GMilfhunter

ID Chapter 33: First real battle

Added 2021-03-24 18:19:56 +0000 UTC

Skill A (Rank X) will be changed to Skill A (Tier X) to avoid confusion.

***

Ethan peered from behind a tree. His target crawled through the woods with its dozen legs. A snake-like creature with aquamarine scales on its back and a crocodile head with four curved horns behind its head. The head drew resemblance with a dragon head. The twelve legs bulging out of its sides also served as its Spirit Organ, or so Alyssia told him.

Ethan scanned the Spirit Beast.

[Azmyth Snake]

Level 6

These twelve-legged reptiles are commonly known as the Chasing Demons, for they will chase their prey for hours like a demon.

Skills:

Forest Hunter (Rank 1)

Type - Passive

Rank - Rare

[Increases agility when hunting prey. This skill only works within the boundaries of a forest.]

‘Yep. Their title is justified.’

Alyssia chose this intimidating creature for its biggest weakness—its inability to travel in groups. Most of the Spirit Beasts had to remain in groups to avoid an attack from the Scavenger Wolves. This beast in particular had no fear because most of its body was composed of scales and little to no meat that wasn’t worth the effort.

Ethan wanted to hunt this reptile alone if possible. A difference of two didn’t matter much with his rare Aspects. Besides, he couldn’t rely on his pack to hunt every time.

“Master, you can do it!”

Ethan gulped a deep breath and gripped the spear. He moved out of his hiding spot and trained his eyes on the snake and snake alone. The Spirit Beast sensed the rising pressure and turned around to meet Ethan. Two pairs of golden eyes locked onto each other. The reptile raised its head, almost reaching Ethan’s height, and uttered a piercing screech as though attempting to intimidate him.

‘Fuck you. I didn’t piss before that damned Phoenix, you’re nothing.’

The Azmyth Snake rushed forth. Ethan also dashed out and swung the spear as Regina taught him. The black spear traced an almost perfect arc and scored a lucky hit on the snake’s jaws. It tumbled on its side before it scurried back and glared at Ethan, as trails of crimson blood trickled down its mouth.

Ethan glanced down at the spear that had just smashed a few teeth out of a level 6 Spirit Beast. “Am I stronger than this guy?”

“No, Master. You are a lot stronger than this guy. Now finish him off!”

Ethan silently praised the ‘Power of love’ as he strode toward the wounded beast. The Azmyth Snake flung open its maw as though threatening Ethan to stop or it’d take a chunk out of him with its sharp fangs. The broken fangs didn’t fool Ethan, who casually stopped before the Azmyth Snake and pointed its spear at its head. Blood raced to his head as he looked down on his battered opponent which had seemingly given up on its life.

‘It’d be walking all over me if I was scared like the time with that goblin. Now, it’s the opposite.’

Ethan pulled back his hand. Recalling Regina’s dashing figure and her graceful and swift thrusts, he stabbed using every muscle in his body. The silver spearhead crushed the Azmyth’s blue scales and drove straight into its brain.

Shaaaaa! A sharp cry burst from its mouth, and blood splattered on Ethan’s pants.

[Level 6 Azmyth Snake dispatched to the afterlife.]

[Transferring Prana and Source to the hunter...]

[+6 Prana, +Source Points]

No level up this time.

Alyssia rushed up Ethan’s head and peeked down his forehead.

“Master, your eyes… are glowing. Azmyth was terrified… truly terrified.’

“I saw that too. Why was it scared shitless?”

As if it felt some primal fear.

“I leveled up!” Alyssia beamed.

“You didn’t level up when I killed the goblin?”

“I did.”

So Alyssia was level 6 now. She might reach Iron-rank before him. He pressed the snake’s skull down with his foot and pulled out his spear.

“Is this corpse useless?” Ethan glanced at his bear companion, who yawned and waved her hands as if dismissing the corpse as trash.

“Yeah. Their hard meat isn’t worth the effort.”

Ethan continued his hunt for more Azmyth Snakes. The next fight also went about the same, as the so-called hunter gave up on its life. Then another one. Just when he was hoping for a level, a bunch of notifications blocked his vision.

[Level 6 Azmyth Snake dispatched to the afterlife.]

[Transferring Prana and Source to the hunter...]

[+6 Prana, +Source Points]

[Sufficient Source Points acquired. Commencing Level up process.]

[You are now a Level 5.]

[You can unlock three more Aspects.]

‘Finally.’

[Conditions fulfilled to gain Passive Skill Hunter.]

[Do you wish to consume 4 Prana to unlock the skill?]

[Yes / No]

‘A skill rewarded to hunt the hunter, eh. I wanted a passive skill, but I’ll take it.’

His Prana sat at a massive 41, a far cry from before. Ethan accepted the new skill.

[Hunter Skill unlocked.]

Like always, he wasted no time checking its description.

-Hunter (Tier I)

Rank: Rare

Increases affinity with every type of Source by 0.5%.

Affinity with Source? Ethan blinked his eyes in surprise. Didn’t that mean he could absorb more Source Points from the Spirit Beasts he slew? He called Alyssia, who seemed busy looking around the place, and told her about the new skill. Her eyes widened almost comically as she pointed an accusatory finger at his face.

“M-Master, that… that’s too overpowered of a skill!”

‘Experience boosts are overpowered even in this world.’

He headed further in the search for prey, only to stumble upon a blue-furred monkey swinging from a tree with its tail. The four eyes and arms reminded Ethan of a certain alien from a cartoon series.

“Fuck. Is that Spidermonkey? Where is Ben?”

The monkey quietly pulled itself up with its tail and hid within the dense trees.

Ethan encountered various Spirit Beasts, but most of them refused to attack him or fled on spotting him. He looked back at the bear following him. An Iron-Ranked Spirit Beast was too much for them.

“Alyssia, where can I find stronger Spirit Beasts like… Iron-Ranked beasts?”

The goblin alone gave him enough Source Points to level up twice! He had to try to fight an Iron-Ranker with his improved stats and skills.

“Master, we need to go deeper in the Vanishing Forest for that matter. I advise strongly against it… Scavenger Wolves lurk in the perimeter of the deep forest.”

“Okay. What about other Spirit Beasts there? Are they strong?”

“I haven’t entered the deeper areas myself, but my tribe told me about Basilisk, Blood hawks, Giant Lynx, Twin-tailed Drake, Winged Wolves, and many many dangerous Spirit Beasts living there… My task was to find the totem in the outer areas of the Vanishing Forest since Lord Brilliance used to reside here before with Mistress Luna.”

The names sounded intimidating. Ethan had to rethink his approach. He scratched his chin. Should he stay here to level up or leave the forest as a weakling? Before that, he had to find the way out.

“Alyssia, do you know a way out of the forest?”

“I am not sure. It should be beyond the mountains where Master was trapped.”

“The goblin caves…”

The crimson-eyed monster inside the goblin’s territory chilled his blood. It should be above Bronze-rank to give off such pressure. And fighting Scavengers Wolves on top of that. No way he could leave without reaching Bronze-rank.

‘I should map the forest as I go. It might help me later.’

“How long do you think it’ll take for me to reach Iron-rank?”

“People usually do that in a year or two… as they don’t take reckless fights against higher-leveled Spirit Beasts. But if it’s Master, probably a week.”

“Let’s reduce that to two days,” he said and clutched the spear. “Can’t keep Lulu waiting for long.”

The rabbit rubbed her face against his leg as though moved by his words.

“That place might fulfill Master’s wish, but we can’t approach it right now. It’s too dangerous.”

“What danger?”

“Spectral Trolls. They are guarding the entrance of a dungeon. Lulu and I scouted the area in the night. The trolls always sleep in the night.”

“Trolls dungeon, huh. Can’t wait for it,” Ethan muttered and continued his search.

Alyssia tried to guide him, but the scent of the Iron-Ranker behind him sent the Spirits Beasts into their hideouts. He hunted three Level 4 Silver Spiders and found a giant green insect-type Spirit Beast racing towards him with hundreds of wriggling legs on each side of its body. It stopped before him and stood. Even the spiders looked beautiful compared to this creature.

The centipede opened its repulsive bloody mouth and lunged at Ethan’s little rabbit companions. He swung the spear and severed the centipede’s head in one go. The head flew and wriggled on the ground. Blue blood poured out of the headless centipede.

Ethan’s stomach churned at the sight.

“Master!”

‘I need to get used to this shit. Survival of the fittest, remember.’

Ethan steeled his nerves and slashed. The spear cut the squishy meat on its abdomen. Ethan chose not to close his eyes and slashed over and over, whittling down at its legs and flesh.

The centipede uttered a dying shriek before collapsing on the earth.

[Level 7 Earth Centipede dispatched to the afterlife.]

[Transferring Prana and Source to the hunter...]

[+7 Prana, +Source Points]

[Sufficient Source Points acquired. Commencing Level up process.]

[You are now a Level 6.]

[You can unlock three more Aspects.]

Ethan breathed a deep sigh. His sanity meter took a huge dip from this fight.

[Your tenacity increases.]

[Tenacious (I) is upgraded to Tenacious (II).]

Keeping his eyes open was worth it. Ethan glanced down at the spear soaked in blue blood. The antique had lost its noble aura.

‘Regina, forgive me.’

As he mentally apologized to his silver-haired mentor, Alyssia’s ears tensed up. The Dream Bear walked in front of Ethan, covering him with her massive frame, and growled at something in the distance.

The unease reached Ethan as his heart sped up. “Alyssia?"

“Master, people are coming. We should retreat.”

“How many?”

“Over two hundred.”

‘What’s a goddamn army doing here?’

Ethan calmed his worries with a deep breath. This could be the goblin army and their so-called Lord. What did they want in this forest? ...Did they come for him?

Many thoughts ran through his mind as sweat covered his skin.

‘Staying here is like a death sentence.’

“Let’s return.”

“Yes, Master.”

***

Ethan Carter

Level 6

Prana Available - 60

Parameters:

Health - 380/380

Stamina - 170/330

Will Power - 125/193