"Humans are kinda heavy." Belialthorn held her warm body in his arm, her spear hit the floor with a dull plunk when her arm was flung wide.
He looked at her face, how peaceful it was with her eyes closed and her face relaxed. Normally her face was always tight with anxiety and the constant flicking of her eyes always made her looked always on guard.
"Must be the life she lived before," Belialthorn mumbled and gently lay her down, he listened to her heartbeat to confirm she was steady and her breathing smooth then he stood up over her.
He had never looked at humans, Hunters, especially like anything but food and annoying thorn on his backside. Belialthorn viewed them as food to enrich his body.
Never had he had to protect humans. Or anyone before for that matter and he didn't know how to react. He felt...conflicting emotions ranging from dismissive when he thought how easily it was to dispose of her and found another partner to keep his cover.
To strange warmth when she put her trust in him when anytime he told her to fight any monster even when she was outclassed.
Belialthorn frowned down at her. "Everything has been strange since turning human."
But it had been a different kind of strange compared to the Demon City.
"Time to hunt," Belialthorn said. He had to get his level up to match hers and making her unconscious seemed like the ideal way.
Belialthorn sniffed the air and it wasn't long before he got what he was looking for. He took off in a sprint inside the wilderness his nose leading him to where he was going, he avoided tree branches and roots as he ran gracefully and before long he got there.
A big ancient tree stood in front of him, its brown trunks were green with age and its branches stretched like fingers reaching high heavens. Below at the bottom of the trunk was a massive hole smooth with age.
"I can smell you," Belialthorn said, the monster inside that hole smelled of burning green leaves and it was the scent that had caught Belialthorn attention.
Grovebane was a monster mixture of flesh and tree that dwells in the forest. They were very territorial, a behavior that means they are highly solitary unless they were mating.
But the one here wasn't alone and that was why Belialthorn had chosen it. It was with offspring and he wanted all of them to add to his level.
Grovebane used their strong smell to warn others of their kind to stay away and most monsters usually avoided them too because there was nothing to gain in fighting them. They were more tree than flesh and their nasty behavior isn't just worth it.
But Belialthorn was different, he didn't want its meat. He wanted the EP it would offer.
"I should test something." Belialthorn thought. He wanted to know the amount of power his level 1 caster could allow him. In his human form, he could only access 30% of his Demon power.
He formed a simple fireball spell in his mind and casted it with all the power of his caster level. Bright orange flame whooshed through the air with heat, blasting the hole before disappearing.
For a moment nothing happened then shadows stirred in the hole and something peeked through. A long green snout will shiny deep green eyes locked on Belialthorn and a growl reverberates through the forest.
The monster came out and stood with all its height, it was the size of a grown horse with long legs and joints like tree knots. Its fur was a mixture of hair and vine and beneath it was skin like oak bark.
It bared green teeth and growled like two trees rolling against each other.
Belialthorn could see why the other monsters usually avoided it, it looked like a malnourished tree with sharp fangs and claws.
Inside the hole he could hear faint cries of its offspring and the Grovebane positioned itself so that it was now covering the hole, not taking its eyes off Belialthorn.
A caster usually fights long-range battles but Belialthorn was a level one Caster which meant any of his long-range attacks would be weak. That also meant with his limited firepower, to deal real damage he must get close.
He checked his mana and he wasn't surprised that it was already low, his fireball couldn't even do real damage now. "I will have to cheat and use my high regeneration."
He ran with all the speed he could muster and the Grovebane reacted fast closing on the entrance to its hole it hunched, and his claws and fangs pointed at Belialthorn who didn't slow down one bit.
Instead, when he got close he did one of the oldest forms of fighting style to ever exist. He kicked sand into the monster's face. The Grovebane reared back, confused and Belialthorn used that to attack.
He formed a fire spell in his right hand and punched the monster in its chest. The punch hit with force and he heard a creaking sound like a tree bending.
The Grovebane cried out sharply staggering back against the tree, its claws lashing out but Belialthorn was already far from it.
"Even with all that you are not hurt at all were you?" Belialthorn grimaced at his hand, his right hand was seriously damaged but his regeneration had already kicked in.
So this was all level 1 could provide him.
And a skilled level 1 that is, because he was sure the spells he used were advanced even for a level 1 caster.
"Well. This had been refreshing." Belialthorn said and began forming a fire spell in his mind. Putting the spell together until he got what exactly he was aiming for.
Belialthorn poured his 30% mana into the spell and a shockwave of raw scorching fire roared toward the monster, a wall of fire that burned every in its path.
Belialthorn didn't even hear the monster's cries as his level-up power filled him.
[Congratulations you have killed a level 7 Grovebane, EP awarded]
[Congratulations you have killed a level 1 Grovebane, EP awarded]
[Congratulations.....]
[Congratulations.....]
[Congratulations, you are now a Level 5 caster]