home

search

Chapter 67: Blood And Speed

  As Tyler walked toward the Crossroads Base exit, he studied the system panel's recipes intently. *Wait,* he thought, *that's the recipe for another dagger, and I think I have all the materials needed to craft it. I'll craft it once I get into the monster zones.*

  He continued walking, but as soon as he left the base, his pace quickened into a jog, then a run. *I really want to see how fast I can run now,* he mused.

  His run escated into a blur of motion. His feet barely touched the ground, a whirlwind of movement propelling him forward. The wind whipped through his hair, and the world around him transformed into a streaking tapestry of colors and sounds. The air rushed past him, carrying the scent of pine and earth. Entering the forest, the trees became a streaking green and brown as he moved with incredible speed, dodging branches and roots with effortless grace. His body was a blur, a phantom flitting through the woods, leaving only a faint echo of his presence behind.

  Within seconds, he skidded to a halt on the forest floor, having reached the river. *Wow,* he thought, breathless but not tired, *that was fast. I'm not even tired, and yet I reached the river.* The river shimmered in the dappled sunlight, its surface rippling gently with the breeze.

  He took a few steps back, then ran and leaped across the wide river, nding on the far bank with a muffled thud. The impact sent a small cloud of dust rising from the ground. Looking back at the distance he'd covered, he thought, *Man, if I really did have a barrel, that means I could actually put some of this river water inside it. Or maybe not. Maybe I'll put actual drinking water. I drank some of this river water once, and it doesn't taste good.*

  Turning to face his destination, he muttered, "Right, now where could those Hexthorns be?"

  He then remembered when Grone told him about how he should look for footprints and gather more information about the kind of monster he would be looking for. "*Grone said hexthorns like those flowers, so I should probably go to that pce again. I think I was in this direction*," Tyler said as he looked to the left and continued walking. He walked past the trees and heard a noise to his right. He looked in that direction and saw a man in brown leather armor with four crimson wolf hides slung over his shoulder as he walked. "*Crimson wolves... I wonder what level they were.*" An info box appeared floating next to the man, written: Phillip Green, Lvl: 44. Tyler frowned upon seeing the man's st name. "*Green... Isn't that the st name of a dead hunter I once saw? He must be reted to him.*" Tyler sighed and looked away from him as he continued walking.

  After a few minutes, Tyler thought to himself, *Did I get lost somehow?* He found himself in a small clearing with short grass and bushes around him.

  Tyler then muttered, "Alright, it's time to craft that dagger." Suddenly, Tyler heard a low growl from behind. He spun around as his Steel Fang dagger materialized in his right hand and he quickly threw it at the blue-furred wolf that was pnning to attack him. The dagger hit the Gloomfang straight in the head, killing it instantly, and it fell lifelessly to the ground. Tyler then realized that there were four more Gloomfangs entering the clearing. His dagger returned, materializing in his hand. "Right, I forgot you hunt in packs," Tyler said as he got into a fighting stance. He grinned as he saw their levels floating above their heads: a level 47, a level 25, a level 12, and a level 34.

  His weapon vanished into his inventory. "I don't think I need this; in fact, I won't even activate my skill," he said as the wolves closed in. The level 47 unched itself at Tyler, its eyes glowing with malice. Tyler easily sidestepped, causing the beast to miss him completely. The level 12 followed, but Tyler caught it by the neck midair and spun around quickly, throwing it at the level 47 behind him. The wolves howled as they crashed into each other, creating a chaotic scene in the clearing.

  A level 35 Gloomfang unched itself at Tyler, aiming for his leg. But Tyler met its attack with a powerful kick, his leg connecting squarely with the creature's jaw. The force of the blow shattered the Gloomfang's jaw, sending it sprawling with a pained howl before it disappeared into the undergrowth.

  Seeing its companion's fate, the level 25 Gloomfang took a hesitant step back.

  "Where do you think you're going?" Tyler asked, a grin spreading across his face.

  Before the fleeing Gloomfang could move far, Tyler was upon it, a swift kick shattering its ribcage. The creature flew through the air, nding with a heavy thud far beyond Tyler's reach.

  He turned his attention to the two remaining Gloomfangs, which were regaining their bance. Suddenly, a system message appeared: Level 47 Gloomfang has activated skill: Rush.

  The level 47 Gloomfang lunged, jaws agape. Tyler, though momentarily surprised, grinned and easily sidestepped the attack, allowing the creature to overshoot and nd behind him.

  As he moved toward the level 47 Gloomfang, the level 12 Gloomfang attempted a surprise attack from behind. With a swift spin, Tyler executed a powerful spinning kick, connecting with the creature's side. The level 12 Gloomfang howled in pain, its body sent careening through the forest, snapping branches as it flew.

  Seeing its companions' fates, the level 47 Gloomfang took a few hesitant steps back, letting out a squeaky howl and bowing its head in fear.

  Tyler saw the Gloomfang preparing to flee. *This thing activated its Rush, right? Let's see how fast it can go,* he thought.

  The Gloomfang turned and ran. Tyler grinned, his eyes faintly glowing blue. He slid his right leg back, preparing to sprint, then unched himself forward with explosive speed. His leg dug into the earth, sending a small gust of wind swirling around him as he propelled himself forward. He ran, the trees blurring into streaks of green and brown. He felt faster than any car he'd ever been in.

  In seconds, he was upon the fleeing Gloomfang. The creature, noticing Tyler's relentless pursuit, howled in terror and ran even faster.

  Tyler, seeing the Gloomfang's fear, pushed himself even harder, catching up and moving past it. "You're too slow," he muttered, lifting his leg and delivering a powerful kick to the Gloomfang's rear. The creature spun end-over-end through the air, its back impacting a tree with a sickening thud. It fell to the ground, howling in pain, blood trickling from its mouth.

  Looking down at the fallen creature, Tyler sighed. "Sorry about this," he said. "I was just testing my speed. You were pretty fast, just not fast enough."

  The Gloomfang stilled, lifeless. A system notification appeared: Level Up.

  Tyler opened his system panel, revealing his stats:

  SPECIES: Human

  NAME: Tyler Evans

  RANK: C

  LVL: 68

  CLASS: Craftsman

  HP: 321/321 MP:259/259

  STR: 284 AGI: 306

  DEF: 553 STM: 274

  STATUS: Healthy

  Skills: Armor Craft Lv2, Weapon Craft Lv2, Weapon Mastery, Alchemy, Accessory Craft, Acid Blood, Room

  Equipped Skills:Charge - MC:25

  He chuckled softly. *I've really grown fast, haven't I?* he thought. *To think I used to struggle running more than 200 meters and I'd get so tired… I'm pretty sure if I ran that training course again, from tree to tree, I could do all those rounds in a few minutes and still not be tired. I've really grown.*

  He looked at his gloved hand, gripping it tightly then releasing it. He clenched his fist. *But what about my strength? What if I hit something as hard as I can?* He eyed a thick tree nearby. *If I hit this tree with all my might, I won't get hurt, right?* He recalled punching the iron chamber. *This is probably going to hurt less.*

  He unched his fist with everything he had. His knuckles connected with the tree trunk with a bone-jarring *crack*. The bark splintered instantly. A shockwave rippled through the tree, causing it to tremble violently. Behind the point of impact, the wood exploded outwards in a shower of splinters. The tree, completely severed, groaned and began to fall, its massive trunk tilting precariously toward Tyler. The air vibrated with the force of the blow, and the sound of the splintering wood echoed through the forest.

  Seeing the tree falling towards him, Tyler yelled, "Oh, crap!" and leaped out of the way just as it crashed to the ground with a thunderous thud, accompanied by the snapping of branches and twigs. The tree nded squarely on top of the Gloomfang's corpse.

  He muttered, "Extract," and the Gloomfang's hide shimmered, then vanished into his inventory, leaving only bones and muscle exposed.

  Tyler examined his hand. "Whoa," he said, "I've grown really strong. I mean, that didn't even hurt, not even a little. Honestly, it felt like I was punching… cotton. What happens when I punch something like a rock? Will it shatter?"

  He thought, *My strength stat is 284 right now. As it keeps increasing, I'm going to become a whole lot stronger. I wonder how strong I'll be when it reaches 300.*

  "I have no idea where to find these Hexthorns," he muttered. "I think I'm lost. Well, I only know the way I came from, so let me just retrace my steps."

  Then, a thought struck him. *Wait a minute, what am I doing? Instead of finding the Hexthorns, let them find me.* He muttered, "Equip Shine Armor."

  His Hexhorn armor vanished, repced by the gleaming Shine Armor. Its metallic bdes shimmered in the sunlight.

  *Should I use it?* he wondered. *There are going to be a lot of monsters attracted by it. But I'm strong enough. I think I can face them all alone now.*

  He activated his Acid Blood.

  "Craft Tearer Dagger," Tyler commanded.

  A system panel appeared: Craft Tearer Dagger (yes/no)

  Tyler mentally selected "yes." The crafting panel repced the previous one, dispying a progress bar. He activated Radiant Burst. His Shine Armor ptes began to glow a brilliant cream-white, then erupted in an intensely bright light. The light engulfed him and his surroundings, washing over the forest, thinning the shadows of the trees until they vanished completely. The light was so intense, it felt brighter than the sun itself, a blinding radiance that momentarily bleached the world to a stark, almost painful white.

  Slowly, the light dimmed, fading to a soft, lingering glow. Tyler opened his eyes. *I don't think I'll ever get used to that,* he thought. *Even with my eyes closed, the light was so bright. It's almost like I can still see through my eyelids.* It seems like it doesn't actually affect me though.

  A system panel appeared: Crafting Successful.

  Tyler smiled, opening his palm. He mentally equipped the Tearer Dagger. The dagger materialized in his hand, a breathtaking weapon. The hilt was a dark, almost bck red, It felt surprisingly warm to the touch, almost alive. The bde itself was a vibrant crimson, polished to a mirror sheen that reflected the dappled sunlight filtering through the trees. But it was the teeth that truly set it apart. Embedded along the entire length of the bde's edge, and clustered at the tip, were rows of razor-sharp, silver teeth, each meticulously crafted and gleaming with an almost unnatural sharpness. They weren't merely decorative; they were clearly designed to tear and rend flesh, each tooth catching the light with a deadly glint. The overall effect was both beautiful and terrifying, a work of art designed for brutal efficiency. He summoned his Steel Fangdagger into his other hand, the familiar weight a stark contrast to the newly crafted Tearer Dagger's feel.

  Tyler examined the Tearer Dagger. A system panel appeared beside it:

  Atk: 236

  +15% Speed

  64% Chance to Cause Internal Bleeding

  Skill: Red Rush: The user's speed stat momentarily increases by 1 during battle with each kill for one hour. Limited to thirty agility stat points and resets after one hour.

  Tyler was surprised by the dagger's stats. *The attack is higher than the Steel Fangdagger,* he thought, *and it has a skill too. Just like the Bashing Hammer. And this skill increases my speed with every kill!* A predatory grin spread across his face. *This is only going to make things easier.*

  The snapping of branches grew louder, closer. He assumed a fighting stance, muscles tense, senses heightened. From the undergrowth, a Draco lunged.

  In a heartbeat, Tyler reacted. The enhanced speed of the Tearer Dagger was a surge of power coursing through him. His movements were fluid, precise, deadly. He danced around the creature's attack, a blur of motion against the backdrop of the forest. The world seemed to slow as he moved, his senses heightened, his body a perfectly honed instrument of death. In a single, breathtaking movement, he spun, a crimson arc of steel fshing through the air. The Tearer Dagger sliced through the Draco's neck with a sickening *thunk*, severing the head with brutal efficiency. The creature's body convulsed, then colpsed, its lifeblood staining the forest floor.

  A blue system text box materialized before him: AGI +1

  Tyler grinned, already anticipating the next challenge. The sounds of more approaching creatures echoed through the trees.

  From the undergrowth, six slimes emerged. Round, blue, and glistening, they varied in size, but their levels were clearly far below Tyler's. He saw that each slime's level was well below 30.

  "Really?" Tyler muttered, a hint of amusement in his voice.

  His eyes glowed a faint blue as he charged. The first slime unched itself at him, but Tyler was too fast. With a swift movement, he used his Steel Fangdagger to slice the slime cleanly in half. Before the remaining slimes could react, he moved like a phantom, a blur of motion. His daggers shone as he danced through the group, slicing each slime with deadly precision. In less than three seconds, he had dispatched them all, a gust of wind momentarily swirling around him as he stopped.

  The slimes dissolved into blue dust, fading into the wind, leaving behind only their silver, gss-like cores on the forest floor.

  "Extract," Tyler murmured. The cores shimmered blue, then vanished into his inventory, as did the Draco's hide.

  Tyler looked around, a thoughtful expression on his face. *Where are all the monsters? I expected more Crimson Wolves and Gloomfangs, but only a Draco and these slimes appeared.* He paused, a sudden realization dawning on him. *Wait a minute… did we kill all the Crimson Wolves and Gloomfangs? I mean, we went into the Crimson Wolves' den, but I don't know about the Gloomfangs. We did kill a lot, but there should be more, right? We killed more than thirty monsters from both sides combined.*

  His thoughts were interrupted by a low rumble that vibrated through the ground.

  Tyler looked towards the source of the rumbling noise. A high-pitched shriek, like a pig's squeal, cut through the air.

  "Great," Tyler said, a grin spreading across his face. "The kind of monsters I'm looking for."

  Two Hexhorns emerged from the forest, heading straight for him. System panels appeared above each:

  Level 32 Hexhorn: Skill Charge Activated

  Level 44 Hexhorn: Skill Charge Activated

  Their speed increased noticeably as they charged across the clearing. Before they could reach him, Tyler reacted. He unched himself forward, performing a front flip that sent him soaring over the charging creatures. Landing silently behind them, he spun, throwing his Steel Fangdagger with deadly accuracy.

  The Level 32 Hexhorn, turning to face him, was struck directly in the eye. A bright electric spark erupted from the point of impact, followed by a shriek and a plume of smoke. Tyler was surprised by the unexpected spark. The Hexhorn colpsed.

  Tyler moved instantly towards the Level 44 Hexhorn, which charged in response. Mid-run, Tyler changed course, sidestepping the Hexhorn's attack with effortless grace. The Hexhorn stumbled, its abdomen scraping against the ground. Another shriek tore through the air as Tyler's daggers fshed, severing three of its legs. The creature colpsed, its remaining leg thrashing uselessly.

  Tyler approached the fallen Hexhorn, its pained shrieks echoing through the forest.

  Tyler's other dagger, the Tearer Dagger, materialized in his hand. He crouched beside the fallen Hexhorn, plunging the bde into its head. A system panel appeared:AGI +1

  Standing, he muttered, "Extract." The hides of both Hexhorns shimmered blue and vanished into his inventory.

  "I fought all these monsters," Tyler said, looking around, "and I didn't even have to use my Charge skill." A system panel popped up: Level Up

  *I leveled up again,* Tyler thought. *I must be level 69 now. I thought I'd need to kill more monsters to level up, but it seems these were enough. It's probably because of this neckce. Though it's only a 5% XP bonus, it's still helpful.*

  He looked in the direction the Hexhorns had come from. *They came from this direction, right? Then I should probably head there.* He equipped his Hexhorn Armor, the Shine Armor disappearing into his inventory. With a burst of speed, he sprinted off.

  *Why aren't there a lot of monsters around here?* he wondered as he ran.

  His thoughts were interrupted as he abruptly stopped, surprised by the sight before him. Several Gloomfangs and Crimson Wolves y dead on the forest floor – four Gloomfangs and six Crimson Wolves, a total of ten corpses.

  All the corpses were pierced with arrows; the trees, the ground—everything was riddled with them. *Who the hell did this?* Tyler thought. *There's no way one person did this, right? There has to be at least more than three people with bows, maybe more than five.*

  He walked to the corpses. "Extract," he muttered, and the hides vanished into his inventory.

  Then, a yelp, a cry, sharp and high-pitched, cut through the air. It sounded distinctly feminine. *What the hell was that?* Tyler thought.

Recommended Popular Novels