Creation system
Chapter 40: Strangled

Chapter 40: Strangled

Mitch felt the subtle shift in earth mana beneath his feet, a telltale sign he’d learned to recognize through countless battles.

A sharp earth spike, thick as his arm and wickedly pointed, erupted from directly below him with enough force to punch through steel plate.

But the spell’s formation time, however brief, was enough warning for someone of Mitch’s caliber.

His enhanced reflexes carried him clear of the initial attack in a graceful leap. However, his tactical assessment proved incomplete, his landing zone had already been compromised.

A thick, gnarled root burst from the solid ground, its bark-covered surface harder than oak and sharpened to a deadly point, aimed directly at his unprotected torso.

Mitch’s emergency mana shield manifested just in time, a shimmering barrier of pure magical force that caught the root strike.

The impact shattered his hastily constructed defense, magical energy dissipating in blue sparks, but the protection held long enough to deflect the potentially fatal blow.

His mana reserves, depleted by the shield and his previous space aura technique, couldn’t support another space aura blade attack.

Instead, he drew upon his second most destructive sword skill.

Wind mana flowed into his blade, transforming it into a conduit for compressed air currents.

The wind aura blade whistled as he moved, invisible currents of sharp air following in the weapon’s wake.

Mitch drove forward toward the remaining bear’s skull, aiming for the quickest possible kill.

The creature, now alone and desperate, erected another earth wall between its vulnerable head and Mitch’s approaching blade.

Without hesitation, Mitch channeled his remaining mana into a concentrated ball of force and hurled it at the obstacle. The barrier exploded in a shower of dirt and stone fragments.

Using the explosion as cover, Mitch vaulted over the crumbling remains and brought his wind-enhanced blade down in a precise thrust toward the bear’s brain.

The creature’s tier-two status had strengthened its skull considerably, the bone resisted his initial penetration like hardened steel.

But Mitch’s prowess and the magical skill proved superior. The blade punched through with a sickening crack, penetrating deep enough to reach vital brain tissue. The bear’s death was instantaneous, its massive frame collapsing in a heap of fur and muscle.

A sudden, sharp agony lanced through Mitch’s lower back, just above his left kidney.

One of the horned rabbits, moving with the speed and stealth that made them far more dangerous than their size suggested, had managed to drive its horn deep into his flesh during his focused assault on the bear.

The pain was immediate and excruciating, a white-hot spike of torment that nearly buckled his knees.

"You fucking monster!" Mitch’s roar of pain and fury echoed through the clearing as he reached back with his free hand, his fingers closing around the rabbit’s small but muscular body.

He wrenched the creature away from his back, feeling its horn tear free from his flesh in a fresh wave of agony.

Warm blood immediately began flowing down his back, soaking into his white armor.

With a savage twist, he snapped the rabbit’s neck with an audible crack and hurled its lifeless body to the ground with vindictive force.

Meanwhile, Leya had been fighting her own battle with deadly grace, she now knew what to expect from her enemies.

Her combat style was poetry in motion, fluid dodges that turned near-misses into dancing steps, precise parries that redirected rabbit charges into harmless arcs through empty air.

Her blade work was economical and lethal, each movement serving both offensive and defensive purposes.

She had successfully eliminated both remaining nature slimes, her blade finding the creatures’ cores through their translucent bodies.

Only a handful of horned rabbits remained now, but they were proving persistent adversaries.

Their hit-and-run tactics were adding small but accumulating injuries to Leya’s previously unmarked form, shallow cuts on her arms and legs where horn tips had found gaps in her guard, tears in her clothing that spoke of increasingly close calls.

Mitch considered providing ranged support, but the rabbits’ erratic movement patterns made them nearly impossible targets for his mana balls.

More critically, the explosive nature of his magical attacks posed a significant risk to Leya in close combat. A missed shot could seriously injure or kill his companion.

Instead, he focused on his own immediate needs. Drawing upon his healing magic, he channeled restorative energy into the puncture wound in his back.

The familiar warm sensation of accelerated tissue repair began to work, blood flow slowing and then stopping as muscle and skin knitted together.

The healing wasn’t complete yet, but it would prevent him from bleeding out or suffering shock.

Leya’s superior agility and combat experience proved decisive against the remaining rabbits.

One by one, she eliminated the creatures, her blade finding vital points. The last rabbit fell with a small cry, its horn inches short of her throat.

Finally, blessed silence settled over the clearing except for their labored breathing. The battle was over.

Both warriors allowed themselves a few precious moments of respite. Mitch continued his healing efforts while Leya checked her various minor wounds, her back was the most injured area.

They shared water and energy-rich travel rations, their bodies demanding fuel to recover from the intense combat.

The aftermath of their victory lay scattered across the clearing, one rabbit corpse, and most importantly, one intact bear carcass that would provide valuable materials and sustenance.

"Gather!" Mitch called out, his voice carrying the authority of a seasoned monster hunter ready to claim the spoils of their hard-fought victory.

[Tier 2 earth bear heart – Crafting ingredient, has great mana conductivity]

[Tier 2 earth bear claws - Crafting ingredient, the claws are very sharp and have good mana conductivity. ]

Mitch crafted a new dagger from the bear’s claws, he didn’t have enough mana for a sword yet.

[Tier 2 Bear claw dagger – A curved dagger seemingly looking like a bear claw, it has good mana conductivity and is very sharp, +15% damage and -15% mana consumption with earth dagger skills]