Level up is hard? I can Directly Purchase infinite Levels!-Chapter 54: Reduced Beyond Recognition—Finally Home

Garson, Aaron, Black Falcon, and the others rushed to Raine’s side.

Everyone else gathered around as well.

"Everyone, move back!"

Kyle roared like an enraged lion, his reason completely shattered.

His trembling hands reached out to support Raine, yet he froze, utterly at a loss—afraid to touch him anywhere.

Because there was almost no part of Raine’s body left intact.

This was the younger generation he had watched grow up.

A blood relative who had been raised on the same land.

And now he had been beaten into this state...

Aaron stood nearby, just as frantic.

Yet he showed no displeasure at Kyle’s outburst. What filled his eyes instead was guilt and heartache.

Gore, Matthew, and Pros rushed over.

Herbert stepped forward quickly and said to Kyle, "Kyle, calm down. He must be treated immediately!"

"Yes—there can’t be a second’s delay!"

Yarna was equally anxious.

Everyone clenched their fists tightly.

Aaron’s eyes reddened as he walked up to Gore.

Looking at the middle-aged man who was desperately holding back his emotions while secretly wiping away tears, Aaron spoke in a deep voice:

"We’re going back to Bloodhowl Highlands."

With that, he bent down personally and lifted Raine with extreme care.

He didn’t look at anyone else, instead turning directly into a streak of azure light that shot toward the highlands.

Kyle wiped the moisture from his eyes and shouted to Gore and the others,

"Let’s go!"

Everyone followed close behind.

Garson and Yarna turned to look in the direction they had left.

"I don’t understand... how that man could have—"

Yarna started to say something.

Garson raised a hand to stop her.

"As long as he’s been found, that’s enough. Everyone return to your defensive zones. Heighten alertness and be prepared for a counterattack from the alien races."

After issuing the order, he tore open space and departed as well.

The others began directing the troops to withdraw in an orderly fashion.

...

On the distant skyline outside the Bloodstained Mountains, several figures radiating terrifying pressure hovered in the void like silent mountains.

At the forefront stood Sydell, the High Priest of Crimson City. His Grandmaster-level presence stirred violent turbulence among the surrounding elements.

Beside him were Quet, Quin, and several other Master-rank experts, along with nearly all officers of Crimson City at Expert rank or above.

Not far away stood a Grandmaster of the gargoyle race, accompanied by several elite gargoyles.

Farther still was another powerful figure shrouded in black, watery mist, his aura cold and sinister.

He was a Grandmaster from the blackwater clan.

He had rushed here upon hearing that the human prodigy had fled into this area—but he was ultimately too late.

"Since it’s confirmed that the human prodigy Arlis is at Iron Dragon Fortress, shouldn’t we strike directly?"

A powerhouse from the Soul Devourer race spoke, icy killing intent flashing in his eyes without restraint.

Arlis was Commander Philippe’s only daughter. Killing her would not only deal Philippe a devastating blow—it could also heavily damage human morale.

Moreover, Arlis herself was a human prodigy officially recorded and highly valued by the Embers Council. Her worth alone was enough to justify the risk.

"Steelbreaker Richard is already present, along with Garson of Iron Dragon Fortress. We have no chance of victory." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Sydell’s voice was calm, betraying no emotion.

"If we launch a direct assault on Iron Dragon Fortress, setting aside the uncertainty of success—even if we somehow succeeded, it would push our Soul Devourer race fully into the spotlight as public enemy number one."

"That would be utterly unwise."

Though he, too, felt a strong urge, reason told him that rashly initiating a full-scale attack on a major human stronghold carried risks far outweighing any gains.

If the operation failed, the elites of all races present would likely suffer catastrophic losses—and it would immediately provoke an even fiercer counterattack from humanity’s rear lines.

The gargoyle Grandmaster nodded slowly, calculation evident in his gray eyes.

He understood that the Soul Devourer race sought to preserve its overall strength, and he did not dispute that.

At least for now, the gargoyles also did not wish to see the conflict in this region fully escalate and disrupt the existing balance.

He then turned his gaze toward the Bloodstained Mountains, where chaotic energy fluctuations still lingered, and frowned slightly.

"Still... what exactly happened deep within the mountains?"

"The thunderclan and blackwater clan geniuses had every advantage, yet while hunting down a gravely wounded, dying target, they still managed to let her escape... It’s rather puzzling."

The blackwater clan’s Grandmaster stiffened slightly at those words.

Though nothing was said outright, the faint trace of mockery hidden within them was grating.

"Send a few people in to investigate the battlefield and determine exactly what happened,"

Sydell ordered calmly.

Several experts from the Soul Devourer and Shadowclaw races acknowledged the command and flew toward the depths of the Bloodstained Mountains.

...

Bloodhowl Highlands, medical command tent.

The area was packed to the brim. Every soldier stationed on the highlands anxiously watched the tent, waiting for news.

Inside the tent—

Aaron carefully treated Raine’s penetrating chest wound, using Nex to channel and disperse the residual lightning within his body to prevent further deterioration.

Garson took out a vial that glowed with a milky-white radiance and exuded dense life energy, feeding it into Raine’s mouth.

It was a high-grade Sacred Healing Elixir.

Its restorative effects were extraordinary: it could condense a core of holy healing energy around the heart, stimulate vitality and blood regeneration, repair shattered bones, and purge residual destructive energy from the body.

At the same time, Garson activated his own powerful Grandmaster-level Nex, guiding it into Raine to assist with recovery.

The others watched in silence.

Gore and Kyle never left the bedside.

After a long while, Raine’s breathing finally stabilized. His life force stopped draining away, and under the combined effects of the elixir and Nex, his internal injuries began to mend.

At the same time, the flesh at his wounds slowly began to wriggle and reconnect. Beneath the skin, faint dark-golden patterns emerged and glimmered softly, assisting the healing process.

Seeing this, Garson’s gaze sharpened.

Yarna and the others revealed looks of surprise.

"The gargoyle race’s Legendary art—Obsidian Golem!"

"To think he’s mastered this art... and even raised his Obsidian Golem body to three stars..."

Garson was visibly shaken.

Having dealt with gargoyles for years, they were intimately familiar with the race’s abilities.

This was most likely loot obtained from killing a gargoyle noble prodigy earlier.

What puzzled them was how Raine had managed to break through racial limitations to cultivate this art—but more importantly, he hadn’t possessed it for very long at all!

Yet his progress was astonishingly fast!

"So fast... this talent..."

Tom and the others were equally stunned.

Garson said gravely, "Even among the gargoyle experts I’ve encountered, only a handful have ever reached three-star Obsidian Golem body."

"Raine often ventures deep into dangerous regions of the mountains, tempering his body through extreme environments,"

Kyle explained, knowing some of the details.

Hearing this, Garson recalled the perilous zones within the Bloodstained Mountains, and a tightness formed in his chest.

"This kid..."

"Lord Governor, what is it?"

Yarna asked.

"There are several elemental riot zones deep in the mountains—lightning, magma, poisonous miasma run rampant... He must have gone there more than once."

Garson had a basic understanding of the conditions required to advance the Obsidian Golem body.

Each star required intense elemental or external stimulation.

Ordinarily, gargoyle nobles would choose relatively mild elemental fields and advance slowly over time.

But for Raine to reach three stars so quickly, he must have subjected himself to extraordinarily violent elemental environments.

Such conditions were difficult even for gargoyles—creatures with dulled pain perception—to endure, let alone a flesh-and-blood human.

Garson could easily imagine the agony involved in advancing under those circumstances.

"He did it... to become stronger as quickly as possible."

A heavy silence fell over the tent.

Especially among those who truly understood Raine—who knew all too well the madness with which he fought on the battlefield.