I slowly turned around to see a giant behemoth looming behind me. The giant reptile was bigger than Cerberus, and what’s more, it stood on both legs almost like a dinosaur. Its legs were like massive tree trunks with claws extending out of them.
Its snout was long and pointed, making it look a bit like a crocodile. Its green scales shone like beautiful jade crystals and looked as hard as diamond. Its yellow slitted eyes stared at me with a predatorial gleam in them. The giant creature slowly waltzed its way over to me as if eyeing a piece of raw meat, then with a loud screech, it began charging at me like a beast on steroids.
It snapped at me with its giant teeth. I sidestep the attack but the moment I did, it swung its massive tail at me at lightning speed. It felt as if I was hit by a speeding bus as I was hurled two aisles over, crashing through shelves and other valuables.
Derrick was right. I am a slow starter when it comes to boss battles.
I slowly pried my aching body out of the wreckage I created. There was blood dripping from my head, but it slowly healed in a matter of seconds.
"SKREEEEEEECHHHH!"
Before I could even stretch the soreness out of my body, the giant creature charged at me once again. This time, though, I was a little more ready for its attacks. The moment it got in close, it swung its giant tail at me once again.
I braced myself for the incoming attack, then at the moment it made contact, I grabbed its tail. Then, using its forward momentum, I launched the creature to the side, sending it flying into more shelves.
The beast screeched loudly as it hit the floor at full force but I didn’t let up. The moment its body hit the ground, it was at my mercy. Its scales cracked like glass under the weight of my claws. The beast roared as I tore through muscles and flesh as if it were nothing. Every attack that it countered with was nothing but a feeble cry for help.
With every attack, it felt the weight of my unrelenting power; I made sure of it. Blood and chunks of flesh lay a mess on the floor. Soon, the beast was nothing but a shell of its former self, and when it was time to end its suffering, I tore through its chest and pulled out its heart, which was the size of a basketball.
The moment the beast fell, my hounds devoured its carcass until not even bone remained.
[Congratulations, you have slain a level 20 evolved Malgecho]
[Congratulations, you have ascended to Level 8:
+20% Increase in Strength
+15% Increase in Agility
+15% Increase in Claw Sharpness
+25% Increase in Stamina]
Afterwards, I went over to check up on Derrick, and he was surrounded by a mountain of corpses. None were as big as the evolved Malgecho I killed, but still, there were a lot. He was also consuming the heart of one of the beasts he had killed.
"Oh, Liam, I forgot to ask, what level are you currently on? I’m on Level 15."
"I just reached level 8."
Derrick frowned and looked at me skeptically.
"How could you have defeated that beast last night if you’re only at level 8?" he asked.
From what I understood, your strength didn’t only rely on what level you were. Your race and bloodline played an important part in this too. Derrick and I shared the same race as werewolves, but since for whatever reason my bloodline was different from his, my fundamental strength seemed higher.
"And also, what’s the deal with those creepy dogs you keep summoning?"
"Those are from a skill," I explained.
"Hmm... your skills seem different from mine. Why is that?"
I shrugged at his question.
"I don’t know. Anyway, we should start packing supplies." I said.
"Yeah, you’re right. We’ll have plenty of time to figure things out."
Together, Derrick and I began picking out different items that we thought we would need. We picked up mostly canned goods since they would last longer, along with deodorant and a few special items for the girls. We also found some small tents and packed up three of them.
For myself, I picked up a camping backpack which could be used to store certain items. I then picked up a few gallons of water, and I also went over to the camping section and picked up a guide about camping out in the wilderness. And finally, the last thing on the list was a small chocolate bar for Lily, who was waiting for us outside the store. Werewolves were warm-blooded, so I didn’t need to pick up any jackets or sweaters.
I glanced over some of the items Derrick had picked up, and I was left amazed at how clueless he was. Some of the items he picked up were essential, but others, like the dozen packs of cigarettes he was carrying, weren’t necessary.
When we were done, we exited the store where the mob was still standing with wide eyes. The older woman who had volunteered to watch Lily for us quickly came over and handed her to us. The bearded man also approached us, but this time he seemed much more cheerful than before.
"How the hell did you boys manage to do it?"
"Family secret," Derrick responded jokingly, which caused the man to chuckle.
"However you did it, thank you. Thanks to you, none of us have gotten hurt, and we can live to protect our families through this crisis. Where are you boys headed next? Maybe we can join up together."
"Sorry old timer, but we’re not leaving the city just yet. We’re heading to Princeman," Derrick said.
"Princeman? All the way out there? Alright then, be careful. I heard that some strange things have been happening at the university up there."
Derrick’s eyes widened.
"Do you mean Princeman University?!"
"The very same one. I don’t know exactly what has happened, but word is that there is a lot of military activity going on up there," the bearded man said, not having any idea of the implications of his words. "Well, I see ya’. I hope we meet again someday."
As the bearded man walked off, Derrick stood frozen.
"That’s Allison’s school," he muttered. "What the hell is going on up there?!"