Attribute Farming System

"Getting juiced up on pills and rare herbs his entire life did do well for something," Yara whispered into Yennefer's ear, sneering secretly. "More than that, though, I'm more surprised he has yet to bloat like a balloon and explode from all the stuff he intakes."

"Hum?"

Harlow could have sworn he heard someone say his name, but perhaps it was simply the wind.

Regardless, it was time to enter the Beast Emperor's cave. And whether anyone liked it or not, he'd be the one leading the charge. Naturally, he would also have first pick of all the best treasures.

"Come now, fellow brothers and sisters!" he shouted magnanimously. "Let us see what else this day has in store for us!"

*Thump, thump, thump!*

Into the torch-lined cave they went.

Yennefer and Yara hung back from the group, keeping their distance from the pungent aura of scum leaking off Harlow. As they walked, Yara kept pestering Yennefer about Knox Falazar, but Yennefer had no more slip-ups; her poker face was impeccable.

Cela, on the other hand, had been deliriously mumbling to herself in the far back since the first mention of her 'Darling.'

Everyone around her was afraid to be within six feet of her. They kept their distance at all times; her crazy aura made sure of it…

After a few seconds of speed-walking, the group came across a large pair of rustic golden doors. Clearly, they had been there for a while. However, without caring about the possibility of traps, Harlow reached out and touched the door.

FWOOOSH!

The doors swung open with ease, releasing gusts of air that had been contained in a singular shimmering room for what could have been thousands of years.

"See?" Harlow said, his eyes greedily reflecting the mountains of gold and Spirit Stones filling the vault room's interior. "What were you all so worried about? The loot is right there!"

Everyone cautiously looked around. But after confirming the surroundings were safe, greed filled their hearts as well. They rushed into the vault room, leaving only the apprehensive Yennefer, the insane Cela, and the confused Yara behind.

"Is something the matter, Yenny?" Yara asked, tapping her shoulder. "You look sort of pale."

Yennefer shifted her eyes to her friend. "Something isn't right here. I can feel it."

"That sixth sense of yours again?"

Yennefer nodded.

"This place is definitely a trap—" she started to say before being interrupted by a thundering explosion as several hills of gold were blasted upward.

"What are those—"

*Swooop!*

CHOMP!

"!!!" "!!!" "!!!"

Before anybody even knew what had happened, a Peak Golden Core Realm cultivator was swooped up into the mouth of a massive golden-scaled lizard. Or, to be more specific…

"A dragon!?" Harlow reeled back in shock, his previous confidence nowhere to be seen. "How could there be a dragon in here!?"

"No," Yennefer said. "That is not a dragon—and it isn't alone."

"Wha—!?"

Harlow turned to the Ice Beauty, but he was forced to look elsewhere when another one of their own was scooped up and devoured. That was when he saw them—three four-legged, domineering reptilians emerging from the hills of gold.

Golden-flaked Earth Dragons.

Although this subspecies of dragon possessed no wings, they were still absolute tyrants in land battles. A full-grown one could reach up to 500 meters in length and surpass the Nascent Soul Realm. These ones, however, were all roughly 100 meters in length, 300 years old, and of the…

"Late Nascent Soul Realm," Yara murmured, her pupils dilating out of focus. "Yenny… I think we're going to die."

Yennefer's perfectly shaped eyebrows furrowed as she called upon her |Fire Fairy| bloodline. Her hair changed from its original black color to something more along the lines of scarlet. Moreover, her eyes turned redder, and a pair of illusory red wings materialized on her back.

"Your bloodline!" Yara looked over in surprise. "Has your strength improved once again??"

Yennefer merely nodded. Her cold expression became even icier as she got into a proper fighting stance. Her entire demeanor took another steep decline when she circulated her innate affinity with the Ice Element.

That, together with the Fire Element acquired from the |Fire Fairy| bloodline, created a clash of opposing forces. However, for some inexplicable reason, the two elements seemed to merge perfectly with one another.

"!?!"

"This is…"

It wasn't only Yara who was stunned; all the remaining Trial Takers in the cave shot their gazes toward Yennefer—where they stayed. They stood back and witnessed the creation of something truly spectacular.

"Fire and Ice Fusion Wheel…" Harlow murmured in disbelief, his attention already stolen by the reddish raven-haired woman before him. "This is a Special Acquired Physique, one infinitely closing in on the Heaven Rank! The last time it was seen was hundreds of years ago! How can this be!? First it was that crazy girl with her Heaven-ranked 'Oblivion's Final Destination' Physique—and now this!"

Even the three Golden-flaked Earth Dragons were momentarily taken aback by the phenomenon occurring around Yennefer. It wasn't that they were scared or fearful of her, but by nature, dragons were prideful beings.

And subspecies though they may be, they were still dragons.

This meant that the Golden-flaked Earth Dragons felt they should wait until their prey fully powered up. Only then could they savor the despair that would wash over their victims as they sucked the life out of them.

WHOOooshhh…

As the energies swirling around Yennefer like an unstoppable cyclone finally settled down, the Golden-flaked Earth Dragons once again began to move. This was right around when some of the Trial Takers let out ear-piercing screams.

CHOMP! CHOMP!

In an instant, the Earth Dragons had somehow swallowed three more Trial Takers whole. Of those who had entered the Beast Emperor's Cave, only nine remained. And of those, only three were in the Nascent Soul Realm.

When faced with three Late Nascent Soul Realm monsters, things felt hopeless…

Even Harlow—the strongest and most arrogant among them—was seen shaking like a leaf when the slitted, reptilian eyes of an Earth Dragon fell on him. Its forked tongue slithered out of its wide, bloody mouth as it lifted a leg, preparing to flash forward.

"E-Everyone," Harlow hurriedly said while running for the exit, "cover me as I escape and find help! Hurry now!!"

His two henchmen were forcefully pushed in the way of the Earth Dragons by him. But other than them, no one else risked their lives for the sake of someone who was clearly only out to save his own skin.