Chapter 43: Hateful Forest
Jaden’s horrified eyes were locked onto the nightmare as it lifted its sharp, knife-like claw and swung it at him.
However, before the claw could reach him, a glass-like hand full of flowing white mist pierced the nightmare right at its core and left a gaping hole.
The nightmare’s body shook as it fell on the ground with a thud. Blood flooded and pooled on the ground.
Right at that moment, Jaden’s body also became free, and he fell back on his butt while breathing heavily.
A blue screen appeared before him.
[You have slain an E Rank Cursedmire.]
[Experience +16 (Assisted Kill)]
"No wonder nightmares are more dangerous than star beasts. Those bastards don’t even use magic, but rather they use skills..." Jaden muttered darkly.
He rubbed his face and looked at the body of the cursedmire with a dark look before standing up and walking towards it. He tightened his grip on the sword’s handle and began dissecting the body as he looked for the spirit core; however, his work proved to be fruitless, as it had none.
"Damn it! I nearly died, and even then I got nothing."
He spat at the ground and turned to look at the mistwraith standing near the body. As soon as his eyes fell on it, they turned complicated... It used to be one of the maids who had wanted to help him and others, but the city punished her by giving her the form of a dreadful nightmare.
Before his thoughts could turn heavy, he turned around and cancelled the summon. The mistwraith burst into black sparks and entered his body.
"Damn it!" Jaden clenched his fists and spat furiously before letting out a sigh.
’I nearly died just by being at the outermost perimeter... what would happen if I had gone deeper?’
A chill ran down his spine, and his body shuddered at that thought. He didn’t know what kind of skills these dreadful nightmares had and how potent they were. The cursedmire had a harrowing skill which completely stopped him from moving and speaking, and it was just an E Rank nightmare...
"Even the nightmares of the same rank have different strengths," he concluded upon comparing the cursedmire with the mistwraith.
Both of them were E Rank, but the cursedmire was much more dangerous; however, he couldn’t be sure of it. Mistwraith had a mist form, and there were high chances of the mist form disregarding the skill that had frozen him.
But, he couldn’t be sure of it, nor was he in the mood to test his theory.
He placed a hand on his chin, deep in thought as he questioned himself.
"Should I just go back?"
Yes, he was getting cold feet, who wouldn’t? He had just entered the forest, and he had already been ambushed and nearly killed.
Even so, he couldn’t just go back without reaching level 10, which would be his breakthrough to Adept Rank.
"Nah... I have to reach level 10 at least," he concluded as he grabbed his grimoire, which had been floating beside him.
’I need to get spirit cores too... They would help us fight for longer.’
Absorbing spirit cores didn’t increase one’s chance of breaking through; instead, absorbing them purified one’s soul, allowing them to use their grimoire for much longer.
Keeping a grimoire summoned for too long put a strain on one’s soul, and in some cases, that could make them unable to summon their grimoire.
Jaden dusted himself and once again began moving within the forest with silent steps.
"Creepy ass forest," he added solemnly as he looked at the tall, dark trees with scornful eyes.
After his near-death experience, even though he had already died before, his hate for the forest had reached a new height. Heck, he didn’t even know if he hated the city more than the forest or the forest more than the city.
"I have to calm down..." he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
Afterwards, he tightened his grip on the sword and continued moving.
***
Jaden sat under a tree with his sword and armour covered in fresh blood. The blood, however, wasn’t his.
A few bruises and cuts could be seen on his body, but they weren’t bleeding.
He had a tired expression on his face as he looked at the screen before him.
————[System]————
Host: Jaden Cross
Job: The Shutter Summoner
Level: 9
Experience: 87/100
Mark: [Shadow]
Grimoire: Platinum (Bound – 0/7)
Skills:
[Capture] – Seal targets into pictures using Slots (Film).
[Picturebook] – Codex of Summons, Spells, and Arts.
[Summon] – Manifest sealed creatures temporarily.
[Binding Codex] – Synchronise growth with bound Grimoires.
Available Features:
[Profile] – Status overview.
[Epiphany Zone] – Training & comprehension mind space.
[Picturebook] – Codex of Summons, Spells, Arts.
Slots: 6
————[System]————
"Just 13 more..." he mumbled as he took deep breaths.
He had moved around the forest to find more star beasts or nightmares to capture or kill... and he did find some F Rank star beasts, but they were already fighting each other. Jaden had benefited greatly from their fight as he captured three more galewolves.
Regretfully, others died while fighting, or Jaden had killed them because they leapt on him as soon as he captured the wolves.
After Jaden had composed himself, a grin appeared on his face as he spoke.
"At least things worked out in the end."
He lifted his palm, and an ice shard hovered over it. It was a small trick he had made himself by removing the intent of projectile attack from [Frost Needle ★].
He cupped his palm around the ice shard like a bowl and moved it near his mouth. He then moved his other hand near the ice shard and flicked; a small flame appeared on his fingertips and began melting the ice shard.
He was using [Ember Flick ★] to melt the ice.
He drank the water and washed his face before standing up, and just as he did so, a chilling scream tore through the forest.
"What the fuck was that?"