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3. Man vs Fish

The creature exploded from the water with terrifying speed, revealing itself in all its predatory glory. Derek's eyes widened as he took in the sight of the massive fish—a monstrous thing with razor-sharp teeth that seemed too large for its mouth, and a whip-like tail that lashed the water with brutal force. There was no mistaking its intent; this was a predator, and Derek was its prey.

He barely had time to react before the fish lunged at him, its jaws snapping shut just inches from his face. Instinct took over, and Derek twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the deadly bite. The creature's momentum carried it past him, but it quickly circled back, its cold, predatory eyes locked on him.

Derek’s heart raced, adrenaline flooding his system as he realized how close he had come to being torn apart. He had no weapons, no magic to rely on—only his own two hands. This was a fight for survival, and he couldn’t afford to lose.

The fish struck again, this time with its tail. The whip-like appendage lashed through the water, catching Derek off guard and slamming into his side. The impact was brutal, knocking the wind out of him and sending him sprawling. Pain flared up his side, sharp and immediate, as he felt the sting of the creature's tail cutting into his flesh.

Derek grit his teeth, forcing himself to stay focused despite the pain. He couldn’t let the injury slow him down—his life depended on it. The fish circled him again, its movements deliberate and calculated. It was toying with him, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

The fish lunged at him again, its jaws wide open, but Derek was ready. He dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the bite, and lashed out with a punch to the side of the creature’s head. The blow wasn’t powerful enough to do serious damage, but it made the fish flinch, its momentum disrupted.

The fish whipped its tail at him again, but Derek anticipated the move from the way the water moved. He ducked under the blow, feeling the rush of water as the tail passed over his head. He couldn’t let up—not for a second. The fish was faster and stronger. It came back for him one more time.

The one-sided battle raged on each exchange of blows pushing Derek to his limits. His body ached, his muscles burned, and the wound in his side throbbed with every movement, but he refused to give in. He kept his mind focused, analyzing every move, every twitch of the creature’s body, searching for an opening. Unfortunately, there was none there.

But all of a sudden something changed. Derek did not know how or why but a burst of energy filled him up out of nowhere. At the same time, several dull chimes sounded in a corner of his brain, clearly not wanting to disturb his battle.

Derek could not explain it. He felt stronger and faster and more importantly this time he was able to grasp the feeling of the elusive energy within him. But there was no time to dwell on it—the monstrous fish was already coming at him again, its jagged teeth bared, eyes gleaming with predatory intent. Without thinking, without hesitation, he reached deep within himself, instinctively tapping into the mana he had struggled to grasp before. The energy surged through him, more powerful and immediate than ever.

Before he could even comprehend what he was doing, Derek thrust his fist forward, and the water around him responded instantly. A layer of water surged around his hand, forming a swirling, powerful vortex that encased his fist. It happened so fast that Derek didn’t even have time to think; the mana within him responded to his will without hesitation.

His water-encased fist struck the fish's head with immense force. The impact was explosive, far stronger than any punch Derek had ever thrown before. The water around his fist amplified the blow, channeling the full power of the mana into a concentrated strike. The fish’s scales, which had been so resilient against his previous attacks, crumpled under the force of the attack, unable to withstand the combination of physical power and magical energy.

The fish’s body jerked violently, its eyes going wide with shock and pain. Derek could feel the bones and cartilage beneath his fist shattering as the water-enhanced punch crushed the creature’s skull. The fish thrashed once, a desperate, final convulsion, and then it went completely still. The water surrounding Derek’s fist dispersed, leaving ripples in the water.

Derek floated there, breathing heavily, staring at his hand in disbelief. He had felt the power coursing through him, the raw, undeniable power. And it had been enough to kill the monstrous fish in a single blow.

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[Ding! You have defeated Razorfin]

[Ding! You have gained experience points]

[Ding! You have leveled up]

[Lvl 2 > Lvl 3]

[Ding! You have gained Strength +1, Agility +1, Endurance +1, Intelligence +1 and Wisdom +1]

[Ding! You have gained 1 free stat point]

[Ding! You have learned a new skill: Water Fist]

[Water Fist: Envelop your fist in a swirling vortex of water, enhancing the power of your strikes. This skill allows for both increased impact force and the ability to bypass defenses by channeling mana through the water. The strength of the Water Fist scales with the user’s mana and focus.]

[Ding! You have gained experience points]

[Ding! You have learned a new skill: Water Manipulation]

[Water Manipulation: Control and shape water at will. This skill allows the user to manipulate water in various forms, creating waves, and currents, or even shaping it into weapons or shields. The effectiveness and complexity of the manipulation increase with the user's mana and focus.]

[Ding! You have gained experience points]

[Ding! You have leveled up]

[Lvl 3 > Lvl 4]

[Ding! You have gained Strength +1, Agility +1, Endurance +1, Intelligence +1 and Wisdom +1]

[Ding! You have gained 1 free stat point]

Derek blinked, his mind racing as he processed the series of notifications that had just flooded his senses. The surreal experience of gaining power, feeling it surge through his veins, and leveling up like a character in a video game left him both exhilarated and bewildered.

He suddenly went back to the first notification and re-read it again. Lvl 2 to Lvl 3. He remembered clearly that he started from Lvl 1. How did he get to level 2? He then recollected the weird dull chimes he had heard during the battle. Maybe that was the level up notification.

He wanted to check his status menu again. “Status?” He tried to call it out and the screen popped out instantly, the whole thing being very user-friendly.

[Status Screen]

Name: Derek Blake

Class: Mage

Level: 4

Race: Human

Affiliation: Earth

Health: 70/170

Mana: 100/220

Strength: 13

Agility: 15

Endurance: 13

Intelligence: 21

Wisdom: 18

Free stat points: 3

[Skills Unlocked]

Focus (Lvl 3): Sharpen your concentration to enhance spell accuracy and potency. This skill increases the effectiveness of your spells, reducing the chance of failure and maximizing their impact.

Mana Manipulation (Lvl1): Control and direct the flow of mana within and around you. This skill is fundamental to all magical abilities and allows you to harness the energy necessary for spellcasting.

Water Manipulation (Lvl1): Control and shape water at will. This skill allows the user to manipulate water in various forms, creating waves, and currents, or even shaping it into weapons or shields. The effectiveness and complexity of the manipulation increase with the user's mana and focus.

Water Fist (Lvl1): Envelop your fist in a swirling vortex of water, enhancing the power of your strikes. This skill allows for both increased impact force and the ability to bypass defenses by channeling mana through the water. The strength of the Water Fist scales with the user’s mana and focus.

***

This confirmed it. Derek had somehow leveled up three times in the span of a few minutes. This was the sole reason why he was alive at the moment. Killing the fish had given him experience points but improving his skills gave him some too. His focus was now at level 3 which means it had upgraded during the fight with the fish, giving him the experience points boost to push him to the next level. He quickly scanned his status again, taking note of his stats and the three free stat points he had yet to allocate. His Health and Mana had increased with each level, and his base stats had improved across the board.

Derek took a deep breath to try and calm down again though it was useless. He was completely wired from the fight. He was also utterly exhausted. The increased stats did not do much to help in this department. The fight had pushed him to his absolute limits, and now, with the immediate danger gone, the exhaustion hit him like a tidal wave.

He closed the status screen, the glowing interface fading from view as he took in his surroundings. The water around him was eerily calm now, as if the brutal fight with the Razorfin had never happened, except for the blood in the water. Some his and some the Razorfin's. The sight of the blood sent a shiver down Derek's spine, jolting him back to the reality of his situation. This world, whatever it was, was not forgiving. There were real dangers here, and he had barely survived this encounter.

His body screamed for rest, but the rational part of his mind knew that staying in one place, especially in water tainted with blood, was dangerous. The scent of blood could attract other predators, and he wasn’t sure he had the strength to fend off another attack.

Forcing himself to move, Derek slowly paddled away from that area, each stroke sending waves of pain through his side where the Razorfin’s tail had struck him. The water was cool against his skin, soothing the burning sensation, but it did little to ease the deep ache that had settled into his muscles and bones.

Where was he swimming toward? No idea. There was no shore in sight. He continued swimming mindlessly for a while until he heard another notification.

[Ding! You have learned a new skill: Swimming]

[Swimming: Enhances your ability to move through water with increased speed and efficiency. This skill reduces the physical exertion required for swimming and improves your endurance in aquatic environments.]

[Ding! You have gained experience points]

Derek smiled.