With the mad smirk still plastered on my lips, I crouched, taking calm, measured steps toward the Rethons while ignoring the elated drumming sounds my heart thudded.
And strangely, at that moment, my mind became clearer. Much clearer than it was before, as I halted and stared down at the flinching and slightly whimpering Rethons.
No thoughts ran across my mind.
Oh, wait.
One thought actually did. Just one.
And that was;
Level up.
As it sensed my incoming urgency, a slightly larger Rethon rapidly shook its head, seemingly snapping out of the minor daze its mind had fallen into.
And as it shook its head, the others followed suit.
–Screech!!
I bulged my calves,
"Hmph!"
I leaped, soaring through the air as I streamed toward the gathered horde of Rethons with the steel pipe still tightly clenched within both palms.
At the same time, the larger Rethon moved, running toward me with its jaws wide open, exposing a jagged set of teeth that glistened under the faint light of the half darkness.
As it approached me, it leaped.
Heh.
I landed on the ground just before it reached me.
And I slid immediately, my back grazing the destroyed tarred ground as I moved below its underbelly.
"Nng." I groaned slightly.
I stood, giving the Rethon no time to react to my sudden movement as I immediately struck the back of its head with the steel pipe.
[You have slain a Dormant Grade Monster. +10Exp.]
Now that's what I'm talking about.
As I stood, observing the corpse of the Rethon I had fallen, a sudden stinging sensation wrapped around my calves.
My brows furrowed as I sneered.
"Huh? The hell?"
I turned my neck, staring down at the head of the Rethon whose deadly pair of teeth sank into the flesh of my right calf.
Why in the world couldn't I feel the pain? All I felt was a–
My heartbeat suddenly spiked, and my breathing jerked off rhythm.
Shit.
I raised the steel pipe.
"Get your fucking teeth off me, you oily piece of shi–"
I rammed hell into the head of the Rethon.
[You have slain a Dormant Grade Monster. +10Exp.]
I ignored the fallen corpse, staring at my bleeding calf.
"Tsk." I clicked my tongue, shaking my head.
Too much blood. Am I.. gonna faint?
I dragged my bleeding right leg. The thing felt heavy, like I was suddenly walking with a weight strapped to my calf.
Then, I assumed a better stance, clenching the steel pipe as I stared down at the monsters.
My chest rose and fell, causing my cracked lips to shiver slightly as it parted.
"Come, all of you," I said.
–Screech!!!
This time, they all ran at the same time toward me, swarming me in bulk as goo dripped from their bodies.
I turned my neck, staring at the incoming Rethons in the distance.
Damn.
There are more of them?
It seemed like the noise had attracted them. Plus the fact that both these packs of Rethons and I were the only living things that stood in this street.
But strangely enough, I didn't feel any fear, nor did I panic.
Instead, a strange sense of satisfaction dawned on me as I stared at the sight.
I nodded.
Yeah, I was definitely high.
High on Exp.
This is some good shit.
I moved.
[You have slain a Dormant Grade Monster. +10Exp.]
[You have slain a Dormant Grade Monster. +10Exp.]
[You have slain a Dormant Grade Monster. +10Exp.]
[You have slain a…]
[You have slain a…]
…
…
[Congratulations. You have leveled up!]
"Ugh," I groaned, my voice weak and strained, "Finally."
I wiped the streak of black goo that splattered on my face. The blood of a dead Rethon.
I grunted, strengthening my biceps to drag the steel pipe buried deep in the head of the same fallen Rethon.
As I successfully dragged the pipe out, I breathed out a sigh of relief, and my chest deflated.
I swung the pipe, and black goo flew off the edge of it.
Then, I stared at the sight before me.
My mad smirk had completely faded.
Another smile replaced it, though. A warm, satisfied smile.
Dead Rethons everywhere.
Beautiful.
Literally, their corpses littered the entire street.
"Thought I'd never hear that," I whispered.
My heartbeat, which had been raging earlier, began to dwindle, mellowing until I no longer heard it.
Even my breathing became more stable.
I looked down at my bleeding calf. No, both my calves bled out now. And from my back, thick blood trailed down to meet them.
Claw marks and goo burns riddled the skin on my arms.
I'm losing too much blood.
My limbs grew weak, and my knees trembled as my waist, and every single part of my body began to ache.
The pain had caught up with me.
Oof.
My knees gave out, and I fell, butt first to the ground.
Hm?
I stared at the ground I sat. The texture under my bottom.. ass felt gooey. And I hated gooey stuff.
"Ah," I exclaimed.
I sat on top of a Rethon corpse, clenching my steel pipe with one hand, and my other hand grasping my aching ribs.
It hurts so much.
I winced, closing my eyes. Like it helped.
There was no moving from this spot.
Jerry, my friend, you're gonna have to wait some more. Not my fault.
[Level Up Auto-Heal in Effect.]
As the voice played through my mind, my eyes snapped open.
Huh?
Suddenly, my body felt at ease. The harrowing aches that banged against my entire body dulled. And my weakened limbs regained strength.
"For real?" I questioned the system. Honestly, I had no idea what answer I expected, bu–
[For real.]
I flinched slightly, gulping.
"You can talk?"
Of course it can talk, Dustin. It's been yapping ever since the alley. Shit. I was supposed to ask if it had sentience!
Sentience!!
Why the hell did I forget the word?
The system didn't reply.
I shrugged. "Guess it can't."
I looked down at my calves.
They had stopped bleeding. And the areas where the bite marks had been… the bite marks no longer existed.
Same thing with the claw marks and goo burns on my arms.
It's just miracle after miracle with these systems, huh.
[Free stat points: 8]
I knitted my brows.
"Stat points?" I muttered, "What am I? A game character? I'm gonna customize my body now? Allocate the stat points to my strength, agility, and the rest.."
I nodded.
Sounds about right. It is a 'leveling' system after all.
I guess that means I have a,
"Status Window?" I called out.
The blue interface surfaced.