World Awakening: The Legendary Player-Chapter 99: Easy Win

Nox stood over the fallen monster, his fist still smoking with dark energy. The toad was trying to push itself up with its other legs, its cluster of eyes blinking in pain and confusion. It opened its mouth again, but it wasn’t for acid this time.

A long, sticky tongue, tipped with a sharp bone barb, shot out and wrapped around his leg.

"Nox!" Serian yelled.

He was yanked off his feet and dragged toward the creature’s waiting mouth.

He didn’t panic.

He didn’t even look worried.

As he was being pulled across the mud, he just swung his other leg around and kicked the toad right in its cluster of eyes. Several of the glowing red orbs popped with a wet squish.

The toad screamed, its tongue reflexively letting go. He landed in the mud, but he was already moving, rolling to his feet.

"Serian, now!" he yelled.

She didn’t need to be told twice. She was already in motion, her sword in hand. But she wasn’t aiming for the toad’s tough hide. She thrust her blade deep into the swampy ground.

"Forest, hear my call! Bind this creature!"

Thick, thorny vines, as wide as her arm, erupted from the muck. They were black and twisted, fed by the Rot of the forest. They snaked around the toad’s remaining legs and its body, holding it down against the mud.

The creature struggled, but the vines just tightened their grip, the thorns digging deep into its flesh.

The toad was pinned. Its soft, pale underbelly was completely exposed.

Nox saw his opening. He wasn’t just going to hit it. He was going to end it.

He crouched low, his body humming with the power of Primal Void. He pushed off, his Shadow Glide sending him flying across the clearing. He leaped into the air, right over the thrashing monster.

He came down like a meteor, his metal-clad fist aimed right for the center of its soft stomach.

"Game over," he growled.

His punch connected.

The world went white for a second with the sheer force of the impact. The toad’s entire body just imploded, a massive explosion of green goo, corrupted energy, and swamp water that shot fifty feet into the air.

He landed on the other side of the clearing, his fist still smoking. He was drenched in stinking monster guts, but he was grinning from ear to ear.

The vines retracted back into the ground, their job done. The clearing was quiet again, except for the sound of his own heavy breathing.

’Man, these things are draining, I need to work on my stamina stat.’

A series of blue screens lit up his vision.

[Corrupted Alpha Defeated: Grotesque Croaker!]

[EXP Gained: 25,000]

[Level Up!]

[You are now Level 24!]

[All stats increased by 1!]

[You have 5 unallocated stat points!]

[Your skill ’Primal Void’ has leveled up from overwhelming a powerful foe!]

[Your skill ’Void Forging’ has leveled up from spontaneous combat application!]

[Item Acquired: Core of the Croaker (Alpha)]

[Item Acquired: Gland of Corrosive Acid x3]

[Item Acquired: The Toad King’s Wart (Unique Crafting Material)]

He dismissed the screens, a feeling of pure satisfaction washing over him. That was a real fight, and he had completely dominated it. He looked over at Serian. She was standing there, her sword dripping with mud, and she was smiling at him.

"That was..." she started, shaking her head in disbelief. "That was incredible."

"Yeah," he said, the adrenaline starting to fade. "It was pretty good."

He looked at his gauntlets, then back at her. "You did good too," he admitted, the words feeling a little awkward. "Those vines were a nice touch."

Her smile widened. "It seems we make a decent team."

"Yeah," he said, looking around the swampy, gut-splattered clearing. "I guess we do."

He pulled up his status screen. He saw the level-up notification and the five extra stat points waiting for him.

’Five points, not bad at all.’ He knew right away where they had to go. That Primal Void skill was a monster, but it totally drained him. He felt like he could barely stand after the fight.

’Stamina,’ he thought, a grin on his face. ’Need more gas in the tank.’

He dumped all five points into his Stamina stat without a second thought.

[Stamina: 32 -> 37]

He felt a deep, solid warmth spread through his chest. It wasn’t a huge rush of power but it was a good feeling, like his battery just got a whole lot bigger.

"I think I will need a bath for a week." Serian said.

"Yeah, this stuff stinks," he agreed, trying to wipe some of the goo off his arm, which only smeared it around. He looked at the loot notifications that were still hanging in his vision. A core, some acid glands, and something called The Toad King’s Wart.

[The Toad King’s Wart (Unique Crafting Material)]

[Description: A particularly large and potent wart from a corrupted alpha. It is incredibly rubbery and resilient. Can be crafted into an item with high blunt-force resistance or extreme bounciness.]

’Bounciness?’ he thought. ’What the hell am I gonna do with that? Make a super-ball?’ He dismissed the thought and looked at Serian. "We need to find some clean water. This is disgusting."

She nodded. "I agree."

They found a small, clear stream a little way from the swampy clearing. The water was cold and clean, and they spent a few minutes washing the monster guts off their clothes and skin. Nox took off the Brutalizer gauntlets, and they dematerialized before they even hit the ground.

Serian watched him, her eyes on his hands. "Those new weapons," she said, her voice curious. "They are not like your sword. They seem more suited to you."

He looked at his own hands, then back at her. "Yeah," he said. "They feel right."

"You fought differently this time," she went on, her gaze steady. "You used your skills together. You were not just angry. You were a strategist."

"The old way wasn’t working," he said with a shrug, splashing some water on his face. It was true. Fena had taught him a hard lesson.

He stood up, his clothes still soaked but at least clean of guts. "Come on. We’re wasting daylight."

"Where are we going?" she asked, getting to her feet as well.

He looked down. The faint blue line was already there, pointing them deeper into the sick forest. "I know the way," he said.

They set off again, moving through the trees.

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