That was twice in a row. I thought to myself as I resumed running through the forest in the dark once again. I can’t believe I zoned out and lowered my guard again. This time, it would have easily cost me my life. The second I lifted my head up and locked eyes with the giant blood bat that was looming above me while I sat on the ground and rested my back on a tree, I knew for sure it was over. From its sheer size alone, any of its attacks would have instantly cost me 20% of my health, if not half. But as the creature reeled its massive head back and prepared to vomit acid fire at me, I felt a jolt throughout my entire body and I was suddenly able to move out of the way with intense speed, fast enough that I successfully avoided the acidic fiery blast as it struck.

“That was too close this time.” Rachel said to me as I ran, while the massive blood bat now chased after me by flying above the trees. The creature didn’t have any issues keeping pace with me as it didn’t have rocks or roots sticking out of the ground to worry about. I was constantly being bombarded with giant acidic fireballs from above, as the massive blood bat kept trying to incinerate me no matter what. I couldn’t hide, I couldn’t stop, and I was starting to get tired from constantly having to dodge the creature’s blasts at the last second. However, I wasn’t just running all over the place. I had a plan. I was leading the creature back towards the forest clearing, back to where I first woke up. I wanted to fight it in the open.

“That is not a very bright idea.” Rachel said, shitting all over my plan.

“Well I don’t hear you coming up with a better one.” I replied.

I skipped over a massive bolder as yet another acid fire blast scorched the spot I had been just a moment ago. Unlike me, the creature didn’t seam to be losing stamina at all.

“Well, whatever you are planning, be careful.” Rachel said. “Don’t blow it.”

I emerged into the forest clearing a few seconds later, having gained some distance from the creature. I utilize my brief moment of peace to prep myself for the coming battle.

“Arrows.” I said, and a sudden bright glow from my back left fresh arrows in my quiver before quickly dissipating. I smiled. I was ready.

I took an arrow from the quiver, nocked it, then drew back on the string. I waited, squinting in the direction of the forest I had just ran out from. But nothing happened. Nothing came rushing after me from just above the tree tops, nothing came flying out of the forest. the place was quiet. I didn’t like it. It was only when I decided to ask Rachel to help pin point the blood bats location that I finally saw it. it was like a missile in the sky in front of me. Coming at me from afar.

It had its wings tucked in by its sides while its massive head was front and center. It was aimed directly at me, shooting towards me at an impossible velocity. It was trying to…

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I couldn’t get out of the way in time.

Using its massive head as a giant battering ram, the creature proceeded to bulldoze into me at a hundred miles per hour, sending me flying several yards back into the opposite side of the woods and slamming my body against a tree. A wave of pain exploded round my entire body as a result and my breathing ceased for a moment. I fell down an instant later, slamming the side of my face on the ground.

“Hunter! Are you okay?!” Rachel asked from within the insides of my head, her voice strained with worry. “Hunter!”

I tried speaking but I still couldn’t breathe. Everything was broken. My chest had collapsed in on itself and I was sure a rib or two had punctured my liver. The inside of my mouth was quickly filling up with blood and I spat some of it out as I tried and struggled to get back up on my feet. I could breathe again, but it was coming out in deep ragged wheezing. An icon appeared in the corner of my vision indicating that I had rapidly dropped in health. I was now at 62%. Shit. I thought to myself coughing up blood. I absolutely cannot take another hit like that.

I was in the process of trying to get back on my feet when I heard Rachel’s voice again.

“No! What are you doing? Stay down. It thinks you’re dead.” She said this last part with a whisper almost as if she didn’t want the creature to hear. I wanted to poke fun of how unnecessary it was for her to have whispered since I was already the only one who could hear her but, I was certain I would have just coughed up some more blood instead. My head was throbbing, and I suddenly felt nauseated. She was right. It was best I sat it out and pretended as if I was dead. Besides, I couldn’t even find my bow. It must have ended up in a patch of bushes somewhere when I was airborne.

It took some time but eventually the creature left. I heard its massive wings flapping away and decided it was safe to come out. Rachel performed a quick scan of the area and gave the go ahead for me to step out from the shadows. I limped about for a bit but I eventually found my bow. I decided to keep it on me just in case, instead of reabsorbing it back into my inventory. I still had a quiver full of arrows so I didn’t have to worry about summoning more for a while.

“Well there are good news and bad news.” Rachel said, her upbeat personality having returned.

“What’s the bad news?” I asked, trying my best to put on a smile despite covered in scrapes, bruises, and full of broken bones.

“The bad news is, we are still very much knee deep in monster territory and we really need to get going.”

“Alright.” I smiled. “What’s the good news then?” I asked.

“Why don’t you see for yourself.”

Rachel brought up a blue screen which nearly took up my entire field of vision. She was showing me a window containing my stats.

_______________

Basic Info:

Name: Hunter.

Age: 22.

Hight: 7 2.

Weight: 360 pounds.

Class: Monster slayer, weapon summoner.

Level: 3.

EX P: 9.

Silver coin: 18.

Skills:

Combat level: 14%

Weapon summoning: level 2.

Available Weapons and Items:

Bow.

Arrows.

Sword.

Dagger.

Special Abilities:

Consumption: unavailable.

Transformation: unavailable.

Weapon summoning by voice: available.

AI companion: active.

AI capability: at 8%

Enhanced speed and agility: unlocked. 2%.

_______________

“Wow.” I said, really glad with what I was seeing. I had gone up a level, gained more combat and experience points, unlocked a new ability I didn’t even know was a possibility, and even Rachel got a few upgrades of her own. Even though I ended up avoiding the boss fight with the giant blood bat all together, I still greatly appreciated what little progress we were able to make.

“Looks really good Rachel,” I said, happy with how we had performed. If it hadn’t been for my AI companion, I would have been in a lot more pain than I already was in that moment. “So thank you.” I said to her. “You saved my ass quite a few times back there.” I added.

“Just doing my job.” She replied simply, simultaneously closing my stats window and putting up a map of the nearest town in the corner of my vision. “This is where we’re going next.” she said, indicating a spot on the map with a red dot. “Hopefully we are able to find a healer there to fix you up.” She added, closing out the map and providing me with an unobstructed field of vision.

“I will be providing audible navigation for this trip.” She offered. “So let’s get going.”

“Alright.” I said. “Let’s go.”