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Chapter 4: Perilous Battle
🕑 Added 2024-01-16 17:38:11 +0000 UTCHaving activated [Synthesis] in a hurry, I watched in awe as the small sphere of molten stone shifted and molded right before my eyes. Soon, it took on a seemingly humanoid form, and as the glow began to subside, I was left staring at a peculiar creature no taller than a child.
Its tiny body was made entirely out of jagged rocks stacked upon one another like a haphazard tower and supported by two short, stubby legs. Sparks of blue energy crackled between its sharp edges, emanating from the sole mana crystal embedded deep within its chest.
The creature then turned toward me, and the small, round stone sitting on top of its tiny body tilted a bit as if awaiting my orders. It worked! It freaking worked! Overcame with happiness, I simply stared at the strange creature before remembering the great peril I was currently in.
First, I quickly focused on the stony construct, wishing to learn more about it, and the information instantly popped into my head.
[Petty Rock golem (lvl.1)]
[Skills: Absorb (lvl.1), Shatter (lvl.1)]
So it's a golem, huh? I had no idea what any of its Skills did, but I desperately prayed that it would be enough to stop whatever monster might creep out from that portal.
From the moment the golem manifested itself, I felt a strange connection to it in the back of my mind. When I focused on that sensation, I couldn’t help but widen my eyes, realizing I could now order the golem around with a thought, almost like a puppet.
"Hehe, I'm going to call you Rocky." I chuckled, watching the pile of stones dance around the Seed’s pedestal.
Yet my elation didn't last long. The unpleasant ringing noise continued to increase in intensity until it suddenly stopped, and the rift’s surface began to glisten, pulsing with otherwordly energy.
I instantly realized that whatever was going to happen was but mere moments from transpiring.
Thus, full of determination and a desperate will to survive, I commanded Rocky to defend the area in front of the rift while I, equipped with my old trusty knife, stood behind him, ready to deal with any monster that got through.
The wait was agonizing, with each second feeling like an eternity. My hands trembled as I stared into the glaring abyss; then, the rippling surface parted, giving way to a massive form rapidly emerging from within.
Was it a dog? A wolf? Whatever it was, it had a glossy silvery fur and a maw full of razor-sharp teeth.
"E-category?!" I blurted out, my eyes wide open as I took a few steps back out of sheer fright. I’m supposed to fight something like this with nothing but a puny little golem and a rusty knife?
After that incident a few years back, I never again dared to face anything stronger than the rats swarming the Shelter’s lowest levels in abundance, which were of the weakest F-category.
Quickly realizing that this time there was no one that could save me, I finally broke out of my stupor, trying my best to come up with a way to kill this damned thing.
I cautiously observed the silvery wolf, searching for any weaknesses. Yet the wolf stared right back, its eyes flickering with malice as it slowly crept closer while growling menacingly.
Yeah, that's a monster, alright... But if I play my cards right and have Rocky withstand its initial charge and then swipe at it from the side, I just might have a chance to make it.
With a newfound resolve, I moved to the right, positioning myself right behind Rocky while mentally preparing for the monster's inevitable charge.
Yet, for some strange reason, the wolf stood motionlessly a short distance from the rift. What’s it waiting for?
The answer to this question was revealed right the next moment as the rift rippled again, spewing another monstrous wolf and mercilessly shattering any hope of an easy victory. Well, with some luck, I could maybe manage two of them... probably.
However, when a third one jumped out of the portal, my jaw dropped, and a cold shiver went down my spine. Oh, C-Crap! Yep, I'm dead... I'm definitely dead.
I froze, unable to move due to the sheer terror tightly gripping my wildly pounding heart. But while I was busy saying goodbye to my crappy life, Rocky sprung into action.
As if unfazed by such impossible odds, the tiny golem lunged forward, quickly drawing the attention of two of the monsters. One wolf jumped at it, its sharp claws scraping against Rocky's sturdy exterior, yet it barely left a mark.
Rocky, meanwhile, took a swing at the wolf's snout with his tiny, faintly glowing limb. He appeared to have activated one of his skills, leaving the monster to stagger back, whining in pain.
Seeing this uplifting scene, I, too, tightened the hold on my knife. Not wanting to be bested by such a puny creature, I focused on the third wolf, whose soulless eyes were locked onto me, ready to pounce.
Oh, shit! Here goes nothing! With a surge of adrenaline, I jumped to the side at the last possible moment, and the next thing I saw was the beast's teeth snapping shut just mere centimeters from where my leg was just a moment ago.
The wind rushed past me as the wolf's massive form flashed by with impossible speed, its claws scraping against the hard rock surface.
Here's my chance! Not wasting a moment, I swung my knife at the wolf's flank with everything I got. I could feel the blade connect with the monster's silvery fur, but to my dismay, it barely left a scratch.
The creature then came to an abrupt stop as it turned its ugly head towards me, its eyes glinting with a mad hunger, and before I had a chance to collect myself, it was charging at me again.
At this point, I was indeed at my wit's end. These monsters were evidently way above my league, and I couldn’t even make them bleed.
Still, when faced with the prospect of a certain death, my survival instincts kicked in, and while pumped full of adrenaline, I got ready to intercept the wolf's charge once again.
So, when the horrid beast jumped at me, I paid no attention to my shaking legs, forcing myself to stand still. Knowing that this was probably my only chance to come out of this alive, my hand sprung forward, and right as the wolf's maw was about to sink into my throat, my knife pierced its right eye.
The knife, propelled by the wolf's own insane strength, then slid all the way back into its head.
With a single pained growl, the beast's mighty body began twitching before losing its strength and becoming limp. Yet the momentum of its charge still carried it forward, knocking me over.
Struggling to free myself from under the pile of rancid flesh, I watched as the menacing crimson light slowly disappeared from its other eye, and the monster stopped moving altogether.
It was now truly and utterly dead. I did it! After finally freeing myself from under the wolf's corpse, I couldn't help but grin broadly.
Still, I had no time to celebrate my momentary victory as the battle was far from over.
I threw a worried glance over at Rocky, who, all this time, continued to fiercely defend himself against the other two wolves.
He somehow managed to withstand the monsters' onslaught till now, but it was obvious that with each crazed charge, he was being pushed back.
Realizing that I had to do something before it was too late, I quickly began collecting my battered body from the ground.
But before I could rejoin the ongoing battle, I felt a wave of strange energy flowing into me.
Experiencing such weird phenomena for the first time, I tensed. Is it coming from the wolf's corpse?
[You have slain a Petty Death stalker. You have gained +40 Soul Essence.]
With wide eyes, I listened to the same weird mechanical voice making an announcement.
As I took a quick look at my status, I saw the counter next to my level was now filled almost halfway to the top.
Seeing this, a certain realization dawned on me. Wait, so I can get stronger by slaying monsters?
I had always assumed the Hunters battled the monsters solely for their corpses and the materials they could harvest from them, as I had previously killed plenty of rats. Yet, I never became any stronger while doing so.
So, does it work only for those with a Class? My head was filled with countless questions, but I forced myself to remain focused on the task at hand. This was not the time to ponder, as I first had to go help Rocky.
Grimacing, I strained all my muscles, wanting to pry out my knife that was still lodged deep inside the monster's sturdy skull.
After a short while of cursing and wiggling it around, I finally managed to do it. However, as I looked at my old trusty knife's chipped and cracked surface, I couldn't help but scowl.
Despite being nothing better than a sharpened piece of scrap metal, it had served me well over the past two years since I left the orphanage.
Thus, seeing it in such a state filled me with a deep sense of sadness. Yet I couldn't deny that its time was coming to an end. Come on, buddy! Help me out one last time!
Taking a deep breath, I ran over to where Rocky was still struggling against the other two wolves. At a glance, it looked like a standstill. The monsters seemed unable to overcome Rocky's defense, but on the other hand, my golem couldn’t deliver a decisive strike.
With my own battle over, however, I could now even the odds. Taking advantage of the fact that the monsters were focusing solely on the golem and were not paying me any attention, I jumped at the closest one, kicking it hard in the belly.
My surprise attack did barely anything other than get the wolf's attention. But that was precisely what I wanted. Right as the angry monster began turning around to lunge at me, I ordered Rocky to attack.
The tiny golem faithfully swung its small arm at the crazed beast while activating its attack skill, striking the wolf's head at point-blank range. The monster's head caved in, and the wolf collapsed to the ground.
Not wasting the opportunity, I quickly ran over and furiously stabbed into the hideous wound until it stopped moving altogether.
[You have slain a Petty Death stalker. You have gained +40 Soul Essence.]
Just one more to go! Rejoicing, I sprung to my feet with renewed vigor. For the first time since this horrid battle started, I felt a sliver of hope that I might actually make it out alive.
With two wolves dead, the rest turned out to be surprisingly easy. Taking full advantage of our numerical superiority, we surrounded the final beast and then took turns attacking it from both sides.
The last wolf was already somewhat injured from the previous fight, so when faced with our combined efforts, it didn't take long before it was brought down, too.
[You have slain a Petty Death stalker. You have gained +40 Soul Essence.]
[Your body is brimming with strength. Your power has risen +1]
[You have completed the emergency quest and obtained a new skill Portal (lvl.1) as a reward.]
