Abnormalities arise

Inside the forest of illusion a place where it was said to be inhabited by imps and species of the same caliber. An outsider was able to not only penetrate through their illusions and mental attacks. He was able to pressure these notorious monsters that were labeled to be the nightmare for any guardian. Yet he stood tall and even change the narrative of any kind of similar tale. Neon was the embodiment of fear and his role of prey was altered to a rampant predator

[System: You're unable to produce any more than you could have desired. The thornerus bone structure has sucked every ounce of mana stored within the host. You only produce no more than 20 thornerus bolts]

"Heh, just like my intuition has anticipated, it seems that I can only produce the weapon and not an attack. Producing a single bolt was already tiring more or less time-consuming, but injecting my arm with mana? It's plausible that I can use my hands as its launcher instead of throwing it with brute force. However, doing such a thing will only use more of my mana," He holds up a single piece thornerus bolt in his hands and appraises its quality

[Thornerus bolt: A bolt that was created by the guardian known as Neon. It has the attributes of a late catastrophic monster called

[Thornerus hound]. A monster that was said to have both offensive and defensive capabilities. Which was able to conjure its bone as a means of absolute defense or an inescapable attack

Attack damage: 25

Pierce rate: A bolt that was created and reshaped to have more penetration. Which lessens the bolt from embodying a powerful impact, overall: D+

Precision: Due to the crafter being inexperienced. The design made it less precise when it comes to a certain distance, overall: F-

Air resistance: Its applied force will slowly fall once it reaches a certain distance from the thrower. However, the design made it aerodynamic which grants it a perfect fit as a projectile, overall: E+]

"It's quite better than what it's the previous iteration. While im not that much knowledgeable in crafting weapons, I was told that my stats in intelligence were the highest when I was a child. I was told I have the quality befitting that of an alchemist, blacksmith, or even a magician. Whilst blacksmithing relies more on dexterity, they also need a good amount of intelligence,'

The reason why he entered into this treacherous path, he'd noticed there was a strange occurrence on his hunting grounds. Something didn't feel right when he notices that the beast who once roam slowly disappeared from his sight. No matter how much he slaughter their kind, monsters were known to reproduce at a faster rate. It was one of the few things he learned when he was still the person known as Ernest Quelt

"Even though I didn't inlay any kind of fear on their kind, it's strange that they've been silent... I thought it was just a coincidence when the hogs disappeared, however by the time I came to the void serpents... They basin without a trace. I came to realize that the territory of the imps had reached my turf," It was commonly known that a monster will seek to expand their territory

When a group of monsters has grown larger in military size and whatnot. It's only the laws of nature that can't be controlled by anyone, however, he saw this as a blessing. But at this rate, the monsters would've already sought to conquer the rest of the lands. This made Neon skeptical, why would such an overwhelming monster be more reserved? It was such an odd sight to behold until he finally found a logical conclusion

'Perhaps... No, thinking that it's only a possibility is beyond ignorance and lies more on the borderline of stupidity. Well-behaved for a bunch of monsters known to be downright mental to toy with their prey. It's official, these monsters have an "Abnormal" on their side. I remember writing a book about this study...'

'Abnormalities are an existence inside a race that's far beyond what a standard of their kind could accomplish. If the guardians call their kind geniuses or perhaps prodigies, I classified this occurrence as abnormalities. Those monsters are mutated variants of their kind and at one point may even develop a new ability,'

[System: You've taken a few items from your dimensional pocket. The requested items have been placed by your side]

After concluding his theory, he brought forth a bunch of his alchemical equipment from his inventory. He thought it would've been a long and hectic turn of events once he chose to venture into the forest of illusions. Anticipation or it might've been pure cautiousness, he also brought an abundance of materials. Herbs, monster drops, and even most of his alchemical set in the mix

"I wasn't a person that likes to be overly concerned about my surroundings but thank god for my intuition. For now, I should craft a few presence-warding potions, since I've entered into the territory ruled by an abnormal. I was lucky that the ones I fought were not that intellectual," After placing a few of his vials near the fire, he started developing his potions

After one was created he quickly gulped it without a single drop being left within the vial. With that, his worries were extinguished by the effect of his potions. Soon after he retired to gain some rest. While he happily sleeps a few imps arrived at his previous post and there they saw their fallen kin. They weep and curse at the one that took the lives of their brethren before their set ablaze from a gas he hid on the corpse

6 hours later

Once he came to his senses, Neon found his perfectly made hiding spot to be surrounded by a dozen or so imps. They weren't able to find his exact location thanks to the help of his potions but seeing their actions only solidified his conclusions. Their coordinated and well-behaved manner proves his theory to be the truth. That he encountered one of the rarest occurrences in the world, the rise of an abnormal and its ever-growing military power

"If they kept on the same pace they'll undoubtedly rule the dark forest with sheer numbers alone. However, they came to the wrong place. This is my territory, even if I'm not acknowledged as the ruler. Inside the vicinity of my cave im undoubtedly the most powerful entity,"

His surroundings have been greatly affected by the attempt of the imps on expanding their rule. If his main source of experience would fell to ruins due to extraneous events such as expansion. Then it's highly plausible it'll leave a horrible taste in his mouth and took it to maintain and solidify his standing

[System: The skill called [Empower] has been activated by the command of the guardian. The guardian has chosen to empower his hands by injecting the required mana. For a short period, you'll gain an increase in your hands]

[Special ability: Golden eye of the abyssal tiger has perceived the location of the hostile forces. The eyes have given you the ability to see through the illusions they created. Whilst also increasing the guardian's accuracy]

He wasted no time and effort and threw his first bolt that pierces through the head of its target. Instead of hearing or witnessing the fall of their allies, the imps were misdirected when they heard a loud thud in a tree. There wasn't anything wrong, only the fact that it was later showered with their blood. Without even a single one of their own realizing that they were falling and dancing in his palms. They encountered one of Neon's leeches he deployed that's appointed to guard his defenseless rear

[System: [Empower] has greatly increased the damage of the thornerus bolt. Its synergy with the Golden eyes of the abyssal tiger is relatively made for one another. The increased accuracy and throwing power have proven to be effective]

"Graaaaah!!!" The imp later regretted attacking the devouring leech once it sees it as a threat and its sustenance. It was incredibly swift and its biting strength made it harder for the imp to escape. What's more, it seems that it holds circular formed teeth that turn and acted as a blender. Its thick flesh that acted as armor was easily shredded by its teeth

In the center, Neon stood to see that most of the imps have fallen prey to his bolts, and those that were usable were retrieved. His leeches gave him the few that weren't broken down into a mere shells of their old form. Even though he gained what he desired, to acquire the eye of the system in granting him the spell

[System: Your kill count on the tiny little scheming devils known as imps have exceeded 50. You'll be given a skill that's related to the monsters you've slaughtered, satisfy the requirements first. You'll only need to choose from [Mental] or [Magical] property before you're granted the appointed skill]

"I think it's time to create a new set of armor and equipment. The sword I've created from the void serpent's fangs isn't lacking in terms of damage. However, I'm facing a race that specializes in long-distance warfare, I've already acquired a ton of their drops. Be it their scales or other body parts, I think I can make a weapon for myself," After his leeches gave him the drops, he left for another location. If they truly were ruled by an abnormal it would simply be a horrible choice to stay. Now that he killed the imps that were ordered to scout their territory, he's already seen as a threat