Unexpected Surprise.....

The moonlight illuminated our battleground, casting eerie shadows upon the forest floor as the tension in the air grew palpable. The peluda, its serpentine body coiled with anticipation, hissed menacingly, its spiked protrusions quivering with malicious intent. My sword itched to stain the pristine white snow with its blood.

I tightened my grip on my sword, the weight of the moment pressing upon me. With each breath, I summoned more and more of my mana, distributing it around my body.

With that, my legs were strengthened and my arms reinforced, brimming with enough force to flatten a brick house with the swing of a fist. I directed small clusters of mana to my auditory nerves, my optic nerves and my olfactory nerves. My senses were now heightened to the extreme and I was ready to put down this beast.

The peluda lunged forward, its movements deceptively swift for a creature of its size. In a split second, I leaped to the side, narrowly evading its venomous stinger as it shot toward me.

The ground trembled beneath its powerful strike, leaving a deep indentation where I had stood just moments before.

Reacting swiftly, I channeled my fire magic, summoning a torrent of flames that enveloped my sword. I rushed towards the peluda, my blade glowing with fiery intensity. As I arrived beneath the massive monster, I swung it in a wide arc, aiming for the peluda's vulnerable underbelly.

The searing heat of the flames sizzled through the air, leaving trails of scorch marks in its wake.

"HUH?! What the hell, that barely did anything!" I shouted in frustration.

The peluda recoiled, its scaly hide singed by the intense heat. But it was far from defeated. With lightning speed, it launched a barrage of spiky projectiles toward me, each one aimed to impale and skewer.

I quickly retreated from my position, aiming to put some distance between me and the monster. I relied on my heightened reflexes and agility to dodge the onslaught, rolling, ducking and gliding through the air, propelling myself with mini explosions, all to evade the deadly projectiles.

The peluda started to gain momentum, launching its sharp, poison-infused projectiles as if it had an endless supply. I couldn't do anything but dodge and hope that I wasn't hit.

As the peluda lunged again, jaws gaping wide, I called upon my water magic, summoning a swirling vortex of water around me. The watery shield absorbed the force of the peluda's bite, the impact sending ripples cascading across the protective barrier.

Using the momentum of the peluda's failed attack, I launched a counteroffensive. My sword, now infused with the power of both fire and water, became an extension of my body. I executed a swift and precise series of strikes, aiming for its neck and underbelly, strengthened by eliminating air resistance through the use of wind magic.

The creature was quite tall and its neck rested about 10 meters from the ground, rendering the job much harder. I propelled myself off the snow-covered ground each time, evading the beast's swinging arms.

As I landed on the ground after delivering a superficial blow to its neck and retreated, a plan started to form in my head. I lunged towards the right side of its neck and as I ascended, it reached out, trying to swat me down.

Reacting quickly, I summoned thick pillars made of earth, causing its arm to be stuck in the air. I landed on the back of its neck and before it could trigger its defense mechanism, I sunk my sword into the base of its neck.

The peluda, now paralyzed from my strike, lay sprawled on the ground. Taking control of the earth beneath me, I manipulated the terrain, causing the ground to rise and flip the monster onto its back.

Standing atop its massive body, I prepared to deliver the final blow. But the peluda, in a desperate attempt to preserve its life, extended a poisonous spike from its writhing form. My heightened senses detected the danger and with a nonchalant swing of my sword, I struck the spike, severing its connection to the beast's body.

With the threat neutralized, I raised my sword high, ready to end its existence. A single swing across its throat was all it took. Blood gushed from the severed artery, sizzling as the acidic properties within met the white snow.

I leaped off the peluda's body, satisfaction coursing through me at the outcome. With a fierce gaze, I turned towards the tree where I had last seen Garreth sitting, determination etched on my face.

"Do you want to tell me why you were attracting those monsters?" I demanded, my voice firm and laced with suspicion.

Expecting to see him descend from the tree, my face contorted in shock when I heard his reply, his voice so close to my left ear that I could feel the heat of his breath on my skin.

"The answer is simple, really. I needed an easy way to deal with you," Garreth's words sent a chill down my spine, his betrayal sinking in.

Simultaneously, a searing pain tore through my side and my gaze dropped down to witness the peluda's spike embedded in my stomach. I stumbled backward, my strength waning as I collapsed to the ground, my sword still clutched tightly in my hand.

Helplessness washed over me as I stared up at the vast expanse of the night sky. Garreth's voice reverberated through the clearing, his words dripping with a callous tone.

"No hard feelings, kid. The capatians just pay better," he taunted, his words cutting deep.

Struggling to move, every fiber of my being fueled by a mixture of hatred and rage. I clung to my sword, my grip unyielding. My voice, though weak, managed to escape my lips.

"I'm...gonna...kill you," I declared, my voice a mere whisper. The weight of my words hung in the air as darkness closed in, pain pulsating throughout my body, overpowering my senses.