UNLOCK: I CAN SEE MY STATS

chapter 19 : tempting offer

“We meet again, Lightning!” Luiz said, licking his lips. Then he turned to Tina and added with a mocking grin,

“And you too, Princess…”

“Tch! It’s you…!”

“Here for another beating? I didn’t think you were the sadistic type,” Marcus taunted, pulling Tina protectively behind him.

He raised a hand to stop the now-irritated Luiz, smiling as he added,

“This time, I’ll handle you properly. But first, let’s wait for our guests to arrive.”

“Guests?!” Tina asked in confusion, glancing around.

“Oh! Interesting. So you’re the sensory type…” Luiz said, his interest in this strange youth deepening. A teenager, yet his power rivaled that of a Scorch Warden-level fighter.

“That boy… he’s probably some extraordinary prodigy, a son of one of Lorana’s Twelve Clans…”

Luiz whispered to himself, then stared intently at Marcus, murmuring with a puzzled look,

“Strange… I don’t see any sign of clan markings on him, or maybe he simply hasn’t used his bloodline power yet…”

“If it’s the latter, then this kid is even scarier than I thought. I’d better try to eliminate him before he grows any stronger…”

“Hey, Lightning… are you from the Black Lightning Clan?” Luiz asked curiously, matching Marcus’s pace as he quietly waited for the others, or ‘guests,’ as Marcus had called them.

“The Black Lightning Clan? What made you think that?” Marcus asked, trying not to show his weakening state.

" Damn it… my time is running out…"

Luiz shrugged.

“I don’t know! You’re far too strong for someone your age, and you use lightning, so I guessed you might be from one of the Twelve Clans…”

“But…”, he gestured toward Tina, “judging by her expression, I can tell you’re not from that clan at all!”

“So… maybe you’re from the Giant Clan, huh? No? The Inverse Scale Clan? Or the Raivon Clan? Maybe the Controllers? Oh, right, sorry, that last one was practically wiped out!”

"Anyway! , I’m genuinely curious. Tell me. Satisfy my curiosity…”

Marcus stared at him blankly, then said in a cold tone,

“Hmm ! , You talk too much…”

He looked around, then leaned close enough for Tina to hear him whisper,

“They’ve finally arrived…”

Whoosh ~ Whoosh ~ Whoosh~

More than a dozen Ironland soldiers suddenly appeared, led by Rames, a Scorch Warden-level general.

He radiated a commanding aura as he frowned at Marcus in confusion.

“hmm ! , You’re definitely not nobody!!!” he barked, addressing Marcus, whose eyes narrowed at Rames but didn’t respond.

Instead, Marcus glanced at the other soldiers, and then turned to face the newcomers who appeared at that moment.

Whoosh ~ Whoosh ~ Whoosh

“Lorana’s army!!” Tina whispered behind him, staring at the squad of 22 that had emerged.

“Finally, someone from Lorana. I was getting tired of seeing nothing but Ironland faces…” Marcus said with a faint smile, watching the Loranan soldiers.

“Who are you? What unit are you from? What are you doing here…” Rames demanded, keeping a safe distance from the terrifying young man before him.

Even without being a sensor, he could clearly feel the sun-like energy radiating from this unknown teenager.

“We’re from the eastern camp, or what’s left of it, to be precise…” Marcus replied, then reached into his pocket and tossed something to Rames, who caught it cautiously.

“Marcus Abomarian. You’re from the Abomarian Clan?!” Rames asked, suspicious as he compared the picture on the card with Marcus’s appearance.

He was especially eyeing Marcus’s forehead, which was conspicuously missing the Abomarian clan’s distinctive crest.

Marcus caught the meaning behind his look.

“Technically, I’m an exiled member of the Abomarian Clan…” he said with a strained smile.

“Oh! I see…” Rames nodded, though he didn’t fully understand. Given this young man’s power, he seemed nearly equal to the Ironland commander.

So it was hard for him to grasp how such a genius could ever be exiled, but the situation didn’t allow for deeper speculation.

Marcus slowly stepped closer to Rames, who, though less wary, still didn’t fully trust his story.

Marcus drew close enough to whisper just for Rames to hear,

“I’m using a secret clan technique to boost my power to this level. But my time is almost up, so hurry and order your men to attack…”

Rames nodded in sudden understanding.

" Now that makes sense…"

he thought, then raised his hand toward his soldiers.

“Attack…” he ordered simply. Instantly, without hesitation, many of them formed quick seals, inhaled deeply until their chests swelled.

Five of them infused the air with Eternal Fire Energy, opened their mouths, and unleashed a wave of flame at the Ironland army, who had already started forming their own seals.

∆ Fire Style: Inferno Storm ∆

∆ Fire Style: Inferno Storm ∆

∆ Fire Style: Inferno Storm ∆

∆ Fire Style: Inferno Storm ∆

∆ Fire Style: Inferno Storm ∆

∆ Fire Style: Inferno Storm ∆

“Now!!” one Loranan soldier shouted, and at once the others infused Eternal Wind Energy.

∆ Wind Style: Grand Piercing ∆

∆ Wind Style: Grand Piercing ∆

∆ Wind Style: Grand Piercing ∆

∆ Wind Style: Grand Piercing ∆

∆ Wind Style: Grand Piercing ∆

As soon as the wind struck the fire, the flames grew larger and more violent, this was a masterful use of two elements combined, even without a special bloodline.

“Defend!!” Rames commanded calmly, facing down the oncoming wall of flame.

The Ironland soldiers finished their seals and slammed the ground simultaneously. Multiple layers of earthen defenses rose up, blocking the devastating firestorm.

∆ Earth Style: Stone Shroud ∆

∆ Earth Style: Multi-Layered Stone Shield ∆

∆ Earth Style: Stone Dome ∆

∆ Earth Style: Earth Wall ∆

∆ Earth Style: Earth Wall ∆

∆ Earth Style: Earth Warp ∆

∆ Earth Style: Earth Wall ∆

BOOOOM!!

The amplified firestorm, powered by wind, slammed into the earthen barricades, erupting in a massive blaze that lit the sky orange and red. The heat forced the air to roar violently, and the forest edges began to char and crumble.

Though the Ironland soldiers had managed to block the strike, their defenses partially fractured, some walls collapsing to expose soldiers’ backs, prompting Loranan fighters to rush in and seize the opportunity.

CRAACK!

Soldiers collided directly, swords, daggers, fists wrapped in energy. Short, sharp screams. The battle devolved into total chaos. The forest seemed to turn into a new forest, one of blood and carnage.

---

At the center of this hell, Marcus had already moved.

He stepped slowly toward Rames, their eyes locked as if no one else existed in the world.

“You know… I was born with sharp hearing…” Rames said, small stones floating and spinning around him.

“I heard your little conversation with your commander. If your own people cast you out, why side with them at all?” He spread his hands wide, as if embracing the empty air.

“Join us… we’re the right side. I promise you a general’s rank immediately. Don’t worry, I have the authority to grant it.”

“I am General Rames. I promise you this. So, what do you say? Do we have a deal?”

he asked with narrowed eyes, hoping for a positive answer.

He didn’t want to fight such an unknown, powerful opponent. And if he succeeded in recruiting him, they’d gain a formidable ally. Marcus was only a teenager, who knew how terrifying he’d become at his peak?

Marcus smirked slightly.

“That’s a tempting offer. But here’s my counter-offer…”