"Cough, cough..."
Natsuki Subaru knelt on one knee, the black blade deeply embedded in the ground, supporting his teetering body.
Blood flowed from a wound on his forehead, congealing into beads on his eyelashes, making his vision blurry and crimson.
"Can't fall... Absolutely... Absolutely not!"
"Rem... Petra... and those children."
"They're still waiting for me to save them!"
Natsuki Subaru bit his tongue sharply. The intense pain cleared his muddled consciousness for a moment.
As he swayed to his feet, the surrounding Mabeast horde unexpectedly and simultaneously retreated half a step.
"Heh... Hahaha..." A savage grin spread across Natsuki Subaru's bloodstained lips, his voice hoarse, almost inhuman,
"So, you beasts... you feel fear too?"
"————"
The Mabeasts lowered their bodies, their crimson eyes glinting with instinctive fear.
The human before them was clearly covered in wounds, yet the killing intent he exuded was even more terrifying than theirs.
"Come on!"
Natsuki Subaru suddenly roared. Enduring the tearing pain throughout his body, he proactively charged towards the Mabeast horde.
Weaving through the Mabeast horde, every swing of his dagger carried the precision and strength gained from leveling up.
Swish, swish, swish—
Amidst the sharp whistle of the blade cutting through the air, one Mabeast after another fell howling.
"Die... All of you, just die..."
Natsuki Subaru roared, the dagger in his hand transforming into the Grim Reaper's scythe.
Blood spurted like fountains, shattered skulls mixed with brain matter splattering onto the dead leaves.
Intestines slithered out from slit-open abdomens, leaving viscous trails on the muddy ground.
However, the Mabeasts were not just waiting for death.
After recovering from the initial shock, the Mabeasts also began to change their encirclement, looking for an opening in Natsuki Subaru's defense.
Although each strike added to the pile of corpses, claws and fangs gradually tore at Natsuki Subaru's skin.
Just then, the earth suddenly trembled violently.
"Boom—!"
Accompanied by a deafening roar, a colossal hippo-like Mabeast burst through the trees.
Its five-meter-long body was covered in black, rock-like thick hide. Its wide, blood-red eyes glinted with ferocious light, and when its massive maw opened, it looked as if it could swallow an adult giant whole.
The most terrifying thing was its stout, short legs, which could generate desperate charging speed without any run-up.
"Damn it!"
Natsuki Subaru's pupils contracted. This Mabeast's speed far exceeded his reaction limit. By the time he realized the danger, the massive shadow had already enveloped him.
Unavoidable!
At the critical moment, Natsuki Subaru instinctively crossed his arms in front of his chest.
The next second, an overwhelming impact force, like a tidal wave, sent him flying.
The world spun before his eyes, but the extraordinary coordination brought by leveling up miraculously allowed Natsuki Subaru to adjust his posture in mid-air, finally landing steadily with a perfect backflip.
"~Ptooey... That really packed a punch, you beast!"
Spitting out a mouthful of bloody saliva, Natsuki Subaru, instead of retreating, had an even more fervent battle intent burning in his eyes.
Then—
He violently pushed off the ground, his figure shooting towards the hippo-shaped Mabeast like an arrow released from its bow.
In the instant the hippo-shaped Mabeast turned, seizing the opening, he plunged the dagger viciously into its eye socket.
"Roar—!!!"
The hippo-shaped Mabeast let out a tragic howl, blood gushing from its mouth and nose.
The injured hippo-shaped Mabeast began to charge around madly. Wherever it passed, trees were uprooted like straw, and the ground was plowed into deep trenches.
"Go to hell!"
Seizing this fleeting opportunity, Natsuki Subaru leaped onto the hippo-shaped Mabeast's back with an arrow-step, using all his strength to plunge the dagger into its skull.
With a "crack!" sound, the black blade got stuck in a hard bone crevice.
"Ugh...!"
In that instant, a wolf-shaped Mabeast seized the opportunity and bit Natsuki Subaru's left arm.
Sharp canine teeth pierced through muscle, blood dripping down the silver-gray fur.
"Hiss—How dare you bite me, you bastard—!"
The intense pain dyed Natsuki Subaru's vision crimson, the piercing agony directly impacting his nerves.
His left arm tensed due to the pain, but the teeth embedded in his flesh could not be easily dislodged.
The wolf-shaped Mabeast's red eyes fiercely met Natsuki Subaru's gaze, as if he would be swallowed by this beast's overwhelming hostility.
However... his right hand could still move!
"Go to hell!"
Then—
Natsuki Subaru swung his right fist. The strength enhanced by leveling up concentrated at his knuckles, smashing heavily onto the wolf's head with a sound of breaking air.
Thump—!!!
Like a watermelon bursting, the wolf-shaped Mabeast's head caved directly into its chest cavity, splattering brain matter and bone fragments all over Natsuki Subaru's face.
With the increase in level, his strength had become immeasurably powerful.
[Experience +108]
[Level Up...]
Although the newly gained strength surged within Natsuki Subaru, his depleted stamina made this power feel like drinking poison to quench thirst.
"Seriously... stamina... is also reaching its limit..."
"Can't fall! Just... a few more Mabeasts left! Damn it, hold on for me... Kill—"
His vision began to blur. Natsuki Subaru with difficulty looked back in Rem's direction, then swung his dagger and charged at the Mabeast horde again.
The black blade cut through the night, leaving behind sharp arcs of light.
Pfft!
When the last Mabeast fell under his blade, Natsuki Subaru's knees buckled, and he almost collapsed.
Just then, the familiar system notification sounded in his mind:
[Notification: Emergency quest completed, quest rewards have been distributed.]
"Finally... completed..."
Natsuki Subaru immediately called up the system panel.
[Emergency Quest: A Weakling's Courage]
[Quest Objective: Single-handedly eliminate one hundred Mabeasts (100/100)]
[Quest Description: Prove your courage and determination in a desperate situation. You are not a weakling to be slaughtered at will]
[Quest Restriction: Body status will not be restored upon leveling up]
[Quest Status: Completed]
Natsuki Subaru's gaze quickly scanned the quest rewards section.
[Quest Rewards:
Restore Status
Attribute Points +10
Blessing of the Great Witch God Kandiaru]
"Restore status."
With a thought, Natsuki Subaru immediately claimed the status restoration.
In an instant, a warm current flowed throughout his body.
The originally bone-deep wounds healed at a visible speed, torn muscles reconnected, and even the dizziness from blood loss instantly dissipated.
"This feeling... is truly too magical."
Natsuki Subaru looked down at his bloodstained but already healed wounds, his eyes sparkling with excitement,
"It's just as I guessed, this recovery effect is absolute. No matter how severe the injury, it can be healed instantly. This is practically like having an extra life."
"However, speaking of which..." Glancing around at the mountain-like pile of Mabeast corpses, Natsuki Subaru felt a momentary daze,
"Did I really take care of all these Mabeasts by myself?"
___
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