Kito carefully observed the monster standing in front of him. This giant wolf with scales and horns seemed to be a much more formidable opponent than the wererabbits he had faced so far. He tried to stay calm and remember his father's teachings while considering his newfound abilities.
At the same time, a new notification appeared:
"Kill 10 Horned Wolves. Reward: 800 exp, one earth spell."
The horned wolf growled and suddenly charged towards Kito. Kito's enhanced reflexes allowed him to narrowly dodge the attack and counter by striking one of the monster's horns with his sword. The horned werewolf was surprised by Kito's speed and backed off slightly, preparing for another attack.
At that moment, Kito decided he had no choice but to use his magic. Unfortunately, he had no offensive spells. He could only shape the earth.
The battle intensified as the horned wolf launched increasingly violent and swift assaults. Kito, although surprised by the creature's power, managed to hold on thanks to his newly increased strength and agility. However, it was weaker than his opponent. He desperately sought a strategy, combining his sword fighting skills with his ability to shape the earth.
Finally, Kito had an idea. He waited for the horned wolf to charge again, and at the last moment, he used his magic to shape the earth beneath the monster's paws. The ground suddenly warped, causing the creature to stumble and preventing it from attacking effectively. Kito took the opportunity to strike one of the werewolf's legs, making it howl in pain.
Kito realized that he could use his magic to control the terrain and thus destabilize his opponent. While dodging the attacks of the horned werewolf, Kito continued to manipulate the ground, creating mounds of earth, ditches, and obstacles to hinder the monster's movements and inflict constant damage. But soon, he reached his mana limit and could only manipulate the earth one last time.
Kito knew he had to make this last chance count. He took a deep breath, focused, and prepared for the decisive moment. The horned wolf, though injured and weakened, charged one last time, its determination and fury burning in its eyes.
As the monster drew near, Kito used his last reserve of mana to shape the earth one final time. This time, he created an earth wall in front of him, just as the horned wolf was about to strike. The monster violently collided with the wall, dazed by the impact.
Kito took advantage of the situation and quickly approached the horned wolf, delivering a powerful sword strike that sliced through the monster. The horned wolf howled in pain and frustration before finally collapsing, defeated.
"Congratulations on defeating your first Horned Wolf (lvl 6). Exp gained: 80."
Kito exhaled, exhausted but relieved to have survived the perilous encounter. He had managed to use his magic ingeniously to compensate for his lack of offensive power.
This opponent was much stronger than the wererabbits he had faced in the past. Killing
Ten of them would take much more time. But he would think about that later. For now, his mana had dropped to 2, and after the adrenaline spike from the battle, fatigue overtook him and his eyes closed. Before his eyes shut completely, he managed to crawl into a bush to hide and avoid any unpleasant surprises, and he stored the monster's body in his ring to keep from attracting other wild beasts.
After a few hours, he came to, still tired but more alert.
Weeks passed, and after continuing to battle wererabbits and occasionally horned wolves, which granted him a few extra levels, Kito finally received the notification he had been waiting for:
"Quest completed, congratulations! 800 exp gained and one earth spell. Congratulations, you have reached level 10."
"Congratulations on reaching level 10. The system will undergo its first update, which will last 10 hours. It will begin after you choose your reward."
"Following your victory, you can choose one of the following three earth skills:
Stone Wall: Create a solid stone wall to protect yourself or block your enemies' path. Mana cost: 10.
Earth Bullet: Create a fist-sized ball that will be propelled in the desired direction. Damage: 10. Mana cost: 10.
Quicksand: Transform an area of the ground into quicksand, trapping and slowing down enemies who venture into it. Mana cost: 40."
Kito carefully considered his options. He knew he had to choose a skill that would suit his needs and fighting style while taking into account his mana limitations. The difference between the stone wall he could create with his earth manipulation skill and this new skill was that the new skill would generate earth, whereas his earth manipulation skill allowed him to manipulate existing earth. In the end, he opted for the Earth Bullet spell, thinking he could use it for long-range damage.
After making his choice, Kito saw the system update notification appear:
"System update in progress. Please wait…"
Kito was taken aback by this notification. He had never taken the time to wonder if his system could offer other features. Curiosity now got the better of him, and he wondered what this update would bring.
"I'll have to wait 10 hours," he sighed. "The sun is setting; I'd better head home."
When he arrived home, his parents were waiting for him with a serious expression to start dinner.
"Son, we've received important news. Your grandfather will be back in a week or two," his father announced.
This statement left Kito puzzled. His parents had never mentioned his grandfather before. "I know you're wondering why we never told you about him. For now, we can't tell you more. You'll find out when he's here. Nevertheless, this is great news for you, as you'll have the chance to meet him. And who knows, with a little luck, he might stay here for a while."
Many questions arose in Kito's mind. If it was good news, why did they look so concerned? The meal passed quickly, as he needed to retreat to his room to think about all this new information.
Kito's room became a sanctuary where he could process the recent news about his grandfather and the system update. He lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, and let his thoughts wander.
His grandfather's sudden appearance raised a lot of questions. Why had his parents kept his existence a secret? What kind of person was he? And why did his parents have such a grave expression when they mentioned his arrival?
Bit by bit, with all his questions in mind, his eyes closed, plunging him into a deep sleep, which would be interrupted by the system update and all these new features.