Gaming Alone

V: The Desire for Strength

[You have entered Westover Woods.]

Much like with the instant dungeon, as soon as I stepped through the portal the Woods completely changed. Whereas before they trees were drenched with rain, with red leaves falling, I was instead greeted to a lush forest that must have been present in early summer or the middle of spring.

The grass beneath my feet was slightly damp, indicating it had rained earlier, but the sun hung high in the sky and the light filtered through the forest leaves onto the ground below.

It was a beautiful place... But I didn't let myself get caught up in how beautiful it was. Instead, I held my halberd and my axe at the ready. My senses were tingling, and I could hear them prowling in the woods around me.

The Monsters.

There were multiple numbers of them, all circling around me.

I heard a howl and one leapt at me from behind, I quickly jumped up and back flipped over the attempt, before coming down while cutting the monster in half vertically.

[Shadow Stalker Hellhound]

The name was orange... But it was just like the Minotaur, dying so easily.

Why was that? Orange monsters were supposed to have moderate strength, but just like the Minotaurs that weren't Asterios... It was just so easily to kill.

The answer came to me moments after I thought about it. My strength stat. With the boost given by 'Son of Poseidon' my total strength was sitting at fifty-five. Considering I was only level eighteen, that was a huge number in my opinion. Clearly enough to bisect the Hellhound in one strike, which also told me it didn't have the best defence.

If I were to guess, my stats were about on par with a C-Rank monster but, because my level was still a bit low, the monsters were classified as orange since the game accounted for my level, not my stats.

"How interesting," I mused to myself, jumping up to stand in one of the thicker tree branches as another Hellhound leapt at me. From my place on the tree, I could see them all stalking around on the ground. There was a huge number of them, just like when I had to fight the Minotaurs.

It didn't stop me then, and it wouldn't stop me now.

[Skill: Sprint has activated.]

[Your movement speed will be increased by 30%.]

[1 MP will be consumed every minute.]

I soared down towards one Hellhound, piercing its skull with the tip of my halberd, before I turned as another one leapt at me, and I cut it in two with my axe.

Only for my axe to break after the kill.

My eyes widened, and I was unprepared for the next pounce, which hit me in my ribs and sent me skidding back.

[HP: 2,710/3,160]

"I guess the axe can't handle cutting through these guys," I said, holding my chest. "Must use up most of its durability. In that case..." I placed both hands on my halberd, tensing my arms. "I'll just need to use two-hands on this."

I ran around behind another Hellhound in the back of the pack, stabbing it in the skull. I then used the halberd to pole vault, grabbing it by the end just as it was about to get out of my reach. I landed on another Hellhound, cutting off its head, and then whirled around to stab another right in the heard it as leapt at me.