Chapter 37 - Mere Human

 Jason had fifty six points to distribute and he used them to increase his Perception and Dexterity by twenty five points each and then used the remaining points into magic. He didn't have that many tricks to use in that situation, so he decided to go all out.

Jason - Lv 55

HP: 390/490 (5.28 Regen)

MP: 470/470 (7.2 Regen)

SP: 1030/1280 (7.2 Regen)

Power: 73 - 158

Constitution: 49

Dexterity: 128

Magic: 66

Spirit: 47

Perception: 128

Available Status Points: 00

Titles: Explorer (E), Challenger (F), Treasure Hunter (F), Earth's Guardian (F), One is Enough (E), True Fighter (B), Merciless Hunter (F), Genius (F), Head Hunter (F)

Bloodlines: Ancient Warrior (F)

Skills: Complete Appraisal (A), Speed Boost (E)

Jobs: Mad Blacksmith (F), 

Job Skills: Cursed Forge, Bloody Repair, Forbidden Knowledge,

 When the monster retreated its blade and then tried to swing it again to split Jason in half, he did the craziest thing that he could do in that situation… he dashed forward.

 Some people say that the safest spot to be during one is in the eye of the storm, Jason wanted to ask them if they had been literally in that hellhole before because he didn't feel safe there. Regardless, Jason charged forward and transformed the shield into the hammer and then used Vicious Claw to the side. The weapons collided and much to the monster's surprise, Jason attacked and stopped the blade. That didn't make any sense… he was weaker, smaller, he weighed less and so how… the answer was simple… the strength of an attack lies on the motion… the bigger the motion the heavier the attack would be. Jason decreased the power of the sword strike by hitting with his hammer at the base of the blade.

 While the enemy was surprised and wide open, Jason changed his hammer to the guantlets and then bombarded the face of the beast with a barrage of punches. With each punch, he also fired a Mana Arrow… he targeted the eyelids of the beast several times, but he never pierced them deeply enough.

 When the beast recovered, it swung down its left fist like a hammer trying to smash Jason, but he jumped backward and avoided the hit. The shockwave of the impact pushed him backward a bit more and he was unable to continue with his barrage of attacks since he protected his eyes from the dust that was raised.

"It is cool… it lost more ten percent of its health and the effects of the gauntlets will cancel some of its regeneration for a while," Jason thought while fixing his stance.

 The beast looked at Jason with one eye since the other was covered in blood… even in that situation, the beast looked unfazed and still was studying him. Fighting that kind of beast was fun since it was smart… it was a bit bothersome since it was clear that he couldn't use the same trick again, though.

 Or so Jason thought. The beast was smart enough to be cautious, but too prideful to do anything else aside from crushing a human with only brute strength. The monster began to emit an red aura and Jason could tell that it was using Frenzy.

"Here it comes…" Jason thought.

 The beast charged and as if that massive sword didn't weight anything, it began to swing the weapon viciously from all angles. Jason's eyes darted from side to side, searching for any opening to exploit while he dodged the massive blade by a paper thin margin.

The orc, towering over Jason , roared with fury as it swung its massive sword with a thunderous force. Each strike carried a bone-rattling power, aimed at cleaving him in two. Jason's survival depended on his agility, wit, and apparently some luck… he did well in increasing his Perception in Dexterity before. Otherwise, he wouldn't have the chance to even rely on luck.

With swift reflexes, Jason twisted and contorted his body, narrowly evading each swing of the orc's blade. His movements were a mesmerizing dance of life and death, as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other, leaping and ducking with a calculated precision.

As the orc unleashed a vicious overhead strike, Jason crouched low and rolled away, narrowly escaping the impact that cratered the earth where he stood moments before. Dirt and debris scattered around him, serving as a reminder of the danger that followed his every step. Despite the danger and the fact that he was sweating bullets, Jason was smiling, his eyes were filled with life like never before!

Jason's pulse raced, his heart pounding in his chest as adrenaline coursed through his veins. His survival instincts sharpened, granting him an otherworldly perception of time, enabling him to react with lightning speed. He danced on the edge of danger, his body a blur of motion, constantly shifting and swaying to avoid the deadly arcs of the orc's blade.

His eyes remained fixated on the orc's movements, analyzing the patterns and anticipating the next strike. With a daring maneuver, Jason sidestepped a horizontal swing aimed at his midsection, narrowly escaping the blade's razor edge. As the orc stumbled momentarily, overextending its reach, Jason seized the opportunity to strike back. He used Charge with the hammer and then followed by Vicious Strike hitting the chin, and then Double Slash with on the cheeks of the beast.

 The monster flinched and took some steps backward due to the shock… to think that a mere human would manage to do that much against him...