I blinked multiple times and held my breath.
A monster had found me. I knew it.
I squinted, scanning the trees, my ears straining for any movement. The whisper came again, threading through the silence, but I still couldn't see the creature.
Slowly, I stepped forward, turning as I moved, my entire body tense. My eyes stayed locked on the environment, fully focused, ready for anything.
I stayed like that for another five minutes, but aside from the whispers, seeming to come from everywhere, I couldn't find anything.
Meanwhile, the pain in my ankle kept worsening. I could feel it starting to swell.
Not seeing anything around me, I slowly limped forward, keeping my eyes and ears sharp.
After two minutes, I stopped again.
That feeling, that prickling sensation on the back of my neck, I was being watched.
I turned, scanning every direction, but the monster remained unseen.
I wanted to stop and tend to my ankle, but with something lurking nearby, that would be as good as inviting death.
A sudden rush of air.
Instinct screamed at me.
I twisted too slow.
Something sharp raked across my right arm. Pain flared as I stumbled back, biting down a curse. My breath hitched. The attack had been fast. Too fast.
Blood dripped from three deep gashes just below my shoulder. I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to stay steady, to keep my eyes wide.
'Where did it go?'
My pulse pounded in my ears as I turned, scanning the trees. The forest stretched endlessly, shadows shifting in the dim light. Nothing moved.
No sound. No sign of it.
But I knew it was still there. Watching.
The wound stung, but I ignored it, tightening my grip on my bag's strap to make sure my back was secured from the attack. If it attacked again, I needed to react faster.
Then—another whisper.
Closer this time.
I snapped my head toward the sound, just as a dark, lanky shape darted through the trees. Thin, almost skeletal. Its skin was raw, scraped and torn, drool leaking from its open maw.
Then it stopped and grinned at me.
[Brown Ape – Level 0]
The system identified my foe.
Before I could react, it rushed forward and vanished into the trees again.
I clenched my jaw, trying to think of a way to handle the situation.
But I barely had time to react before it struck again, this time from the left. A streak of movement, too fast to track, then pain.
Its claws raked across my left arm before I could dodge, tearing through my uniform and leaving a burning gash from my shoulder to my elbow. I staggered back, gritting my teeth, but before I could counter, it had already vanished into the trees.
I turned frantically, scanning the dense foliage, my breath heavy. The whispers crept closer, slithering through the air.
Then another attack.
A blur from the right. I twisted my body just in time to avoid a deep wound, but its claws still scraped my right thigh before disappearing again.
My arms. Then My leg. It was picking me apart, piece by piece.
It was toying with me.
This time, I was ready. I knew it would go for my left leg next.
I pretended to focus on my right, keeping my breathing steady. Then....there it was. The rustle of movement, the rush of air. It came exactly as I expected.
Knowing it would vanish into the trees again after striking, I had only one chance.
I planted my weight on my right leg, twisted sharply to the left, and launched myself forward, slamming my shoulder into its thin, bony chest.
The impact sent a shockwave through my body, but I didn't stop. I drove forward with everything I had, wrapping my arms around its midsection and slamming it straight into the ground.
The creature let out a choked snarl as we crashed down, dirt and leaves exploding around us. It thrashed beneath me, its claws slashing wildly, but I didn't relent. Gritting my teeth, I fought to pin its arms down, struggling to gain control before it could slip away again.
I drove my knee deeper into its gut, crushing it against the dirt as it twisted and screeched beneath me. It thrashed, its claws scraping at my arms and chest, leaving stinging cuts, but I refused to let go.
With a roar, I slammed my forehead into its face. Pain exploded in my skull, but the impact sent the bastard reeling. Its shriek turned into a wet gurgle as its nose cracked under the blow.
I followed up immediately. My fists smashed into its ribs, again and again—relentless, like a madman. Each strike sent shockwaves through its bony frame. It spasmed, but I wasn't done.
I yanked back one arm and drove my elbow into its temple. Hard. The ape's head snapped to the side, but before it could react, I caught its jaw with a vicious right hook. It gagged, its breath hitching, and I took the opportunity to hammer another elbow straight down into its jaw.
Its legs flailed wildly, trying to buck me off, but I locked my thighs around them, keeping it pinned. Another headbutt. Another brutal elbow.
It gagged again, so I rammed my fist into its throat. Once. Twice. It choked out a gurgled screech.
The only thought in my head was that I couldn't allow it to escape.
I reared back, roared and drove my forehead straight into its face with a sickening crack. Its skull bounced off the dirt, but I didn't let up.
With both hands, I grabbed its throat, fingers digging deep, and lifted its head before smashing it down into the ground.
Again.
Again.
The earth splattered with its blood, its twitching body going still, but I slammed its skull one last time, just to be sure.
I exhaled, my arms trembling, chest heaving. My uniform was in shreds, my skin raw with scrapes and bruises. With a heavy sigh, I collapsed beside the beast.
The forest was silent.
Then, a strange sensation washed over me.
Essence.
I turned my head and watched as green particles drifted from the creature's corpse, flowing into me.
[Level Up!]
[Level 0 → Level 1]
I pulled up my status to check the new updates.
[Status]
---------------------------------------------
Name : Billion Ironhart
Race : Human
Class : N/A
Laws : N/A
Level : 1
Talent :
- Generator 1
- Essence : 5/5
Attributes :
- Strength: 8
- Constitution: 7
- Dexterity: 10
- Psynapse : 7
Unused Stats: 5
---------------------------------------------
I noticed I reached Level 1, my Essence was full again, and I had five unused stat points.
Taking stock of my injuries and exhaustion, I allocated three points to Constitution and two to Strength, bringing them both up to 10.
Then, without hesitation, I transferred the stored Essence into Constitution, temporarily boosting it to 15, just enough to speed up my body's recovery.
I felt the new stats taking effect. Felt my body little bit more tougher and could feel the wounds stinging a little.
Pushing myself up, I turned my gaze to the dead abomination.
A Brown Ape. Before corruption, it must have been a strong, muscled beast covered in thick brown fur. But after a corrupted soul took over, it had become this grotesque, skeletal husk, its body reeking of decay.
Now, with its death, the corrupted soul was permanently erased.
I clenched my fists as my thoughts drifted to my parents.
In our universe, when someone died, whether naturally or in war, their soul would drift toward the Eternals, who would attempt to forge them into living armors, the Phantoms.
But if the forging failed, the soul would become corrupted, losing all reason. Those corrupted souls were then cast into different worlds, where they would infect and twist beasts into Abominations.
Every day, I prayed to the gods that my parents hadn't become either, neither Phantom nor Abomination.
Casting one last glance at the beast, I moved forward, barefoot, searching for shelter. The pain in my ankle had dulled significantly expected, considering my Constitution had nearly doubled for now. My body was working fast to recover.
My uniform was in tatters, especially the upper half, but I ignored it. First aid could wait until my Constitution dropped back down. No point wasting resources while my body was already healing at an accelerated rate.
I moved carefully, stepping lightly to avoid making noise, my eyes scanning the forest for any signs of movement.