Chapter 19: Levi's real identity
"How did you find this place, by the way?" Eric asked as he entered the cave, Levi following beside him.
"I followed an injured monster here, but before I could explore, I met you," Levi replied, keeping his eyes ahead.
"I see." Eric found it interesting that they had both used the same method to find the dungeon.
"How about you? How did you find me?" Levi asked.
"Well, I suspected you were heading to the dungeon, so I used the same method you did."
With that, their conversation ended as they focused on the cave. They knew they would soon reach the monster's den, and they couldn't afford to be distracted by idle chatter.
After walking for a while, they found themselves in a passage that ran in a straight line. Eric felt like the darkness was beckoning him forward.
The cave was dark and dreary, the only sound being the drip of water from the stalactites. The air was thick with humidity, making it difficult to breathe.
Despite their enhanced senses, the darkness was so thick that it was impossible to see more than a few meters ahead.
Eric carefully took a step forward, his nerves on edge. Even though Levi was with him, he wouldn't rely on him to save him just because they were bound by an oath.
If he wanted to break his mortal limits and become a transcendent being, he knew he was bound to live a life full of hardship and suffering to achieve his goal. He must not rely on Levi unless absolutely necessary, and his life is in danger.
But although he kept his guard up, nothing happened, even after a considerable amount of time. As if nothing ever existed. An ordinary person would have relaxed a bit by now, but the further in Eric went, the more alert he became.
Suddenly, they heard rapid footsteps coming toward them, followed by the monsters' howls echoing through the cave.
Eric's eyes narrowed as he quickly assessed the situation. "Levi!" he called.
"Yeah, I got this," Levi said. "Here, take my sword for a moment," he added, holding the sword toward him.
Having an idea of what Levi was about to do, Eric didn't question him and took the sword from his hand.
The footsteps grew louder, and within moments, several shadowy figures emerged from the darkness. Five ViperWolves, their eyes glowing with feral hunger. They moved swiftly, their claws scraping against the stone floor as they charged at them.
Levi stepped forward, clenched his fists, and activated his ability. A purple halo surrounded his arm before the air started rotating around it at high speed.
His ability, called Twist, allowed him to twist and rotate any object he touched. In this situation, he chose to manipulate the air, creating a small whirlwind around his arm.
Just as the monsters were about to reach them, he punched forward.
Suddenly, the air seemed to bend to his will, rotating and forming a horizontal hurricane.
The violent wind scraped the ground, leaving a crater from its sheer rotating strength.
The hurricane shot toward the approaching monsters, blasting them away and killing a few. The two ViperWolves in the front didn't have a chance to whimper before being shredded into a bloody mess, while the others were blasted against the walls.
Watching the scene unfold, Eric couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy at Levi's sheer display of strength.
Even though his ability was powerful, allowing him to absorb abilities from others, it had no destructive power. So, he couldn't help but envy Levi for having such a formidable ability.
As a novel reader, Eric knew exactly the full potential of Levi's ability.
It wasn't just about rotating the air and creating massive hurricanes that could devastate kingdoms. Its potential was much more incredible.
In the future, Levi would be able to twist and control gravity, bringing down a shower of meteors that destroyed the Magi Tower, one of the most powerful organizations in the world.
His ability also allowed him to twist and control the senses of his opponents, tricking them into attacking their allies.
And so much more.
Usually, system users, also known as devils, would only gain one ability and would have to develop it themselves. The higher the grade of the ability, the more diverse skills they would gain from it.
For example, Eric's main ability was drain. The original owner seemed to have developed it in the second grade, giving him two skills: one to recover health from the monsters he killed and another to absorb their abilities.
If Eric wanted to gain additional skills, he had to further develop his abilities.
But Levi's potential was extraordinary. His ability, Twist, held far more promise than even Eric's highly versatile Drain. Levi's future capabilities would include not only creating devastating hurricanes but also manipulating gravity and twisting his opponents' senses. The potential applications were limitless, making Levi's ability one of the most formidable Eric had ever encountered.
And unlike Eric, who had to kill and absorb abilities from his enemies, Levi would gain access to an entirely new ability for each new rank he reached.
That was considered an absolutely impossible feat, as a person could typically only wield one ability, developing special skills from it.
But Levi broke that rule.
So was he a walking cheat with plot armor?
No!
There was only one reason why he was able to gain a brand new ability with each rank.
"Because he's the—"
Before Eric could finish his thought, enraged howls interrupted him.
The remaining ViperWolves, furious and undeterred by their fallen comrades, growled with renewed ferocity. Their eyes blazed with hatred, and their claws gleamed menacingly in the dim light of the cave.
"Here they come again," Levi muttered, clenching his fists. But before he activated his ability again, Eric's voice halted him in his tracks.
"Wait!"
Levi turned his head and looked at Eric, confusion evident in his eyes. "What is it?"
"I got this," Eric said, stepping forward with determination.
Levi hesitated, his fists still clenched, but then nodded and stepped back. "Alright. Be careful."
Seeing Eric approaching, the monsters bared their fangs and bolted straight toward him.
With a deep breath, Eric steeled himself and tightened his grip on the sword in his hand.
The first monster lunged at Eric, its jaws and claws wide open, ready to tear him apart.
Already familiar with their attack pattern, Eric sidestepped, dodging the sharp claws. With swift precision, he slashed through the monster's neck. It fell to the ground with a thud, blood gushing like a fountain, but Eric paid it no mind as the other Viperwolf lunged at him.
With no space to maneuver, Eric dove, evading the maw that was about to snap his neck. As the monster flew over him, he plunged the sword into its jaw, driving it all the way to its skull.
[Congratulations! You have killed Viperwolf (Level 10).
[Congratulations! You have killed Viperwolf (Level 12).
Two notifications appeared in his vision, but Eric paid them no mind and turned his attention back to Levi.
"We need to push forward!" Eric called out, slashing through another monster. "The dungeon should be up ahead!"
"Yeah!" Levi agreed.
Together, they fought their way through the horde, each strike precise and deadly. Eric used the sword to slash the monsters, while Levi unleashed his ability, sending wind blades slicing through the monsters.
The cave was filled with the sounds of battle—the clash of metal against claws, the roars of the monsters, and the heavy breathing of the two warriors.
After fighting their way through the tunnel filled with monsters, they reached a wide space.
In the center of it was a giant portal shimmering in blue light.
Eric and Levi looked at each other and nodded. No words were spoken, as they both knew what they had to do.
Without hesitation, they stepped into the portal, their resolve unshaken as they braced themselves for whatever awaited them on the other side.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
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