Killing Spree

[You have leveled up to level 18!]

Trace wiped away some of the blood that had splashed on his face. He eagerly opened his quest screen. 

Demon Slayer (Unique): Kill 10 barghest/Kill 10 gywolli, OR kill 10 beasts of demonic descent. Reward: E-Grade Equipment, Body Tempering Manual. (9/10) - barghest

Trace grinned. Only one more barghest to go. 

As it turned out, weaker enemies didn't give that much Essence any more. That was because each level required more and more Essence. However, his killing spree on the barghest had helped him become familiar with them. He could kill them pretty easily by now. 

Trace ignored the lifeless barghest carcass and continued deeper into the forest. Barghest could hardly pose a challenge to him anymore. 

After he finished this quest, he would start seeking out strong enemies to fight. He wasn't just surviving anymore. He was going to thrive. 

Trace's mind returned to his Dao. He opened his status screen out of boredom- but also because he loved seeing his growth and progression laid out like that. It was so... Satisfying. 

[Name]: Trace

[Race]: [E] Goblin - Primordial Gladiator (Locked)

[Level]: 18

[Class]: [F] N/A

[Alignment]: [Coronus] Gilea

[Titles]: Progenitor, Beastial Prodigy, Dao Scholar 

[Dao]:  Node of Power - Early

Strength - 29 [Efficiency: 25%.]

Dexterity -  29 [Efficiency: 25%.]

Endurance -  27 [Efficiency: 25%.]

Vitality -  32 [Efficiency: 20%.]

Intelligence -  34 [Efficiency: 20%.]

Wisdom -  33 [Efficiency: 20%.]

Luck -  30 [Efficiency: 20%.]

Free Points: 54

Nexus Coins: [F] 8

Trace grinned as he looked at his gains. He would be level 25 in no time. Firstly, though, he had to check out his new title.

[Dao Scholar: Comprehend a Dao before getting a class. Reward: Soul Strength increased.]

Another one of these, huh?  Trace thought, rubbing his chin. What was Soul Strength? Well, as long as it was increased, he wouldn't complain.

Trace then turned his attention to his free points. When he entered his tree, he would probably allocate them. He had been putting it off too long.

A snarl caused Trace to snap back to reality. Looking ahead, he had finally come across another barghest. This one growled at him menacingly. Trace quickly used  [Intrusive Eye].

[Barghest - Level 10]

Oh, this one is pretty strong.  Trace thought, lifting up his fists and getting into a boxing stance.

The barghest fully turned now, roaring with all of its might. But Trace was unfazed as he motioned for it to attack him. 

The barghest complied, charging at him with such speed that normal Trace would've been worried.

But he knew the tendencies of barghest. He knew they were stupid, and they preferred to charge straight at their target and rarely used their claws. They were simple-minded beasts.

Right as the barghest as within striking distance, Trace sidestepped and spun simultaneously, delivering a full-power kick to the demon dog's stomach. The kick wasn't aided by his Dao of Power, but it completely robbed the barghest of momentum and sent it flying a few feet to the side. 

Trace darted after it, going on the offense now. As he had robbed the barghest of momentum, it would take a while for it to recover. So now that it was dazed and lying on the floor, Trace delivered a flurry of blows at its head.

Each punch wasn't aimed to hurt- Trace was attempting to punch through it. He was focusing his power, he was trying to drill into the things' head, trying to kill it quicker. 

Finally, Trace punched with a fist full of his Node of Power. His fist gained a weight to it that wasn't there before, and he crushed the head of the barghest. The demon dog didn't even get to whimper under Trace's assault. 

Trace grinned again as he felt the Essence from the kill. It wasn't enough to push him to level 19, but every bit counted. Trace made to turn back towards the direction of his tree, but he felt a prickling sensation at the back of his neck. It urged him to move.

Listening to his instincts, Trace dove to the ground beside him, but he wasn't quick enough. A light cut appeared on his cheek. Trace immediately stood upright, whirling to face his attacker.

Was that an arrow? He hadn't even seen it. But when Trace turned towards the direction the prickling sensation had come from, he saw nothing. But when he turned to where the supposed arrow should be, he instead saw a beast. 

It was similar to the barghest in height. It looked nothing like them, though. It was like a starved dog, but not a single hair was on its body. It instead had wrinkly pink skin, and its ribcage was clearly visible against its skinny body. A whip-like tail curled around it, and fully red eyes that seemed to almost pop out of their sockets peered at him. Its upper lip was curled into a silent snarl showcasing yellow, thin teeth. And its claws were longer and sharper than anything Trace had seen, glinting in the patterned light of the forest.

Trace immediately used  [Intrusive Eye].

[Gywolli - Level 20]

Trace frowned and pulled up his fists, but before he even did, the gywolli had turned into a blur. Only by pivoting to the right had Trace managed to turn a fatal wound along his chest into a glancing blow. 

Trace immediately backpedaled as the gywolli was visible to his eyes again. He activated Supreme Concentration.

The world slowed and came into focus. In a sphere of 30 meters, he knew and saw everything. He could feel the hummingbird variant sipping a flower on a tree a few meters away. The hummingbird was then killed, as it turned out the flower was actually poisonous.

He could feel each and every drop of dew that slid along the web of a spider. He could  feel  every blade of grass. It was weird, and he quickly tuned out the other sensations. This sphere of perception seemed to have a passive and active mode, and the active drained his stamina more.

All of this went through Trace's mind in a second as Trace turned his attention to the silent gywolli, who was slowly prowling toward him. And in a flash of pink skin, the battle was on.