Looking up at the massive tree the goblins were gathered under, he felt a bit of ether leaking from it. He recognized this type of tree from the adventurer dossier he had acquired about a year ago. It was called a Giant Minuva Tree, named after John Minuva, the man who had discovered it after the Ether Awakening. The tree was valuable because it produced Minuva fruits, which helped increase the body's ether concentration, making both body and mind stronger by infusing them with ether. It just so happened to be the time of year for the fruits to be produced. No wonder the goblins were so keen on this tree—they were trying to grow stronger.
Thinking back on the fight, he wished he still had his shield. It was too damaged from the unicorn rat, so he had thrown it away and instead used his left forearm to tank blows while keeping his short sword at his side. Walking up to the massive tree, he pulled out the two daggers he had taken from the goblins and started to climb. He stabbed into the tree, pulled himself up, then removed one dagger and, in a smooth motion, stabbed it higher. Left, right, left, right. It took him about 50 stabs to reach the first branch. Storing the daggers, he proceeded to climb branch by branch until he spotted what he was looking for: a single baseball-sized fruit radiating ethereal power. He climbed towards the fruit, plucked it, and stored it in his bag.
The adventuring dossier had said there were upwards of 100 fruits on a Giant Minuva Tree. However, this was a relatively small Minuva, and beasts and other creatures always took their due when it came to treasures born in the wild. He doubted he would get more than ten or so. Continuing his climb, he acquired seven more fruits before calling it quits and climbing back down to the ground.
Back on the ground, he took out a single fruit from his bag. A mouthwatering scent quickly assaulted his nose, making him salivate. Without waiting any longer, he demolished the fruit in two bites, barely swallowing as he felt his body absorb the delicious ether. In a haze, he felt his absorption ability greedily sucking the ether from the fruit, his cells growing bloated. Suddenly, he felt sharp pains throughout his body. This wasn't supposed to hurt; it was supposed to make him stronger. He had read the dossier: the fruits were only high T-rank at best, nothing he couldn't handle. But the pain kept worsening; it almost felt like he was about to burst. He realized that maybe his ability had extracted too much ether, harming his body.
His worries were unfounded as he released his healing energy. His bloated cells quickly repaired, absorbing more of the fruit's energy in the process and increasing the total effect by a staggering amount. The fruit's energy ran out in just a few minutes, but he was not nearly close to tapping out its effects. He quickly ate two more fruits, the same cycle of cell bloating and healing occurring. However, the effects were already diminishing. His body had become stronger, making the fruits less effective. Eating a fourth fruit, the energy was quickly absorbed, but the effects on his power were negligible. The first fruit had been more effective than the next two, and the effects were even worse with the fourth. He decided to save the remaining fruits for his family or to sell later, as they should fetch quite the premium.
After consuming the fruits, he felt the ether in his body had become 20 to 30 percent more dense, increasing not only his physical abilities but also his senses, heightening his sight, hearing, smell, and even taste. With these changes, he seemed to have grown a couple of inches taller, definitely eclipsing the 7-foot mark. However, the extra height made him look skinnier. He groaned in protest as he looked down at himself, feeling half-starved. Despite weighing roughly 700 pounds the last time he checked, ether made everything extremely dense. Each time he gained even a hint of bulk, his body would increase in ether density, making him look skinnier. It had been a losing battle for years, but with his recent massive increase in power, the problem had greatly exacerbated. It was time to move on to other locations, but first, he needed some food.
He had packed a sizable lunch and gobbled it down with ravenous hunger. However, it was not nearly enough. Even after eating close to 5,000 calories, his stomach still ached for more. It was time to hunt some game. Not only was he really hungry, but it was also time to test out his new abilities. Setting out towards the next suspected goblin hideout, he hoped to find some game along the way.
Running through the woods at breakneck speed, he continuously scanned the area for tracks or any signs of wildlife. He managed to catch a couple of squirrels and even a rabbit, quickly gutting them and storing them in his bag. However, he really wanted an ether beast. Just then, he heard a monstrous roar coming from his left. Rushing towards the sound, he saw trees toppling ahead, bursts of flame heating the area to unsafe levels. He realized he had come across true ether beasts. Two massive flame bears were fighting, presumably for territory. The brutal melee seemed to favor the larger bear. The bears, visibly rippling with flames, shredded the trees around them. He felt as though he had hit a jackpot. Flame bears were coveted targets; their pelts alone sold for well over $10,000 a piece, and their claws, teeth, and bones were valuable materials. However, this wasn't a fight he could carelessly walk into. The bears weighed over a ton each, and their flames were extremely hot, reported to reach well over 8,000 degrees Fahrenheit in the heat of battle. Though the bears in this area were likely not more than a couple thousand degrees, it was still extremely hot. Coupled with their immense strength, he would be a fool to charge straight in. However, that didn't mean he couldn't fight them.
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Pulling back from the fight, he considered his time frame. The bears would likely fight for at least 10 more minutes, as they were trying to gain dominance, not kill each other. With the slightly smaller bear having taken a beating already, he presumed it would be driven off sooner rather than later.
With an idea hatching in his head, he quickly retreated. Running at top speed for about thirty seconds, he got about half a mile away from the fight before taking out his poleaxe. It was time to get chopping. With a single swing, he chopped down a half-foot diameter tree. Catching it, he quickly stripped the branches and cut a spear tip about seven feet down the tree. Repeating the process with four other similarly sized trees, he strapped his poleaxe to his bag and carried the five long spears back towards the fight.
With his preparations complete, he walked to the edge of the clearing the two beasts had made and observed the situation. The bears were still fighting viciously but were clearly fatigued, their flames dimming. The smaller bear had taken the brunt of the damage, its muzzle stained with bright red blood. Setting down his five spears, he unstrapped his poleaxe and set it on the ground. With his preparations complete and the fighting starting to peter out, he hefted his first makeshift spear and threw it with all his strength at the bigger bear. The 300-pound spear pierced the bear's back and came out its underside, slightly piercing the ground below. With a pained howl, the two bears assessed their surroundings. Spotting him along the edge of the clearing, their flames began to grow, brightening the surroundings noticeably.
“Oh, shit,” he shouted. “What the fuck is going on?” The bears were supposed to be fatigued and out of juice, and they certainly weren't supposed to team up on him. However, he had already pissed them off, and he wasn't about to outrun them. So, he continued to throw his spears as planned. The second spear missed altogether. However, as the bears approached him at blinding speeds, his third spear took the bigger, already injured bear straight into its shoulder, causing it to stumble and collapse in a heap as its flames sputtered out. He must have hit a vital area for it to die almost instantaneously. With two remaining spears, he chucked one, planting it deep into the remaining bear's side.
Using the same tactic the goblins had used on him, he picked up his poleaxe and the last remaining spear. Planting the butts in the ground with his feet, he aimed the spear tips straight at the bear's chest. As it closed in, it slammed into his weapons. The spear splintered at the perfect angle to completely shear off his left foot and part of his leg. Before his body had time to fall, the bear swiped its paw in a deadly arc, connecting with his left side and completely shattering it. He was sent flying into multiple trees, shattering several before his momentum finally abated as he slammed into a particularly massive tree. His unceremonious flight had completely destroyed his rib cage, with multiple broken bones throughout his whole body, including both femurs and his skull. But that was only the beginning. The flame bear's claws had sheared off the flesh on his left side, spilling his intestines and leaving charred and blackened flesh. He could see the white bone of his left arm and ribs contrasting starkly with the bright red blood spilling from every wound.
With his healing energy working commendably, he prayed to anything listening that the bear was dead. He would be in no condition to fight for a long while, even with his self-healing. As his disorientation finally abated after a few seconds, he quickly rolled over, the pain making him throw up all over himself. Looking around, he quickly located the bear and sighed in relief. It had taken both weapons directly to the chest and appeared to have died within seconds after he had been swatted away, its flames flickering. Looking down at himself, the adrenaline high slowly receded, and blackness quickly replaced the searing pain.