Chapter 6

Author's note:

Before we begin with the new chapter, I'd like to let everyone know I've acquired a co-writer for the story. They will be helping me as a co-writer does. This means they have a hand in keeping the quality of the story high and keeping errors low. They go by the name of Chef, and their contribution to chapters 6 and 7 have been great and substantial.

I've kept you long enough; I hope you enjoy the chapter!

CH6 Updated*

x x x

Miura Yumiko took a deep breath and walked into her classroom. She turned and found a familiar head of pink hair styled in a bun.

Yuigahama Yui's blushing face sported an awkward smile as she nodded along to the excited ramblings about the most recent Yaoi show that their friend Ebina Hina, the ever-enthusiastic fujoshi, was currently watching.

The rest of their class were also unfortunately subjected to Ebina's loud and incredibly detailed recounting of the show, and while they tried to ignore her, the embarrassed and annoyed looks on their faces suggested their failure to do so.

Seeing Yui made Yumiko pause. Her cheeks burned bright red when the memory of her mouth-to-mouth with Hikio hit her once again like a freight train. "My first k-kiss." She whispered to herself shakily, looking down at her feet in total embarrassment.

"Ah! Yumiko!" Yui's bright and cheerful voice caused Yumiko to jump, spinning her attention back to her friend. "Over here!" Yui ushered her over with a jolly wave.

Yui's happy face suddenly forced Yumiko to reconsider her next course of action. She didn't want Yui to be as despondent and depressed as she was last year. Whatever happened between the members of the Service Club, it caused Yui to close off until the beginning of their third year, refusing to give her and Hina any details even when she was being more cheerful again. The only thing Yumiko knew for sure was that it involved Hikio in a massive way, and dread suddenly pooled within her gut as she remembered how he was very close to death just last night.

With a deep breath, Yumiko walked over and stood beside her friends. Noticing her current state, Hina dropped her eccentric behavior and became worried. Yui's smile vanished, being replaced with a worried frown.

"Yumiko?" Yui said.

"Is everything okay?" Hina asked.

"Yui." Yumiko faced her friend directly, hardening her resolve. "It's… about Hikio." She began slowly, watching as Yui's eyes widened.

x x x

[Side Quest: Defeat 10 Horned Salamanders | 5/10]

[You have leveled up!]

I exhaled deeply and sat back on the ruined remains of a stone wall. Lying in front of me were the dead bodies of three Horned Salamanders. I looked down at my arm and watched three long bleeding cuts quickly fade away, leaving dried blood on my freshly healed skin.

Standing up, I began to carve all of the salamander's bodies into their valuable body parts. As I carved, my thoughts went to how the leveling system works. It seems that every time I level up, each one of my status points goes up by one. At the same time, my fatigue and health restored themselves to one hundred percent. I also received four free ability points to use however I saw fit.

[Horned Salamanders tail x3 acquired]

[Horned Salamanders claws x22 acquired]

[Horned Salamanders fangs x11 acquired]

[Horned Salamanders pelt x13 acquired]

Having extracted everything I could, I stood up and placed my sword away. Inspecting my surroundings thoroughly, I made sure that no incoming enemies were headed my way. "Status."

[STATUS]

[NAME: HIKIGAYA HACHIMAN]

[JOB: NONE][TITLE: NONE]

[Lv.3][HP: 300/300]

[MP: 67/67][FATIGUE: 0]

[STR: 25][AGI: 17]

[PER: 16][VIT: 18]

[INT: 22]

[AVAILABLE ABILITY POINTS: 8]

"Let's see, eight free points." I said while brainstorming my options. While I debated investing it all into strength, I couldn't help but feel that would leave me off balance.

While it was tempting to be able to punch a magic beast to death, it wouldn't do me any good to have too much strength without the ability to land a strike. A much more agile enemy would be far out of my reach. So, instead of investing too much into one area, I invested the points evenly across my stats.

[STATUS]

[NAME: HIKIGAYA HACHIMAN]

[JOB: NONE][TITLE: NONE]

[Lv.3][HP: 300/300]

[MP: 67/67][FATIGUE: 0]

[STR: 27][AGI: 19]

[PER: 18][VIT: 19]

[INT: 23]

[AVAILABLE ABILITY POINTS: 0]

"Good. Now, where are those last five?" I said while moving deeper into the swamp. As I walked, I used the eighteen Horned Salamander pelts I had to craft more armor.

[Slick-Trousers | Rank: E | +5 Agility | Leggings crafted from the pelts of the Horned Salamander. Increases overall Agility in swampy areas.]

[Slick-Plate | Rank: E | +5 Defense | Chest-plate crafted from the pelts of the Horned Salamander. Attack damage from any swamp native beasts will be reduced.]

Equipping my new armor, I continued through the swamp for another ten minutes. This place filled me with an odd sense of wonder; everything here felt like it belonged within someone's unencumbered fantasy, with trees nearly as wide and tall as buildings and so many outlandish animals that countless Zoologists would drool over just to have a chance at observing. This place could quickly fill out hundreds upon hundreds of textbooks from what it offers!

"What's that?"

The sounds of rushing waters rumbled in front of me. Waddling through the water, I came to a stop a few feet away from a vast waterfall. However, the waterfall was only a twenty-foot drop and spanned over fifty yards along the ground. It was still a captivating sight. 

Below where the raging waters fell was a new stretch of marshlands and groups of trees. Interspersed throughout the environment were what seemed like the remains of an old abandoned village made of old stone. 

Walking over to a nearby tree, I pulled out a freshly crafted spool of rope using several piles of vines I collected from the trees. Tying it to the tree, I used it to repel down the waterfall. The rushing waters splashed on my skin with great force. But the waters were no issue for me thanks to my strength stat. Once on the ground, I waddled through the water and entered the abandoned stone village. I looked around and saw that there were several piles of bones. They seemed to come from the wildlife I've seen so far. 

"Wait… is that?" I mumbled and walked over to a pile of shattered stones. Underneath them, a familiar-looking skull sat. Picking it up, I raised it close to my face with shaky fingers. "This is… a human skull."

Indeed, in my grasp was a dark and weathered human-like skull. The implication of it and the broken remains of the stone village caused a shiver to run down my back. "Are there humans here?"

Before I could brainstorm further, a loud hissing roar echoed out behind me. I spun around and watched as a giant, green and white snake beast crashed through several trees and stone structures. It was easily around four feet long and as thick as a small car. All along its large mouth were razor-sharp teeth, each one as long as a foot. The magic beast's orange-slitted eyes zeroed in on me with hunger. Its orange title hung over it.

[Green Swamp Viper]

"Shit!" I yelled and began running through the stone village as fast as I could. From behind me, the Swamp Viper slithered swiftly behind me. Its body crashed into the few standing stone walls, sending them crashing apart. The Viper was growing closer and closer to me. It would only be a matter of time before it reached me.

My eyes looked around wildly for a place to take cover behind or for an exit. Further away, I saw a large boulder sticking out of the wet swamp fields. It was smooth and rose high into the air. I dashed towards it with every bit of speed I had, but it was still not enough. The Swamp Viper's hot, rancid breath brushed my neck quickly. It was close.

[Notification: You have learned a new Skill!]

[Skill: Swiftness Lv. 1 | Overall speed will increase by 25% when active. Consumes 1 MP per second when active.]

I suddenly shot forward with incredible speed. I was able to narrowly avoid the sharp teeth that clamped loudly behind me. Reaching the boulder, I used my newly added skill to run up along the boulder's surface and jumped into the air. The Swamp Viper didn't expect my sudden action and was unable to slow to a stop or change direction. It crashed head-first into the boulder. A loud crack shook the water around it as cracks and chips grew around the boulder.

"Now's my chance!" I said while pulling my short sword out of its sheath and falling onto the snake's long body. 

The magic beast was too preoccupied with wallowing in its pain to notice my weight. I stabbed down into the snake's body with all my strength, sinking my blade into its now broken scales and flesh. This shocked the Viper, causing it to turn to me with a hiss. With its focus on me, the Viper twisted and turned its body in an attempt to shake me off. 

The Viper's violent trashing caused my grip to slip. Sending me flying into the branches of a tree. I quickly regained my bearings and looked down to see the Viper's large mouth rushing towards me. Using my Swiftness skill, I hopped off the tree. Landing with a splash onto the shallow waters of the swamp, I turned my head and looked at my short sword still lodged into the side of the Viper's body.

Crap! What do I do?! The Swamp Viper didn't care much about my current predicament and slithered towards me again. I dodged its next attack but was unprepared for its rushing tail. My body was launched through the air by its sneak attack. Sharp, hot pain exploded out my back as I flipped through the sky and landed harshly on the roof of one of the few stone houses. The straw roof collapsed under me while I grunted in pain.

[HP: 98/300]

Fuck! I need to heal! Acting quickly, I drank all my crafted health potions. Bringing my health up to around half full. Shit, shit, shit! I'm out!

I sat up and looked around the room I was now in. It was small and covered in dust and spider webs. Add on the destroyed roof and debris I caused when I fell in; the room was in a bad state. But I ignored all that in favor of the sparse, rusty weapons on the walls. Shields and broken armor lay all around the dirty floor, and a skeletal arm clutched a short dagger by the room's entrance. "An armory?"

I wasn't given much time to look around, thanks to the Swamp Viper's loud roar growing closer to my position. Standing up, I quickly scanned the walls and grabbed a two-handed, rusted sword. 

[Rusty Guard Sword | Class: E | ATK: 4 | An old, abandoned sword left to rust and rot.]

With a weapon in hand, I ran out of the room and quickly dodged the Viper's giant head. The armory was destroyed due to the attack. I stepped back and watched as the Swamp Viper turned to me slowly.

It's too strong! I lifted the rusted sword to block another incoming head butt from the Swamp Viper. The force of the attack sent me skidding back through the swamp, sending water all around me. I rolled to the side to avoid a wild tail swipe. If only I leveled up some more, I wouldn't have had a better chance! I have to run!

"...Enough of this! Take this!"

"...I-I'm just happy you're okay, Hikigaya."

"...Furutani! Watch out!"

"...Hikigaya... it looks like we're even now."

I froze mid-step. My body shook as the memories of my time in the trail room flooded my mind. Furutani fought with everything he had to keep Sakura and me alive. Despite it draining his mana and energy. Leading to his inevitable death. Sakura used every bit of willpower she had to heal everyone to the point she spat out blood. The way she stood up to Mori and healed me at the cost of her life. Their sheer will to fight even at the doorsteps of Hell itself.

"How pathetic." I growled out and turned to the Swamp Viper. I lifted the sword in front of me in both hands and glared at the beast. "I thought I swore I'd get stronger. Yet here I am, ready to run at the first sight of danger. Pathetic. I'm pathetic!"

The Viper roared and rushed me. Activating the Swiftness skill, I dashed towards it as well. "I won't run anymore! I'll fight anything that gets in my way! I'll fight until I get stronger, no matter what!"

The Swamp Viper opened its large mouth and bit down towards my body. I flipped over its head and aimed my rusty sword carefully. With a mighty toss, I launched the sword straight into the Viper's right eye. Blood blasted out in a shower of crimson as the beast's eye was destroyed. It roared in pain and thrashed wildly. Landing on the lower half of the Viper's body, I activated the Swiftness skill and ran towards my short sword.

"I want strength!" I yelled and grabbed my sword. "I won't give up until I get it! I swear I'll grow stronger no matter what!" 

I grabbed my sword and pulled with a mighty tug. A large section of the Viper's body tore open, releasing gallons of blood. Not stopping there, I pulled my sword out and jumped onto the Viper's head. With a heave, I jammed my short sword into the beast's other eye. Completely blinding it. It roared in pain and slithered forward, crashing and tumbling over everything in its attempt to remove me.

"You're not getting away!" I roared and removed my short sword from its eye. Jumping over to the Viper's side, I stabbed my sword into its body and sliced down its side until my feet touched the ground.

Using every bit of strength I had, I jammed my feet into the floor and rooted myself there. With as much grip strength as possible, I held my sword horizontally and watched as the Viper's body continued moving forward. The blade sliced all along its body. I clenched my teeth and held my shaking arm steady as the Viper eviscerated itself. After a few more seconds, my blade finally sliced all along its green body to its tail. The sounds of rumbling and splashing echoed behind me until only silence was left.

I breathed quickly to catch my breath while my arm shook in exhaustion. I turned back and saw the Swamp Viper's dead body lying on its side. Blood and muscle lay exposed to the air as its mouth hung open.

"I did it."

[You have leveled up!]

[You have leveled up!]

[You have defeated: Green Swamp Viper]

[+500 XP]

Walking over to the Viper's body, I began to carve up its body. Several of the Swamp Viper's body parts filled my inventory, including its scales, tail, and bones. Once done there, I waddled over to the beast's head and collected its fangs so I could complete my side quest.

[Notification: You have completed Side Quest: Collect 4 fangs from the Green Swamp Viper | Rewards have been delivered]

[+500 XP]

[Notification: You have acquired: Crafting Recipe. Would you like to learn it?] 

[Yes][No]

"Yes." Instantly, the knowledge of how to craft a good quality carving knife filled my mind. Pulling up the crafting menu, I placed two of the Viper's fangs alongside one of its bones with one of the Horned Salamander pelts.

[Notification: You have crafted: Carving Knife | Rank: E | A knife used to carve the corpses of defeated magical beasts.]

In a flash of red, a thick, jagged knife with a black and yellow handle appeared in my grasp. With this tool, I should be able to gather more items than with my sword. Dismissing the knife back into my inventory, I looked down at my short sword and saw that a large crack traveled down its blade. It would most likely break soon. This means I'd have to find or craft a better weapon if I wanted to fight the Iron Shelled Giga-Gator. 

"I need to find more Horned Salamanders and other minor enemies. I have to level up as much as I can before I can fight the boss of this area." I said while walking away from the Viper's corpse. 

Before I got too far, I remembered the rusty sword I found and turned to it. Ah, my sword. Before I could walk back to get it, it vanished in a flash of red and reappeared in my inventory. I stood shocked while summoning the rusty blade into my free hand. "Wait… could I do that this entire time?"

"You gotta be fucking with me…"

x x x

It's been around three hours since I defeated the Green Swamp Viper. I used that time to hunt several more Horned Salamanders. Those kills pushed me to level up once again. Once I completed that side quest, I ended up finding another Green Swamp Viper sleeping inside a hollowed-out giant tree stump. I used its sleeping state to launch a sneak attack. 

Using what I learned from my first encounter, I quickly blinded the Viper and landed a quick series of deep cuts all along its body. The Viper thrashed around and tried to escape, but its lack of eyesight and blood loss caused it to tire quickly. Once the Viper had no more energy to move, I moved in for the kill. Earning me another two levels. An added bonus to the kill was the new title that would make hunting any more magic beasts in this area a much easier endeavor.

[Reptile-Hunter | You have vanquished several reptile enemies. Leaving them quaking in fear. | +30% ATK DMG against reptile-like enemies.]

Thanks to having my brand new carving knife. Collecting more materials from the magic beasts was a breeze. It even allowed me to finish crafting this area's armor set. Offering me an incredible boost to my overall strength.

[Black Headband | Rank: E | +5 Perception | Headband crafted from the pelts of the Horned Salamander. User will have a greater understanding of the Swamp Lands.]

[Viper-Gauntlets | Rank: E | +7 Attack | Gauntlets crafted from the scales of the Green Swamp Viper. Melee attacks will cause more damage to serpentine enemies.]

[Swamp Land Armor Set Bonus: Movement speed within the Swamp Lands will increase by 30%, and all damage will be reduced by 10%]

With my combined title and armor set bonuses, I felt I was finally ready to take down the area boss. My level was now at eight, a stark difference from when I first began all those hours ago. I felt confident in my strength. The only thing holding me back was that I had failed at finding a new weapon. All my attempts at crafting one with the various items I had had failed. That meant I had to go into combat with a nearly broken short sword and a rusty blade.

"Even when I'm ahead, I'm still held back by something." I said as I jumped from tree to tree. My agility stat was now at thirty-two. This granted me great flexibility and movement, which made traveling through the swamp a breeze. It also helped that the Black Headband made knowing where to go and what not to do in the swamp a walk in the park. 

What's that? I came to a stop on a thick branch covered in vines. Further ahead in the wetlands was a giant skeleton buried within a thick layer of mud and grass that resembled that of a giant mutated alligator. But what gained my attention the most was the equally enormous turtle-like shell housing said skeleton. Even now, in such a decomposed state, the shell appeared as strong as steel.

I jumped down into the water and waddled over to the skeletal remains. As I got closer, I noticed that the land around the remains was in shambles. Large sinkholes were scattered around while several dozen trees were either torn out of the ground or broken into pieces. The area was also seemingly devoid of wildlife. Not even the mutated dragonflies or flies were present.

What could have done all this? I raised my guard and walked more carefully. Walking past the skeletal remains, I looked further beyond the swamp lands and saw a new, fresh sight. Off in the distance were several vast mountains with sprawling green forests underneath. A large body of water sparkled under the purple sky as what appeared to be a large monument sat in the distance. That must be the next section of the map!

The water around me rippled as a heavy and powerful force shook the ground underneath me. It was then followed by another, stronger shockwave. And then another. I spun around quickly and watched as the swamp land to my left began to rise and crumble. Water flowed in different directions while several nearby trees were pulled from their roots.

Emerging from underneath was a beast the size of a two-story house. Its long, scale-covered body rippled as its muscles bulged with every movement. A long green and black tail swiped the air in a snap. Destroying several trees and sending pieces of wood flying in a burst of speed. A giant black, armored shell rose towards the sky as four clawed legs pushed themselves up from the ground. Finally, a long snout rose into the air and took a deep breath of the humid air. The head of the creature resembled a mutated alligator. Its mouth was full of rows of jagged, yellow teeth the size of my arm.

[King of the Swamp, Iron Shelled Giga-Gator]

In a flash, I summoned my short sword and slipped into my fighting stance. The gator's orange-red title hung over its large head while it bore into me with its glowing yellow eyes. "Even after leveling up as much as I did. This thing is still much stronger than me."

Activating the swiftness skill, I shot toward the large magical beast with my short sword raised. Despite its size and strength, I felt no fear. Only the desire to fight and defeat it so I can grow more powerful. After all, I've only just begun to grow stronger!

The Giga-Gator bellowed a loud roar and raised its front leg in an attempt to crush me. Seeing that, I quickly changed directions and swung my sword across its other leg. This sudden change in direction would have usually resulted in my slipping across the swamp lands. But with the addition of my complete swamp armor set, moving throughout the area proved as easy as breathing.

"You may be stronger than me, but you're much slower!" I roared and headed towards its back legs. The Giga-Gator seemed to have sensed my intent and sprawled out its legs. Allowing its full weight to drop toward the ground in an attempt to crush me underneath. Using the swiftness skill, I zoomed to the left and jumped into the air. Water and mud exploded out from under the Giga-Gator.

I landed on a knocked-down tree and continued moving around using the swiftness skill. I can't keep using the skill; I'll drain my MP, and I'll be a sitting duck! Seeing that I was still alive, the Giga-Gator stood back up and rushed me with impressive speed despite its size.

I jumped from tree to tree with the large beast in tow. Everything in the creature's way stood no chance as its large size and strength made light work of it all. It was a moving, breathing bulldozer. I can't keep running. I have to attack it! I doubt I can pierce that shell with my swords. Think! Think, damn it!

A large shadow hung over me, acting on instinct. I bent low and used as much strength as I had to burst into the air. While in mid-air, I watched as the Giga-Gator's large jaws calmed down onto the tree I was just on. It shattered into splinters and branches. The beast's incredible bite force resulted in anything caught within them into mush. The Giga-Gator turned its head and opened its mouth slowly to release the broken pieces of wood and bark.

If those jaws clamp down on me, I'll be dead in an instant. Hold on! If this thing is anything like the alligators back at home, then that means that despite its powerful bite force. If I can somehow stop it from opening its mouth, I'll take away its greatest weapon.

I held open my free hand, and a large bundle of rope appeared in a flash of red. The next time it clamps its mouth closed, I'll wrap as much rope around its jaws and land a killing blow! Moving forward, I summoned the rusty sword and launched it as if it were a javelin towards the Giga-Gator's nose. A loud, metallic clang resounded off its skin when the sword made impact. The action also resulted in the sword shattering to pieces. The blow left a small scratch, but the beast was uninjured otherwise. However, it was now highly aggravated.

"Good! Come get me!" I yelled and stood in the water. The beast bellowed and dashed towards me. Just as the giant gator hybrid clamped its jaws onto my position, I used the swiftness skill and slid underneath its lower jaw. The thunderclap of its jaws snapping close hurt my ears, but I remained undeterred.

I quickly tied a knot around the hilt of my short sword and stabbed it deeply into the beast's jaw. Faster! I have to move faster! Before the Giga-Gator could roar in pain or anger, I ran towards the front of its jaws and wrapped my rope around its jaws. More! I have to use all the rope I have! I spun around the Giga-Gators mouth several times while wrapping the rope tightly. I was beginning to feel dizzy due to spinning like a top, but I refused to give up.

"Geh!" I yelled as the centrifugal force of my spinning threw me high into the air. I righted myself mid-air and watched as the Giga-Gator shook its head violently to try and remove the rope around its jaws. I grinned; seeing my plan working filled me with a surge of confidence. "Now my chance!"

I landed back on the ground and summoned my short sword. This part was a massive gamble on my part; I was unsure if summoning my sword back would have brought the tied-on rope alongside it. I was happy to see that the rope remained around the mouth of the beast. I ran forward and began landing as many slashes onto the Giga-Gator's legs as possible. The beast began to stomp its legs in an attempt to crush me underneath. This time around, I made sure to stay away from the beast's underside. I frowned, seeing that my short sword barely had an effect on the beast; it was only thanks to my armor bonuses and title that I was able to even hurt the large beast at all.

The Giga-Gator spun its body around and slashed the ground with its tail. I was unable to dodge the sudden attack and ended up being slapped across the swamp lands. I grunted as I rolled through the dirty water and slowed to a stop near the skeletal remains from earlier. This short sword is useless! I need something stronger!

[HP: 570/830]

Damn it! My head shot up to see the Giga-Gator rushing towards me. Its mouth was still held shut by the rope. I turned back and saw the large, empty shell of the dead beast. Cover! Jumping inside it, the Giga-Gator crashed into the shell. I held onto the ribs of the skeleton and felt myself being flung into the air. The feeling of weightlessness lasted for barely a second, after which I landed harshly on the shell floor. The skeleton's bones fell over me, pressing themselves onto me.

I looked up and saw the Giga-Gators large head inside the shell in an attempt to reach me. In its struggle, the rope around its jaws began to rip and tear. I grabbed the bone over my chest and pushed it off. I looked around quickly, trying to see what I could use or do to help me. Shit! What do I do? Just as I was about to run out the other openings of the shell, I saw a floating screen above the large set of ribs in my hand.

[Pick up?: Horned Ribs]

[Yes][No]

The shell shook left and right as the loud snaps echoed inside it. I looked up and saw that it wouldn't be long before the rope I tied around the Giga-Gator's maw would all come undone. I quickly chose the yes option and opened the crafting menu in a hurried panic. Come on! Give me something I can use!

After placing the bones and several other items into the crafting table, I found a new crafting item that made me grin widely.

[Bone Slasher | Class: D | ATK: 20 | A sharp serrated sword crafted from the bones of the King of the Swamp, Giga-Gator.]

A large, broad blade made of bone appeared in my hand in a flash of red. It was an impressive blade that was the size of my arm. I dismissed my short sword and turned to the Giga-Gator. Without hesitation, I leaped. With a mighty downwards thrust. I stabbed the blade deep into the skull of the beast, eliciting a muffled pain.

The Giga-Gator backed away and left the shell of its dead species. It thrashed its head left and right to try and throw me off. I held strong by digging my fingers into its flesh. I briefly let my new weapon go and reared my arm back. "Take this!"

I launched a powerful punch into the Giga-Gator's skull. The force of my attack caused its reptilian eyes to roll up its head briefly. Now's my chance! Pulling out my weapon from its skull, I jumped down onto the ground and began tearing away at its front legs. Now that I had a proper weapon, my title and armor buffs were efficiently stacked onto one another, giving me a chance to land even more devastating critical blows. Blood rained around me as I charged my muscles to land one final attack.

[Notification: You have learned a new Skill!]

[Skill: Charge Attack Lv. 1 | Charging your next attack will deal x2 the amount of damage. Warning: You will be exposed during the duration of charge up.]

"Ragh!" I yelled as I released my charge attack. I sliced through the air with a loud bang. The Giga-Gator's front legs fell to the sides, blood pooling into the dirty swamp waters.

The beast's muffled cries of pain shook the ground beneath it. It tried to stand, but its lack of front legs made it impossible. I ran beside its tail and landed a vertical slash. With its front legs gone, I was free to land several quick attacks that ended up finally removing the tail from its body. Without pause, I jumped onto its shell and ran towards the Giga-Gators head.

Raising the bone sword over my shoulder, I began to charge up my next attack. Despite all the damage I've dealt, the beast hasn't been done just yet, using its hind legs. The Giga-Gator began rushing forward, causing me to lose my balance briefly. Before I could fall off, I fell to a knee and grabbed the front of its shell. "You're not going anywhere!"

I felt the charge reach its apex. My arm pulsed with power as my blade glowed red with mana. My arm blurred across the beast's neck in a burst of speed. Blood and gore gushed out of the Giga-Gators neck as its head fell a few feet in front of it. I gasped in exhaustion and watched several screens appear in front of me.

[You have leveled up!]

[You have leveled up!]

[You have leveled up!]

[You have leveled up!]

[Notification: You have completed: Main Quest: Defeat the King of the Swamp, Iron Shelled Giga-Gator | Rewards have been delivered]

[Notification: You have acquired: Iron-Shell Shield, +1500 XP] 

[Iron-Shell Shield | Rank: C | 1500/1500 Durability | A retractable round shield created from the shell of the King of the Swamp, Giga-Gator. Can be used to parry or block attacks.]

[Notification: You have cleared the Swamp Lands! West Greenland is now available.]

I sat down on the beast's shell with a tired sigh and dismissed my bone sword. Taking a water bottle out of my inventory, I took several large drinks greedily. Once I was done, I stood up and summoned my carving knife.

"Let's see what you have for me, big guy."

x x x

Join the Discord! discord . gg / hwaRguq35c