After killing several more mutated humans and animals Myles saw the notification appear in his vision.
[Level Up: 2]
He exhaled a long breath feeling the weight of tension release from his shoulders. His heart pounded in his chest from the relentless adrenaline that had pushed him through each fight.
He stood over the last creature's dead body, wiping the fresh blood from his knife as the reward for his level up filled the screen in front of him.
[Reward: +10 Stat Points]
Myles's lips curved into a small grin. "Finally." He thought back to how long it had taken him to reach this point. Now, the real progress could begin.
He quickly opened his status window to see what leveling up had granted him. The screen flickered before his eyes displaying his current stats and the options to distribute his new points.
===
[Name: Myles Blight]
[Title: (None)]
[Level: 2]
[Exp: 45/100]
[Age: 24]
[HP: 80/80]
[MP: 100]
[Attributes: +10 to distribute]
- [Strength: 10]
- [Endurance: 8]
- [Agility: 12]
- [Wisdom: 10]
- [Perception: 11]
[Skills:]
1. [Skill: Fireball]
- Rank: D
- Mana Cost: 10
- Description: Conjures a ball of fire in the caster's hand, which can be thrown to cause explosive damage to the target.
- Cooldown: 5 seconds
2. [Skill: Minor Regeneration]
- Rank: F
- Description: Grants the ability to regenerate minor wounds over time. Does not require mana to activate, but the process is slow.
- Effect: Heals 1% HP every minute when get hurt.
Myles then stab his heart with the new crystal he had just got.
3. [Skill: Bloodthirsty Slash (Passive)]
- Rank: C
- Effect: Increases damage dealt in combat based on the number of wounds inflicted during a single fight. For every wound caused, the user's damage output increases by 2%, stacking up to a maximum of 20%.
- Cooldown: None (Passive)
Myles's gaze lingered on the new skill for a moment.
"Bloodthirsty Slash, huh?" The name alone brought a dark sense of excitement. He could already imagine what it would bring.
He carefully allocated his stat points, focusing on his agility and intelligence to balance his physical speed and mana. His intelligence needed a boost if he was going to keep using Shadow Bind and other skills more frequently. And based on what he had happen for the past few hours he need to move quick.
- [Strength: 10]
- [Endurance: 8]
- [Agility: 17]
- [Wisdom: 14]
- [Perception: 11]
With his points distributed, Myles could feel the subtle increase in his body. His movements felt lighter and his mind clearer as if the drain on his mana had lessened just a little.
He clenched his fists, feeling a surge of new power coursing through him.
Looking up from his status window, Myles scanned the ruined street, the cold wind sweeping through the debris-strewn road, carrying with it the distant cries of mutated creatures and dying human.
He wiped the last bit of sweat from his brow, feeling his breath steady as he made a decision.
"It's not enough," he said. "I need more."
Without hesitation, he set off once again and ready to hunt more.
A few minutes passed and Myles hadn't encountered a single mutated human or animal. He furrowed his brow, glancing around the desolate streets. The city suddenly become to silent.
"Where the hell is everyone?" he muttered under his breath. The ruins now felt disturbingly empty.
But then, an ominous sensation slithered up his spine and chilling his blood. It wasn't just the absence of enemies, it was something more. Something far worse.
Myles froze in place, his body tensing as he instinctively turned toward the source of that unsettling feeling. His breath hitched.
"What is that? Is this because of my Perception stat? It's still low, but... I can feel it."
A creeping dread gnawed at him, urging him to stay alert. His heightened senses, though not fully developed, were screaming at him to get the fuck out of there.
"Maybe the danger is just too great that even with my low Perception I can still feel it."
That's when he saw it.
Lumbering out from behind the wreckage of a fallen building a monstrosity entered the street.
Myles's breath caught in his throat. The creature stood at least three meters tall with grotesque form that stitched together from countless human bodies. Faces that looks twisted and tormented were melded into its flesh. Their mouths frozen in silent screams, their eyes wide with horror.
The mass of writhing limbs and broken bodies fused into one abomination moved with a sickening, unnatural rhythm.
Myles felt his stomach twist. His pulse quickened, panic flooding his veins.
"Shit!" he cursed under his breath then quickly ducking behind the remnants of a crumbling wall and pressing his back against it. His heart pounded in his chest.
"What the hell is that thing?!" he thought in panic.
He peeked around the corner, watching the massive creature as it moved slowly down the street while dragging its misshapen form over the debris. The grotesque faces latched to its body twitched and contorted, mouths occasionally gaping open in voiceless agony.
Myles clenched his fists. He had just leveled up and gained new power... but this thing was unlike anything he had faced before. The sheer size and horrifying composition of the creature made it clear that this wasn't something he could take lightly.
"No way I can take that thing head-on alone," Myles thought. "Not with my current mana and abilities..."
However, there was something else. Beneath the fear there was a thrill like a dark excitement that stirred deep within his chest.
The sheer size of the creature, its grotesque and towering form made from a writhing mass of human bodies, it looks like a BOSS if he ever saw one. If he could kill it, the EXP would be massive.
He could practically see the notification already.
"Imagine the rewards," Myles thought, his pulse quickening. "If I take this thing down, I'll probably jump another level... maybe more."
His grip tightened around his bloodstained knife. He knew better than to charge in recklessly. This was something far more dangerous. A monster like this would crush him in an instant if he didn't approach it carefully.
Myles clenched his jaw, forcing himself to focus.
"I want to risk it, but I need a plan."
He need to observe first. He needed to watch how it moved, find a weakness or anything he could exploit.
Then, Myles begin to move.
---