The fire was growing.
Ever so slowly, it was becoming stronger, more controlled, and hotter.
It was working, but I was running out of time. Already, my Energy Points were beginning to reach three thousand points, and soon enough, they'd become zero. That, and the fact that the Leshy was relentless in following me.
Whilst my earlier blast of fire and light had dazed it, the effect had only lasted for only a second, maybe two at most. It had steadily closed the distance between us in its smoke form and began to manipulate the terrain once it did reach me.
That was why, currently, I wasn't actively running away, and instead, I was trying to both control my breathing and summon the fire from within me, and avoid the sharp, wooden spears coming from beneath the ground and trees, all aiming to skewer me.
A majority of my success came from my usage of [Imperial Dawn]. With it being designed specifically for fast movements that flowed into one another to conserve energy, it was instrumental in surviving this onslaught of maddened nature.
At least, for a time it was. Once the Leshy realized it would only ever be able to land glancing blows on me, it had added another element, vines.
Which didn't sound that terrible, until you were dancing over literal whips of them that easily broke through the air with a loud snap and threatened to break your bones if you weren't careful.
Yeah, not terrible my ass.
'One second left after this.' I thought calmly, ducking under two swinging whips, and avoiding an already sprouting spear of wood from the ground with a spin which I used to manoeuvre myself next to a small dirt path.
Whilst this dance of mine had certainly taken most of my initial attention, I had, in time, learnt to subconsciously breathe in air, and exhale a slowly growing stream of fire. Once that was done, my focus had shifted to finding a way out.
The small injuries the Leshy had inflicted were beginning to build up, and my stamina wasn't limitless, after all.
That was how I had been able to find the small dirt path that I was now slowly approaching. From what I had been able to see, it was entirely man made and was lacking any of the blasted roots.
Right now, it was my only option. I remained hopeful that I might even come across some help too, though, with the fact that it was currently night-time, I seriously doubted it.
'A mad man can only hope.' I moved past a vine which was aiming to hit my left eye, shifted to avoid another that tried to strike at my sore back, and allowed the building heat beneath my skin to explode outwards as a spear tried to pierce my stomach.
The fire which came out of my hands was not only bigger, but brighter and hotter than any I had created before. The fire created a curtain to hide me from the Leshy's sight, and the heat seemed to almost distort the very air.
I had taken inspiration from [Imperial Dawn] and used a combination of my movements and fire to create an effective heat haze.
Flowing from one foot and onto my other, I didn't hesitate to break out into a run once again.
'Secret technique for the win once again!' I couldn't help but celebrate, exhaling another short burst of fire from my lips.
I could feel it now, with every inhale and exhale, the burning sensation within my lungs was beginning to grow stronger. My ability to do it all subconsciously had only increased the progress I was making.
I took a quick glance at my stat points, feeling the ground beneath me begin to shake once again. The Leshy must have realized I was no longer willing to play its game of endurance.
[-][===][-]
|| [HP]: [1436/2050] ||
|| [MP]: [127/1200] ||
|| [EP]: [2833/5225] ||
[-][===][-]
I ran like my life depended on it—which really, it did—and soon enough, my efforts were finally, finally, rewarded.
[-][===][-]
|| [New Aspect Unlocked!] ||
[-][===][-]
|| [Aspect]: [Incendiary] ||
|| [Level 5]: [Progression: 15%] ||
|| [Omphalos Designation]: [Passive/Active] ||
|| [Description]: [Being able to call upon and command fire is a mystical art that humanity has always envisioned itself one day wielding. But, there are some things that even humans will never be capable of achieving. The ability to breathe the gift of the gods has been guarded jealously by the mightiest and most proud of creatures, and now, with this blessing, so too will you step into their ranks] ||
|| [Cost]: [150EP/S] ||
[-][===][-]
|| [Alert] ||
|| [The Aspect…[Designation]: [Pyromancy]…Will not affect Aspect…[Designation]: [Incendiary]…Due to its consumption of Energy Points] ||
[-][===][-]
My relief upon reading the message couldn't be described with mere words. Nor with actions, as [Omphalos Mind] stopped my body from clouding my sight with bubbling tears.
Either way, it was time to try and end this.
My work, desperate and rushed as it may have been, had finally paid off, and with it, so too did my confidence rise.
Stopping in my tracks, I spun around and faced the approaching storm of smoke and miasma. Though, this time, I didn't wait for it to come to me. Instead, I tensed my legs and ran directly at the speeding vapor cloud.
The Leshy met my charge head on, transforming out of its smoke form and descending towards me with its axe raised, and its deer skull rattling with a deep growl.
The impact of its body hitting the ground rattled the ground, and its falling axe missed me by only a few meters. Predictably, the creature hadn't expected me to actually close the distance between us.
Nor did it expect me to leap onto its wooden body and latch onto its wide wooden shoulders.
I inhaled as much air as I humanly could, hearing the sizzling in my lungs, as I used the final second of Mana I had been painstakingly holding onto. My entire body didn't spark, nor did it burn, it erupted with the heat of a dying star.
The Leshy howled in my ear as the flames licked and greedily devoured its combustible body, but it only lasted for a second, and soon, that fire vanished.
Either way, a second was all I needed.
I opened my mouth, and through the lingering heat and dissipating fire, from my maw, did not come out a spark, or even a gentle stream, but a tsunami of heat, fire, light and death.
Its deer skull rattled violently, its body shook, and it spun with the desperation of a creature that knew its death was close. It tried and tried and kept trying to get me off.
But my grip was too strong, and I held on with all the force I had. Not for even a single moment did my hold on its body slacken as more fire kept pouring out over not just its head, but the rest of its body.
I didn't stop when it fell to its knees.
I didn't stop when I had to force its burning body to remain kneeling.
I didn't stop until the System finally sprang with the message I had been awaiting.
[-][===][-]
|| [Enemy Defeated!] ||
|| [Level 42]-[Corrupted Leshy of The Dark Forest] ||
|| […Calculating Damage….] ||
||Weakness to Fire noted] ||
|| [Damage is multiplied by [x2] ||
|| [Creature is Corrupted! Strength of Fire Boosted! [+75%] and [+50%] From Aspect…[Designation]: [Daybreak]…Calculating Damage…] ||
|| [-23,000HP x 2 x 125% = -57,500HP] ||
|| [Final Calibration]: [Overkill] ||
[-][===][-]
|| [Hidden Quest Completed!] ||
|| [Rewards Awaiting Acknowledgment] ||
|| [Congratulations User] ||
[-][===][-]
I crumpled to the ground beside the burning corpse of the Leshy with a final gasp. I clung to consciousness with stubborn grit and waited for my Energy Points to regenerate.
I had done it.