Chapter 11: One with nature.

The sun was once again shining it's rays of light high in the sky. The dreary desert stayed the same. Endless upon endless hills of sand were plastered onto the ground.

There was one spot that had once been green, but was now charred black. This black patch housed a shimmering blue pond, enticing anyone who saw it, to take a sip or two.

...and there was one figure drinking from the still pond.

Strangely, it was a large, sandy coloured crab. It had one small pincher claw and had one massive crusher claw.

Both of which were dug in the sand to ancher itself while it was drinking. It drank happily as it had been dehidrated for almost a week.

But, suddenly it grew still, every single part of its body had suddenly stopped moving. It felt that something was terribly wrong.

Though before it could move, the water had suddenly exploded. A instant after the water exploded, a black blade had slid inbetween the crab's eyes, ending its life in an instant.

[You have killed a Beast class: Dune Crab.]

Sliding the blade out of the monster, Jin looked indifferently at it. It was four days since he had killed the crocodile.

'I've become much more effiecent with my armour,' he thought. Blood Taster would not have pierced the crab's armour if he hadn't activated Onyx Scale's enchantment.

'The bastard also helped with hightening my body strenght and energy core capacity.' After he had drank the reptile's blood and absorbed its energy core, his body and energy capacity had undergone a qualitive change.

Jin clenched his right hand. He then sullenly looked at his left arm... well lack there of. It looked like his sub-ability was currently not strong enough to regenerate a limb.

'This evaluation will be a lot harder.' But he had not given up. He would just have to manage with one arm. Seemed easy enough.

Sighing, he looked at the corpse of the crab. He had better get to work if he wanted to have something to eat by tonight.

***

Jin had just finished eating the crab meat. The meat was delicious, but he was in a sour mood.

When he had drunk the blood of the crab, he didn't get any messages. That, Jin had already expected. What he didn't expect though, was that when he tried to absorb the energy core, nothing happened.

Which probably meant that he was at his current max capacity, or it meant that Beast class monster cores wouldn't improve him anymore. He hoped it was the latter, even though killing a Creature class monster was not in his realm of possibilities right now.

Shaking his head, Jin stood up and summoned Blood Taster in a cloud of smoke. He was planning on training his swordsmanship, which he had begun on the night that he had killed the onyx coloured crocodile.

He then began training. He sliced the blade in a vertical arc and repeated this action many more times. Then he switched to slicing in a horisontal arc, and also repeated this countless more times.

He also ran around the pond a few times. He only did this to help with his cardio, hoping to be able to last longer in battles. Though, he hoped all his battles ended as quick as possible.

But it was better to be safe then sorry, so he trained until his whole body was sore.

It was late at night when he finally stopped. Slumping down onto the sand in exhaustion, Jin looked at the stars shimmering in the night sky.

He would probably have to start his journey toward the volcano again. He had already planned that he would start tomorrow, so he would have to say farwell to the heavenly oasis.

Sighing, he closed his eyes. That was a problem for future him. Now, he just wanted to sleep the exhaustion away.

Jin closed his eyes and let sleep take over. A moment later he was fast asleep under the night sky.

***

Morning came quickly and Jin reluctantly awoke, ready to brave a new day. Today was the day he would start his journey to the volcano once more.

Knowing that this would probably be the last time he saw water for a while, Jin graciously drank as much as he could. He sadly had no way to store the water.

After he finished taking his last giant gulp. Jin got ready to leave. Not that there was much to get ready before braving the sandy desert.

After a few minutes, Jin finally walked past the charred greenery, entering the hot sunny desert. Hot air instantly blasted his face. He scowled, but kept moving.

He then looked toward the giant shadow looming over the desert. The volcano was closer then it was before. It would probably take him a few days to finally reach the fiery volcano.

When he climbed a sand dune that was near him, Jin longingly looked behind him at charred oasis one last time and then moved, making his way toward the volcano once more.

While moving Jin's mind wondered toward the Tyrant. 'Will I be able to defeat it?' Jin didn't doubt his abillities, he was just worried about the Tyrant's strength.

Jin shaked his head to get rid of the doubts. He was almost at the end point, why would he doubt now? His expression hardened, 'Mark your days.'

That was all that he needed to calm himself down. He continued to walk in the direction of the volcano, inching closer each and every step.

He got bored after a while of just walking. 'Should I sing something?' Jin contemplated.

But that thought was interrupted.

An annoying buzzing sound could suddenly be heard. Jin let out a mocking smile. 'Oh, how I've missed this.'

The buzzing sound came closer and closer. Jin stood ready, Blood Taster already summoned in his hand.

Falling into a battle stance, Jin looked at the approaching figure and a moment later took a step to the side. The figure then blasted past him.

'Ah, here we go again.'