Horned Beetle[2]

   'Damn beetle.' Blake cursed inwardly, gnashing his teeth together in frustration while trying to hold back the pain emanating from the cut.

   'Accelerate.' He swiftly activating the skill once more, and instantly, his agility was boosted, albeit slightly.

   Using his increased agility, Blake swiftly rolled backwards, escaping the sharp horns of the beetle, which stabbed into the floor.

Crack!

   A dull sound reverberated in the air, as the horns pierced into the ground, leaving a small crater.

   He quickly tried getting back up on his feet, but the large insect didn't give him enough time to recover his balance before dashing towards him again.

Buzz!!

   The beetle's sharp horns rapidly closed in on him, however, this time, Blake was quick to react.

   He swiftly grabbed unto the two black horns, stopping the beetle in the air. He felt a sharp pain sting him at his side, as blood slowly bled from the wound, but he ignored it.

   Harnessing all the strength within him, Blake swung the insect to the side with a deep grunt.

   Out of all his stats, his strength was the highest and while the body of the beetle was quite heavy, he was still able to swing it, though with some difficulty.

Bam!!

   The sudden throw destabilised the beetle's flight, and it came tumbling down unto the hard ground, causing dust to rise up in the air. 

   'Lightning Ball!' He thought, hurriedly stretching his hand towards the large beetle.

Blitz!!!

   Blue lightning violently sparked in front of his palms, before speedily forming into a medium size ball of lightning.

   Without wasting any time, Blake unleashed the crackling lightning ball towards the large abdomen of the beetle.

Blitzzz!!

   The lightning ball flew towards the giant beetle at rapid speed, leaving a small trail of crackling, blue electricity.

   In a split second, the ball closed in on the insect, slamming in against its abdomen with full force, before exploding into a powerful lightning blast.

   The force behind the blast sent the body of the beetle flying, and the lightning sparks rapidly roasted its insides.

  Using that opportunity, Blake hurriedly got back up on his feet, wincing slightly as the cut at his side stung once more.

   He had expected that last lightning attack to kill the beetle, but to his surprise, the insect slowly rose back up from the ground.

   Contrary to his expectations, it didn't seem like that last lightning ball did any damage to it. Its thick, black exoskeleton retained its lustre, and if not for the smoke rising up from beneath its shells, one wouldn't know it was just hit by a lightning ball. 

Buzz!!

   Its wings flapped loudly behind it, and it suddenly charged at him, at even greater speed.

   'Accelerate.' Blake thought, hurriedly activating the skill once more. The ten second activation time was already over, so he had to re-activate it, costing him another ten points from his mana.

   His body instantly became lighter, and using his boosted speed, he swiftly shifted to the side, barely escaping the sharp horns which flew past him.

   Seeing that its horns missed their target, the beetle quickly tried to turn around and attack again.

   However, Blake didn't plan on giving it the chance. Utilising [Lightning Ball] once more, he swiftly conjured three balls of lightning, before blasting them towards the beetle. 

Blitzzz!!

Boom!!!

   The lightning balls flew towards the beast at rapid speed, closing in on it within seconds, before detonating into an even bigger explosion of lightning.

   The powerful sparks from the lightning painfully electrocuted the beetle, passing through the gaps between its hard shell, before deeply frying its insides.

   With a low thud sound, the body of the beetle dropped down to the ground, with blue lightning sparking all over it.

   Finally, its body went still and a system notification flashed across Blake's eyes, bringing a slight smile upon his face.

[You have absorbed the records of Level 23 Horned Beetle! Health +7, Strength +12, Agility +10, Endurance +6]

[Level up! You have reached Level 17!]

[Level up rewards: +5 status points]

   Blake nodded his head in satisfaction as he read through the notifications in front of him.

   Just then, his eyes caught sight of a small orange orb glowing beside the motionless body of the beetle.

   His eyes narrowed slightly, and the appearance of the orb greatly piqued his curiosity. 

   'What is this?' He thought, moving closer to the orb, before grabbing it, holding it within its palm. 

  "Wow, you sure are lucky Blake." Karl suddenly said, breaking him out of his thoughts.

   He wiped the blood of his daggers by sprinkling them to the side, before spitting disdainfully on the dead bug that lay beneath him.

   "It's a treasure, those are rare to come by. I got my sword from an orb like that, just break the orb." Edward said, nodding his head slightly as he gently slid his sword back into its sheath.

   'Treasure…' Blake thought with narrowed eyes. He remembered Aria telling him something about it, and without hesitating, he gently crushed the orb within his palm.

   Immediately, the orb flashed with a bright orange light, and when the light dimmed, a new objects appeared in Blake's hands.

   It was a thin, black sword sheath, with black and yellow golden designs engraved all over it.

   At the top, was a black handle, which was the handle of the sword nested within it. 

   Blake's eyes narrowed slightly, and he gently gripped the black handle, before slowly drawing the sword out of its sheath.

  The blade emanated a captivating silver glow, enchanting Blake and the three others standing beside him as he unveiled the sword, revealing it in its full, captivating beauty.

   It was a bastard sword, featuring a sleek silver blade adorned with a thin golden line extending seamlessly from the bottom all the way to the top.

  Blake executed a series of moves with the sword, swinging it lightly to the side. He couldn't help but nod, genuinely impressed by its surprising lightness.

   A notification suddenly appeared in front of him, causing his eyes to narrow slightly. 

===========

Name: Silver stream

Grade: 2

Description: A thin bastard sword given its name because of its silver blade and light weight. When equipped, Strength +10, Agility +20

=========== 

   As he read through the tab in front of him, a slight smile appeared on Blake's lips. 

   To think by just having this sword with him, his strength and agility would get a free increase in stats.

   "Wow… I knew it was going to be a fine sword." Edward said, with a slight smile on his face. The orb he got his longsword from was also orange, and he could testify to its power.

   "It really is beautiful." Aria mumbled, before sighing deeply. Despite all her efforts, she still wasn't able to get a decent weapon.

   The only treasure she managed to get was the boots on her feet, which were just at the first grade, and offered only a small boost in agility.

   Nonetheless, she still felt very happy for Blake. 

   Just then, her brows furrowed slightly, and she suddenly remembered something.

   'The drugs!' She thought, her eyes widening in realisation. 

***

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