-Vol 5: A New Life-

-Fall of a 100 years old family(8.1)-

Later that day, as Kenshin went deeper, the monsters became denser. Though their levels didn’t change or increased, their numbers did. Often Kenshin had to apply some force to kill the masses. There were also some slimy ones that slip past his grasp every time he annihilated a group. Though it didn’t help him with anything, the accumulation of EXP was welcomed by his part. After all the next level up needs him to collect around two million experient points.

It was not until he went so deep that it was practically dark outside, that he encountered a different enemy than the fish and the Slithering Lizzard. It’s an ostrich-like bird, but without a single feather. The skim of this bird was also not pink or red, it's grey with blue spots. Its also didn’t have a beak, in its place was a mouth filled with rows of sharp teeth that look like it could tear through steel. The claws in its legs were also nothing to scoff at, they were sharp and sturdy. Kenshin hazard a guess that those claws’ power wouldn’t any lesser than a hydraulic press.

The bird was nibbling on a badly rotting body that resembled a human-ish structure. It might belong to some unfortunate hunter who lost his life here, or it might be something else. This kind of thing was pervasive in a dungeon, especially in a high-leveled one. A few months ago, if Aoi didn’t save him in time, he would also have been eaten by some monster in that dungeon. As someone who was once in a similar situation, he didn’t show any emotion on his face. Instead, he focussed all his attention on the monster itself.

[Spotted Birds of prey][Level 34]

[AGI: 80][STR: 50][PHY: 120]

[Skills]

Corrosive Spit Lv 7(Deals 50 damage every second for 40 seconds) Bite Lv 10[Maxed](Deals 17 damage) Grab Lv10[maxed](Deals 5 damage)(Immobilizes an opponent for 2 seconds)

“Pretty nice stats for a level 34 bird. Those skills are also good, especially that Grab…unfortunately, I don’t have a free slot. Okay, let's add it to my next list. although the damage was pathetic, the real finisher was that immobilizing effect.” Kenshin calmly analyzed the skills of the bird. Every now and then he would come upon this type of game-breaking skills. It’s a good thing this bird was only found on this marsh. If it's on a higher level dungeon, many high-level hunters would have already died, falling prey to this skill.

Not only this Grab, but even the Burrow was also a game-breaking skill. Those bats he encountered in that cave back in the north, their skill to immobilize by ultrasound waves was also a unique but effective skill that bypasses all kind of barriers.

This kind of skills wasn't meant for humans. Since Kenshin got a way to make all these skills his, he wouldn’t back down. Who cares about ethics? So what if he copies skills? Some would say that he is but a faker but so what? If it serves its purpose of making him stronger, who cares what others think?

They definitely would not come to help him when he was in problem.

Unfortunately, this time, every skill he has been something that couldn’t be traded. Or else he would have already traded skill for some other, like how he did with Metal Hands. Now that he thought about it, all the skills he had, excluding the vibrating skills were nearly op skills. If it were something that could be considered as most OP among the others, excluding the divine skill, it would be his Opposites.

While he had all these distracting thoughts, the ostrich-like bird noticed Kenshin’s presence. Giving out a bone-chilling screech, it came at Kenshin with long strides. After a certain distance, it didn’t come any closer, opting to inspect him from far. Every now and then, it would bare its fangs at him, as a form a provocation.

Feeling amused at this action of the bird, Kenshin prevented himself from doing anything and stood like a statue, looking at it. The bird roared a few more times and also tried to spit acid at him. Although the damage was very high, Kenshin, in the end, had a health value that pierced the heavens. He just gritted his teeth and waited for the bird to come near him. The lost health points were instantly regenerated by his Passive Regeneration and his over the top PHY. The tag team of his body’s natural healing factor and Passive Regeneration was very hard to defeat.

It’s not something a weak monster of level 34 could hope to harm.

Finally, after nearly half an hour, his patience was rewarded. The bird finally gained enough courage to come near him. Since its acid didn’t manage to harm the human, the bird was also very wary. Its ready to run away at any moment. But since Kenshin was not moving even his muscles, it came closer and finally did what Kenshin as waiting for.

Extending its grey coloured muddy claws, it grabbed hold of his hands. The bird was huge, at least of the same size as Kenshin’s. So with just its one leg, it easily grabbed Kenshin's right hand. At first, the hold was fragile, so weak that Kenshin barely felt it. But then suddenly a huge force bared upon his whole body as if a colossal giant was pressing down on him using its full strength. He felt helpless and powerless.

But the feeling vanished almost instantly.

It was then that he realized, the bird had used Grab skill just now. That feeling of giant pressing down on him was actually the sill’s effect. If even him, who had stats of someone beyond level 100, was rendered immobile and helpless against that kind of fore, what effect would it have on someone weaker than him?

Or the force changes according to the level of the person it was used upon!

Sudden pain on his left shoulder brought Kenshin back from his reverie. He noticed the bird was now biting his left shoulder, crunching its teeth against his steel like body, ultimately unable to even leave a bite mark.

“So that’s the effect of Grab skill! Damn bird! You really did have a cheat skill.” Kenshin spoke to the bird like it could understand him.

“…kuuuu…” the continuation of nibbling on his shoulder made it clear how much it understood him.

“Sigh! Of course, you won't understand me.” letting out another sigh, he swiped his hand across its neck. The long neck of the bird didn’t even made a sound and slid off the body like it's been cut with a very sharp blade. The cut was so clean that not even blood spurted out of the wound.

[Killed Spotted Birds of prey Lv 34]

[Gained 645 EXP]

The notification came late, Kenshin already knew about the death of the bird. The moderately huge body of the bird remains hanging on his body due to its hold on his left hand. Using his other hand, Kenshin forced open the garb hold on his left hand of the bird. He didn’t find any description on the bird so he waited for something to happen.

Again after waiting for a few minutes, the body of the bird dissolved into a puddle of goo. A vial of green liquid was found in its remains, along with some gold coins and a little piece of the thigh bone.

Storing all of them into his inventory, Kenshin proceeded onwards.