The Wandering Woodlands had just been stocked with a new set of nutrients. Not from the clouds that would willingly provide its precious rainfall, but from its inhabitants. A new hunter had suddenly emerged, wreaking havoc in a state of frenzy. The hunter had given the green grass a transformation by introducing the wild gnolls in their path. Shallow shrieks pierced the night, and a squishing noise followed, as if an army of boots were trudging through thick mud. A blade of scarlet flashed in the moonlight, illuminating the blood-red undergrowth. Dismembered arms and hyena heads soared through the air as whimpering filled the gleeful hunter's ears.
"It's been a while since I could cut loose!"
I raced through a group of wild gnolls as I wielded my scythe. Their defenses were paper thin, and the sharpness of the scythe proved too much for them. Nothing was safe if you were to be caught in its trajectory, be it a tree, rock, or even common metals. With every kill, I would absorb their blood with my left hand, rejuvenating my mana and energy. As long as there are enemies to consume, I cannot run out of energy. If I were to express it using present-day terminology, it is akin to a battery being supplied with electricity.
One wild gnoll swung its lanky arm at my head in a desperate attempt to cleave through. I simply parried it with the handle and lopped its head off in a swift motion. Another leapt on top of its comrade and lunged forward with an open jaw. Their faces were split in half with an upward slash. Their blood was then absorbed, further strengthening me. This went on for a few minutes as piercing howls and whimpering clogged my ears. The expressions on their faces indicated they had grossly underestimated my abilities. Some try to flee away into the recess of the Wandering Woodlands, but I wouldn't let fresh prey leave alive.
"[Mana Barrier]."
A translucent blue shield was erected immediately, covering the vicinity in shimmering light. I and the wild gnolls were encased in a shield of mana. The beasts were astonished at first, but their fear snapped them out of it. They gripped their shabby weapons and bashed away at the shield, hoping to escape its confines. Alas, their efforts were fruitless. A heap of mana was coursing through my veins, strengthening the [Mana Barrier] to be nearly impenetrable with their feeble weapons and strength. I have already slaughtered around 59 of them. 14 were left over, whimpering as they all huddled together.
"Hmph. Guess you wild gnolls can show fear. You should've thought twice about inhabiting a land filled with predators. You only have your incompetence to blame."
As if they understood me, their whimpers went up an octane. I had a feeling they were pleading with their lives, but that would not work on me. While wild gnolls are dumb, they can be quite deceitful and cunning. Lower your guard and they won't hesitate to stab you in the back as they stand over your bleeding body, whooping with joy. Thankfully, I am a very cautious person. They had just received the poor end of the stick in meeting me.
"Let's finish this. I have many more to devour."
Filling strength to my legs, I lunged forward, smiling as the last of the hyenas fell. I heard a squelch with every step I took. In my mind, I released both the barrier and the scythe. Turning my body around, the carnage that ensued was revealed before me. Heaps of bodies were strewn around like pollen on a windy day. The wild gnoll's manes were tattered, and a lot of them were missing limbs. With a wide palm, I commanded every drop of blood in the vicinity to rise. They all swirled into one large bubble and rushed toward my hand as I sucked in every molecule. As this was happening, a message appeared.
[Blood Absorption mastery is now level 5!]
[Mana Barrier mastery is now level 3!]
[Acquired Terrorizer mastery!]
Name: Xalan
Rank: 1st
Points: 4268
Strength: 64 Agility: 64
Durability: 63 Mana: 99
Masteries: Blood Manipulation Lvl 7 Blood Absorption Lvl 5 Mana Barrier Lvl 3 Mana Field Lvl 4 Soul Snatch Lvl 1 Night Vision Lvl 5 Terrorizer Lvl 1
[Terrorizer: You cause fear and dread in the minds of others. Those possessing a feeble mentality are vulnerable to fear, leading to immobilization. Those with this aptitude can use it to their advantage against those who are not as powerful.]
"I made this much progress with just mere wild gnolls? Then again, there were a lot of them. I gained one mastery and leveled a few. Not only that, but my Stats increased by two. This is substantial progress with just an hour inside the Wandering Woodlands. With five days left of the upcoming siege, if I can keep this up, then I might reach the hundreds on the four stat categories."
I waved away the [Terrorizer] mastery and eyed [Blood Absorption]. The S.O briefly explains a mastery. It is up to the person to determine the effectiveness of a mastery. Whenever it increased in rank, so did its power and usage. [Blood Absorption] effectiveness should be increased with every level, meaning that I'm able to obtain more mana from the blood I consume. That counts for gaining Stats from the mastery too. Gaining Stats should be quicker from now on.
"Let's go over the masteries used in this fight…"
[Blood Manipulation: A unique power few can earn. Those with a connection to blood may gain the ability to control the fluid, regardless of origin.]
[Mana Barrier: Erect a powerful shield made of mana. It has the special property of diminishing the destructive force of magic attacks.]
[Mana Field: Conjure a special field that tracks the mana and movements of anything that possesses mana. Trespassers that enter alerts the user of their existence.]
"As I thought… Only an explanation. How unfortunate. While the S.O. has been brought to its former glory, the maker of this thing really cut corners. Either that or they placed heavy emphasis on the exploration of skills. You only have the individual to blame if they cannot use their powers to its full extent…"
I hovered my finger over at the Inventory. Out of the ten spaces, only four were occupied. The first slot had a sword given to me by that kid Darion. When I refused to arm myself with an inferior metal such as steel, he simply shrugged, stating it was just in case I ran out of blood to use. Not wanting to hear his voice any longer, I reluctantly accepted it. Next was a bag of rations. Once again, it was Darion who had proposed to store food in case of emergencies. The third slot contained a special reward I received after completing the First Stage. According to my knowledge, those who are in the top five are granted a mystery box of the purple rank. I received that box but have yet to open it. The fourth slot, however, contains an item I received for being first in the leaderboard. This one item has been collecting dust for a while as its use has yet to arrive. It is related to earning the [Assessment] mastery.
"Time for a short break. It's about time I see what's in this thing…"
I tapped on the mystery box. Instantly, it materialized in my hands. It was a metal cube with a rough exterior. It had the same color as a sandy beach. On each side was a black sigil.
[You have a purple grade Mystery Box in your possession. Would you care to open it?]
"Yes."
[Unlocking purple grade Mystery Box…]
Upon confirmation, the cube shuddered. The top lid flew open as it emitted purple lights. A few moments later, the lights dimmed. I reached into the box and felt a cool touch. Pulling the item out, I examined it carefully. The purple grade item was a set of white earrings. Fixated within them was a blue crystal. A faint presence of mana pulsated out of the crystals.
[You have received the Tears of a Water Spirit.]
[Tears of a Water Spirit: The aquanyte in these earrings has been sanctified with the tears of a powerful water spirit. Wearing them gives a +5 boost to mana. Stats are also increased by +2 when fighting near a large body of water.]
"…If I had known you can receive items such as these in Mystery Boxes, I would've opened one a long time ago. These earrings will be quite useful."
Sighing to myself, I equipped the earrings. A burst of power filled my body. I brushed my fingertips along the aquanyte as I peered at my Status, a light breeze soon accompanying.
Name: Xalan
Rank: 1st
Points: 4268
Strength: 64 Agility: 64
Durability: 63 Mana: 104
Masteries: Blood Manipulation Lvl 7 Blood Absorption Lvl 5 Mana Barrier Lvl 3 Mana Field Lvl 4 Soul Snatch Lvl 1 Night Vision Lvl 5 Terrorizer Lvl 1
"104 for mana is an impressive sight. Am I perhaps the first to reach the 100s? No mortal should have mana this high at this point. Unless you are naturally gifted or you have gone through rigid training ever since The Culling. Well, it doesn't matter. As long as I am the undisputed number one, just as Demos had asked of, then I am doing my job. I should make efforts to become more well-known around the globe. Few know of 'Lana', and that is a severe problem that needs to be addressed."
I deactivated the Status page, preparing to continue my search for increased strength. Just as I was about to activate [Mana Field], a lingering scent caught my nose. My body froze when I recognized the wafting aroma.
"Have I gone delusional? This familiar smell… Has one of them made residence in the Wandering Woodlands?"
Slowly turning around, I inhaled once more. Another wave smashed into my nostrils. The source was emanating from beyond the bundle of trees, deeper within the Wandering Woodlands.
"Nope. Not imagining it. My luck has been favorable in the Second Stage. That breeze from earlier, when I was on top of the parapet, seems to be the exact scent now. In both instances, a large pool of blood had been shed. In that blood contained specks of pure mana. Only one species come to mind…"
Without a moment too soon, I activated [Mana Field]. Particles of blue light were shed. The draft blowing westward contained the pure mana I was referring to. Licking my lips in anticipation, I used [Blood Manipulation] to increase the blood flow within my legs. Then, without a moment to waste, sprinted as fast as my legs could move.
"Hopefully, I'm not too late. I must get to the bottom of this."