Ultimate Level 1

Aldric was trying to hold off the second giant lizard as Cerla dealt with the fast-moving, smaller one. She had injured it, but it was still putting up a fight, darting left and right much quicker than the one he had fought. As Max ran toward Aldric, whose health bar was only a little above halfway, he realized that the one Cerla was fighting had red scales, not grey like the one he had fought.

Goblin shite… that thing is a lot faster than the one I faced… had that been the one I got…

Putting that thought out of his brain, Max positioned himself to help with the injured giant lizard.

It had a nasty cut over its right eye and a gash on its left leg. The warrior's sword had made a few other spots bleed, but beyond that, no injury seemed to affect it.

“Fifteen seconds!”

Those last five steps Max took after Rasam gave a cooldown count on his ensnare didn’t matter. If he couldn’t help Aldric with his problem, odds were they wouldn’t make it. He knew he couldn’t tank one of these after seeing the damage it was doing to a warrior way above his levels.

“On your right!” Max shouted as he moved to the lizard's blind side. He had stored his shield and gripped his spear in both hands, getting set for the attack he knew he needed to make the first time.

Aldric had somehow held off both of the giant lizards.

The injured lizard slammed into Aldric, its mouth open, showing two inner rows of teeth as long as Max’s fingers.

Aldric lost ground, having to use his sword to try and deflect the attack from the one he had been hacking at. The left lizard slammed into him simultaneously, biting down on his shield, gripping it between its teeth.

With the injured lizard’s attention focused on Aldric, Max drove his body toward it, his spear aimed at its blinded eye.

The squelching sound that came as it penetrated, followed by the cracking sound as his spear went up and into its brain, brought the same reaction as the other he had killed this way.

It started to thrash, and Max had already pulled his spear out, not wanting to endure being shaken like that again.

“Go help Cerla,” Aldric said with a grunt as he fought the lizard over his shield. “I got this for now.”

Max nodded, frustrated no more growth had come from the death of that lizard. It had been too good of a run, it seemed.

Running around the twitching corpse, Max saw that Cerla was bleeding, had a fresh wound on her leg, and her health bar was below half.

The red lizard was not in any better shape, a good chunk of its head bloodied where dozens of spikes had been hacked off. Cerla’s sword didn’t have the reach to do much more than slowly chip away at the creature's nasty defenses.

Three steps from the red lizard, Max saw it suddenly turn, its tail coming up and moving toward where he was headed.

Skidding to a stop, the tail came down, spikes only inches from where he stood.

“It can detect you!” Cerla said between ragged breaths. “Just poke at it and…” she paused, blocking a bite as she hacked at the lizard’s face again. “Use a shield.”

Pulling his shield from storage, Max moved, preparing to thrust, and saw the tail flicking toward him again.

He bent his knees preparing to block, but watched, expecting it to do something like the other.

As the other had done, this lizard adjusted its swing at the last moment, somehow knowing where his shield was, and moved its attack lower.

He was sure he was grinning as he shifted his shield down, catching the spikes and hearing a crack.

Max went in for an attack, thrusting forward as he shifted his shield slightly and aimed for the ridge above its tail. He missed it by about six inches as the lizard shifted its body, somehow again knowing where he was attacking. A gaping wound appeared where he had pierced its red scales, and the creature spun, its tail flicking toward Cerla as its mouth came at him.

Dodging backward, Max was surprised when the strike of its tail sent Cerla stumbling back a step even though she had her shield up. The impact of that strike was so loud he heard the sound of spikes breaking against her shield.

Its maw snapped at him, teeth stained from its own blood and Cerla’s, and he barely got his shield in the way to block it.

For the first time, Max felt he experienced what he imagined repeated thrusts by his spear were like.

Over and over, the creature moved, its mouth snapping at him each time. High at his head, then low at his feet, a side attack, a bite at center mass.

Max gave up ground, scoring small piercing blows with his spear as the lizard continued its assault.

Suddenly, it whirled again, and as soon as he saw that happen, he leapt back, hearing the rushing sound of the wind as its tail flew by him.

It knew my unshielded side…

Seeing his chance as the momentum carried the tail around and to the left, Max moved forward, aware that the lizard was planting its feet and preparing to swing its tail back to the right.

He thrust his spear, aiming for that same spot as before and missing only by inches to the other side of its spinal cord. His spear still managed to impale the lizard's body by more than a foot.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

The force of the tail and the spikes coming around was lessened as he got closer to the red lizard and its shield of spikes.

It pushed itself backward, trying to impale Max on its spikes, but all it did was drive the spear deeper into its body.

After that failed attack, it lunged at Cerla, trying to free itself from the three feet of metal and wood it had impaled itself on.

As it did that, Max pivoted to the right, angling the spearhead to the left and trying to put all his strength into an attack.

He heard a noise and felt the lizard freeze for a half second. The moment that happened Max yanked his spear back and to the left, feeling the spot where it had caught on the spinal cord.

As he pulled, a shriek came from the lizard. A few fragments of bones came out as Max’s spear pulled out of the hole it had been in, the lizard's tail falling to the ground limply.

The lizard came at him, spinning as its tail dragged along the ground.

Even though it wasn’t what Max might consider a creature with massive intelligence, he could see the hatred in its eyes. It wouldn’t change its target off him again, and Max knew it.

It snapped, moving forward each time, trying to hit Max with its body and its spikes or manage to get a bite.

It was slower now. That injury he had managed to inflict on its spine had done something. This was now a fair fight.

Over and over, the lizard and Max traded attacks. He stabbed at it, hitting its face and neck, angering it more as it continued to press against him. The lizard cut his left leg and arm, the two most exposed limbs, as he used his shield to block all those attacks.

After what seemed like forever, Max realized he wasn’t giving up ground anymore. The lizard was on the ropes. Blood ran everywhere, dozens of holes and cuts all over it. He was panting, unsure of how long this fight had lasted.

A quick glance revealed that Adlric and the others were watching him. No one was helping. They knew this fight was between him and this lizard. If he needed a heal, they would give it.

He smiled. This was why he was here. To fight creatures like this. To win and grow stronger.

The red lizard began to stagger as Max’s thrusts came quicker, and it struggled to dodge them. His body yearned for what he knew was just a few thrusts away. His skill called out to him.

Somehow, even though he knew he was exhausted, his body felt alive and energized.

Nineteen. It had taken nineteen more thrusts to kill the beast.

When it died, its body spasming under the death convulsions, Max fell to the ground.

It wasn’t exhaustion that sent him there. A flood of cold power raged through him at that moment.

[ 3 Dexterity Consumed ]

[ 59 Hit Points Consumed ]

[Consume has successfully Consumed a skill]

[Would you like to learn [Sonar]?]

[ Yes / No]

Max’s eyes widened, and he saw the others take a few steps forward before stopping.

He clicked yes, and his brain felt like it exploded.

His ears rang, his eyes watered, and everything went silent and white for a solid ten seconds.

Max shook his head, trying to clear the whiteness, and heard voices. He held up his hand as he used his spear to stand.

A few seconds passed, and Max realized he heard more. It wasn’t like noises hurt, but somehow, he could tell what was around him. For five yards, he could sense where everyone was and even where the corpses were.

“Are you ok, Seth?”

Max nodded, knowing it was Aldric. His voice sounded improved somehow. Crisp and clear. Almost as if he had been just a foot away instead of about seven.

“Yeah. Sorry, that just took a lot out of me.”

He heard laughter, a mumble under Ras’s breath, “This kid’s unreal,” followed by him snorting.

“Honestly, we would have been in a lot of trouble without you here. I know you have no idea what I’m going to say, but that lizard is a rare spawn. No way to know that until it attacks.”

Glancing at the dead lizard a few feet from him, Max nodded. “It was a lot faster than the first one I faced.”

Cerla snorted this time, and Max saw her smirking.

“You can bet your ogre nuts it was. I couldn’t keep up with it.”

“Seth, how were you healing?”

Max froze, a slight smirk on his face as he knew the question was coming.

“Everyone asks that question. No one likes the answer.” He stood up, put his shield in storage, and held his spear out. “I got this from the first boss I ever killed. The woman who inspected it told me I would struggle to replace it because of what it can do.”

Aldric let out a low whistle and shook his head. “A life-steal enchantment… damn that is… and on your first weapon?”

Max nodded and then put it in storage. “It’s bound, and she told me if I ever decide to get rid of it, she would pay for the stone to unbind it and then buy it off me for a ‘really good’ price.” Max sighed and then pointed at the corpse near him. “It appears it's still good enough for these, but at some point, I’m going to have to replace it, but I’m glad to know it's not yet.”

Cerla moved to where Max was and held out her hand. He shook it, and she smiled.

“I owe you. Seriously. That thing would have killed me if you weren’t there.”

Aldric moved beside her and held out his hand also. “She’s right. This would have gone elf tits up had you not been here. That rare spawn…” He paused, moving his head from side to side. “It's a rare spawn, but people usually die when that lizard is here.”

Max waved them all off after shaking their hands.

“I owe you. Some good experience and a lot of knowledge. I’d rather say we are even and not deal with this whole ‘owing’ me thing.”

Each of the party members smiled and nodded.

“Well then. Let’s get this thing cut up and send you off. No doubt your party is waiting on you, and I wouldn’t want to think they got in trouble because you weren’t there to save them.”

Max laughed and nodded as he took the saw Aldric handed him.

Exiting the portal, Max laughed quietly to himself. Two things to sell at an alchemist shop was nice, but the stats were what he really couldn’t believe.

[Simple Stats Check]

*****

Max Hoste

18-Year-old Human Male

Level 1

Exp 1/1000

HP: 360/360

MP: 60/60

Stamina: 180/180

STR: 27+7

DEX: 18+3

CON: 28+8

INT: 12

WIS: 9

*****

He couldn’t wait to tell the others.