With a single thought, dozens of azure wind blades flared to life around Ray, his magic power dropping to less than 500 units in an instant. Because of his strong soul, he could restore 15 units of magic power every second, so he didn't worry about it too much, focusing instead on the task at hand with the single-minded goal of killing the goblins as fast as possible.

He twisted his wrist, and the azure wind blades shot forward, whistling through the air toward the hobgoblins.

Three of them were too unprepared and too slow to react. The blades slashed through them with unstoppable momentum.

One hobgoblin had its head severed cleanly, its body staggering forward before collapsing in a heap.

Another's chest tore wide open as a blade pierced straight through its ribs and heart, leaving it twitching before it fell lifelessly. The third was bisected at the waist, its upper body sliding off its lower half as blood gushed out like a broken dam.

Two hobgoblins survived. They moved with incredible speed, dodging the wind blades while charging toward Ray at the same time, their weapons raised high.

Ray took a single step forward.

Lightning Step!

Immediately, he vanished from sight. The very next moment, he appeared right in front of one hobgoblin with a wide, twisted smile on his face, giving it the scare of its life.

It stumbled back in suprise.

He raised his hand casually and gave it what looked like a light slap. But because of his Consecutive Lucky Shots trait, that slap was infused with all the raw physical strength he could muster.

As soon as his hand connected with its face—

Bang!

The hobgoblin's head exploded like an overripe watermelon, blood and brain matter spraying everywhere.

Some splattered over Ray's face and chest. He didn't even blink. He didn't bother wiping it off. He simply pounced toward the last hobgoblin in the same breath.

The hobgoblin roared and swung its fist in desperation, its punch cutting through the air.

Just as it was about to smash into Ray's face, his stamina dropped by 5 and he vanished.

A heartbeat later, he appeared behind the hobgoblin and lightly tapped the back of its head.

The hobgoblin didn't even have time to comprehend what had happened before its skull burst apart, leaving it no different from its fallen kins.

♦️ You have annihilated all the bronze ranker of the monster wave.

♦️ You have gained +700 Enlightenment Points

♦️Trial Completed

♦️ You have gained +2000 Enlightenment Points.

♦️ You will be returned to the Main Hub in three seconds.

Ray hurriedly collected the bodies of the seven bronze rank goblins into his inventory before he was brought back to the main hub.

"31200."

This was the number of Enlightenment points he still needed to earn to breakthrough to the bronze rank.

Like the previous time, before taking on the next challenge the tower had to offer, Ray decided to wait for his stamina to fully recover.

As he was passing time in the Main Hub, Lia spotted him by the bar counter and approached hesitantly. Her steps grew steadier as a determined glint flashed in her eyes. She had already made up her mind to do what she came for. Nothing would stop her now.

"Excuse me."

Ray heard a familiar voice call out from behind. He turned and saw Lia standing there.

"Yes?"

"Regarding the help you provided me in the Maze of Traps, I never really got the chance to thank you. Please accept my gratitude." She bowed to him respectfully.

Gasps erupted all around.

"Is the sun rising from the west?"

"A prideful elf is bowing to a mere human!"

"I never expected to see that."

The onlookers were shocked. Their gazes shifted toward Ray, filled with awe and curiosity. What had he done to earn such respect?

"You don't need to do this," Ray told Lia. "I helped because, if you think about it, we're fighting for the same cause."

Lia was also from a world being invaded by demonic creatures. She shared the same hatred for them. In that sense, they were allies bound by a common enemy.

"Still, I want you to know I appreciate everything you've done for me. And I am sorry for behaving unsightly when we first met," Lia said sincerely.

"Mistakes happen," Ray replied evenly. "But since you're willing to reflect, you can be forgiven."

After a moment, he added, "If you truly appreciate the help I've given you, then extend the same courtesy toward other humans."

"Alright," Lia said. "I will do it."

To hear such words come out of an elf's mouth because of a human was a rare sight.

Tamers were few in number, and most of them were only iron rankers without the means to enter the Tower of Enlightenment. Those iron rankers who belonged to the great guilds that monopolized the tower's entrances dared not venture inside. Mabo and Lucy were an exception. Ray didn't know their reasons for entering the tower, but their choice had not been wise. If they hadn't met him when they did, they would have become just another pair of unfortunate souls lost in the corridor of death.

Back to the topic.

The majority of humans that other races encountered—whether in the Tower of Enlightenment or in their homeworlds—were not tamers at all. They were either ordinary mortals with nothing remarkable about them, or hunters with strong souls. Compared to elves, beastkin, crocodilian humanoids, and countless others, human mortals and hunters were plain and unremarkable. They lacked the sharp instincts, natural gifts, long lifespans, or innate powers other races were born with.

Because of this, humans were considered the weakest race in the known universe and were often looked down upon. This prejudice had been reinforced for centuries.

While it was true that some humans could shine brilliantly after reaching gold rank, such experts were so rare that most never even met one. At least in the world Lia was from, humans were dismissed as weak, greedy, and lecherous. The humans she had the misfortune of encountering there were creatures who thought with their lower halves whenever they were confronted with beauty.

To her, humans were inherently flawed, destined to fall short compared to races born gifted, like the elves. Lia herself had grown up with these beliefs, never once questioning them.

But Ray shattered that illusion with cold, undeniable facts.

His strength, his composure, his actions—none of them fit the mold she had always believed in.

He proved that not all humans were the same. Not everyone acted like dogs at the sight of beauty.

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