Ascension: Demon Monarch System

18 Survival (II)
'----'

'Due to the small body of the fox

it was able to manipulate itself in a way that eclipsed Apollo's Agility. Even Azridan offered his input on the matter.'

'[This agility of this beast is at least 3.2; instead of chasing

stay rooted and instead let it approach you. One of its shortcomings seem to be its nature isn't that of a typical fox. It's too confrontational.]'

'"Okay

I understand

" Apollo nodded

spreading his feet into a horse stance with an extremely focused gaze. This time

the events played out differently. With precise directions and astonishing timing

Azridan guided Apollo and informed him when to react.'

'Leaning back

Apollo dodged under Azridan's orders; except this time he followed up with an attack of his own.'

'Gripping the ankle of the foxes hind legs

Apollo slammed the fox into the ground. Instead of letting it go

he kicked it into the air causing a small yelp.'

'«You have dealt 5 damage.»'

'«You have dealt 5 damage.»'

''Is my damage equal to my Zuls? If the monsters in this place are agility types then I need to close the gap. Increase Agility by 4 points.''

'«Agility: 2.0 → 2.4.»'

'The fox reacted

biting Apollo's wrist. A small damage indicator appeared before his eyes whereas a sharp pain shot through his arm. For a moment

his grip on the fox's ankle loosened

allowing it to escape.'

'«7 damage received.»'

'Unable to contain the displeasure with the prior clash

the red fox beast pounced once again. Only

this time

Apollo responded by ramming his shoulder into its torso. Rolling against the follow he climbed atop as he pinned it to the ground. Picking up a sizable rock

he was instantly reminded of being buried under the stones.'

'That instance of trauma caused him to snap for a moment

entering a mindless rage

"A-agghh!"'

''Bam!' 'Bam!' 'Bam!''

'In a fit of rage

he began smashing the fox's head repeatedly. When he stopped it was already long gone

perishing from this world.'

'[I see

there is a fire inside you

young lad. In that case

you should attune well with what I am to teach you. Harness it properly and you will see your growth becoming unhindered.]'

'However

dropping the rock instead of responding; Apollo's hands trembled. He lost himself momentarily and didn't realize he had blanked out. This new experience was one that took him by storm

there was blood on his hands and it wasn't his.'

'«You have killed a Rank 0 Mortal Beast - Red Fox. You have been rewarded 20 (10 + 10) Experience.»'

'«Experience: 490/500.»'

'[Don't fret lad

you will get used to it.]'

'"O-okay

" nodded Apollo as he looked at his hands. However

yet and still there was the recurring urge to regurgitate. The mangled mess on the floor and the metallic smell of blood were foreign to him.'

'Taking a breather

Apollo recounted the situation while examining his surroundings. 'Killing...is a hard thing to do. How does one get used to this? But I'll have to if I want to be strong. From what I've learned

this world isn't for the fainthearted.''

'It wasn't long before once again

Apollo found himself embroiled in combat with another Rank 0 Mortal Beast. This was his first day

and combat wasn't something he was entirely familiar with. Hence

the time spent in combat with a single beast was longer than it should've been. Not to mention

he accrued many small injuries along the way.'

'Luckily

the pendant aura donned around his neck released an aura that continuously healed him. Like this

the time passed and the sky began darkening. Of course

the inevitable happened; Apollo's stomach began grumbling.'

'[If you are going to survive

then you'll need to learn survival skills. Pick any one of the 12 monsters you have slain today. I will walk you through the process of handling them.]'

'It went without saying

Apollo immediately picked the largest one. Then he realized a dilemma prohibiting him at the moment

"How am I going to handle this if I have no knife or utensils?"'

'"How am I going to cut it if I have no knife?"'

'[Good question. I will help you.]'

'A small portal opened

dropping a seemingly black object. However

when it landed it pierced the ground cleanly. It's shape possessed a natural curve while the handle was only large enough to situate 4 fingers. Tapping his finger against the tip

Apollo winced.'

'"What a sharp knife!"'

'Item Name: Vantablack Knife'

'Tier: Rank 2 Artifact'

'Effect: While this weapon may be used for battle

this is not its intended purpose. Hence

it possesses no attack value or essence effect. It can deal with the process of skinning

filleting

and other survival needs.'

'Information: An extremely sharp knife forged from Obsidian Demon Stone. It is capable of cutting through all Rank 2 and below Spirit Beast skin and bones. In some instances

depending on the beast type

it may be able to handle Rank 3.'

'[Begin by skinning the animal. Once skinned

you will need to separate the flesh from the joints and the joints from the bone. Oh! Make sure to pay close attention to the heart.]'

'Inside a beast

before becoming Spirit Beast

all of their gathered essence coagulated in their hearts. But after death

it quickly faded. Hence

why it was better to eat the more rewarding Spirit Beast meat. They held essence more efficiently when compared to a Mortal Beast.'

'From Apollo's movements

there was an utter lack of skill. But yet and still

he was able to harvest the heart and meat to a suitable standard for his first try; courtesy of his high intelligence and decent Agility. Creating fire with sticks and rocks

he began roasting it as per Azridan's instruction.'

'A flavorful meaty smell filled the atmosphere

however

the smell was masked by the stench of blood. In a few moments

after cooked he began devouring his meal. Compared to before in the Dining Hall

the experience rewarded was small but the quantity was much larger so that made up for the quality.'

'After eating

his belly was satisfied as he stretched. A tinge of drowsiness began overtaking him.'

'«System Alert! 100g of Rank 0 Mortal Beast flesh has been ingested.»'

'«10 (5 + 5) Experience has been received.»'

'[Rule 1 of survival

when in the wild

always remain vigilant. Even when it is time to rest

train yourself to react at a moment's notice. Understand? You are in the presence of many other foes. There isn't the luxury of being careless.]'

'"Yes

I understand."'

'[Good

you may rest. But I'll be locking your conscience in a semi-active state.]'

'Nodding

Apollo drifted to sleep shortly after. Constantly draining his stamina left both his body and mind exhausted. The whistling of the wind sounded as a light chill pervaded the atmosphere.'

'[Hmm..? This forest isn't as normal as it seems. I guess there is a high-level entity residing here.]'

'----'

'At the same time

in the Kaiser Family estate

someone approached Apollo's living quarters in such of him. Only

he wouldn't find what he was expecting.'