9. Stone hound

[ You gained skill swordsman II ]

With the last prompt Eric got a headache. as images of different types of swordman stances appeared in his head.

""what is this feeling It feels like I've been practicing with swords for at least a few years!"

but after that another revelation hit me.

"what the hell! I can even absorb someone's skill which they have spent years learning!"

And similar abilities get combined. But now my control over my power and speed is lost."

my excitement died down as I realised side effects of gaining others'arcane abilities.

If I continued to hunt and absorbed abilities recklessly, the outcome would be lost of control and that was a heavy price.

'Well, everything comes with a price. I have to stop hunting for a few days and train on my control.'

I thought as I headed toward the place where I left the wolf.

**

Eric's house.

It was already midnight and Eric had returned home two hours ago. He was currently in his room staring at the ceiling while resting on the bed.

"Today was hectic. I killed another human for the first time."

Although I didn't show it, I was anxious after killing another human being. It wasn't because I would get in trouble for killing or anything, in this world murder was allowed as long as you have power. it doesn't matter how many you kill as long as you have power nobody will say anything.

"If I hadn't killed them they would have killed me. To them it didn't matter if my father is an SS+ rank awakener ,as they saw the opportunity they tried to take it."

I kept on staring at the ceiling.

'That's right, all that matters in this world is individual strength. That's all that matters.'

With this last thought in my mind I fell asleep.

**

It was 6am in the morning and I was standing in the training grounds.

"Huff...let's start with strength."

I did some warmup exercises, after doing that I called out.

"Maverick bring me a sword."

Once again Maverick appeared out of nowhere.

"You know how to use swords?"

Maverick asked with questioning look on his face.

"I know some tricks."

"Hmm.....then I'll bring you one."

After saying that Maverick disappeared and reappeared in 5 seconds with a sword in his hand.

I took the sword from his hand.

"Seems good enough."

I said as I swung the sword around.

"You can go now."

I said to Maverick after examining the sword.

Maverick looked at the sword for a few movements and answered

"Yes, young master"

With that Maverick disappeared from his spot.

I stared at the blade of the sword, as I started to move the sword according to the swordman skill. At first it was awkward but as time passed I got better at it and soon I was able to adapt to the skill swordsman completely.

"I could have done it faster if it wasn't for my sudden increase in strength. But the swordman skill also helped me control my strength faster."

Now it's time to train with speed.

Just when I was about to train with my speed, because of my Enhanced agility ability.

I heard the Maverick voice.

"Young master I prepared the wolf for your hunting."

"Oh! there's no need to. I forgot to inform you that I won't be going hunting for a few days."

Hearing this Maverick had a troubled look on his face. but it was gone as soon as it appeared.

"I understand."

'I didn't know it was already time for hunting.'

Without Eric knowing eight hours had already passed.

'I was so immersed in training huh. Well I still need to train more.'

With that thought Eric immersed in his training again.

*

In one of the rooms of the castle.

"It seems we have to delay the plan for the time being. Target has informed me that he won't be going out of the castle for the time being. "

"I don't care about that. Remember that there are only ten months before the trial of succession. get rid of him before that. Understood?"

"Yes."

Maverick answered as a man with fiery red hair smiled in a communication orb.

"Hmm...."

*

Eric spent three days in training. he trained in everything including mana control.

'Since I'm attracting mana without mana control, it must be because I'm going to advance to the next rank. this must be E+ rank.'

I thought as I saw several of the mana orbs were staying close to me without doing anything.

I sat in Lotus position as I began to draw mana in my abdomen and then released it inside the body.

I repeated the process until heat started coming from my abdomen, and then started spreading in my whole body.

I opened his mouth as foul black gas Was released from my body.

"I broke through D- rank."

Eric clenched his fist as he felt power within himself.

'Breaking through D rank was even more good than braking through E. This feeling is way too addictive.'

'I should start going on the hunt again. To solidify my rank.'

I thought as I overcame the addictive feeling of getting stronger.

'Should I hunt stone hounds, since I increased my strength this much it shouldn't be a problem.'

Eric thought for a while and decided to go with a stone hound.

"Maverick prepare the wolf I'm going to hunt some monsters today."

"Yes, young master."

Maverick's voice came but he was nowhere to be seen.

*

In the forest near the place where Eric had killed Mike and his two guards.

Eric reached that place with a wolf . And started headed toward where Mike and his guards came from.

'They were going to hunt stone hounds so they should have at least found one. Since stone hounds are territorial monsters they wouldn't leave their place.'

i began searching around the place. It took me two hours to find a stone hound with the help of tracer ability, resting in a place filled with boulders.

I didn't waste any time and fired many fire spears at it because if the hound sensed my smell, I would lose the element of surprise.

As if sensing that something was coming its way, the hound opened its eyes to only see several fire spears coming its way. Hound hurriedly got up and dodged all the spears coming its way and growled at the direction where they came from.

'It moves fast for his big body.'

I thought as I saw a maddened hound charging at me with full speed and with its four meter high body.

I didn't stay still as I also started running. but still the hound was faster than me, as soon enough it would catch up with me.

Eric who saw that hound was catching up with him used his ability [poisonous gas] to leave a cloud of green gas behind.

and much to my surprise hound avoided the cloud of poisonous gas.

'It is different from rest of the monsters it isn't as stupid as them.'

I thought as I fired another batch of fire spears in a different place making it impossible for a hound to dodge.

Noticing many spears were coming its way, and no place to escape, hound fell in Eric's trap and the fire spear collided with its body.

Boom! A cloud of dust rose from the ground as Eric stopped in his tracks to see the outcome. although he was sure that hound didn't survive that attack as none of the monsters till now were capable of surviving Chaos fire.

But as a cloud of dust started to settle down I saw the outline of the hound figure in the cloud of dust. Soon dust was fully cleared, my eyes widened as I saw the hound completely safe and covered in a protective layer of rough grey stones. There were many stones scattered in the vicinity with purple fire on them which was already turning them into ashes.

Seeing this I understood how hound was able to survive Chaos fire and simply I was impressed.

'When the spear collided with it. It must have covered itself in those gray rocks but as it realised that fire will soon turn the stones into ashes, it left the stones and made a new one to protect itself.'

Now the hound which was covered in a gray layer of rocks stared at Eric in a threatening manner.

It started running towards me albeit slowly. this time I didn't run either, I fired several fire spears at its direction.

hound didn't dodge and head on collided with the spear. and movement his body came in contact with the spears, it abandoned the specific gray rock covering that part of body, and continued its charge on me but it's speed again slowed down as it started covering it's body with grey rocks.

I saw the opportunity to attack as I fired ten more fire spears at the hound and closed the distance between us.

Hound did the same thing as before and abandoned the part which caught Chaos fire.

but until it recovered Eric was already close enough as he used [poisonous gas] , not in hope that it could do some damage but just to distract the hound.

and as I expected the hound was distracted by a cloud of green smoke. I took the opportunity to climb on hounds back and opened my palm and pressed it against the hounds back which was covered with a layer of gray rocks. Moment my palm came in touch with hounds back , I whispered.

[Chaos purification]