Chapter 12 Hunting and Hunted 1
POV Blaze
Location: Marcoon City, Dark-shaded Forest Hunting grounds
After arriving in the forest, I went to work over two days, killing over three groups of 3 level 5 goblins, roughly 3 in each group, with relative ease. I didn't even bother to be stealthy. I just went in, guns a-blazing, as I cut through their flesh like it was cheap paper. My blades were covered in blood.
During my recent combat engagement, I found myself grinning from ear to ear. The thrill of battle was like no other, and I relished every moment of it. Additionally, hunting provided me with a great source of joy. However, my last skirmish was marred by carelessness on my part, resulting in some injuries sustained. Though it was nice to see how my body could handle the pain, getting hurt actively increased my [Natural Hardness], which means tanking hits was the natural way of leveling it up without using skill points.
[Used [Devour], gained 15 stat points]
[~~Gained 450 EXP times 2 boost.....Gained 900 EXP, gained 200 gold~~]
[~~User has leveled up to lv;5 exp level up threshold has multiplied by ten times from now on~~]
[HP and MP fully restored]
[Gold:26,750 >26,950]
[EXP:400\5000]
[Stat points:15>20]
[Skill points:4>6]
Letting out a challenging howl, I wanted a challenge; I wanted to hunt. Storing the bodies in my [Storage], I heard loud, heavy steps coming around me. Extending out my [Aura Sense], I got ready, smiling. I didn't expect a level 11 Hobgoblin to lumber out to challenge my howl of an alpha. The hulking monster towered over me, standing at about 15 feet tall and brandishing a claymore in its large green hand as if it were a shortsword, a barely alive male fully clad in banged-up but still pretty good steel armor in the other.
He was being dragged by the monster, and checking his level, he was 15. Surprisingly, most likely, he and his party were overconfident or were taken by surprise. Seeing the fresh blood and flesh on its grinning lips, I could tell he was most likely the only survivor. It was sickening to see it smile at me as I would be his next meal.
The poor bastard was staring at me, tears clearly visible through his visor, but not for help, but for a better, swift death than to be eaten alive. The once happiness, in my eyes, was now replaced with rage and hate.
I had no reason to care about this man or what happened to him, but even I wouldn't be blind to the contempt of this dog-eat-dog world we were in or the hatred of weakness, launching myself at the large hobgoblin. I sent out an X-crossed [Wolf Fang] at it and swiped its large blade at my attack.
[MP:160/180]
As it was distracted, blocking my attack and making it tilt back, somewhat off balance, I swiftly let my sword fly, slicing through the neck of the man in one quick stroke, throwing his body, head, and all into my [Storage]. The hobgoblin yelled out in anger, clashing its large sword into my sword and knife; my entire body shuddered and screamed from the sheer force of the blow, pushing me quite far back, but I held my ground, my hands and legs shaking from the shock. I felt that it did some internal damage; if I didn't have a natural defense stat along with my armor, I'd most likely be left crippled.
[HP:800/17,000]
My wicked smile was back; if this were my old body... no, just the old me that hit alone would leave my body crippled like the poor fellow before, and it only made me excited as blood came from my grin. It sucked how little exp I was getting from kills, as this wasn't damn near impossible; even if I did kill this hobgoblin, the experience would barely do any good at just 110 exp! the fucker I killed was over 5 levels above me!
[~~Would you wish to change that.... give up some luck and I'll increase the amount of all Exp you gain, but you'll also make ripples in faith... choose~~]
The system said as I instantly chose, yes, not at all hesitating at my choice. As I felt the change, everything felt... off, to say, however I had even more reason to kill this thing!
[Luck:19>9]
[~~All EXP will now be 100X the level of the being killed or defeated, but beware never let luck go to zero ~~]
"Is That All You Got!!!!" I screamed at the monster. As I charged the beast, the silver in my eyes glowed dimly as the shaggy hair on my body seemed to get thicker and brighter. This was all due to [Lycan's Rage], as I also added [Mana strengthening] on top as well.
Again, our blades clashed as they growled and snarled at me. I defiantly growled back, not backing down as we were now equal in strength. Not one of us was being pushed back, and we fought over who would win out in this test of power.
Sparks started coming off its body, its skin turning red, and its muscles bulking out all over as my eyes grew wide. It had a [Rage] skill of its own as I was quickly being overpowered, but my smile never left. For a strong opponent like this, it deserved to have some overkill done to it.
Shocking the somewhat intelligent brute, a bloody heart materialized in front of my face, quickly pumping away 20 of my stats, away first. I bit into the heart, launching the giant beast into the air above me as it fell back down, about to crush my body.
[Str:20>30 x2+2=62]
[Agi:25>35 x2+2=72]
[Int:24x2+2=50]
[Con:17x2=34]
[Def:7x2=14]
[Stat points:25>5]
~~[Lycans rage lv:1(C)] second ability activated double stats as well as a +2 bonus for 5 minutes as time has reset~~
~~[[Lycans rage (C) ]is now lv 2~~
Feeling every muscle in my body tighten and compact with new power, I boosted myself even more with my mana, pushing myself to my limit! Gray and white aura flames spun around my blades as I was at no level to channel my aura through my blades, so the next best thing was to wrap them around them as a kind of faux blade aura as I let loose my strongest attack right as it was going to crush me.
"[BLOSSOM DANCE]!"
As I started swiping up in a spinning dance motion, my blade sliced into its skin so hard and fast that it kept it suspended in the air. The first waltz cut away, the second and third across its arms breaking its guard. The fourth, fifth, and sixth tore away into its ribs.
The seventh, eighth, left it mangled, raining blood. And finally! Crossing both sword and Blade, both dancers together in a lover's embrace. The hunting knife and the long sword together in an X, twirling together. The grand dance climaxed as the ninth and final strike cut the beast in four in an X-crossed slash. Fiery aura petals lay around me; blood burned before it could rain on my body, and the flames blew away into the wind as simple sparks and blazes.
[MP:50/150]
Storing the claymore away, deactivating my skills, I quickly dug out the heart, eating it then and there using [digestion] for the max points, even if random, as I was rewarded with notifications.
[~~lv 11 Hobgoblin heart eaten +6 Str +5 Con~~]
[Str:30>36]
[Con:17>22]
[HP:800/1700>800/2200]
[~~[Digestion LV:1(F-)] and [Devour lv:1(F-)] have leveled up to lv 2~~]
[~~you can choose from two...]
Sadly, I was interrupted from reading the two skills from the hobgoblin in detail. I quickly chose one that was an active ability with what I could read. Turning around to see a group of three people. A level 13 human male with a tome in one hand and a red broadsword on his back. A level 17 woman, a dark elf with a red crossbow and whip, finally. A level 25 male, exuding a powerful aura with a dark red halberd on his back. These people all had scarlite gear, better than the steel of the corpse I had on me. I cursed internally, as one look could tell they wanted to do something to me. I needed to stall or something, or else I was a dead man...or worse. They looked at me like I was prey...and a deep fear resurfaced in my heart..theses where not killers; they were slavers.