Free Web NovelChapter 3: Crazy Battle
[Gold Reward Box gained.]
For a brief moment, excitement filled Alex’s chest. He had just awakened an SSS Rank Talent, which sounded ridiculously powerful.
Then he reread the description.
"Evolve spells? But..."
Alex opened his status screen and confirmed the problem. He was a Mage with absolutely zero spells.
His expression stiffened.
"This Talent wants me to evolve spells, but I don’t even have one. What am I supposed to evolve right now? My foot?" he complained.
The Talent might have been incredible in the future, but future Alex wasn’t currently facing a giant monster. Present Alex needed something useful immediately.
Or he would become monster food.
The Netherclaw Prowler seemed to share that opinion. It released a low growl and fixed its golden eyes on him before slowly beginning to circle.
Alex tightened his grip on the useless slipper. He had somehow managed to grab it as he rolled away. Sweat trickled down his back as the creature moved through the ruins with deliberate patience.
The monster wasn’t attacking recklessly anymore. It watched him carefully, as though making sure he didn’t have any method to escape.
After several tense seconds, the beast finally made its decision. Its muscles tightened as it prepared to strike, and Alex felt his heartbeat quicken. The Netherclaw Prowler lowered itself slightly before launching forward.
Alex dove forward and threw the slipper at the same time. It spun through the air like a helicopter blade and struck the monster directly in the eye. The Netherclaw Prowler shrieked and veered off course, missing him by inches as he rolled beneath it.
The moment he regained his footing, Alex snatched up the Sweet Smelling Packet Biscuits, the second slipper, and the No Shit Pill.
Fight or run?
The question flashed through his mind while the monster recovered from the attack. The slipper hadn’t injured it, only irritated its eye and caused a great deal of pain.
Alex moved before he could hesitate. He ripped open the biscuit packet, and a mouthwatering aroma immediately spread through the air. His own mouth watered at the scent, and he almost swallowed reflexively.
He threw half the biscuits in the monster’s direction. The effect was immediate. The Netherclaw Prowler raised its head—its eye was okay now—and opened its mouth to catch one of the falling biscuits.
Alex’s theory was confirmed. The biscuits smelled so good that even the monster wanted them. He could run now and probably gain a few valuable seconds.
But instead of turning around and sprinting away, he gripped the No Shit Pill tightly. His eyes locked onto the monster’s open mouth as he pulled his arm back. The item’s description flashed through his mind.
Not everything in food was useful. Harmful substances existed too, but the pill forced the user to absorb everything. There had to be a high chance of indigestion, infection, fever, or worse. That’s why the pill was ranked only F rank.
Alex didn’t know whether it would kill the monster, but he was desperate enough to try.
He hurled the pill with all his strength. His aim was terrible. The pill sailed far away from where he intended.
It struck the monster’s other eye instead!
Alex stared in disbelief for a split second while the Netherclaw Prowler roared in pain. The creature recoiled violently and shook its head.
Reacting instantly, Alex threw the second slipper. It smacked into the monster’s remaining eye before it could recover. Now both eyes were burning, and the creature staggered blindly while roaring in fury.
Alex’s gaze landed on a loose chunk of stone among the rubble. Without giving himself time to think, he grabbed it and charged toward the monster. Every instinct in his body screamed that this was a terrible idea.
’Shit, shit, shit! What the hell am I doing?!’
The words echoed through his mind as he ran. He knew he had to be insane to charge a monster instead of fleeing from it.
A tiny portion of brain—the logical portion—told him this was the correct decision. The creature was bigger and faster than him, he could not escape it. Even if he somehow escaped now, it might be able to track him later through scent.
Earlier, he had thrown the No Shit Pill as he was desperate enough to try anything. Realistically, he didn’t have days to wait for it to work. But now the monster was blind, hurt, and vulnerable.
This was a real opportunity.
Alex reached the creature and raised the stone above his head. He knew this might be his only chance to inflict serious damage. With a scream, he swung with everything he had.
Something astonishing happened.
A strange sensation stirred deep within his chest. It wasn’t pain, fear, or adrenaline. The feeling flowed through his body, traveling from his heart to his shoulder, down his arm, and finally into his fist.
His swing accelerated dramatically.
The stone slammed into the side of the monster’s head with a loud crack. The Netherclaw Prowler staggered, visibly stunned by the impact. Blood began dripping from a fresh wound on its skull.
Alex’s eyes widened.
He had actually hurt it.
Before the creature could recover, he tried to swing again. A terrible pain suddenly shot through his arm, and it felt as if every muscle had been torn apart at once. His body stiffened involuntarily for a fraction of a second.
That fraction was enough.
The monster lashed out with its paw. The blow landed squarely in Alex’s stomach and Alex learned that humans could fly. Temporarily, at least.
He crashed into a broken wall and fell into a heap of shattered concrete. White-hot pain exploded throughout his body, making it impossible to focus on any single injury. Everything hurt so much that he couldn’t even tell what was damaged.
Before he could recover, the monster reached him.
Its earlier caution had vanished, replaced by pure rage. The Netherclaw Prowler lunged forward and bit into his arm. Alex screamed as crushing pain shot through his body.
The creature chewed.
Panic flooded his mind as he felt himself losing strength. He was dying. The realization struck him harder than the pain itself.
Why?
He had only wanted to study, graduate, and get a decent job. He hadn’t asked to be dragged away from Earth and thrown into some deadly trial. What had he done to deserve being treated like a laboratory animal?
Anger replaced fear.
A burning rage surged through him as the monster continued chewing on his arm. The unfairness of everything, the pain, and the helplessness all combined into a single overwhelming emotion.
Alex roared.
His fingers tightened around the stone despite the agony in his arm. Every instinct told him he was finished, but he refused to accept it. With every ounce of strength he had left, he swung his fist toward the monster’s head.
He was dying anyway. If this was the end, he would take the monster with him.
The hit barely seemed to register. The Netherclaw Prowler continued chewing on his arm, its jaws grinding through flesh as if his struggle meant nothing. Pain flooded Alex’s body, and his vision began to darken.
Then the sensation returned.
Something stirred inside his chest. The strange energy flowed through his body, entered his arm, and gathered in his fist. Before he could understand what was happening, he completed the swing.
A loud boom echoed through the ruined castle. The stone smashed into the monster’s skull with terrifying force, caving part of its head inward. Blood burst from the wound as the creature froze for a moment before collapsing.
Alex stared at the corpse in disbelief. His mind struggled to catch up with what had happened. The monster that had nearly killed him was dead.
A crystal orb materialized beside the corpse, and several screens appeared before him.
[Level 3 Netherclaw Prowler killed]
[You have leveled up. Level 1 → Level 2]
[2 stat points gained]
[Hidden Quest Completed: Be the first one from your planet to kill a monster].
[You have gained...]
..
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