The frequency of battles against the sprites had increased, rendering Ryuji's skills and powers less valuable. He found himself reduced to a re flesh wall, a frustrating position. Ryuji yearned for a proper fight, but the forest was devoid of any worthy adversaries, populated only by sprites and small animals.
After an hour, Erika's condition improved, enabling her to walk and fight. Her extre level of speed allowed her to take on the sprigs and sprites, much to Ryuji's annoyance. He couldn't help but feel the limitations of his axe in comparison.
'I wish I could use magic... That strange feeling in my stomach, will it guide again?'
"Don't worry about it, Ryuji. It's rare for you to get a rest," Simon said, patting Ryuji's shoulder with a laugh.
Ryuji released a sigh; he wanted to fight and kill beasts and monsters, not small sprigs and sprites. He was an axe-wielder, not a baggage handler! He watched Paul showing off his magic missiles and fla bolt that caused the small sprites to pop like little balloons.
"Paul, tech magic..."
"Ryuji, your elental affinity is low. It would take years to learn a simple light spell. Forgive . I am too old to teach you that long."
Ryuji returned to his brooding as Paul laughed it off and walked ahead of him. Ryuji stayed in a poor mood as they walked through the forest, filled with vibrant green trees and colourful flowers.
There were lovely plants and herbs, but only Alicia knew what they did and handled them—the one Ryuji touched caused his fingers to bleed.
"I see..."
—Level Up
Status
Na: Ryuji Vincenzo
Title: Deathbringer (Kobold), Murderer (Human)
Class: Berserker: Lv.12 /?????????: Lv.3
Rage: 0/120 (0 Reserved) [40% damage resist]
Rank: C
Attributes
Strength: 40 -> 42 ( 4)
Agility: 20 ( 2)
Stamina: 21 -> 22
Grit: 53 -> 55 ( 5)
Intellect: 16 -> 20
[New Spell Learned]
Your irritation about magic awakened the innate elent within your bloodline.
Hand of Blood - The spell conjures a hand of blood in the air that grabs the target. Crushes small targets. While causing bleeding damage, the hand holds large targets in place.
***
'Eh? Magic? I have magic!?'
The mont Ryuji heard the announcent, his eyes saw a group of sprigs floating in the sky, minding their own business. He felt an intense desire to try his new spell out.
He closed his eyes, morising how the ability worked and what he needed to do. The process seed simple; compared to Paul and Sheila, he didn't need to chant, just envision a bloody claw, and it would act the way he desired.
"I'm going to crush them!"
"What!?" Simon stared at Ryuji with shock after hearing his declaration. He pointed at the small, fluttering creatures, then at Ryuji, and then again at the sprigs.
"Get real. Those guys will just fly around and..."
A huge bloody red claw appeared in the air, like a demon or dragon. Its sharp tips dripped with blood before wrapping around two of the sprigs.
'I can feel the sensations of the hand of blood if I use my hands to manipulate it... interesting.'
Ryuji released a silent victory laugh, his mana draining like a leaking bucket.
"NOOOOOO!"
"Oh, co on!"
The other sprig panicked and flew into the woods, leaving the pair in the claw.
However, Ryuji reached out with his other hand, a second claw appearing, grasping the other sprig. He then looked at them and gave a wicked smile before crushing his palms. Though he could do this without using his hands, he wanted to kill the first sprigs and feel it.
Pop!
The Sprig's wings tore as its body ruptured. Ryuji's palm pressure crushed all three of them, creating a sickening pop before a crack from the small bones broke them into dust.
'Yess!'
Ryuji's face lit up as he controlled the second claw, gripping it around the panicked sprig's head before twisting its neck. The sound of ripping flesh was like music to Ryuji's ears.
'Good... Very good... More. I want to kill more!'
Ryuji looked for more, a third claw flying in the air before Yumiko slapped the back of his head and hugged his chest. "You idiot... take more care of your body!"
Because he beca too eager and focused on the spell, he didn't notice the blood oozing from his nostril. This occurred when mages exhausted their magic and instead used their vitality to cast spells. However, not every mage or spellcaster could do this and would suffer the spell fizzling. It seed Yumiko would need to monitor her boyfriend.
"Ah... sorry, the little bastards kept mocking ."
"It's okay... Nnn, don't be angry. I'll get them for you, okay?"
Yumiko hugged his body. She tried to calm his mind because sotis he just acted without normal regard for his safety. After hugging for a few monts, Ryuji felt his anger disappear, and a gentle feeling of warmth filled him. He nodded to Yumiko as she flashed a beautiful smile and leaned on her tiptoes to kiss his lips.
"Ah, they're flirting..."
"His tongue is really long, don't you think?" Sheila and Alicia whispered to each other.
A few minutes later, Simon coughed; he knew what it was like to be young and in love. But they needed to finish, as the first night would soon be upon them, and this forest wasn't quite safe to camp inside. "Co on, you lovebirds! Let's get going."
Only Erika looked at the two from a distance, with a strange look in her eyes, while pretending to sharpen her blades.
", I can eat a horse, " Alicia said, running past Ryuji and Yumiko and joining Simon.
Paul stopped and glanced at Ryuji before turning back to Simon and Alicia. "Yes, I could eat so of your horrible food for a change."
"We have the spices. The at will be amazing tonight because Sheila is cooking!" Simon threw his hands in the air before returning to serious mode. Their target was a small cave located around a mile from their position. They had an hour's walk, giving them plenty of ti to enjoy the view.
"Umm... does anyone hear that?" Sheila asked. She stopped dead in her tracks and held her hand out, silencing the group as they listened.
"It sounds like sothing galloping." Alicia leaned down, her Elven ears near the ground, absorbing the vibrations. "Lots of them, towards this direction."
Ryuji sniffed the air, then laughed, grasping his massive axe. "Not to worry, it's just extra at for dinner."
Yumiko cracked her neck and wrists before taking a position that caused Ryuji to freeze for a mont; her beautiful blonde hair cascaded over her shoulder, her hips pushed out, and her tail swayed. She mastered his mother's offensive stance so quickly that it shocked him.
"Really?" She smiled at Ryuji before tilting her head, her long ears flopping from side to side. "I won't hold back like last ti, don't worry."
Yumiko's figure glead brightly. He felt like she had swallowed the sun and the moon. The only sound that Ryuji could hear was his heart throbbing at her beautiful image. It was the first ti he had seen her fight seriously.
"Okay, shall we fight them?"
Ryuji patted the hilt of his axe and licked his lips. He couldn't wait to kill things in front of Yumiko to show off a little and impress her.
"Everyone! Prepare for combat. The enemy are Mutated Unicorns." Simon called out.
"Unicorns?" Erika sighed as she straightened up her stance with a look of sadness. "I thought they were gentle creatures?"
"In the legends of your world, they are gentle creatures, but in this world, they are very dangerous beasts with horns that can penetrate steel armour. Their blood is an incredible dicine, and they taste excellent when cooked, especially with a sprinkle of salt."
Yumiko licked her lips and stood two steps behind Ryuji, ready to enter the battle.
"Is this sothing I should kill as well?" Ryuji asked Simon while casting a glance at his girlfriend.
"Ryuji, let tell you sothing. The price for their horn is ten gold a piece!"
"Let's kill them!" Simon chuckled.
Ryuji pointed at the entrance of the forest, where the unicorns burst through the trees with their horns and bodies, charging right at them.
They were nothing like the unicorns that Erika or Ryuji expected: muscular bodies over seven feet tall. With a horn at least a tre in size, shimring with a silver light, their eyes bloodshot and sharp teeth like that of a predator. Their hooves smashed the ground with every step as they charged forward.
"THEY ARE UGLY!" Erika yelled, her lips curling into a smile. "I really hate things like this!" It seed she could fight them, her resistance vanishing the mont she saw them appear.
anwhile, Ryuji and Yumiko, like dogs at the races, shot forward after the gunshot, chasing the rabbit.
Yumiko's crimson-stained claws dug into its neck as it thrashed wildly, desperately trying to throw her off its body. The horn missed, unable to find her body because of her lower position.
She didn't waste any ti and reached down and sliced off the horn with one graceful movent of her free hand. She grinned while staring at Ryuji as he cleaved another unicorn in two, its bones shattering from the impact.
Yumiko could only look envious as the one she mounted bled out, slowly falling and dragging along the dirt.
"Those two are monsters..." Simon whispered while they trapped a unicorn as a group and killed it with Paul's magic.
A humane and less violent way of slaying them.
"Are those guys our allies, or just tad beasts?" Paul whispered, Ryuji's axe slicing another unicorn's legs off as it passed him...
Paul shuddered at the grueso sight while Erika skillfully killed a unicorn with her curved Elven blade.
In the end, the party collected enough at for several nights and seven horns.
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