"COME AT ME!"
As his taunt echoed, the battlefield fell into a dead silence for a full three seconds.
Crownless went from confusion to sheer, unbridled rage.
Anyone could see it was furious it wasn't even baring its teeth anymore.
Though Crownless didn't fully grasp the meaning of Lucian's gesture, it recognized the disdain in his eyes.
[Ding! Option 3 completed. Reward: Running in Style leveled up!]
The System's notification chimed in Lucian's mind.
With a furious roar, Crownless charged straight at him.
A devastating fist, moving at unstoppable speed, hurtled toward Lucian's face.
Lucian's eyes widened. "So YOU'RE Solaris' fastest man?!"
"Also martial arts code says no face shots!"
He barely dodged backward, the upgraded Running in Style letting him narrowly evade the punch.
And thus began Lucian's grand strategy kiting Crownless around like a rabid bull.
He ran. It chased. There was no escape.
Yangyang, still stunned, muttered, "Is… is he aware of what he's doing?"
Rover smirked. "He's drawing aggro for us. Let's go!"
In a flash, Rover lunged forward, her Sword slashing at Crownless.
Now caught between two fronts, Crownless ignored the attacks from behind its bloodshot eyes locked solely on the man leading it in circles.
Lucian grinned. "Hell yeah! Running in Style is OP!"
He maintained the perfect distance close enough to keep Crownless chasing, far enough to stay out of reach.
Frustrated beyond belief, Crownless's rage peaked. Its eyes burned redder.
And with Rover and Yangyang wailing on it, Crownless finally hit Phase 2.
A surge of violet energy erupted from its body as dark, corrupted power consumed it.
Wings of shadow burst from its back. A spear materialized in its grip.
Now airborne, Crownless loomed over them like a malevolent deity.
Lucian paled. "Oh, come on! You can FLY?!"
But a true Man knew when to stand tall and when to tactically retreat.
In a flash, Lucian dashed to Rover and latched onto her leg.
Puppy-dog eyes activated. "You… you won't just leave me, right…?"
He'd been secretly observing her DPS was the highest.
Rover's lips curled into a Nike-swoosh smirk. She patted his head.
"I'll protect you. Stay behind me."
That gentle, almost doting gaze Lucian was done for.
Is this the legendary "Immortal's Divine Pat"?
Rover's strength… so reassuring!
With Rover and Yangyang launching a coordinated assault and Youtan providing support, Lucian settled for moral support from the backlines.
Blades clashed. As an Overlord-Class Tacet Discord, Crownless was no pushover.
But in the end, even a beast couldn't withstand their combined might.
With one final execution strike from Rover, Crownless let out a final, unwilling roar before its body shattered into golden mist.
[Ding! Option 2 completed. Reward: Pangu Terminal Pro Max Plus Edition]
[Pangu Terminal Pro Max Plus Edition: Contains Solaris' complete Echo index. Any Tacet Discord you defeat will 100% drop a Reverberation, which can be absorbed and purified into an Echo under your command. Cannot absorb others' kills.]
"Pan-what now?" Lucian stared at the gourd that had materialized in his hand.
As the barriers faded, Chixia and Baizhi rushed in, frantic.
"Yangyang! Rover!"
"Are you okay? Anyone hurt?"
Rover shook her head. "I'm fine."
Yangyang: "Me too."
Youtan floated safely back to Baizhi.
Chixia groaned. "Ugh! That stupid barrier was see-through but untouchable, unbreakable and impenetrable!"
Yangyang exhaled. "I've never fought a Tacet Discord as strong as Crownless before… but Rover crushed it effortlessly."
Rover, still gripping Lucian's arm preventing escape, then gave him a pat on the shoulder.
"We owe this victory to our friend here. His aggro management made it easy."
Lucian chuckled awkwardly.
He longed to leave. As the future Strongest Man in Solaris, he was destined to walk a lonely path.
But since he wasn't the strongest yet… tactical shelter-seeking was acceptable.
This wasn't cowardice. This was strategic survival.
As previously stated a true Man must know when to bend!
Yangyang giggled behind her hand. "His taunting method was… unique."
Baizhi studied Lucian with newfound interest. "Hmph. The stray we caught turned out useful."
Chixia, ever energetic, grinned. "Don't be modest, Rover! You were holding back before, huh? From outside the barrier, I saw everything! You went 'Haa! Hah!' and boom! Tacet Discord gone!"
Then, teasingly, she elbowed Lucian. "And this guy's escape moves? Top-tier."
Lucian humbly believed Running in Style only showcased 1% of his true grace.
"Huh?!"
Before he could reply, Chixia gasped and pointed.
"Look!"
She darted to the golden afterimage left behind by Crownless.
Yangyang: "Ah… a Reverberation?"
Chixia: "Whoa! This level of reverberation … what insane luck!"
Wait. Did she say Reverberation?
So the Pangu Terminal is for absorbing these?
Lucian peered curiously at the golden remnant.
Yangyang turned to Rover apologetically. "Ah, sorry we got carried away. Rover, you don't remember 'Reverberations' or 'Echoes', right?"
"All things in this world are formed by frequencies. Where there is sound, there is echo."
"The lingering resonance left after a Tacet Discord is defeated we call it a Reverberation. Using the Pangu Terminal's Data Bank, we can reclaim it."
Chixia jumped in. "The Pangu Terminal is that gourd every Rover carries! Huanglong Tech guaranteed quality!"
Lucian glanced at his Pangu Terminal Pro Max Plus Edition.
If their standard version is 'quality,' then mine's gotta be divine-tier.
Chixia continued. "But Reverberations are random by chance. The odds improve with Data Bank level."
Yangyang nodded. "Higher Data Bank levels increase the chance of a complete Reverberation…"
"Only a complete Reverberation can be refined into an Echo. Resonators can then manifest as Echoes, borrowing their power in battle."
Everything clicked for Lucian.
He wasn't a Resonator yet so he couldn't manifest an Echo.
But his Pangu Terminal could purify Echoes and summon them to fight!
This was just…
Pokémon!
Who needs to be Solaris' strongest Resonator?
I want to be a Pokemon Master!
[System: …]