Lucas came back to awareness in the exact same position he'd been in the moment his Class evolution was initiated. He didn't know how much time had passed--the goblin's aura would have kept him standing indefinitely, so long as it was kept active--but from the position of the monster before him, he could figure the time would be measured in fractions of a second.

Now that the evolution was over, however, so too was the time-dilation effect. Lucas had just long enough to process his surroundings and shove down the flood of notifications that threatened to steal his attention before the corrupted goblin started screaming in rage.

YOOUUU! RragGH!

The monster's spittle flew into Lucas's face as he stood frozen, but its scream was accompanied by an explosive burst of mana in every direction that finally broke his paralysis. Unfortunately, the reason for that was because Lucas was sent flying under the barrage of stone and corruption. He took three heavy hits in the gut, right arm, and left hip that caused him to spin through the air wildly and land nearly face-first, thirty paces back.

For a moment, Lucas couldn't breathe and panic began to set in. It hurt--it really, really hurt. Either the effects of [Adaptation] had cancelled when he went through the evolution, or the goblin's real capabilities had been brought out through its rage. Those three hits hurt so much more than they should have.

Lucas folded in on himself, half in pain and half to physically check his condition. All the while, the goblin continued to scream, screech, and blow its mana in explosive outbursts over by the central dais, but it paid him no mind. That would inevitably change sometime soon, though, so he knew he had to hurry.

The hits he took to the gut and arm were fine. A jagged piece of stone had slashed a line across his arm near the shoulder, and burst of mana had burnt into the surface of his abdomen, but both wounds were already regenerating. It was the hit he took to the hip that was the most immediately concerning. A larger chunk of stone had shattered part of his bones there, and unless that was healed, Lucas wouldn't be moving anytime soon.

But when he reached out with [Arclight Renewal] and got a better sense of the injury, he found that it wasn't nearly as bad as it seemed, and the reason for that was simple: it was already healing just like the others. Lucas's natural regeneration couldn't just shrug off broken bones--in fact, no one's could. But here he was.

A quick glance up showed him that the goblin was still raving wildly, but also oddly slowly, and none of the nilbogs that were nearby had approached just yet, so Lucas took a chance and relaxed his mind. All at once, the suppressed notification came rolling in.

[*ding [Aspirant of the Storm] has become [Ratian Sentinel]!]

[*ding [Ratian Sentinel] has reached level 51-52!]

[*ding Class Skill [Accelerant Frame] has evolved into Class Skill [Fulgurous Mantle]!]

[Fulgurous Mantle: Don the mantle of the Sentinel and receive a 50% boost to STR and DEX, as well as a 10% boost to VIT and all lightning magic while this Skill is active. +1.5% increase per level.]

[*ding [Fulgurous Mantle] has reached level 51-52!]

[*ding Class Skills [Rapid Regeneration] and [Storm Core] have merged into Class Skill [Unflagging Physique]!]

[Unflagging Physique: You will not fall. Increased endurance and constitution per level. +6% HP regeneration per level, +4% MP regeneration per level. You may go longer without food or sleep without experiencing inhibited performance, and your natural regeneration will eventually heal any non-immediately lethal injury.]

[*ding [Unflagging Physique] has reached level 51-52!]

[*ding [Arclight Renewal] has reached level 51-52!]

[*ding Class Skills [Tempest Fighting] and [Shock] have merged into Class Skill [Arclight Destruction]!]

[Arclight Destruction: Fight with the ferocity of a storm unchecked and channel your mana to deliver lightning with each strike. Weapons will hold the charge until a strike lands or it is grounded, and you may choose to meet each successful strike on your person with a retaliatory electric discharge. Increased damage per point of MP spent per level.]

[*ding [Arclight Destruction] has reached level 51-52!]

[*ding [Overcharge] has reached level 51!]

[*ding [Quick Step] has reached level 51!]

[*ding Class Skill [Hyper Processing] and General Skill [Keen Mind] have merged into Class Skill [Mind of the Sentinel]!]

[Mind of the Sentinel: The Sentinel misses nothing, forgets nothing, and may learn from everything. Experience greatly increased mental processing, memorization, and recollection per level. Once per day, you may amplify these effects and significantly speed up your reaction speed for three minutes.]

[*ding [Mind of the Sentinel] has reached level 51-52!]

[*ding [Adaptation] has reached level 51-52!]

After all the notifications detailing the improvements and changes to his Class Skills, more followed for the General ones. The world around Lucas seemed to slow down as he went over them all, and it was only when he read through the description of his newly merged mental Skill that Lucas realized he had activated its once-per-day effect.

That only meant he had slightly more time to plan before the monsters' attention turned back to him, however. For now, he'd found an explanation for his healing bones in his [Unflagging Physique], and the General Skill notifications would have to wait till later. And though his hip would recover on its own, Lucas decided to pulse [Arclight Renewal] anyway so he wasn't left waiting on it.

Lucas healed just in time to see the corrupted goblin's tantrum end and watch it turn in his direction. Lucas had been blasted a fair distance away from it, and the monster's rage had done a great job at destroying the center of the altar, raising clouds of dust and cover, but its eyes caught his own immediately. The monster stepped forward and spoke, and though Lucas's perception was still spiked, its movements and voice didn't seem slowed at all.

You may be able to interfere.

It took another step, and though it was directed at Lucas, he knew its words were not.

You may be able to hide yourself.

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It took another step, covering far too much ground for how small the goblin's legs were. Suddenly, the monster was right before him, and it spat its words into his face.

But I can still take your pet!

Then its hand was at Lucas's neck. He tried to back up and dodge the grasp, he really did, but the goblin moved far faster than it should have and he'd thought it could. A couple Skills activated as Lucas was lifted up and the goblin seemed to grow. An arc of electricity flashed harmlessly between them and the monster's ugly face contorted further in a sneer.

Pathetic...but maybe you can be of use to me.

[Corrupted Vessel - level 146]

Lucas barely had time to process his shock before another wave of corruption spilled out of the monster and into him. The one time his [Identify] gave him more information, and he was entirely incapable of putting it to use. Lucas would have laughed if he didn't find it so incredibly frustrating.

No--no, this is not the way I go down!

The twisted mana enveloped his body and pushed with an inevitable force, seeking ingress. Burning and scraping along the way. But though Lucas could not move under its influence, he could still manipulate his internal mana. With a roar of defiance that passed by entirely silently, for he could only grit his teeth, Lucas pushed his mana out with everything he had.

The two energies' collision shook him physically and made the very air vibrate. Lucas's mana held, but all he received from the monster was an annoyed growl before the force behind the corruption redoubled.

Lucas started losing ground.

Cease this pointless resistance, Legacy

No!

The corruption slowly advanced through his currents. It scalded his body and twisted the careful workings that had made his regeneration Skill. Lucas screamed internally, both in pain and continued defiance. The corruption advanced.

After you fall as my vessel, I am going to make you slaughter your dirt village and the worms you call family one by one.

I won't let you!

Lucas pushed harder against the twisted mana. He tried to take it--convert it and absorb it into his own. It only worked for a moment before the monster seemed to catch on and the corruption consolidated.

And after, you will help me find her. She has marked you, and that will be her last mistake.

No!

"Lucas!"

A bolt of lightning fell down from the sky and struck the goblin's body, and suddenly the corruption halted in its advance. At the same time, Lucas sent his senses traveling down the stream of corruption as fast as his thoughts could process. His mind's focus passed through his own channels, then through the air and back to the goblin, where he met a wall. But whatever that paralytic shock had done to the monster had left the corruption frozen as well.

Lucas's mana smashed through the wall and entered the goblin.

He'd done this before, in a fashion, but this time he was far less gentle. He sent his mana cascading through the monster without bothering to follow its own channels. In fact, he tore through the, seeking to do as much damage as possible.

The channels of a level 146 creature were apparently made of hardier stuff, because Lucas did not have an easy time of it. But what he lacked in absolute power, he made up for in the sheer quantity of mana he devoted to the task. And when he started to run out of that, he took from the corruption.

Lucas sought out some way to do even more damage, and that is when he found the corruption's core buried deep within the monster. To his senses, it was a sphere of mana so deeply black it was as if it were a bottomless void, though it roiled with waves as if it were a liquid as well.

His mana could go no further. What MP was sent near the core soon lost Lucas's influence and joined with the corruption. But that was okay. He didn't need to directly touch on the core when he could just sever it from all nearby channels. They started falling one by one.

Then the monster twitched. With his thoughts and senses still traveling at breakneck speeds, Lucas watched it gradually overcome the paralysis. Then, not-so-gradually. There were still several channels left to sever when the monster shook, dropped Lucas, and let out a deafening screech of blind pain. Lucas huddled to the ground and covered his ears.

A moment later, he felt to hands grab onto him and hoist him up. Lucas rose and spun around with his fist crackling, but stopped when he caught the familiar face.

"We need to go, Lu," his mom declared, shouting over the still-screeching monster. "Now!"

Lucas nodded and took a step after her as she turned, then looked back to the corrupted vessel and hesitated. "We can't leave this one alive, mom. It's not just a goblin!"

The two of them froze side by side, and both looked on at the monster as it collapsed and flailed on the ground. Chaotic and twisted mana stabbed at the air around it, moving in time with the vessel's flails.

"I can't deal with that corruption, Lu," Mary told him, "and no ranged attack is likely to get through it either."

Lucas grimaced and checked his reserves.

[MP: 0/1560]

"Shit!"

We--we can't kill it, can we?

"Lu, we really need to go," his mom told him once more and started pulling him away. "Belinda and Harry are escorting the survivors out, but we're already meeting resistance from the other monsters. We have to help them."

Lucas swallowed, then nodded. "Ok, let's go."

Together, they turned around and started moving toward the eastern face of the great altar, leaving the screeching vessel behind them. It didn't feel right, leaving a threat like that alive--Lucas knew it would prove to be a mistake. But they had to go. The others needed them.

They got right to the edge of the altar's top level before the screeching cut off and [Vigilance] blared its warning. Lucas and Mary both twisted around just in time to catch the cloud of corruption that had been enveloping the vessel face-first.

"Mom!" Lucas yelled and reached out, as they both were knocked backwards and to the ground. Then his portion of the cloud of corruption shifted and started moving over him. It tried to enter him like before, but this time there wasn't a will to fight against him when he overtook it.

[MP: 278/1560]

Lucas got back on his feet and faced the stumbling goblin as it crept closer. It wasn't dead, but his efforts had clearly left it in a poor state. It wouldn't be able to fight back.

Without hesitation, he manipulated all but a few dozen points of mana into a crackling ball of lightning held between his hands. There wasn't a Skill behind this, so it was slightly awkward and difficult, but Lucas managed with his Authority. The moment the conjuration was properly formed, he looked up and met the monster's eyes.

Some form of realization seemed to pass through the creature, and its eyes changed. It growled and charged, but it was already too late.

Lucas launched his conjuration forward like an arrow and his senses traveled with it. His attack hit the monster midair and it started screeching once more as the last of its channels were sundered. It didn't even take the full attack before its screeching finally cut off and he was notified of its death--leaving the last of the lightning to dissipate into the stone and the air.

[*ding You have slain a [Goblin Mage - level 89]!]

[New Class Skills Available!]

Level 89? That's not right...

Lucas waited a moment, but the monster's corpse didn't suddenly resuscitate and start screeching again. No other monster appeared and no bottomless sphere of corruption attacked him. It was strange, concerning, and a problem for later. He dropped the issue when his mom groaned to his side and started picking herself off the ground.

"Mom!" Lucas moved so quickly to her side, someone might have thought he [Quick Step]ped, and started helping her up. "Are you okay? Did any of the corruption hit you?"

"I'm okay, Lu," she accepted his hand and got to her feet. "I don't think it really hit me. That attack carried a lot of force, though."

Lucas looked her over, but sure enough, what scrapes she had gotten started fading before his eyes so quickly that, a moment later, he wasn't entirely sure he'd seen them at all. His mom looked over his shoulder and smiled slightly, then gave him a small hug.

"Good job, son. Whatever that was...you were right, it had to die."

"There's more though, isn't there?" he asked rhetorically. "We need to catch up to Belinda to deal with the rest."

Mary nodded. "We do. Let's not waste any more time. Do you still have my knife on you?"

Lucas froze and patted his sides, then immediately looked around. He spotted it behind them, and behind the goblin's corpse, and quickly dashed over to retrieve it before dashing back.

"Got it!" he showed his mom, but it was only then that he fully took in its condition.

The dagger was covered in corrosion--dulled in some places and made rough in others. And when he cast [Identify], its quality came back as (broken).

"Err, sorry..." Lucas trailed off.

Mary shook her head and started guiding them back toward the altar's edge. "It will still be a better weapon than nothing, don't worry about it. It kept you safe, it served its purpose."

She fully turned around and gestured for him to follow. "Now come on. Let's see if you can get just a bit more use out of it."