Storm

Eric is walking in the camp to find the leader of this camp in order to distract him. He's the strongest one in terms of rank since the leader is Rank D. But it won't matter if a "passing" storm happens to brew in.

"Hey, you're back. Where's the other guys?" one bandit said. Eric briefly remembers the brief screams of pain being cut off by their flesh being torn apart so quickly, so efficiently, his hand was a grave reminder that such a heartless monster in human flesh commanding the two other monsters could kill him quickly if he so desires.

"My gut's acting up. I had to head back." Eric said, chuckling awkwardly.

"I knew that Bush Deer meat was rotten, find a place to take a shit and bury it." the bandit said and walked away.

Eric continued walking towards the giant tent where two bandits are guarding this place. He hears the chatter inside, he approached the two bandits.

"Is the boss inside?" Eric said.

"He is inside, but is in the middle of planning." one of the guards answered.

"Is that Eric?" one voice called out.

"It's me, boss." Eric replied.

"Let 'im in."

Eric walks in and pushes the drapes aside to see a larger man. Behind him is a greatsword stained in blood from his enemies and monsters. The leader is holding a map to where they will strike in order to grow and leech off of the kingdom of Noltia.

"You're back, where's the others?" the leader said.

"Still out there, I ate that rotten meat which bit me in the ass." Eric said with a hint of anxiety.

"Fine, they'll know what we'll do next. Our scouts found out that the caravan is coming to Noltia on sunrise. That's when we'll strike." said the leader.

They hear droplets of rain hitting the tent and then the distant boom of thunder. Rain began pouring on the camp, the forest, and Noltia.

*****

Now to me. Rain began falling and thunder is rumbling in the distance

[Thunderstorm is now occurring. Lightning and Water magic capabilities are heightened.]

Then the wind started blowing gradually. Every plant, bush, tree, and tents began to sway and flutter. It then grew stronger.

[Strong winds detected. Wind magic capabilities heightened.]

With this, I can get a better chance of taking every bandit out in one swoop I raised my hand up and yellow aura emitted from my body. The clouds shoot faint sparks of light and then thunder booms again. The dark clouds are agitated, threatening to lash out wherever it is, whoever it is.

Paura approaches me and gestured me that he is finished surrounding the perimeter that is the camp.

"Oh, you're finished?" I said to Paura.

Paura screeched saying that he is finished.

"Okay, stand behind me and wait for us to finish."

Paura skittered behind the bush to await further orders and I continued looking at the sky where I placed my magic circle in. Inside the clouds.

The bandits' anxiety fills the air as the storm grows stronger ever so slightly which made the leader becoming unable to ignore it.

"Hold on, there's a ruckus out there and it's distracting." the leader said.

The leader walks outside of the giant hut to assess the situation where the bandits are struggling to traverse the camp in the rain and wind. Some equipment fell over and some bandits trip and fall. Some others look up at the sky where lightning dances in the dark steel clouds.

"What's going on here? What got your panties in a bunch?" the leader said. He noticed that some are looking up, worried that lightning may strike at them, causing a fire.

Eric came out of the tent to look at the sky and much to his horror, he knew that the lightning was not natural.

The leader looked up and noticed something amiss. The lightning is occurring too frequently and showed hints of faint yellow lights instead of white. That's when he realized that it is a lightning spell.

"Shit, they sniffed us out!? Everyone abandon camp!" The leader said. The bandits who heard him with urgency scrambled to gather their supplies to move out.

Eric collapsed on his knees with the look of despair that his days as a bandit come to a close. The time where he raided villages, caravans, stole money from unauthorized toll checkpoints, killed people for sport, and more.

Out of all the sins he had committed, the worst of all is trifling against a monster in a child's clothing who slew four bandits quickly before he realized it was hopeless.

The leader who noticed Eric ran to him and shook him to snap out of his hopelessness.

"Hey, on your feet! We're getting out of here!" the leader yelled.

"It's over...we messed with someone we shouldn't have." Eric muttered. The leader punched him in the face.

"Snap out of it! We'll find out what monster is AFTER we leave camp! Come on!" The leader yelled. He grabbed his greatsword and a map and ran back outside until he tripped and fell face first on the mud.

He stood up, but he felt something snag his foot. He looked to see that his foot was caught by some form of web. He looked around to find a spider, but it is more than that. He sees me and Gris glowing with aura of respective element that we're emitting.

"A kid with a wolf?" He wondered. He looked up and realized that I was responsible for making a Lightning Spell. That's when he knows that I'm the target.

"Hey, get that kid! He's summoning a spell!" The leader yelled.

"The hell!? What is this web!?" one bandit yelled. The other used a sword to cut, but it did nothing.

"I can't cut the web!"

"Forget the web, kill the kid! He's using a spell!" the leader said.

"You realized it, huh? Not bad, but you're too late." I said. I looked at Gris who is still charging his big wind spell, he looked at me with determination that he is ready. I nodded.

"Now, Gris!" I yelled.

With my order, Gris's eyes flashed. He growled and let out a loud, valiant howl. In response to that howl a large green magic circle appeared on the ground in the camp. The wind began howling fiercely, manifesting to a large ball of wind.

I, on the other hand, smiled ear to ear, anticipating for the explosive results, the carnage, the destruction. I looked at the leader with such a malicious smile.

"Get ready to feel the thunder!" I said maniacally. I swung my hand down and the lightning shone brighter. The clouds parted and he looked up to see a bright light, so bright that the heavens has had enough of his bullshit and wanted to subtract him and those with him.

"Well shit." the leader said.

And then, the lightning bolt struck down. The lightning bolt struck at the ball of wind and exploded into a violent tornado.

The objects in the camp was torn apart from the sheer force of the explosion and then sucked in by the wind. The people inside the camp was sucked in, some tried to hold on, but the water and mud made it futile. The bandits that wasn't sucked in immediately tried to run, but the webs prevent them from doing so. The tornado, electrified by my Lightning Magic struck those people who is outside the tornado, frying them, some even explode them into red mist which left them with red chunks of meat.

I could faintly hear their screams over the tornado, but soon after, their screams were consumed by the tornado.

The bandits taken by the tornado were torn to shreds by the wind and debris caught along with it, making their survival more grim if not impossible.

Since the Tornado was used by Gris, he doesn't have a lot of magic left until the tornado dissipates.

Since I can no longer hear any screams, I can assume all have been taken by the vortex and torn to shreds.

The tornado fades away and the lightning around it faded as well. The storm me and Gris created reduced the camp that was once there into a pile of rubble. Also, not a soul on sight. The rain that was sent above us came back down. Now, I confer to the system to check how many did I kill.

"System, how many did I kill?"

[18 F rank targets slain. 180,000 EP acquired.]

[31 E rank targets slain. 620,000 EP acquired.]

"Wait...there is a D rank, right?"

[Attention. Rank D target is still active.]

That wasn't enough!? It must mean that he had equipment that protected him from the magic or had resistances to help him live through that! Also, the lack of oxygen, the debris, the cutting winds, and lightning! If that didn't kill him, the fall will.

I then hear the trees rustling, branches snapping and breaking, and then a large thud on the ground. I ran ahead which prompted Gris and Paura to follow. As we get to the location where something fell, it is that bandit leader who found me.

However, he is worse for wear. His left leg is torn off, his right leg fractured where bone broke through the skin, and his right arm mangled indescribably so. He looked like some beast chewed him up and spat him out deciding he tasted bad. Despite all the damage he suffered, he still breathes. His greatsword is also damaged beyond repair.

"System, check his stats."

[Checking...complete.]

He got Wind Resistance, but no Lightning Resistance, also he used Body Strengthening to increase his durability. However, the storm tore him apart and made him unable to move. Still, the Lightning, Wind, debris, and the huge fall would've killed him. I can't help but be impressed.

"Well, color me impressed! You're still alive!" I said. "Every other bandit got a one way ticket to the afterlife with no return trip."

Gris and Paura walk up to Fredrick and glare at him with the intent to kill him mercilessly, but I gestured them not to as he is gonna be dead soon anyways.

"You...you did this?" Fredrick said in disbelief.

"Yeah. Pretty cool, huh? No kid can do that, right?" I shrugged nonchalantly, treating this like it was normal.

"Noltia...sent you to get rid of us, huh? We became that much of a threat to send a monster such as you?" Fredrick said, coughing as he is struggling to breathe properly. "All we did is just raid villages, not kingdoms."

"Look, I don't care what you do. You wanna know why I did this?" I said. "I just happened to be here."

"What? You did it on a whim? Not some sense of justice?" Fredrick said weakly. I chuckled.

"I ain't no smooth-brained beta cuck protag who spares scumbags only to get bit in the ass. If I'm gonna smoke a man..." I said, summoning a black spear with shifting purple shades of smoke.

"I do it without mercy. It's nothing personal, really. Y'all happen to be there and I decided to subtract you." I said. I had no grudge on him, but since he's here for EP, I'd be dumb enough to not take the chance.

Fredrick can't help but laugh weakly at the fact that he had been defeated, utterly defeated by a passerby who is a kid who had enough power to wipe them out if he so desires.

"Heh...guess I'm but a big fish in a small pond, eh?" Fredrick said, resigning himself.

"I know, happens to me too. The world is big and small." I said and launched my Shadow Spear in his chest to finish him off.

[D rank target slain. 20,000 EP acquired.]

I stretch my back, my neck, and shoulders to get rid of the stiffness as using that much magic made me a little tired.

"System, how much EP I got?"

[You have currently 1,332,100 EP.]

"What?"

[You have currently 1,332,100 EP.]

"One...point...three MILLION?! Already!? Forget my time here and the game, I nearly broke one million by killing 50 bandits in ranks F through D in one night!"

"I want to rank up Gris."

<50,000 EP>

"Do it."

[Acknowledged.]

Gris then feels a sudden surge of power coursing through his very being and then a burst of wind came out of him.

[Silver Wolf, Gris is now Rank B.]

[Notice. Gris's Wind Magic has risen to Tier V.]

"Now, Paura."

<10,000 EP.>

"Do it."

[Acknowledged.]

Paura as well felt a surge of power course through his being and mysterious force burst forth.

[Sickle Spider, Paura is now Rank C.]

Now that I got them powered up, they'll be in less danger. The reason I'm not splurging on EP on myself is because of my bloodline as a human. Humans obtaining so many skills puts a burden on them and ranking them up so early places a strain on them too. It may even kill them at worst-case scenario. Even though I have this hidden bloodline while human, I don't have to worry about dying, the problem is that I get put out of commission. Monsters don't have that problem.

Thunder boomed and rain continued to fall and I began to realize something I forgot. My eyes opened at that.

"Shit! I forgot about Ezo and Hyoran!" I yelled. "Paura, return to hunting! Gris, follow me!"

Paura went into hunting where Gris and I try to leave the forest. We exited the forest and we see a small group of guards coming to our direction. They must've saw the tornado covered in lightning.

I activated Concealment and Camouflage to go around them in order not to bump into them. We reached the entrance of the gate, past the guards stationed at the gates, and back to where the tavern is located. I deactivated the two skills and looked at ourselves soaked by the rain and our feet caked in mud. I take off my shirt to wring out the water to reduce the dripping.

Gris began to shake himself, launching massive amounts of water droplets out in every direction, drying himself. As a result, his slick silver fur became fluffy.

His feet, however was covered in mud. Since I don't want him to track those footprints, I took off my shirt and wiped them off the best I could. I took my shoes off and wrapped it around my shirt and walked inside shirtless and barefoot.

We head inside the tavern, went up the stairs and went inside the room where Ezo and Hyoran reside.

"I'm back." I said.

"You're back! Where'd you go!?" Hyoran said, running towards me with a worried expression. She is in her solid, single piece white night gown that drapes above her ankles. Fully clean and comfortable. Where compared to me, I am soaked and my clothes are stained in mud.

"I went out to walk Gris around, but the storm brewed in." I replied.

"I can see that. I got the bath ready for you so go wash up. Your sleeping clothes are in the drawer." Ezo said.

"Great, I needed that. Come on, Gris. Let's get clean." I said and walked to the bathroom while Gris followed.

We enter the bathroom to see a hot steamy wooden basin large enough to fit an adult. I threw my shirt and shoes aside and took off my pants, also throwing it aside.

I stepped right in the wooden bath filled with steaming water and sat down in it. Although I was drenched from the rain mostly, I could possibly smell bad.

I sighed as the hot water melts away my fatigue. Running to and fro, launching a massive Lightning Spell. I worked up a good sweat.

[Notice. Enhanced Endurance has peaked. Now evolving skill.]

[Completed. Enhanced Endurance has evolved to High Endurance.]

Cool, I evolved my Enhanced Endurance. My body was tired before, but I'll be better off when it comes to battles of attrition.

After I washed myself. I stepped out of the tub and began washing Gris. The mud and dirt on his legs melted off him and carried into the nearby drain. I had to wash him thoroughly because wet dog smell is real...or should I say wet wolf.

I finished washing him and rinsed him down with clean water, rinsing the soap off of him. As soon as he is rinsed off, he used shook himself to dry off.

I grabbed a towel to dry Gris some more so that he doesn't get the floor wet. Even though he has a undercoat to keep him warm, his outer fur could drench the wooden floors.

I dried myself off with a new towel and went to the drawer to see a fresh new set of clothes.

Moments later, I walk out of the bathroom, smelling fresh and Gris too. I walk out of there with fresh pjs and my black hair is also shining from the light in the room.

"Feel better?" Ezo said.

"Yeah." I replied. I jump on the bed where Hyoran slept last time who is already asleep.

"Goodnight." I said to Ezo.

"Night." Ezo said and turned off the lights.

The room becomes dark and the only light available is the lights outside the building. Muffled sounds of guards and citizens running about a tornado and a thunderstorm. But that's their problem now.

Now I am in a place where I can safely rank up.

"System, I want to rank up."

[Warning, this could adversely affect your body.]

"Do it."

[Acknowledged.]

At that moment, I begin to fall asleep as I wait for myself to rank up.