Jazmel stepped through into an open expanse of land, he was at the entrance of a mighty gorge and when he scanned around he saw no signs of life but that didn’t truly mean that there were no beings around him. many creatures had abilities to hide themselves, even from someone like himself with Mana sensitive senses, but it was fine. He had his swords, and he was capable.
DING!
EXPLORE THE GORGE!
The system chimed to life, and he did as it bid, strolling into the unknown. The sun hung high above he and Paldane, but it wasn’t blistering like when he was last in a desert gate. The sun shone down, but his tyrant body seemed to be able to dominate the elements also. He smiled a little but bit it back, focusing on his surroundings. He had learned that if he flexed his Mana and expanded it, he could covered the area with it, and it was in tune with his senses. Allowing him to feel or hear something as soon as it neared him.
It helped that Paldane was soaring above him lazily letting the wind torrents keep him above Jazmel, his shadow covered him, and Jazmel was a little glad for it.
They travelled like that for an hour, and then two and then finally three before they made it deeper into the gorge and Jazmel perceived his first sense of life.
DING!
TIER II GORGE GIANTS AHEAD!
DEFEAT THEM!
Jazmel felt his heart thrum like an engine and his body tensed with the preparedness of oncoming battle, the gorge snaked along like an ancient, emptied river and when it veered to the right he followed its course, turning into a giant campsite, with fire burning and giants fixing themselves a meal of some sort.
When he spotted them, they spotted him in turn and roared their challenge. But he wasn’t hesitant at all, he welcomed the challenge.
Leaping forward he bound across the distance between them quickly and as they scrambled to gather their weapons; clubs and shodden timber crudely made into arms. He was already in amongst them his sword was out and Nozarashi never wavered, this was one of the first swords he had ever bought. Tier I but still sharp, he would need to buy a new one, Nozarashi wasn’t strong enough for him anymore and he needed to replace his weapons and garments to match his new strength.
Lacerate!
He slashed twice his skill flying through the air and smashing into the side of the head of one of the giants, he crouched and bounced into the air again, leaping till he was by the head of his next giant.
Cleave!
He cut the head off, Nozarashi sang through the neck and bone with no resistance, and he felt the system sing for him as gained more experience
DING!
TIER II GORGE GIANT KILLED
EXP ACCRUED!
He spun in the air, as a club swung past him and narrowly missed him. if that had hit him, he would’ve been knocked flying. But he had seen it coming and so averted, as he descended from his jump, he stabbed his sword into the shoulder of the nearest giant and then dragged his blade down in his descent, blood spurted from the fissure he created, and the giant roared from the pain.
The club swung for him again and he ducked down and rolled from the body of the giant, the club hit the other giant in the head and teeth burst from its mouth; still bloodied and attached to parts of gum. He watched it fall and turned to watch the giant who had been swinging the club turn to him and stare him down with nothing but wrath in its eyes.
He felt nothing, no pressure or even doubt. He simply prepared for the rush and raised his sword. The giant rushed at him, raising its club above its head, but Jazmel was quicker, deftly so.
Lacerate
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He sent the skill at the undefended face of the last giant, and he watched as the crisscrossed scar appeared and blood burst from its face. It let go of the club with one hand and reached for its face. Paldane appeared and spewed fire into its eyes from his height. The dragon roared and veered off higher into the sky.
Jazmel watched as the giant fell to its knees, defeated but not dead. Without a skill, he slashed his blade up with only Mana and slit its throat. It died, blood pouring from its neck and face.
DING!
TIER II GORGE GIANT KILLED!
EXP ACCRUED
…
TIER II GORGE GIANT GALL BLADDER GAINED
What would he do with a gall bladder?
Just as he turned he watched as Paldane roared fire down on the fallen giant who had been hit by the miss swing of the club.
DING!
TIER II GORGE GIANT KILLED!
EXP ACCRUED
COMPANION; PALDANE HAS GAINED A LEVEL
LEVEL UP!
That was good, two more levels and he would evolve. Sadé had told him about what had happened to Kazumi, he wondered just how big Paldane would grow. His species said dragon and so he could grow much larger, maybe Jazmel could even ride him. he pictured himself riding a dragon inside the labyrinth and almost laughed aloud. But he didn’t, he kept it quiet.
He hadn't gained any stats from that fight; three giants weren’t enough to push his stats enough for him to grow. That was news to him, but he wasn’t worried. He pushed forward, the camp was little more than a fire and a big chunk of meat from some beast that Jazmel didn’t know. Being roasted over an open flame. Paldane landed on the meat and tore a chunk free, guzzling it down, he tore free more pieces and Jazmel scanned the camp, finding nothing.
They moved on and he found himself travelling in silence and alone besides the soaring companion of Paldane who floated high above him. he travelled along the gorge for another hour or so before Paldane reached out to him.
Enemies ahead! That was enough for him to focus, he drew his flared Mana in and let it settle into his core. He ran along the gorge, and it veered to the left this time and he wondered how the water had emptied this place, the river would have been deep. Deep enough for deep waters, but he followed its path all the same.
DING!
TIER II ROCK SALAMANDER FOUND! Rock salamanders earned their thick coats from the rock gems they ate as hatchlings, now they are made up of the same substance. They hunt in packs and eat anything they can find, even smaller salamanders.
They were thick and sturdy looking, thick in the neck and short limbed but big, much bigger than any salamander Jazmel had ever seen before. They were as long as a man was tall and he wondered just how they had grown so big, maybe they hatched below ground and only came up when they had grown.
He looked over at the salamanders lounging in the gorge, it had veered and now it descended lower. He was higher than them and so they hadn't seen him yet, he would use that for sure.
He crouched low, his dense mass almost crushing the ground and then jumped; no leapt into the air and when he was just about to descend he drew his sword; Nozarashi and screamed his skill.
Fall of the black raven!
The lounging salamanders turned and crooned their necks to try and get a look at him, but he crashed into the ground like a meteorite from the heavens and the Mana erupted amongst the unsuspecting beasts.
DING!
SKILL TIER EVOLVED!
FALL OF THE BLACK RAVEN NOW TIER II
X23 TIER II ROCK SALAMANDERS KILLED!
…
EXP ACCRUED!
Not even a level for killing 23 of them, he sighed.
DING!
X3 TIER II ROCK SALAMANDER CORE
X4 TIER II ROCK CORE
X5 TIER II ROCK SALAMANDER FANGS
X9 TIER II ROCK SALAMANDER SKIN
X2 TIER II SALAMANDER BEAST CORE
He looked over his loot and Paldane landed beside him whining, he rolled his eyes and tossed the two beast cores for him to snack on. Paldane snapped them up and Jazmel saw his Mana core bolster with the new addition.
Beware!
Paldane uttered leaping back into the air, Jazmel took his warning and leapt into the air and bounding up the side of the wall, he found further purchase and his eyes picked out a nook, he jumped up and stabbing his sword into the cliff face he wrenched it free and used the momentum to jump into the nook. Just as the ground rumbled and moaned as something beneath it burst forth and swallowed the ground and the corpses of the salamanders where Jazmel had been a mere moment ago.
DING!
TIER III GROUNDBREAKING WURM FOUND! Wurms delve deep into the underground of the world and rarely come up, they are sightless and hunt through vibrating whiskers.
This creature was huge, gigantic and it dwarfed the three headed hydra by substantial size it rose up from beneath the ground, its head high above the gorge and then it slunk back below. The ground caving in on itself where it had burst free and hiding its exit. Jazmel shuddered to think what else could be down there, if Wurms of that size were beneath the ground, what else could be there.
The nook he stood in was actually a tunnel, it was a tight fit and when he delved deeper, he heard Paldane land at the entrance and crawl in. he entered deeper and soon followed the path it set out, there was no way he was going backwards.
DING!
YOU EXPLORED THE GORGE!
…
EXP ACCRUED!
…
YOU FOUND AN ANCIENT ENTRANCE!
EXP ACCRUED!!