Rattle!
Slam!
Tree fell and boulder crushed. Like a steamroller, the Outsider(?) swept through the jungle terrain like it was nothing. Displaying unimaginable prowess.
"GROWL!"
The beast chased closely behind me, despite the resolve to fight. I wasn't suicidal.
Gauging the creature's physical attributes is a must; fighting, both figuratively and literally, requires a lot of planning.
'This wolf has some insane strength; this is more exaggerated than my improvement. Is this wolf really only really a Grand Beast?'
Internally I was screaming desperately for help, but composure and calmness stayed dominant, keeping me levelheaded.
'I can take this one head-on; I need an actual plan. But first let's test the teleportation mechanism, if it even presents here.'
After fleeing for a couple more minutes, finding no oddities except for the relentless Beast following behind me.
After some brainstorming, I finally determined that this isn't an Outsider but a Beast, specifically a wolf-like creature. There are a lot of creatures that sound like wolves but are not wolves, so I was uncertain back then.
Though this information didn't come without a cost.
The way to identify a creature between an Outsider and a Beast, there are two.
First is by looking at their shape; any shapes or forms that trigger unpleasant reactions are usually an outsider.
The second is to get close and personal with the creature, make them bleed; if it smells like normal blood, most likely it would be a beast; if not, it can be a mutated beast or an outsider.
Guess which path I have to take. Well, more like forced to take.
"It's too close."
I muttered.
Despite my impressive speed, the beast's speed isn't anything to scoff at either.
Slowly and steadily, it was closing the distance.
The possibility of running forever is getting farther and farther away; an upfront fight is necessary.
'Then come, bastard!'
Taking a stance, it was a standard two-handed sword stance.
Vigilantly, I pay attention to the closing rumble of the forest.
Preparing my leg.
'3'
RUMBLE!
'Shit! 1'
Before ending my countdown, I had to jump prematurely, but it was fine as long as I got on top of the beast.
"Hop!"
Unluckily, it was unsuccessful. The timing was just off by a few microseconds.
Tumbling on the forest floor, I became disoriented. Taking that chance, the beast struck down at my position.
Clank!
Crudely, I parried the attack. Still not having gotten my bearings, the beast goes for a bite while I am in confusion.
Calm!
"Ugh… Calm down, doggie; be nice, alright…"
Using my strength, I hold up its jaw with my sword, holding it sideways.
But the wolf canine still manages to tear through my shirt, injuring my arm. Though minor, it wasn't a great situation.
"Be nice now!"
I kicked the beast to the side; due to our size differences, I thought I wouldn't be that effective, but it seems my strength has already exceeded common senses.
Wham!
The wolf hit a nearby tree, breaking it with the force of half a ton in weight.
'How absurd.'
My mana is still quite high right now, so I can comfortably use it unsparingly. I intend to end this battle as fast as possible since a battle of attrition would be unfavorable for me.
'One'
'Two'
'Three!'
The beast, which has gained back its senses, is searching for its prey in a field of destruction. Seeing the feeble appearance of me, the beast charges it.
The moment it took a step, it was over.
Whoosh!
Confused for a moment watching its prey's sudden disappearance, it didn't notice my presence on its back.
There was no fancy technique or cool sword stance since I haven't learned it yet; it was a simple thrust and stab.
I aim for the spine, but luck wasn't on my side, and I missed. Blood gushed out from the wound inflicted by my sword.
"HOWL!"
Painful shriek crashed down toward the distant vegetation.
Like a crazy bull, it frantically ran, trying to shake me off its hide, but it was futile as my sword has become a handle for me to hold on to.
'This sword is so sharp.'
With no opportunity except now, I hadn't realized how dangerous this blade really was. But this is a pleasant surprise, so I don't mind.
Holding on to my dear life, the wound deepens at the same time it's also widened, borrowing the momentum of the frantic beast.
"Growl!"
Its voice is growing weaker, meaning it is tired.
'This is a chance.'
I need to inflict more wounds; at the rate we're going, I fear that it would hit a random boulder and make me lose grip of my sword, which is undesirable.
Gripping the blade tightly, I pulled it off the fleshy injury, holding on to strands of fur. I remained stable during the berserk phase of the beast.
Spurt!
Spurt!
Spurt!
Continuous stabbing has given me an opportunity to safely kill this beast with minimal effort… that was what I thought.
"Whoa, shit, why the sudden shift!"
Thud
I fell off the beast's back with a thud. Landing on your butt, it was a worse position to be in when a bloodthirsty is actively attacking you.
Whoosh.
I dodge it claw with the good old rolling technique.
But the Beast doesn't know when to stop, losing its reason due to the loss of blood; its survival instinct seems to be overpowered by the overwhelming desire to end my life.
Crash!
Rattle!
During my roll, I hit an unseen tree; leaves fell down, covering my visage.
It didn't hurt, but I did give my opponent time to recoup and charge at me once more.
Once again I have to roll, but it wasn't as successful as before. Predicting my course of action, the Beast blocked my path and hit me with a swift swipe.
Due to its crushing power, three of my rib bones were broken, and my mana circuit was also disrupted for a moment. My situation was this dire with just one hit of the beast.
'This situation is much more dire than the kobold.'
How is there such a big gap in strength? I was assured that this wolf hasn't reached fabled status; if it did, I would have been immediately blitzed just like what I did to the monsters back in the cave.
'Could it be a mid-Grand Beast?'
Since I've just recently reached the rank of Grand, I was at the early stage of the G-Status.
'A second hit at any vital organs will be the end of me… think, think... What to do!'
"Hah, Hah, Hah."
Thud!
Rustling!
The swipe sends me quite far away due to the sparse amount of tree in the direction I was sent flying.
I have some time to stand back up on my two feet, but my grip is shaky, and my leg is trembling.
It was unideal to confront the beast; I needed to hide and recuperate.
Or somehow ambushed it, disregarding my injuries, which is a lot more dangerous.
'How do I move faster than it?'
But all of that was boiled down to speed, what I need now distances.
Despite having a head start back then, I was still in the end caught up by the wolf.
'Maybe mana could help. Is there anything I could do with mana besides passive enhancement?'
After passive naturally would come active, but I don't know how to do that. It was like learning how to ride a bike when you only know how to crawl.
'This is do or die. Focus.'
But I don't have the leisure of time to figure out the intricacies right now.
The beast is once again closing the distance; obviously, I can let it catch me again.
I turn my back against it and flee. Using my sword, I cut down the obstacle in my path, clearing the way.
'Mana passively courses through your body like blood, a nourishment for the body to consume, your second lifeline. Assuming the Mana Circuit works similarly to blood vessels, then I need to…'
At that moment of enlightenment, it came with a swift pain.
Following the path of least resistance, blood will flow out of my body when a grievous wound is inflicted on my body.
In that moment of blood loss, mana will act as blood, supplementing my body with energy and counteracting the hemorrhage.
'I need to perform a very ridiculous act, but it could work.'
My sword, which had stopped cutting down the path forward, changed its course, aiming toward my left arm.
Spurt!
Blood tried to trickle out of my arm, but thankfully the sword acted as a barricade preventing further blood loss.
It was an absurd disposition; some might even call it insane, but for the faint chance that this could work.
I can only pray.
My leg slowly grows weaker; the immediate effect of blood loss was evident, but luck is truly on my side today.
A rush of rejuvenated mana charging toward my weakening legs, it was enough to make my faltering stop but not enough to outrun the wolf.
The feeling was fleeting, so I missed the timing.
Pulling the sword out by a small amount, my blood continuously flushed out. Once again my reserve of mana was consumed to sustain my body functions.
Focusing on my leg, for a fraction of a second I could feel my leg receive the mana; it was a smooth and unconscious flow, like a river or a stream.
'I understand it now!'
Controlling mana was a monumental task at such a micro scale; my training only composed of managing mana at a macro scale. Enable me to turn on and off my passive enhancement.
Forcefully, I have to hijack the flow and make it manual; it was akin to telling my heart to stop beating and then doing it myself by squeezing it with my hand.
If I were to describe the process, it was similar to forcing out a shit, a hard and dry shit. But it was possible; I only needed to focus on my leg and push the mana down.
Like a storm, my movement speed leaves behind a trail of vegetation. It was explosive, it was amazing, and it was uncontrollable.
Since I couldn't see ahead, I needed to cut down the obstruction, but…
'I can't pull my sword out now, can I?'
Right, I traded my left arm for that moment of enlightenment; it was an act of equivalent exchange.
'Now what? I can't possibly punch it because I was the one proposing the running tactic.'
Once again I was in a conundrum.
My early wound has already begun to heal as my vast mana was able to recover my internal damage, though my ribs are still broken.
'Should I waste mana to heal my left arm? After all, it was only a flesh injury.'
Since I didn't break my bones during the insane act of stabbing myself, my left arm should be back in commission real soon.
Provided that I pump a lot of mana in the gaping hole.
'This is a losing battle from the start. I can't win if I tried to hide; besides, I don't even know where to.'
I can set up an ambush in the distance I have made, but hiding and healing is impossible. My mana capacity doesn't allow for such convenience.
'About 30%.'
That was the percentage of mana remaining inside my system. It was pitifully low due to most of it being in to heal and protect my organs.
Usually it would only take around 5% for a normal wound, but for vital organs, the percentage consumed was staggering to say the least.
I stopped the flow of mana to my leg. Returning it to the heart.
My steps weaken due to the offset effects of blood loss.
I have made quite a bit of distance with the wolf in those short moments of explosive speed. In exchange, my mana was running low.
'Honestly, it was a stupid idea from the beginning. But now, I at least have a chance to turn the table.'
Hik
Huu
I prepare my {Starry Sky Method} to regenerate the lost mana no matter how minuscule. It was a necessity for what I'm about to do.
At first I intended to hide due to fear, but now I realize that I can't possibly back down now. In the spur of the moment, I've already exhausted my mana during the enlightenment.
Could I have beaten that wolf if I had a better plan? Maybe. But now in this dire position I have to take even more risk than I wanted to.
'Why is a blind kid having to go through these kinds of experiences?'
It was as if destiny was pulling the string behind the curtain, but I don't have much time to ponder right now. Even if all of this was orchestrated, what can a feeble kid like me do?
I can only endure and overcome these adversities, whatever they may be.
'So… go ahead and come, little doggie.'
This is my final stand against it.
***
The Ardean Wolf searches his surroundings warily, looking for the prey that has caused immense troubles.
It was common sense for a predator such as him to give up when sustaining more injury than necessary.
But this Ardean Wolf is different; he was prideful; he was intelligent, more so than his kind. The wolf simply can't let such puny prey run away when he was so close to ending its life.
"Grrrrr"
Still, he wasn't stupid enough to not realize that he was in a position where ambushes could happen at any moment.
His nose today was for some reason blocked, so I have to do it the unconventional way of looking for the prey with its eyes.
'How… bothersome…'
Though it has intelligence, it was severely limited. Born as the apex predator of the Great Forest Ardea, it didn't think much of its prey's trickery.
Brazenly and confidently, it was the steps of a true king trolling around their backyard.
During this moment, the wolf didn't notice the small and insignificant breathing nearing his side. For him, this was simply the natural harmony of the forest when he was around.
Due to being a cub no more than two months old, it has underestimated the cunningness of nature and the wisdom of humanity.
With hushed breathing, Raon carefully assessed his surroundings through his hearing.
Knowing the beast had come very close to the designated spot, he almost let out a sigh of relief, but he managed to hold it in.
'Almost... Almost…'
When the leaves crunched, the loud sound made the beast go into high alert for a moment, though it calmed down quickly after realizing its mistake.
The Ardean Wolf stopped for a moment to reassess its environment.
With a huge stride, Raon leaped out of his hiding spot, though not knowing the exact location of his target can be a huge disadvantage. What Raon aimed for in this attack was not to kill the beast.
'If the measurement is correct, then the beast eye should be around here.'
Even if it didn't hit the eye as long as it was close to the head, then it was Raon's complete victory.
If not… then he would have to go for plan B.
Unluckily.
Tear!
It was the beast's hind legs that got attacked.
'It was the wrong orientation… That's just so fantastic…'
In battles, miscalculation was the worst sin one could make. And in this battle, Raon has made countless wrong decisions due to his lack of visual information.
'Do I need to learn Mana Sense too? That doesn't seem possible in this circumstance.'
Mana Sense is an art letting its users 'see' mana in better clarity. In my case, I receive sensory information and scan my target with mana whenever I touch them.
In a sense, my touch would tell me everything I need to know in a certain radius.
But it works on the principle of emitting mana outside of my body, something I couldn't do just yet.
'Damn.'
I'm dead.
Such thoughts flashed through my mind, but I still have a plan B to rely on.
Quickly.
Using the sword as a lever, I gather my mana, cumulating it inside my leg.
GROWL!
The beast was relentless; coupled with the pain of its hind leg tearing up, it was losing its reason even more than before, making it a truly mindless beast.
When the explosive strength concentrated, pulsing veins can be seen from Raon's left leg.
"Say hi to Bird for me, stupid canine!'
With a kick filled to the brim with mana, the beast was sent perfectly vertical into the sky above.
'Hopefully, I didn't miscalculate the angle. Still, it should be fine even if I did.'
The Wolf, with his consciousness going out, was flying toward the sky with foam forming in his mouth.
Recovering the bearing that was lost, the Ardean Wolf, confused by his surroundings, took a moment to notice he was flying toward the sky.
The beast looked below; a battered, weak, and puny human cub is holding a sword right above his head, preparing a horizontal slash.
For the first time, the wolf felt fear. The fear of a prey being gobbled up by a predator.
The human cub no longer looks like prey but a beast. A ferocious expression was painted on the adolescent face.
Hyperventilating, the wolf tried his best to struggle out of the sword path. His unfamiliarity with the air showed as he slowly fell down to his demise.
'I... can't… die... here!'
Thrashing as it may be, it was useless. He was closer to the sword path than father.
It was the end.
'The… Great…. Durak…. Can't fall… such puny strength….'
An arc formed, powered by the force of a Grand Human's mana-enhanced arm strength. It was inevitable that the beast's durability failed at the combined force of gravity and a sharp sword.
Auf!
It was a cute puppy-like sound.
It was Durak's last word.
A blood rain filled with guts and innards falls out of Durak's body, covering Raon with blood and gore.
Durak now separates into half that was dead.
"Hah… Hah… Hah… Hahahaha…."
Exhausted laughter filled the devastated space of the lush forest.
"This… shit… sucks…"
Once again Raon was on the verge of passing out.
"What's the point of fighting if you can't even fight while exhausted?"
It was a ridiculous notion espoused by the most unreliable person I have ever met. Yet those words coupled with the training were why I came out alive from this encounter.
Raon has been on the verge of exhaustion for a while now, dancing between passing out and holding on. In the end he was victorious.
It was cathartic and addicting; the adrenaline consumed his brain, trying to take over. But his body can't even move now even if he wanted to.
Relish in his triumph. Raon didn't notice a sudden shift similar to what brought him here.
Crash!
Gentle waves caressing the sandy shore. White foam formed then disappeared like a mirage.
The wind carried a hint of salt.
Birds glide through the sky, migrating to the west of the Austin Federation.
The sun rises up, and dawn has come.
Another new day has begun.
"W-what?! The sea?"
Raon was baffled.
Why is he suddenly at the beach? He knows that it was related to teleportation, but isn't this too insane?
Cave to forest was reasonable since the cave he was in and the forest weren't that far apart. But the sea? It was unreasonable in every sense of the word.
"Does that mean…"
SPLASH!
Before he could calm down. A beast towering ten meters in height appeared over the horizon.
An Octoprian with strength of F-rank slowly makes way toward Raon.
Its looming presence over Raon makes his heart stop.
"N-No way... I can't win."
It was an instinctive reaction. It was as if a human looking down at an ant.
Suffocation.
Dread.
And Death.
The Octopian gazed down as the brazen intruder, daring to confront it with such meager strength.
It was a fabled beast, a beast used to only exist in legend.
"At the end of the day… it is still only a fabled."
An old man wearing a suit with a top hat leisurely walking toward Raon direction.
He took his time sightseeing the famous Orsan Habor.
Boats passed by without acknowledging the old man's presence or the Fabled Beast blocking the way.
It was as if they weren't in this world.
"Good morning, fancy seeing you here, Raon. I didn't know you were such an adventurous spirit."
The old man joked.
"W-what are you doing here? It's dangerous."
Irrational fear has already consumed Raon's mind.
"Hoho? For it or for me?"
With a casual gesture.
BOOM!
UMMMM!
The Octopian was crushed under a sudden pressure, its body flattening, becoming one with the sand.
SPLASH!
"Now. Since the 52nd Moon has come. Shall we go back to your house? I'm sure Terrisa is worried sick right now."