His heart calmed after some time, not really calm, it was pumping so fast to keep up with his speed. But his mind was calm and calculative.
He looked back, satisfied. he was able to keep enough distance between him and the beasts.
But he wasn't a robot and had limits of keeping up. His legs burned, muscles screaming for rest, but the system's numbers didn't measure exhaustion. Only his body did.
His endurance was low.
His eyes glinted with lethal focus as the boars thundered. It wasn't time to think about that, it was time to run.
As he ran at his full speed, dodging the vines and small branches, boars continued their pursuit as if he was their sworn enemy.
Ash was vigilant for any chance to strike back. But there wasn't anything to be used. Most of the resources were unknown to him, giving a mystical feeling.
He had poisoned claws but his strength was too low to use them as throwables and expect that they would pierce the boars' skin.
Having no option, he was about to use his last two stat points to increase his strength when he felt a soothing feeling that filled him with new vitality.
He looked ahead, seeing a large pond and illuminating herbs growing around it. As he passed the last of the trees before the pond, he saw two human-like figures, but they were not humans by any means.
They were two tall, willowy figures with skin like smooth bark and veins glowing faint green. Her hair flowed like vines with blooming flowers. Her eyes shimmered with golden light, and faint motes of green energy floated around her.
His heart surged in anticipation, but before his eyes could notice, the two figures had crossed him with lightning speed.
Ash was unable to comprehend anything despite his sharp senses; from his perspective it was almost similar to teleportation.
Just moments ago Ash was proud of his agility, and now he was not even 1/10th as fast as these two strange creatures.
Ash had already allotted his two remaining stats in MP. He grabbed his gun to shoot, realizing he hadn't been attacked, and if they had attacked, he wouldn't have had the chance to grab his gun.
His mind was in dilemma; if their agility was so high, then who could say about their endurance? Would the bullets be enough to kill, seeing their unnatural appearance?
Ash turned back, seeing the two figures standing between him and the boars.
"Are they protecting me?" Ash had a genuine question.
He was looking at their backs with leaves and vines turning and twisting. He felt that he had the best angle and timing to shoot them.
The moment the thought crossed his head, one of the creatures looked back at him. Its eyes warning.
He saw the group of boars running back where they came from.
Ash knew the moment he showed animosity he would be dead. Aiming at them would take longer compared to their speed.
One of the creatures slowly walked towards him, its hands shining with green energy.
Ash backed step by step, trying to show his coward nature and get out of the situation by showing how pitiful and useless he was to them.
But he couldn't back so far as he was on the edge of the large pond; any more and he would fall in the water.
Seeing his reluctance, the creature halted and, with a cold breeze, ran past him, going where they sat initially.
Ash sighed, seeing them from the other side of the pond. They sat cross-legged, not minding Ash anymore.
He noticed them for some time, anticipating a quick attack, but he knew it wouldn't happen. If they had to kill him, then they didn't need to be sly.
Their strength was beyond comprehension.
Seeing no movement, Ash decided to sit on the other side of the pond. According to his understanding, this place was the safest for him unless these two creatures attacked him or a creature more powerful than these two came.
It didn't seem like their motive was to kill him.
His throat was dry, and he craved water so hard.
But he didn't know if the water was drinkable or not. So for now, he checked his system where he had seen some interesting things.
[Congratulations! You have reached Level 3.]
[Choose 1 Skill from the following pool:
1. Mana Surge – Permanently increases MP regeneration speed by 50%.
2. Silent Step – Your footsteps produce no sound when moving below running speed.
3. Vital Strike – First attack on an enemy deals 25% bonus damage if unseen.]
"So now I can also choose skills," he wondered if he would get to choose more every few levels. But even if he didn't, he had to choose wisely and the best course of action.
At first sight, he was in favour of the third skill, but then he had to keep his current condition in mind.
He had a gun, and it was a one-shot-kill weapon. Thus, if something couldn't be killed with this, then what were the chances it would die from 25% extra damage? And it would only apply if the target hadn't noticed him.
Too many conditions with fewer benefits.
Then Silent Step could be beneficial, but not in his current condition. He was swift enough to replace it.
Currently, Mana Surge was the best skill he could get. His perspective wasn't only limited to his current condition. If he got an opportunity to upgrade it, then 50% may change to 100%.
And the gun in his hand worked on MP. Then fast regeneration could help him survive some severe situations.
[Congratulations! You have acquired skill 'Mana Surge'.]
He checked his system screen, feeling satisfied with the new changes.
[MP: 24/60 (Recovery rate: 1 per 450 seconds)]
His MP cap had also increased since he had allotted two stat points in MP, feeling urgent need.
He discarded his system with this thought, staring straight towards the two humanoid creatures.
Seeing their speed, he realised how he was just a frog in the well. Now he felt an urgent need to find human civilization. He wanted some comfort and sense of safety.
Living in the jungle was too tiring for his mind and body. He had to be vigilant every second, and despite that, who knew when he would stumble on something beyond his comprehension.
When he was about to give in to his thirst and drink the clean-looking water, he heard a noise of rustling leaves from the other side of the trees.
A one-eyed wolf came out of the bush. It looked rugged and beaten. One of its legs was twisted at an unnatural angle.
Despite that it's eyes were as fierce.