Big Kitty

"I don't have enough mana to do that again," Savannah braced herself for attack.

I was alone on the wrong side of a very angry big magic cat, and big kitty was looking at me. I fired a few more shots as I backed away slowly.

"What the hell are you thinking Wyatt?" Savannah yelled.

I fired at it a few more times as I backed away slowly. I had big kitty's full undivided attention now. Goliath seemed to be catching on to me now as well. I shot a couple more times, and then bolted away from the group.

"Nix," Goliath boomed at my back end as I disappeared into the trees, "Stop."

I ran faster. Big cat chasing after me. I kept running until I couldn't even see the heat signatures of the group. Dodging between trees, and forcing the big cat to go around small gaps I could fit through but he couldn't. Stopping once I was good, and alone. Emptying my third clip into the beast.

He roared at me, and slashed out his claws. They cut into my arm easily as I dropped my gun. Its strap stopped it from getting too far away from me. I wasn't within sight of anyone human right now. I cast freeze zone, and everything within its area of effect froze.

A coat of ice formed over the big cats coat. The big cat tensed slowly as the ice cracked. I felt startled fear knot up in my gut. It was the first time I'd ever used that spell, and not killed my enemy.

"I may be in a little trouble," I cast freeze zone again.

A fresh coat of ice covered the one that was breaking. This wouldn't kill the big cat. I needed something more lethal. I couldn't switch forms with Goliath, and Savannah chasing me down. I'd heard of mages forming weapons out of their elements before.

Might as well try. I started focusing my water into a line slowly. Freezing it slowly as I honed it into a sharp blade. I gripped the handle of my makeshift ice sword, and slashed it experimentally. It felt good in my hand.

I could feel my mana in it, and poured more mana into it as I prepared for when the big cat broke loose. I didn't have long. Patience wasn't my strong suite. I slashed at the big frozen cat. I'd poured most of my mana into the blade, and my mana both sharpened, and strengthened my blade.

The big cat broke loose, and jumped forward. Away from me, and turned back quickly to face me. A big slash from my blade opened up on the big cats side. My stomach growled as I used up what little the nutrition bar had given me. I needed more in my belly, and I was getting tired fast.

I couldn't pour more of my mana into my blade without risking my camouflage. The big cat slashed at me again, and I slashed at the big cats paw. Opening up big cuts on both of us. I needed to end this before I took much more damage. All or nothing right?

I rushed forward as the big cat rushed me. My blade dug in deep, and broke as the big cat slashed at my back. The big cat stumbled a few steps before turning to face me.

Berserker mode activating. All stats restored.

All thoughts left my mind, and my vision went red as I went into a blind rage. I punched the blade further into the big cat. His hot blood melting the ice as he started spurting blood. The big cat was bleeding out, and suddenly I was much faster than I'd been a moment before. He couldn't keep up as I pounded hit after hit into him.

I didn't stop hitting him until my fists were bloody, and he stopped moving entirely. I stood over him breathing hard for what felt like a long time as the red slowly faded from my vision. The cuts I'd accumulated from the fight stung. I folded down to my knees as I caught my breath slowly.

New skill. Ice sword level 2.

"System my stats?" I huffed out between breaths.

Health 7/40

Strength 15.5 (Reduced)

Agility 15.5 (Reduced)

Stamina 16.5 (Reduced)

Instinct 7.5 (Reduced)

Damage resistance 8.5 (Reduced)

Mana 7/80

System put five mana into my health. The system did as it was told. I felt that familiar sense of my rage being used up. I was exhausted, but big cat was done. He wheezed out his final breath as I stood slowly.

5 xp first blood. Arch Tion Bobcat killed 500 xp. 505 xp awarded. 790/800 xp until level 8.

System can I absorb its crystal too?

Yes.

System will there be any negative effects if I do?

Arch Tion Bobcat is close to users strength. Absorbing crystal may have an unknown effect on users body.

I dug into the big cats body, and pulled out a crystal the size of my fist. System is there another way to absorb the crystal?

User can consume the crystal manually.

I chuckled to myself. System absorb crystal. The crystal immediately started melting into my hand, and pain shot through my hand. All the way up my arm into my shoulder. The last bits of the crystal disappeared into me as the pain faded slowly.

125 xp awarded. Mana fully replenished. New camouflage form Arch Tion Bobcat. 915/800 xp until level 8. Leveling up.

I could feel my mana go wild as the burning started to set in. I breathed in deep as I calmed the torrent of my mana as it flowed wildly through my body. I stared at my hands as the pain faded. I wasn't glowing as I leveled up this time. The glow was coming from my mana circling out of control.

Keeping the flow calm as it went where it needed kept me from glowing, and reduced the pain. I sat there breathing in, and out calmly as I leveled up. I waited until I could feel my mana settle back into its normal place. I breathed in slowly, and then out slowly before standing up. I needed to get back to the group, but first.

I glanced over to the cold of the stream I could see not far from me with my infrared. I needed to heal myself, and wash myself up. Less blood on me was a requirement for people to believe I wasn't badly injured. I couldn't fix the damage to my clothes, but with less blood on me it wouldn't look so bad. I walked over to the creek, and dropped my bag on the bank where it was dry.