Tier 5 Lesser Mutant Beast

Chapter 10 - 

Boom! Karsha clashed with the 3-meter-tall tiger, radiating an intense murderous aura. He was pushed back for a few seconds, realizing that his current strength wouldn't suffice to battle the tiger, which stared back at him with pity evident on its face.

"System, add 100 points to all my attributes," Karsha commanded. Immediately, the system complied, imbuing him with renewed energy. Without hesitation, he dashed at the beast again, which remained steadfast in its position.

Boom! Karsha was thrown back once more. However, this time, he managed to push the tiger back a few meters. Acknowledging this minor victory, Karsha concluded that his strength was now close to or perhaps exceeded that of the beast. But even if the beast is stronger than him, he can tell he is at the level he can take on such a monstrosity. Wasting no time, he dashed at it again, sword swinging.

Karsha lacked suitable fighting skills. The only techniques he knew were thrust, parry, slash, and stab, along with basic concepts of swordplay. Being relatively new to swordsmanship, he realized that facing a beast of unknown strength required gaining an advantage.

"Slash!" Karsha swung the Dragon's Fury, unleashing an arc of fire at the beast. However, the creature effortlessly sidestepped, evading the attack as though it were nothing. "Slash, Slash!" Fire arcs continued to shoot forth toward the beast, which seemed unfazed by the lethal attacks, simply evading without bothering to retaliate.

Given Karsha's lack of technique or skill, he could only rely on the active abilities of the Dragon Fury sword to attack from a distance. In close combat, which he had already attempted, the beast's speed and defense proved too formidable. Although he could enhance his attributes by allocating more points, this strategy would ultimately be disadvantageous in the long run.

While having a system offered greater control over abilities and attributes, excessive reliance on it could diminish one's potential. While the system could facilitate strength gains, it also risked limiting natural talent and potential.

Recognizing this, Karsha continued to slash his sword in the hope that the minor damages inflicted by some of the fire arcs would eventually wear down the beast's stamina or health. Unbeknownst to him, however, the beast was not just any Tier 5 monster—it was a Mutant.

Monsters are ranked based on Tiers, comparable to the stages of humans. However, beyond the Tiers, there are three different forms: Alpha Monster, Mutant, and World Boss. Then there are classes associated with these forms of monsters: Lesser, Great, Dark, Terror, Calamity, Devil, and Abomination.

Alphas are strong, but a mutant, even if it's a Lesser mutant, could easily overpower a monster that is a Tier higher. They are calamities that no cultivator would willingly face in battle. Yet here is Karsha, who after escaping the Pit of Darkness, is now fighting for his life against a Tier 5 Lesser Mutant.

For Karsha to believe he could defeat a Mutant with a Tier 1 skill from his sword, he either had confidence from somewhere or he was simply displaying unchecked courage and determination. Nonetheless, he continued to swing his sword, hoping to uncover a solution amidst the chaos.

He later switched from long-range to close combat while formulating many solutions in his head. He had numerous ideas.

However, how to execute them remained a mystery, as his current abilities barely kept up with the beast. All his thrusts, stabs, and slashes were effortlessly evaded by the beast, causing Karsha to curse inwardly about how it toyed with him.

The beast showed no effort to retaliate; it barely acknowledged Karsha's attacks, treating them as insignificant. In other words, the creature insulted Karsha's stance as a warrior. He was a soldier at heart, and one thing soldiers detested was not being taken seriously.

Similarly, warriors in both cultivation worlds, even without Mana, preferred to be treated with respect. Some even sought to die a warrior's death, believing it would secure them a place in the afterlife.

Because of this, Karsha started to get angry. However, unbeknownst to him, the anger he felt wasn't solely his own; it emanated from the beast. The aura emitted by the beast had a unique property. Those who inhaled it for too long would be influenced, and a slight trigger would send them into a pit of despair, where their anger would consume them, ultimately leading to their demise.

Karsha, however, didn't know this, so he continued to slash his sword pointlessly. The only saving grace was that the beast hadn't yet launched an offensive, as its aura had already begun to work on Karsha.

Ten minutes later, Karsha remained in his reverie, continuing to slash in what seemed to be a pointless and hopeless struggle.

Twenty minutes passed, and Karsha remained in his trance, showing no signs of snapping out of it.

However, a closer look at his eyes would reveal a different story. Though his mind was now consumed by anger and despair, his eyes displayed a red pupil with a determined gaze. The aura surrounding Karsha began to change, with his hair turning white and his once blue eyes shifting to a blood-red hue.

Slowly but noticeably, Karsha's speed increased, his attacks intensified, and the density of the aura around him grew. The more he fought, the denser his aura became. Initially arrogant, the beasts began to feel the pressure, yet throughout it all, Karsha remained in a trance-like state.

Thirty minutes passed, and the beast's body was now drenched in blood, yet it remained standing, showing no signs of succumbing to the injuries inflicted.

Its gaze remained unyielding as it glared at Karsha. The aura exuding from it was so potent that the grass around it started losing its vitality, turning crispy.

BOOM! A huge aura exploded from the beast as it dashed toward Karsha, who now looked like a blood demon in berserk mode. His entire face was painted red with blood, and his whole body radiated an intense murderous aura.

He clashed once again with the beast, but despite the beast now attacking instead of defending and dodging, Karsha also held his own. He didn't appear to be suffering; he moved in a calculated yet sluggish manner. The beasts, now wary of Karsha's prowess, also started shooting darts made of blood at him, which he merely deflected with his sword.

The beast employed an ability known as "Blood Dart," which essentially shoots pointed darts made of blood toward its targets. Though it may seem simple, if one of these darts pierces the body, it initiates corrosion from within.

This ability is corrosive, primarily targeting the blood. If left unchecked, there is an increased risk of the blood within the body being corroded, rendering the cultivator lifeless. Even a minor injury can prove fatal. It is an overpowered ability and indispensable. But now that Karsha is on par with the beast, he can defend and evade the attacks effortlessly.

Because Karsha was in a trance-like state and didn't give the beast any breathing space, the parrying only lasted for 20 more minutes before the beast succumbed to the injuries and the fire that continued to burn through the wounds inflicted on its body by the active ability of the Dragon Fury.

Although Karsha was in his trance-like state, the "Dragon Fury" played its part and inflicted fire damage, contributing to the rapid deterioration of the beast's health.

The three-meter-tall tiger fell with a heavy thud, raising dust in the air and causing Karsha to close his eyes for a moment. When he reopened them, the blood-red eyes were nowhere to be seen. Instead, a pair of blue eyes indicated that Karsha was now out of his trance.

But that was when he felt the pain. The strength he used to kill the monster wasn't his own; he had merely tapped into a power far beyond his comprehension. Although he was empowered, it also took a huge toll on his body.

His body wasn't strong enough to handle such power, so when he finally returned to his normal form, he felt weak, dropping onto his back. Karsha leaned against the tree once again, slipping into a short sleep.

He was just too tired to resist the urge to sleep. However, a noticeable phenomenon started around him ten minutes into his slumber. The beast, now lifeless on the floor, began glowing blood-red, and the four meters around it started turning darker. Within the darkness, a small light could be seen rising from the body of the beast.

After emerging from the beast's body, it flew and entered Karsha's forehead. His hair immediately turned white for a few seconds before returning to its natural red. There were no other outward changes; however, a series of texts started populating Karsha's vision.

< Berserker Mutant Tiger Bloodline Retrieved >

< The Bloodline has awakened a Unique Class >

< Class: Berserker Swordsman: Locked >

< The host will have to absorb the bloodline to unlock the class fully>

< Absorption duration: 66 days >

< Note: The host will have to find more bloodlines to enhance the effect of the class since it is a unique class >

< Note: The berserker effect will stay hidden, making only the swordsman class public >

< Note: The host will have to train his swordsmanship skill to unlock all the benefits that come with the class >

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< You have killed a Tier 5 mutant beast: Berserker Mutant Tiger. 1000 Stat Points, 100,000 MP, 20,000 Exp Points obtained>

< Passive Ability: Berserker Fury>