Chapter 13

A lone figure was seen standing in the middle of what appeared to be a graveyard dyed in red. The lonely figure was standing with the support of his weapon, a saber. Most of his leather armor is torn, showing his skin.

There are claws and bites on his body. Though most wounds appeared to be healed, there are a lot of injuries still bleeding.

Anyone who saw him would think of him as a red-skinned demon. He was covered in blood, from head to toe, shining red under the light of the full moon. The blood can be seen dripping from his head, obscuring his sight but it was not enough to blind him.

He had one look around and smiled before collapsing to the ground and losing consciousness.

That day the world saw the birth of CRIMSON SABER and the start of a legend known as...

---

A few hours ago...

Alex who stood in the battle became ecstatic when the notification from the system came.

[Ding!]

--

Quest: Survive the beast tide.

Reward: low-level saber technique; level increment card x 1;

Note: level increment card can't be used after level 75.

--

The rewards are too much. The low-level saber technique can help him improve his saber usage. The level increment card can be used to increase a level without needing to fight. Though it can only be used before reaching level 75, he can directly use it when he is at 74 and reach 75 which is a Pseudo 2-star.

Though it jumps a level, one has to consider when to use it. This is not an experience card that gives a certain amount of experience. If the experience gained is at 99% and you are only 1% away from the next level, using this card would make you reach the level with 0% filled-in experience level or the next one.

So using this card when the experience bar is not filled would make it more useful.

Alex decided that he would use it after he crossed level 70. It would be best if he used at level 74 but only if circumstances allow it. If he was in the middle of a battle like the one he is going to face now, it would most likely be wasted.

So he decided, to use it after 70 but wait to see if there would any such circumstances. If there seems something like that, he would use it before the battle begins.

Though these are massive gains for completing the quest, the system did say that he missed bonus rewards from the previous quest.

The only way he can think to get or increase bonus rewards is if he kills a lot of beasts or beasts that are a level higher than him. There is also a chance that the bonus depends on the number of survivors or the people he rescued in the battle.

Though he knows that he can't see everyone and can't go out of his league to save someone, he would as long as they are nearby. Just killing beasts may not be the key to the bonus or maybe it is. He needed to experiment this time to find out.

He needed to verify the path needed when he would be greeted by a similar situation. He is 100%...no 200% sure he would face circumstances such as this. The enemies may change but the problem would definitely be similar.

He wanted to have a nice quiet life but he was sure now that it was not possible. A few days after he finally found a human settlement, the town is facing a beast tide. This is definitely a cliche protagonist plot.

The main character transmigrated to a fantasy world and was gifted with a system, especially with a name like 'Ethereal Emperor System', definitely wouldn't have peace to enjoy life.

There would always be someone who tries to disturb him either directly or indirectly.

Now the disturbance is indirect and he would show his prowess in battle. This makes his name into the sight of a few people, who would trouble him later.

When you settle them down, their backers and then their backers would poke him.

All his deeds would also enter the 'To be killed Heroes' list of evil organizations. They would underestimate and send some weak assassin who would lose. They increase the number or rank of the persons sent to kill.

This continues until the leader himself faces the hero. A legendary battle takes place. The villain is slain after a lot of sacrifices from the hero, and peace returns or so other thinks.

New greedy people arrive. They would envy the hero and try to backstab or leech off him as much as they can.

A new cycle with the same path happens again.

Alex accepted his fate and decided to be prepared for the future. Though he didn't want to stand out, he didn't want to stand in the last. As long as he won't earn the highest number of merits or be in the top five highest, he would be safe or so he thought.

Fate has other plans...

---

"Hey, are you sure that we would survive?"

"I don't know but if we fall, our families in the next town will be next."

"You are right. Even if we die, our families would survive. After all the kingdom isn't stingy with soldiers. They take care of soldier's families who die in the line of duty, especially during times like this."

"I heard that there would be multiple 3-star beasts. I hope that I would live."

"I heard that the baron is 4-star. Is that true?"

"Yes he is and if those 3-star beasts make a move, he would take care of them. So don't worry about them and focus on the 2-star and below."

"Did you forget that the three captains are already reached 3-star? So I don't think that there would be many causalities."

"You are right, I..."

Thud!Thud!

The ground below started shaking. The beasts are here.