SWALLOWING THE COSMOS
Chapter 26: The First Battle – A Taste of Blood
The air was thick with the acrid scent of burning flesh and gunpowder. My boots crunched against the cracked pavement as I sprinted toward Base Station 7, my mind focused, my senses heightened. Every step I took brought me closer to the chaos, closer to the battlefield where survival was not guaranteed.
[Chatur's voice crackled in my mind.]
[Scanning battlefield… Warning: Presence of Awakening Stage Level 3 and Level 4 beasts detected. Additional hostiles: Multiple Foundation Stage and Body Training Stage beasts. Probability of survival if reckless: 42%.]
I scoffed. "42%? I like those odds."
[Oh, wonderful. That reckless hero complex is already kicking in. You do realize you're still relatively new to this level of combat, right?]
"Then it's time for my first real test."
---
The Outpost Under Siege
The sight before me was nothing short of hellish. Base Station 7, once a sturdy outpost, now lay in ruins. Concrete walls were cracked and crumbling, metal barricades bent out of shape, and bodies—both human and beast—littered the ground.
A group of defenders was desperately holding their ground, rifles barking as they fired at the incoming swarm of beasts. Their expressions were a mix of exhaustion and despair. Ammunition was running low, and their formations were beginning to break.
Amidst the chaos, I spotted the leaders of the attack: **three massive creatures**, each towering over the battlefield.
- Two wolves at Awakening Stage Level 3**, their jet-black fur matted with blood, eyes burning with primal rage. Their bodies radiated raw power, muscles coiled like steel cables.
- **One monstrous panther at Awakening Stage Level 4**, larger and more terrifying than the others. Its sleek frame was built for both speed and lethality, and its crimson eyes locked onto the humans with eerie intelligence.
The rest of the enemy force consisted of **over a dozen Foundation Stage beasts** and **a swarm of Body Training Stage beasts**. The defenders barely had a chance against them, let alone the Awakening Stage threats.
"No time to waste," I muttered, pulling out my **seven flying knives**, their edges gleaming under the smoke-filled sky.
[Finally, some action. Try not to get yourself torn apart in the first five minutes, okay?]
---
The First Real Battle
I launched myself into the fray. My flying knives shot forward, weaving through the air like streaks of silver lightning.
The first wave of **Body Training Stage beasts** barely had time to react. My knives pierced through their skulls, dropping them instantly. **One, two, three, four—dead in an instant.**
A **Foundation Stage beast**, a mutated boar with tusks the size of swords, charged at me with a deafening roar. I sidestepped at the last second, my telekinesis guiding a knife straight into its exposed eye socket.
[+10 years lifespan absorbed]
Another Foundation Stage beast, a reptilian brute, lunged at me. I caught its movement out of the corner of my eye and reacted. My knives tore through its throat before it could land a hit.
[+20 years lifespan absorbed]
I kept moving, cutting down enemies with precision. By the time the lesser beasts lay dead around me, **I had gained another 80 years of lifespan.**
But then, a shadow loomed over me.
---
Struggle Against Awakening Stage Beasts
A massive wolf, its fur slick with the blood of fallen soldiers, lunged at me. It moved like a blur, its claws slashing toward my throat. I barely managed to dodge, feeling the wind of its attack whistle past my neck.
"Damn, it's fast!"
[Yes, shocking revelation: higher-ranked beasts are dangerous. Do try not to die.]
The second wolf joined the attack, flanking me. I twisted, barely evading as it snapped its powerful jaws where my arm had been a second earlier.
I lashed out with my telekinesis, gripping both wolves mid-air. They resisted, muscles straining as they fought against my invisible hold. But I had grown stronger.
With a grunt, I **slammed them into each other**, sending them crashing to the ground in a heap.
Before they could recover, I sent all seven knives at the first wolf, burying them into its skull.
[+150 years lifespan absorbed]
The second wolf howled in fury and lunged again. This time, it was faster. I barely managed to dodge, but its claws raked across my ribs, searing pain shooting through my body.
Blood dripped from the wound, staining my uniform. I gritted my teeth.
"You wanna play rough? Fine."
I lifted a nearby boulder with telekinesis and slammed it into the wolf's side, breaking several ribs. The beast yelped but didn't fall. Its eyes burned with rage.
That's when the **Level 4 panther** entered the fight.
---
Clash with the Level 4 Beast
The panther moved like a phantom, its speed far beyond the wolves. In a blink, it was upon me, claws slashing in a deadly arc.
I barely managed to block with a knife, but the sheer force sent me skidding backward. My arms trembled from the impact.
[Warning: Awakening Stage Level 4 beasts are significantly stronger. You might want to take this seriously.]
"Yeah, no kidding!"
The beast lunged again. This time, I was ready.
I redirected my knives, sending them in a circular attack. The panther twisted its body mid-air, dodging most of them—but two blades managed to graze its side.
Enraged, it pounced again. I had only one chance.
I caught it mid-leap with telekinesis and slammed it into the ground with full force. As it struggled to rise, I drove all seven knives into its skull, piercing deep.
The panther spasmed, then fell limp.
[+200 years lifespan absorbed]
I collapsed to one knee, breathing heavily. My body screamed in pain, my ribs ached, but I had survived.
---
Aftermath and Moving Forward
The battlefield was silent. The defenders who had been fighting moments ago now stared at me in shock. Blood soaked the ground, bodies of beasts piled around me.
I wiped the sweat from my brow, exhaling slowly. My hands still trembled from the fight.
"He's… one of ours?" A soldier muttered, disbelief in his voice.
Another pointed at the bodies. "He killed them all... alone?"
I ignored them. This wasn't the time for recognition or praise.
My communicator flashed. Another distress signal. More Base Stations falling.
I forced myself to stand. "No time to rest. I have more work to do."
[Ah, wonderful. Onward to more reckless heroism.]
I took a deep breath, steeled myself, and stepped forward once more.
Total Lifespan Gained: 430 years.
Total accumulated lifespan by now is 630 years
Now I have to choose:
Either I can breakthrough to Awakening Stage level 2 in mental cultivation or wait till I accumulate 1200 years and use 1000 years to breakthrough to Genetic Warrior cultivation.
END OF THE CHAPTER...
Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this chapter, check out my other novel, Restart: A Piece of Cake. Dive into an exciting time loop adventure. Available now!