Altercation 6

Joseph continued to run since he had attracted the attention of someone 'strong,' going against their interests usually ended up causing the naysayer to disappear either in a colorful manner or into someone's belly.

"I should keep at it and find a place to rest looks like a storm is coming up soon!"

As for why humans have resorted to cannibalism, Food was always a scarce resource, even more so with the constant attacks and pillaging of the stray demons.

"Let us see what else I can do with these new items~."

While on the run, Joseph decided to try something out with the hook and rope, all while ignoring the effects that it already had!

Hook

Tool

Durability 11/20

Effect +35% increased climbing speed when scaling walls.

Joseph was curious as to what else could be altered.

Since he could alter item 'conditions' and effects...

...what would happen if he removed some words?

Will that eat away at his stamina?

Or will that give him more breathing room?

So he started with the hook, removing one word from the said effect, which was 'increased.'

The result was surprising, there was no reduction in stamina, but rather it felt like he could add one more word to anything. With that in mind, Joseph tried something that he'd wanted to try.

What would happen if he changed the 'type' category from tool to something else?

Like a yokai or the like?

"Heh, I might be able to make my own harem full of yokais... NOT!"

That alone made him hesitant, with good reason too.

As Yokai tend to do their own thing, ACCORDING to what they are made from.

What if the experiment failed?

That would be a waste of stamina, but in the long run, he'll know not what to do!

But should it succeed?

What if it was hostile to him?

What if they simply abandoned him just because?

what if it was much stronger than what he could handle?

*GROWL*

The sound of familiar animalistic growls quickly put him on edge with his skin getting goosebumps!

Blurry figures approached his area climbing up trees and hiding in the shadows before looking towards him as they had him completely surrounded!

Soon there were over twenty naked kids and teenagers, covered in blood and gore, had reached his location.

Not only were they extremely agile, but they also worked together like a pack of wolves!

Who knows how many victims they had claimed before reaching him, as even now the younger ones in the back were feasting on a limb of a human!

All while their bloodthirsty gazes locked onto his figure!

This made him change his mind about creating a yokai and took the 21 words of two extra items and put it ALL into his Shilluk.

All while failing to notice one of the younger ones inching closer to him from behind.

In desperation, Joseph had made his very first item that now had a secret just waiting for the perfect chance to come out!

Sharp bronze Shilluk

?? Weapon

Durability ??/??

Effects:

>+ 13% life steal with every stab!

>permanently steals 3.5% of the stats of victims wounded by this weapon and adds it to the weapon!

This was something Joseph added in a rush, His life was at stake, so this was the only thing that the man could think of!

The others began to cackle and snicker like a pack of hyenas, breaking him from his concentration.

He would have the last part saying that it'll be added to himself, but one of the animalistic children didn't wait as Joseph nearly lost his head to a claw from one of the stray demons that were picked clean of anything usable, from behind.

These claws tend to be sharp enough to cleave through IRON!

The scary part about this was the fact that ALL of them had at least two in hand!

Joseph breathed heavily, trying to maintain his focus on them; he had already done what he could; now it was time to stay alive through his own efforts.

His near-death experience lingered in his mind, and something warm that dripped down from the side of his cheek and the burning feeling on his ear already told him of the injury he had suffered!

The growling, snarling, cackling, and giggling only grew louder as they gradually surrounded him!

While he wanted to say something, it was useless against these bloodhounds as they only wanted one thing from him...

...His corpse!

The man quickly scanned the area for any trees with a big trunk, and such a thing would help against attacks from behind If he used it right.

But since these kids were keen on killing him and Joseph knew that he was no match for them, the man was going to do the one thing that he was reluctant to do.

Again his momentary distraction gave one of his attackers an opening as he looked for a tree of his requirements, Joseph tilted his torso backward as much as possible, to the point that he fell to the ground!

But that wasn't enough to dodge the attack completely, as it shredded the tunic as the claw tore through the cloth, his skin, and some muscles, and ruined one of his ribs as his blood quickly stained the ground.

Okay, maybe he might've imagined it, but there might've been some pieces of his ribs that were flying.

"AAARRRRGGGHHHH!!!!"

A pained cry was all Joseph could give as rolling across the mud with an open wound didn't help with the flaring pain!

Despite the extra pain it caused, He rolled desperately to the side as another one joined with a downward slash removing a chunk from his shoulder!

Soon, Rain started to fall from the sky, heavily so Joseph's left arm dangled off to the side of his body, giving an obvious sign of how bad it was, but the attackers were relentless.

They never gave him a chance to breathe, retaliate, or even think!

It was like suffering under a series of slashes that seemed endless. By the time his back was finally against a tree, Joseph had already looked like he had been cut and stabbed a few dozen times.

The kids all grinned widely in satisfaction as they seemed to enjoy watching him struggle, it was a kind of grin that only psychopaths had.

The cackles and giggles flooded out the growls and snarls, making it quite apparent how much these kids enjoyed breaking him down.

But even if Joseph knew that it was pointless right now since he couldn't keep up with the youngest of them all, what else could this dying man do?

His body was shaking from the injuries and blood loss. The attackers were enjoying the moment as their snickering and low growls would poke at the victim, who couldn't put up a fight.

Joseph was struggling now to blackout by biting into his tongue!

So with things being so dire and not wanting to die like this, he took off all the effects of his clothes and applied them to the tree that stood right behind him.

As he changed its type into something that would either help or kill him...

Elder treant!

Regardless, at least it'll ruin these brats that pushed him to this point.

As his consciousness left him, a strange roar unlike any other reverberated within the vicinity, and He smiled, knowing that at least he had learned something new before the end~.

Or was it?