Chapter 15

As Adam spun around, the impact from behind still reverberating through his body, he quickly surveyed his surroundings. His heart raced, the adrenaline from the surprise attack flooding his system. He saw the source of the assault emerging from the shadows—a massive creature, its body covered in dark, jagged scales, and its eyes gleaming with a predatory hunger.

Current Status:

HP: 240/300 (3.9/min)

MP: 150/220 (4.2/min)

Stamina: 150/150 (5.4/min)

[SYSTEM MESSAGE]

Behemoth (Dungeon Variant)

Level: 15

Rarity: Rare

HP: 1200/1200

The creature was a Dungeon Behemoth, its hulking form far larger than any standard monster he had faced before. Its claws, sharp as obsidian, glinted under the dim light of the dungeon, and the air around it felt thick with menace.

Adam cursed under his breath, trying to steady himself. He quickly assessed his situation. His body ached from the surprise hit but he still had his wits, his inventory, and the enhancements from his Illuminating Tea to aid him. His eyes quickly flicked over to his blade, still sheathed at his side.

He reached for it, drawing the weapon with swift, practiced motion, feeling the weight of it in his hand as he stepped into a more defensive stance.

The Behemoth let out another roar, and Adam's heart hammered in his chest. He could tell that this thing wasn't going to go down easily. His Sedative Venom of Focused Weakness would be his best chance of slowing it down, but he needed to get close enough to apply it without being pulverized by its claws.

Pulling out an Elixir of Focused Resilience and dollroot and drinking it down while chewing on the root he needed every advantage. As the Behemoth charged, Adam's instincts took over. He rolled to the side, narrowly dodging the massive beast's swiping claws, and immediately felt the pulse of his Elixir of Focused Resilience kick in. His mind sharpened, the world slowing around him, giving him a brief but crucial edge.

He saw his opening.

Dashing forward, Adam aimed to strike the Behemoth's exposed underbelly with his blade and swung with all the power he could muster. It connected but left only a scratch but that would allow the toxin to begin taking effect.

Toxin, Herbs, and Alchemy—those were his strengths. Not raw combat. He needed to rely on the Sedative Venom of Focused Weakness and use the dungeon's environment to his advantage.

His dashed behind a rock cover As he crouched down behind the boulders, his mind worked furiously. The Behemoth's heavy steps shook the ground as it roared in frustration, trying to find him.

Adam's hands trembled as he reached into his bag and pulled out a Healing Herb—he needed to keep his health topped off in case things got worse. As he chewed the herb, his HP slowly began to recover, but he didn't have the luxury of taking it easy. He needed to act fast. Adam wiped his brow, taking a deep breath as he reached for the remaining vials in his inventory. The Elixir of Focused Resilience was still coursing through his veins, sharpening his mind, but the Healing Herb had only done so much. The Behemoth was still too strong and too fast for him to rely on his durability alone.

Adam noticed the Behemoth shifting its attention back toward him, but its vision was still skewed. He saw his moment.

The monster let out another confused roar as it turned, its massive body slower and more staggered now. Adam charged forward and darted behind it. He moved quickly, landing a precise slash across its exposed leg, just below the knee joint, and the blade cut deep. The Behemoth let out a haggard growl, its eyes clouding even further as the Sedative Venom seeped into its system. The massive creature staggered slightly, the toxin starting to take effect. It paused mid-swing, blinking in confusion, then tried to lash out at the empty space before it, its claws slashing nothing.

Adam quickly pulled back, retreating toward his cover behind another boulder. His breath was coming fast, his body aching from the effort, but the small success lifted his spirits. The Behemoth was disoriented, and its strength was slowly starting to diminish.

Still, Adam wasn't safe yet. The Behemoth charged forward blindly, its massive feet pounding the ground as it tried to close in on him. He dodged to the side at the last second, narrowly avoiding being flattened as the Behemoth crashed into the boulders, shaking them violently.

He stumbled but quickly regained his footing. His hands were already reaching for another Healing Herb, and he stuffed it into his mouth, the cool, medicinal flavor calming the pain in his side. He could feel the healing working

The Behemoth let out a confused grunt, its eyes flickering wildly as it turned back to face Adam, once more slashing at the air and backhanding him.

Adam gritted his teeth after being hit trying to catch his breath. The toxin was definitely having an effect now—the Behemoth was slower, its attacks more erratic. Its roar was less menacing, a hollow sound of frustration, and its strikes were wild, missing by wide margins.

Adam surged forward again, blade in hand. He ran circles around the Behemoth, dodging its wildly thrown punches and using the momentum of its own confusion to strike from behind. His blade found purchase in the Behemoth's shoulder, and the creature's screech echoed through the dungeon, more of a howl of agony than rage now.

The monster swayed on its feet, its movements growing more sluggish

the Behemoth, unable to focus, turned in circles, slashing at shadows. It tried to roar again, but its voice was hoarse and weak.

Adam knew this was the endgame. The Behemoth was vulnerable now, its strength almost completely drained, but Adam still had to land the killing blow. His heart pounded as he saw the Behemoth's uncoordinated movements—he could finish it now if he was careful.

With one final dash, Adam leapt up, catching the Behemoth off guard as it swung in the opposite direction. His blade came down in a quick arc, piercing the creature's neck and severing an artery.

The Behemoth let out one last, ragged breath before collapsing to the ground with a deafening crash. Its massive body hit the floor with a resounding thud, and Adam staggered backward, catching his breath as he watched the life leave the creature's eyes. The fight was over.

Adam took a few unsteady steps back and collapsed on the ground exhausted.

Current Status:

HP: 132/300 (3.9/min)MP: 158/220 (4.2/min)Stamina: 6/150 (5.4/min)

[SYSTEM MESSAGE]

Behemoth Defeated!

1000 XP

Loot Dropped:

1x Crystal-Encrusted Vial (Enchanted)1x Skill Book1x Ability shard

Adam was surprised he received a skill book but inspected it and was excited.

[SYSTEM MESSAGE]

Item: Skill Book: "Survival Instincts"

Rarity: Rare

Effect:

Survival Instincts that increases your chances of finding critical resources and surviving hostile environments.Keen Sense (Passive) – Increases your ability to detect hidden resources, traps, and nearby enemies.

He opened it and learned the skill.

[SYSTEM MESSAGE]

Skill Learned: Survival Instincts (Passive) Level 1

Effect:

[SYSTEM MESSAGE]

Skill Synergy Between Survival Instincts (Passive) and Battle Instincts (Passive)

Both skills removed

[SYSTEM MESSAGE]

Skill Synergy Unlocked: Instinctive Awareness Level 1

Effect:

Instinctive Awareness (Passive):Keen Sense (from Survival Instincts):Detect hidden resources, traps, and nearby enemies.Identify environmental hazards like traps, poison gas, or falling rocks with increased awareness.

Battle Instincts (from Battle Instincts):React faster to incoming attacks in combat, with increased awareness of enemy movements.Anticipate an opponent's actions, allowing for quicker dodges or counters.Gain the ability to critically hit opponents who are unaware of your presence.

Bonus: The synergy between your environmental and combat instincts will improve as you gain more experience, further enhancing your ability to sense danger and react accordingly.

Active Effect – Predator's Focus:Once activated, this skill heightens all senses to their peak for a short time (15 seconds).

Effect:Increases reaction time by 50%, allowing you to dodge or block incoming attacks more efficiently.Highlights hidden resources, enemies, and traps within a 10-meter radius, marking them for easy identification.Increases movement speed by 10% during activation.

Cooldown: 5 minutes.

Costs: 50 Stamina

He will wait to celebrate later with some tea and roots but for now he wanted to check on his other notifications while eating a dullroot.

[SYSTEM MESSAGE]

Small Blades (Passive) Level 5

Becomes Small Blades Level 5

Small blades gains Active Effect – Bleed:

When you land a successful hit with a small blade, you cause the target to bleed.Effect: The target takes 1 damage every 2 for 10 seconds.Cooldown: 30 seconds.Costs: 10 Stamina

[SYSTEM MESSAGE]

Dodge Level 2

Dodge Level 3

Effect: Allows you to perform an immediate evasive maneuver when danger is detected. Dodge the next incoming attack with a high chance of success. The effectiveness is based on your Dexterity.

Cooldown: 20 seconds

Cost: 5 Stamina

Looking over all his stats he then decides to meditate and relax in his garden.

Name: Adam

Class: Herbalist (Level 5) 1570/4000

Subclass:

Race: Human

Patron: Airmed

Titles: Master of a Legendary Class, Giant Slayer, Overkill

Traits: Slowed Aging

Current Status:

HP: 165/300 (3.9/min)

MP: 220/220 (4.2/min)

Stamina: 46/150 (5.4/min)

Abilities:

Herb Identification (Passive) – You can identify and analyze any plant or herb nearby.

Alchemy (Active) level 5 – Can craft with herbs

Garden Sanctuary You create a personal garden space that allows you to plant, grow, and nurture herbs and plants at an accelerated rate.

Skills:

Inspect (Active) Level 2

Taunt (Active) Level 2

Small Blades Level 5

First Aid (Passive) Level 2

Negotiation (Passive) Level 2

Instinctive Awareness Level 1

Dodge (Active) Level 3

Cultivation (Passive) Level 1

Attributes:

Strength: 9

Intelligence: 20

Dexterity: 15

Wisdom: 22

Vitality: 30

Attribute points: 2

Placing his two attributes points into Strength and dexterity he starts to meditate.

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