11

I knew the thrashing of the tree limbs would cover my back. I launched myself forward off the tree root in front of me. It thrashed under my weight. Spikes forming as it did. That force was added to my jump. 

The beast I was closest to didn't have the chance to dodge. My coordination was improving with each kill as well. Bloodlust increased the most with each kill, but it wasn't the only sense that was improving. I smiled as my right soul fang was buried in the beasts flank. In this dark world I could tell that my eyesight was improving as well. 

I jumped again. Using the thrashing body of the beast as a springboard as I launched myself at another beast. My muscles sang as they thrummed with lethal purpose. I inhaled as the scent of blood reached my nose. I slashed at the next beast. 

Gaining purchase on it as my blade dug in. The soul blade was sharp enough that my weight was more then enough to tear through the monster's side. I was sent spinning into the air. I was falling towards the ground head first, and the ground I was falling toward was covered in roots. I landed in a handstand. 

My hands slipping through the roots just barely. My muscles strained as I forced myself to stay upright in a handstand. I exhaled slowly. Steadying myself in that upside down position. I bent my arms slowly. 

Preparing to launch myself once again. I looked around best I could to find a spot to jump to. I needed clear ground to land on. The beasts weren't going to sit around waiting for me to make a mistake forever. I thrust myself off the ground, and landed in a clear spot just a few feet away. 

I thought I was in the clear but my foot bounced off a root when I was landing. The root shot spikes out at me. Those spikes bounced off my legs, but it forced me back. The backs of my legs slammed into another tree root. I had no choice but to move, and no time to think about where. 

I chained my high jump skill together. Clearing the roots, and hitting the branches in rapid succession. The trees thrashed around violently. All the monsters that had been patiently waiting for me to make a mistake were forced to move. I slipped through a gap in the thrashing branches. 

Landing on the back of a fleeing beast. My soul fang slamming down into the back of the beasts head. I didn't know where this beast was rushing, but I didn't think I wanted to go wherever that was since safety for them meant danger for me. My added weight on the beast caused a branch to thrash. I'd realized by then that the beasts weren't actually light. 

They were quite heavy so something they were doing was making it so the trees did not notice them when they stepped on the trees. I wouldn't have time to figure out what it was. I jumped off another tree root. Landing on a clear spot. I needed to stop, and recover some of my mana. 

I was completely out of mana at this point. I wouldn't be able to summon the blades of my soul fangs anymore even if I wanted to. I focused on staying on this spot, and breathing for a few seconds. Then I scanned my surroundings one more time. Many of the beasts that had been watching me were still alive. 

I hadn't killed many of them. I was glad I was having less trouble with this floor then the other one. Then again I didn't think the last floor was that difficult until I ran into the insect queen. I found that a little amusing now. I stretched slowly upward, and watched the beasts as they watched me. 

There was only so much I could do right now with no mana. The beasts were now angry with me. They knew I could trigger the trees, but that wasn't a lethal attack on it's own. There was only so much time they would hold back before attacking me knowing the only thing stopping them was a little pain. I held up the empty hilts of the soul fangs. 

Threatening them with an empty promise of pain. I could, and would kill them the moment I had enough mana to do it. Right now I just didn't have enough mana to activated my blades. I kept the blades raised, and waited for what was going to happen next. I was on the beast's clock. 

I didn't have any mana left, and the safe places I could stand were limited. I couldn't trigger the tree branches right now because I couldn't flee properly. I couldn't just wait either. A quiet hiss made it's way through my teeth as I slowly exhaled. It was time for me to play with this particular set of beasts. 

I'd figured out just how tough they were, and what the trees were capable of for the most part. I'd also gauged just how fast they were. I could use them now. I jumped into action. Using the tree roots as springboards to propel myself forward. 

The trees thrashed behind me. Cutting off any chance of an attack from behind. I pushed myself towards the beast's that were waiting for me. They turned to flee. Expecting me to stab them with my soul fangs. 

I grabbed one by the back leg, and yanked myself up. Leapfrogging over the beast as I slammed it into the extending spikes that were shooting up from the roots of the tree. My added weight, and strength was enough to impale the beast on the root of the tree. I was protected from any harm by the body of the beast. I jumped off that beasts corpse, and reached for another. 

My hand missed the grab by a few millimeters. Not because I didn't reach far enough, but because something had ahold of my foot. Teeth dug into my ankle, and yanked me down. I could feel the blood start to flow down my foot as the roots beneath me began to move. Four more beasts were rushing me as I went down.