The system notified about the change in his perk, reducing to three more kills, but he didn’t care. There are leathery cats to kill. Taking the perk during battle would be a bad idea. The change in his body was no joke before. The appearance of multiple felines didn’t help it. After the death of the first one, multiple ones started to exit the bushes, all of them with corroding claws. If Roberion knew something is that they were bad news.
“Percival, go all out”, Roberion yelled as he started to shoot to the nearest feline. The feline was dexterous, evading some of the bullets. But the cats weren’t faster than the speed of the sound, and these bullets were way faster than that. The feline needed a couple of bullets before dying, showing that its leathery skin wasn’t only for show. The corroding claws being always an known threat in the melee.
The most damage, though, was done by Percival. Roberion instructed how to use the landmine with the help of the manual. But the knight didn’t like to run, so he used the landmine in an unorthodox way. Percival threw them away like frisbees. He did that with practical ease; he unlocked the trigger, positioned the pressure plate downward and tossed them with all his might. Roberion wouldn’t manage such a feat, especially after losing some of his strength because of the die. But Percival was showing that he was worth it.
The first of the feline victims of Percival did a little dash to the side as the landmine hit the soil. Crashing on the soil, the object produced a loud noise, but not louder than the explosion of the mine, feline becoming meat paste. After that, four more animals were victims of the landmines, but the other felines started running from the objects after the throwing, showing a fast capacity for adaptation.
It didn’t take much time before Percival started getting the first slashes from the creatures. “Sir, try not to get hit by their horrendous claws. There is something perturbingly from their scratches”. As Percival said that another feline tried his luck and jumped at him, this time Percival used his small shield to bash the animal. Although the creatures were fast, they couldn’t move in the air. Crashing the soil, the creature wasn’t much for this world before being crushed by Percivals shield.
Roberion wasn’t having much luck either. The creatures started trying to circle him. After the first kill, he could only kill three more wildcats, costing his 20 rounds of the rifle, fewer bullets used to kill the second feline, but they are adapting. During the reload of the weapon, the felines were getting near. Damn, these wildcats are the worse for our strategy, they are too fast. His bullets were being wasted. After 10 shots, another cat died, but two others were already at him.
Panicking, he shoots without pause, only the vibration of the rifle and his eyes targeting his prey. Some shoots hit flesh, but the feline had enough stamina to slash at his stomach. The pain was unbearable; it was like ants were eating his insides. He didn’t wait to finish his magazine, killing the creature. Suddenly, a sound behind gets his attention. It is too late though, another slash, another pain. His blood starts painting the floor, drop by drop.
“Dammit, again this hunger”, Roberion perks activates. He doesn’t feel weak again, but the mangos he ate before aren’t enough. “I will eat you damn wildcats in a stick”, foregoing his gun, he puts on his bag and takes out a big clothing big as a blanket. The feline didn’t stop to see what is the deal was with the clothing and attack. Roberion, with his mad plan, drops the blanket on the feline, already taking his improvised hammer. The wildcat slashes and the clothing starts to corrode, not enough to endure the glowing claws. Roberion didn’t care, that was enough, he hammers down as the cat tries to leave, the cat takes a glancing blow, but one of his legs was paste.
If you are asking for a fight to death with me, you are asking the wrong person; it is too soon to ask honor from a rebel Null . Roberion doesn’t understand much about life, but he wants to survive by any means. As the cat starts running after him, he takes his guns out. As he tries to reload, the wildcat jumps at him, the gun clicks, and bullets rain. An entire magazine for one of the creatures’ lives.
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Ammo is almost half gone. I need a better melee weapon or one easier to get charges. Thinking that he looks for Percival, pained and bleeding, he walked in the direction he heard the last explosions. It wasn’t hard to find.
Percival was almost 100 meters from his location, body full of scratches. His bag was cut down, explosives on the ground, another four wildcats dead on the floor, bashed, cut, even bitten. Percival was on his last legs in a brawl with the last feline. Before Roberion could reach him, the cat was already being bashed by Percival, using his own big broken gloves, a feat only reserved to the desperate or free of pain. He was both.
It wasn’t long before Percival reach his breaking point, body breaking up in sparks of light, right in front of Roberion. His die gets back to his hand, his strength fuelled. He waits a moment; the magical weapon doesn’t activate. The battle was over for now. Before he summon Percival, he took out some rations, drank half a bottle of water, his perk almost finishing enough healing to get him combat ready.
Roberion summons, “Percival keep guard. Plant some landmines around here, do an enough job to fool one of these wildcats. I will take my perk and try to harvest these damned creatures.”
“It’s no problem sir, I know some traps for wild animals. I much prefer fruits and vegetables, but it’s a knight duty to feed its patron”, Percival salutes, now again in pristine condition.
“Alright, take this clothing and try to make an improvised bag. I will be out for a while”. I need to try to be more active to level up. A bunch of wildcats almost killed me, Roberion doesn’t reflect much before talking to the system. System, help me integrate this perk.
Natural Born Killer: Requirements achieved, select Perk for integration: Yes/No
Yes
Pain again, his nerves feel on fire, his brain melting. The feeling was like some madman was burning him alive, but just his nerves, like a wire on fire. He had some doubts if everyone felt all this pain, or that was a Null thing. The more he looked, the more he felt like an inferior being. As stupid as that Claudius seemed, he was capable of summoning an impenetrable dome. Maybe if he didn’t summon the die, he could have survived, or at least get some time.
Thinking is what was keeping him sane and riding the pain away. After a while, the pain was completely gone. His body didn’t seem full as before, if only a little consumed. His stats didn’t get any debuff. Nonetheless, there was a noticeable difference, This perk could have helped in this fight, at least by the description.
Natural Born Killer: Strength/Endurance perk, after killing an entity, the user receives a rush of adrenaline, increasing its strength and endurance for a short while. Incarnation change is possible.
This description doesn’t help much. How does this works exactly? Does the strength buff is before or after the die debuff? I need to test it.
Finally, he notices a system notification. Opening it up, he could only feel dissatisfaction and dread.
“Hidden Quest updated: Be one of the first 10000 Nulls on planet Ptolemy 7 to achieve Natural Born Killer perk - FAILED”
Yeah, another failed quest. This damned masked person did it again. But 10000 thousand Nulls? Damn. Maybe the whole world is in a riot. So the name of this planet is Ptolemy 7. Weird way to learn that. I just wish most of these Nulls aren’t going to the research base. The way that leader Null spoke almost meant that there was something important there. Now I don’t want more competition, I just want to get stronger, and less clueless about this whole situation.
Roberion gets back up and goes after the near wildcat, If they can’t be harvested, I will be pissed. System, what materials can I harvest from this creature?.
“The following materials can be used to upgrade your Null biology. Mundane materials: peak-stage brain matter, peak-stage magic blood”
Alright, are there any VIII tier materials? How many stats I will receive from the mundane ones?
“VIII materials are not detected. The stats absorbing this creature will be 2 intelligence, 3 dexterity.”
That’s great. I just wish there isn’t a limit on how many of these I can harvest, and if the ones the Percival exploded can be used. I don’t have much hope though, Percival really painted the floor with them.
Alright, what I’m wanting for?, Roberion sits down near the hammered wildcat. It was time to get some levels.