Redd's fight with the wolves continued with even more ferociousness. The group attacked him even through their fears and alert senses. Wolves are prideful creatures by nature that won't accept losing because of fear. Even more so when they overwhelmingly outnumber their targets.
However, Redd was a different case. He wasn't like other people who would get crushed by the sheer pain and injuries he was carrying. Ever since he was born, he had an unnaturally strong will.
Even with his lethally injured body, his smile never vanished, not even for a moment. In fact, the more the fight went on, the more he felt enthralled to fight.
The fun he was having was as amazing as it was forbidden. Why would someone find enjoyment in risking their lives? He didn't have an answer to that. But, something about being in the moment, with your life constantly facing danger captivated him. People say that 'A human would feel the most alive when they're close to death' and Redd would've probably agreed with that statement.
"Hah… Hah… Hah." Heaving up and down as he held his left arm, Redd looked ahead of him. Only one wolf was left and it looked to be in a terrible state. Its left eye was gone, and its left paw was almost severed completely.
However, Redd's situation was far worse. There was not a part of his body that wasn't injured or submerged in blood. His left arm was completely useless now and his right one was on the verge of losing all functionality. Not to mention the broken ribs, and the blood loss. He was as close to death as he ever could be.
At the same time, his power had also increased considerably. After killing 6 wolves, he gained 24 experience points which boosted his level to mid-way through level 4. He also gained an extra 6 free points on top of the 3+ points in strength, 3+ points in stamina, and 3+ points in agility he received from these wolves.
All in all, he had gained a huge amount of power from this fight. Well, considering his state, one would question whether it was worth it or not.
"Grrr…" The wolf growled lowly before it tried to attack Redd.
The latter spat a mouthful of blood before he tried to step forward, only to stagger.
"Huh…" His eyes widened slightly as he felt a strong nausea hit his head. This was by far the strongest hit he sustained and it didn't even come from the wolves.
[User is in a critical state.]
[Aspect 2 has been unlocked!]
[Blood Accelerator: Using this aspect, the user's blood circulation will increase in speed, enhancing his physical performance and healing speed. However, in return, the host is at risk of rupturing his veins if used for longer than recommended. The stronger the user becomes, the longer he will be able to use this aspect.]
[Due to the critical state of the Hunter, Blood Accelerator has been automatically activated!]
'What?...' Looking at the notification, Redd was about to utter something when a strong, mind-numbing pain assaulted his chest.
"Ugh!" For the first time since he started this fight, Redd groaned loudly as he fell down on his knees.
'What the hell is happening? My heart hurts.' Clenching his bloodied teeth, he tried to stand up only to stumble down again. His fight with this pain continued while the wolf watched from afar.
It saw that as an opportunity to kill its target since he seemed to be struggling with something. So, without hesitation, it approached Redd before it tried to bite his neck. However, the latter suddenly pushed his hand up and grabbed the wolf's mouth.
"No… Sneak attacks." Redd said with a pale expression. Then, with whatever strength he had left in his body, he threw the exhausted wolf to the ground before he dragged himself closer to it and started hitting it on the head. His punches were weaker but because they were directed toward the skull, they were effective. The creature tried to resist but eventually succumbed to its injuries and finally died.
Seeing that it died, Redd's lungs exhaled a long breath before he suddenly fell on his back with his arms sprawled everywhere. He ignored the series of notifications that appeared and tried to lay on the ground silently.
"Finally… It's over…" He murmured with a tired look. "Ugh, my heart!"
The intense pain assaulted him again. It was as if someone was trying to stretch his heart to the extreme. His heart rate had increased a lot and his body felt rather hot. But, what Redd didn't notice was that the bleeding had stopped in most of his injuries.
"If I… don't move… I will die…" The boy groaned as he tried to stand up again. But, his body was completely paralyzed.
"Damn, I'm really screwed… Hahahah…" Chuckling lowly, Redd looked at the sky above him with a smile. Even though he looked terrifying, his eyes were serene and calm as a lake. Many people would think this was their end, especially with the numbing pain that he was feeling at the moment. However, Redd had a different idea.
"Oh, wait…" Opening his status window, Redd looked at a particular stat of his.
'Healing. Would that really work?' He thought to himself.
Although he understands the functions of strength, stamina, and agility. Aether and Healing were still a complete mystery to him. He does know what Aether is and he also knows what healing does, but he doesn't know how effective they are.
But, considering his situation, he really could only trust his instincts.
'Can you please put 6 points into healing? I'm about to die here, you see…' He asked.
Instantly, a system notification appeared in front of him.
[6 free points have been added to Healing. You now have 14 points in healing.]
Almost immediately, Redd felt the change. If one point barely had any effect on him, then 6 are more than enough to make a noticeable difference. Especially when his healing was already rather high compared to the average.
His injuries started tickling him and his numbing senses also started regaining their functionality slowly. The pain in his heart still lingered there but Redd still felt relieved.
'It seems this Blood Acceleration thing coupled with healing creates wonderful results. Although it's painful as hell! Is the Hunter's Dream trying to kill me?!' Grumbling inwardly, Redd closed his eyes.
Laying there, silently, Redd left his body to do its magic. It took a while before Redd even regained the ability to control his limbs. When he did eventually regain it, he immediately stood up.
"Ouch, ouch!" He cursed inwardly as he held his chest.
He still looked to be in a horrid state, but, he at least could move so Redd didn't mind the extra pain he would feel from that. Instead, he dragged his tired body toward the group of dead wolves.
Then, with one hand in front of him, he seemed to make a praying hand signature.
"Thank you for the past few years, folks. I really had fun fighting you. You helped me hone my skills. I hope you will find yourselves in a better place filled with food… And female wolves." He murmured lowly before he looked at the notification in front of him.
[7 targets have been detected!]
[Would you like to absorb their blood essence?]
"Yes."
Instantly, everything around him shifted completely.