Chapitre 14: Manticore
Though the sweat pouring from my body each day told me I was improving, my stats and weapon proficiency didn't move at all. That being said John continued pointing out my faults as we sparred, and they had become less critical. With one day before the exam, Benji and I went and prepared for one last hunt, just the two of us.
"You bought the 2 50HP health potions, right?
"Yep, so you owe me 20 gold."
Benji cringed at my cold comment, "but dude I'm broke, I bought some reinforced leather and an enchanted axe. The flames are so cool too. If we're desperate you can use it like a torch."
"I don't care, you can pay me back at the end of today," my excitement for tomorrow kept my attention, as tomorrow I'll be able to see some of my world's people, though I won't be able to identify them easily I doubt. Entering the forest, it was quiet, which was an odd experience as there were usually more people.
"krrkk krrkk." A group of three -rank kobolds ran towards us, their courage bolstered by their numerical value. Though true that we were outnumbered, with a single swing, both Benji and I had removed a kobold each and I had beaten my barbarian friend to the last kill, simply smashing its skull with the pommel of my sword.
"Yup, no XP for these guys huh?" The two of us hiked directly into the F-rank area, seeing far more people than when we were last here, so I took Benji to the lake where Ophelia and I had faced the frog. On the mossy rocks, two large praying mantis had captured a snack, tearing the gambeson armour apart and munching on the removed limbs of the sole hunter. Worried that Benji would freeze again, I looked over, finding him looking disgusted rather than fearful. 'Seems he grew a lot these past weeks.' Taking one each, the two of us push the mantises, dodging the stabbing forelegs and cutting deep into the carapace, each of us needing only 10 seconds to safely kill the bugs.
*Ding! XP gained +10*
'It seems that F ranks provide what G-ranks used to. Well, that's pretty easy to understand.'
Leaving the lake as we couldn't see any beasts on the land, and had no way of killing those in the water, we headed into the plains.
"Grrr"
"Hey Fionn, it's a lynx again," Benji called out, looking up at the trees and preparing for the ambush. This however left his legs exposed as the second lynx that had been in hiding, rushed out and took a bite out of his leg, causing him to yell in pain and then rage. "Berserk." Growing taller and more muscular, Benji punched the still-chewing lynx, crushing its head. The original lynx, which had been the bait finally dropped from the tree, aiming for me, who was the smaller target. The smaller target, however, spun on the spot and cut through the falling lynx that had made a loud rustling sound as the branch bowed as it pushed off of it.
*Hearts stored- 3*
Grimacing as he drank the sour concoction that had cost him 20 gold, the now shrunken down leg became whole again, as if never injured, the flesh crawling into place layer by layer.
*XP gained +10. Current 43/100*
Walking through the F-rank zone I spot a human-sized kobold, chanting something in their native tongue, wearing robes and holding a staff. Whispering I point it out to Benji.
"Hey dude, why's that kobold shaman so tall?"
" Well a mutated kobold isn't exactly rare, and increased body size is the most common mutation found in monsters. But it's definitely an F-rank, any mutation brings the threat they pose up one level."
Benji suddenly activates his berserker skill, bursting through the foliage and rushing at the shaman, who in a hurried, and clumsy attempt to defend itself from him, fires a small lightning bolt at him, shooting past him and striking me instead, who hadn't seen the spell until it passed Benji's now massive frame.
*HP lost -28*
"Oww shit. Fuck you both!" My heartfelt exclamation called out. Benji's axe cut the fight short, cutting down the fragile shaman kobold in two swings, snapping the staff and his collarbone.
*XP gained +5*
*Barely a Scratch Activated*
Putting the 3 hearts I had into Stamina, I felt much more accepting of the huge energy drain required by the skill.
*Stamina is now 90/180.*
"Jeez, 90 points for 30 HP, that's basically extortion," I groaned, resigned to the cost. "Wanna head deeper?"
"You mean fight an E rank?"
"Kill an E-rank yes."
"You reckon we can do it?
"If we can sneak attack a weaker E-rank? Yes." Thinking through the books that my host had studied on the various monsters in these woods one came to mind. "We could hunt a manticore, it will be risky but we can do it." Benji looked apprehensive for a moment, considering his options, before agreeing, his growing desire for strength overruling his fear.
The manticore we found was a juvenile, somewhere in the low-mid E-rank, and thus ideal for us. Sitting on a rock in the sun, both its lion body and snake tail enjoying the sunlight's warmth.
"sssSSSS" The manticore sprang to its feet, the snake's ability to sense surpassing our stealth, leaving me exposed, with Benji behind me, who'd been preparing to flank. With two bounds and a dive the Manticore's teeth sunk into my waist and sternum, cracking the bones and causing me to wheeze as the air left me.
*HP lost -154 damage*
*Barely a scratch activated*
Benji, not wasting the opportunity, takes a swing at the beast's rear, taking the head of the snake off and cutting into its flank, causing it to drop me. Quickly downing the underexaggerated sour health potion I felt more steady, more ready to kill the fucking thing. The manticore's head, now turned to the barbarian, didn't witness me rise, but it yipped and yelped, jumping away as I ran my sword through its stomach, leaving a deep gash that bled profusely. Using the distance created by the beast's movement, Benji's axe wound back, bashing the axe head into its shoulder with such strength that the beast sunk under the weight. 'If I'm right, not only did Benji focus his stat points on Strength, but both his Berserk and initial skill seem to increase his physical strength.' The creature, now brought to our height, was repeatedly hammered by our weapons and though it attempted to fight back, its paw swatting at us, the sheer blood loss and internal injuries made the attacks slow, as if moving through water. Running my sword through its chin towards its brain I hear the notification of its death.
*Breaker of Chains deactivated due to insufficient energy*
*Ding! XP gained +75*
*Ding Level 7 achieved*
"Status"
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
All-Consuming Beast System
Name: Fionn Meldor
Level: 7 (F-rank)
XP: 23/100
Health: 126/210
Stamina: 20/190 (regen 1 per minute)
Class: Fenris
Stats:
Strength: 22 Agility: 23 Stamina: 19 Constitution: 21 Charisma: 8
Hunger: Locked
Skills:
Breaker of Chains Lvl 2: (Passive)
The host has significantly enhanced resistance to all physical, emotional and mental restraints and is immune to restraints attempted by beings up to 4 levels higher than the host.
Devour Lvl 1: (Passive)
The host can gain stat points by consuming the hearts of his prey.
Barely a Scratch Lvl 1: (Active)
The host has developed a monstrous self-healing factor. When this skill is activated, the user is immobilised and restrained from taking actions, however, will regenerate 1% of their maximum health per second until the user's stamina bar runs out, or the skill is deactivated. (Uses 30 energy + 20 per 5 seconds)
Swordsmanship (Pseudo-swordsmanship):
The host holds a rudimentary understanding of how to hold a sword. He knows where the sharp bit is and can swing it well for an amateur.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"Seeing as we're both 7th, and the exam's tomorrow, how about we take its materials and head home?" Benji asked, tired from using the Berserk skill repeatedly throughout the day. Agreeing without much thought, I focused on my status. 'I don't have enough hearts to upgrade yet, but I've become fairly even across the stats, not including charisma. The rest all seem to have an effect with charisma as the exception.'
The profits from the hunt today earned us spending money for after enrollment, as the 4 F-rank animals had provided 40, while the mutated kobold head provided 14 gold. However, when the clerk at the Monster Part supplier, often used by alchemy and forging businesses to subcontract for materials, saw the manhood and stones of the manticore his eyes sparkled, taking it quickly from us and giving us 80 gold for it. With 67 gold each from today's hunting, and confident in tomorrow's exam, we parted ways and returned home.
*Current Gold- 125*
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone