As I walked through the forest, I felt a tingling sensation spread through my body, my updated stats at work. The pain had lessened, my muscles felt different, and the bruising on my ankle had already started to fade.
I scanned my surroundings, searching for a cave, somewhere to hide for the night, preferably with a rock or something to block the entrance. Once I secured shelter, my next goal was hunting.
Arkas wanted us at higher than Level 12 within a month. I'd make sure to surpass that expectation. By the end of probation, I'd make good on my promise—they would be the ones chasing me.
And on one thing, Arkas and I agreed, I didn't like 02 either. I wanted to be the best.
To be in everyone's faces, always ahead.
I came across a massive tree towering over the rest of the forest. Tilting my head back, I stared up, it was easily multiple times the height of the others.
Deciding to take advantage of my temporarily boosted Constitution, I set my bag down and started climbing, careful not to put too much strain on my ankle. My hands gripped the rough bark as I pulled myself up, branch by branch.
Halfway up, I was way above the canopy. From here, I could see other trees of the same kind scattered across the forest, standing taller than the rest. Turning my gaze in every direction, I finally spotted a small hill in the distance. Beyond it, further away, stretched a mountain range.
Locking the direction in my mind, I slid down the tree, grabbed my bag, and started moving toward the hill.
I wondered how Steve was doing.
"You better survive this, Steve. I don't want to hunt down my future grandfather-in-law for throwing you in here."
I smirked at the thought as I made my way toward the hill.
Then…..a whisper.
I froze mid-step.
Another whisper followed, this time from a different direction.
My breath hitched. My eyes stayed locked ahead, my body rigid, unmoving. I couldn't see anyone, but I understood.
There were two of them this time.
I slipped the bag down and whispered.
"Power Up!"
My heart thrummed and I could feel the core stirring up.
I stayed still, keeping my breathing slow.
My eyes darted from tree to tree, scanning every inch of my surroundings. I knew this game by now. They were testing me, waiting for an opening.
But this time, I wasn't the same as before. My body felt lighter, stronger. My wounds from the last fight had already faded into dull aches. My Constitution had boosted my recovery, and my Strength had risen.
A branch creaked behind me.
I spun just in time. The first ape lunged, its thin body cutting through the air like a thrown spear. Its claws shot toward my chest, but I didn't even bother dodging. Instead, I planted my feet and swung.
Boom!
My fist crashed into its face before it could touch me. The force of the punch sent it flipping mid-air, its grotesque form twisting like a ragdoll before it crashed into a tree.
I looked at it to check its level: [Brown Ape - Level 0]
The second one moved. I caught a flicker of motion in my peripheral vision and ducked. Its claws barely scraped my scalp before I drove my shoulder into its gut.
'Got you.'
Wrapping my arms around its bony waist, I lifted it clean off the ground. Its limbs flailed wildly, claws swiping at my back, but I barely felt them.
With a roar, I arched backward and—
BOOM!
A perfect suplex.
The ape's head and upper chest slammed into the earth so hard that the ground trembled. It twitched, momentarily stunned. I didn't let it recover. Twisting around, I mounted it and rained down fists like a goddamn machine gun.
My punches sank into its gaunt face, snapping bones, bursting flesh. Its body spasmed beneath me before finally going limp.
'One down.'
I turned, just in time to see the first one rushing at me again. It had recovered faster than expected, blood leaking from its mouth, its sunken eyes filled with rage.
I looked at its wobbling form and I charged too.
Its claws lashed out, but I weaved through its strikes, dodging with ease. Then I slammed my knee into its gut, driving the air from its lungs. It doubled over, gagging.
I moved behind it, grabbed its waist.
And lifted.
Another suplex, this time sending it headfirst into a tree trunk with a sickening crunch. It slumped over, dazed but still alive.
I stepped forward, grabbed its head, and positioned it just right. Then, with all the force I could muster, I drove my knee straight into its skull. A sharp crack echoed through the forest, and the creature went limp, its body twitching before finally falling still.
Two dead.
And I was still standing.
I waited until the Essence gathered toward me, then picked up my bag and continued moving toward the hill.
'That wasn't enough to level up.'
I frowned, my brows furrowing in frustration.
Replaying the fight in my head, I felt I had done well. After the first battle, I realized the apes were light-footed fighters, likely with more stats in Dexterity and very little in Strength or Constitution. That explained why they were fast but couldn't take a real hit.
I kept moving cautiously for another ten to fifteen minutes before stopping beside another towering tree. Deciding to calm down my thoughts, I climbed up and settled on a thick branch.
Pulling out my water bottle, I took a small sip, my mind drifting back to the sickening cracks I had heard when I drove the apes into the ground. I glanced at my knuckles perfectly fine, aside from some crushed skin and bits of ichor still clinging to them.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
'It's either them or us, Billion.'
With renewed determination, I opened my eyes, slid down the tree, grabbed my bag, and kept moving.
After another hour of tracking, I heard shrieking and screeching up ahead.
I immediately ducked behind a tree, tightening the straps of my bag before creeping toward the source of the noise. Moving carefully, I stopped behind another tree and peeked out from the side.
Four brown apes were tussling with what looked like stags. There were three stags.
I narrowed my eyes and checked their levels.
Three of the apes were Level 0, with the last one at Level 1. Two of the stags were Level 0, while one stood out, stronger, more menacing.
I focused on it.
[Ironhide Stag – Level 1]
It towered at nearly seven feet, its body covered in jagged, uneven iron plates that looked fused with its flesh, as if they had forcefully grown out of its skin rather than being natural armor.
Patches of raw, exposed muscle pulsed between the metal plates, leaking dark fluid. Its horns weren't just long, they were twisted and sharp, resembling rusted blades rather than bone.
The apes weren't strong enough to deal any real damage to the stags, so they relied on hit-and-run tactics. They darted in, struck with quick swipes, then leaped away before the stags could retaliate. Their movements were erratic, constantly jumping between the trees, keeping their prey on edge.
The Level 1 ape was noticeably faster than the others. It, along with another ape, focused on the Level 1 stag, circling it, forcing it to stay on the defensive. The stag lunged at them with its blade-like horns, but the apes were too quick, slipping away before the attack could connect.
It was a battle of speed versus endurance, but from what I could see, the stags weren't backing down either.
Watching them tear into each other, I felt the urge to jump in. If there had been fewer of them, I might have. But seven abominations at once? That was a little out of my reach.
I checked my status, the temporary boost to Constitution had worn off.
Constitution: 10.5
Essence: 2/5
Now, I had a decision to make. I could ignore their fight and move on, or I could get involved, outlast them, and emerge as the final winner. If I pulled it off, I might just step into Level 2.