After successfully manifesting the lightning sword for the first time, another three weeks had passed. Azz and I had continually spared during those three weeks, however each time I had been knocked out as usual. The weather alone had taken a turn for the worse and that only made the grounds surface slippery, it was now literally a pool of mud. Azz's control never faltered despite this, but mine? I took a few punches due to it … although, this current fight is the closest fight we've had.
Crack~
Constant sounds of thunder rang out as me and Azz clashed, my weapon was the usual lightning blade that had gotten a lot stronger. Azz had thrown away his bow and opted for a set of daggers coated in blue flame. Seems like close combat is Azz's specialty, which means with that bow he was holding back, severely holding back in fact. Hell, that might not have even been 5% of what he was capable of.
"Let's see if we can up the pace then brat", Azz roared.
Using that as a go signal, I regained my footing and flashed forward leaving a trail of yellow behind. I was on Azz in an instant, swinging the sword from my right hip, I put all my strength into an upward slash intending to take Azz's head. Just as it seemed Azz was going to breathe his last breath, he blurred. I started desperately scanning side to side, only to see him reappear above me and kick downwards at the back of my neck. It sent me face first into the ground marking the surrounding area with a lovely crater.
Lying face first in the crater sculpted courtesy of my beating, all I could mutter was, "You're still holding back, are you for real?". It had gotten to the point where I couldn't even begin to fathom how strong Azz truly was.
Swinging his daggers around his fingers, Azz smiled again, "You're doing well brat, if I had to scale you, I'd say you could take on maybe thirty imperial soldiers. Time to move onto the next stage of your training after a good two months".
Pulling myself up, I was disheartened to say the least, only thirty soldiers was not what I was expecting. Pushing down my disappointment, the next stage of my training had me curious, "Master what could possibly be better than fighting you?".
Azz pressed his hand on his cheek pretending to blush, "I'm glad you think so highly of me, dear student".
Clearly finding himself hilarious, even though I wasn't amused in the slightest, he carried on, "See that huge jungle, you'll be spending two months in there, alone. There are some pretty strong beasts in there, you'll hunt for food, water and in the meantime grow stronger". Azz walked over, grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and threw me into the air above the jungle.
Flying, I found myself cursing him again. All I could hear was a faint, "Good luck brat", from the distance.
Landing on an even patch of ground surrounded by dozens of mounds of earth, my welcoming committee was two gorilla-like creatures, except these had four fangs jutting out of their mouths, three tails and six arms. Dusting myself off, I dashed forward.
Bringing out the lightning blade, I intended to end one of the beasts with a single strike. To my surprise, the beast jumped and slammed his fist into the ground with so much force the ground shook. Internally rolling my eyes, I braced myself. Two powerhouses to start, it was just my luck.
Creating some distance from the two gorillas, I steadied myself but before I got the chance, the other beast was charged on all six arms straight at me. The beasts threw one fist at me. Did this thing seriously just throw a jab? Shaking myself out of my thoughts, I side stepped and sliced downwards severing the monster's arm, singeing the fur around the slice.
The gorilla wailed in pain and the other began pounding his chest screeching. My eyes widened when I realised that they have a sense of comradery. It was perfect, I can use that. Immediately I flew towards the injured beast, planting both of my feet in the middle of its chest with a kick. Pinned down and losing its blood, I pointed the tip of my blade at its throat.
As anticipated, the other gorilla flew into a fit of rage, it lost all its composure and dove headfirst at where I was standing. Reinforcing my feet, I leapt fifteen feet into the air over the gorilla and swung my blade downwards, severing its head. The injured gorilla lay on the floor flailing around, watching their counterpart's corpse land on their legs. It had lost too much strength to even gnash it's maw at me. I jumped back onto its chest and stabbed at the heart, the beasts eyes rolled back into its head and upon exit, my blade drew an arc of blood.
I climbed onto a tree branch and looked down at the two corpses. I'd only just gotten here but that fight alone felt like one of Azz's training sessions. One misstep could cost me my life here, but the thought had me strangely excited. Looking down, my lips curved up into a grin as I saw three silver wolves emerge from the bushes, sniffing at the gorilla corpses.
Dropping behind them, I slashed all three of their napes with one swing, all three collapsed immediately, "that was anticlimactic". They were barely a quarter of the size of the gorilla's but I expected more than killing them in a simple swing. Perhaps it was due to my training, but simply coasting by wasn't enough for me anymore.
I guess every beast isn't as strong as those gorillas. Cutting out some meat from the wolves, I cooked it and ate it before promptly moving on. Three weeks passed just like that, cutting down beast after beast. Not many pushed me to the brink like the pair of gorillas, but there were some difficult ones. I can tell this one will be challenging for sure.
Staring at this behemoth of a bear, it must have stood nearly twenty feet tall, its paws the size of my entire torso and five claws on each paw the size of my head. Now this is a real monster, even compared to the gorillas.
Its fur flared and just like that, it was gone. Its paw struck my side with enough force I was flung through three trees. Scrambling to my feet, I manifested another sword but the bear was in front of me in an instant. I jumped from tree to tree until I was on a branch forty feet in the air.
Thankfully I'd learnt how to constantly reinforce my body with astrum otherwise I'd be dead. Still, four broken ribs and a fractured wrist is no good for someone who fights close range.
Staring back down at the bear, it was looking around anxiously. I assumed it's peripheral vision was limited, but I still had no way to confirm that fact. All that mattered was that it had no idea where I had gone. But I couldn't think of how to fight it, its speed is ridiculous, strength outrageous and if I want to get stronger, I can't rely on intelligence alone. Biting my lip, I jumped back down leaving about fifty meters between me and the bear.
Drawing another sword, I focused and let out a cold breath of air. As soon as it met my eye, the bear vanished. Feeling the air change to my left, I brought the sword up to block the strike. The strike still sent me tumbling five steps to the side, however the bear leapt back and squinted at me.
Is it intelligent enough to tell that wasn't a fluke?
Again, the bear vanished and the same happened again. I defended my left and the bear leapt back. The bear cocked its head to the side. My eye twitched, "Am I seriously being tested by an animal right now?".
This time I struck first, I dashed forward aiming at the bears ribs as revenge for my four broken ones. The bear used its heavy limbs and parried the strike with its right paw, immediately it twisted and threw the left paw at my chest. I dropped the sword idea and parried using my left hand and threw a kick at behind the bear's knee.
Losing its balance, I conjured another sword and swung for its head but again, the bear dodged. I clipped its ear drawing blood, in pain or more likely infuriated, the bear roared and galloped forward. It aimed its kick at my stomach. I leapt backward on contact, but the sheer force of the blow still made me cough blood.
Staring at the bear with my stamina dwindling, I dashed forward towards the bears left side, as I reappeared it glanced down at me and twisted, throwing its right paw. At this moment, I dashed again sliding in between the bears legs and appearing behind it and swinging upward at its back.
It connected perfectly. The bear jolted forward, a pool of blood surrounding it.
I had won, at least that's what I thought. I didn't even have a moment to soak in my victory until the bear squealed so violently my ear drums felt as if they were about to burst. The jungle began to shake, then the bear passed out.
When I looked up, my eyes met a three headed lizard, thirty feet long with green gas surrounding each head. I could only assume it was poison from the colour. It swung its tail before I could even think and I was sent fifty feet along the ground. Slamming into a boulder everything was fading, my vision and my strength.
I could feel an overwhelming sense of panic running through my tired mind, my eyes were slowly closing, my blood was draining, and my consciousness was all but gone. I stabbed the blade into my leg and the sharp pang brought me back for a few minutes. I burnt together the more serious wounds, but my right shoulder was dislocated, my left arm completely broken, both ankles sprained, ribs shattered, and my left leg broken.
If not for the ability to draw on astrum I'd be dead, again for the second time since entering this jungle of death.
I was desperate, internally I was begging for Azz to come save me. I could hear footsteps steadily approaching accompanied by constant hissing. Not now, why now, that fucking monstrous lizard is back already! I started crawling, dragging myself to a cave in the wall twenty meters away. Looking back I could see the gas through the trees and a trail of blood I'd left behind.
Each blade of grass was lathered in a slick crimson hue with each stone and stick riddled with small pieces of flesh.
Clawing my way into the entrance of the cave, my fingernails were non-existent and the tips of my fingers were bloody and torn. I looked back for a final time only to see the lizard come to a sudden stop. It was panting and shivering like it had just seen a monster.
My eyes began feeling heavy and I started fading again, with my last ounce of strength I looked up and saw two golden eyes so fierce you'd struggle to stand in their presence, accompanied by pitch-black scales. The beast must have been seventy feet long at minimum.
This monster could only be one thing. My heart, stomach, everything dropped. This was why the lizard froze.
Falling unconscious I'd resigned myself to death, muttering, "Dra..gon". Everything faded to black, a feeling that was beginning to become all too familiar to me.
It was peaceful, strangely peaceful, but eerily quiet. I felt a warm light zipping around the centre of my chest, tracing around my entire body like a warm embrace. If this was death it didn't feel so bad, it reminded me of an extremely light sleep, like I was still partly aware of sensations and feelings, but not quite conscious enough to be able to understand the depth of what was happening.
Oh well, I tried my best. Azz will be upset with me but what good is being angry at a dead person going to do. Part of me still hopes he'll regret sending me into this jungle, but at the same time I'm keenly aware that he'll probably just laugh it off as he normally does.
A strange, faint light lit up along a corridor in the dark, flames flared surrounding the light. My body drifted, or more accurately, was being pulled in by the light. The closer I got, I recognised the faint outline of the black emblem that was imprinted on the back of my left hand.
A familiar sensation jolted me from my sleep, the light wrapped around me. My eyes felt as if they opened, but all I could see was darkness still.
Seriously what the hell is this?