Chapter 57: Without a Trace

[You have slain Level 12. Lone Fomorian.]

How's that you big bastard?!

With one last curse, I collapsed to my knees before rolling off the giant's corpse and dropping next to it.

HA...! HA...!

I panted heavily, struggling for air. The system's interface popped into view, drowning out my vision.

[EXP: 233/200]

[Would you like to level up?]

Without much thought, I smiled and responded, "Yes."

Just like last time, a euphoric feeling enveloped me and the World Energy rushed into my body – sealing my wounds, regenerating my flesh, fixing my bones, restoring my mind and rejuvenating my soul.

Before pushing my being to new heights, to a new level.

Ha...

I exhaled a foul air as I felt the World Energy settling in my core.

A smile came to my face as I touched my face, it was clear and devoid of injuries; it also felt smoother and softer.

This leveling up process will never get old....

I remained on the ground, basking in the inane pleasure, before suddenly frowning. I realized something was off.

Wait...it usually happens twice...

My body shot up to a sitting position and I muttered, "How many EXP did I get?"

I tried to remember the EXP counter I had seen before leveling up, but I couldn't. Previously, I was in too much pain and wasn't paying much attention to it.

I lingered for a moment and then thought.

Stats.

[Name:] Alex

[Title:]???

[Level:] 6

[EXP:] 33/200

[Skills:] Oversaturation, Mind Palace, Reverb Mapping, Art of Learning, Body Constitution, Battle Arts, Anti-Lip Sync, Invisibility, Manipulation, Vast Knowledge Base, Pickpocket, Panoramic Vision, Resistance, Fear Inducement, Thousand Tongues, Death Darting Eyes

[Aliases:] The Mastermind, The Fool, Skeleton Horror, Feral Connoisseur

[Debuffs:] Partial Hearing, Myopic Vision, Anti-Lip Sync, Rizzless

[HP:] 99/100

[Achievements:] Flash of Power, Combat Novice, Beat the Odds, Wild Chef

I skimmed through my stats and exclaimed, "Just Level 6?!"

Last time I had 103 EXP...so if I have 33 now it means I only gained 230 EXP!

I scowled, "But that doesn't make any sense! The Profane Cockatrice was Level 9 and I gained 270 EXP from killing it, but this big bastard was Level 12 so how did I fucking get lower?!"

I was furious. It seemed that all the pain I had suffered at the hands of the behemoth wasn't well compensated for by Untethered; I felt cheated.

Use your head you fool. Do you not remember that the amount of EXP you gain is based on how much you learn?

My inner voice appealed to reason, its voice seething with barely-concealed annoyance, but I wasn't having it.

But it's Level 12!

That doesn't matter! EXP is gained by how much you learn in a fight! You barely learned anything in this fight!

I-I did!

Alright, then tell me. Can you kill another one of those behemoths if they showed up?

My inner voice's question forced me to go silent.

Indeed. I had only been able to kill the Lone Fomorian due to luck.

If not for that singular moment where it bent towards me, I might not have been able to show it the Quill-Book's contents.

So, in other words, I didn't learn much during my fight with the Lone Fomorian.

If another one showed up right now, I will definitely be cooked.

With a sigh, I shook my head and rose to my feet.

"Well, at least I should be glad that am Level 6 now..."

I glanced at my stats again, my eyes darting over to the skills section.

[Skills:] Oversaturation, Mind Palace, Reverb Mapping, Art of Learning, Body Constitution, Battle Arts, Anti-Lip Sync, Invisibility, Manipulation, Vast Knowledge Base, Pickpocket, Panoramic Vision, Resistance, Fear Inducement, Thousand Tongues, Death Darting Eyes

No new skills huh...except the Death Darting Eyes...

[Skill:] Death Darting Eyes: When the ancient cockatrices reached the Verdant Mount, they encountered Medusa, the Queen of Snakes. They gazed upon her alluring figure and forever had her image plastered in the depths of their eyes, now who ever gazed within them would witness Medusa's figure and become stone. This skill gives the user infrared vision and the power of Paralysis at a cost.

"I have to figure out how to use it...", I muttered before glancing over to the corpse of the Lone Fomorian which was now in a pool of its own blood.

Its blood seemed odd – it had a lighter shade than normal human blood and seemed much stickier.

It's not even clotting yet...

I remarked as I stepped of out of the red pool while scrapping off the strange blood from my shoes.

"Ugh...", my face contorted into one of disgust as I finally escaped it.

So, what now...?

I thought as I looked around the space which was heavily obscured by the thick brown fog.

You're not even going to search the monster?

I paused for a moment and then turned back to the corpse; it was already rotting.

My face contorted to one of disgust and instinctively, I covered my nose.

Ain't no way am touching that thing.

I meant the axe; it most likely will come in handy.

My eyes wandered over to the giant battle-axe – it was embedded in the ground and was as about tall as I was, which was pretty tall, considering I was about 6 feet.

5 feet 7 inches.

My inner voice corrected.

Shut up, it's the same thing.

And it's also why you don't get girls.

My inner voice jabbed at me, throwing a low blow.

A temple grew on my forehead but I didn't retort, "Tsk..."

Turning to the giant axe, I brought a hand to my chin and began to examine it. Frankly, the axe didn't have much glamour to it, being merely a log of wood and a sharpened chunk of metal. It was crudely made but served the purpose it was made for – wreaking havoc. It was evident in the several scars that adorned the metal and wood that the Lone Fomorian had fought many battles.

Only meeting it's end when it encountered me.

Oh, spare me the glaze.

My inner voice spoke as if facepalming.

"Ehehehe...", a sly grin made its way to my face before a sudden realization hit me.

"Wait. If the Fomorian fought many battles wouldn't that mean that there are other monsters hiding in the fog?"

Suddenly, I felt naked. My gaze swept around accompanied with a tense expression.

My skin crawled and my eyes twinged as I began to feel a strong sense of urgency.

"Tch...I've gotta get going now."

I quickly touched the axe and uttered, "Store."

Following my command, the axe scattered into several shards and the system announced.

[You have gained a Common Item: Crude Axe]

Without wasting anymore time, I disappeared into the fog, leaving behind the rotting corpse of a once ferocious giant.

...

Unbeknownst to the lonesome figure who had just vanished, he had narrowly escaped a harrowing encounter because the moment he fled...

The Lone Fomorian's corpse vanished without a trace.