The presence of the larger monster meant that he was getting closer and closer to the source of the beasts. Likely this meant that the danger of his journey would increase dramatically over the next day or so. With his Legendary abilities, and his class, he was heads and shoulders above what he likely would have been. However, it would still be incredibly dangerous.
For the next few hours, Richard trekked through the forest, rarely encountering any monsters. It kept growing more and more foreboding as he traveled, and worse, he was starting to get hungry. His throat was parched, and he was in desperate need of water. However, this place was not exactly the most sterile of environments, and would likely lead to him contracting some sort of exotic illness. Instead, he made himself wait.
With the refreshing property of levels, perhaps it would reset his bodily needs. It was a long shot, but the only one he had. All of the water in the forest sat in stagnant pools, swimming with muck and bacteria. He was a bit more confident in his durability now, but not the point that he would risk ingesting such a foul brew.
Eventually however, he found what he was looking for. A massive creature, a larger specimen of the twisted bear that he had encountered earlier, lay at the base of a tree, seemingly asleep. With a grin, Richard started to pad over towards it. However, as he approached, he stepped on a twig, which broke with a disconcertingly fleshy snap.
The bear twitched, and rose to its feet in an instant, roaring. With a curse, Richard reached out, trying to grab ahold of the monster with his control over blood. To his horror, he felt an immediate resistance, preventing him from doing anything more than annoying the monster. He instantly stopped wasting his mana, and summoned his sword to his hands.
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The monster flashed in, far faster than a monster of that size should have. He kept his cool however, and swung with his weapon, tearing it across the creature’s tentacle crusted face. A few of the tentacles were severed, their ends cauterized by the heat. The rest of the sword sank deep into the monster’s maw. However, it did not stop. It barreled into him with the force of a truck, tossing him into the air like he weighed nothing. Bones snapped, and he let out a scream of pain.
As he fell, he desperately reached for his mana, starting to trigger his final ability. As the bear reared up, ready to swallow him, he detonated in an explosion of fiery blood, blasting the flesh off of his enemy. A third of his health vanished in an instant, but the bear was on its last legs.
As he fell the remainder of the distance, he resummoned his sword, strengthened by the use of his Legendary ability, and thrust it deep into his enemy, finally killing it. A massive wave of energy rushed into him, propelling him up two levels in a go. His wounds healed over, and he felt his energy returning.
Now at level eight, he had six free stat points to allocate. Looking at the rips in his clothes, and remembering the pain of impact, he divided them between Constitution and Resilience. As his body became sturdier, he smiled. He could attest to the pleasures of mana usage, but improving one’s body was just as vital.
Despite the refill of his energy, he was drained by the encounter. He had almost died there, and in fact, if he had taken any more damage from the bear’s charge, using his final skill would have killed him. He had no idea how much health he had left upon its usage, but it was definitely below thirty percent. Rather than terrify him however, it instead filled him with a sense of resolve.
As he looked down at the hulking corpse in front of him, he realized that he had accomplished this, with his own hands, and his hands alone. It was a testament to his power and potential, and one that would propel him to the heights of power.
Filled with a new sense of accomplishment and determination, he left the corpse behind, heading off into the unknown.