Senses

[You have received the spirit energy of mutated bee]

[You have received two points of agility]

[You have received one point of spirit force]

[Strength - 17]

[Agility - 36]

[Endurance - 28]

[Battle Power - 27]

[Spirit Force - 28]

[Mortal realm - high stage]

All that effort to kill five bees, and he got a total of 3 agility and 2 spirit force to show for it. It was after all quite a stressful fight that almost killed him.

"Seriously, Djinn, can you find me, different opponents? what's with these constant speed-based opponents?!"

<Kekeke! What kind of opponent do you want, then?>

"I want something slow, maybe a big turtle that I can just slash without it being able to strike back at me? Was that too much to ask?"

<....>

Now that the fight was over, Viktor decided to check on the burning pain from his arm. To his surprise, although it was still red and stung when he touched it, he couldn't feel that much pain from the wounds anymore. Most likely, his high endurance was to thank for it.

Then, he walked around the area and rummaged through the snow, looking for the five bee corpses, but unfortunately again there was no spirit stone at all. Annoyed by the lack of results, Viktor decided to ask what has been bugging the back of his mind for quite a while.

"Djinn, those orbs that flew into me were the same as the spirit stones, weren't they? That's why I never find any!"

<Kekeke.. Smart!>

"Dammit Djinn, why didn't you tell me earlier? I felt such a fool looking around for those stones!"

<Well... You didn't ask>

"Tell me exactly how it works now!"

<kekeke.. let just say, with our lives being connected through fate, each of the trophies received from your hunt will be shared by fate>

"Shared!? I never shared anything in my life! How much did you take!?"

<don't get wrong, you give more than just eating those stones barbarically, let just say it's like a lump sum salary for working with fate>

"Huh! My first job ever. Become fate bitch!"

The relaxed answer only made Viktor even more annoyed. Whatever reward he gets, he was still the one on the frontline risking his life.

"If that's how it is, I am more annoyed you didn't tell me about those bees coming!"

<Keke… Those bees have better senses than humans, and they could track you from afar. Just so you know>

Viktor was trying to calm himself and try to be more rational about the situation.

"How far can your sensors reach? If you knew about this, you should have warned me while they were still far away!"

<Well, with my current strength, at most a mile radius around you.>

At first thought, a mile sounded far enough, but considering the enemies, he had to face it might not be enough. The bee for example possessed enough speed to reach a mile distance within the span of a minute or two.

"Seriously, Djinn, if you sense any slight indication of danger within a mile, you should have warned me."

<Understood…>

"Good. It is really important for you to remember that."

<…Err… Speaking of warning, actually, there is one threat close by that has been watching you for a while…>

"What the Fu*k! Where?"

Viktor snapped and looked around as he rummaged for a weapon.

What is it?! fu*k?! Quick tell me!"

The sudden reveal right after a brush with a near death encounter quickly made Viktor anxious. He turned around and checked his surroundings as his eyes darted from the forest to the paths all around him, to the dried bushes covered in snow. However, there was nothing around him except dried trees and endless snow.

<The enemy is to your right, if you look up to the trees, you can see it.>

When he heard the words, Viktor look up at the direction and he was suddenly stunned as when he spotted it, the creature two bright yellow eyes were staring back at him.

A gray, cat-like creature as big as a human was perched atop a dried tree, its color and spots blending well with the cloudy, eternally snowing forest.

Viktor was unable to keep himself from shaking, as even without the message, he could guess what the creature was. However, the message that entered his mind a moment later only amplified his horror.

[Mutated Lynx level 42]

[mutated creature - tier 2]

[Battle power 40]

It was certainly a terrifying stat indeed, a tier 2 creature with an overwhelming battle power.

As someone who lives in a snowy region, he knows what a lynx was. This creature was much more terrifying than a bear or a tiger, as it was so agile that it could even jump around treetops.

The only reason the lynx was less known than other predators was because there weren't many lynx around as it was a rare, almost extinct animal.

He was now trapped in a thick forest hunted by a real predator. The situation was as bad as it gets.

Viktor slowly took a single step backward, his eyes trained on the lynx that stood still on the tree.

"Fu*k it, it's the apocalypse, why can't this almost extinct animal get properly extinct instead, dammit."

Another step back, and the lynx still did not move. Viktor decided to take another step, but before his feet could touch the ground, the wildcat finally dashed around the trees, prompting him to run as the creature gave chase by leaping from tree to tree.

"Tell me how to survive this!"

<with your current power, you most likely won't>

"Thank you for the information, Djinn!!"

<My pleasure>

That response only made him angrier, how can't this knowledgeable, powerful Djinn understand sarcasm? He kept running as he tried to get away from the thick forest.

However, unlike the chase with the bees, this forest was the lynx's natural habitat. Even as he kept running with all his strength, he could feel the wildcat jumping closer and coming close towards him from above.

Viktor felt the hair on the back of his head tingle. He quickly jumped and rolled on the snowy ground only to feel a stabbing pain and a cold feeling on the back of his shoulder.

The metallic scent from it told him one thing.

Blood.

It appears there was no way for him to outrun this. There was no choice, he must stand and fight.