Of course, I'm not so naive as to think I could easily defeat that creature. At most, I could hope to leave the battle with an arm or a leg less. So, I decided to invest all the points I had accumulated so far to increase my strength as much as possible.
Strength: 15 -> Strength: 20
Agility: 21 -> Agility: 30
Perception: 15 -> Perception: 20
Intelligence: 16 -> Intelligence: 22
I felt I already had enough Ether, at least for now. So, I chose to invest all my stat points in other areas that would help me in close combat. Technically, I couldn't use magic, although my abilities relied on Ether. However, I found that 70 points in Ether were worth much more than they seemed at first glance, a lesson I learned by looking beyond the numbers.
Anyway, what was lacking was to raise the level of my skills. Surprisingly, I had accumulated 8 points to spend on this. Honestly, I had no idea how I had gotten to this point.
Kinetic Touch [Lv - 5] -> Kinetic Touch [Lv - 7]
Ether Pumping [Lv - 7] -> Ether Pumping [Lv - 9]
Infusion [Lv - 7] -> Infusion [Lv - 9]
Ether Manipulation [Lv - 5] -> Ether Manipulation [Lv - 7]
With all my skills and stats increased, I finally felt ready. The scythe still rested in my hand as my gaze remained fixed on the sloth.
No matter how I looked at it, it seemed incredibly calm, as if we were not worthy opponents. Probably, to him, we were just another easy prey, accustomed to being the main hunter of this place.
Although I hadn't covered a great distance, I could tell that this place has its limits, or rather, some kind of barrier, at least within the area where we are confined. And this sloth, undoubtedly, is the most powerful monster we have encountered so far.
"I'm going!" I exclaimed, a nervous smile forming on my lips.
"Go carefully" replied Noelle beside me.
Agreeing with a nod, I moved towards the sloth. I noticed Leo running beside me towards our final opponent. The sloth was at a considerable distance, preparing for something I anticipated: it opened its mouth, forming a white sphere around it.
"Leo, hide in the trees, it's going to attack again!" I yelled with all my might.
Upon hearing my warning, Leo promptly halted his advance, seeking shelter behind a tree. I followed his lead, seeking cover. In a matter of seconds, a dazzling white flash engulfed my vision, leaving me unsure of Ellen and Noelle's condition. I could only hope that they were both safe.
After a few agonizing seconds, the sloth's energy hurricane finally dissipated. I exchanged a quick glance with Leo, both of us tacitly agreeing. Without hesitation, I advanced, activating [Etheric Pumping]. Ether flooded my body, boosting my strength and agility to explosive levels.
I charged towards the sloth and quickly found myself face to face with it. Unsurprisingly, I was greeted by one of its enormous paws, but I managed to roll aside, narrowly escaping the blow that left a small crater where I had been standing before.
Seems like investing in Agility and Perception was the right choice. Although I didn't fully understand how these attributes affected monsters, it was clear that leveling up was beneficial for both us humans and them.
To my surprise, the sloth quickly changed its attack strategy. In my current position, considering my reaction time, it would be difficult to dodge effectively. Even if I managed to, it seemed unlikely that I could keep up with the pace of the fight.
So, I resorted to the last available option at the moment and activated [Kinetic Touch]. I grabbed the sloth's arm and exerted all the strength I had left to restrain it. I knew I wouldn't be able to hold on for long, but I didn't feel it would be necessary anyway.
As I predicted, Leo suddenly emerged from behind the sloth. Our eyes met, and before we could exchange any words, he delivered a strike with his sword, pulsating with a dark energy, as if it had a life of its own.
The moment the blow hit the monster's arm, a sea of dark energy erupted as the monster roared in pain, temporarily forgetting about me. Leo's cut seemed to be superficial, as we had already expected.
Seizing the moment I gained some leverage in my position, I quickly activated [Infusion] on my scythe. With all my strength, I delivered a precise blow to the monster's arm, which this time was completely severed.
The sloth roared with all its fury as its arm was ripped off, and red blood spurted, staining the snow around us - snow that the sloth itself had created. Contrary to my expectations, the wound was quickly cauterized by the ice that suddenly appeared at the site of the injury. Although I was reluctant to believe it, it was likely a feat of the sloth itself.
Soon after, it turned towards me, opening its mouth to the fullest. At that moment, a shiver ran through my entire body. I knew that if I were hit by that attack, I would surely meet my end.
Once again, I activated [Kinetic Touch] and, without hesitation, grabbed the sloth's jaw, preventing it from opening its mouth. Taking advantage of its distraction, I quickly retreated until my back hit a tree.
I located my scythe and released the [Kinetic Touch] from the sloth, directing it to my weapon. In a fluid motion, I retrieved my scythe and hurled it towards the sloth, which swiftly dodged, ducking to evade the blow.
Immediately after, the sloth furiously lunged towards me, keeping its mouth wide open. The recent wound inflicted by Leo burned on its skin, but it seemed to completely ignore it.
However, at the crucial moment, something sliced through the air at high speed towards the creature's head: it was my scythe. It embedded itself in a nearby tree, while blood dripped from it. Meanwhile, the sloth's head was severed from its body by the precise strike, and its blood painted the snow around us red.