I had the impression that the unintelligent animal in front of me was unaware of my presence, however I underestimated an animal's sharp senses. It took one good whiff of my scent and lurched upward. Gripping the weapon tightly, I swung one of the blades at the creature's neck. The weapon whistled through the air like an arrow, and with a slight tug, slashed inward. The sharp edge was on the verge of slicing its neck clean off until its head disappeared back into the shrubs. I willed the weapon back as I stared at the bush.
"Hiding now, are we? It won't work, little creature. I can see the swell of mana within your body. You're basically a bonfire."
Twirling a blade, I did a horizontal slash, cutting away trees and shrubs like an experienced gardener. Trees tumbled and shrubs were sliced in half, while a resounding boom permeated the air. Squinting at where the beast stood, it was no longer there. I followed the trail of mana and found it hiding behind a nearby tree. With [Night Vision] still activated, I got a clear look of what I was up against. It was a razor-fang jaguar, a predator that can reach up to seven feet tall from its head to tail. Its four canines possess enough strength to split a tree in a single bite, comparable to that of a demogre. The beast's mouth was stained in a deep crimson, as if it had consumed a vat of raspberries. One of its rounded ears flickered when I took a step forward. A raspy growl escaped from its mouth.
"A trivial animal. Not even worth a drop of sweat."
I manipulated the weapon as if it were a rope, commanding the blood blades to attack my adversary, and this time with greater velocity. As fast as a whip, the blade traveled exponentially and cut through trees like tofu. I did not even give the animal the chance to escape as the weapon connected with its neck. In one clean motion, its decapitated head soared through the air, plopping itself onto the forest floor. I lurched at the animal's main body and placed my palm on its wild fur.
"Once a creature loses its life, the mana within its body will scatter in a matter of minutes. The quicker I absorb its blood, the more mana I retain."
It didn't take long for the blood pile to disappear. A tinge of energy flowed through my body, and I felt content after sucking every drop. When I arose from a crouched position, a message appeared in front of my eyes.
[An entity has entered your Mana Field]
"Hmph."
Through the use of [Mana Field] as an extrasensory power, I am able to discern mana effortlessly. As long as I remain watchful, I can remember what is inside the area and detect when something enters. This requires a heap of focus and intelligence as you're actively gauging mana levels of an object or individual. However, for the entity that has entered [Mana Field], I was already aware of its existence long before. Razor-fang jaguars always travel in pairs, and it comprises a male and female. The one I had just killed six feet tall and had rounded ears. It was also pathetically submissive, meaning it had to be the female. For the male…
In my peripheral vision, a wide shadow had just leaped upward, pouncing at my location. I spun on my heels and raised my arms. A slight pressure had my arms buckle, but it was only for a moment as the creature sprung away before I could swing. It landed right next to the carcass. The beast in question was the missing male razor-fang jaguar. It was half a foot taller than its mate, and its canines were red instead of white. Ruby pupils glared as it released a piercing howl that shook the nearby trees. It took one step forward, snarling.
"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes…"
The razor-fang jaguar had almost twice the amount of mana its mate had. If I were to absorb its blood as soon as it is dead, then my Stats would surely rise. After that, I'll proceed with the hunt inside the Wandering Woodlands, massacring creatures that will be beneficial to my growth. First things first, the creature in front of me will have to perish.
It glanced at the carcass one more time, and its eyes glowed even darker. Another howl later, it bounded toward me. I flicked my left arm at the animal, and the blade speedily catapulted to the razor-fang jaguar's forelimbs. It noticed the blood weapon at the last second and narrowly dodged it by arcing its body sideways. A tuft of fur descended in front of me as the creature backpedaled.
"Oh? What's the matter, little cat? Are you perhaps fearful that you're facing a power you cannot hope to beat?"
As if it understood my taunting, it screeched in retaliation and leaped forward, raising one of its sharp claws. I remained in position, expecting the foolish animal to make a similar approach, so I could strike it when it was close enough. Its claw was just a few meters from my face. I was about to swing upward until I felt something solid around my foot.
"Hm?"
My gaze downwards revealed that a thick vine had encircled my right ankle. At first, I was confused of how I had entangled myself in it, but a piece of information I had forgotten flashed through my brain. I ignored the vine and turned back at the razor-fang jaguar whose claw was just an inch from my nose. Not wanting to get even a single mark, I ducked just enough for the attack to miss, and I stabbed through its belly. Since its momentum was propelling it forward, it could not stop itself in mid-air. I used that chance to use its motion against it and sliced through its entire underside, from its chest to the rear end. A pool of liquid and intestines drenched over me as I heard a wet slapping noise pelt the forest floor.
"Yuck. Disgusting. I had forgotten that razor-fang jaguars have the ability to use magic of the earth variety."
I commanded the blood weapon to disappear. With one arm, I picked off the organic matter and absorbed the blood, and the other was reserved for snapping the vine. Now free, I sauntered over to the split corpse and hovered my palm over the spilling liquid. Using [Blood Absorption], it converged into a whirlpool and entered through my open palm. The carcass was sucked dry, and the blood was no longer present. I switched over to my Status.
Name: Xalan
Rank: 1st
Points: 4268
Strength: 63 Agility: 63
Durability: 62 Mana: 98
Masteries: Blood Manipulation Lvl 7 Blood Absorption Lvl 4 Mana Barrier Lvl 2 Mana Field Lvl 4 Soul Snatch Lvl 1 Night Vision Lvl 5
"Good. It seems like every Stat has increased by one point. By consuming the flock of piercuns and the two razor-fang jaguars, I could boost the weak strength of my physique. Though this will be a long and arduous process, I must not falter. It really is a shame I cannot gain points in these stages. Should I inform Demos of this matter? He did mention he has the power to manipulate the stages, as he so wishes."
While deep in thought, a beeping noise had alerted me. A message window had cropped up right next to the Status window. I squinted at the messages popping up.
A scowl slowly formed on my face. "If you want to be so stubborn about it, then at least send stronger foes my way in this damned place."
<…I refuse. This applies to you as well. Your experience must closely mirror the mortals. Giving you an even more unfair advantage will not do for what I have in mind. I have already allowed you to borrow [Soul Snatch] for two months. There's also a safety net placed to where if your life were in danger, I would send you to safety.>
"You're giving me a splitting headache, you know? What plan do you have in mind, anyway? You have yet to tell me and the other Pillars."
A brief silence followed the question. I had thought Demos had cut the line from my excessive questions, but a brief message that caused my blood to boil came up.
"I'm not done yet, you toneless bi-"
[Multiple entities have entered your Mana Field]
At the S.O. notification, I waved away the Status and messages and glanced up. A plethora of glowing yellow eyes were peering at me through the night. Slowly rising, I whirled around to find those eyes all around. They have trapped me in a circle on such a short notice. Since I was too preoccupied with that bastard Demos, these new enemies sneaked up on me, and more were heading this way. The ones that are here now had already been within range of [Mana Field], and their mana signatures were dimmer than the razor-fang jaguars. Depending on who these animals are, I'd be able to determine if I'm able to increase my Stats.
Slowly, the lurking animals stepped forward, revealing themselves. A reddish-brown paw appeared, and the outlines tall humanoid came to view. Obscuring some parts of their fur were stained rags, as if someone had just pissed on a sheet of paper. They had hunchbacks and bristly manes similar to the spikes of a cactus. They stood at a solid six and a half feet tall, each one carrying an array of weapons ranging from spears to daggers. Most disgusting about their appearance were the faces. While they had a humanoid stature, they had the faces of hyenas. Drool dribbled down their prickly teeth as they glared daggers with eyes of pride.
"Wild gnolls? In the Wandering Woodlands? How surprising. Your kind usually steer clear of this place. What you're doing here doesn't matter to me, though."
Grinning to myself, I rose my hand high above, waiting for a new weapon to manifest. Immediately did I feel something solid appear within my grasp. A long handle filled my vision, and at the end was a curved blade as bright as a blood moon. The gnolls growled at the sight, taking a step back.
"Take your time. I'll wait for the rest of you to arrive. You'll just be providing me with more ammunition."
Like the unsophisticated creatures they are, they gazed at me confusedly, unable to comprehend simple linguistics. I shifted into a more comfortable stance, widening my legs as more wild gnolls appeared next to their brethren. I counted around 73 in total.
"Now that you're all here, let's get started, shall we? I'm sure your blood will satisfy me greatly."