Chapter 308: On the Outskirts of the Forest
Alexander walked down the streets toward the exit. The town had the quiet aura of a countryside region; there were hardly any buildings taller than two stories, so he could easily spot the city gates in the distance. Along the way, he observed people going about their daily lives, everyone busy with their own routines.
However, the one thing the entire town had in common was that nearly all of its inhabitants were women.
If this place feels like paradise, why isn’t there more migration? thought Alexander, looking around. Shouldn’t it be packed with perverts? How strange...
He crossed the city limits and began walking down the trail into the forest. The trees were massive, forming a natural canopy that created a relaxing vibe. The air was crisp and fresh, making him exhale in tranquil ease.
It wouldn’t be a bad idea to bring my women to visit this place later on, thought Alexander. They’d definitely like it.
He covered ground for about twenty minutes to get far enough away to avoid drawing attention. He had no idea how common the Wind Claws skill might be, but it was undoubtedly Kiara’s signature technique; if anyone saw him using it so close to the guild, it would raise too many unnecessary questions.
After twenty minutes of walking, everything seemed clear. He was confident no one had followed him. Alexander walked over to a fallen log and sat down to catch his breath.
While sitting there catching his breath, he felt a presence. That sense of danger he had sharpened through his training made him realize he was surrounded. He looked all around, but saw nothing. Trusting his instincts, he locked his gaze onto the ground: it was a translucent slime that was barely visible. It was truly surreal; it had no solid body, looking like a sphere of crystal-clear water sliding forward.
"Is that a slime?" said Alex in a low voice. "Damn, it looks pretty neat... But wait, aren’t they supposed to be really dangerous?"
Alex stood up and watched as dozens of them slowly slithered toward him. He gripped the hilt of his sword and readied himself to slice them down, but the slimes suddenly halted. They began looking side to side as if searching for something, and in the next instant, scrambled in the opposite direction.
Alex breathed a sigh of relief, but upon seeing what they were running from, he couldn’t help but curse under his breath and start running too. Dozens of bloodbats were sweeping in fast right behind the slimes, driving them like sheep being rounded up by sheepdogs. Alex ducked behind the trunk of a tree as he watched the slaughter unfold. The bloodbats opened their jaws unleashing a soundwave so violent that the slimes began to bubble up as if being boiled alive from the inside.
Suddenly, a floating screen appeared right in front of his eyes.
[Sonicwave skill detected. Copy?]
Alexander pressed yes full of anticipation.
[5%]
[Failed]
Alex watched as the bloodbats continued their destructive onslaught. The notification took a moment to reappear, but he kept trying without hesitation.
[7%]
[Failed]
[9%]
[Failed]
[10%]
[Failed]
The success chance kept climbing with each failed attempt until it halted at 15%. No matter how much the bloodbats kept using their ultrasonic attack, the percentage wouldn’t rise any higher.
Curious about how the system worked, Alex decided to try something out; this seemed like the perfect opportunity to test what he already had. He clearly recalled how Kiara had activated her technique, extended his hand forward, and took a deep breath. Right on cue, a new notification popped up.
[You are attempting to activate a magic skill]
[Select skill to use]
[Wind Claws]
There was only one option available on the list. Alexander selected it and instantly felt something inside his body being sucked into the palm of his hand.
[Select target area]
A glowing red circle spanning several meters in diameter appeared on the ground. Alexander centered it right in the middle of the swarm of bloodbats and confirmed the action.
The air rippled and wind claws began blasting out in every direction. However, as he watched the unfolding carnage, Alex realized the fatal flaw of the attack: he couldn’t control the blades. The wind scythes flew off in all directions, completely uncontrolled.
The air blades sliced clean through every monster all the same, carving through flesh and slime without distinction. As the slaughter unfolded, Alex felt a strange warmth entering his body every time one of the monsters died, as if absorbing a small fraction of their energy.
After five seconds, the skill came to an end. The chaos ground to a sudden halt. All the bloodbats were scattered across the ground; some had died instantly, while others remained alive, writhing in pain on the stained grass. As for the slimes, it didn’t look like a single one had survived the barrage.
[Sonicwave 20%]
[Sonicwave 35%]
Realizing that finishing off the weakened monsters increased his copy percentage, Alexander didn’t think twice. He drew his sword and stepped in to quickly put down all the bloodbats still writhing on the ground.
Upon finishing the last one, a new floating notification flashed brightly right before his eyes.
[Shockwave acquired].
Alexander was happy about the new skill, but his euphoria skyrocketed even further when he saw the next notification pop up on the screen:
[Regeneration Lvl1 acquired]
It was the slimes’ legendary regeneration. Everyone knew slimes might be the weakest beasts around, but they were absurdly resilient compared to their base stats, making this an absolute dream skill for him.
"This is insane..." said Alexander, a grin spreading across his face.
He stared at the floating notifications and began wondering how the rest of the interface worked. Trying to picture how to open the main settings, the moment he thought the word ’menu’, a translucent, bluish screen unfolded right in front of him, displaying his current image equipped with his gear.
[Steal and Evolution System]
[Alexander]
[Skills Acquired]
[Wind Claws] (+)
[Shockwave] (+)
[Regeneration] (+)
There were no further instructions on the screen, just a small floating + symbol beside each of the skills.