Puchi !!
A splurting sound echoed throughout the underground tunnel as Reid's fist tore into a fire bull-elemental spirit beast's back.Blood splurtered left and right with a hose like pressure.
Removing his hand, a yellow glowing spirit core became visible,lighting up the dim tunnel as it was place on top of a pile of spirit cores.
Grrr.. grrr...grrr
His stomach complained. It had been too long since his last meal and Reid knew that he had to find something to eat soon or his body would give in .
He thought about finding a way out of the tunnels and into the jungle but quickly put that thought at the back of his mind.
He still didn't know if the jungle was safe. Although the sounds of battling between the two green and red beasts had died long before he even got out of the crystal cacoon, Reid was still a bit apprehensive.
He had initially decided to use the spirit cores to level up and become strong enough to escape the jungle,but his plans had now changed, deciding to take things slow.
While testing his strength and limits with the spirit beasts, Reid had noticed many faults of the system. There were many discrepancies to what his actual strength was and what his stats said.
He had found out that he was week when compared to the baseline he had set.
Let's take the strength stats for example. Reid had earlier estimated that one (1) strength stat point was equivalent to ten (10) kilograms of lifting and punching power.
So based on his current strength points (18), Reid should be able to exert power equivalent to one hundred and eighty kilogram (180 kg), but that was not the case.
He could only exact strength power equivalent to eighty kilogram (80), which was his initial power before levelling up after absorbing a spirit core.
And Reid had to find out that the hard way, which was both a blessed and cursed situation.
---
A few hours earlier.
Reid had just closed the systems inventory and Quest features. He now had an inkling idea just how important spirit cores were.
Let alone just levelling up, he now new that they could be used to exchange for experience points which are like the systems currency.
This was proved when the system note stated that he could increase the slots in the inventory by buying up space.But his mind was not there. His mind was on all the cool stuff he could buy once the system shops would open. He was excited and bloodthirsty at the same time, knowing very well that the system shops would only open once he leveled up, Making the spirit cores the solution to his resent curiousity; seeing what was sold in the system.
This also aligned with his current goals: getting strong enough to escaped the jungle and seeking out adventure as he explored this strange New world.
With his mind made up, it was now time to hunt some deef bulls.
Reid tried to cast his new skill [ Glass Shard ] and succeeded by just thinking about it. He had imagined a sharp-edged broken piece of glass,and his spiritual energy instantly started dancing in the air.
Yellowish, silvery fluid like traces graced the air around Reid, as complicated patterns were drawn with immaculate and distinctive movements.
Reid was mesmerized by the process,but was still displeased when it took over two minutes to conjure one shard of glass. This was not practical, especially when Reid thought of his skill as an attack type of skill.
To be used in battle.
With another thought, Reid casted his second skill [Spirit MAGNET] and directed it on the shard of glass, but the results were even more disappointing.
The shard of glass only levatated for two minutes, before falling and shattering onto the ground.
This outcome greatly demoralized Reid. His spirituality was almost depleted when conjuring that shard,and now his efforts were also being shitted on.
Enraged, Reid screamed outloud,
"Aaaah !!! So much for my overpowered skills!!
And here I thought I would get to butcher some bulls while controlling shards with my mind !! "
"I was even hoping for a spirit bomb or two down the line !!! "
A depressed feeling washed over him, but his mind seemed to be racing,trying to come up with baselines and reasons why his skills were too week.
" This took two minutes for it to crash onto the ground,with it's weight not even five hundred grams (500 g).
Does that mean that if it weighed more then the time is reduced?
What about the surface area? Will it also reduce the time the shard floats if added?
And the Glass Shard skill? Will the time taken to conjure it reduce when I imagined a smaller shard?
What about it's weight and density?
Do they all affect the conjuring time ?
I'll have to do some experiments later, now my first priority should be the spirit cores "
Out of his thought proccess, Reid picked up a piece of broken shard, went straight to the bull elemental he just offed and cut it's tail, which was atleast five metres long.
Its tail was covered in a huge bundle of soft fur that Reid used to wipe the slimy impurities off of him.
Yes, he was still butt- naked till this point. His constitution seemingly sheltering him from the wind. But Reid still felt uncomfortable and vulger after remaining in this for a long time.
He was after all still a civilized Earthling !!
Wiping himself clean, Reid took some of the remaining fur, the bull's tail bone and made a caveman - like skirt to cover his bottom.
Slightly impressed by his handy work, Reid nodded to himself before setting out into the clearing.
....
The fire elemental bull-like spirit beasts were still engrossed in munching on their sulfur stones, completely oblivious to the lurking danger.
None had noticed that one of their own had already been silently stripped of its tail.
With a thunderous roar, Reid launched himself into the heart of the clearing, landing squarely on the back of an unsuspecting bull. His hand plunged deep into the beast's molten-flesh hide,Carving through to its fiery core.
The other bulls froze for a heartbeat before chaos erupted. Their panicked muffed bellows filled the air, embers flaring wildly as they witnessed Reid pull out his bloodied hand from their companion's back, blood sputtering from the gruesome wound.
Thud!
The lifeless body of the bull crumbled to the ground, its fiery glow fading and diming out,taking the color of cracked clay.
A tense, oppressive silence followed as Reid rose to his full height, blood and flame dripping from his arm. His eyes glinted with a cold, bloodthirsty fury.
The remaining bulls, no longer oblivious, raged and stomped the ground, their molten hooves hissing against the scorched earth.
Sparks flew from their flared nostrils as they fanned the air, their wrath swelling into a fiery
crescendo.
They charged directly at Reid, already identifying him as their arc nemisis.
Reid sidestepped as the first of the spirit beasts came with it's horns flaring. In response,Reid cleanched and fired his fist with explosive speed, sending the poor fellow to it's death as it collided with the huge gate at the clearing centre.
The second and third of the bulls came, they were still too predictable.Their attack pattern being simple and animalistic, charging with their flaring horns on a straight line.
Some even colliding with their own kind as they fail to change direction when Reid used his agility to maneuver and avoid them.
It was truly a sight to see.A crude battle with no technique .But, although Reid's movements were crude, the spirit beasts movements were cruder.
Reid didn't have any martial arts experience,even when he was on earth.
Heck!! ,he wasnt even athletic !
But when faced with someone who is slower than you, even a novice can become a master.
Reid weaved and rolled, manipulating the bulls to collide with each other.He never stopped moving, changing his direction every few moves where he attacked their flanks with timed blows, collecting ball sized cores.
Reid was on the zone.He sidestepped when needed and jumped when forced to. His reaction speed even higher than what he had assumed.
He felt exhilirated, the feeling of battle still foreign to him, while his adrenaline shot off the roof. His hands became a crimson color, his feet full of blisters due to the hot ground and his face smiled with an ever present devilish expression.
Suddenly, his face contorted as he smashed a bull to smitherings,destroying even the spirit core.
"Am I growing stronger!, that shouldn't be, right ?? "
Reid spoke as he looked into his crimson hands while his body danced to the tune of raging bulls.
This thoughts started colliding , trying to find the answer to this mysterious flood of energy that flooded his veins in a slow strained manner.
Everytime his body seemed to be at it's limit, he feels energized, everytime his muscles and tendons are destroyed ,they form back with more reguvination and vigor.
It was an intoxicating feeling, a feeling Reid felt once when he inhaled the potent air up the behemoth of a tree.
Then he realized it,
" So that's how it works!
When I levelled up, my physicality didn't improve, even though my physical stats did.
The stats just put me in a state of wealth,waiting for me to reform my body in order to be able to handle my strength. "
It was exhilirating ! but at the same time it oftet his timing, especially in the heat of battle, a battle where it was one vs 29.
A situation that occured right now!
Two bulls came in for Reid from opposite sides, their hooves leaving a trail of fire that made Reid gasp for a moment.
"They got faster? "
Bang!!
Two pairs of horns collided with a bang! , creating a massive shockwave that made Reid's expression change as he spun mid-air after ducking and jumping to create more thrust to jump out of the way.
He was now at his limit, and his rejuvenation was kicking in while mid-air.
Landing on his feet, Reid's expression contorted even more as his perception picked up a raging bull about to make contact with him from his blind spot.
"Fuuuck !"
BOOOM!!
Reid's back met with the massive gate at the centre of the clearing.
Ptoo!!
He spat out a mouthfull of blood, his sight distorting as he started seeing everything in twos.
Fealing the desperation, Reid knew this battle was over. He stood up shakily, his feet barely able to support him, waiting for his rejuvenation to kick in, and as soon as it did,
Zoooom !!
A streak of light flashes towards the tunnel.