Kai opened his inventory and pulled out the two Skill Scrolls...
Sword Mastery and Spirit Barrier.
He sat quietly in the guild hall, focusing as the system prompted him to confirm learning the skills.
[ Skill Scroll: Sword Mastery learned. ]
[ Skill: Sword Mastery (Level 0) ]
[ Description: Improves proficiency with bladed weapons. Increases accuracy and stability when wielding such weapons, reducing stamina loss during extended combat. Enhances strike precision and allows smoother chaining of attacks. ]
A surge of clarity filled his mind.
He swiftly took out his Specter Edge... Despite not being a sword, his grip on blades felt steadier, and as he made a few swings, it felt a lot cleaner. The Specter Edge seemed lighter, more responsive as he continued testing it.
Of course, he didn’t test too much... He just made a few practice slashes as he wasn’t in the training ground in the first place.
"Good... this will be helpful when fighting against other Survivors."
Next, he activated the second scroll.
[ Skill Scroll: Spirit Barrier learned. ]
[ Skill: Spirit Barrier (Level 0) ]
[ Description: Forms a temporary shield of condensed Spirit energy around the user. The barrier absorbs incoming damage up to its threshold before dissipating. Effective against ranged and Spirit‑based attacks, but less resistant to heavy melee strikes.
Activation Cost: 30 SP
Cooldown: 10 seconds ]
Of course, without hesitation, he used the skill...
A faint glow surrounded him, forming a translucent shield. He pressed against it with his palm, feeling the resistance. It absorbed the force, shimmering before fading.
"A defensive skill... perfect for emergencies."
Satisfied, Kai dismissed the interface.
He had tested both scrolls, and they worked exactly as promised.
Finally, he logged out.
***
Back in Cameron City, he joined Farrah and the children, Xian and Xinyi, for dinner.
As always, their laughter filled the shop, easing the tension of the day.
Afterward, Kai discussed the situation...
Apparently, many factions were pressuring Farrah to sell the Plasma Cells.
In the end, after some discussions, he decided to sell them since they weren’t in his territory anyway... It wouldn’t be easy to keep those items in their hands with so many large factions around them.
Furthermore, Kai was planning to sneak back into the broken citadel someday to loot more.
Then, at this time, Farrah suggested trading them for hoverboards.
"Hoverboards... Right!"
Kai laughed, agreeing to her suggestion.
They looked cool, and he let her handle negotiations.
"Very well... Just make sure to inform the Aries Faction first... We’re still indebted to them."
"Alright! I’ll let them know!"
Once dinner was done, Kai returned to his small room, placed the Neural Gear over his head, and reentered Perfect World.
Whom~
***
Once again, he appeared within the town, and soon, he saw the mission marker glow...
[ Guard caravan en route to Leonine Town. ]
At the town gates, a caravan of wagons and pack beasts was already assembled. Merchants bustled about, securing crates and barrels, while guards checked weapons they had...
The caravan leader, a stout man named Julius, spotted Traceless and waved.
"You’re the one who accepted the mission? Good. We’ll need your strength. The road to Leonine is dangerous."
Traceless nodded. "I’ll keep the caravan safe."
The journey began at dawn.
The caravan rolled out of Reverie Town...
They had five wagons in total, each pulled by sturdy draft beasts.
Around twenty merchants traveled with them, while a dozen hired guards marched in formation. They had spears and crossbows at the ready.
As for Traceless, he was kept to the left flank.
The first day passed quietly until midday, when growls erupted from the forest.
Awooo~
A pack of mutated wolves burst from the shrubs...
They were horned beasts with sharp fangs...
"Careful!"
They immediately realized that there were at least fifteen of them, moving in coordinated formation.
"Wolves!" one of the guards shouted, raising his spear.
The caravan jolted to a halt, merchants scrambling to protect the wagons.
The guards formed a defensive line, but the wolves were fast, circling to flank.
"Experience Points..." Traceless muttered as he stepped forward, his foot slamming into the dirt. Titan Step activated, the ground trembling as shockwaves rippled outward!
He knew that it was impossible to use multiple Titan Steps because of his low level but since there were many of them, he didn’t mind emptying his SP right now!
Just like that, several wolves staggered, as their charge was disrupted.
Seizing the moment, Traceless relied on his Sword Mastery and summoned Specter Edge...
He really wanted to test how he would fare against these beasts.
Thankfully, he was not disappointed. He was able to cut through the beasts’ hides with efficiency that stunned the guards.
Two wolves leapt toward a wagon... However, Traceless raised his hand and triggered Spirit Barrier!
It shimmered into existence!
Thud!
A translucent wall absorbed the impact as the beasts slammed against it...
They could only snarl in frustration, before guards speared them down.
Then, he wielded his dagger to push them back...
The battle lasted minutes but felt longer.
Guards coordinated as the merchants stayed hidden...
Still, the guards were strong, and they were already expecting this level of danger.
By the time the last beast fell, the caravan was shaken but intact. No one died in the process.
Soon, the looting process began. It was truly game-like as the beasts’ bodies dissipated, leaving pelts, fangs, meat, gold coins, and other random stuff.
Of course, Kai gained experience points as well, and he even leveled up thanks to the level difference.
Apparently, the wolves were at least level 15... If not for his Gene Skills and Gene Weapons, he wouldn’t be able to win at all.
Thanks to that, he was able to refresh his dwindling Spirit Points, allowing him to save some SP recovery potions.
***
By evening, the caravan camped near a river.
Fires were made as merchants cooked meals, and Kai sat quietly, since he was considering whether training with his dagger would also increase his mastery.
In the end, he felt that it wasn’t that harmful to train, so he decided to practice with his Dagger, in hopes of increasing his mastery level.
The second day quickly arrived and it was harsher.
The caravan moved its way through a narrow terrain between cliffs and scattered boulders.
Five wagons creaked forward with their wheels grinding against stone.
Although it wasn’t their first time, twenty merchants huddled nervously inside or walked beside their goods, while twelve guards kept formation with spears and crossbows at the ready.
Seeing how guarded they were, Traceless stayed near the front, as he also felt that this was a good place for ambush...
Well, even if the merchants were only NPCs, he didn’t really want them to die here.
Suddenly, figures appeared on the cliff above.
A dozen rogue adventurers descended with their armor mismatched.
Furthermore, their weapons were obviously emitting ill intent.
Their leader, a scarred man wielding twin axes, sneered as he stepped forward.
"Drop the cargo," he shouted. "Or we’ll take it by force."
’Ohhh... A bandit group...’ Traceless thought immediately.
The merchants froze as they assessed the level of strength of these bandits.
Meanwhile, the guards tightened their formation, but hesitation flickered in their eyes.
They weren’t in a good spot to fight after all,
The terrain advantage was obviously with the bandits.
Kai then stepped forward calmly, Spirit energy gathering around him.
Soon, Spirit Barrier shimmered into existence, a translucent dome wrapping him in protection.
It wouldn’t last for long, but it would help them avoid any surprise attacks...
As expected, the rogues laughed, and soon, everyone heard it.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Arrows and staggers were immediately stopped by the Spirit Barrier!
"Y-you..."
Seeing that the surprise attack failed, the group finally charged!
Steel clashed against the barrier as blades scraped across its surface.
The shield held firm, absorbing the blows.
Traceless moved deliberately, waiting for the right moment.
Then, with a burst of speed, he dismissed the barrier and charged forward.
"You must have higher experience points. Don’t run!" Traceless said with a laugh.
Specter Edge flashed, guided by Sword Mastery. His strikes were swift, and it didn’t take long before two rogues fell while clutching wounds.
Then, another swung wildly, only to be staggered by Kai’s sudden Titan Step, the ground cracking beneath his weight!
Boom!
The shockwave threw several off balance, giving the guards courage to press forward!
"Haha! Let Traceless create chaos!"
"Seize them!"
"Good job, adventurer!"
"Protect the caravan!"
"Kill them!"
The battle raged for minutes.
Thanks to Traceless’ brave movement to charge forward, the guards were able to have a better position!
Traceless’s presence had truly turned the tide. His barrier shielded the caravan at critical moments, and his blade carved through the rogues so easily!
Finally, the scarred leader had enough... He swiftly realized the fight was lost.
"Fall back!" he shouted while moving back!
As soon as the command was issued, the rogues retreated into the hills, leaving behind their wounded.
However, there was no way Traceless would let these experience points leave so easily!
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter