Chapter 32 - Finally level 25

With my scythe back in my hands, I faced the horde of monsters that were beginning to surround me. I'm not sure about the intelligence of these creatures, but it seems they realized they couldn't defeat me by facing me one by one, so they opted to attack together.

That's a reasonable strategy. I admit that defeating them all at once can be a bit tiring, but that doesn't change the end result. The only difference is that it will be more efficient for me, facilitating my level advancement.

Swinging my scythe, I advance towards the crowd as [Etheric Pumping] strengthens my steps, propelling me with extraordinary speed. Quickly reaching the front of the Goblin group, without hesitation, I throw my scythe in a random direction. The blade starts spinning, and soon several screens appear in rapid succession before my eyes.

You defeated [Goblin - Lv - 17] Experience acquired.

You defeated [Hobgoblin - Lv - 18] Experience acquired.

You defeated [Wolf - Lv - 18] Experience acquired.

You defeated [Wolf - Lv - 18] Experience acquired.

You defeated [Wolf - Lv - 17] Experience acquired.

You defeated [Hobgoblin - Lv - 18] Experience acquired.

You defeated [Hobgoblin - Lv - 18] Experience acquired.

You defeated [Goblin - Lv - 16] Experience acquired.

You defeated [Wolf - Lv - 17] Experience acquired.

After the messages cease, I raise my hand in the air and, activating [Kinetic Touch], I make the scythe fly back towards me, landing perfectly in my open hand. Then, I turn in the opposite direction to where I threw my scythe and repeat the process, causing the translucent screens to appear before me in rapid succession. After all, if these monsters are offering free experience, who am I to refuse?.

You defeated [Wolf - Lv - 18] Experience acquired.

You defeated [Hobgoblin - Lv - 17] Experience acquired.

You defeated [Wolf - Lv - 18] Experience acquired.

You defeated [Goblin - Lv - 18] Experience acquired.

You defeated [Hobgoblin - Lv - 17] Experience acquired.

You defeated [Hobgoblin - Lv - 17] Experience acquired.

You defeated [Goblin - Lv - 16] Experience acquired.

You leveled up [23] -> [24] and gained 5 stat points and 1 skill point.

You defeated [Wolf - Lv - 18] Experience acquired.

You defeated [Goblin - Lv - 15] Experience acquired.

Amidst the various translucent screens, I finally spot the one I'm looking for, which brings a smile to my face. Even in this challenging situation, seeing my level increase still provides me with a strangely pleasurable and gratifying sensation.

After that, I raise my arm again to the sky, bringing the scythe back to me, where it fits perfectly into my hand. Honestly, it's still a mystery how this works. I do nothing but activate [Kinetic Touch], so the part where the scythe returns perfectly to my hand doesn't seem to be controlled by me, but rather by the scythe itself. At least, that's the conclusion I've come to.

Setting aside these thoughts, I focus again on my main goal. A little apart from the other monsters were my main targets: two Ogres, a Hobgoblin, a Goblin Rider, and a Wolf. Among all the monsters around me, they boasted the highest levels. Although I don't have a precise understanding of how the level system works, I'm sure I'll advance if I eliminate these enemies along with some weaker monsters around them.

Determined and with my clear goal, a smile forms on my lips as I leap over the horde of monsters. My feet, strengthened by Ether energy thanks to [Etheric Pumping], take me to the skies in a matter of seconds. Without wasting time, as soon as I get close enough to my main targets, I strike accurately at the Goblin Rider, who boasts the highest level among them.

You defeated [Goblin Rider - Lv - 23] Experience acquired.

The monsters, previously in some form of defensive position, were not prepared for a surprise attack from the sky and began to attack me in a disorderly manner. The result was that one of the Ogres ended up punching the other, which gave me the perfect opportunity to neutralize it. Using [Infusion] on my scythe, I execute a simple cut to the Ogre's head, ending its life quickly.

You defeated [Ogre - Lv - 20] Experience acquired.

At that exact moment, an attack came from my side. Although I say "surprise" this was something my [Ecopulsation] had already detected. Either way, I quickly put my scythe in front of my head, where extremely sharp canine teeth appeared, trying to crush it.

So, the wolves had rather predictable attacks, since their only weapons were their teeth and claws. However, at the moment, their claws couldn't reach me due to the distance I maintained thanks to my scythe. After that, the process was simple: I sidestepped the wolf and cut it.

You defeated [Wolf - Lv - 19] Experience was gained.

With that, there were only an Ogre and a Hobgoblin left. While the Ogres were physically more robust, the Hobgoblins were notably agile. Although I could withstand some attacks from the Hobgoblin without coming out completely unscathed, I would probably be in good enough condition to continue the fight. However, the same couldn't be said for the Ogre, as I lacked defensive abilities.

Spinning my scythe, I advance slowly towards both, waiting for the right moment to act. The strategy was simple: wait for one of them to make a mistake attacking me without any tactics. This mistake was evident in the Ogre's behavior, which, although stronger, was also the slower of the two. Therefore, as soon as he got close enough to attack.

With an agile movement, I dodged the attack and circled around the Ogre, cutting the Achilles tendons of both his feet. With that, the monster collapsed on the ground, unable to get up. Seizing the opportunity, I climbed onto his immense body and advanced slowly towards his head. With precision, I positioned my scythe over his neck and, with a single accurate blow, decapitated him. A gush of green blood stained the ground and splattered me, staining not only the grass but also my clothes.

You defeated [Ogre - Lv - 22] Experience was gained.

Descending from the Ogre's body, I advanced towards my last opponent. At that moment, that place was like my personal playground. To me, these monsters were just challenges to be overcome. But, probably from their point of view, I was like a reaper, coming to take their lives.

As I approached the Hobgoblin, I began to spin my scythe once again. Seeing my movement, the Hobgoblin let out a thunderous roar, but that didn't intimidate me. With a quick gesture, I infused my scythe with Ether and launched it towards the Hobgoblin.

Seeing my scythe approaching, the Hobgoblin raised his arms in a desperate attempt to block my attack. However, his efforts were in vain. The blade of the scythe cut through his limbs easily, lodging itself in his shoulder. Although I thought that would be enough to kill him, his arms managed to lessen the force of the blow in the end.

With an agile leap, I positioned myself on the Hobgoblin's shoulder. Gripping the handle of my scythe tightly, I applied all my strength to pull it, practically tearing off his entire shoulder. In a precise and swift movement, I directed the sharp part of the scythe towards the Hobgoblin's skull, quickly ending the battle.

You defeated [Hobgoblin - Lv - 21] Experience was gained.

You leveled up [24] -> [25] and gained 5 stat points and 1 skill point.

You completed a side mission and now have access to choose a title. Please select carefully from the available options.

Somehow, I reached level 25. I then realized that there was a reward waiting for me, something I had completely forgotten: the choice of a title. I had been so focused on gaining more skill points that it slipped my mind. However, I was still surrounded by monsters, so there was no time to celebrate.

I don't think it would be wise to choose a title randomly now. At the moment, my priority is to deal with what's in front of me. I'll leave the title choice for later, when I'm in a slightly calmer situation.

(Anyway, I think I'll level up a bit more while I can, but at least it seems like I'm finally ready to get rid of those annoying bees) I thought as a smile formed on my face.