Akira stood still, his bright white glow dimming slightly. His sharp eyes scanned the battlefield, calculating every possible outcome. A large circle of Aqua Geneas surrounded him, their glowing eyes locked onto his every move. Their low, menacing growls filled the air, a symphony of hunger and malice.
He exhaled softly, a sly grin curling his lips.
"Twenty of them... maybe more. It's going to be tough to conserve stamina for the boss fight," he muttered to himself. "But then again… the tougher it is, the more I'll grow... the more I'll level up."
The thought sent a shiver of anticipation through him. He clenched his fists tighter, his mind racing.
"My speed in the water isn't ideal, but it's enough to evade their attacks. Defense isn't the problem—the issue is offense. I can't strike first. That'd leave me wide open."
His gaze fell on the body of the Aqua Genea he had just killed, floating in the yellow ocean. His smile widened, taking on a predatory edge.
"Yeah. That'll do."
Without hesitation, Akira grabbed the Werehyena's corpse by its neck. His calm yet deliberate action seemed strange to his companions.
"What's he doing now?" Anna whispered, her voice trembling.
Victor, perched on his sword, coughed loudly and said, "I don't get this guy at all. He was a normal, well-mannered kid when we first met him. But what he said to me—" His jaw tightened as he recalled Akira's venomous reply. "It wasn't just words. It was filled with pure malice. Now… I don't even know what to think of him anymore. I'm quitting trying to understand him. Whatever's going on in his head, it's beyond me."
Grido moved closer to Victor and Anna, his keen eyes fixed on Akira as the boy slowly waded through the water, dragging the Aqua Genea's body behind him.
"I don't understand him either," Grido admitted, his voice steady but curious. "But… look closely." He gestured subtly. "All the monsters are watching him now."
Victor and Anna blinked, their attention shifting to the Aqua Geneas. The pack's glowing eyes were locked onto Akira, their growls directed solely at him. The rest of the group seemed invisible to them.
Grido smirked faintly, leaning back slightly. "We're not even worth hunting for them anymore."
His words hung heavily in the air as they all turned their gaze back to Akira.
Akira stood in the yellow ocean edge, his grin sharp and menacing as he lifted the mangled corpse of the Aqua Genea high above his head. His voice carried a mocking edge as he addressed the snarling pack.
"You want your dead friend back, fishbait?" he sneered, tilting his head as if expecting an answer.
The Aqua Geneas' snarls grew louder, their rage intensifying. Their eyes burned with fury, but they held their ground—for now.
Akira didn't wait. With a swift motion, he slammed the corpse face-first into the water with a sickening thud. A wave rippled outward, yellow water splashing around him like a grotesque halo. Then, without pause, he grabbed the body with one hand and began hammering its face with the other. Again. And again. And again.
Each blow was deliberate, brutal, and relentless. The wet crunch of bone shattering echoed through the air like war drums.
On the shore, Anna stood frozen, her face pale with shock. "What… what is he doing?" she whispered, her voice barely audible before rising in disbelief. "Why is he smashing its face like that?!"
Grido's eyes widened as understanding dawned on him. An impressed smile curved his lips. "He's a sharp, cunning kid," he murmured to himself.
Anna turned to Grido, her voice sharp with confusion. "Explain it! What the is he doing?"
Grido raised a hand, his eyes never leaving Akira. "Shh," he said calmly. "Just wait and see."
Akira continued his brutal display, reducing the corpse to a pulpy mess of fur and flesh. The Werehyenas' growls turned into cacophonous howls, their bodies trembling with the urge to attack. Yet, they hesitated, their rage boiling but held in check by some unseen force.
Finally, Akira stopped. He lifted his head, meeting the glowing eyes of the pack with a wide, taunting grin. With a casual flick of his wrist, he tossed the mangled corpse toward them.
"Go on," he said, beckoning mockingly. "Take it. He's all yours."
The body hit the water with a loud splash, striking one of the Aqua Geneas and sending it reeling. For a moment, the pack was still, their rage simmering. Then, in an instant, they surged toward Akira in a chaotic tide, claws slashing and fangs bared.
"Now we're talking," Akira muttered, his grin turning feral.
In one fluid motion, he summoned his Pantho Blade from his inventory. The blade gleamed as he gripped it tightly, the water hissing and steaming as his aura flared around him.
The first Werehyena to reach him lunged violently, but Akira moved faster. His blade sliced cleanly through its neck, and the creature crumpled into the water with a splash.
Anna watched in horror from the shore as Akira spun to face the next attacker. He sidestepped a claw swipe and drove his sword deep into the creature's chest, twisting the blade as the Aqua Genea let out a final guttural snarl before collapsing.
Grido's smirk deepened as he observed Akira's efficiency. Each swing of his sword was precise, every step calculated. "He's letting them attack him one at a time," Grido said, admiration creeping into his voice. "Their anger is clouding their judgment. He's breaking their coordination, using their numbers against them."
But as he continued to watch, his expression darkened. Akira's movements, though still fluid, were beginning to show the faintest signs of strain. Grido narrowed his eyes, his smirk fading. "But…" he murmured softly, almost to himself. "He'll soon have no other options left."
The yellow water churned with blood and chaos as Akira stood amidst the carnage. More than ten Werehyena bodies floated around him, gruesome trophies of his skill. His chest rose and fell heavily, but his grin remained, sharp and taunting.
"Ten of them," Akira said, his voice low and steady. "It took ten of them for me to level up. The EXP is getting larger again. And since I recovered my stamina from leveling up, I used it all up just as quickly."
He spat into the water, his expression a mix of disgust and determination. He stared at the remaining Aqua Geneas, who now circled him cautiously, their growls subdued. They had learned the cost of underestimating him.
From the shore, Victor frowned, his voice tinged with concern. "Did he… reach his limit?" he asked, though he sounded more hopeful than convinced.
Grido crossed his arms, his eyes never leaving Akira. "I think…" he said softly, a mix of respect and unease in his voice, "sadly, yes."
Anna bit her lip, her gaze darting between Akira and the Aqua Geneas. "Then why isn't he retreating? He knows when to pull back. We can buy him some time to recover his stamina, right?"
Grido's smile was faint, but his eyes remained serious. "Does he seem like the type to quit?"
Akira looked down at the yellow water, his reflection distorted and blood-streaked. He took a step back, edging closer to the island's rim. His feet sank slightly into the soggy ground, but he maintained his balance.
"I can't go deeper," he thought, his mind racing. "If I lose my footing, attacking will be impossible. And these guys… since I've taken down so many, they won't come near me anymore." His gaze narrowed as he studied the pack, their movements more cautious now, their coordination sharper. "They're smarter now. Mutated. Evolved. They're not just mindless beasts anymore. They're learning. Adapting.
"And since they're smarter, I think they'll try to attack me from a distance. That skill of theirs… the one that lets them launch those long-range attacks. Why aren't they using it?" His mind raced, trying to piece together their strategy. "Are they waiting for something? Or… are they afraid to waste it? Maybe they're conserving their energy, just like I am."
The thought sent a chill down his spine. If they were thinking strategically, that changed everything. He couldn't afford to underestimate them. Not now. Not when he was so close to his limit.
The Aqua Geneas growled, their glowing eyes fixed on him, but none dared to cross the invisible line he had drawn.
Victor took a step forward, his fists clenched. "Then what is he doing? Is he waiting for them to attack again? They won't fall for the same trick twice!"
Out in the water, Akira exhaled sharply, his smile fading into a scowl. "Tch," he clicked his tongue, frustration flashing in his white eyes. "They're not giving me a choice. My Soul Infusion skill doesn't last forever. I only have a bit of time left… so I need to do it now!"
The air around him shimmered faintly as the effects of Soul Infusion began to wane. He could feel his enhanced stats slipping away like sand through his fingers.
Akira straightened, gripping his Pantho Blade tightly. But then, he opened his inventory and stashed the sword away.
"This is it," he said softly, his voice low but resolute. "It's now or never."
With that, he took a sudden, deliberate step forward, his eyes blazing with determination. The final phase of his plan was about to unfold.