In Klein's P.O.V. Cavern.
I stare at the alligator as it begins to circle around the column I'm clinging to. I call it an alligator in my head, but it doesn't look much like an Earth alligator. For one thing, it has eight legs and, as I just saw, it moves much faster on land.
Although the jaw looks about the same, the neck is more flexible and longer, it keeps stretching its head to look at me as if disappointed that I haven't fallen into its mouth yet. I look around and see Ruby a little further away, she's holding her swords but looks hesitant.
"Are you okay?"
Ruby says, "Yeah, I'm fine, how are you?"
"Annoyed! By the way, why is he ignoring you?"
Ruby says, "I don't know, maybe because I'm a spirit and don't smell like food? I was going to attack him, but I doubt my swords would hurt him much. I thought about hitting him with a fireball, but I'm worried he'll hit you too."
"No, don't throw fireballs at me, please! I really should have taught you how to use the fireball! Anyway, judging by the looks of your armor, I don't think your swords will work either. Just stay away, I'll take care of this!"
Ruby says, "Okay, don't do anything stupid!"
I laugh as I let go of the pillar with one hand and point at the alligator with it.
'Lightning!'
MP: 330/405
Lightning shoots out of my hand and hits the alligator in the head. The gator shakes its head and then looks at me even more angrily. I then decide to hit it again, this time aiming for its mouth.
'Lightning!'
MP: 255/405
This time, the lightning strikes inside the alligator's mouth and has more effect. The alligator roars in pain, and then turns away from the pillar to return to the water. This is what I expected, I retract my claws from the pillar and leap towards the gator. I pull the Black Razor out of the air as I hear Ruby scream in surprise.
I land on the gator's back and wrap my free arm around its mouth to keep it closed. I hold on for dear life with all my might as the gator starts flailing around like a madman, but thanks to my strength I am able to keep its mouth shut. Just as I'm about to stab it with Black Razor, it changes tactics and rolls.
Considering that this thing weighs several hundred pounds at least, suddenly finding myself pinned between it and the rocks is not a pleasant experience.
The fact that it spins around five or six times in the same amount of seconds leaves me seeing stars and with bruises all over my body, but despite that I don't let go and start stabbing it over and over again with the Black Razor. As I stab him I either hit him in a painful spot or he just decides I'm not soft enough yet because he goes back around the other way another six times.
HP: 453/809
I quickly realize I can't keep this up much longer, so I stop randomly stabbing and wait until I'm up, then take aim and stab him in the eye. When the hilt of the knife hits bone and stops, I channel another bolt of lightning through the dagger.
'Lightning!'
MP: 180/405
⟨⟨-DING-⟩⟩.
- Congratulations, the Lightning skill has advanced to level 2!
√ Lightning
√ Level 2
√ Level 1
- You can become stronger by consuming the flesh of strong enemies.
⟨⟨-DING-⟩⟩⟩.
- Congratulations, you've developed a skill!
- Superior Agility has evolved to Supreme Agility due to Agility reaching one hundred!
√ Supreme Agility.
- You gain your Agility stat as bonus damage to ranged attacks.
"Devour? Now that sounds promising."
I guess I can try it out on this big guy, he was definitely a strong opponent. I get up and start looking for some wood to use for a campfire. I get lucky and find some on the shore of the lake, it looks like driftwood. I find branches on it and since I don't see any trees, I guess that means the river is coming from somewhere above ground.
I gather some firewood and go back to the carcass, build a small fire and then cook an alligator steak and taste it. It's pretty tasty, but I don't get any kind of message, so I guess cooked doesn't count. So I cut the heart out of the gator and eat it raw.
⟨⟨-DING-⟩⟩.
- The Devour skill has been activated! Strength +4 Endurance +4
"Not a bad result. I definitely like this new skill."
I continue to skin and quarter the alligator while wondering how much longer Ruby will stay mad at me. I end up making several trips back to camp to move all the meat, hide and bones. Once everything is back at camp, I sit and meditate for ten hours to recover from the fight.
When I finish meditating, I return to the new cavern and look around. I start checking the ceiling near the pillars for a cluster of crystals near a pillar. When I find one, I quickly climb up the pillar to get close enough to look at the crystal.
"ITEM."
√ Solar crystal.
- It emits an endless light.
"Perfect, but I'm going to need new tools."
So, I descend, head back to my camp and grab my pickaxe. Then I spend two hours mining iron ore and manage to get about a hundred pounds. I take it all to the forge room and smelt it and then use it to forge a new set of tools. I then return to camp, grab my rope and head back to the cavern.
I climb back up the pillar and get as close as I can to the crystals, then tie myself to the pillar so I can use both hands. Once I am secure, I grab a large piece of crystal with one hand and my new small pickaxe with the other. Very carefully, I start to strike the crystal near the base, I slowly strike the entire contour of the base to create a break line.
⟨⟨-DING-⟩⟩.
- Congratulations, you have acquired the gem-cutting crafting skill!
√ Gem cutting
√ Level 1
- Intelligence+1.
- You can make rough gems.
I keep tapping along the same line over and over until the whole piece comes loose. I almost drop it when it breaks free, but manage to hold it with my fingertips. I end up releasing the beak to grab the crystal with both hands. Then, I slowly descend, holding the crystal firmly against my body as I descend. When I reach the ground, I look at the piece of glass; it should be big enough to make two.