Caelum dropped the branch in his hands. When he faced his palm towards his sight, he saw that he had inflicted an injury on his palm; a few splinters were embedded in his skin, and a little crimson liquid oozed from the four cuts.
It seemed that the thorns of the branch had torn his hands when he struggled to stab into the hide of the beast with it.
He decided to tear off a bit of the fabric from his leg and wrap it around his arm.
"It would be more suitable if I could find a stone and sharpen it into a knife; that would help me a bit," Caelum muttered as he looked around.
He spotted a glint of dark, glass-like rock nestled among the fallen trees, just inches away from the lifeless beast. It was obsidian, smooth and sharp-edged, perfect for his purpose.
'One thing I notice about this place is that it has everything I need—well, not everything. But at least a few things for survival.'
He picked up the obsidian stone, then another stone that he might need in order to sharpen the former into a knife.
Caelum quickly knelt on the ground and placed the stones there. He held the obsidian in one hand, resting it against the ground, while his other hand, now bandaged, held the other stone.
Then, he struck the edge of the obsidian at a precise angle; it shattered slightly.
A sharp flake flew off, revealing a gleaming edge beneath.
He continued the process, rotating the stone to shape it into a more defined blade.
His wounded palm shot a stinging pain through his hand as he gripped the hammerstone tighter.
Slowly, the blade began to take form, its edges becoming sharper.
After achieving the desired shape, he switched techniques, using the stone to apply pressure along the edges.
This pressure flaking refined the blade further, creating a keen cutting edge.
Caelum then tested its sharpness by slicing through a piece of soft bark, and it glided effortlessly, confirming its condition.
"This is good enough then, though we will find that out with whatever this last repercussion will take the form of..." Caelum decided to rely on his makeshift blade and strength.
With enough power, he might be able to bring down this impending threat. However, that didn't depend solely on him or the weapon; it would rather hinge on what this threat was and how strong it would be.
He had managed to take down the Ebonhide Titan quickly and agilely, so he prayed that same luck would occur once again.
Caelum tore another piece of his clothing and wrapped it around the other end of the stone knife, which wasn't sharpened.
He used this point as the handle.
After that, he turned his attention straight ahead, wondering whether he should move or just stay in this spot.
...
Moments later, Caelum had already begun to walk through the forest, holding the stone knife tightly in his right hand while remaining aware of his surroundings.
About 40 metres away from him, two trees flanked either side, one facing the other. They acted as some sort of entrance.
Caelum noticed that beyond those two trees, another darkness lay, and thick fog swept in.
'Not another of that nightmare... I can only continue or run and die...'
At this crucial moment of deliberation, he realised that the area beyond this entrance was a vast expanse. His eyes were capable of seeing such little details; it wasn't a forest. Rather, it was the end of the forest.
'So this bloody maze actually has an end?'
He took one step after another towards the trees, looking out for any sudden attack. He firmly studied the stone knife, raising it close to his chest.
Any professional at handling blades would know that this stance meant he had no experience in using such weapons for battle. So, his only true options were to rely on three things: strength, sense, and agility.
The class he had been given had surely increased his strength and agility, as well as his precision.
All this was classified under his newly improved stats after unlocking the class's benefits. It was possible to receive multiple classes, but that had a limit of three for a Fledgling.
Any rank above that could claim other classes and gain the benefits of each.
When Caelum finally crossed the trees, he felt an electric shock coursing through his body, as if he had passed through a force field or an invisible barrier.
The rising tension is his head cooled down, and his muscles, once strained, softened.
He became completely calm, and, unconsciously, he lowered the stone knife from the defensive stance he had held it in.
The muscles in his eyes also relaxed, sharpening his vision to the point where he could now actually see through the fog that had begun to rise above his head.
The vast area was eerily dark; shadows lurked everywhere, and the ground was somewhat cracked, as if a battle between gods had occurred, though centuries ago.
Suddenly, he heard a creak right beside him.
Though relaxed, he felt the urge and found the strength to turn around quickly.
Looking back, he found nothing suspicious. In fact, the trees were now gone, and the fog thickened; even with his sharpened eyesight, he could only make out a few details.
It was like where a dull light shone upon a large, dark room.
Then, Caelum once again heard the sound of a leg running fast into the fog, likely towards him.
He instinctively raised the stone knife slightly, but his grip weakened, and he was almost about to drop it.
Likely, or rather with a high probability, something was causing this and also toying with him at the same time, like a predator playing with its prey before devouring it.
Meanwhile, Caelum began to suspect a reckless play in this area, so he instantly thought of what he could do.
At this point, he was surely unable to fight well, as his body was becoming more and more relaxed, making him incapable of launching a brutal attack at whatever this might be.
He carried the stone knife to his mouth, using his teeth to hold it. He then stepped back a bit, almost losing his balance.
Then, with his back turned, he suddenly hit something hard—perhaps a wall. But there was something else: a yellow, dirtied cloth rested on his shoulder, and a very dark hand crawled onto his other shoulder.
He then realised what this threat was after seeing the long nails that resembled those of a corpse and the very darkened tone of its skin.
'Impossible... an actual Monki?'
Monkis are abominable human-looking figures that come in different skin colours. They're ranked between an Acer, as they don't bear any abilities or magical energy.
However, they possess one thing beyond: they are fast and have two forms; when one dies, the other awakens. It has come to attention that their second form bears magical energy.
Killing their first form is a significant feat; not to mention trying to take down their second form, as the attacker must be in a half-dead state by then.
In short, these creatures exist between the lines of an Acer-ranked and an Aspire; creatures at this rank possess magical energy and capabilities. They can also steal 15% of nature's energy to increase their magical strength, akin to a faerie.
Caelum's eyes trembled.
His muscles were still becoming relaxed—no, weaker. This was surely a magical spell being used by the Monki— a spell that saps the strength and awareness of its target, leaving them vulnerable.
Actually, there's a loophole; it's possible for the first form of the Monki to utilise a small amount of magical energy, allowing it to cast only one type of spell.
The fog surrounding the Monki is sincerely a mystical phenomenon known as an Essence Fog, a byproduct of its second form. This fog contains magical crimination, a unique form of energy that allows the Monki to tap into spellcasting abilities while in its first form.
When enveloped in this fog, the Monki can temporarily access magical spells, but at a cost. Each spell cast weakens its physical strength slightly, creating a delicate balance between power and vulnerability.
The Monki, as previously stated, exists in two distinct forms, each with its own consciousness and desires. Yes, with its separate consciousness and desires.
First Form: Lacks inherent magical abilities but is agile and cunning. This form will often rely on the Essence Fog to gain temporary magical prowess.
Second Form: Rich in magical energies and more powerful. This form harbors more ambitions of dominance over the first form, seeking to eliminate it to fully harness the potential of their shared body.
While the two forms can aid each other in hunting prey, their relationship is fraught with tension. Each form desires to overpower the other, leading to a precarious alliance where they may collaborate to achieve a common goal, such as killing a target, but always with an eye toward gaining the upper hand.
Engaging in this cooperation is risky. The form in control often extracts benefits from the other, leading to a cycle of power struggles and temporary alliances.
Should one form perish, the surviving form gains complete control of the body and has the potential to evolve into the next rank, Aspire.
This transformation can occur even if the Monki has not gathered enough energy, particularly when driven by the desire to hunt under the influence of the Graceless End curse.
Although evolution is possible with both forms present, the Monki's ability to transform relies heavily on whether one dies, which will always be the first form, as it serves as the main core.
The Graceless End curse acts as a catalyst, amplifying the urgency and drive to hunt, ultimately pushing the Monki toward evolution.
However, Caelum knew only one thing about these creatures: inflicting a wound on them, even a tiny one, would temporarily halt their spell, giving the attacker a brief window to escape from their grasp.
Since his left hand was free, that shoulder wasn't held. He let the stone knife fall from his mouth, and before it could reach the ground, he caught it and seized the chance.
He didn't care if he stabbed himself in the process; if it meant escaping from this creature, he felt an overwhelming surge of adrenaline.
In an instant, with all the might he had left, he stabbed the creature's hand that rested on his right shoulder. The stone knife tore through its hand and pierced his shoulder at the same time.
He gritted his teeth as pain coursed through him. That would surely weaken his right arm's usefulness.
The creature cried out and yanked its hand away from the stone knife, dragging the wound deeper.
Shortly after, the spell was temporarily lifted, and Caelum's muscles returned to normal tension.
He quickly turned around and moved back, creating significant distance from the Monki.
The Monki stood at 6'3", towering over Caelum by four inches, as he was 5'11."
It had a gaunt, elongated frame, with skin that appeared almost translucent in the fog, revealing dark veins beneath. Its eyes glowed with a malevolent yellow light, and its elongated fingers ended in sharp, claw-like nails.
Out of the blue, the creature was no longer in that spot.
Following that, one of Caelum's hands—his left arm—detached from his shoulder joint.