Chapter 16: farming
Morning arrived with the soft light of dawn filtering into the cave. Mike stretched, his claws scraping against the stone floor, while Eli rubbed his eyes and yawned.
"Alright, kid," Mike said, standing and flexing his muscles, "time to get back to work. I've got some monsters to squash, and you've got some front-row seats to watch the show."
Eli chuckled sleepily. "You make it sound like a performance, Mr. Monster."
"It kinda is," Mike replied with a wink. "Now let's get moving."
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Hunting Grounds
Mike scouted the forest using Predator's Sense, pinpointing the locations of more low-level creatures. After several minutes, he came across a nest of small, glowing beasts.
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[System Notification]
New Creature Identified: Luminous Wisps (Lv. 3)
Description: Fragile, glowing entities with an electrical charge. Travel in swarms and attack in bursts.
Weakness: Physical strikes.
Evolution Point Reward: 10 per wisp.
---
Mike grinned. "Perfect. These things practically scream 'bonus XP.'"
He turned to Eli, placing him on a nearby branch. "Alright, stay up here and hold tight. These little guys can zap, but they're nothing I can't handle."
Eli nodded, gripping the branch nervously. "Be careful!"
---
Mike leaped into the swarm of wisps, their bright lights illuminating the forest. The first wisp darted toward him, crackling with energy, but he swiped it out of the air with ease.
---
[System Notification]
Defeated Luminous Wisp (Lv. 3)
+10 Evolution Points
---
The remaining wisps retaliated, releasing small electric shocks that singed Mike's fur. He growled, ignoring the stings as he tore through them with calculated strikes.
---
[System Notification]
Defeated Luminous Wisp (Lv. 3)
+10 Evolution Points
Defeated Luminous Wisp (Lv. 3)
+10 Evolution Points
Defeated Luminous Wisp (Lv. 3)
+10 Evolution Points
---
The final wisp attempted to flee, but Mike grabbed it mid-air and crushed it.
---
[System Notification]
Defeated Luminous Wisp (Lv. 3)
+10 Evolution Points
---
Mike smirked, glancing at his points.
---
[System Notification]
Current Evolution Points: 546.74 → 596.74
---
"Not bad," he muttered, shaking the sparks off his claws. He looked up at Eli, who was watching with wide eyes.
"That was amazing!" Eli cheered as Mike helped him down from the tree.
"Yeah, yeah. Just wait 'til you see me take on the big leagues," Mike said, ruffling Eli's hair.
---
Status Check
As they rested, Mike decided to open his Status Window for a detailed look.
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[System Interface: Status Window]
Name: Mike
Species: Allosaurus (Lv. 5)
Evolution Points: 596.74
Attributes:
Strength: 45
Agility: 38
Endurance: 50
Intelligence: 30
Vitality: 42
Skills:
Predator's Sense (Lv. 2): Detects creatures within a wide radius.
Primitive Bite (Lv.6): Increased damage and speed.
Quick Sprint (Lv.4): Even faster bursts of speed, more efficient.
Fire Ignition (Lv.3): Ability to generate more intense flames for cooking or combat.
Hardening (Lv.2): Temporarily increases defense and durability by hardening the skin.
Current Evolution Level: 2
Next Evolution Threshold: 1,000 Evolution Points
---
"Just a little more," Mike muttered, his claws tapping against the cave wall. "One more good fight, and I'm ready to evolve."
Eli looked over curiously. "What happens when you evolve?"
"Think of it like leveling up in a game," Mike explained. "I get stronger, faster, and might even unlock some new tricks."
"Cool!" Eli said, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
Mike stood, stretching his limbs. "Alright, kid. Time for the final grind. Let's find something worth squashing."
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Final Hunt
Mike activated Predator's Sense, searching for a stronger opponent. A faint outline appeared in the distance, radiating a low but steady threat level.
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[System Notification]
New Creature Identified: Thornback Golem (Lv. 4)
Description: A slow-moving but heavily armored monster with spiked protrusions. Weak to agility-based attacks and can summon a minions.
Evolution Point Reward: 100 points.
---
Mike grinned. "That'll do nicely. Stay close, kid. This one's gonna be a bit tougher."
He approached the golem, its hulking form slowly turning toward him. The creature let out a deep rumble, its spiked arms rising in preparation to attack.
"Let's dance," Mike muttered, leaping forward with his claws ready.
---
[To Be Continued…]