Chapter 42: The Cost of Perseverance

Chapter 42: The Cost of Perseverance

It's already a day since the start, and Sneaky McSneakface still continues to stalk me. I continue to monitor him even as I fight the monsters, but it doesn't attack at all. Yet, I do not let my guard down.

The only good thing that comes out of it is that I greatly improve my [Mana Perception].

The range is now bigger, and I can feel even smaller usages of mana. Yet every time I do so on this stalker, it lowers its mana signature.

At this point, I am sure that it's making fun of me, as every time I dash at it, the presence immediately disappears. It's either moving insanely fast, teleporting, or just can totally erase its mana but continues to let out some for some reason, probably to piss me off.

At one point, it did copy Crimsonwolf. I let one troll hit me with nearly his full power, nearly breaking my arm in the process, but I absorbed an insane amount of kinetic energy and used it to propel myself towards the sneaky stalker.

The trees turned into blurred lines, and I even crashed through multiple branches, yet the stalker was able to run away without leaving mana trail behind.This chapter's initial release occurred on the n0vell--Bjjn site.

So that's it.

I can't ignore him, and it keeps me on my guard at all times. I do not dare to stop using mana to strengthen myself or for perception, so I continue to spend my mana.

To counter it, I improve my efficiency, and I am sure at this point my usage is twenty to thirty percent lower than before Sneaky McSneakface appeared.

So, thank you and fuck you.

Step on a Lego or something.

More time passes. I haven't slept for like 30 hours at this point?

Surprisingly, it's not that bad. Constitution has turned me into a superhuman for sure, and mana is now nearly permanently flowing and strengthening my body, reducing the effects of lack of sleep.

As for returning and having others help me? I refuse!

I went there to become less reliant on them, so coming back immediately after would feel pathetic. I also think this is something I can deal with on my own.

I took a sip of some water right from the stream, but I seem to be fine, so I came back and drank a bit more, It tasted really good.

Another problem is that I am already without any food. All this fighting and usage of mana made me hungry and I ate it all.

The sneaky stalker is still stalking me and continues to avoid my attempts to catch him.

Surprisingly, shouting like a maniac and insulting his parents doesn't help, and he still stays out of reach.

Oh, and I got lost.

I forgot to mark the way.

It's getting harder to think logically.

More time passes, and I was able to sleep for like three hours, well actually I slept without wanting to.

I stopped to lean against a tree and fell asleep while standing.

What woke me up was a sharp pain in my side. When I woke up and swung my sword, there was no one there, and I found a small wound in my side.

The cackle sounded in the surroundings, and goosebumps appeared all over my body.

The BattleTroll hits me straight on; my sword and hilt are already gone, so I use both of my hands to block him. I absorb more kinetic energy than ever before, yet my arms still break, but I push through the pain, kick his neck with the tip of my foot coated in [Oscillation] and propel myself towards the presence at the edge of my perception.

I mold the mana and send it all to my legs; my shoes literally explode from the pressure I put on them, and I dash barefoot. Then I release the absorbed kinetic energy and push myself even faster. My [Mana Perception] flashes into the surroundings like a sonar, and I locate the Phantom Goblin.

I reach him in a second, bulldozing through small trees; my shoulder collects unpleasant wounds, and I am sure I will be all bruised, but I push through it and reach the asshole.

He tries to run, but I let myself hit a tree, absorb a bit more energy from the crash, and use it to propel myself again.

The air around the goblin wavers, and his skin changes color like a chameleon, but this time I quickly find him by his mana with my improved perception.

Finally, I land a kick on him and he rolls on the ground.

The small green monster screams in pain, and it makes him cancel his skill. I dash before he tries to run and stomp on his feet, making him scream again.

Hahaha.

I stop for a second and continue to try to catch my breath.

My arms hurt, my body hurts, my stomach is sick, I feel thirsty, and my clothes are in tatters.

There are wounds all over my body.

Yet

HAHAHA.

I laugh while the green fucker screams in pain at my feet.

Then I stomp with my feet.

I break his legs, his arms, and the monster continues to scream and tries to crawl away even with broken limbs. It scratches me with its nails, but I ignore it.

I stomp on its stomach and chest, its neck.

I get the message about the kill.

But I continue until the green body at my feet turns into a mess of blood, bones, meat, internal organs, and green skin.

Haaa. I breathe out.

Easy, not even close.

Hahaha.

I laugh a bit and then feel a wave of relief wash over my body. I just realize how scared I was for the past few days, and I feel like crying.

But then I enter deeper into [Focus], and the emotions slowly calm down.

My [Mana Perception] flashes into the surrounding area, encompassing a space roughly the size of a small village.

Let's go back.