The beast, its body battered and weakened, lay beside Xavier's corpse for a while, taking a moment to rest and recover. It had paid a heavy price in its encounter with the human, and the urge to regain its strength compelled it to stay still, though it was aware of the danger it was in.
Suddenly, the creature's keen ears picked up the sound of approaching footsteps. With great effort, it managed to open its eyes, its heart racing with the fear that another predator had found it in this vulnerable state. The first sight it caught was a blurry human figure approaching.
At first, the beast couldn't make out the details, and its vision remained hazy. But as it continued to focus, the figure came into clearer view, a human of small stature, about the size of a teenager, with striking red hair.
The sight of red hair sparked a strange sensation within the beast. It blinked and rubbed its eyes as if attempting to confirm what it was seeing. But as the human came closer, its features remained consistent, and its hair remained resolutely red.
At that moment, the beast's heart seemed to stop. It turned to look at Xavier's lifeless face, then back to the approaching human, as if unable to comprehend what was happening. It couldn't fathom how someone it had killed not once but twice could now be standing before it.
The beast, unable to comprehend the inexplicable reappearance of Xavier, was overwhelmed by a maelstrom of emotions. It banged its massive head repeatedly on the forest floor, its howls filled with sorrow and despair echoing through the trees.
Amidst this display of anguish, Xavier couldn't help but chuckle. He stood there, watching the beast's erratic behavior, his eyes filled with a strange mix of sympathy and amusement. He knew that the sight of him for the third time was driving the creature to madness.
With a wry grin, Xavier quipped, "If dying didn't hurt so much this power would have been perfect."
As he joked with the beast, Xavier began conjuring another ball of fire. With an air of finality, he declared, "It's time for you to atone for your sins in hell."
With a flick of his hand, Xavier tossed the fiery projectile at the beast. But to his surprise, the creature didn't move or struggle in the slightest. It seemed to have lost its will to fight, its eyes filled with resignation as if it welcomed the release of death after the torment of its recent encounters.
Then, unexpectedly, a melodious bell-like sound resonated in Xavier's mind, pulling his attention away from the fallen foe. A translucent screen appeared within his gaze. It displayed words in a surreal, futuristic font:
[Congratulations on completing your first mission.]
Below the message, a digital counter increased rapidly, and Xavier's heart raced with excitement as he watched the number climb to 100.
Confused yet intrigued, Xavier read on as the messages continued to display:
[You have leveled up.]
[Name: Xavier]
[Race: Human]
[Level: 3]
[Number of Lives: 1/3].
[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: 40/200]
As the beast lay defeated, its life extinguished by Xavier's final fiery attack, Xavier knew that it was time for him to return. However, he had a nagging thought that had been bothering him. He quickly checked the stats section of his system to verify his suspicions.
His eyes darted to the number of Lives remaining, and he was met with the disheartening truth, he still had only one reincarnation left. Despite his recent level-up, the cosmic phoenix had been rather stingy in granting him additional lives.
Xavier's heart swelled with frustration as he cursed the cosmic phoenix silently for its unwillingness to provide him with more chances. He knew that this last life was a precious and precarious resource, and he couldn't afford to waste it.
With the beast now lifeless and no immediate threat to him, Xavier understood the necessity of returning to the guild. However, he couldn't return in perfect condition. If he did, it might raise suspicions among the others, who could doubt his stories or accuse him of deceit.
Xavier took a deep breath and, with a determined look in his eyes, began to inflict wounds upon himself. Using a sharp rock from the forest floor, he cut into his flesh, deliberately causing painful injuries all over his body. The pain was intense, but Xavier's pain tolerance had grown significantly due to his numerous deaths and rebirths.
He gritted his teeth and bore the agony, ensuring that the injuries were severe enough to be convincing but not life-threatening. As blood trickled from his self-inflicted wounds, Xavier knew that his return to the guild would be filled with pain and suffering with these wounds, but it was a necessary sacrifice to maintain the secrecy of his phoenix system.
Xavier staggered through the entrance of the mercenary guild, his body bloodied and battered, drawing the attention of those nearby. Concerned faces quickly approached him, and strong arms reached out to support him as he struggled to remain upright.
"Get him to the infirmary!" one of the guild members shouted, and with swift coordination, they carried Xavier to the medical facility within the guild. There, he was gently placed on a bed, and a team of skilled healers and medics immediately went to work.
Xavier winced as they examined his wounds, the pain making him wince and clench his teeth. He watched as they cleaned and treated his injuries in silence only occasionally flinching.
Once his wounds were tended to, a group of individuals in managerial positions within the guild arrived. They were stern-faced and serious, clearly eager to get to the bottom of what had happened.
"What occurred out there?" one of them demanded, his voice authoritative.
Xavier took a deep breath and began to recount the terrifying events. "We were clearing up the second loot when our team was attacked by a beast," he explained, his voice quivering with emotion. "Fenrir alerted the other hunters but was killed quickly by the beast."
His words hung in the air, and the guild officials listened intently, their expressions grim. No grade-one beast could kill someone as skilled as Fenrir in a short time.
"With Fenrir dead," Xavier continued, " the other hunters came but I already knew something was wrong with this beast so I ran. My choice seemed to be the right one since it didn't take long before it started slaughtering the hunters."
Xavier paused for a moment before asking a question.
"With all the hunters dead what do you think would happen to the handymen?"
"Are you the only survivor?" one of the guild members inquired.
Xavier shook his head, his voice tinged with sadness. "How am I supposed to be able to tell when I was busy running for my life?"
His reply left a heavy silence in the room as the guild officials absorbed the gravity of the situation. None of the hunters or Handymen returned outside Xavier and they finally know why.