As Saad stood amidst the surreal battle unfolding before him, his heart pounded like a drum, and a cold sweat trickled down his temple. He had faced many challenges in Seraphia, but this encounter was unlike any other. The unfamiliarity of these creatures, coupled with his own inexperience in combat, sent shivers of fear down his spine.
Seven transparent slimes and twelve shrieking grasshorus clashed with chaotic energy, their strange forms moving with an unsettling grace. Saad's mind raced as he assessed the situation. His low vitality and meager physical defense were glaring weaknesses, especially when faced with so many adversaries.
Panic threatened to consume him, but he knew that giving in to fear would spell his doom. Gulping down his trepidation, Saad gripped the Serpent's Scale Whip tightly. It's rare and venomous properties might just be his saving grace. His physical attack power of 43.5 seemed insufficient for this battle, but he had to make do with what he had. With a deep breath, Saad focused his attention on the nearest transparent slime. It was about the size of a casaba melon, and its watery form rippled ominously. He couldn't let fear paralyze him any longer.
He decided to quickly use his active skill since it had a low cool down. As he activated [Lash Strike], Saad cracked his whip with precision, delivering a swift and powerful strike to the nearest transparent slime. The whip sliced through the air, striking the creature's gelatinous form. The transparent slime let out a strange gurgle, its exterior rippling as it recoiled from the venomous strike.
Saad's attack inflicted 50 damage, and to his surprise, the transparent slime's HP dropped to 0 in a matter of seconds. The venomous damage over time from the whip's effect proved deadly. The slime dissolved into a pool of water, vanishing before his eyes. One down, many more to go.
But the shrieking grasshorus were not idle during this time. They had noticed Saad's presence and were closing in fast, their large insectoid bodies moving erratically as they unleashed their [Shriek] ability. The high-pitched cries reverberated in Saad's ears, threatening to disrupt his concentration.
Despite the fear still gnawing at him, Saad couldn't afford to back down. He didn't know if it was the effect of [Indomitable will], or his own determination to not die, that surged within him now. He couldn't let these creatures overwhelm him.
Saad shifted his focus to another transparent slime, the Serpent's Scale Whip poised to strike. His next attack connected, and another slime dissolved into water. His whip seemed to have an affinity for these creatures, making them vulnerable to his venomous strikes.
The shrieking grasshorus closed in, and Saad's agile movements, boosted by his high agility and the Mist Walker's set bonus, allowed him to evade their frenzied kicks and strikes. His armor set's evasion bonus proved invaluable as he narrowly dodged their attacks.
Saad continued his relentless assault on the transparent slimes, striking them down one by one. The whip's debuff effect reduced their defense, making them even more susceptible to his attacks. The grasshorus tried to swarm him, but he maintained his composure, keeping them at bay with calculated strikes and swift movements.
As the battle raged on, Saad's initial fear began to ebb away, replaced by a growing sense of confidence. He had proven to himself that he could handle unexpected dangers, even with his low vitality and physical defense. Every slime gave 25 Experience points and grasshorus gave 30 experience points and Saad wondered if he could level up just like that-
After what felt like an intense and harrowing struggle, Saad stood amidst the battlefield, victorious but exhausted. All seven transparent slimes and twelve shrieking grasshorus had been defeated. His heart still raced, but now it was with the exhilaration of triumph.
He took a moment to catch his breath, his eyes scanning the area for any signs of more threats. With a sense of accomplishment, he realized that his combat skills were improving, and he was becoming more attuned to the dangers of Seraphia. And while he had been unable to level up, he had still gotten a lot of experience points. He could see few drops here and there as well and as he collected them, he decided to take a look at their descriptions.
[Slime Gel] x4
Used in alchemy and as a popular hair product in Seraphia.
[Slime Essence] x1
Description: An equipment enhancing material.
[Grasshorus Leg] x2
Description: The strong and agile leg of a grasshorus, which can be used in crafting weapons, armor, or potions that enhance agility or jumping abilities.
[Shrieking Chitin] x1
Description: The tough and durable exoskeleton of a grasshorus, which can be used to create sturdy armor or shields.
[Grasshorus Wing] x1
Description: The delicate and intricate wing of a grasshorus, which can be used in the creation of potions.
Saad realized that his inventory space was almost out of space and groaned. he needed to sort his inventory. First he equipped the alchemical sachet and seeing as it had six spaces to store the herbal and alchemical ingredient, he put the sparkling moon water, arachnid fangs, slime gel, grasshorus wings, grasshorus legs and lunar dust seeds into the sachet. While he had to put the whip back, it still made a lot more space for him.
Saad's journey in the forest was far from over. After his encounter with slimes and grasshorus, his approach was cautious as he ventured further into the forest in search of the swamp. He knew better than to rush into a potentially dangerous situation. As the flora around him grew denser, he used his stealth stats, blending into the environment. It was difficult to do it without a stealth skill but all he to do was to be careful and the stealth stat did the rest of the work, at least that's what he thought. As he finally found the swamp, a message window opened.
[Blue Lily Swamp]
Description: This swamp is famous for the blue lilies housing the fiery flies, which is a valuable alchemy ingredient.
Saad stared at the beautiful sight. Bright blue flowers adorned the swamp's edge, their vibrant colors a stark contrast to the darker surroundings. Saad, however, remained vigilant. He had no intention of making the same mistake twice. So first he tried to see the description of blue lilies but they were nothing more than pretty flowers. The real treasure were the colonies of the fiery flies. How was he supposed to get them out? He had no desire to use his whip. Since he knew that those flies were small. He needed to be smart. He picked up a nearby stone and with a careful aim, threw it towards the cluster of flowers.
The stone struck its target thanks to his throwing practice, causing the flower to react. Slowly, the petals unfurled, revealing small, fiery insects within. Saad's eyes lit up with recognition; these were the fiery flies he had seen in the imagery created by the Ashen witch. Bright orange bugs with a shining small marble like light in their antenna.
[Fiery Fly]
Level: 4
Type: Air
Description: Fiery fly is easily aggravated and a protective insect.
Attributes:
HP: 40/40
ATK: 3 VIT: 5
AGI: 12 INT: 2
Abilities:
[Self-Destruct] >>>Expand for Details<<<
Weaknesses: Physical Attack, Antenna
Saad was taken aback as he saw [Self-Destruct] as an ability. He wondered, what would happen when it self-destructs, would he still be able to get the essence? But he couldn't take chances. He had no desire to make it any longer than necessary. He was going to take the safe approach.
Not wanting to waste any time, Saad gathered more stones and continued his precise throws, causing the flowers to open and release more fiery flies. With each successful strike, his throwing skill improved. He watched as the fiery flies took to the air, their wings aglow with an ethereal flame.
[Your throwing mastery has increased.]
As Saad continued to pelt the bright blue flowers with stones, his mind raced with thoughts. The fiery flies were elusive, and capturing them with stones seemed effective, but he couldn't help but wonder if there was a better way to gather them.
The idea of using his whip crossed his mind, but it came with a significant risk. What if the fiery flies got aggravated and self-destructed, causing more harm than good? Saad knew he needed a safer and more efficient method.
It was then that a realization struck him like a bolt of lightning. Throwing. He needed to improve his throwing accuracy and strength. If he could master the art of throwing stones, he could capture the fiery flies from a distance without agitating them.
Determined to acquire this skill, Saad decided to take a step back from the flowers. He began to search the swamp's edge for more stones, carefully selecting those with the right size and weight. With a stone in hand, he focused on his target, a point on the tree that had little bit of chipping, and with a swift motion, he let the stone fly.