Chapter 16: [Stream Wind Sword]

Through my increased perception, I detected slight shifts in the ground below me and bolted to a side as a few spikes made of earth thrust out from the ground.

After evading the Bloodthirsty Earth Bear's first attack, I sped towards them while agilely evading all the skill attacks that both of the Tier-2 monsters fired at me.

As I closed in, the Bloodthirsty Earth Bear promptly formed an armour made of Earth on top of its body.

At first, I tried to kill the Dire Wind Wolf, but it hid behind the Bloodthirsty Earth Bear, and with the Bloodthirsty Earth Bear acting as a tank, I wasn't able to reach the Dire Wind Wolf.

So, I turned my focus to the Tier-2 Bear and started punching at it with all my strength while dodging its attacks, and a few fractures formed on its Earth Armour.

Meanwhile, the Dire Wind Wolf sneakily attacked me with a transparent looking spear made of wind.

I barely skirted it, but still, a 6-inch long cut appeared across my forehead and left cheek. If I had received a direct hit to my head, it would have been fatal.

With both of them working hand in hand, I got pushed into an adverse position.

Having no emotions, I didn't make any rash decisions such as rushing towards the Dire Wind Wolf and quickly retreated a few meters back. They became vigilant at my retreat and got into a defensive position.

I had to fight with my bare hands as my [Rusted Short Sword] fell somewhere when I got attacked just before I underwent [INVERSE].

But with my mental connection with the [Rusted Short sword], I detected its durability to be at rock bottom as only 1 point got left out of 100. So, I didn't search for it since it might break if I even use Lv.14 [Sword Aura].

The cut on my face was visibly recovering with my high Vitality Attribute. Still, before it could completely heal, I stooped my legs into a takeoff posture and exerted full capacity of [Hydraulic Leap].

The Dire Wind Wolf got alerted as it understood what I was about to do and tried to inform the Bloodthirsty Earth Bear.

But before the Tier-2 Wolf could do that, my punch already collided with the Tier-2 Bear's Earth Armour and a deafening sound followed.

The impact sent the 4 meters tall Bloodthirsty Earth Bear flying, and it crashed through a few trees with a series of loud booms, and eventually stopped after 50 meters.

The Tier-2 Bear didn't take any vital damage because of the Earth Armour, which almost got shattered from my full-powered blow.

Yet, I didn't rush towards the Tier-2 Bear because I deliberately used my full-powered attack to isolate both of them.

After the punch, I dashed towards the Dire Wind Wolf with no delay.

The Dire Wind wolf struck at me with its claw. Still, I evaded it smoothly and punched it continuously on its face without even giving it a chance to retaliate anymore.

Dire Wind Wolf's head got completely covered in its blood with multiple fractures on its skull, and it was a breath away from dying.

Looking at the unwillingness and hate in its eyes, I said plainly with no emotion, "There are always consequences for actions. Before you acted, you should have prepared for them."

After saying that, I killed it with one last blow to its head, and then a string of notifications popped up.

[Lv.16 Dire Wind Wolf (Tier-2) Killed]

[800 Life Energy Obtained]

[Congratulations! You have reached Lv.10]

[5 Undistributed Stats are available]

[Congratulations! You have earned an Achievement Title, [Greater Wolf Hunter] (Uncommon) by killing a Dire Wind Wolf of Greater Wolf Species.]

[Greater Wolf Hunter]

Effect 1: All the lesser and greater Wolf Races will fear you, and Higher races of Wolf Species will be aggressive towards you.

Effect 2: Increases all Wind-related abilities by 20%.

[Congratulations! You have earned an Achievement Title, [Beginners Luck] (Common) by reaching Lv.10 within the first day of your Trial Zone.]

[Achievement Title]:

[Beginner's Luck] (Common)

Effect: Luck+5.

[Congratulations! You have met 2 of the 3 requirements for Tier-2 Evolution.]

[Tier-2 Evolution Requirements]:

{1} Reach Stage-2 Sword Mastery ✓

{2} Obtain enough Life Energy that is required to reach Lv.11 ✘

{3} Obtain 1 Uncommon Achievement Title and 3 Common Achievement Titles ✓

[By reaching Lv.10, you have unlocked a new function for all the Earth's Alpha Chosen, [Trial Zone Alpha Leaderboard]]

[Congratulations! You attained a Super-Cluster Level Achievement for killing a Monster that was two phases higher by yourself in a full-frontal battle.]

[Due to causing a Super-Cluster Level Achievement, You will receive a random reward that is one grade higher than your Tier.]

[With the current Looted stats in your [INVERSE] mode, you are considered as a Tier-2 Lifeform and you will receive a random Rare Grade Reward.]

[Congratulations! You have received [Stream Wind Sword] (Rare Grade).]

Even though I was curious, I didn't open the new function, [Alpha Leaderboard]. I looked towards the ash-coloured 1-meter long One-handed sword that appeared beside the dead Dire Wind Wolf as a reward from the System for killing Tier-2 Wolf.

I turned my attention towards the Bloodthirsty Earth Bear that started racing towards me.

I quickly picked up the new Sword, and without even inspecting it, I tried to bond with it.

[Do you wish to form a bond with [Stream Wind Sword]?]

I accepted it and immediately felt a mental connection with One-handed longsword.

As the Tier-2 Bear got near, it used some unusual skill, and a few chains made of earth wrapped around my legs and anchored me to the ground.

These earth chains were tough, and it would take me some time to break them.

So, I stopped trying to breakout and coated the Lv.14 [Sword Aura] on the [Stream Wind Sword], and a cyan coloured Sharp Aura formed above it.

I activated [Sword Aura Extension] on top of it. With the extended Aura on top of the Sword, the 1 meter long [Stream Wind Sword] looked like 3 meters long Sword.

I didn't want to take any chances and used the Inherent Skill of [Stream Wind Sword].

______________________

[[Stream Wind Edge] (Rare Grade)]

- Forms an extremely sharp, pressurized wind around the blade of [Stream Wind Sword].

- Cost: 50 Spirit Energy per second.

______________________

A sharp pressurized transparent Wind formed on top of the [Sword Aura Extension]. I swung it vertically towards the Bloodthirsty Earth Bear that almost closed in on me.

The [Stream Wind Sword] that got wrapped in [Sword Aura], [Sword Aura Extension], and [Stream Wind Edge] sliced the Bloodthirsty Earth Bear into 2 portions.

Both of its body pieces moved at the same speed at which the Tier-2 Bear approached me, and one-piece passed from my left and the other from the right.

I didn't foresee my attack to be so powerful that it perfectly sliced the Tier-2 Bear in half. Still, it was justifiable after looking at half the amount of Spirit Energy that the single attack consumed.

After it died, a few notifications appeared along with a Spirit Item that appeared beside the dead Bloodthirsty Earth Bear.

If not for me having no emotions with the [Harmony] being activated, I would have got shocked by the new Spirit Item's Grade.