Zenith Online: Rebirth of the Strongest Player

A byproduct of Nemean and Bastion's incessant training was the birth of a tacit understanding that didn't rely upon their sense of sight. 

Because of their countless exchanges in both real life and inside the Adventurers' Guild Training Hall, Bastion had become accustomed to Nemean's unique aura, quickly understanding when he was making a move based on its changes.

The two subtle gusts that passed above Bastion's already ducked head were naturally Nemean's dual shields, both piercing through the air to handle the two incoming Incomplete Homunculus. 

Clang! Clang!

When Nemean's shield impacted two of the monsters, a metallic sound rang out in response.

Due to the strengthening of this unusual vile liquid, the hardness of the Incomplete Homunculus' skin had reached a level seemingly unattainable by regular human beings.

However, Nemean's actions were far from a simple throw. The power funneled into his throw coincided with the style of his newly learned skill.

Although Nemean's class was far from flashy and, in fact, relied upon simple movements to achieve several satisfactory results, this skill was different from the rest.

When Nemean tossed his shields, it was like two circular storms of condensed yet rampaging force enveloped them. Surprisingly, it was one of his newly learned skills after reaching Lv.50.

This unusual situation was Nemean's Lv.50 skill, a skill known as Enforcer's Fury: Twin Returning Cyclones. By utilizing a special rotation, after throwing his shields to cause a brief hit-stun, the shield would return to him without fail. 

The only time the return would or could fail was if external circumstances neutralized its momentum.

However, as it was an A Rank Skill, the force behind the Twin Returning Cyclones was phenomenal, which made Nemean doubt many people could accomplish that feat.

While that was happening, all of a sudden, a deep voice echoed through this large experimental setting.

"Blood Bind."

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Twelve blood chains, with a thickness reminiscent of extremely durable rope, soon sprouted from the ground beneath Bastion's feet in a ring shape that completely avoided him. 

Not only did the Trial of Ancient Mysticism refine Kieran's mind and soul by introducing them to the Archaic Syllabary of Eni, but it also helped Kieran understand how to maximize Scar's training in terms of manipulating energies.

Thanks to Kieran comprehending this nifty principle, the potential fallout of his actions was reduced greatly. Provided that it was with a skill of high familiarity, Kieran could avoid harming or involving his teammates.

When it came to skills like Dread Culling, it was still a work in progress because the energy was far too tyrannical to claim to have minute mastery over.

Once the chains of blood sprouted in a ring around Nemean, Kieran then channeled Blood Mania to complete his actions, enveloping and immobilizing twelve Incomplete Homunculus.

Though the chains were immediately pulled taut by the vigor of the bound Champion Monsters, they surprisingly didn't shatter, which was a testament to its improved tensile strength.

"We may begin our assault," Kieran voiced out after that, snapping Khaos out of his slight daze.

'Though I've seen this skill many times in his stream, its ability to immobilize never ceases to amaze. Not to mention… it's holding up excellently against many Champion Monsters. I can't help but question the rank of this skill and how much Mana he possesses…'

At the same time, Khaos also made his move.

Seeing as Kieran had confirmed that it was safe to act, Khaos did not hold back at all. Following the draw of his blade, he seemed to skate across the ground with skillful movements.

Watching Khaos in silence, Kieran noticed the signs of faint Technique incorporation in his movement. Then again, as enough time had passed and many people had already viewed his stream, it wasn't surprising as to how or why some experts started to understand how to better incorporate Technique into their actions.

On the contrary, this was something Kieran sorely anticipated.

The stronger his competition grew, the more exhilarating the feeling of crushing became. Moreover, as Kieran recalled, the update required a massive amount of players to reach certain standards before they occurred.

It would do Kieran little to no good if only he met the criteria and couldn't precipitate the presence of another update.

During his observation of Khaos, Kieran found several signs that Khaos was more naturally endowed than Ezra in terms of their battle talent. He could tell by the way Khaos moved his blade that his control was abnormal. Watching this, Kieran reckoned that Khaos practiced hundreds, if not thousands of times.

"Spell of the Burning: Ignatium Cross," Khaos uttered.

Soon, he slashed his sword twice, with the speed making it bleed into one movement. Not long after, a sweltering cross composed of blue flames traveled through the air and collided against the Incomplete Homunculus nearest to his position. 

The attack dealt a substantial amount of damage, but it was lacking compared to the monster's Health bar. However, Kieran was thoroughly taken aback by the aspects of Khaos' unleashed spell.

'Those blue flames are a symbol that the spell is fueled by a Fire Affinity that has undoubtedly reached S Rank. I also wouldn't be surprised if it's a high tier given the unusual nature of the Spellblade class,' Kieran thought to himself.

Though his run-ins with the Spellblade class were sparse, Kieran was wary of its limitations because he made it his business to understand the strengths and weaknesses of most classes, just in case he ever found himself embroiled in combat with them.

With that, Spellblades didn't unleash spells in the same way Elementalists or other Mages did. Instead, Spellblades injected most, if not all of their Mana within their special blades and continued to refine them. 

In other words, one could comment that a Spellblade's weapon doubled as a spell storage device and it wouldn't be wrong to say that.

A few seconds later, Nemean's shield returned through the blazing cross as he assisted Bastion in knocking aside many incoming attacks.

"Cleric's Hope: Deep Mending Embrace," Sera called out, unleashing a small prayer that enveloped Bastion and Nemean in a pleasant aura, countless times more powerful than a Priest's beginning heals.

Seeing that, Khaos immediately glanced in Kieran's direction, who had yet to make a move.

"Alice," Kieran spoke.

"Understood," Alice said with a nod, her lips curving into a faint smile. 

Soon, a dense cluster of Mana swirled around her body, quickly losing its versatile properties before being replaced by sweltering heat. During this process, Alice performed a quick chant as her hair fluttered within a small storm of Mana.

"Firestorm Burst!"

Whoosh!

A raging torrent of fire engulfed several Incomplete Homunculus bodies, turning their grotesque skin a reddish color like heated metal preparing to be pounded on an anvil.

Upon noticing this effect of Alice's spells, Khaos detected the disparity in their Magic Power. 

However, considering that Alice's Phys. Atk was essentially nonexistent, the trade-off was consistent with the pros and cons of each class.

'Though everyone is performing above their usual standard or at least the standard they exuded when we first met, we can't be satisfied with our progress. These homunculi are only the beginning. I must ensure that we don't experience needless struggles.'

Whoosh!

All of a sudden, Kieran disappeared from where he stood with a strange flickering movement. When his body reappeared, there was a ghastly sphere in the center of his palm, which had an odious swirl of energy circulating within.

"Blood Pulse!"

A disorienting ripple soon spread throughout this unimportant room. 

〈Battle Alert: Due to the mindlessness of the «Failed Experiment: Incomplete Homunculus», the effects of your «Blood Pulse» have failed to activate.〉

'Ah. I should have expected as much. How can I induce hysteria in something mindless? Though it's unfortunate, it's not like my path forward has been cut off.'

Not minding the slight mishap, Kieran then performed a single step, suddenly accelerating to the nearest Incomplete Homunculus. Not even an instant later, an arc made by his Crimson Ashrune seemed unusually perfect as it beautifully cleaved the air apart, leaving a distinct mark on the homunculus's body.

Despite having activated an A Rank Skill earlier, Nemean failed to leave a mark on the two monsters he targeted. Unfortunately, their ridiculously hardened skin made it next to impossible.

However, Kieran, who possessed nearly 2,000 STR, faced no challenge trying to inflict lasting and evident damage.

Shnk! Shnk! Shnk!

Kieran brandished Crimson Ashrune at a rapidly increasing rate until his movements resembled an inhuman flurry of attacks. Small thunderous rumbles began to fill the space once Kieran's attacks achieved a certain velocity.

Though he controlled it well, one couldn't ignore Crimson Ashrune's extreme weight. 

The moment he inflicted enough Bleed stacks, Kieran extended his hand and clenched his fist.

"Peril Implosion!"

In response, several gruesome blood blades skewered the targeted Incomplete Homunculus from within. In addition to the rigid blades poking from its skin, its torso also inflated as if it wanted to implode. 

However, such an event didn't take place.

Instead, the Incomplete Homunculus hurled up countless pieces of fragmented innards. At the same time, its Health plummeted because several of Kieran's attacks were registered as Critical Hits.

Coupled with the fact Peril Implosion scaled based on the number of Bleed stacks present, Kieran achieved more damage with this combination than with a triple-enhanced Seethe Burst.

As the Incomplete Homunculus tried to retaliate by raising its oversized arms, Kieran looked away, focusing on a healthy opponent. After zeroing in on his next target, Kieran nonchalantly lifted his palm.

Blood Strengthening… Fervor Augmentation…

"Wrath Eruption!"

BOOOM! …Thud!

While the upper half of the Incomplete Homunculus' body was blown into the adjacent wall tens of meters away, its lower half fell to the ground with a resounding thud.

'After all that mysticism training, it definitely feels great to move my body again,' Kieran thought.

At that moment, everyone within the party received a notification.

〈System: You have gained 269,850 EXP.〉

From what they saw, Kieran had only activated a few skills after unleashing a ridiculous amount of basic attacks. 

With that, one question sat in everyone's mind once they received this notification that acted as confirmation—how could a Champion Monster fall so quickly?