Chapter 124: Worth it
CLANG
Ginna spun around at the sharp sound of glass shattering.
When she turned, she saw Monica standing frozen, shards scattered across the floor at her feet.
"Monica? Are you okay?"
At the sound of her voice, Monica snapped out of her daze and nodded. "Yes... I’m fine. It just slipped..." Even as she spoke, her voice felt distant, unfocused.
Ginna frowned slightly. "Move away carefully. I’ll clean this up."
Monica nodded again, guilt flickering across her face as she stepped back.
Ginna stepped outside and returned with a broom.
As she began sweeping the broken glass, Monica asked, "Did Luke come back for lunch?"
Ginna hummed. "No, he hasn’t come back since morning. Why? Did something happen?"
The brunette slowly shook her head, her gaze drifting toward the window.
"I don’t know why... but I have this really bad feeling. Like something’s gone wrong."
Maybe she was overthinking it, but her heart wouldn’t settle.
Clenching her small fist against her chest, she whispered, "I hope you’re safe, Luke... wherever you are."
---
"Haa... haa... haa..." Luke panted, his breaths ragged, his eyes barely able to stay open.
Something was broken... his ribs, maybe. His hand still bled, and his back burned with searing pain.
Through his blurred vision, he saw it approaching.
At least four meters long, its body covered in grey fur.
Sharp canines. Blue eyes. A suffocating presence.
The wolf standing before him was nothing like the hyenas.
This was different.
This was the true face of the wild.
It showed no mercy
"Grrrr..." The wolf growled, inching closer to Luke.
There was no doubt. This was the apex predator that had hunted that elephant.
He didn’t know when it had entered the cave, but one thing was certain. It had marked him as prey.
’There’s no point in assessing it...’ In his current state, Luke wasn’t even sure he could take on a hyena, let alone this beast.
The wolf stepped closer, its jaws parting as saliva dripped from its fangs.
Luke’s gaze flicked to his dagger lying off to the side.
The wolf lunged, aiming to crush his skull in one bite. At that exact moment, Luke recalled the dagger into his inventory and summoned it back into his hand.
SQUELCH
The lava-toothed blade pierced through the underside of the beast’s jaw, searing through flesh with terrifying ease.
The wolf snarled and jerked back, the dagger slipping free.
Luke’s eyes widened as the creature raised its paw and slammed it down onto his hand.
"Gaaaah!" he screamed.
Under the crushing weight, his bones creaked, on the verge of snapping.
He had no choice. Luke shifted most of his points into defense.
But that alone wouldn’t save him.
’I will fucking kill you.’
His thumb pressed against his middle finger, tension coiling as Gamma began to gather.
His entire arm trembled under the strain. Gamma drained at a frightening rate, but he didn’t care.
He wanted this creature dead.
The beast, lacking any sense for magic, remained unaware.
Its eyes gleamed with savage pride.
To it, the human beneath its paw was already defeated.
With one of Luke’s hands pinned and the other barely functional, the wolf opened its jaws wide, preparing to rip his body in half.
However, just as its jaws descended, Luke thrust his arm forward, forcing it into the beast’s gaping maw and—
SNAP
—snapped his fingers.
A violent jolt rippled through the wolf’s body, like chaos tearing through its core. The ground beneath its feet cracked, the wall behind it splintering as dust and debris burst outward.
And then, a heartbeat later—
BOOOOOM
The beast detonated.
From its head down through its torso, its entire body erupted, flesh and bone tearing apart in a gruesome explosion that sent fragments flying in every direction.
Luke barely managed to turn his face aside, but the creature was far too large for him to avoid it completely.
SPLATTER
Blood, viscera, and shattered remains drenched him from head to toe.
His body felt unbearably heavy, whether from the drain of Gamma or the sheer damage he had taken, he couldn’t tell.
"Fuck..." he muttered under his breath.
This was the worst thing he had ever experienced.
Even death hadn’t been this cruel.
His mind begged him to close his eyes and rest... but he hadn’t forgotten where he was.
This was still the forest, still a place filled with dangers far worse than what he had just faced.
He had to get back home. But in this condition...
"Tch... no choice." He pulled out a vial filled with red liquid from his inventory and uncorked it.
Spitting out the blood in his mouth, he downed the potion in three large gulps and tossed the empty vial aside.
As he leaned back, a warmth spread through his body. A soothing sensation followed, like being submerged in a hot onsen.
It felt... comforting.
The sluggishness faded. The throbbing pain dulled. Strength slowly returned, enough for him to push himself up using the wall for support.
"Agh..." he groaned as he finally stood and took in the scene around him.
It was disgusting.
Everything was drenched in red. Thick chunks of flesh and scattered entrails lay strewn across the ground.
It was revolting.
He turned to leave the cave, but then something caught the light.
A sharp glint pierced his vision.
He closed his left eye and turned toward the source.
There, lying amidst the mess, was a blue gemstone about the size of a baby’s head.
He frowned and stepped closer.
"Assess it," Luke muttered. He wasn’t about to touch something unknown and risk poisoning himself.
[Assessing...]
[Ding!]
[You have found a Core Gem]
[Grade: D]
[Core Gem: A gem formed by the condensation of Gamma, carrying a fragment of the soul.]
[Host, consuming it will greatly improve your Gamma and may grant you an ability.]
"Damn..." His eyes lit up as he picked up the gemstone.
It didn’t feel like glass or crystal. It was more like a dense fiber, firm to the touch yet slightly yielding when squeezed.
"How do I eat it? Do I need to refine it first?"
[No, host. Any Core Gem below C-grade can be consumed directly.]
Luke let out a low hum, surprised. Truth be told, under normal circumstances he would have doubted the system and still would have thought over consuming it.
But right now...his mind was way too dizzy to overcomplicate things.
Without much thought, he braced himself and took a bite.
It tore away easily under his teeth, releasing a watery fluid. The taste was mildly sour, but not unpleasant. He didn’t dwell on it and kept eating until nothing remained in his hand.
For a few seconds, nothing happened.
Then—
"Ugh..." He staggered, a wave of nausea hitting him as dizziness clouded his vision.
He took support of the nearby boulder and let his mind calm down first.
Just then, the system informed,
[Ding! Your Gamma has significantly rose.]
[Congratulations, host!]
[You have unlocked a skill.]
A slow grin extended his lips reading that.
Now that...was something that made this whole mess worth it.
•••••••••
A/N:- Thank you for reading the Chapter and giving this book a chance.
Please leave a review if you have been enjoying.