East Ferrous Outskirts, 7:18 PM
The trio allowed themselves a few moments of relief as they slumped to the ground, their bodies and minds exhausted from that intense fight. Each of them was battered and bruised, their clothes covered in dirt, and faces marked by smudges of soot and dirt. The eerie silence of the outskirts was now only punctuated by their heavy breathing.
Artis, still gripping his wand, glanced at Ray and Lexis, "Just what in the world was that...?"
Ray gave a weary grin, "Believe me, I would like to know the answer as well...You guys alright? Can you stand?"
"Yeah. Don't worry about us..." mumbled Lexis as she bit her lip struggling to stand, "Besides...it's not everyday you fight a Black Horned Rabbit. We make a pretty good team. Don't you agree?"
Ray nodded silently while Artis said nothing as he stood up. "Well, let's continue. I'm sure we can still continue."
Artis's words hung in the air, met by a moment of silence as Ray and Lexis exchanged uncertain glances. They could see the determination in his eyes, though the exhaustion was evident in every one of their movements.
Ray shook his head, offering a reassuring grin. "I like the spirit, Artis, but even the toughest warriors need a break sometimes."
Lexis managed a small laugh, wiping a smudge of dirt from her cheek. "Yeah, Artis, maybe let's pace ourselves a bit. That fight took a lot out of us."
Artis simply looked away, clicking his tongue in mild frustration. Ray and Lexis walked over to the rabbit's body, examining it carefully.
Lexis powered up her gauntlets and broke off its horn, while Ray hardened his arms to snap off two of its teeth. Artis watched, then walked over to the rabbit and studied the charred corpse.
Crouching down, he took out his knife, sliced a patch of fur, and broke off the remaining two teeth.
Spoils of war, he thought to himself. I could either make a weapon out of this or sell it. If only I had the scale Captain gave me… it'd solve all my money problems…
Remembering something, Artis checked his pockets and took out a few rare Blueberries. He handed one to Ray and Lexis, who looked at him in confusion, feeling revitalized after the battle.
Ray and Lexis, recognizing the berry, ate it and immediately felt their energy returning.
"It's not free, by the way. I'll be charging five Grands each for that!" Artis declared.
Ray choked mid-bite, looking at Artis in disbelief. "Five Grands? For a single berry?"
Artis smirked, pocketing the remaining berries with a shrug. "It's rare, potent, and not exactly something you can find lying around. Consider it a discount for friends."
Lexis rolled her eyes, though she couldn't suppress a smile. "Thanks for the 'deal,' Artis." Her tone turned serious as she glanced around. "We should keep moving. Whatever brought that rabbit here might not be the only thing lurking nearby."
Ray nodded, scanning their surroundings. "Agreed. If any other strange beast shows up, we run and let the Professor and his team handle it, understood?"
Artis knew Ray's words were directed at him, and he gave a reluctant nod in agreement.
"Good, now that we are clear, let's continue!" Lexis said enthusiastically raising her right hand up in the air.
With renewed energy, the trio set off deeper in the outskirts. Each of them keeping mind of their surroundings and their health.
"By the way, Ray?" asked Artis out of blue, "If you don't mind me asking, how do you harden your body? It's a skill right that one can learn right?"
"Hmm?" Ray turned around hearing that sudden question, "...Oh, you mean [Harden]? Yeah, anybody can learn that skill. It's a Defensive Skill that I learned from Professor to trek dangerous areas so that I can protect myself."
"Can I learn that?"
"Obviously. I can teach you if you like!" declared Ray, "Also, if you don't mind me asking...the way you use different skills and abilities, is it because you learned it?"
"Hmm?" Artis, hearing the question fell in a deep thought of how he would answer it, "...It's because of my Unique Skill that I am able to use a lot of other skills. I can temporarily replicate a skill I've seen firsthand, though its not always at its full strength. Only up to my understanding."
Ray's eyes widened with interest. "So, it's like you're a living spellbook. You see something, you pick it up?"
Artis shrugged, "Kind of. But it's not as powerful as you'd think. The skills I copy aren't at their full potential—they're more like imitations. And I need to understand the basics of each skill before I can use it well. It's...temperamental, you could say."
Lexis chimed in, "Still not bad...it's almost like my Unique Skill. Except, I am an actual Spellbook. And it takes a lot of toll in me." Lexis laughed as she explained her skill.
They moved in silence, each attuned to the subtleties of the forest, muscles tensed and ready for anything.
After a few minutes, Artis halted, raising his hand to signal a stop. "Hold on… there's something strange up ahead."
Ray and Lexis immediately tensed up, as they heard the grass rustle and immediately clenched their fists preparing for a battle.
The rustling grew louder, and suddenly, a low growl echoed through the air. Out from the shadows stepped a creature half the size of the Black Horned Rabbit, covered in dark, spiky fur with sharp, amber eyes that glowed menacingly.
A Timber Wolf. A common species of wolf commonly found in any forests but is also ruthless when going to hunt or if they are disturbed. They usually travel in packs but are easy to be tame during the day.
Seeing the wolf made Ray and Lexis give out a sigh of relief, "Oh, it's just a Timber Wolf. These guys do actually appear here from time to time! Thank god it's not another Rabbit, we can easily deal with this!"
"Don't get too cocky, Ray! Don't you remember what happened last time when you faced another beast while being this cocky just to get humiliated in front of everyone?"
Ray winced, remembering that memory, "Ugh! Don't bring that up again. Besides, I have grown a lot since that time! Okay!!"
"Oh?" said Lexis in a sarcastic tone, her smirk not disappearing from her face, "So you're telling me you're ready to take on this wolf all by yourself?" she teased, her eyes glinting with mischief.
Ray scoffed, puffing out his chest. "If it means proving you wrong, absolutely. Watch and learn."
Artis looked at both of them, sighing as he wondered where in the hell did he get stuck.
He did not waste any time and stared at the wolf who had drool drooling all over the grass, his paws and fangs getting sharper as it was getting ready to launch an attack any moment. Sensing a perfect opportunity, Artis prepared his wand and released a streak of flames that only stopped at forming 2 serpents as it encircled the wolf surprising both Ray and Lexis.
"You both waste a lot of time yapping. If you keep doing that, someone will steal your target you know..."
Artis did not waste any time as the encircled flame hit the wolf that forced him to let out a cry as he used [Flash Step] to get behind the wolf and kick it with all his force as it stumbled back.
Ignoring Ray's angry and confused outburst, Artis took out his knife and activated it. He lunged forward, slashing toward the Timber Wolf with precision. The wolf, dazed by Artis's earlier attack, staggered and barely managed to dodge, its reflexes dulled by exhaustion. Artis wasn't about to let up, though. He waved his wand and used [Shock Wave], sending a line of sparks that ignited the grass beneath the wolf, forcing it to leap back in desperation.
Ray, unable to hold back his irritation, yelled, "Hey, I had this under control! That was my fight!"
Lexis chuckled, crossing her arms as she watched Artis skillfully maneuver around the wolf. "Seems like Artis had other plans."
Ignoring their banter, Artis focused on the weakened wolf, his face calm but intense. With a swift motion, he drove his knife into the Timber Wolf's side, avoiding any unnecessary theatrics. The creature let out one last pained yelp before collapsing to the ground.
Artis stood up, brushing soot from his sleeves. "You're welcome," he muttered, glancing at Ray, who looked both impressed and annoyed.
As Artis walked away from the Timber Wolf's lifeless body, a familiar surge of energy rippled through him. An energy he was familiar with and had experienced countless times. He felt energy surging through his body, his senses sharpening, and his Skills growing a little bit stronger as a notification appeared before him.
[You have Leveled Up]
The familiar warmth of leveling up washed over him, surging through his muscles and bones, as he was filled with relief and satisfaction, thinking that it was worth it and that he made a right choice.
Ray, noticing Artis's expression, raised an eyebrow. "Level up?"
Artis nodded, "Yeah."
"You owe me for that Artis! I let you steal that kill so that we are clear..."
"Would've been faster if you two didn't waste time arguing."
As Ray started explaining himself, Artis wasn't paying him any mind. He could only focus on his level up. Thinking that he has gotten closer to obtain strength and that he will continue to follow this path.