Eldritch Assassin: Reincarnated With An SSS-Rank Devouring System
Chapter 46: EXP Grinding

Chapter 46: EXP Grinding

Kael’s silver eyes narrowed, his —Predator’s Instincts— picking up the faint clatter of carts just beyond the quarry’s entrance.

A cluster of heavy wooden carts stood loaded with crates, their wheels creaking under the weight of stolen goods. Muffled cries came from one, the silhouettes of women visible through the slats with their wrists bound.

His jaw tightened, the pulse of his bloodline flaring with anger. He raised a hand, his voice low but sharp. "Ten riders, guard those carts. Get the women back to the village. Move fast."

Ten wolf-riders peeled off, their wolves snarling as they circled the carts, their spears glinting. The lead rider, a grizzled woman with a scar across her cheek, nodded to Kael, her eyes fierce. "We’ll keep ’em safe, my lord."

They herded the carts away, the wolves’ paws thudding softly, disappearing into the forest’s shadow.

Kael turned to the remaining forty riders, their wolves pawing the ground, eager for blood. The quarry’s entrance was just ahead, its shattered gates a wound in House Veyne’s pride. Smoke curled from within, the bandits’ laughter growing louder.

"Charge," Kael ordered, his voice sharp like a blade. He urged his wolf forward, the beast’s muscles surging, leading the pack into the quarry.

The Runewood Mine opened into a vast pit, its walls veined with Ironstone Crystals and Blackened Steel Ore, glinting under flickering torchlight. Nearly two hundred bandits swarmed the space, their ragged armor and crude weapons clashing with the quarry’s wealth.

Most of them were Pre-Awakening warriors, their movements were sloppy, driven by greed rather than skill. Twenty stood out, their Lvl 19 to 31 Primal Warrior auras pulsing faintly. Their weapons were sharper, and their stances more disciplined.

At the front, five leaders stood, their Lvl 32 to 37 Primal Adept auras crackling, their eyes cold as they caught sight of the wolf riders.

Kael’s riders fanned out to block their escape routes, their Lvl 19 to 31 Primal Warrior strength matched by their wolves’ ferocity.

The captain, a burly man at Lvl 37 Primal Adept, wielded a runestone axe, his wolf’s jaws snapping. The vice-captain, Lvl 40 Primal Adept, brandished a spear, her wolf’s eyes glowing like embers.

Kael, at Lvl 8, was one of the weakest present, but his silver eyes gleamed with a ferocious hunger. The bandits were like floating EXP’s, a feast waiting to be claimed. His tongue flicked across his lips, his bloodline stirring, eager to devour.

The bandits turned, their laughter dying as the wolf-riders charged. Kael leaped from his wolf, the Abyssal Fang Dagger flashing in his hand, his —Eclipse Step— blurring his form.

He reappeared behind a Lvl 14 Pre-Awakening bandit, his dagger slicing the man’s throat before he could react or scream. Blood sprayed, the body crumpled, and a faint ding echoed in Kael’s mind: [EXP +230].

He moved like a shadow, his —Night Predator— trait sharpening his strikes, cutting down two more bandits in a heartbeat. Their screams were brief, their bodies piling up, EXP trickling in...

[+140, +230, +155, +245, +260...]

The wolf-riders crashed into the main group, wolves tearing into Pre-Awakening bandits, their jaws crunching bone. The captain’s axe cleaved a Primal Warrior’s chest, sparks flying from the runestone’s impact.

The vice-captain’s spear pierced another, her wolf pinning a third to the ground, its claws raking flesh. The bandits’ numbers meant nothing against the riders’ disciplined attack, their crude weapons snapping against Veyne-forged steel.

Kael weaved through the chaos, his Bloodthread Mantle dampening his aura, making him a ghost among the fray. A Lvl 16 Pre-Awakening bandit swung a rusty sword, but Kael’s —Predator’s Instincts— caught the move.

He ducked, his obsidian knife embedding in the man’s gut, poison sizzling. [EXP +260]. Another lunge came from the side with a club raised, but Kael’s —Eclipse Step— carried him behind, his dagger severing the bandit’s spine. [EXP +230].

The EXP piled up, his system humming, his level inching closer to 9.

The five Primal Adept leaders roared, their auras flaring. The tallest, a scarred man with a massive Warhammer, charged at Kael. His Lvl 37 strength shook the ground.

Kael’s eyes constricted and he hastily dodged, his —Adaptive Regeneration— sealing a shallow cut from flying debris.

The hammer swung again, cratering the earth, but Kael’s —Eclipse Step— flickered, barely dodging and placing him at the leader’s flank. He hurled an obsidian knife, its poison striking the man’s shoulder, slowing down his swings.

The leader snarled, his hammer glowing with primal energy, but Kael was already gone, cutting down two more Lvl 12 Pre-Awakening bandits—[+200, +200].

The captain clashed with another leader, a wiry woman with dual daggers, her Lvl 35 speed was like a blur. Their weapons sparked, the captain’s wolf snapping at her legs, forcing her back.

The vice-captain faced a third, a bearded man with a flail, his Lvl 36 aura heavy. Her spear danced, piercing his thigh, her wolf’s claws raking his chest.

The remaining two leaders rallied their Primal Warriors, forming a tight line, but the wolf rider’s ferocity broke their ranks, wolves leaping, riders striking with lethal precision.

Kael’s breath came steady, his body a machine of death. He targeted the weak, his dagger and knives reaping Pre-Awakening lives, EXP flooding his system, and before he knew it, he was two levels up—[Lvl 8 → 10]

The EXP’s kept on accumulating—[+185, +215, +170...].

A Lvl 25 Primal Warrior, spotted him, his axe swinging. Kael parried with his dagger, but the force was too powerful, jarring his arm. But his —Eldritch Reversal— stirred, ready if his health dropped.

He rolled, hurling a knife into the man’s knee, poison slowing him down. The captain finished the warrior, his axe splitting the man’s skull, and Kael moved on, his eyes locked on the scarred leader.

The leader’s warhammer swung wide, crushing a rider’s wolf and the beast’s yelp was cut short. Kael’s bloodline surged, his —Devour Essence— itching to claim the man’s power.

He darted in, his —Eclipse Step— dodging a hammer strike, his dagger slashing the leader’s calf. Poison seeped, the man’s aura flickering, but his hammer grazed Kael’s shoulder, pain flaring.

[HP: 85%]

Kael gasped. That single graze had done 15% damage to him. He couldn’t even imagine what would happen if he was struck point blank with that hammer.

His —Adaptive Regeneration— kicked in, the wound sealing as he hurled another knife, striking the leader’s chest. The man staggered, his Warhammer dropping, and Kael lunged, seizing the opportunity by driving Abyssal Fang into his heart.

Since his opponent was a whole 27 levels above him, his —Devour Essence— ability activated, absorbing 70% of the EXP.

[EXP +1575].

The leader’s body slumped, primal energy dissipating, and Kael’s system chimed:

———

[You have acquired primal energy of Lvl 37 Primal Adept]

[Essence Absorbed: +1575 EXP]

[Blood Points: +4]

[Level Up!: Lvl 10 → Lvl 11]

[Experience Points: 370/6000 EXP].

———

Kael’s muscles tightened, strength and dexterity surging, his bloodline humming with satisfaction. He spun, cutting down a fleeing Lvl 17 Pre-Awakening bandit—[+275]—and surveyed the quarry.

The remaining leaders fell to the captain’s axe and the vice-captain’s relentless spear attack. The Primal Warriors broke down, their morale shattered, and the Pre-Awakening bandits fled, only to be run down by wolves.

Blood soaked the quarry’s floor, and the crates of Ironstone Crystals and Blackened Steel Ore were untouched. The bandits’ greed begets their downfall.

Kael’s riders regrouped, their wolves panting, and their armor splattered with red. The captain clapped Kael’s shoulder, his grin fierce. "Good work, my lord. Quarry’s ours."

Kael nodded, his breath steady, his silver eyes scanning the dead and survivors. The EXP today was a boon, but the bandits’ attack gnawed at him. Someone had armed and directed them, and he needed to find out who.

He sheathed his dagger. "Secure the quarry," he ordered. "And round up the surviving bandits."

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