Finally, Reiji decided on what to do…

'I'll take over for now…'

​​

Reiji said to Stella as it would be a waste not to use the skill when he's about to refresh its cooldown twice.

'Alright, Master…'

The Take Over's current duration was only 60 seconds so he had to be quick on this.

As soon as he had control of Stella's body, Reiji quickly felt the Spiritual Pressure that presses down on him. He couldn't stand up and remained kneeling on the ground.

Aside from that, there was this suffocating feeling like he was being drowned!

'Hmph!'

If he couldn't properly control his Spiritual Energy to protect himself, Stella would probably die in this place…

Reiji tried to overpower the pressure but he failed to do so just like how Stella was unable to.

'There's no other choice…'

Without waiting for the duration to end, Reiji upgraded the Take Over twice and reached its maximum level of 10.

[ Take Over has been upgraded to Level 9 ]

[ Duration has increased by 10 seconds ]

[ Total duration: 70 seconds ]

[ Take Over has been upgraded to Level 10 ]

[ Duration has increased by 60 seconds ]

[ Total duration: 130 seconds ]

[ Cooldown has decreased to 1 hour ]

"Great!"

It seems that reaching the max level of any skill provides a greater boost on its effects. Just like how his Level 10 Sense Link allowed him to communicate with his wielder without being touched.

This time, it gave him a full minute more duration and a cooldown reduction!

Then, without any hesitation, he purchased the Sword's Will skill for 100 Skill Points…

Reiji quickly activated the Sword's Will and found himself brimming with Spiritual Energy!

He saw Marak crawling back to safety and noticed that he wasn't in real danger… His physical strength must be one of the factors…

After realizing this, he quickly followed Orga's trail and went further inside…

His movements were fast as he spent some of his energy on his every step.

'Just how long is this passage? Tsk…'

The narrow passage seems to be emitting a colder temperature and Reiji wondered whether he would have enough time…

Luckily he arrived at another wide area where he saw Orga's silhouette standing in what seems like an altar… The Spiritual Pressure had also disappeared!

It seems that this place is a safe zone…

'What is that light?' Reiji can only see Orga's back. He was facing something that was emitting a dim light… It wasn't bright but enough to lit up the whole part of this cave…

"Eh? Something's wrong…"

He noticed that Orga was not moving in his place.

He didn't even react after he arrived in this area.

Aside from that, Reiji couldn't feel the old man's Energy!

Reiji quickly backed away as he was unsure what was happening…

He doesn't have a lot of time so he needed to do something…

He looked at the altar where the man was standing and realized that it has engraved writings with an unknown language. He glanced at the surroundings and noticed that the mounds that he saw a while ago weren't rocks but instead bodies and eggs of the crypt crawlers!

Boom!

A weak explosion occurred within the cave but because of the enclosed structure, it still stunned Reiji as he became disoriented for a few seconds…

It took him a while to stand as Stella's body spit a mouthful of blood.

'Tsk… Is this how those crawlers died?'

Reiji thought for a moment before he looked at Orga, or where he should be standing at… However, he realized that the man was missing!

'Where did he go?'

There was no way that he could move that fast after being exposed to that explosion…

He looked around but the only thing that he found was the ashes together with the cane and several rings in the same spot from where the man was previously standing…

'No way…'

Reiji immediately had a bad feeling about this but he needed to know what exactly happened.

The altar was circular and at the center of it was a stone… It doesn't seem to have any special properties if one looked at it…

However, Reiji didn't dare to step inside to further investigate…

After all, the mysterious events happening here must be related to this particular place… He needed to be careful.

'This…'

Reiji suddenly remembered all the mysteries surrounding this cave.

All the scouts sent here were reported to have perished. That was why the mission was classified as C-Rank due to its danger…

However, there were no traces of scouts in the passage at all…

Since they specialize in stealth and reconnaissance, he could understand how they hid their trails from Polo who checked for any trails.

He's the only hunter in Red Storm Rangers who specializes in traps and poisons. If he didn't find their trails, it means that the two scouts who first entered here have a high level of skills.

However, it doesn't explain how there weren't any signs of battle if their life was in danger… As a matter of fact, they couldn't find their bodies, not even their bones if they were truly eaten by some creature…

'Urgh… What's going on?'

This is the end of this cave but they couldn't find any remains of those scouts… Did they die somewhere inside those two other paths we saw a while ago or they also turned to ashes?

Reiji frowned after making a guess.

Anyway, the Take Over and Sword's Will has ended and Stella regained control of her body… She waited for her master's instructions but Reiji decided to float and approached the altar…

'Stay there…'

'A-alright, Master… Be careful.'

Stella was a bit worried. After all, Orga had most likely perished after getting close to that altar.

'Don't worry… The weapons he left behind were still present so it shouldn't be a problem… I'll push them in your direction… Take them…'

'Eh? Y-yes…'

Stella understood what her master was trying to say…

Then, she saw her master wiping the ground--- or pushing the items outside the altar.

She immediately acted and bagged the three rings and a bracelet… She also picked up the cane and it was surprisingly heavy!

It seems like it was made of steel!

'What kind of wood is this?' Stella thought but Reiji already knows that the stick was actually a sword designed to look like a normal cane. He saw it before when Orga was fighting against the Black Armored Ape.

Anyway, Orga's death was definitely a great loss to the Hunter Association. After all, there are not many three-star Hunters who completed several A-Rank and B-Rank missions in this kingdom.

'I wonder what would happen to that pretty Crimson Eagle…' Stella thought for a moment. She remembered the flying beast together with Orga… It did not dare to enter this cave where it couldn't fly freely and remained outside…

She can only sigh and watch her master study the altar…

'Hmmm…'

As she has nothing to do, she similarly observed the altar and noticed that it was covered by ashes… She guessed that they were perhaps from the crypt crawlers who tried to approach it…

Then, she saw her master pushed the stone at the center of the altar…

Clang! Clang!

The sound of the stone bouncing on the altar was heard.

Stella was nervous.

They waited for a moment but the stone didn't lit up just like when Orga approached it…

However, something different happened!

The supposedly dead Crypt Crawlers surrounding them have started to move!

Pah!

She saw her master hit the stone with a stronger force as it went in her direction… Her reflex made her catch the stone without hesitation.

'Quick! Run!'

As soon as she grabbed the stone, she heard her master's instruction, but there is already a standing crypt crawler behind her!

Her only weapon was the cane and the knife strapped on her waist!

The crawlers can attack using Arcane Magic and their webs, so it would be very dangerous to fight them like this…

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Stella dodges their attacks. Surprisingly, they are only trying to bite her or use their sharp legs to slice her up. It seems that they can't do anything other than that…

However, it was still very difficult considering that she was being surrounded by ten or so of this creature…

Boom!

Her master quickly arrived and hit the head of the creepy-looking Arachnoid beast…

After Reiji bought Sword's Will and upgraded the Take Over skill twice, his remaining SP was only 25!

However, he didn't hesitate to use the Weight Overload to easily crush these beasts! Now, he only has 15 SP in his savings…

'Use the cane to protect yourself… Tilt it or something, it should be a sword…'

'Eh… Y-yes… I'm trying!'

Stella replied as she twisted the cane and forcefully pull the handle to bring out the sword, but it seems to be stuck so she had to find another way…

On the other hand, Reiji didn't waste the 30 seconds of the free reign that the Weight Overload gave him…

His weight changes whenever he made a contact with one of the beasts crushing their organs and killing them in the process.