"Gwoooooooooooooooh!!"
"Shut up."
I muttered the words to myself in response to the Bugbears’ roars.
I was forced to hear that same cry every single time I reset. Honestly, I was sick of it.
This was my first battle since selecting Strength Enhancement.
I think my trial count was somewhere around 345? To be honest, I was only keeping a rough tally, so the actual number was bound to be off.
First, I dropped into a crouch to avoid an opening attack. Then, I focused entirely on dodging the Bugbears' relentless onslaught.
Without a skill to boost my agility, my body felt heavier than usual. That didn't mean I was helpless, though. I read their movements and adjusted my posture to match. Even if my evasions were narrow, hair's-breadth escapes, a miss was a miss.
I parried a Bugbear's heavy swing at the last possible second and slammed my fist into its stomach.
A heavy thud echoed through the room.
"Yeah. That felt better than usual."
If the strength provided by Martial Arts or Physical Enhancement was a ten, then the boost from Strength Enhancement felt like a twelve. One might think a mere 1.2-fold increase was negligible, but it was a massive difference in practice.
The choice was clear. I would use Strength Enhancement to escape this room.
Trial count: approximately 360.
I chose Strength Enhancement without a moment's hesitation.
"Gwoooooooooooooooh!!"
The same roar. The same scene I had witnessed countless times.
I had died in this room more times than I could count. Yet, for the sake of my revenge, I would keep challenging them for as long as it took.
I was surrounded by ten Bugbears.
Perhaps because I had stared at them for so long, I had begun to notice that their facial structures differed slightly from one another. At this point, I could tell them apart individually. Because of that, I’d given them simple designations like A, B, and C.
I didn't give them proper names. Giving pet-like names to things I intended to slaughter would have been twisted.
First, Bugbear A and Bugbear B charged, attempting to pincer me from both sides. I drew them in as close as possible and sidestepped at the last second.
Bugbear A’s face passed right in front of me. I punched it with everything I had.
"Gauh!"
Bugbear A let out a pained groan and staggered backward.
I didn't have the luxury of watching it fall. Half a second later, Bugbear B swung at my back, trying to tear me open. I stepped forward to evade. Using the momentum of that step, I lunged back toward Bugbear A to press my advantage.
Zero point two seconds later, Bugbear C attacked from the flank. I dropped into a low crouch to dodge it. Simultaneously, I twisted my body and leaped, delivering a flying kick to Bugbear A.
The moment the kick connected, Bugbear D struck from directly behind. Timing it perfectly, I flipped my body backward, using its outstretched arm as a platform to perform a handstand. Without a moment's pause, I used that position to vault onto Bugbear D’s head. I kicked off its skull to lunge forward and brought my foot down in a heavy axe kick.
"Gauh!!"
My target was Bugbear A.
Struck squarely on the head, Bugbear A wobbled on its feet. One more push would do it.
I knew Bugbear B and Bugbear D were about to strike, so I ducked beneath their reach and drove a heavy blow into Bugbear A’s solar plexus.
Blood sprayed.
Fresh crimson danced through the air from my fist. As it blurred my vision, Bugbear A’s body was lifted off its feet and slammed into the wall.
Not done yet.
I jumped one more time and drove my fist into its face.
▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽
Monster extermination confirmed.
Skill Points acquired.
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"Yessssssssssssss!!"
I had heard of this before—that you could obtain something called Skill Points by defeating monsters.
I had finally succeeded in slaying a Bugbear for the first time. It was only natural for my voice to tremble with joy.
Wait, what do I actually do with these? I knew the name, but I had no idea how to use them.
I hurriedly opened my Status Screen to check.
▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽
Skill Points Held: 12
Strength Enhancement Lv1
Skill Points remaining required for Level Up: 10
△△△△△△△△△△△△△△△
"I see. I can level them up."
There was no reason to hesitate. I immediately allocated the required points to Strength Enhancement.
▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽
Skill Points have been used.
Requirements for Level Up have been met.
The Skill Strength Enhancement has leveled up.
Strength Enhancement Lv1 ▶ Strength Enhancement Lv2
△△△△△△△△△△△△△△△
In an instant, power surged through my limbs. It seemed Strength Enhancement had successfully reached Lv2.
"Heh... I get it now. If I can take down just one of them, I can level up."
A smirk escaped my lips as the realization sank in. Perhaps it was because I had finally managed to kill one of the monsters, but my heart was pounding with a sense of pure exhilaration. It wasn't a bad feeling at all.
"Listen up. From here on, it’s my turn to hunt. No matter how many times I have to die, I’m going to kill every last one of you!"
I issued my declaration of war to the Bugbears, even if the words meant nothing to them.