NOVEL NEXT Chapter 7: Hidden Beast Forest
--- Chapter 7 ---
In the Hidden Beast Forest, Baek Ain dodged an incoming claw strike from an enormous bear. He barely evaded with a hair-thin difference, watching the claw breaking the tree behind him effortlessly.
The enormous creature is Dread Bear, a 2nd Tier Magical Beast who could contend against 8-star Dou Master with no problem. Its sturdy body and thick fur made it hard to injure, containing the extreme strength that 3-Star Dou Master like Baek Ain can't handle easily.
They met this Magical Beast upon entering the Hidden Beast Forest, or precisely five minutes ago.
"Come on, where was your confidence before?" Lan Rou's voice echoed in the forest. "Stop dodging and fight properly!"
A wry smile appeared on Baek Ain's face because he was observing the Dread Bear's attack pattern. He pulled the Sharp Tiger's Blade from his spatial ring, a 60 cm long blade joined to a tiger mouth carved into a brown handle.
Sharp Tiger's Blade is Dou Master's Grade Weapon made from durable metal and 2 Tier Tiger's Bone.
The blade gave off dim silver light, reacting when Baek Ain coated it with his Dou Qi.
He looked at the Dread Bear and used his best advantage against such a tank.
Speed.
Baek Ain's hazel gold eyes witnessed the Dread Bear swinging its sharp claw at him. He grabbed onto a branch nearby, using the tree as another platform to use Hyper Jump.
[Iron-like Enhancement]
[Hyper Jump]
[Sixth Sense]
BAM!
His figure disappeared and was "quickly." followed by a painful roar.
Slash!
Baek Ain watched the Sharp Tiger's Blade cutting the Dread Bear's shoulder open, but it was shallow. He tossed some darts into the freshly opened wound and dodged the enraged attacks from the Dread Claw.
BAM!
He barely dodged the attack, readying his weapon to parry any incoming attack. Even though he couldn't defend it because his physical strength was lacking by some level, he could still change the trajectory with Sharp Tiger's Blade.
Clank!
When the sharp claws and the blade made contact, a spark appeared and illuminated the dim area.
Picking up his pace, Baek Ain slid through the Dread Bear's standing legs and slashed its family jewel. "Sorry, bro." He commented while using Stealth to hide his presence.
ROOOOOOOOOOOARRR!!
Dread Bear cried in agony and furiously swiped everything around him into a mess, destroying rows upon rows of trees. This guy even crushed a massive rock nearby into pieces.
"..." Lan Rou wondered where her student learned this cruel move.
After making the Dread Bear mad, Baek Ain hid between bushes and looked around with a smile. He also added a thin layer of poison to his blade.
ROOOOOOOOOOOARRR!!!
The Dread Bear smelled Baek Ain's scent and rushed toward him, not realizing several thin wires the despicable human had placed.
It won't injure the Dread Bear, but enough to weaken the fur's toughness.
Baek Ain used Smoke Bombs and stood invariably still, lifting the Sharp Tiger's Blade calmly. He breathed in and out, using the Dou Technique he hadn't trained before.
"Seven Star Blade Art: Carving."
SWOOSH!
With a proper step, Baek Ain moved according to the Dou Technique's content and slipped the blade like a carving knife. Swift and sharp, cutting through the Dread Bear's fur and skin smoothly.
The damage Baek Ain dealt is accumulating nicely, plastering the Dread Bear's body with several deep wounds that are enough to be fatal. His way of attacking is annoying for the Dread Bear.
There is not much strength involved in it.
Like an annoying wasp, Baek Ain used Hyper Jump again and arrived before the Dread Bear's face.
"Bo!" He stabbed the Dread Bear's right eye.
ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRR!!
"Dou Qi Blast."
The tip of Sharp Tiger's Blade infused with Baek Ain's Dou Qi, erupting violently in the Dread Bear's head.
BOOM!
No matter how powerful one's body is, an internal organ such as the brain is still crucial. Losing it means death.
The Dread Bear dropped dead, spreading some dirt and dust away.
[You have killed Tier 2 Magical Beast: Dread Bear]
[You have earned First Achievement: First Kill]
[Rewarding 1x Senzu Bean]
Baek Ain ignored the system's notification and looked down at the warm blood in his hand. It's the first time he killed a living being like this in a one-on-one fight.
He just took one's life from this world. However, he didn't feel anything for some reason.
He didn't feel guilty or exhilarated.
It feels weird.
Closing his eyes, Baek Ain believed he had adapted to this world's viewpoint, where only the strong are respected while the weak are crawling down in loss.
'Will I feel this unfazed when taking a human's life?' He questioned himself.
It's not a morality thing, but a genuine question for his past self.
After some contemplation, Baek Ain believed everything would be fine as long as he treated everyone equally. Their Life and Death are equal based on their character and intention toward him.
If they are hostile, his hand is rated e for them.
"Are you okay?" Lan Rou appeared out of nowhere. She was worried as he had been standing still for two minutes,
Baek Ain opened his eyes and replied, "Well, I've been in a worse situation than this."
Lan Rou gave him a questioning gaze and shook her head because sometimes she didn't know a damn thing about this young man. He's a mysterious orphan based on their intelligent network, being Jie Lie Ao's lackey for years from ten years old.
His background is null. They couldn't find any family with Baek's surname in the Jia Ma Empire.
Yet, sometimes Lan Rou could read this young man like a book.
"That's one. Do you want to fight more?" Lan Rou commented while looking down at the Dread Bear's corpse.
Baek Ain nodded and responded, "Yes, please."
They traveled around the Hidden Beast Forest, Lan Rou giving Baek Ain some advice on how to fight the Magical Beast and letting him clash several 2nd Tier Magical Beasts for three hours straight.
He defeated them with no problem, but those fights definitely consumed his stamina to the brim. His fighting style wasted too much energy but possessed its obvious advantage against Magical Beasts.
'But against other Dou Warriors with rich battle experience and higher cultivation realm will be hard for Ain. Those crafty-minded people will figure out he was trying to drag the fight and use it against him.' Lan Rou thought while crossing her arm.
'Should I introduce him to other members of the Shadow Guard? Hmm, it's too early for now, but fighting me alone wouldn't broaden his experience.'
KLANK! BOOM!
Baek Ain parried a tail attack from a lizard, using Hyper Jump to land a high-powered kick. He sent the 2nd Tier Magical Beast: Swamp Lizard flying to a tree and killed it.
[You have killed 2nd Tier Magical Beast: Swamp Lizard]
He was about to store the Swarm Lizard's corpse in his inventory when his Sixth Sense flared abruptly.
"AIN!!!" Lan Rou shouted at the top of her lungs.
BAM! Crack! BOOOOOM!
"AAGGhh..."
Baek Ain was struck deep into the ground with blood all over his body.
That surprise attack broke his arm and injured all internal organs besides his brain.
[Pain Resistance has advanced to B]
"What the fuck was that..."
He was on the verge of losing consciousness, but his will refused to do so.
"Who?" An overflowing annoyance and hatred Baek Ain suppressed for over two months resurfaced.
What he hated the most was people who appeared out of nowhere and disturbed his life. No, even if they weren't people, he hated them to the very bones.
His peace.
His peace is everything.
[Ding! You have triggered a quest]
[Quest: Fight the 3rd Tier Magical Beast]
[Objective: Fight the 3rd Tier Magical Beast: Shady Baboon for five minutes without losing consciousness(0/1)]
[Penalty: Bedridden for a month and one random skill confiscation]
[Reward: Body Metamorphosis and 1x Skill Upgrade Token(A)]
[Do you want to accept the quest?]
[Yes/No]
Crawling out of the hole, Baek Ain stood with great difficulty with one disabled arm. He raised the Sharp Tiger Blade and looked at his attacker hatefully.
A 9 ft baboon with dirty brown hair and an excited expression is crouching before Baek Ain, giving him a mocking look.
"Yes." Baek Ain's hazel gold eyes blazed with a golden flame.