Don't Think. Act!

Raegar didn't know what to do as the Tier Two creature could easily kill him thanks to being stronger. Plus, there were too many monsters to fight head-on, as he wasn't capable enough to do such a thing.

'What should I do? Run?' he wondered, scanning his surroundings. 'That could be an option.'

As his eyes darted around, he caught sight of a smaller spider hiding inside the bush just as it launched itself toward his thigh. His instincts kicked in, and with a surge of panic, he unleashed a Lightningfire Blast at the creature.

It crackled through the air and slammed into the monster before burning it to ash. The sound was enough to draw the attention of every lurking monster. They spun as one, their eyes locking onto Raeger, their bodies coiling in unison.

Dozens of excited hisses filled the air when the horde of beasts spotted him. The sound echoed from every shadow, reverberating through the trees and shaking the very ground beneath his feet.

''Oh fuck,'' he muttered.

In the blink of an eye, chaos erupted in the forest. Raegar quickly noticed a dozen deadly projectiles whistling through the air toward him. His instincts roared to life as he pulled out his daggers, every ounce of his training kicking in.

''Here we go!'' he roared while his Aether exploded.

Raegar slashed and slashed with lightning-fast reflexes, deflecting the Deathstinger barbs mid-flight. Sparks showered the ground around him as steel met poison-tipped spines, his arms burning from the strength of the enemy attack.

But the danger was far from over for him as even more enemies poured out of the brush. A sudden screech signaled the next wave of monsters. Forest Widows rushed in, their spindly legs skittering across the battlefield.

They lunged at him, fangs bared and venom dripping, ready to put him down. He barely dodged the attack before retaliating with a slash. His blades carved through chitinous legs, severing limbs as he danced across the battlefield.

''There's way too many to keep fighting,'' he muttered while deflecting several attacks.

Moments later, Raegar realized he was surrounded but steeled himself as he was still undeterred. He gritted his teeth, adrenaline surging through his veins as he continued fighting with the spiders.

While the monsters encircled him, the Deathstingers joined the battle, forcing him to use Aether on the blades. Flames and lightning crackled along his daggers before he launched himself toward the largest Forest Widow.

The beast couldn't see his movements as he closed in on it, causing the beast to panic. At the last second, he dropped low, skidding beneath the creature. With a powerful slash, his blade tore through its exposed underside.

Summoning every ounce of his strength, Raegar channeled more Aether into his blades. In an instant, a blast of sparks and flames engulfed the scorpion. The beast let out a shriek as its body convulsed in agony before crumbling into a smoldering heap.

Following that, his heart dropped as a colossal shadow engulfed him, blotting out the light. A chilling presence loomed overhead, crackling with raw power. Raegar gulped when noticing it was a giant scorpion, its pincers slicing through the air, aiming to cleave him in two.

Reacting in an instant, he thrust out his hand and cast a spell. ''Stormfire Bullet!''

He watched as the blazing projectile sliced through the air and collided with the limb in a crackling explosion that sent it reeling off course and slammed into the ground. The impact sent the beast staggering back, its strike missing him by mere inches.

''So close!'' he mumbled when feeling the wind pass by him.

Raegar tensed, ready to leap back into the fight, but before he could react, something slammed into him from above. A razor-sharp pain ripped through his arms as jagged limbs pinned him to the ground.

In a flash, the monster's fangs plunged deep into his flesh, injecting a venom that burned like molten lava. A raw scream tore from his throat as blistering pain surged through his veins, scorching him from the inside out.

It felt like liquid fire seeping into his very soul, every nerve igniting in unbearable agony. Gritting his teeth, he struggled to move, but his limbs refused to obey. His vision blurred from the shock, his breathing ragged.

Hovering above him with a victorious gleam in its intelligent eyes, a sleek Forest Widow loomed, its beady black eyes gleaming with cruel satisfaction. The monster had him—trapped, helpless, and at its mercy.

Pain from the poison pulsed through his body as warm blood trickled down, but he refused to give in. Gritting his teeth, he locked eyes with the spider, his glare burning with defiance and determination.

Then, like a spark in the darkness, a memory surfaced, one of his father's grueling training sessions where he was beaten under the orders of his grandfather, which he hated but finally understood why they did it.

'Pain is temporary, but hesitation will kill you, my boy,' his father's voice echoed. 'If you ever find yourself outmatched or on the verge of death, don't think. Act!''

In the blink of an eye, the Forest Widow thrust down, its fangs aiming for Raegar's throat. A wicked smirk curled on his lips. ''Fusion Overdrive!'' he roared, his voice resonating with power.

Suddenly, the Aether surrounding him exploded into chaos. Energy surged like a storm, burning away the poison coursing through his veins and knitting his wounds back together, but also making him tired.

His senses sharpened, his muscles rippling with newfound strength as the world slowed to a crawl around him. With a primal scream, Raegar unleashed a Fusion Punch at the monster pinning him down, the force of the blow rippling through the air.

When his fist struck the Forest Widow's body, the impact echoed like thunder. The creature was launched into the air, crashing through the trees, and leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

Raegar sprang to his feet, ready to fight, his body brimming with Aether, but before he could fully steady himself, a Deathstinger shot forward, its razor-sharp stinger aimed straight for his chest.

He quickly sidestepped the sudden attack and struck out with another powerful spell. ''Fusion Smash!''

His fist tore through the air before it collided with the creature's hide, the force of the blow sending a shockwave rippling through the earth, which sent the giant scorpion crashing through the trees and into the dense underbrush.

Raegar's red eyes burned with fury as he watched the spectacle before unleashing a barrage of Stormfire Bullets at a group of spiders that were closing in on him, reducing them to nothing more than ash and splinters.

Following that, he went to work and started punching any monster that got close while letting out a roar as he cracked exoskeletons with his strength. Raegar was struggling with the Deathstingers, as they were stronger than the spiders.

'Now it's time to go or I'll grow fatigued in the middle of the swarm,' he thought while glancing around, but exhaustion suddenly hit him. 'Oh fuck, not now!'

Seconds later, Raegar spotted an opening and started sprinting through the forest, his feet pounding the earth as he dashed through the trees. He glanced behind him and noticed one of the Forest Widows was right behind him.

He yelped but quickly threw a dagger into the creature's face before hitting it with a Lightningfire Blast. Thanks to Fusion Overdrive, Raegar escaped the horde. After some time, it had already taken its toll on his body.

'Shit, I need to rest. I feel like I'm going to faint,' he thought while jumping over a river, only to land on something.

As his feet hit the opposite side, it gave way. Raegar let out a sharp cry before falling for a few minutes and hitting the ground with a sickening thud. Pain exploded through his body as darkness swallowed him.

An unknown amount of time passed as afternoon turned to night and the forest above came to life. When he finally stirred, his vision swam before settling on the vast, star-strewn sky above.

His breath was heavy as he lay there, but something caught his eye, a translucent barrier shimmering overhead, pulsing with an eerie, otherworldly glow. 'Where am I now?' he thought while sitting up and rubbing his head, but pain shot through his entire body.

''I forgot I used overdrive again and this time the aftereffects are worse. I need to rest before continuing,'' he muttered.

Raegar's gaze darted around, his heart pounding as he took in his surroundings. Before him stretched a dark, foreboding tunnel, its walls rough and ancient, eerily resembling the dungeons he had only read about in books.

Seconds later, a bell tolled, its ominous chime reverberating through the cavernous space. When controlling the worry, he took out his daggers in a flash, his grip tightening as a sinister, echoing laughter slithered through the tunnel.

The sound crawled under his skin and making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. While staring into the darkness, several shabby arrows flew out of the shadows, causing him to block the projectiles.

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