6 Chapter 5: The First Soul Reaping

Wh-What the…

I hurriedly checked for my status, since I felt a hard blunt hit me with immense force. I was thrown to the ground and hit a rocky soil, or so I guess.

HG: 5/11

I took damage… And a lot to boot…! That's more than half… Damn it. From what…

Oh, a skill. Nice, nice.

As if to answer my question and to not let me think at all, a powerful vibration resounded in place. Followed by another blunt smash in my body.

Or so it should have been. But I immediately activated my Intangible skill and the attack seemed to hit the ground, passing through my now intangible body.

That was a close call… Phew. I guess, even though I don't have any hearing ability right now, if I can just sense the vibration in the air, I'm good.

At any rate, you dare hit me, eh? Whoever you are, you piece of pesto sauce. Hm. I kind of want to eat a pesto pasta right now.

I don't feel the hunger though.

Even so, my defense really is dependable right now. The damage is not small, but I feel like I withstood a fair amount of damage right now. Nice, very nice.

The attack did not activate my Reflect skill, which means it's an attack that doesn't use Crysaztel. I'm in great danger right now. If not for the Intangible skill, I would have already ran away by now.

I dashed towards the vibrating air and deactivated the Intangible skill for an instant and turn it back on again. Then another heavy smashing vibration reverberated.

Ohoh… I see, with only 2 for my Agility, I'm still quite nimble, huh? I wonder if it's just a nature of a ghost to be nimble. I mean, it's hard to catch them on camera, after all.

But it won't let me stay tangible, just as I thought. Come on. Chill, bro. I just want to Analyze you.

[A century old tree that have gathered and absorbed enough Crysaztel can evolve into a Treant. Dastrientel Treant are a type of Treant that adapted in the environment of Dastrientel Forest of the Deceased, gaining the Dastre element. It acts like a normal tree at first to lure monsters and then attacks using its branches. They bind their target, then strangle them to death. (Intelligence Level 39%)]

HG: 4,200/4,200

CG: 900/900

Physical Attack: 50

Physical Defense: 460

Magical Attack: 0

Magical Defense: 395

Agility: 210

Crysaztel Cognizance: 64%

Crysaztel Manipulation: 0%

[Passive Skills]

(Vigor) (Harden) (Absolute Harden) (Perception Lv. Max)

[Resistance Skills]

(Dastre Magic Resistance Lv. Max) (Poison Resistance Lv. Max) (Paralysis Resistance Lv. Max) (Confuse Resistance Lv. Max) (Grudan Magic Resistance Lv. Max) (Wisona Magic Resistance Lv. Max) (Fear Resistance Lv. Max) (Strike Resistance Lv. Max) (Thrust Resistance Lv. Max) (Slash Resistance Lv. Max)

[Active Skills]

(Strike Lv. Max) (Thrust Lv. Max)

[Active Magic Skills]

(None)

You're kidding me…

I've just started my adventure and it's already the boss battle? You're kidding me… Aside from the skyscraping HG and Physical Defense, those skills are seriously not fooling around.

Compared to my 11 HG and 7 Physical Defense…

Also, hmm… Its C.Cognizance is 64%. First time seeing it that high. But its C.Manipulation is still 0%, though.

[Vigor: Grants additional Health. Adds +10 with every user level.]

Oh, that's a nice skill. More HG, more means of survival after all.

*smash!*

Whoa, wait, dude. Relax. Let me just check out your skills first, you hear me? Guess you can't.

The Treant kept attacking me as if it knows where I am. I feel the air around me wildly vibrates from the whip of its branches. If I can hear right now, I bet there would already be sonic booms resounding all over right then. Do Treants have eyes in this world, I wonder? Its attacks are quite precise.

Ah, wait. I'm intangible right now, so it should not be able to perceive me using its senses. That, of course, also includes the sense of sight. Then, why is it able to attack me, as if it knows my location?

I really have to check its skills.

*smash!*

… With the horrendous vibration from the ground as the background.

[Dastre Magic Resistance Lv. Max: The ability to withstand Dastre Magic is enhanced. The level corresponds to the Dastre Magic skill damage that is decreased by the skill.]

[Poison Resistance Lv. Max: The ability to withstand Poison is enhanced. The level corresponds to the degree of decrease in damage, induced by Poison. Nullity is gained after reaching maximum level.]

[Paralysis Resistance Lv. Max: The ability to withstand Paralysis is enhanced. The level corresponds to the degree of decrease in effectiveness of the Paralysis. Nullity is gained after reaching maximum level.]

[Confuse Resistance Lv. Max: The ability to withstand Confusion is enhanced. The level corresponds to the degree of decrease in effectiveness of the Confusion. Nullity is gained after reaching maximum level.]

[Grudan Magic Resistance Lv. Max: The ability to withstand Grudan Magic is enhanced. The level corresponds to the Grudan Magic skill damage that is decreased by the skill.]

[Wisona Magic Resistance Lv. Max: The ability to withstand Wisona Magic is enhanced. The level corresponds to the Wisona Magic skill damage that is decreased by the skill.]

[Thrust Resistance Lv. 1: The ability to withstand damage from Thrust attacks is enhanced. The level corresponds to the damage that is decreased by.]

[Slash Resistance Lv. 1: The ability to withstand damage from Slash attacks is enhanced. The level corresponds to the damage that is decreased by.]

[Harden: Grants additional Physical Defense. Adds +1 with every user level.]

[Perception Lv. Max: The ability to perceive anything including Crysaztel using the five senses is granted. Gained only by monsters. The level corresponds to the degree of vividness of the perception.]

[Absolute Harden: Advanced variant of Harden. Grants additional Physical Defense. Adds +2 with every user level.]

Hm? So skills have advanced variants, huh? How do I get them, I wonder?

[Strike: Inflict damage to the target by using a blunt force. Damage is increased according to Physical Attack.]

[Thrust: Inflict damage to the target by using a piercing assault. Damage is increased according to Physical Attack.]

Ohohoho… Fascinating. Those are nice set of skills for a tree. I want 'em. I wonder if he would want to give them to me, or at least share some. Hm. Are skills even shareable here? Do you have Bluetooth?

*smash!*

I guess, none.

Hmhm… I see, I see. Aside from the 'very impermeable defense' aura it boasts, I'm more concerned about that Perception skill.

So there's a skill like that too. Just what I was looking for. And it would seem that this must be what the Treant is using to see me, huh?

If I have that, I will be able to perceive things, and much possible, I'll be able to see. I'll have to find a way to acquire the Perception skill. I'm already getting tired of this darkness. That's why, I have to know how to obtain that skill. But for now, I want to somehow defeat this Treant.

Why?

Because that would be interesting, of course.

Alright, let me make this clear. It's not like I'm some idiot who doesn't know the difference between fun and danger. I'm quite cautious myself. But because I know how to defeat it, that I can say this.

Another reason, is I need to get stronger as much as possible. If I want to survive in this place, I have to. Why do I want to survive? Because I want to enjoy this world as much as possible. I want to explore its different places, eat its delicacies, and interact with different people. That adventuring lifestyle.

My last life ended without anything interesting happening. Same old, same old. Nothing exciting. But right now, in front of me, is an adventure I was wishing for. The excitement and thrill I've long waited for.

That's why, 'run'?

Not in my dictionary.

Turn off Intangible, and…~

I dashed towards the Treant at full speed, hitting its trunk with a heavy thud. I activated Intangible again and felt another vibration in the air. I'm just relying on guess since I can't see, but I guess I wasn't off the mark. Well, thanks to the vibration in the air, I can somehow pinpoint its location.

Alright. Its HG decreased, though hardly.

And my HG decreased too.

Uh… My HG just decreased to a dangerous level.

Hm… I can't continue doing it like this. With its unnecessarily idiotic hard defense, I would have to spend my whole life defeating it. And even before I spent that life, I'll die first from self-destruction.

Nice. Thanks. I'll gladly take these skills.

Hmhm. Let's see. What if I attack now using this skill…?

I dashed towards it again after turning off the Intangible skill and crashed on its trunk. I feel a clicking sensation in my mind when I thought of using the Quick Strike skill. I felt like the impact was a bit stronger than before and my speed was a lot faster. Also, I didn't receive any more damage from the recoil.

Hm? My CG was consumed… I see, I see. Let's set that aside for now.

Anyways, the damage is still miniscule. I guess this is only how far a P.Attack of 2 can get against a roughly 460 P.Defense. It will definitely take me days to defeat it with this tactic.

That's why, I'll proceed with the plan B, which I thought of just now.

Mufufu. I'm intangible but I can still use this skill. I don't know how, but somehow I'm able to use it with ease. It's like I'm just moving a part of my body, and there you have it, Soul Consume. Intangible is turned off and I drifted off inside the Treant's trunk.

The Treant kept attacking the same place, hitting itself in the process. Since I'm clinging to him inside while I'm using Intangible, it's like I'm possessing it while consuming its soul.

I'm a genius. Mufu.

What a nice way to put it. I really did acquire the actual skill itself. Let's set it aside for now. I have to focus on defeating this giant of a tree first.

I continue consuming its soul, while feeling a bit stuffed. I don't know if this skill has a limit or what, but I don't have any leniency to care about such stuff. I'll consume and consume. This way, as I'm residing inside its body, I'm safe. Also, I'm defeating it without having much to do.

All the while, the Treant's HG kept decreasing along with its CG.

Hm?

Wait… Why CG?

Let's stop the Soul Consume.

Hm. It also stopped decreasing. However, its HG keeps decreasing because it keeps attacking itself. I bet it's already at its wits end. Mufu. Laughable.

But because of that, I now understand.

The CG is the Soul in this case. Does that mean, if the CG decreased to 0, a living being will die? I only had 1 CG before evolving. Thinking about it, I was on the verge of dying any moment, huh?

Hmhm… Good thing I got to learn that before using this Soul Consume skill. Ever since I came here, there was not a chance to use it, after all. But who knows what will happen in the future. I may end up overusing my CG and die.

*shiver*

Yup, I learned something new.

Anyways, let's just resume draining this Treant out of its soul.

Or should I say, let's go reap this Treant's soul and finish it.

After an hour or so of consuming its soul, the Treant's CG decreased to 0 and stopped moving.

It's now dead.

…

Chapter End

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