Before long, Isaac discovered a medium-dog-sized insectoid with bat-like wings hovering nearby. Its small, skull-like mask and segmented black armor gave it an unsettling presence. Without hesitation, Isaac decided to test his newfound powers.
"Fire Missile!" he shouted, summoning his only fire magic move. Three small flame projectiles materialized around him, crackling with intense heat.
With a flick of his wrist, Isaac launched the fire missiles at the creature. The projectiles zoomed through the air, leaving trails of embers in their wake. The first two missed their mark, but the third struck the creature, burning away one of its wings.
The creature screeched in pain, but instead of retreating, it dropped to the ground, using its remaining wing and limbs to rush toward Isaac on all fours. It moved with surprising speed and agility, its malevolent eyes locked onto him.
Isaac barely had time to react as the creature lunged at him, its claws outstretched. He stumbled backward, raising his arms defensively. The creature collided with him, knocking him to the ground. It snarled, its skeletal mask inches from Isaac's face.
Summoning his claws, Isaac used his razor swipe skill to cut into the creature's abdomen, shoving it back. As it skittered away, Isaac quickly got to his feet, fire magic crackling in his hands as he prepared to finish off the dying creature.
"You're not taking me down that easily," he growled, readying his attack. The creature, somehow undeterred, prepared to lunge again. Isaac's eyes blazed with determination, as he released another fiery assault.
With another flick of his wrist, Isaac launched the fire missiles at the creature. The projectiles, this time, struck the grounded creature with pinpoint accuracy, causing it to screech in pain as it was engulfed in flames.
The creature writhed and struggled, its dark membrane sizzling under the intense heat. Isaac watched as the fire consumed it, a sense of accomplishment washing over him. The once menacing creature was now reduced to ashes, its presence no longer a threat.
"That felt good," Isaac said, a confident smile spreading across his face.
**********
[System Alert: Reward Notification]
[Lesser-Beast Slain]
[ + 150 Exp ]
[ + Partial Skitter Fly Exo-Skeleton (Uncommon) ]
**********
As Isaac stood there, watching the last embers of the defeated creature fade away, he couldn't help but marvel at the magic flowing through him before breaking out in a fit of giddy laughter as he jumped through the meadow like a dog chasing a butterfly.
"This is awesome!" shouted Isaac, his voice echoing through the vibrant garden.
His excitement was palpable as he reveled in his newfound abilities. The magic felt natural, like an extension of himself. He was so caught up in his euphoria that he almost didn't notice the rustling in the nearby flowers.
A familiar creature caught his attention. Another Skitter Fly, with bat-like wings and sinister skull-like mask, though this one had long slender black claws, hovered only a short distance away. Isaac's eyes lit up as he readied himself for another attack.
"Alright, let's do this again," he said, focusing his energy.
With a flick of his wrist, he attempted to launch another set of fire missiles at the creature, inadvertently catching its attention. Snapping its long neck toward Isaac. The boney armored creature started flying toward him at considerable speed. As Isaac felt a sudden emptiness within.
Confusion and frustration crossed his face as he’d begun to panic. "Come on," he muttered, trying again to summon the fire missiles. But nothing happened. It was as if the magic had been drained from him.
Until, realization dawned on him. "I’m out of mana," he whispered to himself, glancing at his character sheet.
**********
[Name]: Isaac Hue
[Beast Soul]: Immortal Phoenix
Health:50/100
Mana: 0/50
[Level]: 1
[Exp]: 150/1000
[Sp]: 0
[Gold]: 0
{Inventory} {Stats} {Skills} {Quests} {Beast Soul}
**********
Panic set in as the Skitter Fly closed the distance, its form growing larger and more threatening with each passing second. Isaac braced himself, realizing he would have to rely on his physical abilities for now.
He quickly scanned his surroundings, looking for anything he could use to defend himself, though his search came up empty.
The Skitter Fly lunged, and Isaac, drawing on his strength and agility, dodged to the side. However, before he could clear the distance, the creature swung out with its mantis-like claws, cutting across Isaac’s face.
Isaac landed hard on the ground, the impact shaking him but his reflexes kicked in, and he bounced back onto his feet, pressing a hand against his wound.
For a moment, he felt a searing pain, but then the warmth of his healing flames enveloped his injury, mending the cut almost instantly.
“I need to find something, anything," Isaac muttered to himself, his eyes darting around the vibrant garden. His gaze landed on a sturdy-looking branch lying a few feet away.
In a swift movement, he lunged for the branch, grabbing it and swinging it toward the Skitter Fly with all his might. The creature, momentarily caught off guard, tried to evade the strike but was clipped by the branch, knocking it off balance.
Isaac didn’t waste any time. He pressed his advantage, swinging the branch again and again, forcing the Skitter Fly back. The creature screeched in anger, its membrane clearly bruised from the impacts.
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The creature, now more cautious, circled him, looking for an opening.
Isaac knew he had to keep the pressure on. He moved with purpose, his movements more fluid and confident. Each swing of the branch was backed by the fiery determination that now burned within him.
As the Skitter Fly lunged again, Isaac was ready. He sidestepped the attack, bringing the branch down with a powerful strike that connected squarely with the creature’s head. The impact shattered its skull-like mask, and it fell to the ground, writhing in agony.
Isaac stood over it, panting but victorious. The creature's movements slowed, then ceased, leaving only a curled up carcass. He let out a sigh of relief, dropping the branch and wiping the sweat from his brow.
"That was close," he said, looking around the garden. The vibrant scenery seemed to shimmer with approval, as if the very world was acknowledging his victory.
He opened his character sheet, eager to see his progress.
**********
[Name]: Isaac Hue
[Beast Soul]: Immortal Phoenix
Health:90/100
Mana: 0/50
[Level]: 1
[Exp]: 350/1500
[Sp]: 0
[Gold]: 0
{Inventory} {Stats} {Skills} {Quests} {Beast Soul}
**********
Isaac stared at his character sheet, puzzled. His healing flames had activated, but his health was still not fully restored. Placing a hand on his chin, he soon realized that while his flames could mend injuries, they didn't restore his overall health.
With a sigh, Isaac knew he had much to learn about harnessing the ancient abilities within him. Closing his character sheet, he turned his attention to the garden around him, seeing a swarm of the Skitter Flies rushing toward him.
**********
[System Alert: Random Field Event]
[Warning Fly Swarm Eminent]
**********
"A swarm?" Isaac muttered, with a small grin. “Well this might be interesting…and if not I can always use the exp.”
Instinctively, Isaac reached for the branch he had used in the previous battle. Gripping it tightly, he prepared to defend himself once more. The Skitter Flies closed in swiftly, their chittering wings filling the air with an ominous hum.
Isaac focused, as the first Skitter Fly lunged, he sidestepped and swung the branch with precision, striking the creature mid-air. Its fragile form exploding upon impact, sending it crashing to the ground.
The other Skitter Flies hesitated briefly, sensing the danger. But Isaac wasted no time and one by one, he dispatched the creatures, his movements fluid and confident.
As the last Skitter Fly fell, Isaac stood amidst the garden, panting but victorious. He glanced around, ensuring there were no more threats. The garden seemed to shimmer with approval, the vibrant foliage acknowledging his resilience.
His stomach growled, reminding him of his growing hunger. Looking at the fallen Skitter Flies, he felt a strange compulsion. Hesitating for only a moment, he picked up one of the creatures and bit into it. The taste was strange, but his hunger drove him to continue.
To his surprise, he felt a surge of energy. A notification appeared in his vision:
**********
[System Alert: Reward Notification]
[Experience Gained: +50]
**********
Isaac's eyes widened. "Eating them gives me experience? Must be another perk of being merged with a Beast Soul. That should put me at level 2, right?"
With this new knowledge, he collected several of the Skitter Flies and used his newly regained to use his magic to cook them. The flames danced in his hands, roasting the insects to a more palatable state. As he sat down to eat, savoring the strange meal, a strange window appeared before him.
It was a video, flickering to life. The emblem of the Kraken House appeared on the screen, a sinister symbol of a monstrous kraken wrapping its tentacles around a grand ship. Isaac's heart sank as he recognized it. The image gave way to the stern face of the head of the Kraken House.
"Attention, all members of the Kraken Guild and allies," the voice boomed. "Isaac Hue, former member of the Eastern Branch of our esteemed guild, is hereby declared a deserter. A bounty of 100,000 gold is placed on his head for his immediate capture or elimination."
Isaac's blood ran cold. His past was catching up to him faster than he anticipated. The video ended, leaving the emblem of the Kraken House and his mugshot lingering on the screen for a few moments before it vanished.
Isaac stared at the empty space where the video had been, his mind racing. The garden's peaceful ambiance felt suddenly menacing. He knew the bounty would draw hunters from every corner, and his journey had just become exponentially more dangerous.
Isaac then stood up and checked his character sheet, hoping the experience from the Skitter Flies would be enough to level up.
**********
[Name]: Isaac Hue
[Beast Soul]: Immortal Phoenix
Health:55/100
Mana: 50/50
[Level]: 1
[Exp]: 1150/1500
[Sp]: 0
[Gold]: 0
{Inventory} {Stats} {Skills} {Quests} {Beast Soul}
**********
“Damn, this is gonna be harder than I thought!” Isaac thought to himself.
Closing his character sheet, he glanced around the garden once more. The flower garden seemed less inviting now, shadows casting long and ominous shapes. With a deep breath, he steeled himself for the journey ahead.
“No point in acting scared now," Isaac muttered to himself. "I should have done that from the beginning if I was ever going to. Right now, I just need to focus on getting to level 2 and then to the next level after that to grow stronger!”
Determination surged through him, fueling his resolve. Isaac knew that fear would only hinder him. He had to stay focused and keep moving forward. The bounty on his head made every moment critical, and he couldn't afford to waste time.
With renewed purpose, he scanned the garden for any signs of more Skitter Flies or other creatures that could help him gain the experience he needed.
"Wait, I never checked my quests," Isaac realized, opening his character sheet once more.
**********
[Quests]
{Main Quests} {Daily Quests} {Side Quests}
**********
“Might as well start with my main quests…” Isaac murmured, while navigating his system.
**********
[Main Quests]
[Embrace The Fire]
[Learn to control the first [Fire Magic] ability of your [Fire Magic Skill Tree]
[Objectives]
[ ] Kill 5 enemies using [Fire Missile] 2/5
[Reward: +500 EXP +1 Skill Point]
**********
Isaac's eyes narrowed as he reviewed his quest details. "Kill 5 enemies using Fire Missile... I'm almost halfway there," he noted, thinking about the Skitter Flies he had encountered earlier. "Might as well make use of their numbers."
Setting off deeper into the garden, spotting a cluster of Skitter Flies gathered near a cluster of glowing flowers.
Drawing on the flames within, he conjured his Fire Missile skill, and focused the three beams of fire energy. Taking careful aim, he launched the spell at the closest Skitter Fly.
The three bursts of flame struck true, engulfing the creature in fiery energy. As it fell, Isaac quickly moved to the next target, his movements more confident and precise than before. One by one, he dispatched the Skitter Flies, each successful strike bringing him closer to completing his quest.
After defeating the third creature, Isaac paused to catch his breath as his mana had once again run dry, feeling the surge of experience and skill points awarded to him. He closed his eyes briefly, savoring the moment of accomplishment amidst the stillness of the garden.
**********
[Main Quest Completed: "Embrace The Fire"]
[Objectives]
[?] Kill 5 enemies using [Fire Missile] 5/5
[Reward: +500 EXP +1 Skill Point]
[Calculating…]
**********
**********
[Level Up Acquired]
[Level]: 2
[Exp]: 150/2500
[Sp]: 1
[Gold]: 0
**********
As Isaac stood amidst the smoldering remains of the Skitter Flies, awaiting for his rewards to be divided out, the notification flashed on his interface, only to be followed by another more urgent one that overshadowed it.
**********
[System Alert: Random Field Event]
[Warning! Warning! Warning!]
[ Field Boss Spawning…]
**********
Seeing the notification Isaac's eyes widened in surprise.
“A field boss?” He shouted. This was unexpected, but it presented a thrilling opportunity to test his newfound abilities and earn even greater rewards. “This luck skill is definitely making things interesting, but how the hell am I supposed to kill a field boss at level 2!”
