Ackster was at a loss. He could feel the strength from Limit Breaker begin to drain away. Strong Body was out of fuel, and his recovery had started to slow down markedly. His other skills only amplified his strengths. They didn't give him more. In his current state of weakness, there wasn't much his other combat-related skills could do.
'Wait….'
If Strong Body was out of fuel, he just needed to refuel himself, right?
Ackster felt the tight and dense muscles ripple, tense, and relax like a doped-up massage chair beneath the thick hide. It was a crazy idea, especially since it looked like the bull's skin would be too sturdy for his teeth to pierce it.
But Ackster was in his current position because he was crazy. More craziness might bring him out of it. And since the rest of his body was busy, with both arms and both legs doing their best to chain him to the bull's neck, his mouth was the only thing left to attack with.
Besides, thick hide, too thick and defensive for Ackster to bite through, wasn't the only thing on the bull's body. There were a couple of exceptions. More specifically, there was a pair of exceptions close enough for Ackster to reach if he climbed a little.
The bull's ears were much thinner and more flexible than the rest of the bull's skin. So, there was some hope that he could bite them off.
Ackster didn't even hesitate. He immediately shimmied his way up the relentlessly bucking and jumping bull, which was doing everything it could to get Ackster off its back. Since it was also flinging its head side to side, back and forth, as wildly as the rest of its body, Ackster hesitated before bringing his head close to it. But since he was practically hugging the bull's neck with his entire body like a baby koala, his body followed the bull's head's movements.
Eventually, he managed to nibble on the tip of one of the bull's ears. It was hard, leathery, hairy, and stubborn, but when he bit down enough to make him fear he would lose his teeth and jerked his head back, he tore away a piece.
It was less than a bite, and it was of the ear, which wasn't exactly rich in protein. But it was still a part of a strong beast filled with existential power, mana, and nutrients. Even such a small piece was enough to get his metabolism going again and jumpstart his recovery. It made the next bite slightly easier. And the next.
The bull cried out slightly at the pain of Ackster eating its ears, and its jumping grew more frantic. Ackster realized he couldn't take his time and enjoy this meal since it was only a matter of time before the bull decided to risk it and would throw itself on its back.
Considering its weight and size, doing that probably wouldn't be comfortable, and it would expose the bull to a lot of danger, but it wasn't like it would die. And it was certainly better when compared to losing its ears.
So, Ackster hurried and shoved the rest of the ear in his mouth, tearing it off at the base. And then, when the bull had enough and threw itself to the ground with a boom that shook the earth, Ackster pushed himself off the bull's neck and also threw himself to the ground.
He rolled back while chewing the ear and swallowing it in large chunks to let his Iron Stomach digest it as quickly as possible. He stood up and looked at the bull that was struggling to do the same.
Ackster considered fleeing. After all, there was no shame in surviving.
However, his Strong Body was breaking down his body to heal his injuries. He would only grow weaker and weaker until he ate something. And if the first beast he encountered were this bull, maybe the next one would be something stronger.
Sure, he had wasted most of his strength to learn Iron Wall, but if he didn't eat and replenish his strength, he wouldn't regain any level of power that would be enough to defeat a strong foe.
If he were unlucky, he would starve and become too weak to fight and kill anything. He didn't want to take that risk, especially when his stomach was urging him to partake in the feast contained within the bull.
With a decision heavily influenced by his hunger made, Ackster ran. It was his turn to charge this time. He jumped and stomped down on the bull's chest before it could get up. He jumped straight on the bull's chest while wearing his training equipment, but he didn't even break a single rib.
Trying to brute force his way into killing the bull wouldn't work. He had to be smart about it and target the bull's weak points. Unfortunately, it was covered by a thick layer of hide that protected most of its body.
Fortunately, it was slightly weaker in a few places, such as the ears, but also in places that required a lot of flexibility. And one such place was the throat. Ackster didn't waste any time looking for another weak point since the bull was trying to rise again.
He stomped on the bull's head, right on its temple, as hard as he could to disorient it. The stunting feeling of the impact told him what he already knew. The most he could do was disorient it. The bull's skull felt even harder than the rock lizard's.
But the throat wasn't that hard, and Ackster kicked it with all his might several times. His legs, weighed down by the rocky training equipment, carried enough momentum to make the bull couch and choke. It tried to bite him in retaliation. It also tried to kick him with its front legs.
Both those attacks would have injured Ackster severely, but only if they hit, which they didn't. With his hunger whetting his appetite and his appetite narrowing his field of view until all he saw was the bull, Keen Senses and Battlesight guided Ackster through the attacks.
Eventually, he heard a slight crunch. He didn't know if it was his foot, the bull's windpipe, or something else, but his kicks were doing damage.
And finally, after several more cracking and crunching sounds, the bull croaked.