am-books Chapter 21 - 21: Options to level up
Chapter 21 - 21: Options to level up
As soon as they saw the message hanging in the air, as if conjured by some dark magic, Lyerin's mind went into overdrive. His eyes scanned the ground below,
Lyerin did not move for a long time, and neither did the others.
The silence was heavy in the air and he preferred to let it be, each second stretching out interminably. But then, after a few more seconds, they began to stir.
Panic surged through Lyerin bulging bloody veins on his forehead as he saw some of the others attempting to rise.
"Get back down!" he signaled frantically with his body language, using exaggerated motions to convey the urgency of his command.
Most of them understood and froze immediately. However, a few had mud caked on their ears and didn't hear him.
They continued to move, oblivious to the danger.
To their horror, one of the creatures suddenly reappeared.
"Eurk!?"
It stood there, its beady eyes scanning the area, its grotesque body silhouetted against the dim light.
Time seemed to freeze.
Lyerin's mind buzzed with implications, weighing his options, calculating risks.
The creature's gaze lingered, and Lyerin could feel every heartbeat pounding in his chest.
Without warning, Lyerin bolted from his hiding spot. His left hand began to transform mid-motion, morphing into a claw-like appendage reminiscent of a demonic ibex beast. His muscles tensed, his focus sharpened.
He aimed for a swift, lethal strike.
But he was too late.
The creature's lungs expanded, drawing in a deep breath.
And to his horror, it let out a resounding shriek that pierced the air, echoing through the forest.
"Eyaaaaurrrrkkkk!!!"
The alarm was raised.
Lyerin didn't hesitate.
Even as the shriek rang out, he launched himself at the creature, his clawed hand poised to strike.
With a fluid motion, he wrapped his demonic hand around the creature's throat, his grip vice-like.
The creature struggled, its limbs flailing wildly, trying to reach for his hand. But Lyerin tightened his hold, feeling the creature's windpipe compress under his grip.
The beast's shrieks turned to gurgles as it fought for breath. He maintained his composure, using his strength and precision to choke the life out of it.
His mind was a torrent of thoughts as he executed the maneuver.
Choke it out, cut off its air. Don't let it draw another breath.
His left hand, now a powerful claw, squeezed tighter, his fingers digging into the creature's flesh.
It buckled and twisted, but Lyerin held firm, his body moving with the creature's struggles, absorbing and countering its movements with practiced ease.
Finally, the creature's resistance weakened.
Its eyes bulged, its limbs twitched, and with one final convulsion, it went limp.
Lyerin maintained his grip for a few more seconds, ensuring the creature was truly lifeless before he released it, letting its body slump to the ground.
Suddenly, a series of notifications appeared before him in the air, translucent and shimmering:
[ Ding!
[ Would you like to level up your sprint? ]
[ Ding!
[ Would you like to level up your choking skill? ]
[ Ding!
[ Would you like to level up your surprise attack? ]
[ Ding!
[ Would you like to level up your lethality on Goblin Shrews? ]
More notifications continued to pop up, each one offering him the chance to enhance the skills he had just used:
[ Ding!
[ Would you like to level up your refle
xes? ]
[ Ding!
[ Would you like to level up your precision strike? ]
[ Ding!
[ Would you like to level up your hand-to-hand combat? ]
[ Ding!
[ Would you like to level up your endurance? ]