Brunorr

Kai's shirt clung to his skin, drenched with sweat, as he struggled to catch his breath. His chest rose and fell rapidly, each inhale shallow and ragged. With a lot of effort, he lifted the heavy dumbbell one final time before allowing it to crash onto the soft blades of grass below

Kai smiled despite the pain in his arms. He had worked hard and gotten stronger. Just a few days before, he was unsure of himself and his humanity, but now he was back on track to become stronger both mentally and physically.

Exhausted, Kai bent over, breathing heavily. He looked at the nearby lake and took a deep breath before diving into its cool waters. The shock of the cold water was energizing, causing his skin to tingle and his teeth to clench.

"Status..."

Kai called out whilst climbing out of the water, feeling the cold slowly retreat as the morning sun warmed his skin. He momentarily closed his eyes and took a moment to bask in the light, feeling the chill recede.

≈≈≈ 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬 ≈≈≈

𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲: [ 𝐊𝐚𝐢 ]

𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐤: [ 𝐆 ]

𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡: 𝐆+

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚: 𝐆+

𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐞𝐝: 𝐆

𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚: 𝐆+

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥: 𝐅-

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦: 𝐅

...

≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈

Kai's ocean-blue eyes scanned the Status screen and he nodded with satisfaction as he saw that his Strength had increased by a minor realm. Although this was hard to do, Kai's past malnutrition had made his body stats lower than normal for someone who had awakened.

Kai flexed his muscles and felt proud as he saw the outline of his stronger body under his skin. Although the lines were faint, he could no longer be called a skeleton with no flesh on his bones.

Buttoning up his shirt, Kai put the dumbbell in his spatial ring, and took out a bone spear. He was now ready to go hunt for food!

He quietly moved through the forest, trying to make as little noise as possible. Despite being awakened, his recent encounter with a werewolf showed him that he was still small and vulnerable. He walked cautiously, aware of the dangers that could be lurking around him.

With each step, Kai moved with a practiced grace, his knowledge of the forest allowing him to instinctively avoid making any noise. He stepped around branches and fallen leaves, carefully placing his feet where they would make the least amount of noise possible. This was a skill he had honed over many hours spent within the forest, and it was now second nature to him.

Despite his best efforts, Kai's moves were not enough to escape the sharp sense of smell of the monsters lurking within the lush forest.

Ooh ooh ah ah...

Kai quickened his steps as he heard something chattering from above. He ran to a clearer area of the forest where the trees were spaced apart, to take away the advantage from the creature chasing him in the trees.

Kai took a deep breath as he stepped into the clearing, basking in the warmth of the sunlight that was not blocked by the treetops. He came to a sudden stop, his eyes scanning the surrounding trees for any signs of danger. He stood ready, his bone spear held firmly in his hands.

Ooh ooh ah ah...

The chatter grew louder and was soon accompanied by the sound of something heavy jumping from the tree branches. Kai's eyes widened as he laid his gaze upon the monster that stood before him, its body completely covered in brown fur. Despite its small stature compared to Kai, its razor sharp claws and fangs protruding from its maw left no doubt about the deadly nature of this beast.

The creature was known as 'Brunorr', a mammal beast resembling a monkey. It had higher-than-average intelligence, but it was only a G-rank monster, which made Kai sigh in relief.

Stepping forward with his bone spear at the ready, Kai faced the Brown Brunorr, its golden eyes studying him hungrily. The creature's lips twitched, revealing a fearsome set of razor-sharp teeth as it prepared to attack.

"Come on, lunge at me!"

Kai taunted the beast, baiting it into attacking. With a fierce growl, Brunorr flexed his powerful legs and sprang towards Kai, his fat belly swaying as he closed the gap between them with fast speed. Despite his girth, Brunorr's movements were quick and graceful, a testament to his feral agility.

Clank...

The beast lunged forward, its arm extended and claws bared, looking to slash Kai in one swift motion. But Kai was quick, and he managed to parry the attack with a deft movement of his bone spear, the sharpened tip intercepting the monster's claws just in time.

Brunorr's arm jerked backwards from the collision, and Kai seized the moment, lunging his spear at Brunorr's belly, the sharp point gleaming in the sunlight, aimed at the monster's vulnerable abdomen.

Swish...

Unfortunately, Kai was forced to retract his spear and defend against Brunorr's other limb, which was moving towards him with a swift and deadly slash, aimed to cut his neck.

Kai felt a jolt of pain as his spear collided with the beast's nails and stumbled backwards, his hands going momentarily numb. He locked eyes with the monster, who was now sneering with an eerie smile spread across its furry face.

'It was baiting me...'

Kai finally realized the true nature of the monkey-like monster, Brunorr. Not only had it pretended to be intimidated by Kai's taunts, but it was also willing to endure a grave wound for the opportunity to claim Kai's life.

Kai realized that this was no ordinary monster he was facing. This creature possessed a cunning intellect, making it much more dangerous and difficult to defeat. No longer could he rely on basic attacks to overpower it. He needed to employ a more strategic and intelligent approach if he hoped to defeat this foe.

With a surge of Mana coursing through his veins, Kai made his move, lunging forward with his bone spear held aloft. The sharp tip tore through the air as it targeted the monkey's heart, ready to pierce through its defenses.

Despite knowing that defeating Brunorr would require more than brute strength, Kai saw no other option than to take advantage of his longer reach and try to overpower the beast.