One hour later, it was already quite dark, but surprisingly, Rael's vision wasn't as affected as before.
This was probably a boost from his chaotic bloodline; as for the connection between the two, it surpassed Rael's understanding.
"That tree should be good enough to serve as a bed." He looked at a massive tree in front that appeared to be over 30 meters tall.
Due to its position, it was effortless to spot approaching dangers, be they humans or beasts.
Easily climbing from branch to branch, Rael was surprised after gazing from his elevated position at another part of the forest.
This was because there seemed to be two sources of light in total. One of them was clearly from inside the forest, but it was rather dim; as for the other, it appeared to come from a village, as various spots were illuminated.
"I should go there first thing in the morning. But what's with the other place? The light seems to be coming from a... fire? Who could be foolish enough to start a fire in a different world, especially one with such monsters roaming around?"
Shaking his head, Rael was disappointed in the intelligence of some people. From his perspective, it didn't make sense to start a fire if there was a risk of attracting a group of beasts.
"Only if...
Only if there are more people there." Suddenly, his interest was piqued once more.
If there was a group of people over there, then he was pretty much willing to pay them a visit.
Perhaps he could discover new information from them and even obtain some loot if the people there were sensible enough...
For now, Rael only cared about getting some rest and having a peaceful night. He knew that it was crucial to be in good shape for tomorrow, as he would attempt to approach the village he saw.
What if the people there were unfriendly toward earthlings? Rael didn't want to get caught unprepared by those individuals.
After a few more minutes, he finally settled on a branch that offered some mobility in case of a surprise attack; this way, he could react if something happened.
"I should absorb those crystals before sleeping, though." Thinking so, Rael willed his System to absorb the white crystals once again.
(Ding! 2 F and 16 F- Grade White Crystals were used!)
Once again, nothing happened to him, and he didn't feel a thing. Not even his attributes were enhanced after absorbing the White Crystals from so many ranked lifeforms.
Shaking his head, the young man decided to do something else before sleeping. "Check Achievement Points Ranking." As Rael said this, another screen appeared in front of him.
Top 1000:
1. Dia Kosmos - 24 Points
2. Rael Hamartia - 22 Points
3. Gale Larson - 11.1 Points
4. Manuel Gonzales - 11 Points
5. Fiona Solaris - 10.1 Points
6. Persephone Ther - 10 Points
7. Kai Hoshizaki - 10 Points
8. Hugo Galamor - 9.9 Points
9. Senna Ren - 9.8 Points
10. Dorian Malakai - 9.8 Points
Frowning a bit as he observed the oddity of the rankings, Rael couldn't help but wonder why some people had a "," after their points.
"Wait, could it be that they formed a team, and the Achievement Points were split among more people? That would make a lot of sense, but at the same time, it's impractical."
"Everyone should strive to have a higher ranking; what's the point of working together for such low short-term gains?"
Not bothering himself to think about those matters anymore, Rael simply checked to see if his items and sword were still equipped before slowly resting his back against the massive tree trunk.
Since the tree was easily over 30 meters tall, its branches were thick enough to allow someone to walk on them.
---
Two hours later,
Rael wasn't snoring or anything of that sort, but this didn't stop creatures from creeping closer to him.
A sleek body, with fur darker than the night, a nearly two-meter-tall black panther managed to approach only a few branches away from Rael.
The panther observed Rael with its piercing yellow eyes, its senses alert and predatory. Rael's chaotic bloodline seemed to give him an advantage, enhancing his awareness even in the darkness.
Rael, however, was not completely oblivious to the presence of the panther. As he continued to rest, his heightened senses picked up on subtle movements and rustling sounds. He slowly opened his eyes, not wanting to startle the creature.
The panther, sensing that Rael was awake, crouched low, ready to pounce if necessary. It had been drawn by the scent of Rael, a scent that had piqued its curiosity.
Rael, now fully alert, locked eyes with the panther. He knew he had to be careful; even with his powerful skills, he was still in a disadvantage against an unknown enemy.
His hand moved instinctively toward the hilt of his sword, ready to defend himself if the situation escalated.
"I'm pretty sure his strong point is the agility he received from that body, but considering his size, strength should also be an important factor in its battle prowess."
Analyzing his opponent for a few seconds, Rael saw the black panther gathering its power for a jump.
Despite knowing that the panther was ready to pounce on him, Rael didn't try to dodge; he wanted to try something he had practiced all day.
Perhaps feeling looked down upon, the black panther let out a low growl before jumping forward with amazing speed.
Capturing every moment of the panther's assault, Rael simply stood his ground and didn't move an inch. "Entropic Shield..."
Slowly muttering his only defensive skill, a black shield formed of chaotic energy appeared in front of Rael.
As the black panther made contact with the Entropic Shield, it let out a growl of fury. This was because it didn't even leave a single crack in the shield, despite hitting it with all its power.
Taking advantage of the panther's failed attack, Rael stabbed with his sword, causing the air to retreat.
Growl! The panther let out a muffled groan when Rael's sword stabbed its shoulder. While it wasn't a critical hit, it surely hurt like hell.
Brandishing its claws to cut the annoying human, the panther tried to cut Rael in two. Unfortunately, another black shield appeared in front of Rael, successfully blocking the attack once more.
"Random Strike." Softly muttering his class skill's name, Rael watched in amazement as his sword was surrounded by chaotic energy before impaling the panther's head.
(Congratulations, you just slew an F+ Rank Lifeform!)
(Achievement Points received: 3)
(Ding! F+ Grade White Crystal used)
Not wasting any more time, Rael directly used the F+ Grade White Crystal that he had just obtained from the black panther.
"This is my first encounter with an F+ Rank Lifeform. It was a tough opponent. If not for my class skills, I'm afraid it could have used its monstrous speed and strength to easily deal with me."
While the battle seemed easy for Rael, the truth was that he was quite tired; if another two or three panthers came now, he would definitely die.
Using Entropic Shield was still manageable, but Random Strike used a lot of his stamina. This skill was very useful and unpredictable, but where did the power to use it come from? Of course, it came from Rael's own body.
Checking his surroundings once more, Rael breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that no enemies were close by.
He once again tried to rest, hoping that the next day would bring him some surprises.