Chapter 11 - Hell [7]

A/N: Wow, the chapter title chapter rhymes.

***

The Mana Beast was already upon when I turned around. Thankfully, I hadn't disabled my physical Enhancements. However, I had deactivated my blade's enhancements in favour of healing my body. So, I couldn't rely my blade to stop this attack.

Then, the Beast opened it's jaws and clenched down on my free arm. However, my Arcane Enhancement and Arcane Healing were now both at maximum output. As a result, my durability was much higher, along with that the damage that I sustained was repaired almost immediately.

However, I knew I couldn't fight while maintaining max output on both of these abilities. It simply took too much focus.

But, my Mana Reserves were far from being close to being depleted. Even though I had been using Magic for the vast majority of the day I was confident that I wouldn't run out any time soon. This was not only due to my overwhelming Mana Capacity but due to the rate at which I replenished Mana.

As a matter of fact, once my understanding of Mana increased, I'd be able to constantly heal myself and enhance my body without whittling away at my Mana Reserves by matching my Mana loss to the Mana I replenished.

But, that was a worry for another time. Then, I decided to deactivate my Arcane Healing and I enhanced my sword, being careful to not overdo it. I used partial Enhancement to separate my now destroyed arm from the rest of my body.

I watched the beast carefully as I made space between us. The beast was wounded, this should have been an easy win for me.

But here I was, due to the Mana Beast's speed, I couldn't afford to take the time to heal myself as the instant I did that it would attack. And healing myself meant the deactivation of my other enhancements which I absolutely needed.

"You tenacious freak."

I said, before charging in, the beast also charged at me. I wasn't worried in the slightest however, it was wounded and this was merely a last ditch attempt.

However, just because I wasn't worried didn't mean I wasn't vigilant. I had made the mistake of letting my guard down, but I've learnt from that experienced.

I've learnt that beast's are most terrifying when wounded.

This monstrous beast was no longer worried about itself, it merely wanted to kill me.

But, no matter how much it wanted it, it wasn't as if it could just manifest its wishes into reality. As soon as it was in range, I thrust my sword into its head, stabbing it where its brain would be.

The only reason this was possible was even possible was because the beast was already half dead. Stabbing through its hide and skull wouldn't be easy if it was at full strength and able to properly manipulate Mana.

Soon, if felt to the ground with a massive thud, causing the ground around it to tremble.

I disabled my sword's Enhancements and focused on healing myself. I made sure to heal each and every wound, no matter how small, and I did this while using Arcane Healing at maximum output.

The process of regeneration was now bearable, I barely winced at it now. And that... scared me a little. My body was being reconstructed on a such a large scale, and I could feel it happen yet I didn't mind the pain.

I had been here for... a full day maybe? Yet.. I was already starting to resemble the Mana Beast's I had fought in the sense that I no longer cared about pain. I didn't know whether this was for the best or for the worse. All I knew was that because my surroundings had changed, I too had changed to survive.

However, even if my physical body survived, would the 'me' that was here survive too? Or would I become some unrecognisable beast who was no different to the Mana Beasts. I didn't want to lose myself, a bit change was fine but what would be the point of all this if I didn't remain myself after it?

I sighed and cast these thoughts aside, and prepared myself for the upcoming fight as I heard the Mana Beast which had been hiding this entire time finally make it's move.

Suddenly, a blade made of water rushed at me and I sliced it into two after enhancing my blade.

"Guess someone's impatient. You should've waited until I was severely injured."