A large patch of the forest was burning, thick clouds of smoke rose into the air lighting the night sky in a pale red hue.
In a large clearance of forest, Simon was sitting on the ground breathing disorderly. His body was covered with blood all over making it impossible to discern whether it was his own or his enemies.
A large pool of blood lay beneath, seeping out from the mountain of corpses behind him.
Fallen burnt trees could be seen everywhere in a hundred-meter radius. The ground was gouged out in many places, evident of a big battle that had occurred here.
A couple of minutes earlier...
Right before the huge pack of Direwolves surrounded him
"Dammit it took everything I had in me just to survive, I can't imagine how tough the future battles will be" Simon fell back on the ground complaining after defeating the first Direwolf.
"Where is this place anyways?" His mind buzzed with thoughts, trying to comprehend the grim reality he found himself in. This place was no dream; he knew it now. The vividness and pain were too real to be a mere illusion.
Due to the overwhelming situation earlier, Simon had no time to think. However, now that he got some time to breathe, he recalled how his head got flooded with new sets of memories.
From these memories, he recalled that he was on a planet called Althaea, a world completely different from Earth and filled with mythical creatures.
He also recalled that he was currently in a body of a Demon Noble— a Demon Baron. One of the lowest ranking demon nobility, and if he wanted to survive in this dangerous world, he must rise through the ranks swiftly.
The enemy he had just defeated was known as Direwolf, a low-ranking monster species. Individually, they posed little threat, and even a trained human could handle a few. However, their strength lay in numbers, making them challenging adversaries to face alone.
The species of Direwolves lacked any innate magical abilities, relying solely on their brute strength and razor-sharp fangs. Governed purely by instincts, they stood at the lowest rung of the hierarchy among the mystical beings that roamed Althaea.
That being said, even if it was true Simon was in no position to look down on these species because he found himself being cornered by these very Direwolves at this moment.
Yes, he managed to defeat one, but he was severely wounded in the process. Now faced with this number, he knew that his chances of surviving this was very slim.
From his memories, Simon hurriedly called out his status. A thin square film floated out in front of his eyes. There he could see his name, stats, titles, and everything.
----
Name:- Simon
Race:- Demon Baron
Titles:- Demon of Pride [Incomplete Fragment 1/5]
Level:- 17
Stats-
HP:- 2149/3017
MP:- 7420/7498
Strength:- 651
Defence:- 551 {Base:- 751]
Agility:- 685
Magic:- 885
Endurance:- 451 [Base:- 668]
Luck:- 434
Skills:- Language Comprehension, Analysis, Fire Magic Mastery
Inherent Skills:- [Dungeon Creation], [Main Menu], [Ancestral Symbol Ignition].
----
Examining his status, Simon noted that even after he was reincarnated in this world, his name remained the same but his race had changed to Demon Baron. His level had increased to 17, likely a result of defeating the Direwolf earlier.
Due to the memories in his head, he knew that his stats were significantly higher than a human due to his demon race, which boasted superior base attributes.
Despite the boost, Simon remained vigilant and aware of his position in the hierarchy. He understood that being a Demon Baron still left him vulnerable, and survival hinged on swift levelling and rank advancement.
As he reviewed his skills, Simon discovered the utility of [Language Comprehension], which allowed him to quickly grasp foreign languages.
"This skill seems very useful. It will help out when communicating with other races in the future."
Another skill, [Analysis], caught his attention. This one enabled him to gather detailed information from his surroundings. The higher the level of the user the more detailed the analysis.
"Alright this seems useful, let's use it [Analysis]."
Intrigued, Simon decided to test it out and called upon the skill. Instantly, a wealth of data appeared before him, revealing the levels and skills of the Direwolves surrounding him.
Most of the wolves ranged from level 60 to 70, some even surpassing level 70. Among them, the battle-scarred alpha appeared as the highest level, serving as their leader.
Simon knew he could take on a few wolves, but the sheer number posed a daunting challenge. Before he could formulate a plan, the alpha wolf howled, signalling an all-out hunt.
The Direwolves charged towards him from all sides, a coordinated attack to surround their prey.
No more time to collect his thoughts, Simon did the only thing he knew, he started casting fire magic to break out of their encirclement.
BANG… Bright light accompanied by intense heat erupted from his outstretched hand and all the wolves in a couple of meters area around him were burnt to crisps within seconds.
Black smoke rose from the corpses as the fire burnt them into ashes. Simon looked on with wide eyes as he witnessed the destruction brought forth by the magic with his own eyes.
"Awoooooo" the leader wolf howled and immediately the surrounding wolves dispersed and started their charge from all directions. The leader wolf was quite sentient and knew how to take advantage and surround the prey with their numbers.
Simon aware of what the wolves were trying to do started running adjacent to the river. Like this at least the wolves cannot attack him from behind. There was no running away from these mutts, he must fight.
And so...
"Fire magic, Fire magic, Fire magic...Fire magic..huff..huff."
A volley of explosions sounded out in one corner of the forest.