007

Although I didn’t go through with my plan of sleeping outside, I also didn’t commit myself to carrying the bodies of all the rabbits I had defeated, I just took the huge purple one and left. Carrying it was a little difficult but I somehow managed now that my physical strength had more than doubled.

I was quite happy going back to the cave as I had now finally rid myself of these pests and had increased my levels and strength by a lot. I still didn’t know where I stood among the other beasts here, but I at least knew that I could fight or even run if the situation demanded it.

The reason I was so confidently hunting them was because I knew that these beasts do not attract the attention of any other beasts, so their territory is a very safe hunting ground.

But with them practically wiped off from this area, it will give the other beasts to roam more freely, including the huge leopard beast. But that doesn’t matter now, I had already covered my area with its smell and there was no beast who would even think of coming near it. But I also know that the smell won’t last long and I would have to move out of the cave sooner or later.

Now that I was confident in my strength a little, I was confident enough to try to make my way out of here.

Since I don’t have to worry about the cold, I only need to worry about the food, which even if I didn’t want to, would have to come from the rabbits.

“I guess I’ll prepare something to carry with me when I move.”

With my goal set I proceeded on my way back to my cave carrying the huge purple rabbit with me.

…

I decided to move in the direction of the lake.

It was a pretty easy decision, first, I don’t want to meet the thing I saw on the first day of getting here, I also don’t want the huge leopard beast finding me, so I figured the only direction which I can go to that doesn’t have these two things is the frozen lake.

The ice looks thick enough to walk on and I don’t think I would get attacked on the sheet.

The other side of the lake is a complete mystery though, maybe it’s even worse than here but I’ll have to take the risk.

From where I am now, I can faintly see the outline of a forest similar to this one on the other side. This was why I was confident on reaching the other side in a day, at most.

Since I needed food for the travel, I was going to carry a small amount of meat from the purple rabbit as a temporary food supply. I’ll need to hunt for food the moment I get to the other side though.

Honestly though, I don’t even know where I’m going. I have no clue where I am, have no clue where I’m going, or if the direction that I’ve chosen is even barely better than this one. I don’t know.

But I can’t stay here forever. Even if it takes a long time, and no matter where I go, I am bound to run into some kind of civilization.

But even that scares me a little. From what I’ve seen of the wilderness till now, nothing that seemed ordinary is ordinary. In this world, leopards are the size of elephants and apparently rabbits are one of the most bloodthirsty creatures out there.

Who knows what humans look like here, or even if there are any humans out here. The more I think about it the more depressed I feel. But that doesn’t mean I can just give up, I will find a way to get out of this mess.

Regarding the monsters here, the only three types that I know of are the bear-like monster that I saw on the first day, the leopard beast and the rabbits, but I do know that there are others out here.

It’s just that they don’t come out that much. The place I’m in is mostly populated by the rabbits and because of their smelly trait, no other beast dares to come into their territory.

The leopard and bear just happen to live nearby, I guess.

I can only be thankful that I wasn’t teleported into their territory when I came here, or else my adventure into this new world would’ve ended the day I arrived.

Speaking of the other beasts though, maybe they also don’t show themselves because of the huge predators.

Who knows? I don’t.

With my preparations done, I started making my way on the frozen over lake.

“Even if it’s frozen I can’t help but be a little scared.”

Though I minded each step I took, I still can’t help myself thinking I’m going to fall in.

I have every right to be scared. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen people fall in this. Although it has only been in movies or on the internet but it is still enough to scare me.

But as luck would have it, it looks like it wasn’t my day. As I was walking over while occasionally looking down, my ears perked up as a faint but continuous sound was heard.

It sounded like something was running, but I couldn’t be sure, who or what would risk running on a surface like this?

I look in the direction of the sound and all I can see is a faint silhouette in the distance.

“Fuck!!”

That word involuntarily came out as I realized what it was.

“That bastard was waiting for me to get out of my cave!”

Do I really look that tasty!?

I wanted to refute but the huge leopard beast was dashing towards me in full speed, it was as if it wasn’t even worried about falling or slipping.

It was then that I finally noticed something that was probably following me ever since I started walking.

I looked down at the huge shadow that was somehow even visible across the thick and cloudy layer of ice.

It was very hard to make out what it actually was but I could very easily tell if there was something moving under there.

It was huge, like everything else here, but what scared me the most is that it was also a lot bigger than the leopard.

I was finally understanding how stupid of a decision it was to walk across the lake.

But considering that the leopard was waiting for me to get out of my cave proves that it would’ve attacked me no matter where I was.

“Damn it!”

I make my pace a little quicker, but considering the ice layer I can only jog.

At this time, the leopard has already caught up with me, and without wasting any more time, it jumped at me.

Noticing the sudden attack, I try to jump forwards just in time to avoid its claws. But my leg slipped and I fell in place.

This helped me in a way as the huge body of the leopard flew over me and his claws landed on ice, which resulted in it breaking.

The leopard lost its footing but didn’t fall into the icy cold water. Some of it splashed on me and the freezing cold water almost burned where it landed.

The leopard was in a worse condition though as the water had gotten it the most, its black fur was now covered and it resembled a wet cat. A huge wet monstrous cat.

There was no way I was going to let this chance go, so I sprang up from my embarrassing position and jumped towards the leopard.

[Sprint]!

I don’t know why but when I moved to attack the leopard, my body almost on instinct activated [Qi Manipulation] and a large amount of Qi moved to my legs where I had just activated [Sprint].

I landed just before the leopard on the last platform of ice that was still unaffected by its impact.

My leg, fully powered by the [Sprint] skill as well as the massive amounts of Qi that had moved in it impacted the leopard right in jaw. Its neck moved upwards and I could tell that even though it had been my most powerful attack yet, it was nowhere enough to kill it. But it did stun it.

What surprised me the most was that the thing under water. It was the thing that took the most advantage of the stunned leopard.

It was rising towards the surface at a high speed and its location just happened to be the location me and the leopard were standing in. The leopard was still recovering from his daze when I jumped up and used its head as a jumping platform to get out of that place.

This was made easy because of my legs were still in the effect of [Sprint].

The leopard who was starting to get irritated by having its head kicked so often, roared towards me, but it was too late.

The huge water beast leapt out of the water breaking apart the thick ice surface like it was nothing and with its jaws that were more than enough to fit the leopard and teeth that would easily bite through its hard flesh, it chomped down.

I didn’t see anything other than blood after its mouth closed.

There was no scream, nothing. The leopard didn’t even struggle.

If that was the end of all that would be it but as the water beast went back in water, it splashed enough to cover me completely as well.

With my body freezing, I turned back and started walking only to look down and see that the thing was now rising up towards me.

At this point my brain went blank.

I instinctively used [Sprint]. I ran and just as I moved, the place I was just standing in broke apart and the water beast leapt up. I look back and I finally properly saw what it looked like.

It was a combination between a great white shark and a t-rex. That was the only reasonable comparison I could come up with.

Its jaws were a little narrower than a t-rex to better help it move faster in water. Its black scales that looked tougher than steel didn’t make anything better either and neither did its dinner plate sized purple eyes that seemed to have locked themselves onto me.

[Sprint]!

[Sprint]!

[Sprint]!

I used it continuously even though it was already activated. I don’t know what I was hoping for it to do, but I did hope.

My body kept moving and moving, just like before, my [Qi Manipulation] activated and all the remaining Qi in my body moved towards my legs.

My body that was rushing towards the other end of the lake, suddenly became light. Too light.

The shore that was about a kilometre in distance was right in front of my eyes.

I didn’t expect this, so my body that was still in the effect of [Sprint] slammed itself into a tree.

HP: 65/96

My HP reduced by more than 30, just how hard was I hit?

[Skill: Quick Dash has been acquired.]

[Quick Dash has been derived from Sprint. It will not level up.]

[Qi has increased by 20.]

[Skill: Qi Manipulation is now level 2]

[Qi has increased by 20.]

Name: Grant Steele

Lv.4 [44/600]

HP: 75/96

MP: 0/0

BA: 0/0

QI: 3/183 [0.2/sec]

DEF: 35

Skills: Sprint Lv.4, Cold Resistance Lv.2, Qi Manipulation Lv.2, Qi Regeneration Lv.2, Quick Dash Lv.-

[Quick Dash Lv.-]

Depending on the amount of Qi, the host can dash in a particular direction.

So jumping to this place almost used up all of my Qi. Good thing I got this skill quick or who knows what might’ve happened.

My eyes move towards the lake surface and to my surprise and horror, it was completely calm. It was like nothing happened just a few seconds ago.

I removed myself from that position while carefully checking if I had broken any important body part.

Getting out and lightly stretching my body I slowly but carefully walked closer to the lake, still being fully scared of the thing under the water, I still looked down the sheet of ice trying to find it but the beast was nowhere to be seen. Almost as if it wasn’t even there.

*gulp*

In this quick mess though, I lost all of the food I was carrying. Since I didn’t have a bag, I was carrying it in my hands, there was no way it was going to last that encounter.

This means that I have no food, am covered with freezing water and have no possible way of quickly going back.

“Great…”

I got up and stabilized myself and my thoughts before moving in deeper into the forest.

[Skill: Cold Resistance is now Level 3]

[DEF has increased by 5]

“At least something good came out of it…”