Xavier stood amidst the dark and ominous forest, a vigilant hunter in search of his next quarry. The air was heavy with tension, and the distant cries of other beasts echoed through the trees. He had already faced many challenges, but nothing could have prepared him for what was about to transpire.
Suddenly, a notification from the system appeared on his visor and a series of urgent messages flashed on the screen. It was a new mission, and the message was clear.
[New Mission acquired]
[Details: kill the wounded beast and avenge Travis or be punished.]
It was a moment of stunned disbelief, a chance that seemed too good to be true. The heavens appeared to be offering him an opportunity to avenge his fallen friend.
Without a moment's hesitation, Xavier took a stance, his hands drawn together in a fluid motion, a few meters apart. An intense ball of fire began forming and expanding, its fiery energy crackling with immense power.
With unwavering resolve, Xavier lunged forward, flames still pouring into the ever-growing fireball. His gaze shifted to the gruesome, blood-soaked wounds on the beast's body, left behind by previous hunters.
The wounds were so severe that he could see the creature's organs.
'A chance!' he thought as he unleashed the ball of fire.
It flew straight and true, smashing into the exposed wound of the beast. A deafening shriek and cry of agony pierced the air as the creature writhed in torment. Xavier couldn't help but feel a surge of joy at the impact he had made.
But, in a sudden, chilling turn of events, the beast abruptly ceased its cries of pain. Its massive frame shifted, and it gave Xavier a menacing, malevolent look. Fear gripped Xavier's heart as he paled in realization of the beast's sudden transformation.
Xavier quickly attempted to summon another ball of fire, igniting his hands in flames. However, he had shifted his gaze from the beast to his own hands for but a fleeting moment. When he looked up again, it was already too late.
The beast lunged with ferocious speed and power, its sharp fangs piercing Xavier's waist. Pain seared through his body, causing him to scream in agony. He lost concentration, and the flames in his hands vanished into the ether.
Xavier, in a moment of excruciating agony, gripped the sharp fangs of the beast that had latched onto his waist. His fingers strained under the pressure, his knuckles turning white as he squinted through the pain. His vision blurred, and his body grew weaker with each passing second.
Despite the searing pain coursing through him, he refused to release his grip on the beast's fangs. It was a battle of wills, a fight for survival that pushed him to his limits. His heart raced, and his breaths came in short, painful gasps.
However, the overwhelming agony couldn't deter him, not when he cast a gaze upon the gruesome remains of Travis's decapitated corpse. The horrific sight, a grim reminder of his fallen friend, fueled Xavier with an uncontrollable surge of anger and determination.
Summoning every ounce of strength he had left, Xavier reached for his scavenger knife. With a furious cry that resonated through the forest, he drove the knife into the right eye of the beast. The creature let out a deafening roar of pain, its massive jaws snapping shut with incredible force.
In that moment of violent retaliation, the beast's powerful jaws crushed Xavier with devastating finality. His body was snapped in two, and his life came to a sudden, brutal end.
As the battle concluded, the forest fell into an eerie silence, and Xavier's lifeless form lay beside the beast. He had given it his all yet he lost
---
As Xavier's consciousness teetered on the precipice of oblivion, a familiar transformation began to unfold.
In the darkness of his unconsciousness, a spark ignited, a tiny flickering ember of life and determination. This ember pulsed with a fiery brilliance, pushing back against the encroaching void. It grew steadily, fueled by Xavier's unwavering spirit.
Suddenly, a radiant burst of bluish-white light erupted from Xavier's prone form. It surged outward in all directions, pushing back the shadows and illuminating the forest with an otherworldly radiance.
The light coalesced into a magnificent, ethereal phoenix. Its wings stretched wide, adorned with iridescent feathers that shimmered like galaxies. Within its body, countless stars twinkled, casting a cosmic glow that defied the night.
As Xavier's consciousness fully returned, he found himself in a place unfamiliar yet strangely serene. His gaze quickly shifted to his status details only to realize he had lost one life.
[Name: Xavier]
[Race: Human]
[Level: 2]
[Number of Lives: 2/3].
[Abilities]
[Enhanced Vision: Host's sight is superior to that of the average human.]
[Territory: Host gains strength in hotter environments]
[Basic Fire Manipulation: Host is capable of generating and manipulating a fairly limited quantity of fire.]
[Experience points: 40/100]
He also realized that he had been reincarnated some distance away from the gruesome battlefield where he had met his demise. He took in his new surroundings, the dense underbrush and towering trees casting dappled shadows upon the forest floor.
It wasn't a significant distance from the place of his death, as the acrid stench of blood still lingered in the air, and the low, guttural grunting sounds of the injured beast echoed through the trees. Xavier knew that time was of the essence.
The longer the creature's wounds were left untreated, the worse they would become, potentially increasing his chances of success in the battle to come.
The one dilemma that now weighed on Xavier's mind was his inability to gauge how much time had passed since his rebirth. It was a nagging uncertainty that gnawed at him, but he had no choice but to move forward. The mission assigned by the system was clear, and he was resolved to fulfill it, even if it meant facing death once again.
With unwavering determination, Xavier began tracking the injured beast through the winding pathways of the thick forest. He knew finding the beast was not hard but dealing with it afterward was the problem.
In the end, the beast was still a monster that killed numerous experienced hunters. Even if he has the power of the system, he still has a limited number of lives. If the beast can kill him two more times, it's over for him but he couldn't ignore it and leave the forest peacefully because the bloodthirsty system has turned his personal revenge story into a task.
"Mercenaries and hunters get paid to kill things like this and I'm out here forced to do it for free. The heavens must be stingy." he couldn't help but complain.