Chapter 4

Kaito sidestepped the attack, narrowly avoiding the beast's claws. He could see the desperation in its movements, its strength waning with each failed strike. The Tigral swiped at him again, but kaito ducked, evading the attack.

Realizing he needed to act quickly, kaito activated one of his skills.

A glowing sphere of fire formed in kaito's hand, crackling with energy. He focused on the Tigral, aiming for its hind legs to exploit its weakness. With a swift motion, he hurled the fireball at the creature.

The fireball struck the Tigral's Hind legs, exploding in a burst of flames. The beast roared in pain, its fur singed and muscles seared. It staggered, struggling to stay upright.

Seeing an opportunity, kaito advanced, his sword flashing in the dim light. He aimed for the creature's hind legs again, his blade finding its mark and slicing through muscle and tendon. The Tigral roared in agony, collapsing to the ground.

Despite its fall, the creature attempted one last desperate attack, lunging at kaito with a wild swipe. Kaito brought his sword up in a defensive stance, but the force of the blow sent him sprawling. He felt a sharp pain in his side where the creature's claws had grazed him.

Ignoring the pain, kaito pushed himself to his feet. With a final determined swing, he struck the Tigral's Head, ending its suffering. The beast collapsed, lifeless, its fierce eyes finally closing.

[Experience Gained: 1400 XP]

[Level Up]

[Level Up]

[Level Up]

Breathing heavily, kaito dropped to his knees, clutching his side. The wound was deep, and he could feel the warmth of his blood seeping through his fingers. Panic began to set in, but then he remembered the crystalline shrine.

Staggering to his feet, kaito made his way back to the shrine, each step a painful reminder of his injury. As he approached the glowing structure, the soothing warmth enveloped him once more. He could feel the healing aura working its magic, the pain in his side gradually subsiding as the wound began to close.

Relief washed over him as the shrine's light mended his injuries. The healing process was quick and efficient, his flesh knitting together and the pain ebbing away. Within moments, he felt almost as good as new, the wound now just a faint scar. He took a deep breath, feeling a renewed sense of strength and vitality.

As the light of the shrine continued to bathe him in its healing glow, Kaito decided to take a moment to check his stats. The encountered with the Tigral, has surely increases his level multiple times. He mentally summoned his status screen, curious to see his progress.

Character Stats:

[Name: Kaito]

[Level: 5] [Experience: 130/1100]

[Class: Swordmanship]

[Trait: None]

[Strength: 13]

[Agility: 10]

[Magic: 11]

[Endurance: 9]

[Stat Points: 9]

[Skills Unlocked: 2 (Analyze,Fireball)]

Kaito smiled, pleased with his increased level. He knew he had to distribute his stat points wisely to maximize his effectiveness in future encounters. With his recent battles in mind, he decided to focus on enhancing his strength and agility, which would improve both his offensive and defensive capabilities.

He mentally allocated his stat points:

[Agility: +4 (bringing it to 14)]

[Strength: +5 (bringing it to 18)]

The new values appeared on his status screen, and he felt a surge of power as the changes took effect.

Character Stats:

[Name: Kaito]

[Level: 5] [Experience: 130/1100]

[Class: Swordmanship]

[Trait: None]

[Strength: 18]

[Agility: 14]

[Magic: 11]

[Endurance: 9]

[Stat Points: 0]

[Skills Unlocked: 2 (Analyze,Fireball)]

Kaito felt a newfound confidence as he looked at his improved stats. However, his status screen indicated something new, a choice of skill. He had gained enough experience to unlock another ability, and the system presented him with five options.

[Please choose one of the 5 skill listed]

[Quick Analysis]

[Piercing Strike]

[Fire Lance.]

[Sword Burst.]

[Stealth]

Kaito carefully read through the descriptions of each skill, weighing their potential benefits in his mind. Each one offered unique advantages that could enhance his combat abilities in different ways.

As he considered his options, he imagined how each skill could be applied in battle.

Quick Analysis.

Description: A skill that dramatically accelerates the user's cognitive processing, allowing them to swiftly analyze and interpret complex information with remarkable precision.

Effects:

•Enhances mental speed, enabling the user to quickly evaluate situations and data.

•Improves concentration, allowing the user to notice critical details and patterns.

•Facilitates faster and more accurate decision-making under pressure.

The thought of enhancing his cognitive processing intrigued him. "Enhancing mental speed and improving concentration could give me a tactical advantage," he mused. "Being able to make faster and more accurate decisions under pressure could be invaluable in combat." Kaito imagined himself swiftly analyzing enemy movements and battlefield conditions, anticipating their actions before they even happened. It was tempting, but he decided to explore the other options before making a decision.

Stealth

Description: A skill that renders the user invisible to enemies for a limited time. While in Stealth Mode, the user's movement speed is also enhanced.

Effects:

•Grants invisibility to enemies.

•Increases movement speed by 20%.

The idea of invisibility intrigued him, but he questioned its practicality in his current situation. "While being invisible could certainly help me evade enemies or launch surprise attacks," he thought, "I'm not sure how effective it would be against creatures with heightened senses like the ones I've encountered." He considered the increased movement speed as a potential advantage for reconnaissance or escaping from dangerous situations.

Fire Lance

Description: The user summons a spear of blazing fire and hurls it at their target, piercing through enemies with searing heat.

Effects:

•Piercing Attack: The fiery spear travels in a straight line, incinerating anything in its path with intense heat. It pierces through multiple enemies, leaving severe burns.

•Burn Effect: Enemies struck by the lance suffer from intense burns, causing continuous pain and reducing their ability to fight effectively.

The image of summoning a spear of blazing fire appealed to his adventurous spirit. "A piercing attack with burning effects could be devastating," he thought. "It could be useful for taking down larger enemies or dealing with groups of foes." However, he also realized that it might consume a significant amount of magic energy, which could limit its usability in prolonged battles. Besides his more focused on Swordmanship.

Sword Burst.

Description: The user gathers their strength and releases a burst of energy from their sword, striking all nearby enemies with a powerful shockwave.

Effects:

•Energy Shockwave: Emits a shockwave from the sword that damages all enemies within a 5-meter radius.

•Stun Effect: Enemies hit by the shockwave are briefly stunned, giving the user an opportunity to follow up with additional attacks.

•Armor Break: Reduces the defense of enemies struck by the shockwave for a short duration.

The concept of releasing a shockwave of energy from his sword intrigued him. "This could be effective for crowd control," he thought. "The stun effect and armor break could create openings for follow-up attacks or provide a chance to retreat." He imagined himself surrounded by enemies, unleashing a burst of energy to turn the tide of battle in his favor.

Skill: Piercing Strike

Description: The user focuses their strength into a single, precise attack, dealing significant damage to a targeted enemy.

Effects:

•Focused Attack: Delivers a powerful, precise strike that deals additional damage.

•Critical Hit: Increases the chance of a critical hit, dealing even more damage.

•Armor Piercing: Penetrates the target's defenses, ignoring a portion of their resistance or armor.

The idea of focusing his strength into a precise attack resonated with him. "Dealing significant damage and penetrating the target's defenses could be crucial," he realized. "It offers a balance of offense and defense, allowing me to strike with precision while ignoring some of the enemy's resistance." He imagined himself delivering devastating blows to formidable foes, exploiting their weaknesses with calculated strikes.

After carefully weighing his options, Kaito made his decision.

[Skill Selected: Piercing Strike]

[New Skill Unlocked: Piercing Strike]

With his decision made, Kaito focused on the skill he had chosen: Piercing Strike. The thought of delivering powerful, precise strikes filled him with anticipation. He imagined himself testing it out, feeling the surge of energy as he unleashed its potential.

Leaving the crystalline shrine behind, Kaito ventured into the nearby forest clearing. Spotting a thick tree trunk, he decided to test out his new skill. Gripping his sword tightly, he concentrated his strength, channeling it into a single, focused attack.