Leveling up skills

-18th day of the AC, 18.04.1052-

-Time: 10:40-

-Location: A mountain near Lodiz-

*Ting!*

[Skill 'Mana Bolt' leveled up!]

A notification appeared in front of Travis as he fired a quick volley of the skill. Quickly confirming its contents, he smirked before unsheathing Thunder Blade and shooting forward with a <Sprint>.

The bogeys he was presently engaged with were known as Stormraptors. These creatures were of moderate size, standing about 50 cm tall when seated. Their beaks were somewhat elongated in comparison to their head, but they had a sharp and slender appearance. These beasts boasted large, two-meter-wide wings that enabled them to sustain their lightweight frames at high altitudes by gliding on wind currents. The talons affixed to their sizable feet were as sharp as a razor's edge, each nearly 5 cm long.

The bodies of stormraptors were adorned with long, dense feathers of a dark grey hue. On their heads, they displayed an array of plume-like red feathers, adding to their striking appearance. Underneath their bellies, their coloration shifted toward lighter shades, with some even displaying an all-white hue.

Their keen senses made them very acute to what was happening around them. Even monsters that hid in the shadows of the night, like shadow panthers, found it difficult to successfully hunt one of those birds. But it didn't mean they were all-powerful. Food-chain-wise, stormraptors were considered 'lower predators'. They tended to hunt mountain goats and small critters scattered around the paths and rarely ever came into contact with humans unless provoked.

Their nests were rather large, easily boasting 10 meters in diameter. This much space allowed them to teach their younglings the art of flight easily while giving them ample space to fend off attackers. This, however, also meant that gathering enough litter to cover the entirety of it was challenging. Therefore, only a section of the nest was covered in dried grass and branches where these beasts bred.

However, there was one characteristic that did make those avians truly difficult to hunt.

'<Mana Bolt>.' Travis commanded his spirit. A bolt of mana escaped his palm, closing the distance to the floating beast.

However, it couldn't even reach. Seemingly anticipating the strike, the stormraptor's body became coated in arcs of lightning, and it made a quick dash to its side, evading the projectile entirely. This was what put the 'storm' part in their name. Stormraptors were nearly entirely immune to lightning-based attacks and could use mana to form wind and lightning skills. Although their mana was limited, so was the man's.

'This bastard really wants to annoy me.' he thought. Nevertheless, on his face, there was only a smile visible. For the first time in a while, the man felt... reinvigorated by the idea of hunting.

He was standing on a small plateau on the western side of the mountain nearest Lodiz. At an elevation of about 800 meters, the air was somewhat chilly, emphasized by its wetness as it blew around him slowly. The rock surface was slightly damp, and its surface gleamed in the rays of sunlight reflected by the Thunder Blade in the man's hand.

Meanwhile, Violet sat on a large rock near the plateau, watching the situation with a somewhat uninterested gaze. The two fighters seemed to be at a stalemate until the raptor in the sky performed a divebomb toward Travis' position. Just before it reached him, the bird performed a quick rotation and came to a halt, sending out a strong wave of wind with its wings. The man was moved back a little and grimaced slightly at the damage from the strike. Immediately after that, however, he smirked. Quickly, he shot a <Mana Bolt> while dashing with <Sprint>. Unable to retaliate or escape his range, the beast was taken down.

"*Huff*," the man let out some heated air from his lungs. "And that's a level up for me."

She didn't answer, instead getting down from her rock. 'Not bad... avians tend to be difficult to hunt without a ranger. <Mana Bolt> has its limitations.' she thought, nodding slightly to the man.

"Well then," Travis said as he sheathed Thunder Blade and did a slight stretch. "Onto the next one, I suppose," he continued his thought, taking his steps toward Violet. Behind the woman, there was a narrow side path that had led them to this place.

"...will you not take their parts?"

"...parts?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Talons of avians go for a decent price, and so do their beaks. Even though some of them seem damaged, they may fetch a few gold coins if you happen to meet a traveling merchant."

"I don't want to clutter my inventory. Money's good to have, but relying on a chance to meet a merchant on my way is a bit too much," 'Especially given that I am getting items left and right at this rate. If I'll ever need some extra, I'll find a quest board and do some.'

"...may I take them?"

"If you want to," he shrugged lightly, stepping over to the rock that served as her chair just a moment ago. Sitting down on it, he checked the information on his freshly leveled-up skill.

[Mana Bolt lvl.3

Form and shoot out a bolt of pure mana. You can use multiple at once. Deals 6-11 + 18% of your magic power of damage.

Cost: 9 MP]

He let out a satisfied sigh. 'Reduced cost is even better than increase in power. With this, my current max mana will allow me to shoot... roughly 40 <Mana Bolts>. That'll come out to over 300 damage, not accounting for any magic defense or my magic power. It's not that amazing, but it's a basic skill, and it's only level 3.'

With 6 stat points from today equally distributed between Sense (to bring it to a round number) and Intelligence (to increase his MP pool), this day was bound to be spent on hunting. Taking a short moment to analyze his fight, Travis frowned momentarily.

'Was it not for the Shard of Nihhelar's effect activating, I'd have had to wait until I regained mana or would need to get a mana cookie. My usage of skills leaves a lot to be desired.' he nodded to himself as his eyes glanced at Violet. The woman was kneeling by the second bird already, and with careful yet quick and precise movements, she cut off their feet. She similarly treated the bird's beaks and even plucked some better-looking feathers from their wings. After finishing, she packed them into a small bag. Within a minute or so, she also got the trophies from the third monster, all neatly placed in a tied bag which she sucked up with her storage ring.

Then, she looked at him.

"I'm finished."

"Alright then, let's go," he nodded, standing up from his position. Quickly taking his pack onto his back, he ventured back to the path, Violet following suit.

-6 hours later-

A slash, a cut, a stab. Quick motions were forceful and lethal as Travis struck at another victim in his quest to level up. Which beast was it by now? It must've been more than three dozen. Judging by his level passing by 56 now, it must've meant that the monster's levels were at about the 45-50 mark. This made them perfect for him.

[Skill 'Sprint' leveled up!]

A notification appeared as he shot toward the last stormraptor in the pack. Ignoring it, the man shot a <Mana Bolt> and slashed the Thunder Blade, killing the beast quickly. Afterward, he glanced to the side of the nest and saw Violet leaning on a wall, glancing toward him neutrally. Her hair was tied in a low ponytail, exposing her sleek and defined cheekbones. In the sun's light shining at her from behind Travis, she looked... pristine. Like a wild perfection, seen yet uncaptured. With a lazy yet confident motion, she pushed herself away from the wall and unsheathed a knife, intent on reaping the parts of the monsters to her bag. The man, in the meantime, stepped to the side.

Without waiting, he opened the skill window of <Sprint> and confirmed a decrease in cost and a slight increase in the power of the skill. A sigh escaped his mouth as he sat down on a rock, doing his best to regain his lost HP.

This was just the third peak they had gone on searching for new monsters to hunt. Typically, such a thing would be next to impossible. A group of travelers would need some rest after just about every subjugation. Even if it were a dozen levels 100 going against three dozen levels 50, there would be some rest between the subsequent encounters. Travis and Violet, however, had little need for that. The woman didn't step into the fights, only watching, and the man's Endurance gave him enough stamina to regain it between the subsequent fights. A level 50 traveler of any class would need a few days at least to grow two levels in this place. Travis needed one afternoon.

He looked away from the woman. 'This is the power of free stat distribution.' the man realized, taking in the vast valleys separating the mountains. Expansive forests extended in them, allowing all sorts of monsters and animals alike to flourish, from simple boars and elks to veherons and ents.

Looking in the western direction, he easily could discern a dozen mountain tops interconnected with their sloping sides. Though some of them were higher than others, the man could not see a single one that was covered in any snow. Not a sign of whiteness as far as he could see. This was a testament to how short those were, even though they looked impressive.

In lower parts of the land, just barely visible, sat a thin line of somewhat blue color. It swayed and lurked left and right, going from two tops of mountains and finding its end in what looked to be a tiny puddle in the middle of the grass. That was how small a river, a lake, and a forest looked, watched from nearly a kilometer away.

Travis inhaled deeply. This sensation... it was quite nice, in a way. For a brief moment, he felt like all his problems were minuscule. After all, if even a mighty river and huge forest could look so small...

"I'm finished," he heard Violet's voice.

Almost immediately, the man was broken out of his spell. Quickly glancing at her, he asked, "Do you think we can make it to another peak before evening?"

"It's possible. The only harrowing problem is that this mountain already didn't have a defined path. Next ones are as good as uncharted territory."

"Scared?" he asked, his mouth curving in a teasing smile.

"I didn't say we should shy from them," Violet riposted, seemingly indifferent to his gesture. Inwardly, however, she could feel a bit of... warmth, almost.

"Then, let's make a run for the one in west, alright?"

"...very well," she replied, fixing her hair.

Before long, they were running down a side of the mountain. It was a reckless maneuver, but neither of them cared. Travis knew that <Sprint> would be able to correct his course if need be, and Violet didn't appear to have the slightest bit of difficulty in moving fluidly.

And so, the two of them traveled on and on, intent on clearing another nest or two (depending on how many they could find) on the next mountain. The distance from Lodiz was reaching 15 km by now, and only growing.

-Meanwhile, under a mountain a couple of kilometers away-

A figure walked hastily in a dark corridor, a torch in hand giving off a faint glimmer of light. Orange rays of light danced on the cold stone walls, exposing their nearly smooth surface that was neatly divided into segments, creating an illusion as if the walls were made of uniform, gray bricks. The surface underneath the creature's feet was made in much the same fashion. Actually, the entire structure looked... man-made, albeit definitely aged. The carpet on the floor was somewhat torn and full of dust, and pieces of stones were lying all around.

Its steps echoed bluntly throughout a multitude of similar corridors as it came into a larger room. Although the terrain was covered in pitch darkness that seemed darker than any night, the creature's eyes were already adapted enough to recognize everything with only as much light as its torch allowed.

The being's posture was small, roughly 80, maybe 85 cm in height, evident in how low it reached even with the torch in hand. Its trek was fast, and although invisible in the low visibility conditions, its mouth was dripping saliva.

"Humans!" it yelled, the voice echoing into the farthest corridors of the underground complex. "Humans!"

"Humans?!" a response called out from within the darkness, in a similar tone to its own.

"Humans! Male! Female!"

"Male?"

"Female?" another one appeared, and judging by how it was getting louder, its owner was fast approaching.

"They're here!"

"Female!"

"Male!"

"HUMANS!"

The loud chatter of the beings continued for a long while as the sources started to gather. Numerous points of light appeared in distant corridors and converged into the room, casting light onto the numerous inhabitants.

They were imps. Their frames were compact and wiry, which gave them an agile and nimble appearance. Their red skin was reminiscent of a real demon, which gave them an intimidating aura. Their large eyes were of orange color with big, black pupils that appeared to suck in all light around. Most of them wore mischievous grins that revealed spiky teeth, and all of them had a pair of small bat-like wings on their backs. Bits of tails were visible, poking from underneath their ragged clothes. The bony, slender fingers of their hands were long and pointy. Sharp nails atop could even damage stones around them.

Though they looked similar to malnourished children, they were far from them. Those beings were the lowest cast of demons. Most of them would serve under higher casts in castles in the demon realm, but sometimes, when a demon crossed over to Casali, they would bring with them a large group of servants.

But those ones have long since lost their original master. Ever since he passed, they were roaming around the halls of the underground mansion he had them build, protecting it from any outside influences and keeping the only current inhabitant safe in her sleep.

However...

"Wake the mistress up!" one of them yelled.

"Wake up!" the others cheered in turn.

...they weren't sure why, but... as much as they avoided humans normally, this time, they felt something... different. Something... special.

Rushing through the halls, they all quickly stepped on the ground, the echoes sounding like miniature thunders. Eventually, they stopped by a large door. It was age-old. Its deep brown surface had stood the test of time, still holding strong despite many splinters on its surface.

As one of the imps reached out for the large handle, the entire group stepped back. Carefully, it took a few steps inside, looking around the room it found itself in.

It was a somewhat spacious room, outfitted with a huge bed and a dressing screen that had a long, purple dress placed over it. Somewhere to the demon's right, a few dressers were visible, topped off with a large mirror and multiple boxes with accessories. On the opposite side of the room, a huge wardrobe stood, filled to the brim with dozens of different outfits.

Despite the room not having been touched for more than a century, it was surprisingly immaculate, to the point where the imp's steps left clear signs of dirt on the stone floor.

But the little demon cared little for such things as tidiness. Right now, it needed to wake up its mistress. Stepping onto the bed, it looked at the sleeping beauty.

Even in the torch's faint light, it was clear that she was a beauty above all others. The skin of her face was impossibly clean and smooth, with a healthy, albeit pale tone. Her delicate nose and full lips of deep red color made her look seductive yet benign. Small, pointy ears stood out from her skull slightly. Her straight, bright silver hair flowed down her body like a cascade, hiding her ample chest and reaching to her navel. Although she was not clothed, the linen she was under concealed the rest of her assets.

"Mistress! Please wake up!" the imp quickly yelled.

However, he got little reaction. The sleeping woman was breathing in and out slowly, entirely unbothered by the creature next to her head.

"Mistress! It's urgen--!" suddenly, the lower demon's voice was cut off as the woman's hand gripped its neck tightly.

"...Who dares interrupt my slumber?!" she asked in an aggressive voice. However, even when angry, her voice sounded like the most beautiful melody of a piano. Every single letter of her sentence seemed to have a different tone synced in the best way to create the absolute pinnacle of sonic perfection. Her pristine eyes were of red color that glimmered menacingly in the dim atmosphere.

"M--" the creature in her hand attempted to say something, but was promptly silenced by an increased grip strength.

"You speak when you're allowed to!" she yelled, her face twisting in anger.

As a silent second passed, the woman felt her head pulse slightly. The long sleep was having an effect on her. The slow beat of her heart was starting to quicken, sending waves of pressure up to her temples.

"...talk," she said, throwing the imp to her side. With surprising grace, the small creature rotated itself in the air and glided to the ground, assuming a position of kneeling on one knee. "Before I lose my patience."

"Mistress. There are humans in the mountains above us."

"Humans come and go every year. If this is the reason why you disrupt my sleep, you will suffer the consequences," a small, scarlet-colored spear appeared above her hand as her similarly-colored eyes stared the creature down.

"Mistress... please, feel the air," the imp urged quietly, feeling the woman's dangerous gaze aimed at it.

"...?" the woman raised an eyebrow momentarily before closing her eyes and taking a few deep breaths. Suddenly, an unfamiliar sensation hit her nostrils. Unbeknownst to her, her lips curved in a smile. "...good. You've done well."

"...I am unworthy of your praise, Mistress."

"Bring them here. Immediately."

"As you wish, Mistress."

...

As the imp quickly ran out of the room, the woman clenched her fist, allowing the spear to disappear. A heavy sigh escaped her mouth.

'My power is at its lowest.' she frowned with dismay, looking at her stretched fingers. They looked immaculate. 'This cycle must've lasted for at least a few decades.' she thought, letting her hands roam on top of the fabric for a short while.

Suddenly feeling some dirt under her palm, she scoffed.

'Disgusting.' she swiped the dirt away. 'They may be consistent and loyal, but they cannot keep up some cleanliness.'

Deciding to stop her thoughts, the woman slowly got up.

Her nude body slowly moved as her half-closed eyes barely made out what was in front of her. Should anyone be in the same room as her, they'd be immediately charmed by the tantalizing movement of her big breasts, the two mammaries capped with somewhat large, delightfully pink nipples. The deliciously framed hips gave her a sexy, alluring figure, and her delicate feet stepped on the stone silently.

The silver-haired woman got to the dressing screen, a hand tracing along the dress currently hanging on it. The material was old, but still kept its grand appearance.

'Peculiar.' she wondered. Though she had to quell her senses for now, the distinct smell still permeated her nostrils. 'This scent... it's close to a human's, but... something's different. It smells... incredibly delicious.'

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