Chapter 117: [116] Mission
"We owe you a debt," Marcus continued seriously. "If you hadn’t intervened when you did, Kai would be dead. Possibly all of us."
Levi waved off the thanks dismissively. "You had it handled. I just... expedited things."
That was a lie, and everyone knew it, but it was the polite thing to say.
Lyra laughed, a surprisingly melodic sound given the circumstances. "Expedited? Brother, this guy just one-shot a Four-Star Fiend Grade beast that we’ve been hunting for three hours!"
She turned to Levi with sparkling eyes. "That technique you used at the end—the one with the dark energy—what was that? I’ve never seen anything like it!"
"A personal technique," Levi said evasively. "Nothing special."
"Nothing special?" Ren, the ice twin, shook his head in disbelief. "Brother, that attack could have killed a low-level Fiend Warrior! And you’re only... what, Level 6 Genetic Soldier based on your aura?"
Levi didn’t respond, which the others took as confirmation.
Marcus studied him with sharp, analytical eyes. "A first-year Elite Class student from Crimson Sun Academy, capable of killing Fiend Grade beasts solo. I’ve heard rumors about this year’s trial examination—someone with F-rank talent claiming first place through mysterious means. That wouldn’t happen to be you, would it?"
Levi’s expression remained neutral. "I don’t know what you’ve heard."
"Right." Marcus smiled slightly, clearly not believing the deflection but choosing not to press. "Well, regardless of rumors, your strength speaks for itself. Thank you again."
He approached the beast’s corpse and began to harvest materials—the scales, claws, teeth, and most importantly, the Fiend Grade core from near the heart. Each component was worth a significant amount of money.