7 – Human Down
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Max followed a trail of blood left behind by the soldier he looted. It wasn’t much of a loot, considering how bad this machete felt in his hand. He couldn’t get it off his mind since he was very particular about his weapons, especially bladed ones. He spotted more signs of dead bodies, and unlike the first soldier he found, the others were just bits and pieces. “Pity,” Max said. These beasts did their numbers on these poor soldiers. He couldn’t find anything of worth to be looted, and he moved on. He followed the trail of blood that had no end. The reek of corpses was strong, stuffing into Max’s nostrils, and yet his face remained as it was, unaffected like it was the norm.

Good for me. Max smiled. Among the fleshes and the nauseating smell, he found something for himself. A combat knife. A bloody one at that. He won’t say no to a used one. He stashed it in between his pants and thanked goodness it was the elastic string one. He earned his keep and stood up. He looked back and noticed something peculiar. It seems I rustled their nest, or should the exact term be den?

He turned around, and he was surrounded. These green wolves were bigger than before, and despite their sizes, they were stealthier than the little ones. They didn’t make a sound. They were as silent as the night itself. They bared their teeth, and that was all. Not a shred of a sound from these hairy beasts. It was remarkable how these creatures acted, and Max thought as such. A quick glance and he counted no less than thirteen of them. Not a good number, not with these big green wolves. He was relaxed with his right hand holding the machete. Not enough of chakra, but I’ll make do with what I have. Max smiled.

His chakra spread through every inch of his body. Max prepared himself, and the green wolves sensed something from their instinct. They rushed on their paws, attacking like a pack. Max watched as they approached. He mumbled these words as he raised his machete, “Soaring Rage Blade.”

He dashed forward and slashed. He cleaved the green wolf’s head into two, and he didn’t stop. A horizontal cut as he spun around, bleeding these beasts, making them retreat in wariness. Yet as they retreated Max advanced. The blade soaked with blood moved as it was alive. Under the layers of blood that kept on drenching on its dull iron blade, the mediocre weapon still had a sharp edge. And within the right hand, the machete showed its worth.

Max slid on the ground with his machete, hacking every green wolf that lunged at him. His hand stable, and his heart calmed like when he was sleeping. He feared not of these creatures, and none of them shall take his life.

His exquisite moves and the sharpness of his edge came not without a price. Slowly from within, his chakra reserve was getting depleted. A saber skill that needed the use of chakra. With a mismatched weapon, Max couldn’t unleash the full potential of the skill. Nonetheless, he soared through the battleground, killing these green wolves one by one until three of them were left. He stopped and stared at the green wolves who were at the distance. The remaining three kept their distance from Max, and there were close to one another. They halted their attacks, and finally, Max could hear a growl from them. They met their match, and unlike the soldiers that died easily within their jaws, Max wasn’t a man to be trifled with.

They turned tail and fled, leaving Max alone surrounded by dead green wolves. He smiled as he knew better. Even beasts recognized fear. “Run you mutts,” he chuckled. I still have one-third of my chakra left and I consider that pretty good.


Level up to Lv.7



Soaring Rage Blade learned!


A job well done, and he survived for another day or minutes in his case. He stabbed the machete to the ground and pulled out the combat knife. “Time to get dirty,” Max said. He gutted and dismembered these green wolves. He searched with everything got and by the time he reached the last one. He finally carved a smile. Found you. He cut something up and took out a bloody mass from the green wolf carcass. Dark crimson blood dripped from every hole in that green wolf’s organ and what left was the heart of the beast. Yet, it wasn’t the flesh that Max sought. A glimmer caught his eye, something embedded within the muscles of the heart. He picked it out with the tip of his knife and came out a gem. He caught it before it touched the ground. He lifted it up in the air with a smile on his face. An irregularly shaped gem with the size of his nail. The size wasn’t to his liking, but beggars couldn’t be choosy, and at least it was a start.

“Too small for a beast core but better than nothing,” Max said, eyeing the gem with every attention that he had. The ratio of finding it was quite disparaging. He could only assume that the bigger the wolf the bigger the gem. He walked away and found himself in a space untainted by the blood of his kills.

“Better now than never.” He clenched the gem in his hand, and without waiting, he executed the forms of Sage Flesh Alteration. He cared not of where he was and his bleeding calf. He didn’t even administer first-aid, and yet his mind was focused on his movements. To him, it should be nothing but flawless.

Gradually, the chakra inside the beast core seeped into his pores, absorbed by the helpful nature of Sage Flesh Alteration techniques. He was losing and gaining chakra at the same time, building a foundation from within the pit of his stomach. He lost himself in time, and by the time he woke up from his focus state, a welcoming text greeted him.


Sage Flesh Alteration level up to Lv.2


He exhaled a visible grayish breath. A sign of his advancement as well as the end of his current training. He felt strength coursing in his muscles and vein. A delight that made him smile. He opened his status.


Character Status

 

Name: Maximus Cain

[HP:426/600][MP:70/170](Chakra:12/100)

Class: None

Level: 7

Strength: 13(+7)

Agility: 10(+7)

Dexterity: 11(+7)

Vitality: 12(+7)

Arcana: 17(+7)

Perception: 17(+7)

Charm: 15

Point: 5


His chakra was low, but the little boost in MP ensured he had enough to survived for a few more future battles. On the other hand, the free points brought him a dilemma. Should I? He had the urge to put it in Charm, and yet the uncertain future weighed him down. Ah, to hell with it. All points to Charm. The points were gone, and still, there was no difference. Max played games before, but none that emphasized Charm or whatever that was synonym with it. I feel more good-looking already. He perceived as such, yet who knows.

A sudden noise burned his early celebration. He tilted his head upwards with the smile no longer there. He grasped the hilt of the machete and unsheathed it from the ground. He strode across the forest floor, inching closer to the source. The bout of noise rang once more, and Max was closer. He ran a few more yards and leaped into the air, grabbing a branch before somersaulting on top of another tree branch. He waved the machete, and at the last second, he stopped himself.

Survivor? The camo clothes made him stopped. A soldier leaning on the tree. He eyed him from head to toe. The missing half of his left leg was the obvious. The tourniquet had been done. But there was a bit of blood still trickling. It wasn’t enough for such injury, not for a prolonged period.

Max stuck the machete right through the bark. He crouched and neared the soldier. He heard the heavy breathing rippling through the air along with the sounds of buzzing insects. “Hello?” No response. “You okay there, soldier?” Still not a word. This is rather disheartening. I can hear his breathing loud and clear. The least he could do is answer. Like hi, I’m hurt, can you please help me. See, much more easier.

The helmet was down, covering most of his face. Max could barely saw his chin. He pushed the helmet upwards, and boy he was in for a surprise. I stand corrected. He's not a he. He’s a she. The woman was paled in countenance. A sign, she lost too much blood. “Ah!” a sudden swing of the soldier’s arm. Max backed away, dodging by a hairbreadth. He spotted the knife in her hand. Still tight in her grip. She was still fighting even to her last breath. She was fighting for her own survival, or was it just fear of the looming death? Fear of beasts ravaging her body.

The small piece of sharp metal was the only thing she could depend on. There were no more guns or any sort of modern weaponry, not here, not inside the Rupture. It was back in the stone age, or perhaps the medieval era would be more fitting. That last swing seemed to be the end of her last struggle. Her weak body swayed and tilted to the side. She lost her balance, and as she was about to fall, Max caught her. “Upsy-daisy.” He stabilized her, leaning her back on the tree. On second thought, I probably should bring her down. He changed his mind. He pushed her a bit, and she fell. “Gotcha,” Max caught her on the ground. She rested in his arms, unconscious. Then he felt damp over his right arm. It was the blood from the soldier's wounded leg. I think I better take look at that.

He placed her on the ground and took a peek. A mangled flesh with blood still fresh and dark. It was a gruesome sight to behold. Common courtesy tells me I should do something. He took out his knife and cut off the clothes around the messed-up leg. He paused before cutting the tourniquet. Yea, forget about that. He jumped back to the branch and pulled out his machete. He had a thing in mind that involved the terrible machete in his hand. And no, it didn’t involve chopping up the soldier’s leg already chopped leg. Max got back down, and his hands motioned into different hand seals. “Agni Art, Mado Flame.”

From the tip of his index finger, a fireball emerged, swirling as it was alive. If it was up to him, he would just use it on the soldier. But for now, he had trouble controlling the spread of the flame. The lack of chakra was the major reason. This isn’t hygienic, but it’s better than nothing. The blade of the machete touched the fireball and ignited the dull metal into a sword of flame. It burned brightly, illuminating the darkness of the woods. Let’s get over this before nothing is left. Max raised up the mangled flesh and cauterized the wound with the burning machete.

“Ahhh!” She screamed to the top of her lung, piercing through every corner of the woods. She jolted out from her unconscious state. “Settle down, please. You’re inviting unwanted guests,” Max said. He kept the soldier down and did his work, free of charge with the goodness of intention. Done. The smell of burnt human flesh wafted in the air. He threw the machete away and stabbed itself on the ground. The steel was still bright red, and it wasn’t going to cool down in the next few minutes.

“Argh! Ah!” Max turned over to the soldier. She was going hysterical, waving her arm around like a madwoman. Her eyes scattering with sweat dripping down her face. Max held her hands tight. Woah, she’s strong. The soldier put quite a fight in this little tug of war, and against Max’s enhanced strength it told him something. “Let me go! I said let me go!” she shouted.

“Hey, hey.” Max brought his face closer to the soldier. “Ssh…” he tried silencing her, and it didn’t seem to work. “Sorry about this.” Max gave her a resounding slap, and everything fell silent. It works. Thank goodness I don’t need to punch her.

For the first time, her eyes weren’t distraught. She stared at Max’s brown eyes. Lines formed on her forehead, questioning the unfamiliar face. “Who are you?” A sudden realization struck her. “I’m in the Rupture… and where’s my squad?” Her tone was picking up again. She was on the verge of relapsing.

“Listen to me.” Max held her by the jaw, making sure their eyes stay connected. “Your screams are already problematic, and it would be good for the both of us if we climb back on the tree.”

“The wolves,” she said. “Exactly, Miss Soldier, exactly,” Max replied. “And if you don’t mind.” Max lifted her up in his arms and jumped. He landed and jumped again. He went higher, better for hiding themselves. He lay her on the branch, and then, the blade of a knife kissed his neck. “That isn’t the thank you I’m expecting, but fine by me.” Both his hands up in the air and he didn’t forget to smile, regardless of the situation. I should have punched her.

“Who are you?” She eyed him and noticed. “You’re not from the army, or even the military,” the soldier asked. “Ah, the big question. To protect and serve, brave men and women, fighting for peace. If I’m not one of those, am I the enemy?”

“Answer me!” She pushed the edge of her knife deeper into Max’s skin. He bled a little. Yet the forceful blade on his neck lost its touch. Miss Soldier was a little bit too energetic with all the blood she lost. Her head felt dizzy as she lost her balance. The knife dropped from her hand, and Max caught her by the waist. I should have let her fall.

He looked down, and the gleaming eyes of predators stared back at him. Well, wouldn’t want my effort to go to waste. He lay her on the branch, and he jumped. He tackled a green wolf from above and rolled on the ground. He stopped right beside a glowing red machete and grabbed it by the hilt. This going to be fun. Max smiled.

“Soaring Rage Blade,” he mumbled.

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