Chapter 15: Chapter 15: Jura Forest [Part 1]
A couple of days passed, and we finally made it to the Jura Forest. After our talk, we started running, and she totally outmatched me in speed. She also said I was slower than last time.
Why must she compare me to myself out of all people? This makes it hard for me to decide if I should be offended or not.
"I'm worried about Veldora showing up. What's our plan if he does?" I asked, aware that I wasn't strong enough to battle a true dragon.
"We'll avoid him. It'll be easy to tell when he's approaching because he won't be able to control his Magicules," she explained. "For now, you will fight the Magic Beasts around the forest."
I assumed that I would receive some training or a skills assessment before I was allowed to fight the monster, but it seems like she wants me to fight right from the start. Perhaps the fact that she has encountered different versions of me has made her confident that I could do it.
"Don't just stand there. Go in. I will set up camp here. You can return around midnight. Now shoo shoo..." She said before shooing me away.
Sighing, I started heading deeper into the forest before muttering, "Weren't she supposed to protect me? Instead, she just told me to enter a monster-filled forest alone..."
If she heard what I said, she just ignored me, so I continued to go deeper into the forest, not sensing any monsters nearby.
As I walked for a while, I felt a high concentration of Magicules emanating not so far away from me. Following my instincts, I headed in that direction.
It didn't take me much time to come face to face with a tiger that had a blade on its tail, sharp talons, and large fangs.
I remembered reading about this monster in a book. It was a Magic Beast that was considered the top predator in the Jura Forest. They were known for using the Skill Voice Cannon, which could create small craters and atomize targets.
As I stood facing the blade tiger, I was surprisingly calm as it circled me, growling menacingly. However, I remained composed, gripping my sword tightly and focusing on my breathing.
The tiger lunged at me, but I calmly sidestepped and swung my sword, narrowly missing its head. It roared in anger and attacked again, but I simply blocked the blow with my sword, feeling the impact but not letting it rattle me.
We continued to trade blows, but I remained centered and in control. The tiger was strong and fast, but I saw an opening and struck with precision, slicing the tiger's hind leg. It roared in pain and tried to flee, but I pursued it with a clear mind.
Finally, after what felt like a long battle, the tiger lay motionless on the ground.
[200EXP for killing (Blade Tiger)]
[Magicules increased by 200]
I let out a sigh of relief, feeling proud of my first win. However, it was short-lived as ten more Magicule signatures, similar to the first, appeared around me.
I found myself surrounded by ten Blade Tigers, their sharp claws and teeth glinting in the sunlight. I knew I had to act fast if I wanted to survive this fight. My sword was already in my hand, and I charged forward, slicing through the air with swift and precise movements.
The first blade tiger lunged at me, but I parried its attack with ease and delivered a powerful blow to its side. It yelped in pain and backed away, but its companions were quick to take its place.
I started dodging and weaving through the onslaught of razor-sharp claws, tails, and teeth. Every time I struck a blade tiger, another would take its place, and soon I found myself slightly tired.
And finally, after what felt like an eternity of fighting, I struck the final blow. The blade tigers lay motionless at my feet, defeated. I breathed a sigh of relief, not sensing anything in my vicinity.
I decided to look at the popup screens that appeared throughout the fight, and a smile formed on my face.
[2,000EXP for killing 10x(Blade Tiger)]
[Magicules increased by 2,000]
[You leveled up x2]
[All attributes increased by two.]
I felt excited to have leveled up two times in one fight, but my enthusiasm quickly waned when I realized how much EXP was required for my next level up.
_____
Name: Cale Valentine
Titles: Adopted Prince
Level: 5 (1,050/1,600 EXP)
Magicules: 41,800
[Stats]
Strength: 82
Vitality: 82
Agility: 82
Intelligence: 102
Perception: 102
Remaining Points: 25
_____
While 1,600 EXP isn't that much, I'm scared about how much the next levels will require.
If I go by the previous level that doubles the EXP required for a level up, then to level up from level ten to eleven, I would need 51,200 EXP! How would I even gain so much if a Magic Beast classified as a B-Rank only give 200 EXP?
I let out a depressed sigh as I gazed at the dark aura surrounding the tigers. "Arise!" I commanded, and they were enveloped with a black substance before they transformed into shadows.
Eleven Shadow Blade Tigers, bowing their heads, now stood in front of me. "Hide in my shadow," I ordered, and they melted into my shadow. I won't fight with my shadows yet. I need to learn how to fight myself and not solely rely on them.
I searched the forest for monsters, but despite the abundance of monsters in the area and Veldora's Magicules leaking, I couldn't find any. However, I could sense his massive amount of Magicules somewhere in the forest, like a raging storm.
The mere thought of coming across Veldora here was frightening. It's not surprising since Veldora is famous for rampaging, causing destruction, and according to Mom, having a brain smaller than a goblin.
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Authors Note:
Thank you for reading this chapter.
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