Gazing, Tracking, Creating
In the distance, two figures anxiously observed the unfolding chaos. These two had been glued to Cynthia since the outbreak, protective shadows that only stepped back at her insistence. Now, they regretted their decision.
"No… No… No…" the woman muttered, pacing distressed. Both would gladly sacrifice their lives for her, but now, watching her in peril, they were powerless. Worse still, they had no one to blame—this predicament had come about because of her skill. It was also it that brought them to this point.
Tears began welling up in the woman's eyes, and she made a move to rush forward, only to be restrained by the man's steady hand. In a solemn voice, he whispered, "It's too soon, to let her find out."
"But, she's going to die if we don't do something!" The woman's voice cracked as tears streamed down her face.
The man was silent, unable to counter her truth. His eyes returned to the fray. He, too, yearned to intervene but something about the situation didn't add up.
They should have been terrified, screaming, or at least exhibiting some kind of fear as they faced certain death.
The transformation of the world had happened less than a day ago, yet the students weren't reacting as expected. Though injured, coughing up blood, none of them showed signs of true panic.
"They're not afraid…?" the man thought to himself, baffled.
…
The man's prediction wasn't far off. The group weren't scared at all—not because the danger wasn't real, but because their traits simply wouldn't allow fear to cloud their judgment.
Even as the tree's roots tore through their hastily constructed barriers and rushed toward them, Jon's mind raced with possible scenarios. His ability to think and strategize on the spot, guided him to check his stats.
His interface displayed:
[LEVEL: 15]
[STATUS POINTS: 34]
After killing the last group of zombies, his level had shot up, and so had his available points. 'I need speed, now,' he thought.
"Add 34 points to Agility," he commanded mentally.
Instantly, he felt the change ripple through his body.
[AGILITY: 76]
And his body surged with newfound speed, enough to match the roots' rapid movements.
However, he was a second too late too react. A root grazed his face, leaving a gash. Blood poured from it, blinding his right eye. "SHIT!" Jon cursed as blood streamed down his face.
The tree root, sensing its target was injured, pressed its advantage. Jon, relying on his agility and second eye, dodged its next attack and countered with his spear, infusing it with moon energy. He slashed at the root with all his strength.
BOOM!
SKREEEEE!
The tree screamed in agony, but the root was only half-severed. And to Jon's horror, it began healing almost instantly.
He didn't waste time attacking it again. Instead, he charged toward the tree itself, determined to finish the battle. More roots shot out from the trunk, their numbers overwhelming. But Jon, now faster and more precise, dodged and weaved through them, his body moving with a new, fluid grace.
It was the first time Jon fully understood the potential of his soldier physique. Every movement was deliberate, every strike carefully measured to conserve strength.
Even so, the spear in his hands—a weapon meant for lower-level threats—was barely holding up against the tree. His hands ached with each swing, and his blood loss was starting to take its toll.
'I need to end this now,' he thought, pushing his body to its limits, to keep slashing and dodging. But, with no opportunity to clean up the blood on his eye, the task seemed impossible. 'I need to see,' he told himself, desperately trying to find a solution.
Then it hit him—his moon energy. The same power he used to control zombie consciousness might help him see beyond normal perception. Could it work on himself?
Without hesitation, Jon channeled his moon energy into his eyes, focusing on visualizing the world around him. To his surprise, it worked—both eyes, including the one blinded by blood, began to see clearly. His vision was bathed in a soft blue light.
[YOU HAVE OBTAINED QUALIFICATION TO OBTAIN SKILL 'MOON GAZING']
Jon didn't need to read the description. He understood immediately. He could see everything—his surroundings, his allies, and most importantly, the tree's core.
'Thats it!, but I need a distraction or something that can give me some time' Jon thought almost excitedly looking around him.
At that moment, the ground shook violently as explosions rocked the area.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
"Haa… Haa…" Jenny gasped, her body trembling from exertion. Her explosive attacks had taken out several roots, but not without cost. Blood dripped from her arm where a root had sliced her earlier.
She was exhausted, her mana reserves nearly depleted, but she had learned something crucial: her silver energy could create anything her imagination conceived.
With this newfound realization, she had summoned the form of a tank—a massive weapon that obliterated root after root with devastating force. Though it disappeared after a shot and drained most of her mana, leaving her breathless and defenseless.
Meanwhile, Cynthia had also evolved her strategy. Relying on her observational skill, she tracked the roots' movements and altered their trajectory using precise air manipulation.
Swords of air chipped at the roots and it began move slower, and with that, she was able to send out more attacks. Her ability to monitor and control her surroundings evolved before her eyes.
[YOU HAVE OBTAINED QUALIFICATION TO EVOLVE UNRANKED SKILL 'FIELD OBSERVATION' TO FIRST REALM (LEVEL 5) 'SELF TRACKER']
By now, the tree was already weakened by the continuous attacks, its roots thinning and its defenses crumbling. Jon, seeing his opportunity, moved swiftly. He leaped onto a root, using it as a springboard to launch himself again into the air.
And, with his gaze locked on the tree's core, he poured all his remaining moon energy into his spear.
Like a javelin, Jon hurled the spear with all his might toward the tree's core.
BOOOOM!
The impact shook the ground, and the tree let out one final, ear-piercing scream before falling silent.