Free Web NovelChapter 17: A Dangerous Yet Thrilling Gamble
The monster simply tilted its body.
The sword passed harmlessly beside it. The dodge looked effortless, as if it had always known exactly where the attack would go.
A moment later, a powerful impact slammed into Alex’s chest.
His feet left the ground as he was launched backward. He crashed into a broken section of castle wall hard enough to crack the stone behind him. Pain exploded through his body, and for an instant his vision blurred.
The front of his vest had been completely shredded apart. Five narrow claw marks stretched diagonally across his torso, beginning near his waist and ending close to his shoulder. Blood slowly flowed from the wounds, staining the torn remains of his vest. The monster landed a short distance away and calmly raised one of its claws.
It licked the blood from its claw. Its eyes widened slightly, as if it enjoyed the taste, and its gaze immediately locked onto Alex again.
Whatever intelligence it possessed, it had clearly decided that Alex was its prey.
The monster dashed forward.
At the same moment, a pulse of mana expanded from Emma. The creature’s movement stalled for a fraction of a second as her Taunt Skill pulled its attention away.
Seeing the opportunity, Emma immediately threw the claw trap directly in front of the monster.
It was a reasonable attempt. If the creature remained distracted for even a moment longer, it might step directly into the trap. Unfortunately, the monster’s reaction speed exceeded both of their expectations.
Its head snapped toward Emma. The next instant, it lunged toward her, covering several meters so quickly that it seemed to blur. By the time Alex realized what it was doing, the creature was already at her face level.
Its claw swept toward her head.
Emma thrust forward with the broken half of her spear. She didn’t try to stop the attack completely, knowing she lacked the strength.
Instead, she angled the weapon to push the claw away from its original path.
Claw met metal.
The remaining spearhead was torn apart as though it were made of paper. Fragments scattered through the air, but Emma’s decision achieved its purpose.
The attack missed her face.
That brief opening was enough.
Alex had already crossed the distance. Adrenaline and heightened focus allowed him to ignore the burning pain spreading through his chest.
Mana surged through his arms and back as he swung his sword with everything he had.
The blade struck the monster’s side and sent it flying. The creature crashed into a nearby wall hard enough to crack the stone before falling to the ground. For a brief moment, Alex thought he had finally injured it.
Then the monster stood up.
It shook its body once and stared at him again. There wasn’t a single wound on its body. Alex immediately looked down at his sword and discovered a small chip in the blade.
His expression darkened.
He had never boosted both his arms and back while attacking another monster with a sword before.
Alex had been confident that combination could kill even a Level 8 Netherclaw Prowler. Yet he hadn’t damaged so much as a strand of fur on this creature.
The monster dashed again.
Alex immediately flooded mana into his brain. Until now, he had only strengthened it with small amounts of mana. He was worried that if something went wrong, the consequences would be far worse than a damaged muscle.
He could survive damaged muscles, then wait for leveling up to heal them.
A damaged brain was a different matter entirely. Even a small mistake could mean death. However, after seeing the monster’s speed and durability, Alex stopped worrying about potential risks.
If he held back now, he would die anyway.
Mana poured into his brain in quantities he had never attempted before.
His focus sharpened instantly, and his thoughts became clearer than ever before.
His vision improved, his hearing became sharper, and even his sense of smell strengthened.
The world became clearer.
Yet despite all those improvements, the monster was still faster than him. It vanished from his sight and reappeared near his legs. Before Alex could react, claws slashed across both ankles.
Pain exploded through his body.
Blood sprayed onto the ground. Through the torn flesh, Alex could see flashes of white bone. Emma shouted something in the distance, but he barely registered the sound.
Alex neither dodged nor attempted to block the next attack.
Instead, he continued pouring mana into his brain.
His expression remained terrifyingly calm despite the severity of his injuries. All his focus was fixed on a single goal: killing the monster.
His mind worked faster and faster.
Just as he had repeatedly compressed mana while creating Mana Thread, he now compressed mana again and again before sending it into his brain. As expected, the effect was greater than before.
His focus reached an unprecedented level.
The monster no longer appeared as a blur. Alex could distinguish individual strands of fur across its body.
He could see muscles moving beneath the hide and tiny shifts in posture that would normally go unnoticed.
Then he saw it.
The creature lowered its body slightly. Muscles tightened around its shoulders and legs. It was preparing to leap toward his neck and finish the fight.
The monster launched itself forward.
Alex moved at the same moment. Mana flooded into his arm and hand as he chopped forward with his fingers. A Mana Thread emerged from his hand, but this time he compressed it as much as possible.
The thin thread became straighter and denser.
It resembled a translucent claw extending from his fingertips. The monster immediately sensed danger and twisted its body in midair. It attempted to dodge the attack.
But Alex had predicted that through the movement of the monster’s muscles.
His mind was operating beyond anything he had experienced before. He pushed himself to the limit and extended the Mana Thread another half inch. The sharpened thread passed cleanly through the monster’s neck.
Then momentum carried the creature forward. Its body slammed into Alex’s chest and knocked him off his feet. Both of them crashed onto the ruined stone floor together.
Alex’s back hit the ground hard.
For several seconds, he simply stared upward. Then he suddenly remembered breathing and sucked air into his lungs. As he stopped strengthening his brain, the world immediately returned to normal.
The enhanced clarity vanished.
Sounds became ordinary again. Details blurred back into what they should be. Then the pain arrived in full force.
Alex gritted his teeth.
His ankles felt as though they had been crushed. Every movement sent waves of agony through his body. For a brief moment, another concern appeared in his mind.
What if one monster wasn’t enough to level up?
If he didn’t level up, the damage to his legs would cripple him, leaving him unable to fight another monster. Fortunately, the System quickly erased that fear.
[Level 4 Baby Ironclaw Badger (Mid Rank Species) killed.]
[You have leveled up. Level 4 → Level 5.]
[2 Stat Points gained.]
[Body Reinforcement Spell has leveled up. Level 6 → Level 7.]
[Mana Thread Spell has leveled up. Level 1 → Level 2.]
..
Author’s Note: Add the novel to library, and send support if you like it!
