Kaito's eyebrows raised in surprise as he saw the amount of experience earned. For such a formidable foe, he had only gained 500 experience points. It seemed a paltry reward given the life-and-death struggle he had just endured. He realized that he could have earned just as much experience by defeating two ogres, which seemed far less dangerous in comparison.
Reflecting on this, Kaito felt a mixture of frustration and relief. He had survived an encounter with a creature far stronger than anything he had faced before, and it had tested his limits in ways he hadn't anticipated. Yet, the experience gain felt disproportionately small, making him question the mechanics of growth in this world.
Still, the battle had not been without its lessons. Kaito now understood that he needed to be strategic about the fights he chose, weighing the risk against the potential reward. The encounter with the Dreadclaw Beast had taught him the value of caution and preparation, and it underscored the importance of continuing to hone his skills and build his strength.
Reflecting on his recent battle, Kaito decided to allocate his new stat points wisely, ensuring he was better prepared for future challenges. He distributed his points, feeling his strength and agility increase. Bringing total of 24 strength and 16 agility.
Before he continued, another notification appeared, presenting him with a new skill to choose from five different options. Kaito carefully read through each skill.
Skill: Enhance Perception
Type: Passive
Description: The user's ability to perceive and understand their surroundings is significantly heightened.
Effects:
•Enhanced Vision: Increases the clarity and range of the user's vision.
•Detection: Improves the user's ability to detect hidden objects and enemies.
•Situational Awareness: Heightens the user's awareness of their surroundings, making it easier to avoid danger.
Skill: Regeneration
Type: Passive
Description: The user's body regenerates health over time, allowing them to recover from injuries more quickly.
Effects:
•Health Regeneration: Gradually restores the user's health over time.
•Wound Healing: Speeds up the healing process of wounds and injuries.
•Resistance: Increases the user's resistance to status effects such as poison and bleeding.
Skill: Piercing Strike
Type: Active
Description: The user focuses their strength into a single, precise attack, dealing significant damage to a targeted enemy.
Effects:
•Focused Attack: Delivers a powerful, precise strike that deals additional damage.
•Critical Hit: Increases the chance of a critical hit, dealing even more damage.
•Armor Piercing: Penetrates the target's defenses, ignoring a portion of their resistance or armor.
Skill: Sword Burst
Type: Active
Description: The user gathers their strength and releases a burst of energy from their sword, striking all nearby enemies with a powerful shockwave.
Effects:
•Energy Shockwave: Emits a shockwave from the sword that damages all enemies within a 5-meter radius.
•Stun Effect: Enemies hit by the shockwave are briefly stunned, giving the user an opportunity to follow up with additional attacks.
•Armor Break: Reduces the defense of enemies struck by the shockwave for a short duration.
Skill: Enhance Senses
Type: Passive
Description: A skill that sharpens the user's natural senses to superhuman levels, allowing them to perceive their environment with unparalleled clarity and detail.
Effects:
•Enhances visual acuity, enabling the user to see distant objects and fine details with remarkable clarity.
•Amplifies auditory perception, allowing the user to hear faint sounds and detect subtle auditory cues.
•Increases tactile sensitivity, making it possible to sense minute vibrations and textures.
Kaito pondered each skill carefully. Enhance Perception could be incredibly useful for detecting hidden dangers, and Regeneration offered a way to recover health over time, which was appealing given the recent near-death experience. Sword Burst seemed like a powerful area attack, useful for dealing with groups of enemies, while Enhance Senses would provide unparalleled awareness in battle.
However, the battle with the Dreadclaw Beast had shown him the importance of being able to pierce through strong defenses. Precision Strike stood out for its focused power and ability to penetrate resistance and armor. This could be the key to defeating tougher enemies in the future.
After a moment of contemplation, Kaito made his decision. He needed a skill that could deliver a decisive blow and turn the tide of a difficult battle.
[Skill Acquired: Piercing Strike]
With his new skill selected, Kaito felt a sense of readiness wash over him. He now had a powerful new ability to complement his growing strength and agility. Determined to continue his journey and face whatever challenges lay ahead, Kaito pressed on, ready to test the limits of his newfound power.
Kaito, still reeling from his victory over the Dreadclaw Beast and the acquisition of his new skill, continued his journey through the dense forest. He knew he had to keep moving, but the forest seemed to stretch endlessly, each shadow whispering of unseen dangers.
Just as he was starting to feel a sense of unease, he heard a rustling in the underbrush. Before he could react, another monstrous creature emerged from the shadow, even larger and more terrifying than the Dreadclaw Beast. This creature, a Nightstalker, was covered in dark, spiked fur, it's eyes glowing with an eerie blue light. It's claws, each as long as kaitos forearm, gleamed menacingly.
Desperate to avoid another life-or-deatg struggle, kaito tried to back away slowly, hoping the creature might lose interest. But the Night Stalker was fixated on him, advancing with a low, predatory growl. Kaito's heart pounded in his chest as he realized there was no escape; he would have to fight.
Drawing his sword and summoning a Fireball to his fingertips, kaito activated his Analyze Skill.
[Skill: Analyze - Available]
The translucent interface appeared, providing critical information:
[Name: Nightstalker] [Level: 12] [Health: 950/950] [Weakness: None]
Kaito's heart sank further. This creature was even stronger than the Dreadclaw Beast. But he had no choice but to fight. With a deep breath, he readied himself for the battle ahead.
As the Nightstalker advanced, it's predatory instincts sharp and unwavering, kaito knew he had to dig deep within himself to stand a chance against such a formidable opponent. Despite the overwhelming odds stacked against him, he refused to let fear paralyze him.
Summoning all his courage, kaito focused his mind, his senses honed to a razor's edge as he prepared to face the monstrous creature before him. With each passing moment, the intensity of the battle grew, each clash of steel and roar of magic echoing through the forest, a testament to the ferocity of their struggle.
The Nightstalker's attacks came fast and relentless, it's claws slashing through the air with lethal precision. Kaito danced around the creature's onslaught, his movements fluid and precise as he sought an opening to strike back. With a deft flick of his wrist, he unleashed a barrage of fireballs, the flames erupting in a brilliant display of light and heat as they closed in on the Nightstalker.
But to kaito's dismay, the creature seemed unfazed by his magic, it's thick fur providing ample protection against the flames. With a frustrated growl. Kaito shifted tactics, his sword flashing in the dim light as he launched a series of precise strikes aimed at the Nightstalker's vulnerable spots.
With the Nightstalker's thick fur proving resistant to his fireballs, Kaito realized he needed a different approach. Remembering his newest skill, Piercing Strike, he seized the opportunity to turn the tide of battle.
aimed for the Nightstalker's weakest point, a small gap between its armored scales. With a swift movement, he unleashed the Piercing Strike, his sword slicing through the air with unparalleled accuracy.
The attack landed true, bypassing the Nightstalker's defenses with its armor-piercing effect. The creature let out a deafening roar of pain as Kaito's blade struck home, dealing significant damage.
Emboldened by the success of his attack, Kaito pressed his advantage, unleashing a flurry of strikes with newfound precision. Each blow landed with devastating force, wearing down the Nightstalker's formidable health pool.
As the battle raged on, Kaito's determination never wavered. With each swing of his sword, each calculated maneuver, he fought with unwavering resolve, refusing to yield to the darkness that threatened to engulf him.
Driven by his newfound skill and unwavering determination, Kaito continued to press the attack, inching closer to victory with each passing moment. And though the Nightstalker fought ferociously, its strength waning with every blow, Kaito knew that he would emerge triumphant, his spirit unbroken and his resolve unwavering.