31 Fighting head to head

Ryan did his best at dissecting and cooking the beast. He kept anything that seemed useful to him like hard and sharp bones, it's never bad to have another weapon. The hide of the beast that look to nasty to wear and the beast core got put in the ring too.

Ryan got ready to roast the meat and realized something important. He have no way to make a fire. He had just assumed, there was something in the ring to make a fire with. How would my dad forget something like that.

Luckily Ryan still remember a way to make fire, taught by his teacher in the academy. Ryan focus on the fire element in the air, and instead of absorbing it he gathered it in his hand.

He don't have a high affinity for fire so it took around 5 minutes to gather enough over his hand. He use the very little ball of fire mana to ignite the shaving of wood.

It started to smoke but that was it. So next time he gathered 15min worth of fire mana and he finally succeeded at making a fire.

Knowing fire makes smoke he opened up the holes he made to let the smoke out. 10 minutes later of cooking his beast he realize the holes in the tree do a really bad job at letting out smoke. Now the entire inside of the tree is smoky and causing his eyes to burn.

Ryan made sure to take notes and fix this the next time he make a fire in his tree house. 2 hours later he ate and finally got all the smoke out.

He was very unimpressed of how the food turned out and taste. He had blamed it on the beast but there a good possibility that he simply can't cook.

It was still the middle of the day so Ryan went back out to hunt again. This time he want to see if he can kill a beast without a sneak attack. He thought about it more and realized what if he have to fight a beast head to head. He should get some practice with that

It didn't take long to find his next opponent. He stock the beast for a bit debating if he should pick this beast to fight.

(It low-key look strong, could it be a rank 2 beast. Or is it just because it's big, it like 3 times bigger than the beast i just killed. Fuck it, worse case scenario i just run. It doesn't look fast enough to run in the trees.)

Ryan didn't sneak down like he normally do, he just jump down and casually land behind the beast. The beast turned around and saw Ryan, than it roar.

The beast was very disturbing to look at. It's crimson eyes seem to be staring into ryan soul with more hatred that he could ever imagine. It was on all 4 but It was still very large, it seem to have more fat than muscle. The gray fur made it seem like it lived a long time but not long enough to be fragile.

The beast didn't waste much time and started to make it's way towards Ryan. Ryan pulled out his sword and got ready to fight. To his surprise the beast got on both his back legs and ran at him like a human.

It had looked like his feet was faster than the top half of its body, as it was running the top half of the body was leaning back like the wind was to strong for it. Its speed increase noticeably, so none of it made sense to Ryan.

Ryan was caught off guard and shock for a quick second but he made sure to still pay attention. Just as the beast got near, the beast stop and the top half of its body came falling down on Ryan.

It had used the momentum of its run to make its attack faster than any average rank 1 beast. Ryan was already prepared, even though he had no idea the beast was going to make a move like that. but he had already plan on jumping to the side when it got near.

And that what Ryan did. Ryan never saw the attack coming but once it got close enough he jump to the side while weighing 10 times less.

Boom!!! 

The beast top body smashed into the ground. Ryan was inwardly shocked but he didn't waste time and continued to do what he planned. He jump towards the beast back leg as fast as he can and cut downwards at a angle. He use his element in his swing to get the most strength with the strike.

He cut through more than 75% of the back leg and it was only still together with a chunk of meat. Ryan didn't waste time and jump away to create space from the beast.

The beast cried out in pain but it still turned around and attempt to attack again.

This time it moved slower and was running on all 3 now. Ryan already made up his mind where his next slash will be at. Just like last time Ryan jump to the side when it got near but this time it didn't do a big attack. It didn't even attack period it noticed Ryan jumping to the side and it turned that direction. It ran again at Ryan.

"Oops, dodge to early."

This time Ryan waited for it to make a swinging motion before jumping out the way. He dodge successfully but the beast recovered to fast to take advantage of it and land a strike.

(I created to much space between us when I dodged. I can't get back to the beast fast enough to land a hit.) Ryan thought to himself.

The beast ran again at Ryan and Ryan did the same thing and dodge the beast. At this point the beast is the a bull and Ryan is the person the bull always charged at.

It happened 2 more times and each time he couldn't counter attack. Ryan realized he was already getting close to using up half his mana, he only got around 65% of mana left.

Deciding to end it with the next strike Ryan made the beast chase after him and led it to a tree with a bush in front of it. Ryan ran through the bush and went behind the tree and jump straight up.

The beast didn't see him go up and ran through the bush to follow him. Just as the beast was about to pass underneath the tree. Ryan jumped straight down with his sword pointing downwards.

Boom!!

He made him and the blade 10 times heavier and landed on the beast head. The sword penetrated right through the skull and caused the beast head to be pin to the ground.

Ryan still had the sword in his hand on top of the beast. Ryan wasn't to happy with the kill, he realize he have alot of weakness to fix.

He dug out the core and left the body. The beast was to big to fit in the ring.

He made it back to his hideout and contemplated back on the fight with the beast.

"Even though I killed it but I couldn't kill it face to face. Well I could of but it would of been dangerous." Ryan sighed to himself.

"Let see, what all did I learn today. There are many different beast and they all fight different. Well I knew that but I guess since I never experience it until now to truly realize what that mean.

I could of died with the first attack of that beast, i never expected it to move that fast when it attack. I just assumed it will try to hit me by just swiping its claws at me or something. Not to throw its whole top half of its body at me.

If I didn't already plan to jump away when it got close, than I would of been a goner. If I waited to see the attack coming before i move, I wouldn't have had enough time to get out the way.

The flaws in my fighting that i had notice, is my dodging. I don't feel comfortable to narrowly dodge attacks. I create and keep to much space between each other when I dodge, and can never close the space fast enough to counter attack.

My other flaw is i never want to attack first. I always feel like I will get counter attack. I think i may be to afraid of getting hurt, but is that a bad thing." Ryan had a thoughtful look as he talk to himself.

"Wait a second, do I really need to fix these problems right now. I understand it will be good to fix them just in case I'm force to fight a beast head to head but should I be fixing them right now.

If I ever don't want to fight a beast head to head I can just run. if i can't run and get away from the beast than it must be stronger than me. And fighting head to head with a beast stronger than me is not a good idea. I would have to do what im already doing, my flaws will keep me alive longer." Ryan smiled to himself after he realized he not doing anything wrong.

"I was over thinking things, I don't need to face these beast head to head. Sneaky and quick kills is the way to go."