In the midst of the eerie silence of the forest, the woman's initial shock quickly gave way to a surge of determination. She released her tight grip on the unfamiliar weapon and deftly secured it with both hands, shifting her body into a poised fighting stance.
Facing her first adversary, a skeletal figure with only one remaining arm, the woman squared off. The skeletal creature, driven by an insatiable hunger, lurched toward her with its bony mouth agape. Seizing the opportunity, she swiftly raised her sword and delivered a powerful blow to its remaining arm, producing a gruesome, sickening pop as it separated from the skeletal body. But there was no time for hesitation; the creature's menacing mouth still posed a threat to her safety. Without missing a beat, she struck its skull with the pommel of her sword. The force of her strike caused the skeletal head to sway briefly before cleanly detaching, sending the body tumbling into a pile of bones.
A system notification chimed, confirming her kill, but she couldn't afford to check it at the moment. Three more adversaries remained, all advancing toward her simultaneously. The odds were against her, and she realized that she needed a strategic advantage.
Retreating behind the cover of trees, she activated her [ Stealth Lv 1] to minimize the sound of her movements. Her plan was to disorient and divide the approaching enemies. With silent footsteps, she began to change her position, hoping to ambush the one who had strayed farthest from the group.
As the skeletons drew closer to her hiding place, she held her breath and stilled her body completely. To divert their attention, she threw her one remaining shoe deeper into the forest. The ruse worked , the skeletons heard the sound and continued their march deeper into the woods.
Once they had passed her hiding spot, she stalked the last member of the group with careful precision. Every step she took was synchronized with its movements. Finally, she had a clear path to her prey. The skeleton, its back turned to her, was vulnerable. She raised her sword high above her head, and just as the creature began to sense its impending doom, she brought the blade down with all her strength. A sickening crunch echoed through the forest as the skull caved in, leaving the skeletal body limp. Another system notification sounded, confirming her skillful execution.
With the noise of her triumph, the other two skeletons turned to face her, sensing danger. However, she was not inclined to retreat this time; she had already proven her ability to dispatch these skeletal foes. The first one rushed at her with its blade raised high for a downward strike. She managed to parry the attack, deflecting the blade to the side. Attempting her previous tactic of striking with the pommel of her sword, she attempted to hit the skeleton, but it dodged her by leaping backward. Seizing the opportunity, she stepped forward, attempting to follow up with an attack. Yet, the other skeleton was quick to react, thrusting its sword in an attempt to impale her. Swiftly, she ducked below the blade and delivered a powerful kick to the skeleton's right knee. A crunch echoed as its leg broke below the knee, but it remained standing.
With the skeleton changing its thrust into a downward strike, she side-rolled to the left and regained her footing. The diagonal strike from one skeleton and the approaching thrust from the other forced her to evade skillfully. The former skeleton managed to nick her arm during its wide swing, causing her to wince in pain.
Checking her status messages, she noted the damage
[-11 HP]
[Status effect [Tetanus] Gained]
Though her HP had taken a significant hit, she didn't have time to dwell on it. She was still in the midst of the fight and determined to emerge victorious. Gathering her strength, she prepared for a decisive strike. As the first skeleton recovered from its wide swing, she struck its neck with precision. Once more, a sickening crunch reverberated, and the skeletal head fell to its side, followed shortly by the rest of its body.
Now, only one adversary remained. She wasted no time and surged forward, aiming for a swift, downward strike to end the confrontation. However, the final skeleton displayed surprising agility. It parried her initial attack, causing her sword to swerve to the side. In a swift counter-move, the skeleton landed a punch squarely on her face.
[Pow] (PT/N - Pow really ? Please change it )
(E/N - I like it, so it stays in )
[-5 HP]
Stumbling backward, she fought to regain her bearings. Her nose throbbed from the force of the punch, but she suspected it wasn't broken. The remaining skeleton wasted no time, lunging forward with a wild horizontal strike. Leveraging her higher agility, she waited until the blade was mid-swing, then deftly ducked down and thrust her sword upwards. The blade penetrated the skeleton's jaw, and she pushed upward with all her might. With a final, bone-crunching sound, the skull separated from the neck. A system notification sounded, signaling her well-earned victory.
Now, with a moment to catch her breath and assess her wounds, she examined her arm. There was a small, bleeding cut that had cost her 11 HP and an unknown status effect. She had grown overconfident, and this fight served as a stark lesson—no matter how easy something seemed, she needed to give it her all, or she could end up with a proverbial bloody nose.
Finally, she turned her attention to the rest of her notifications, particularly the enigmatic status effect.
"Show it, system. Let's see the damage," she murmured.
The system promptly responded:
[You have killed Corrupted Skeleton Lv0]
[+5 XP]
[You Have Leveled Up]
[+1 Strength]
[You have killed Corrupted Skeleton Lv0]
[+5 XP]
[You have killed Corrupted Skeleton Lv0]
[+5 XP]
[You have killed Corrupted Skeleton Lv1]
[+10 XP]
[+1 Wisdom]
[You Have Leveled Up]
End of Chapter 5: Level Up
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A/N- This Chapter was edited by:
FishFu****6969 - Thank you for editing the flow of the chapter (E/N - I just really like my fish )
Kamikaze_ammo- Thank you for checking the quality of my writing
Me- thank you me for finally using your coming degree in literature and using your friend's to edit your chapters
status:
Name: May Parker
HP: 84/100 (+0.03/s) | MP: 0/0 | Level 3 EXP: 0/40
Race: Human | Sex: Female
Status: Tired [Corrupted] [Tetanus]
Strength: 7 (-15%)
Agility: 10 (-15%)
Vitality: 7 (-15%)
Endurance: 8 (-15%)
Dexterity: 4 (-15%)
Intelligence: 5 (-15%)
Wisdom: 7 (-15%)
Luck: 15 (-15%)
Status Points: 10 | Skill Points: 2
Skills: Math Lv 6, Cooking Lv 5, Cleaning Lv 4, Bite Lv 1, Sprint Lv 2, Stealth Lv 1, Sword Mastery Lv 1