Ascension from Dual Professions

Chapter 227: Chapter 220: Advanced Trial: Conquest

”This is... the last one...”

Under the awestruck gazes of the warrior siblings and Dolores’s adoring eyes, Jon obliterated the Demon Forest Ruins’ second boss, the Splitting Tree Demon, with a Magic Torrent.

At the same time, several notifications popped up before his eyes.

——

[You have slain a higher-level monster. Gained 40,000 combat Experience Points (20,000 x 2.0 reward multiplier).]

[Ding! Advanced Trial Task: Oppression (Special Professional Task) has been completed.]

[Ding! Advanced Trial Task: Conquest (Special Professional Task) has been added to your task list!]

——

[Advanced Trial Task: Oppression (Special Professional Task)]

[As an unyielding Warrior, you have successfully defeated an enemy far stronger than yourself, overcoming the pressure you were under!]

[Completion Rate: A, reward multiplier 3.0]

[Completion Reward: 6 Power (2 Basic x 3.0), 6 Constitution (2 Basic x 3.0), 6 Free Attribute Points (2 Basic x 3.0)]

——

[Advanced Trial Task: Conquest (Special Professional Task)]

[As a Warrior with an indomitable fighting spirit, you crave stronger opponents and more difficult battles. Conquer them, and conquer your own power!]

[Task Objective: Complete ’Conquest Illusion Realm I’ (0/1)]

[Basic Reward: 3 Power, 3 Constitution, 3 Free Attribute Points]

[This task has no additional rewards.]

Note: In ’Conquest Illusion Realm I’, the enemies you defeated during ’Advanced Trial Task: Oppression’ will appear in sequence. The task will be complete once all of them have been defeated.

Note: You may attempt ’Conquest Illusion Realm I’ an unlimited number of times. However, failure will result in an undispellable 12-hour weakened state. Please ensure you are fully prepared before attempting the challenge.

——

For all who set foot on the path of conquest, there was no turning back at this point.

For ordinary players or Professionals, this was a considerably difficult challenge.

After all, defeating an enemy stronger than oneself was already an incredibly difficult feat. Many had only managed to complete the first part by using unconventional methods.

To complete the second part, one must work even harder to improve one’s equipment and skills.

For Jon, however, this task posed no difficulty whatsoever. It was just a matter of spending some time in the Illusion Realm to kill the same enemies all over again.

The attributes and techniques from his Dual Professions had elevated his power far beyond the Apprentice Level.

In comparison, only the final part of the Trial Task would be truly challenging.

He bent down, carved a fist-sized, translucent crystal from the Splitting Tree Demon’s corpse, and tucked it into his pouch before looking over at his teammates.

”Let’s rest for a bit. I need to Meditate for a while to recover my Magic Power.”

”You guys sort out the loot.”

”Yes, Lord Jon!”

”As you command! Boss!”

Moon, Sati, and Dolores immediately responded with reverence, not a single thought of objection crossing their minds.

Jon now held supreme authority within the party. The warrior siblings had resigned themselves to the role of ”pack mules,” while Dolores felt an extraordinary sense of gratitude toward Jon because of his previous actions.

Seeing how eager they were, Jon stopped watching them. He walked over to a clean stone slab, sat down cross-legged, and turned his attention back to the system panel.

’First, I’ll add the Attribute Points from the quest reward to Constitution.’

’Counting the reward from the first part of my Mage Trial Task, my attributes are now...’

[Attributes: Power: 30, Constitution: 97+5, agility: 5, Intelligence: 31+1, Spirit: 32+1]

’That’s 97 base Constitution, not counting the bonus from Blood of the Earth!’

’An extreme build certainly has its drawbacks, but the benefits are undeniable!’

His Life Value was now a full 3060 points!

Jon couldn’t help but let out a satisfied sigh.

’I remember, the last time my health was this high, I was already level 26...’

The thought made him a little wistful.

’I haven’t even reached the Official Level, but I’m already stronger than I was back then. In the future, I’ll only become stronger!’

With the points allocated, it was time for the main event.

Jon opened his task panel and fixed his gaze on [Advanced Trial Task: Conquest].

[Do you wish to enter ’Conquest Illusion Realm I’?]

Without the slightest hesitation, Jon confirmed it in his mind.

”Yes!”

As he confirmed his choice, the ruined walls of the ruins, the frost-covered plant debris, and the busy figures of his teammates all twisted and blurred. Like reflections in disturbed water, they vanished in an instant.

In their place was a boundless, heart-stoppingly pure white space.

There was no up or down, no left or right. There was no sound, no smell—only an indescribable sense of nothingness, as if one stood at the dawn of creation.

Immediately after, a vast, cold, and utterly emotionless will descended with tangible force, filling the entire space.

It did not speak, yet it branded a perfectly clear message directly into the depths of Jon’s mind.

”Begin!”

Without any transition, the very instant the command was given, the white space a short distance in front of Jon began to ripple.

An exceptionally tall Warrior with coarse features, clad in worn Plate Armor and wielding a massive two-handed battle-ax, materialized out of thin air!

This was precisely the first Official Level enemy Jon had encountered and killed on his way to Trulane County!

The moment the tall warrior appeared, its lifeless eyes locked onto Jon. There were no shouts, no roars, only the purest will to kill driving it.

Dragging its massive battle-ax behind it, the creature charged Jon with frenzied abandon, like an out-of-control war machine.

Its heavy footfalls landed on the invisible ”ground.” Though silent, the unstoppable, crushing momentum was overwhelming.

However, Jon’s reaction was faster!

The instant his opponent moved, the power within Jon’s body surged.

[Glory Charge] + [Dragon Tail Sweep]!

He too shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow, his ice-blue eyes burning with fighting spirit as he charged to meet the frenzied figure head-on!

No dodging, no tricks, only the purest head-on collision of power and speed!

The two figures, both radiating powerful auras, closed the distance at high speed and shot past each other in a flash.

SHLICK—!

A faint sound, like tearing silk.

The tall Warrior’s charge stopped abruptly. Its massive body stood rigid, the great-ax in its hand falling limp.

A thin line of blood slowly appeared on its plate-armored neck and widened. A torrent of hot blood then erupted like a fountain, staining the pure white ground before instantly dissolving into motes of light.

The tall figure swayed and then, like a toppled pillar, crashed to the ground, dissolving into motes of light until it vanished completely.

Jon came to a steady halt at the end of his charge. A single drop of blood slid slowly down the blade of his simple longsword before falling and vanishing into nothing.

Without giving him any time to breathe, the space fluctuated again.

A gaunt, hunched figure appeared phantom-like a few meters to Jon’s rear—it was Karon, the emaciated Lurker he had killed second!

Unlike the sorry state he was in when Jon had ambushed him, his power was now completely unrestricted!

The Official Level Lurker’s movements were as swift as the wind. It held a pair of poisoned, pitch-black daggers in a reverse grip, its figure a blur as it skimmed silently across the ground, radiating lethal killing intent!

This time, Jon didn’t use any Magic.

A glint flashed in his eyes. Backed by the confidence from his terrifying 97 points in Constitution and his vast combat experience, he swung his longsword in a sharp, upward arc, precisely deflecting the dagger aimed for his vitals.

[Dragon Claw Swing]!

CLANG!

The crisp sound of metal clashing was exceptionally clear in the silent space.

But while one dagger was blocked, the other stabbed cunningly toward Jon’s ribs!

Jon neither dodged nor evaded. His abdominal muscles tightened like steel, and he took the poisoned strike directly, his resilient body absorbing the blow beneath his leather armor.

THUNK!

The dagger pierced his leather armor but didn’t sink deep into his flesh, bringing only a sharp sting and a faint sense of numbness.

However, the resilience granted by his terrifying 102 points of Constitution was far beyond what Karon’s projection could comprehend. The minuscule amount of Poison and damage was like a pebble dropped into the ocean.

Jon even used the force of the blow to spin. Propelled by the momentum, his longsword whistled through the air and slashed viciously at Karon’s exposed neck.

[Dragon Tail Sweep]!

A flicker of awareness crossed Karon’s vacant eyes, but it was too late to pull back.

SHK!

A flash of the blade, and a grotesque head flew high into the air. It and the gaunt body then dissolved into motes of light.

Jon didn’t even glance down at the wound in his side. Thanks to his immense Constitution, the minor injury was already clotting and healing. It was insignificant.

Then came the third enemy, then the fourth... The Official Level foes he had once slain, despite being out-leveled, reappeared one by one in the order of their defeat. Each was restored to their prime within the white space, challenging him with cold, murderous intent.

Finally, the Splitting Tree Demon—the very same one he had just obliterated with magic—cried out and fell once more. The vast, emotionless will descended again to declare:

”Conquest Illusion Realm I, complete.”

The flawless white space receded like a tide.

Jon’s consciousness instantly returned to his body.

He was still sitting cross-legged on the Relic Stone Tablet, a faint chill from the Frost Magic Power still lingering on his fingertips.

Only a single moment had passed.

[Ding! Advanced Trial Task: Conquest (Special Professional Task) has been completed.]

[Ding! Advanced Trial Task: Domination (Special Professional Task) has been added to your task list!]