Compared to the four other Sand Worms that surfaced, the two Kieran distinguished as Champions were not only larger, but they possessed distinctive traits.
One of these Sand Worms possessed a sharp horn similar to a scimitar's blade that shone with a mixture of amber and beige light.
The other Champion possessed several violet spines that jutted out from its leathery exterior. The area closest to its body contained a burgundy tint.
Aside from these distinctive differences, they were identical to the Sand Worms surrounding them.
「 Lv.40 Violet Spined Sand Worm (Champion)
Sand Type, Insect Type
Health: 1,275,000/1,275,000 (100%) 」
「 Lv.40 Sand Severing Sand Worm (Champion)
Sand Type, Insect Type
Health: 1,180,000/1,180,000 (100%) 」
「 Lv.40 Elder Sand Worms (Special Elite)
Sand Type, Insect Type
Health: 735,000 (100%) 」
The party's expression grew solemn after learning of the Champion's Health. It didn't take a genius to understand Champion Monsters possessed incredibly high attributes compared to other monsters.
A monster classified as a Champion stood at the epitome of the monster hierarchy. Because Boss Monsters were their own classification, players regarded them differently.
"Everyone fall back," Kieran suddenly ordered.
Although he knew his strengths, he also understood Champion Monsters were tough to handle if accompanied by additional monsters.
The party listened, returning to Kieran's side while monitoring the monsters' actions. The two Champion Sand Worms seemed to slither back and forth in the air as if awaiting some significant event.
The blade on the Sand Severing Sand Worm's head released subtle vibrations that made a three-meter span of sand crumble, exposing a dark cavity beneath.
'It seems this worm has elementary control over these decayed pockets. It won't be as simple as defeating them. We must also remain wary of our environment,' Kieran mused.
His attention switched between the Special Elites and Champions before forming a plan to reduce the difficulty of the current matter.
"Lux, how good are your kiting abilities?" Kieran asked.
"Kiting? Mmn, it's not exactly my forte as I prefer direct confrontation. But, if you need me to kite these beasts, I can," Lux answered.
Kieran pondered their options before nodding with a decisive light in his eyes. "Very well. You'll kite one Special Elite."
Immediately after, Kieran turned toward Luna and Altair. "You'll each kite another. When the opportunity presents itself, move in for decent damage."
"With pleasure. I've been waiting for some decent pressure," Altair remarked. His blood boiled with excitement, making his hairs stand up on end in anticipation.
"You've got it," Luna also voiced her readiness.
"I'll handle the last one. Also, remain wary of those Sand Worms. We don't know how many abilities they possess. But, they should be weakened versions of the Mother Worm," Kieran warned.
Afterward, the party broke apart in four directions while Nemean and Bastion retreated with focused expressions. Alice, Sera, and Camila moved back at an identical pace, giving the others enough room to act without worry.
Kieran sped toward the Special Elite in the center, which coincidentally sat between the two Champion Monsters.
The Champion Monsters swiftly reacted to his presence. But, Kieran was far too fast with his current passive amplifications. Kieran ran right past the giant Sand Worms as their destructive Sand Blasts bombarded the ground.
Bang!
A thunderous collision reminiscent of a horrific car crash resounded on the battlefield seconds later. Before the Champion Sand Worms could unleash their attack, Kieran's speed spiked unexpectedly.
By executing Fury Rush, Kieran gained an absurd burst of velocity and rammed right into Special Elite Sand Worm. Kieran felt the recoil of this boil, which left his left shoulder numb for a few passing seconds, but the unmatched resilience of a True Berserker presented its value.
Kieran regained feeling in his arm less than two seconds later before unleashing a whirlwind of heavy strikes. Minor cuts gradually grew more prominent on the Sand Worm's underside as stacks of Bleed quickly accumulated on its status bar.
Kieran sacrificed another 200 Health to reactivate Sanguine Slashes, followed by Wild Crash.
Boom!
The Special Elite's health bar depleted in large chunks after suffering Kieran's terrifying burst damage. Moreover, the Wild Crash left a gruesome gash in the Sand Worm's torso.
High-pitched shrieks rang out from the heavily wounded Sand Worm, which generated a reaction from the Champion Monsters.
The Violet Spined Sand Worm suddenly started to spin. Its violent spinning motion loosened the spines until they were ejected at speed comparable to a bullet!
Kieran's Retaliatory Sense sent emitted a sensation of impending doom. Left with no choice, Kieran abandoned his attack and rapidly spun around.
Tang!
Kieran slashed down, successfully hitting the incoming spine. However, its force drove him back almost one meter before stopping.
Unfortunately, this attack wasn't limited to one volley.
A shower of these odd-colored spines filled the air and punctured the sand in various spots. Kieran anchored himself in place before revealing a focused expression.
'Techniques are the name of the game. So, Techniques are what I'll have to rely upon.'
〈System: You have used three stacks of «Hunt» to mark three enemies as «Prey»!〉
After using stacks of Hunt, Kieran broadened his perception range while situating Crimson Ashrune before him at a slight upward angle.
Time slowed in Kieran's perspective, prompting a unique change in Kieran's breathing pattern. This breathing pattern was required to trigger higher sensory perception.
Such an experience wouldn't be possible without the First Metamorphosis. This level of sensory perception required an exquisite fusion of one's five senses. The combination of these five senses produced an ethereal effect.
This unnatural state was precisely why Kieran requested excess X-hancers from Dr. Riley. The X-hancers were a precaution meant to assist Kieran if his estimation of his mental power was fatally inaccurate.
Whmmm!
A phenomenal yet obscure ripple unleashed from Kieran's body grew increasingly berserk. This ripple soon split into multiple tiny threads that lacerated the floor in a chaotic pattern.
'I didn't think I'd be attempting the creation of one of my original techniques so early on.'
Large veins surfaced on Kieran's forehead seconds before he opened his eyes with a cold glint.
Whoosh!
Kieran performed an almost imperceptible movement by following one of the chaotic patterns present in the sand.
Bang!
Crimson Ashrune met an incoming spine, but unlike before, Kieran didn't move. It was as if the needle-like spine met a stone wall and froze in the air. A second later, the needle-like spine dropped to the ground while the chaotic tendrils surrounding Kieran intensified.
'This burden…' Kieran frowned.
He had only used a fraction of the Technique, but Kieran could feel his control over this chaotic presence waning.
'Not enough… persist, Kieran. You need power, but power is not obtained without struggle,' Kieran inwardly thought, psyching himself into disregarding the splitting pain emerging in his mind.
…
Meanwhile, in the real world…
Dr. Riley paled when the machine tasked with monitoring Kieran emitted a signal. The device that recorded his brainwaves went haywire and reached critical levels.
"Oh no," Dr. Riley muttered while placing her hand on Kieran's chest. His current body temperature surpassed when he absorbed X-hancers.
Unbeknownst to both Kieran and Dr. Riley, Kieran's body further refined the energy the X-hancer exhausted from Kieran's actions inside the game.
Roughly 30 seconds after the alarm surfaced, a thin trickle of blood flowed out from Kieran's nose. This unexpected change frightened Dr. Riley as she cleaned his nose with tender care.
"W-what… are you doing in there? You might be destroying your body, you idiot!" Dr. Riley's lips pursed as worry filled her eyes. This worry went beyond losing her source of unexplored knowledge.
In her eyes, Keiran was a young man with tons of life in front of him.
Her shoulders became heavy with responsibility after blaming herself for Kieran's current reckless behavior.
However, Dr. Riley didn't understand that Kieran would have behaved exactly the same even if he had never met her. Kieran understood the stakes of high-level Technique usage, but the risks were manageable compared to his prior fate.
He vowed he wouldn't suppress his talent for fear of being targeted. The Golden Brigade's suppression was the reason he could never truly flourish!
…
Back inside Zenith Online…
〈System: You are at risk of suffering brain damage if you continue with your actions. The user's mental fluctuations have become unsafe.〉
"Shut up! I know the risk! Disengage safety parameters." Kieran growled. The system's mechanical voice was interrupting his delicate focus.
〈W A R N I N G: Disengaging safety parameters makes the user solely liable for all ensuing consequences.〉
"Disengage!" Kieran roared.
The others looked toward Kieran and noticed his wild hair flowed about chaotically as if stuck in a hurricane.
"What… is Kieran doing?" Nemean muttered beside Bastion.
Bastion gave a clueless look because he was just as oblivious as Nemean. "I have no idea, but it must be some strenuous. I've only heard him roar like that a few times."
On the other hand, Ezra, Lux, and Altair had completely different opinions. 'Technique! Aatrox is creating another technique!'
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Thunderous noises appeared at a more rapid pace the quicker Kieran chaotically swung his blade.
The needle-like spines were all stopped in their tracks. As a consequence of his actions, Kieran's eyes turned the color of a blood moon. The mental strain of high-level Techniques was one of the most taxing pains.
However, Kieran's actions bore fruit. Instead of the previous safety precaution notification, Kieran received another one.
