[Most of the humans, at base strength, will fall under the normal-tier beast category.]
"Hey system! How would you rate my strength in the beast category right now?" Ben asked with a mixture of curiosity and anticipation.
[ According to your statistics, the host is currently at the peak of a low-tier beast. Including your soul weapons in the equation, your strength will currently be a mid-grade, basic-tier beast.]
"So basically, I am still not strong enough to take on a normal-tier beast head-on. Sigh." Ben flew upward, tracking the waggon as it slowly moved along the road.
As far as Ben could see by flying above, the road ahead was single and straight, so even if he lost track of the waggon, as long as he kept flying along the road, he would find a way back.
But flying through the dense forest, he recalled the fourth quest of the system, which was to fly high above 100 metres. In the beginning, Ben couldn't even fly 10 metres high, but he had come a long way from the moment he was born, so it was worth giving it a shot.
"I wonder how high I can fly now." A sudden curiosity popped up in Ben's mind before he launched towards the top of the sky. He could easily fly above the first fifty metres without feeling much pressure, but as he flew higher and higher, he could feel more strength on his wings.
None the less, Ben was pretty much determined to complete this quest by now, so he applied all his strength to fly higher above the pine trees. A strong gush of wind could be felt on his back as he flew higher than the trees.
A sense of liberation washed over Ben as he soared through the sky. It was as if he had gained freedom from the shackles of the ground. He enjoyed the sensation of wind against his tiny body as well as the thrill of defying gravity and exploring the vast expanse above.
As he flew higher, the air flow became more intense and fast, making it difficult for him to maintain his balance while looking at the small waggon moving like a toy.
[Quest Completed: Fly above 100 metres high]
[Rewards: Phycic Resonance]
"Flying is so much fun!" Ben said this in excitement, moving his wings in a rhythmic way to control his balance. From the moment he came into this world, he was so occupied by quests and survival that he didn't even realise that he was able to achieve one of the most basic human fantasies: flying in the sky.
But what the little mosquito didn't know was that the world had some different plans for him. Just as he was about to descend down towards the ear, a sharp screeching sound reverberated from behind him, as if the voice were announcing an attack.
"SKchreeeKKK"
Ben's eyes widened, and he felt a strong energy sending a shiver down his spine. His relaxed sensations and the warmth of nature instantly turned into adrenaline rushes as his instincts screamed at him to dodge the incoming attack at any cost.
Using all his strength, he swung his wings to push his body leftward. As he did so, he felt a sharp pain passing through his shins.
"Slashhhh!!"
As if it were a metal-cutting sound, a sharp white blade of energy passed just below Ben. The attack was so fast that he could barely catch a glimpse of what it was until a notification popped up on his screen.
[HP: 4.2/5.0]
"What in the hell just happened?" Ben exclaimed in shock, looking down at the place where the energy blade passed through. It were his legs—all six of them. He looked at it with trembling eyes; all six of his legs were cut in half.
Ben was in complete shock; he didn't know what to do or what was happening. Just a second ago, he was having fun flying in the air, but now... Ben's thoughts stopped; he was completely spaced out. Just then he felt another sharp energy; his survival instinct broke him out of his daze.
"Shit, there are more of those coming!" Ben shouted in panic before he turned his body against the direction of the air, somehow managing to dodge the upcoming attack. He turned his head to take a glimpse of his enemy.
"It's a bird," he thought, gritting his teeth. It only took him a single gimpse to see that the enemy attacking was a jet black raven. About the size of any normal raven, its blood-red eyes focused on Ben, and it launched consecutive wind blades towards him.
From the looks of it, the raven was already injured, showing that it was involved in a battle just a while ago. There were many cuts on its body and an insatiable hunger in its eyes. It looked at Ben as it screamed again in rage.
"SCcccccRRrrRRRAaaaaAAAccccccCcHHHHHH!!!!"
It was clear to Ben that the bird was injured and hungry; it could do anything to catch its prey like a raged lion. Devicing a quick plan in his head, Ben came up with an idea to take advantage of his small body.
While the bird was still turning to change its direction in the air, Ben stopped buzzing his wings completely and let his body fall, directly iving towards the ground.
As Ben descended rapidly, he could hear the whooshing sound of the bird's wings as it followed in pursuit. The wind rushed past his body, and his heart pounded with fear and despair. Even in this situation, he somehow managed to calm his brain to think rationally.
He buzzed his wings, decending towards the ground even faster and faster. On the other hand, the black raven screamed and blindly followed its prey, decending towards the ground even faster.
In a series of mere seconds, Ben was barely a metre away from the ground, and the bird was barely a metre away from Ben.
Glancing over his shoulder, Ben saw the bird closing in. It was a majestic creature with vibrant plumage and sharp talons. He knew he couldn't match its speed or strength, but he had to rely on his intelligence and instincts.