SSS Awakening: I am the First Legendary Mage

"Catch!"

Alex picked up the Low-rank Gene Potential dropped by the Level 11 Titan Reef Crab and tossed it toward Frank. The old man instinctively caught it before realizing what had happened.

Instead of absorbing it immediately, Frank continued staring at Alex with open admiration. Alex noticed the look but chose not to ask about it.

Instead, Alex turned toward Yulia and asked, "The larger one was the monster that attacked you and Joseph, wasn’t it?"

"Yes," Yulia answered quietly. Her voice trembled slightly, but not from fear. The monster that had nearly killed both of them was finally dead, and the relief mixed with the lingering anger and fear made it difficult for her to stay composed.

Alex nodded before looking around at everyone else. "How is everyone feeling? Are you too tired to keep moving?"

"I’m fine," Yulia replied as she picked up the other Low-rank Gene Potential and absorbed it.

Frank nodded and said, "I can continue."

"Me too." Emma raised her hand with a smile.

Petra simply answered, "I’m ready," while Sarah silently nodded her agreement.

"Then let’s keep moving. Judging by where these monsters intercepted us compared to where they attacked Joseph and Yulia earlier, they probably left Joseph somewhere nearby before coming after us. If we’re lucky, we might still be able to save him," Alex said.

The words left his mouth before he had time to think about them. His words were a mistake. Realistically, Joseph’s chances of surviving were slim, and Alex realized he had probably given Yulia hope he couldn’t guarantee.

Since he had already said it, he simply continued, "Let’s stay in formation and watch for any more ambushes."

Everyone nodded before taking their positions. Alex and Frank led from the front, Emma and Petra stayed in the middle, and Sarah walked beside Yulia at the rear.

As they started moving again, Yulia quietly thanked Alex. She sounded as though she was barely holding back tears. Alex nodded.

The group continued deeper into the dungeon until the tunnel gradually widened into a massive cavern.

A human shout suddenly echoed through the passage, causing everyone to stop. Before Alex could say anything, Yulia had already sprinted toward the opening.

"Joseph!" she shouted.

"Let’s move!" Alex called out as he followed after her.

The rest of the group immediately ran into the cavern behind them.

The walls and ceiling were covered with beautiful glowing coral that bathed the chamber in pale light. That was where the beauty ended.

Alex counted ten Level 10 Titan Reef Crabs. Standing among them were two Level 10+ Titan Reef Crabs similar to the ones they fought earlier.

One was the giant crab whose armor left almost no gaps between its joints, while the other was the smaller one with the unusually long pincer.

At the very back of the chamber stood another Titan Reef Crab unlike the others.

It was the same size as the ordinary Level 10 monsters, but flowing blue patterns rippled across its shell like moving water.

The other crabs circled behind the chamber while clicking their pincers, as though guarding it.

The blue-patterned crab sat calmly in the middle of them, tearing into a human leg. Blood covered the stone floor beneath Joseph, whose battered body lay only a few meters away.

From where he stood, Alex could see countless injuries covering the old man.

Joseph’s beer belly was soaked in blood, his thick black mustache hung above a slightly open mouth, and his receding hairline was stained crimson.

His right leg was gone below the knee. Even from this distance, it was obvious he had lost far too much blood.

"Joseph!" Yulia shouted.

Her face twisted with rage as she lunged toward the monsters. Alex grabbed her wrist before she could take another step.

"Let me go!" she yelled, trying to pull free.

Alex didn’t hear a word.

Compressed mana flooded his brain as Battle Instinct Spell activated. His thoughts sharpened, the world around him became muted, and every distraction disappeared beneath absolute focus.

He looked at Joseph first. There was the faintest rise and fall of his chest. It was almost impossible to notice, but Joseph was still breathing.

Judging by his condition, however, he was only moments away from death.

Alex’s attention shifted across the battlefield. The monsters had already begun charging toward them, spreading out instead of rushing together.

The giant armored crab remained close to the blue-patterned leader, while the fast Level 10+ crab broke away from the group to intercept them.

Alex kept watching.

Every movement, every distance, every angle settled into place inside his mind. He calculated where each monster would be in the next few seconds and built a battle plan around it before finally releasing the Battle Instinct Spell.

The sounds of the cavern returned all at once.

Yulia was still struggling against his grip, her expression filled with anger and desperation. She looked ready to throw herself into the monsters if he loosened his hand for even a second.

"Joseph is alive," Alex said.

She froze.

Her eyes widened as she stared at him, and for a brief moment she forgot about the monsters charging toward them. Hope appeared on her face so suddenly that she almost looked afraid to believe him.

"He doesn’t have much time. But if we can help him land a hit on any monster here before we kill them, leveling up might save him," Alex explained.

Yulia slowly looked back toward the monsters.

Ten Level 10 Titan Reef Crabs. Two Level 10+ monsters. And behind all of them stood the Titan Reef Crab with the flowing blue shell, which was almost certainly far stronger than every other monster in the cavern.

They had barely survived fighting two Level 10+ crabs earlier. Their chances now were close to zero.

She bit down on her lip until it bled.

A dangerous determination appeared in her eyes, as though she had already accepted she would die if that was what it took to save Joseph. Before she could say anything, Alex spoke again.

"I’ll deal with the Titan Reef Crab with the blue patterns and make sure Joseph gets a hit in so his contribution counts. Until I kill the leader, I need all of you to handle the other monsters."

Yulia stared at him in disbelief.

"What are you talking about? You’re going after that thing alone?" she asked.

"Yes. That’s the plan we’re following," Alex replied.

She couldn’t understand how he could say it so calmly.

He was volunteering to fight the strongest monster in the cavern while everyone else dealt with the remaining twelve. Even if Alex was stronger than anyone else here, that sounded suicidal.

Alex had his own reason.

The blue-patterned Titan Reef Crab was most likely a mid-rank species.

If he defeated it alone, no one would question him for taking its Gene Potential.

He had promised Emma that the next mid-rank Gene Potential would be hers, but after risking his life against a monster like this, surely she would understand why he deserved it.

..

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