Echo Of Infinity: 100× exp

The Echo of Infinity: Chapter 16 - Swamp Scramble

Chaos exploded in the mangrove tunnel. Silky met the Lizardfolk scout’s spear thrust with blinding speed, daggers deflecting the blow while her knee slammed into its scaled gut. The scout hissed, stumbling back, as two more Lizardfolk warriors burst from the foliage behind it, spears leveled.

Grak roared, activating [Berserker] rage again, and charged headlong towards the main group emerging from the front. The Scaleshaper, a larger Lizardfolk adorned with crude earthen fetishes, stomped the ground. *‘[Stone Spike]!’* it hissed, and jagged rocks erupted from the mud, aimed at Grak’s charging path. The Orc bellowed, smashing through the smaller spikes with sheer momentum, his greataxe aimed at the Scaleshaper’s head.

Kael was positioned between Grak’s back and Silky’s fight. Two Lizardfolk warriors peeled off from the main group, ignoring the raging Orc to flank Kael, correctly identifying him as the perceived weakest link.

*‘Focus!’* Kael told himself, drawing his sword. He projected his fabricated Lv. 11 status, but his real Tier 1 classes hummed beneath the surface.

He met the first warrior’s spear thrust with a parry that felt deceptively easy thanks to his real DEX. He countered with a basic slash, deliberately making it look slightly panicked. The Lizardfolk hissed, pressing its attack. The second flanker circled, trying to get behind him.

Meanwhile, Silky danced around the three Lizardfolk she faced, her movements fluid and deadly. Daggers flashed, finding gaps in scale mail. One Lizardfolk collapsed, clutching a bleeding throat, but the other two pressed her hard.

Kael saw Silky stumble slightly as a spear butt caught her ankle. One of the warriors raised its spear for a killing blow. Kael couldn't let her fall.

*‘Artifact surge!’* he yelled, hoping Grak or Silky might hear and accept the excuse later. He pushed mana into his legs, activating a burst of [Swift Blade] speed, far faster than Lv. 11. He intercepted the spear thrust aimed at Silky with his own blade, the clang echoing loudly. He then 'accidentally' shoulder-barged the Lizardfolk off balance, sending it splashing into the murky water.

"Watch it, kid!" Silky snapped, recovering her balance and dispatching the remaining scout near her with ruthless efficiency.

Kael turned back to his own opponents. The warrior he’d parried lunged again. Kael sidestepped, letting the spear slide past, and thrust – a clean, efficient kill he immediately regretted as being too skillful. The second flanker, the one he’d shoulder-barged, clambered out of the water, enraged.

*Thwock.* An arrow sprouted from its chest. Kael looked back – Silky gave him a curt nod, having finished her opponents and now providing support.

At the front, Grak was trading furious blows with the Scaleshaper and the remaining two warriors. His axe deflected a shimmering [Earth Bolt] spell, while his enraged strength kept the warriors at bay. He landed a brutal blow on one warrior, shattering its shield and the arm behind it. The Scaleshaper hissed, backing away, preparing another spell.

"Grak! Spell!" Kael shouted.

The Orc needed no further warning. He ignored the remaining warrior and launched himself at the Scaleshaper with a final, desperate charge, axe raised high. The Scaleshaper tried to raise an earthen barrier, but Grak was too fast, too strong. The greataxe fell, cleaving through scales and bone.

The Scaleshaper collapsed. The last remaining warrior, seeing its leader fall, hesitated for a moment then turned and fled into the swamp, vanishing among the mangroves. Silky put an arrow in its retreating back, but it kept going.

Silence fell, broken only by Grak’s heavy breathing as his rage subsided, the drip of water, and the buzz of insects. The fight had lasted less than a minute, a whirlwind of desperate action.

Kael leaned against a mangrove root, forcing himself to pant, checking the superficial cuts he’d deliberately allowed himself to receive. His real EXP gain was immense.

```
[Weave Notification: Combat Experience Gained. +~250 EXP allocated...]
[Accumulator Notification: Base EXP Gain +~250. Multiplier x100 Applied. +25,000 EXP allocated!]

[ Swift Blade leveled up to 16! ] (+1 Attribute Point)
[ Shadow Scout leveled up to 15! ] (+1 Attribute Point)
[ Mana Weaver leveled up to 14! ] (+1 Attribute Point)
[ Skill Level Up: Riposte Lv. 3! ]
[ Skill Level Up: Enhanced Hearing Lv. 2! ]
[ Skill Level Up: Enhanced Mana Bolt Lv. 2! ]
[ New Class Evolution Available for [Shadow Scout] at Lv. 20! ]
```

He quickly allocated the points – DEX, INT, WIS – while projecting his fake status, adding maybe +50 EXP to [Swift Blade] and +30 to [Shadow Scout] to reflect the difficult fight.

Grak spat on the ground, nudging the dead Scaleshaper with his boot. "Ugly bastard." He looked at Kael, then Silky. "Report. Injuries?"

"Scratches. Twisted ankle, fine now," Silky reported, already efficiently searching the Lizardfolk bodies for valuables or identifying marks.

"Few cuts," Kael said, indicating his minor wounds. "Nothing serious."

Grak grunted, eyeing Kael thoughtfully. "That 'artifact surge' again, huh? Damn fast one." There was less accusation in his tone now, more grudging curiosity. "Saved the cat's tail."

Silky paused her looting to give Kael another unreadable look before returning to her work.

Kael just shrugged, trying to look embarrassed. "Comes and goes. Can't control it."

The lie felt thinner than ever, but for now, it held. They had survived, partly thanks to his hidden power.

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Publishment Date:  8/4/2025