The bull-man was ignoring everything around him as it continued to throw punches at me.
'Is he becoming stronger?'
Rose worried voice sounded on my head as I barely dodge another punch. This time the air was enough for it to push me a little more.
To make things worse, the pile of rubble suddenly burst, leaving in plain sight a wounded boar. The man-goat fell and didn't have the change to show his power, the frosting started to cover him completely. Since Hayley had it under control. Giorgio tried to use the same rubble to prevent the boar from escaping.
The man-goat became a popsicle, but after Zak and Giorgio left it started to shine in orange and red tones. Zak and Giorgio have engaged the giant boar and couldn't go back to help. Hayley's gloveless hand were pointing at the goat as she tried to prevent its escape.
Gabriel has been shooting the beast whenever he had the chance, the most wounded by him was the boar, the man-bull I was fighting managed to avoid the two times he shot at it. As the man-goat was trying to escape he started to focus on it instead of the man-bull so far it lost one hand, and a piece of his shoulder.
It was thanks to my enhanced senses that I was able to pick up everything that happened on the fight, I was particularly worried about Hayley, I don't want to think what would happen if the man-goat managed to escape.
To makes thing worse the man-bull had managed to hit me, and I was thrown to the ground, but with a fast backroll, I used my hands to get on my feet right away.
The longer the fight, the stronger he gets.
Is this the man-bull's power?
The change wasn't as evident as you would think but if you take into consideration that he is under a 60% speed reduction, actually his speed was monstrous.
The boar was barely held down by Zak and Giorgio. Hayley was getting tired, but after the last shot that passed through the man-goat's chest, the aura of the man-goat started to disappear, and the colors started to dim.
I can't let this continue any longer. If I'm not wrong since the start of the fight until now the speed of the man-bull has been multiplied at least three times.
I have tried different ways to apply my time infusion. The explanation from the ability implied that there was more about it and it wasn't as limited as I thought, but besides making the little wounds that I managed to make, not to heal I wasn't able to do anything else.
Time bubble, Slow, Accelerated Senses.
I was focusing on what I knew about my abilities this was related to my understanding of them.
Maybe…
The man bull charged at me once again. This time I deflected the attack with my infused tomahawk. There was no visible effect, but I continued, I was being pushed back with every strike. When the thirteen attack happened, I finally noticed a change.
Even with the continuous rising of the man-bull abilities, I noticed another reduction in its speed again. I finally discovered another application of the time infusion.
Since I didn't have any clue about how much time it would stay like this, I attacked faster and reduced the speed of the man-bull once again to a manageable one. I knew that this wasn't going to last long enough as I confirmed that the man-bull ability was most likely a progressive rising in his skills during a fight.
I started to attack faster and faster, I was starting to get tired, but I finally managed to put the bull into a defensive position.
At my side the last shot from the MRGR blew the man-goat's head, Hayley fell on her knees breathing fast clearly tired after holding the man-goat for so long.
A crushing sound came from the boar's side.
Right now Giorgio was trying to bury the boar alive, he somehow managed to open a hole in the place where the sewers are. Not far away Zak was holding his side where blood was gushing out from a nasty wound. I understood that help was most likely not arrive so I will have to take care of this myself.
The man-bull seemed like he didn't like what happened with his partners, his eyes started to glow in a blood red. And his previously yellow aura became an ominous dark red.
He suddenly launched himself towards Hayley who was in the ground.
The speed was a lot higher than before. Even under the effects of the stacking slow from the infused weapons.
…'Adrenaline Burst'…
I followed right after him and threw myself at Hayley taking her out of the way of the man-bull's headbutt. I could hear a scream of pain from Hayley when I crashed onto her. I surrounded her with my arms as we rolled a couple of times before stopping
My arm had a wound from the where the bull grazed me, but due to the adrenaline pumping in my body, I didn't feel the pain from it. The man-bull was utterly enraged, and with nothing to stop the charge, it went into a building.
At my side, I could see Hayley unconscious and felt Rose worries thanks to our connection.
But it was followed by the most beautiful sound that I could hear at that moment.
[Ding!]
[Mission Complete: Rescue the caravan and kill the monsters that will attack it until they safely arrive at Green Shelter (93% survival rate).
Optional: no one from Green Shelter commission dies (Complete).
Optional 2: 90% survival rate (Complete)
Optional 3: 100% survival rate(FAILED)
Type: Emergency.
Reward: 200 System points, 8 Skill points, 8 attribute points]
I didn't have to much to think about it as I already had planned what to do with this reward.
'System, max all my attributes'
[Wis Improved]
[Dex Improved]
[Str Improved]
[Achievement Unlocked]
[Professor
Your understanding of the world is above most humans.
Get 25 Point on Wisdom.
Reward: Choose (Insight/Instinct/Experience)]
[Skilled
Your control over your own body is unmatched… have you thought of being a magician?
Get 25 Point in Dex.
Reward: Choose (Swift Fingers/Skilled with Weapons/Body Control)]
[Strong
You could have won an Olympic medal lifting weights.
Get 25 Point on Str.
Reward: Choose (Great Impact/Bull Force/Heavy Lifter)]
[Perfect Body
You achieved the physical perfection for a typical human body.
Get 25 Point in End/Str/Dex/Agi.
Reward: 20% Extra passive attributes related to body]
[Perfect mind
Not even Newton or Einstein would be at your level.
Get 25 Point in Wis/Int/Cha
Reward: 20% Extra passive attributes related to mind]
Since I needed all the help, I could get, and I didn't have the time to hear each explanation, I just used my intuition.
'Pick Insight, Body Control, and Great Impact.'
[Synergy effect discovered… Body control and acrobat became Efficient Movement]
My sudden power outburst helped in many ways. I was careful when I left Hayley there and charged towards the man-bull that was leaving the building he crashed into.
Even if I had to choose my perks almost at randomly, I was happy with my choices. The effects of Efficient Movement were already noticeable. The strength perk might not sound too unusual, but right now I need something that can penetrate the man-bull skin
I had to take this chance and use the adrenaline burst to do that and at least wound him enough to not let him stand up again.
I could feel Cold mind acting to make me keep my cool, if it weren't because of it I would have probably already had jumped to the man-bull in revenge for trying to attack Hayley.
The bull made a battle cry so loud that I could feel when Gabriel fainted because of it. The battle cry was also enough to install fear in the hearts of the rest of the party so no one would get in between the fight.
I could have solved it, but there was not really a significant change on what Giorgio, who was the only one in condition to fight, could do.
I started my relentless attack, under the effects of my newly acquired perks and adrenaline burst, and thanks to the debuff on the man-bull, we were fighting in almost the same stand.
1…
2…
…
12…
13…
By the time that I hit him with the thirteen attack, I once again slowed him down again.
I managed to understand that each stack was a 5% slow, so until I surpassed 60% of the skill it didn't take any effect since only the stronger effect was counted. After I reached the maximum, I changed my strategy.
Despite this, to anyone that was watching the fight, it would look like I was losing. I was being pushed back, on each attack.
But it was all part of the plan. We were getting farther from the place were Hayley was laying down. Every strike that I managed to land on the man-bull's body had a meaning. I was starting to get tired, and the effect of the adrenaline burst started to get painful.
So it was time end this…
Chapters 4/7+0/10
Thanks to everyone for supporting EsPerS.
Leave a review if you haven’t done it yet!
If you like the story you can buy me a cup of coffee
ko-fi.com/songweaver.
Or support me on Patreon.
www.patreon.com/SongWeaver
Join my novel Discord!!
https://discord.gg/hKAPJD7