As Tyler walked beside Grone, a Level 23 Slither erupted from the bushes. Longer and thicker than any they'd encountered before, its elongated teeth practically obscured its head. With terrifying speed, it slithered towards them.
Tyler reacted instantly, two copper daggers materializing in his hands. With practiced ease, he hurled them. The first dagger found its mark in the Slither's tail. The creature reared its head, emitting a high-pitched shriek of pain. Before it could fully react, the second dagger struck its head, and the creature collapsed, lifeless.
"Good job," Grone said, calmly walking past the fallen beast. The daggers vanished back into Tyler's inventory. He followed Grone, who now crouched down, carefully examining the forest floor. Grone pointed to a series of hoof prints imprinted in the earth. "Just as I thought," he said, standing up. "We're in their territory."
"Why do you say that?" Tyler asked.
"You can always tell by the hoof prints," Grone explained, gesturing to the tracks. "And those flowers over there," he added, pointing to a cluster of peach-colored blossoms in the distance, "those are Hexhorns' favorites. They rarely stray far from them."
Tyler looked, surprised he hadn't noticed them before. Their petals were spread wide like a sunflower, strikingly beautiful against the forest floor.
"So...they eat those flowers?" Tyler asked.
"No," Grone said, "I think it's their aroma that captivates them. They never actually eat the flowers."
Tyler approached the blossoms, and a system notification appeared before him: `Vital Flower: Material.`
"Material?" Tyler questioned aloud. The system prompt updated: `Collect Material`
"Um, yes," Tyler replied, "collect material."
Instantly, the flowers vanished completely. Tyler muttered to himself, "This is new."
"What?" Grone asked, turning towards him.
"Nothing," Tyler said, walking to rejoin Grone. Grone, however, had noticed the absence of the flowers. "Did you take those flowers?!" he exclaimed, his voice sharp with alarm.
"Yeah, I collected them. What's wrong?" Tyler asked, completely unaware of the impending danger.
Before Grone could answer, a deep rumbling sound echoed through the forest – the unmistakable sound of heavy hooves pounding the earth. They both knew instantly that multiple Hexhorns were approaching. Tyler saw three Hexhorns emerge from the trees. He quickly assessed their levels: a Level 23 on the left, a Level 52 in the middle, and a Level 55 on the right.
Tyler's eyes widened in shock. The Level 52 and 55 Hexhorns were C-rank beasts – significantly more powerful than anything they'd faced before.
"Run!" Grone yelled, already sprinting off to his left. "Let's split up. It'll confuse them and buy us some time!"
Tyler immediately ran in the opposite direction from Grone, splitting up as planned. The three Hexhorns paused, their massive heads swiveling as if deciding which prey to pursue. Two of them, the Level 52 and 55, veered to the right, following Tyler's trail. The Level 23 Hexhorn lumbered off in Grone's direction.
Grone ran, putting distance between himself and Tyler. He slowed his pace, hoping to draw only the lower-ranked monster. "I think I've gone far enough," he muttered, his breath ragged. "Hopefully, the lower-ranked monster went after Tyler." He stopped, turning to face the direction from which the Hexhorns were approaching, his sword held ready. A chill ran down his spine as the Level 23 Hexhorn came into view. The realization that Tyler was facing the two higher-level beasts alone sent a fresh wave of icy dread through him. A grim determination settled over Grone as he prepared for battle. The Hexhorn's hoof scraped against the forest floor, and then it charged.
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The monstrous Hexhorn, a hulking behemoth of muscle and bone, bore down on Grone. Grone, eyes narrowed in concentration, waited for the optimal moment. As the Hexhorn drew closer, he exploded into motion. With a powerful leap, he executed a front flip, his body momentarily upside down as he unleashed his Slash skill. His sword, a gleaming arc of polished steel, flashed in the dappled sunlight. The Slash skill amplified his strength, driving the blade through the thick, leathery hide of the Hexhorn's back with a sickening thwack. Crimson blood erupted, staining the forest floor. He landed hard. He didn't pause, pushing himself to his feet and sprinting towards Tyler.
Meanwhile, Tyler, his lungs burning, stumbled to a halt, his eyes fixed on the approaching Level 55 Hexhorn. The beast was a terrifying sight, its massive frame a wall of muscle and rage, its tusks gleaming menacingly. The sheer scale of the creature dwarfed Tyler, making him feel insignificant, a tiny insect facing a colossal predator. "Fuck, I'm screwed," he muttered, his voice barely audible above the pounding of his heart. Panic threatened to overwhelm him, but he fought it back, his survival instincts kicking in. He materialized two copper daggers, their cool metal a stark contrast to the sweat beading on his skin. With a guttural cry, he unleashed his first dagger, throwing it with all his might. The dagger struck the Hexhorn's tusk. The dagger shattered upon impact. Without a moment's hesitation, Tyler launched himself into a desperate acrobatic maneuver, his body twisting and turning. He released his second dagger, aiming for a vulnerable spot.
The second dagger, propelled by the force of Tyler's desperate throw, pierced the Hexhorn's eye with a sickening thud. The massive beast shrieked in agony, a sound that tore through the forest, its forward momentum abruptly halted as it skidded to a stop. Seizing the opportunity, Tyler summoned his hammer, muscles bunching as he leaped high into the air, activating his Bash skill. The hammer head, a devastating weapon in his skilled hands, descended with terrifying force, landing precisely on the dagger embedded in the Hexhorn's eye socket. The impact was earth-shattering; the hilt of the dagger punched through the creature's skull with a resounding bash, a gust of wind rippling outwards from the point of impact. The Hexhorn collapsed with a lifeless thud, its massive body trembling slightly before falling still.
A series of notifications flooded Tyler's vision: Level Up! Level Up! Level Up! Level Up!
His updated stats appeared:
```
SPECIES: Human
NAME: Tyler Evans
RANK: E
LVL: 27
CLASS: Craftsman
HP: 84/84 MP: 84/84
STR: 73 AGI: 66
DEF: 58 STM: 57
STATUS: Healthy
Skills: Armour Craft, Weapon Craft, Weapon Mastery, Alchemy
Equipped Skill: Bash
```
Tyler stared at the display, a wave of surprise washing over him. He had leveled up four times from a single kill.
Was it because it was two ranks higher than him? Another notification appeared: Achievement unlocked: Kill 20 monsters: STR +6. Another followed immediately: Achievement unlocked: I've killed my share: User has killed over seven different monsters. STM +5.
Just then, a new notification flashed across his vision: Hexhorn has used skill: Charge. Before Tyler could react, the ground trembled. He whirled around to see a Hexhorn charging at him with terrifying speed. It was too late to evade. The Hexhorn slammed into him, its massive body impacting his gut with brutal force. The impact sent a white-hot flash of pain through him, and he was thrown backward, the Hexhorn continuing to push against him, driving him through the undergrowth, branches and twigs whipping against his body.
His HP display flashed: HP: 15/84. The blow had depleted 69 HP. Excruciating pain ripped through him, but Tyler fought against it, summoning his remaining copper dagger with a fierce surge of adrenaline.
Even though the pain was excruciating, Tyler fought against it, summoning his remaining copper dagger. It materialized in his hand, and with a guttural yell, he drove the dagger into the Hexhorn's eye. The beast shrieked, a sound of pure, agonizing rage, but its charge continued, unrelenting. Tyler ripped the dagger free and, with a desperate lunge, plunged it into the other eye socket.
The Hexhorn swung its massive head wildly, the force of the movement throwing Tyler to the ground. He landed hard, the impact jarring his already battered body. He saw his HP drop again, the display now showing a critical 11/84. Touching his abdomen, a wave of nausea washed over him as he vomited blood onto the forest floor. Wiping the blood from his mouth, he muttered, "Dammit, why does this keep happening to me?" He equipped his hammer, the cold steel a small comfort in the face of overwhelming pain.
The Hexhorn, both eyes bleeding profusely, turned slowly, its movements clumsy and uncertain. It was blind.
Tyler saw his chance. He began to run towards the creature, adrenaline temporarily masking the agony. The Hexhorn, despite its blindness, sensed the change in the air, the vibrations of Tyler's approach. It let out a deafening roar and charged.
Tyler activated his Bash skill, a surge of energy coursing through him. He swung his hammer sideways with all his might, a guttural roar escaping his lips as muscles bunched and strained. The hammer head connected with the Hexhorn's nose in a brutal collision. A sickening crack echoed through the forest as the hammer head shattered upon impact, the force of the blow sending a small shockwave rippling through the undergrowth. The impact knocked Tyler off his feet, sending him sprawling backward. The Hexhorn, caught off guard by the unexpected force, was flipped onto its back with a thunderous thud. Dust and debris erupted from the impact zone. The Hexhorn remained motionless.
The system notifications appeared: Level Up! Level Up! Level Up!
Tyler remained on the ground for a moment, catching his breath. He then pushed himself up, a small, almost hesitant smile touching his lips. His exhaustion was gone, replaced by a feeling of renewed energy. His HP had fully replenished.
A system notification popped up: Achievement Unlocked: Can Take a Hit. User has survived multiple critical hits more than once: +5 HP.
A moment of silence hung in the air, broken only by the sounds of the forest. Then, Grone's voice cut through the quiet, "Wow," he said, the single word carrying a mixture of awe and disbelief. The sound startled Tyler, causing him to quickly turn his head.
"You managed to defeat two C-rank monsters on your own," Grone said, his voice still tinged with disbelief.
Tyler smiled, a genuine smile this time, unburdened by pain or exhaustion. "Yeah, I guess I got lucky," he replied.