Taking a moment to glance down at the more pressing matter at hand—the reason for his accuracy training—Kei felt his patience reaching its limit.
Even from within the tree, he could hear the rumbling of the pup’s stomach.
Having taken comfort in the Fangcub’s nonchalant, goofy nature, he had assumed he’d have more time to train.
Seems like time is no longer a luxury.
"Awrf."
Kei, now forced into a stalemate with the Fangcub, did what he did best—run his mouth… again.
He monologued, mocking the cub’s persistence:
"You ever heard of giving up? No? You should try it. It’s great."
"At this point, I’m naming you Bitey. It fits."
"How long do wolves even wait for food? You got, like, a patience stat or something?"
The Fangcub just sat there, tail wagging, clearly enjoying the free entertainment.
At some point, Kei started messing with small twigs and leaves, casually tossing them at the cub just to see how it would react.
This back-and-forth continued…
Until the Fangcub decided it had waited long enough.
It rose to its feet, eyes locked onto Kei with renewed determination.
Then, it lunged at the tree, clawing at the bark, trying to shake him down.
Kei gripped the branch tighter as the vibrations traveled up the trunk.
"Hey! What happened to patience?! Didn’t I just compliment your patience stat?!"
"Listen, Bitey, I know this whole thing has been fun for you, but I’d rather not be your next meal!"
The tree swayed, leaves rustling around him.
Kei panicked—and then, something strange happened.
His Breeze Force stirred.
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A sudden updraft pushed him higher into the tree, as if the wind itself had lifted him.
His eyes widened.
"Wait… did I just… float?"
Instinctively, he tried to replicate it, focusing on that same sensation of lift—but nothing happened.
His control was still too weak.
Then, he looked down.
His expression twisted.
"Wait!? Am I higher in the tree?! Oh, come on!"
Just as Kei tried to process what was happening, the System delivered an announcement:
[First player to trigger natural resonance with their Force detected.]
[Breeze Progression: 0.5% → 1%]
[Hidden Potential Confirmed: Breeze Force Evolution Possible.]
Kei froze.
"Hold up. Did I just do something cool?!"
But before he could process it—
----------------------------------------
The Fangcub’s persistence paid off.
The tree shook violently, and with a sharp crack, the branch beneath Kei snapped.
He plummeted toward the ground.
The Fangcub jumped to meet him midair, jaws open, ready for a second bite.
Knowing he’d probably break a bone or two upon impact with his low Constitution stat, Kei braced himself.
The Fangcub, tensing its muscles, coiled its legs in preparation to pounce the moment its prey hit the ground.
Then—
The instant Kei landed, a strange glint flashed before his eyes.
The Fangcub launched itself forward, ready to end the charade.
Kei locked eyes with it.
"Oh?"
Pain shot through his left leg—a sharp, piercing ache.
A fracture.
But Kei had no time to dwell on it.
Ignoring the pain, he quickly rolled to the side and hurled a pebble at the Fangcub’s leg.
"Five pebbles remaining."
He noted to himself, eyes locked on his target.
The pebble struck true, colliding with the cub’s leg mid-leap.
The Fangcub winced in midair, landing unsteadily.
The cub's demeanor shifted.
No longer playful. No longer amused.
It was taking this seriously now.
Ignoring the pain surging through his left leg, Kei held his ground.
The Fangcub, with its obvious advantage in physical stats, launched itself forward again.
This time, its claws slashed through the air, aiming to decapitate the human.
Kei barely had time to process the attack.
Then, a sudden gust of wind blew past him—his Breeze Force stirring once more.
The wind pushed him back, just enough for the Fangcub’s claws to miss—only managing to slice a few strands of hair from Kei’s head.
As that happened, Kei saw an opening.
He launched another pebble upwards, this time with greater force, aiming for the Fangcub’s jaw.
THWACK!
A sharp yelp of pain escaped the cub as it stumbled back.
Kei watched it recover quickly, eyes burning with growing aggression.
It looked at him differently now.
Not as an easy meal.
Not as an amusing plaything.
But as a worthy opponent.
Kei, barely able to stand on his injured leg, still stared the cub down.
It was a battle of sheer strength versus adaptability.
Kei smirked.
"Three pebbles left."
What happened to the fourth?
A deep growl answered that question.
The fourth pebble had already struck, landing directly in the middle of the Fangcub’s head.
The cub shook itself off, eyes flickering with something unreadable.
Kei muttered under his breath.
"Aether? Force? Breeze?"
"Strange world this is."
The Fangcub leaped again, its body twisting midair, claws ready.
Kei threw another pebble, his last chance to turn the tide.
Two figures, locked in a desperate fight.
Both betting it all for survival.