Chapter 8: First Life and Death Battle

A beautiful cresct moon made of ice sliced through the air, cutting a massive mountain bull cleanly in half. There was no blood wh the two halves of the monster hit the g, the ice had sealed the wounds. A few meters away, Klaus stood with a satisfied smile, admiring his work.

"Damn, your boy Klaus is on fire today," he said with a playful grin, feeling like a spoiled family heir showing off his new toy. The past hour had be all about perfecting his technique—cutting down monsters with a single swing. At first, it was rough, more like a desperate attempt to pull off the move. But as he kept trying, something clicked.

He started to get the hang of it, feeling more connected with the power inside him.

What surprised Klaus the most was how quickly he was picking things up. Just by killing monsters, he was gaining new insights. In this last half hour alone, he'd tak down four more Tier monsters. With each one, his understanding of the Moon Slash skill deeped. It wasn't just about brute force; there was a rhythm, a flow that he was beginning to grasp.

One of the first things he noticed was how to better manage his spiritual qi. In his initial attempts, he used up about 50% of his qi in one go. The result? He nearly tore his own meridians and muscles apart. Not exactly ideal. But as he kept practicing, he learned to control it more precisely, avoiding unnecessary strain on his body.

But that wasn't all. Klaus found out that using less spiritual qi and focusing more on the elemtal essce actually boosted the power of his attacks. It wasn't something he would have guessed, but the results were undiable. The Moon Slash became sharper, and more destructive, without draining him so much.

As he continued experimting, Klaus discovered another important insight. The timing was everything. If he released the Moon Slash at just the right momt, wh his spiritual qi and elemtal essce were perfectly in sync, the attack was not only more powerful but also faster. It sliced through the air like a hot knife through butter, leaving no room for the monster to react.

He also learned that positioning made a huge differce. By adjusting his stance and the angle of his slash, he could direct the cresct moon with greater precision, targeting weak spots on the monsters. This meant he could take them down with less effort, conserving his ergy.

"One more to level up," Klaus muttered to himself, glancing at his progress. Satisfied, he stored the mountain bull's body and started moving deeper into the forest. Ev though he was still in the outer section, the atmosphere became increasingly ominous with each step. The trees grew thicker, the shadows darker, and an unsettling silce filled the air.

Roar!

Just as Klaus was leaping over a slab of stone, a deafing roar echoed through the forest, shaking the g beath his feet. The sound was so powerful that it made his heart skip a beat.

"Gotta run," Klaus whispered, spinning on his heel. But before he could move, a sudd wave of cold washed over him, freezing him in place. His breath caught in his throat as ice began to creep up his legs, locking him down.

"Die brute" Klaus released the slash with a shout, sding the cresct arc toward the python's vulnerable spot. The ergy surged through his sword, more powerful than before. The slash connected, cutting deep into the python's flesh. The creature let out a deafing roar, writhing in pain as blood sprayed from the wound.

"This feeling..." Klaus murmured, just as his stamina hit rock bottom. He felt a sudd warmth spreading from his stomach, seeping into every part of his body. His strgth began to return, and the fatigue and stress that had weighed him down started to fade away.

Klaus's eyes narrowed as he watched the python's wound begin to heal, the deep gash slowly closing up. "I have to kill this brute before things take a dark turn," he muttered, determination burning in his gaze.

With rewed ergy, Klaus pushed himself off the g. The warmth flowing through him felt like a second wind, and he wasn't about to waste it. He focused his spiritual qi and elemtal essce, channeling them into his blade. The icy glow returned, stronger than before.

The python hissed, ssing the change in Klaus. It lunged at him with rewed fury, but Klaus was ready this time. He sidestepped the attack with surprising speed, his movemts no longer sluggish. As the python's head whipped past him, he slashed his sword across its side, aiming for the same spot he'd hit earlier.

The Moon Slash cut deeper this time, tearing through scales and flesh. The python let out a pained roar, its massive body thrashing wildly. Klaus didn't let up. He kept attacking, striking at the creature's weak points, each blow more precise than the last.

For a momt, it seemed like he was gaining the upper hand. The python was weaking, its movemts slowing as it bled from multiple wounds. Klaus could feel victory within his grasp. But just as he was about to go for the killing blow, a new sound reached his ears—a low, rumbling growl that made his blood run cold.

From the shadows of the forest, a massive figure emerged. It was a beast, covered in thick, dark fur with eyes that glowed like embers. Klaus recognized it immediately—a Tier Shadowmane, a predator known for its speed and ferocity.

Klaus's heart sank. Fighting one Tier monster was hard ough, but now there were two. The Shadowmane growled, its gaze locked onto Klaus, and he knew he was in serious trouble.

The python, ssing the presce of another predator, turned its atttion toward the Shadowmane. For a brief momt, Klaus thought they might fight each other, but that hope quickly vanished. The two monsters seemed to come to an unspok agreemt, both turning their focus back on Klaus.

"Great, just what I needed," Klaus muttered, gritting his teeth. He was already struggling with the python, and now he had to deal with this new threat. The odds were stacked against him, but he wasn't about to give up.

"If I don't kill you two brutes, I will change my name," Klaus said swinging his sword in a weird arc.