Combat Experience

He spent the first day recovering.

Even though the magic had healed his wounds, that didn't mean his body didn't feel the aftermath. The pain was gone, but the fatigue lingered. His muscles were sore, his joints stiff, like he'd run a marathon while carrying weights.

Still, rest came with its own frustrations. For someone like him — restless, driven — lying in bed felt like a punishment. He hated wasting time, but forcing himself to move too soon might've done more harm than good. He couldn't afford to collapse again.

When the second day arrived, he finally decided to test out his new ability.

Back in the Ashen Forest.

He had already proven something to himself — he defeated a B-Rank beast. That meant, in theory, if he was prepared, he could take one down again.

It wasn't just about survival. It was about sharpening his instincts, learning to fight with what he had, and gaining real combat experience.

And with his rations running dangerously low, waiting around wasn't an option.

"I'm back…" Christopher muttered under his breath.

Unlike last time, he had no weapon. No dagger. No burlap sack for loot. Nothing.

Yurei had only managed to bring his unconscious body back. Everything else he carried had been left behind, probably scattered or destroyed during the chaos.

That made this trip far more dangerous.

And a whole lot less efficient.

He stepped into the forest again, this time with more caution. The last time he charged in, he let adrenaline do the thinking. This time, he couldn't afford to be careless.

"I'll need to bait them into casting spells first… if they only use physical attacks, I'm screwed."

Saying it out loud made the risk feel real. He shivered instinctively, rubbing his arms as a chill ran down his spine.

"Yeah, that definitely didn't help my nerves…"

He moved carefully, every step deliberate. His hands were empty — bare and unarmed. He hadn't devoured anything yet, and didn't want to waste any of the stored spells unless absolutely necessary.

RUSTLE.

Something moved nearby.

Another Rat Bunny.

Christopher crouched low, watching it.

"To kill or not to kill," he muttered.

It was an easy target, but with no weapon and no backup, was it worth wasting energy on something so minor? He debated it… until a thought crossed his mind.

'Wait… don't these things bleed mana?'

'Can I devour from their corpses…?'

A simple blue panel appeared in response.

[Yes]

That was all he needed.

FWISH.

He lunged forward.

THUD.

With one swift kick, he sent the small creature flying into a nearby tree. It hit hard and slumped down, unmoving. Without mana of his own, Christopher was effectively invisible to beasts like this — making close-range ambushes easy.

'This still feels worse than using a knife.'

He didn't waste any time. He rushed to the body and reached out his hand, not wanting to hang around and risk drawing stronger enemies.

[Devour]

[Storage 3/3]

1. Wind Slash

2. Wind Severance

3. Mana

'It takes a storage slot just to store mana…?'

'So it's a double-edged sword.'

RUSTLE.

He froze.

"Another beast?"

But unlike before, Christopher didn't panic. Being nearly torn apart once was enough to drill some caution into him.

He crouched again, lowering his posture to the underbrush. Peering through the foliage, he spotted it.

A Thornback Stag.

A solid C-Rank beast, but with magical variants ranging as high as A-Rank depending on conditions. Its antlers shimmered faintly — coated in dangerous-looking toxins. Rumor had it, those poisons could take down an S-Rank if not treated immediately.

And if the creature's biology wasn't bad enough, it was known to carry a wide array of poison-based spells.

"Poison, huh…" he whispered. "Will that even matter with Devour? If the poison is magical, I should be immune…"

[You are correct]

"Well damn. Guess I'm going in."

[Wind Severance]

A glowing sword of compressed wind formed in his grip. Without hesitation, he dashed forward and swung.

SLASH.

The air tore — but he missed. The stag's antlers were long and curved, forcing Christopher to pull back before he could make a clean cut. One mistake and he'd be impaled.

"Tsk—!"

He backed away as the sword vanished — its energy used up with that single strike.

Then an idea sparked.

"Come at me, bastard!"

And it did.

FWOOSH.

The beast charged, antlers glowing faintly with venomous light. Christopher narrowly dodged to the side, feeling the wind pressure pass him by.

BANG.

The stag crashed into a tree, its antlers wedging deep into the bark — stuck.

'Now!'

He moved in fast, reaching for the horns before the beast could pull itself free.

[Devour]

Mana flowed into him — and he felt it. The spell, the toxins, the pressure. 

But instead of using the newly absorbed poison spell, he went with Wind Slash. It was the safer option — more reliable, more familiar. Besides, a beast literally made of poison wasn't likely to be harmed by its own element.

And the added bonus of long-range casting made it the obvious choice in this situation.

[Wind Slash]

The familiar, smaller wind crescent formed in his hand.

With the beast trapped and momentarily stunned, he didn't hesitate.

SLASH.

A clean cut — the windy crescent sliced through its exposed neck like paper.

The stag collapsed, decapitated before it could even react.