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nThe main Conjured Deterrent was appalled when Kieran suddenly vanished and reappeared so far away without it being able to neutralize him.

nThe inverted mud prisms were colossal and even destroyed some of the nearby Conjured Deterrents; it should have sufficed to kill this puny human!

nHow did he manage to muster such frightening speed, unbecoming of an Intermediate Being?

nAfter asking these questions, the Conjured Deterrent let out a furious bellow and rushed behind Kieran while clawing at the ground.

nThe marsh floor moved according to its direction and sometimes bunched together and acted as a spring to propel the Conjured Deterrent forward.

nAs its body was that of a mid-Advanced Being, its speed was terrifying, swiftly gaining on Kieran.

n‘Oh? Is it a game of cat and mouse that you want? I promise you, good sir or ma’am, you don’t want it with me,’ Kieran inwardly thought, lips curling into a slightly amused smirk.

nDespite how fast the Conjured Deterrent gained on him, Kieran remained calm.

n“Surge Step!”

nWhenever Kieran executed a Surge Step, a deep footprint would form within the marsh floor, and he would be propelled forward a decent distance.

nHowever, Surge Step alone wasn’t enough to outrun this Champion Monster that was more than twenty levels above him.

nNo, Kieran had to rely upon his newly created Technique and employ it in such a way that made Kieran relive his glory days.

n‘The Drives were more or less my famed stepping method, using it to overcome many battles. They’re versatile when brought to their peak, but right now, I’m limited in how I can unleash them. Though, there’s always a solution within the uncertainty of any predicament.’

nKieran used Surge Step four times in rapid succession, marginally widening the gap between him and Conjured Deterrent.

nThe moment he landed from the last step, his body shuddered violently, and he disappeared with a muffled sonic boom before reappearing close to 85 meters away.

n‘It’s become better, more natural. But this is only attainable if I precede the Phantasmal Flicker with several Surge Steps. My body isn’t strong enough to unleash the Technique from nothing,’ Kieran thought.

nNaturally, his main goal with Phantasmal Flicker was being able to unleash it from a previously motionless state. Due to his current circumstances, Kieran could only gradually accumulate the momentum needed to flicker.

nBased on his movements, Kieran estimated he required at least double his current AGI to support this skill. If not for his passives granting insane movement speed boosts, the requirement would be more than quadruple his present AGI.

n‘Normal Classes truly can’t compare to Hidden Classes. Even though I prevailed in the past, I’m performing feats that would have taken me at least half a year to accomplish. The physique of a True Berserker is incredibly monstrous.’

nWhile in thought, Kieran glanced over his shoulder to view the Conjured Deterrent’s current position. Though he created a large gap with his previous flicker, Kieran could sense the Conjured Deterrent was hellbent on catching him.

nWhat’s more, an alarm surfaced in Kieran’s mind as he snapped his head to his front and witnessed far stronger Conjured Deterrents sprout from the depths of the Enitic Valley of Illum.

n‘Of course. Why would it ever be this easy?’ Kieran inwardly remarked with an embittered grimace. From what he could sense, this new batch of Conjured Deterrents was even stronger than the one chasing him, admittedly closing in on Lv.100.

nIt wasn’t enough to frighten Kieran considering his experiences within the Chasm of Apogeton, where he fought against those ungodly phantoms.

nDespite the size of his incoming opponents, Kieran maintained his current speed, periodically increasing it with a sudden Surge Step.

nWhoosh! Bang!

nKieran weaved around a colossal fist from above and sidestepped without changing the speed of his actions, which was a sign of extreme control.

nGenerally, one had to decelerate or stagger to prepare for another movement, but Kieran understood the timing of his actions and required no such thing.

n‘All my training wasn’t for nothing. This includes the time I took to understand my current limits, Kieran thought.

nLike a wet bar of bath soap slipping out the palm of one’s hand in a wondrous shower, Kieran escaped the onslaught of the Conjured Deterrents.

n“Damn you! This is an iniquity we Wykins will not tolerate! Entry is not permitted, heed!” The deep voice bellowed, constantly transferring its consciousness from one Conjured Deterrent to another, attempting to catch Kieran during a moment of exhaustion.

nUnfortunately, the deep voice didn’t understand that Kieran’s current Stamina rivaled Advanced Beings. Even without the effects of the Breath of Life, his Stamina eclipsed his Health twice over.

nKieran gave a smug smirk and shook his head. “I will not. But you’re free to catch me if you can.”

nWhoosh!

n“Insolence! When has this great one ever been led on by a child?!” the deep voice scowled.

n“Right now,” Kieran retorted matter-of-factly, his own deep voice echoing throughout the valley.

nRoarrghh!

nAll of a sudden, a humongous rumble occurred as the marsh floor within a 100-meter radius swirled and dipped in the center. A second later, the divet inverted and protruded from the ground, forming a large head.

nThe head was followed by the creation of broad shoulders, a torso, and stocky legs. As Kieran looked up, he noticed this creation was something that set off ample alarms in his mind.

n「 Lv.100 Illiueta, Conjured Deterrent Giant (Titled High Champion)

nGuardian

nArtificial Lifeform

nHealth: ??? (100%) 」

n‘Oh wow… It’s classified as a Guardian Monster and a Titled High Champion. This Wykin surely wants me dead,’ Kieran inwardly thought.

nGuardians were a unique type of monster that could be considered regular monsters or Boss Monsters, depending on the situation. Whether it was considered a Boss Monster or not, Guardians were a frightening opponent due to their unique ability.

nLike the earlier Conjured Deterrents powered by the mystical nod, Guardians could draw upon the environment they protected to unleash attacks that sometimes surpassed normal Epic Bosses.

nThe only difference was that Guardians required no particular medium to perform this feat.

n“Young boy, you have no respect for the Wykins, which means you deserve no leniency. Perish!” The deep voice sounded from Illiutea, leading Kieran to believe it originated from this deterrent.

nConsidering it was a Guardian and possessed a name, it wasn’t a far-fetched assumption.

nUnlike the earlier Conjured Deterrents that Kieran could easily dodge, Illiueta’s fist was humongous, blotting out the sky in Kieran’s vision.

nTap! Tap! Tap!

nKieran’s only saving grace was that Illiueta’s colossal body caused it to move slowly. He avoided the fist itself, but the impact created an overflow across the marsh floor.

n“Damn,” Kieran clicked his tongue and began sprinting. There was no pause in his actions because he now had to outrun an incoming tidal wave of murky waters at least five times his size.

n“Blood Strengthening. Fervor Augmentation… Crimson Current! Grand Stomp!”

nKieran turned around and waved his hand, unleashing an augmented Crimson Current that paled compared to the incoming tidal wave. However, he accomplished what he intended, using the force of the two colliding waves to help his Grand Stomp propel him further.

n‘To think I’d have to do all this to visit the Wykins. I somewhat hate them now,’ Kieran thought, his expression souring slightly.

nAlthough he understood why the Wykins prepared such extensive countermeasures, it was all very taxing for him.

nHe wanted to ask them a few questions. Was that such a problematic request?

nThe tidal wave of murky waters crashed into the ground, and Kieran caught the remnants of it, being swept across the floor without suffering damage. Yet, the lack of damage didn’t console Kieran, for he noticed a large foot dropping toward him.

n‘Lord have mercy…’ Kieran groaned internally. He planted his hand on the ground and slid across it, creating a crimson line. Several chains sprouted from within the crimson line and moved according to Kieran’s whims.

nThe chains overlapped and created a rounded chain barricade.

n“Ordinance of Protection!”

nBOOM!

nThe chains were instantly shattered, but Kieran used the opportunity to continue running.

n“Wrath Eruption!” “Phantasmal Flicker!”

nKieran bellowed, unleashing a jet of blood from his left foot, and used the sudden boost to flicker and escape from danger.

nOne of his life-saving skills had been exhausted, but he emerged from the gap between Illiueta’s foot and the ground intact.

nAt that moment, a glimmer of abnormal blue light caught his eyes.

n“So that’s why the Guardian revealed itself. I have found it!” Kieran muttered, releasing a peal of excited laughter.

nThat abnormal blue light was what he searched for this entire time! He sorely needed it. Now that he had located its position, Kieran raced in that direction, not sparing any of his skills, primarily…

n“Abhorrent Paroxysm!”

nSwoosh!

nThe crimson aura saturating Kieran’s body deepened in color, and he gained an increasingly sinister presence. Kieran didn’t focus on the boost to his power. All he sought was the additional burst of speed.

n“You dare?! How preposterous! As the Guardian of Illum, I would be a failure if I allowed you to accomplish such a thing!”

nThe valley’s marsh floor began vibrating and thrumming with a mystical presence as numerous droplets separated and floated a few centimeters above the ground. This phenomenon appeared throughout the valley and dismayed Kieran despite his increased speed.

n‘Is this a Guardian Invocation?!’

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