The Begotten Fiend

Chapter 16: Your Own Skill

Using my left leg for support, I twisted my body clockwise, avoiding a swipe from the beast.

The air quivered, the simple pressure from its movement causing me to nearly lose my balance.

"Damn, this thing’s strong." I barely got the words out as it launched forward, using its rabid teeth to bite at my head.

Feeling the mana rush towards the bottom of my foot, I lowered myself, allowing gravity to aid in the ascent of my right foot. Then, using the rest of my body’s weight to guide me, I pivoted into a roundhouse kick--directly into the neck of the thing.

The ground rumbled as I sent the beast flying. It slammed through several trees, each impact another rainstorm of splintered wood darting through the air.

"I think I’m getting a feel for this," I remarked to myself. I clenched my fist, feeling the power within me surge through it.

Just as I’d felt a sense of pride, a great cry came from the beast. The air trembled, waving like an intense heat wave. It wasn’t anything like the big rabbit from earlier.

It was like an endlessly dark miasma crept upon me and entered every crevice--brushing its unfathomable evil against me.

Goosebumps rose, my arm hairs straightened. Every inch of my body cried out, begging me to turn around and run.

But I was too scared. I can’t move my limbs.

"What... is that..." I bit my lips, stabbed my nails into my chest, even dug my toes into the dirt. Anything to help me calm down. But the fear persisted.

Shit, the beast is running towards me.

The moment the reality set in for me, I was already hurtling in the air. Everything was a blur, I couldn’t even make out colors.

A sharp, quick pain struck my skull. I cried out, gripping my head with both hands, but it didn’t help.

Fuck, it hurts. I can’t even think clearly.

I think I hit my head against a tree, but my vision is too blurry to tell. All I knew is that I heard thumping in front of me, and it was quick.

[Pain threshold reached.]

Zenith’s voice was thundering, a result of the searing ache in my brain. But as it spoke, I felt it quell, then disappear.

"Thanks," I told it. Then I looked up at the beast.

It roared again, raising its paw in the air. Raising my arm between it and myself, I caught the attack with my forearm--the impact burning into my bones.

It was like I just took a hammer without any protection, and to make matters worse, I can already feel my mana starting to run dry, though I didn’t give way. Perhaps a result of Zenith’s pain nullification.

I winced, then swatted the paw away. "You’re quite strong. Stronger than me, for sure. But there’s something that you lack."

Taking note of how wasteful I’ve been with my mana, I poured just enough to fill my leg with power. Then, I lowered myself just a couple inches.

The beast noticed, tightening its core while holding both paws in front of itself.

But I didn’t care. I buckled my knees, then released all the potential energy through a leap. Instantly, I’d covered the distance between myself and the bear.

Making sure not to break my shoulders, I supplied even more mana to the upper half of my body, empowering myself enough to take the beast on.

I wrapped my arms around it, launching myself into the thing so forcefully that both it and I begun to move through the forest at blistering speeds.

As I carried both of our momentums, I unleashed one arm, holding it directly up to its chin. I was waiting for it.

It did just as I’d anticipated. It opened its mouth, eyes locked into mine. Mana pressurized inside of its throat, swirling so intensely that it pushed and shoved the air inside with it.

"That’s what I thought."

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel proud of myself for guessing that its roars were a skill, but I had no time to pat myself on the back. No, I waited as the ball of mana within it begun to break form, bursting through its throat to fly back out at me.

"Push." As I said those words, my intent materialized as a force pushing back against the insane levels of energy inside of it. fгeewebnovёl.com

It closed its mouth. An obvious reflex to anything foreign entering your mouth, but that’s what I was banking on.

The energy burst from within. A loud bang resounded from its head as iron wafted my nose. Soon after, blood gushed from its eyes, nose, and ears.

By this point, the two of us had already come to a stop, the beast just barely standing on its own two legs. I released my other arm wrapped it, letting the thing fall to the ground.

Its weight kicked up dirt as it impacted the ground, leaving the both of us in silence.

Is it still alive?

Like it were trying to answer my question, the beast coughed, groaning its woes of pain. Blood continued to pour from its orifices, and with each second, it tried to get off the ground.

But I wouldn’t let it. No, I stomped my foot into its chest, not even bothering to empower myself. "So, how’s it feel to get put under by your own skill?"

I waited another second, but there was a resigned look on its face. The light in its eyes were dimming.

"No, I’m not going to let you! Consume!"

Once more, flames--or, rather, ’soul flames’ jumped out from my chest, landing on the beast. It attacked it, each second it smoldered on its chest another ounce of life stolen from it.

Until, eventually, it died.

[Foreign soul assimilated into yours. Checking status on skills.]

Well, that’s good. I was able to use plunder before it died.

[Skills successfully foraged! Do you accept?

Yes / No]

Skills, plural? Don’t mind if I do.

As I answered the prompt, knowledge rushed through my brain.

[Acquired Basic Skill: Intimidate]

[Acquired Basic Skill: Roar]