The claws of the rock lizard leader shot straight towards Herbert's chest!
Herbert barely managed to sidestep, his axe handle raised to block.
Boom~~
He was struck by a tremendous force, stumbling backward and crashing into a large rock. Blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.
A flash of intense determination flickered in his eyes, but he also understood the overwhelming difference in raw strength.
Simply relying on brute force would not be enough to deal with this beast.
After all, these creatures had long lost their sanity, unaware of fear, their hearts filled with brutality and bloodlust!
Around them, the other three Formal-level veterans were entangled with at least two strong rock lizards each. They roared in frustration, unable to break free.
The remaining Trainee-level team members were barely holding on, and the occasional screams of agony echoed in the air.
Clang!
Splatter——!
Raine swung his knife, slaying a rock lizard that was lunging at Matthew, quickly scanning the battlefield, calculating his bloodstone gains.
He had 764 points remaining earlier. After killing several rock lizards, including the current one…
[Slaying mutated rock lizard, bloodstone +110]
A notification rang in his mind, and the bloodstone balance updated: 1321!
The 1181 bloodstone required to buy the Formal-level upgrade was now enough!
He glanced at the massive rock lizard leader, which was relentlessly attacking Herbert.
Herbert had been struck in the chest by the rock lizard leader's claw, his leather armor shattered, three deep gashes appearing across his chest!
He coughed up blood, and his battle axe nearly slipped from his grip!
"Commander!" Several team members shouted in panic.
The rock lizard leader seemed to sense its prey weakening. It opened its blood-curdling maw, filled with jagged teeth, and lunged at Herbert, determined to tear this troublesome prey apart!
"Now's the time!" Raine's eyes flashed with intensity.
"System! Spend 1181 bloodstone to permanently promote to Formal Rank!"
[Command confirmed, 1181 bloodstone spent!]
[Remaining bloodstone: 140]
Boom!
A massive surge of blood energy erupted within Raine!
The rank barrier shattered in an instant, and the essence of his life was elevated!
Formal Rank!
This was a qualitative leap!
From this moment, he formally entered the hall of the extraordinary!
The entire promotion process completed in the blink of an eye.
Raine felt the new power surging within him and fixed his gaze on the giant rock lizard leader. His feet exploded with force!
Bang!
The ground beneath his feet shattered with spiderweb-like cracks!
His figure blurred into a streak, moving with incredible speed!
"Scraps! Get out of my way!"
With a roar, Raine positioned himself between Herbert and the rock lizard leader.
He knew his own limits.
Although he felt overwhelmingly powerful now, if he were to take a hit from the Elite-level rock lizard leader, his bones would likely shatter!
So he didn't attempt to clash directly with the leader. His eyes glimmered with dark purple light!
Bewitching Eye, full power activation!
The surge in mental energy from his promotion amplified the effects of Bewitching Eye significantly!
The rock lizard leader's assault stalled abruptly, confusion and disorientation flashing in its eyes.
Its massive jaws hovered above Herbert's head but hesitated to strike.
This precious moment created a perfect window for Herbert to counterattack!
His mind raced, and he activated all his trump cards!
A heavy, earthy Nex aura surrounded his fists and battle axe!
Herbert raised his dual-bladed battle axe high and swung it toward the rock lizard leader's relatively softer throat!
At the same time, Raine gathered the blood energy within him. A scorching, domineering blood aura surrounded his Ironstrike!
He crouched low, gathering all his strength into the Ironstrike, slashing toward the rock lizard leader's neck!
Two slashes, one yellow and one red, struck like lightning, heavy as mountains!
The air was compressed and resonated with a deep, thunderous boom!
Crack!!!
A sickening sound of bone and shell shattering rang through the air!
The rock lizard leader's massive body was struck as if by an invisible giant hammer, sent flying backward at an even faster speed than when it had charged!
Its neck was completely torn apart, dark green blood and shredded organs spewing from its mouth and nose!
The creature then crashed into a large boulder ten meters away before slumping lifelessly to the ground, twitching briefly before falling still.
[Ding! Assisted in slaying Elite-level rock lizard leader, bloodstone +1080]
The mutated Elite-level rock lizard leader, Level 5, was dead!
The shocking scene caused the entire chaotic battlefield to fall silent.
Both the rampaging normal rock lizards and the human warriors struggling to hold their ground all looked on in disbelief.
What just happened?!
How did they suddenly turn the tide?!
The veterans standing nearby shook their heads, finding it hard to believe.
How could a new recruit possibly have the courage to face the terrifying Elite-level existence?!
Even they, veterans, wouldn't dare step up to such a challenge.
Kyle and the others gathered together, watching the scene with wide eyes.
"It's Raine!"
"This kid, seems like he just did something unbelievable!"
"Hahaha, have you seen his achievements lately?" Kyle chuckled, once again calmly commanding the others to deal with the remaining rock lizards.
Young Matthew instinctively gripped his lightweight Ironstrike knife tighter, a gleam of determination flashing in his eyes.
"I can't fall behind too much!"
After Herbert had unleashed his final blow, he was exhausted and could only sit by the side to recover.
Raine, however, didn't stop.
Slaying the leader was just the first step; the battle had to be finished quickly.
Not only to save his fellow soldiers, but also to harvest more bloodstone!
His eyes sparkled with focus, and his Formal-level senses allowed him to more clearly grasp the whole battlefield.
The three powerful rock lizards still engaged with the human Formal-level warriors were riddled with flaws in his eyes.
If it weren't for their resistance to pain and fear of death, they likely would have already been killed by the three veterans!
Raine's figure darted again, his Formal-level speed and strength combined with precise swordsmanship, making it as easy as cutting vegetables to take down the frenzied Formal-level rock lizards!
Slash!
Slash! Slash!
Two enormous heads flew into the air almost simultaneously!
[Slaying 2 Formal-level mutated rock lizards, bloodstone +1500!]
The pressure on the Formal-level warrior, now greatly relieved, froze as he stared in awe at Raine's retreating figure.
Before he could even say a word of thanks, Raine had already shifted to another battlefield.
Facing the crazed rock lizards, the other two warriors were struggling more, their bodies riddled with injuries of varying severity.
Raine didn't rush into the battle but instead sought a perfect opportunity for a single, deadly strike before decisively slaying another Formal-level rock lizard!
"Watch out!"
A veteran's shout rang in his ears.
Out of the corner of his eye, Raine saw a massive rock lizard's tail lash toward him!
If it hit directly, it would likely result in broken bones at the very least!
And the timing of this attack was perfectly synchronized with Raine's brief moment of relaxation.
However, Raine didn't panic.
His arms instantly turned to stone, and he raised his sword to block the strike.
It was the gargoyle bloodline ability, Stoneform Skin!
Smash——!
Raine's body was sent flying more than ten meters, kicking up a cloud of dust!
The strength of the rock lizard was evident.
But the next moment, Raine's figure shot out of the sandstorm, his Ironstrike raised high!
"Good kid!"
The veteran beside him let out a relieved sigh, cracking his aching fist before rejoining the fight.