

Dodging to the side, Ikenna clicked his tongue. "Tch... People like you are the worst. Dry and dull. Who told you trickery was cool?"

He leapt again, narrowly avoiding the attack that would've sent him plunging into the lake below.

Grabbing the Raider's tail just before it slipped off the stairs, he muttered, "And..." he then swinged it from side to side before slamming it down on the first stair, "that water will never extinguish my flames."

As the Raider hit the ground, the cave trembled, rubble and debris cascading around them.

The Raider immediately went berserk upon seeing Kai raise his blade above the Mollusk's shell.

Every shred of reason vanished as it lunged toward Ikenna at blinding speed.

Ikenna's eyes glowed a vivid crimson as he raised his left arm, and as though an arrow had been nocked upon it, he drew upward from his wrist to his elbow with his right hand.

A long arrow composed of pure flames materialised, and as he released his hand, it shot into the raider's heart with pinpoint accuracy, its cerulean blood that already stained the floor, splattered around violently.

It collapsed to the ground once more as he murmured, "That's revenge for what you did."

Ikenna cast a brief glance back at Kai's figure, promptly dismissed the rewards from the system, and advanced toward his team, who hadn't lowered their guard for even a moment.

As Kai plunged his blade into the Mollusk, the memory of his conversation with Matthew resurfaced.

"No matter what you do, protect me when I kill the Mollusk."

[Do you think he can withstand the miasma? It's not like a mage's mana, it could kill him even through the mask and suit.]

'Don't worry, if there's one person whose strength I trust, it's him—The real Protagonist... Besides, he needs the soul's power-up. I'm at capacity.'

[Haah... You win, now you can rest.]

His eyes slowly closed as the figure of a handsome red-haired man ascended the stairs.

He exuded a commanding aura, his golden eyes shimmering gently, as his spear swept forward to strike the violet miasma released from the drifter's corpse.

Kai heard only one word before his vision faded into darkness.

'JUDGEMENT'