Belga laughed as the Crawleroids approached, their movements sharp and organized. He spread his arms wide, his voice filled with amusement.
"These are different from the ones before," he said.
"They are my bonded monsters. They don't need my control. They will fight, kill, and die for me willingly."
Ben's expression darkened. "So even if we kill you… they won't stop."
Belga's smirk grew wider. "Exactly."
Without warning, three Crawleroids leaped at them.
Isaac reacted fast. He swung his axe in a deadly arc, slicing through their bodies. Three kills, clean, efficient.
But something felt different.
These monsters were faster. Stronger. The fight took longer than it should have.
Belga noticed. He chuckled. "Ah, you felt it, didn't you? These are not weaklings. Their reflexes, speed, and strength are far above the ones you've faced before."
Then his grin twisted into something cruel.
"This time, they will all attack together."
The ground trembled as nearly a hundred Crawleroids prepared to charge.
Belga spread his arms. "You have two choices. Join me… or die."
Aiah raised her hands, flames forming in her palms as she prepared to attack.
Putol swallowed hard. "There's no way we can survive this."
Nai gritted his teeth. "Isaac… what do we do?"
Isaac didn't hesitate. He met Belga's gaze, his voice calm and firm.
"Let's make it this way. Give us your captives, and I'll let you and your monsters live."
Belga stared at him before bursting into laughter. "Is that so? Then prepare to die."
The monsters rushed forward.
Everyone tensed, readying themselves.
But Isaac?
He simply stood straight, lowered his axe, and smirked.
Belga's eyes narrowed. Then he laughed again.
"Foolish."
Isaac barely remembered what had happened during his previous fight, how his axe had transformed mid-battle. He knew it was a skill, but the name escaped him.
He focused, and his skill list appeared in his vision.
[Skills:]
•Tool Savant
•Dark Regeneration
•Abyssal Overdrive
•Reaper's Spiral (65% Mastery)
•Reaper's Boomerang (7% Mastery)
•Swarm Authority (21% Intermediate Level)
>Swarm Heal
>Swarm Devour
He whispered, "Tool Savant."
[Activate Tool Savant? Y/N]
Warning: Applicable exclusively to farming tools.
Isaac answered without hesitation. "Yes."
Then…
His regular axe changed.
The simple wooden handle turned to steel, with intricate engravings that glowed. The single blade transformed into a double-headed blade, turning the axe into a war weapon, with dark smoke rising from its edges.
Aiah blinked. 'Really?' She couldn't believe what she was seeing.
The others were frozen in place.
Belga's expression shifted. His eyes narrowed, clearly interested in what Isaac would do next.
Isaac moved first.
He threw the axe with tremendous force at the approaching Crawleroids.
The blade cut through them in an instant.
Some had their necks sliced open.
Others were pierced through their bodies.
Many lost their legs, causing them to stumble, dragging others down.
Some had their heads split apart.
[Skill Activated: Reaper's Boomerang]
The axe spun in a wide U-turn, cutting down more Crawleroids as it curved back.
Some dodged, but most couldn't react in time.
Then, as it flew in a straight line back to Isaac, more Crawleroids were slashed from behind, their bodies torn apart.
The axe landed perfectly in Isaac's grip.
Without stopping, he charged forward.
The remaining Crawleroids charged toward him.
Right before impact, he jumped high into the air.
A notification flashed before his eyes.
[Skill Unlocked: Abyssal Smash]
At the peak of his jump, he swung his axe down with full force.
The moment the blade hit the ground, everything shook.
The ground split open. A massive shockwave rippled outward.
The Crawleroids staggered, struggling to keep balance. They were disoriented.
Isaac didn't waste time.
He dashed through them, cutting down as many as he could.
From a distance, Nai whispered, "Do he need help?" He was still in shock.
Aiah, suddenly filled with confidence, ran straight toward the fight.
Ben followed, while Putol smirked and joined in.
Nai snapped out of his daze, realizing everyone else had already gone ahead.
He exhaled. "Yeah… maybe he does need help."
Then he ran forward to join the battle.
With tool savant still active, Isaac's axe in his hands felt weightless, responding to his every move.
He spun, delivering a clean horizontal slash.
Three Crawleroids fell, their heads rolling across the dirt.
Another lunged at him from behind, but without looking, he twisted his wrist, flipping the axe backward and impaling it through the chest.
Ben joined the battle, a Crawleroid lunged, its mandibles snapping.
He stepped back, pulling his bowstring tight. He released an arrow, hitting the creature's eye. It screeched and stumbled.
Seizing the moment, Putol dashed in.
With his one arm, he wielded his dagger with precision, slashing at the joints of its front legs. The Crawleroid reeled, its balance broken.
Ben didn't waste the opening. Another arrow flew, striking the creature's exposed throat.
The monster thrashed, but Putol wasn't done.
He stepped forward, driving his dagger into the back of its head. The Crawleroid gave a final spasm before collapsing in a heap.
Both men exhaled, nodding at each other.
Aiah, now fueled by adrenaline, thrust her hands forward.
Flames erupted, spreading across the battlefield.
The fire didn't just burn, it spread through the wounds of the injured Crawleroids, making them screech in pain.
"Hah! That's more like it!" she grinned.
Just as a Crawleroid lunged at her from the side, a blur of steel cut through the air. Nai's massive chopping knife cleaved into the creature's neck, sending its head rolling.
He stepped beside her, gripping his weapon tightly. "You burn, I'll cut them down," he said with a sharp grin.
Aiah smirked back. "Let's light them up."
With Nai cutting down anything that got too close, Aiah unleashed another wave of fire, turning the battlefield into a blazing inferno.
The remaining Crawleroids backed away, realizing they were losing.
Isaac lifted his axe high, channeling every bit of force into a downward strike.
[Skill Activated: Abyssal Smash]
The axe tore through the ground, sending a shockwave outward.
The force split the last of the Crawleroids in two, leaving nothing but a field of corpses.
A heavy silence followed, except for the heavy breathing of the fighters.
The battle was over. The air smelled of burnt exoskeleton and blood.
Aiah wiped sweat from her forehead, her flames flickering out.
"I- I think I overdid it." She glanced at her hands, which trembled from mana depletion.
Ben collapsed onto one knee, using his bow to prop himself up.
Putol stretched his arm. "I ain't gonna lie, I need food."
Nai sat on the ground, panting. "I… I can't believe we survived that." His hands still shook from adrenaline.
Isaac exhaled, loosening his grip on his axe.
The system notification flashed.
[Warning: Energy Level 41%]
He frowned. That fight drained more than expected.
Isaac scanned the battlefield, an uneasy feeling creeping over him. Something felt wrong.
'Why haven't I received a notification for my skill points upgrade?'
That's when Belga smirked.
"Foolish," he muttered.
Isaac turned toward him. "What?"
Then it happened.
The fallen Crawleroids twitched.
Then they began to regenerate.