His eyes were still stinging. The sunlight, too bright, blurred his vision. Everything sparkled, everything flickered before him. Despite his efforts to fly in a zigzag between the trees, he couldn't spot a single monster.
He growled through clenched teeth, exasperated. He had to land. Slowly, he descended, seeking refuge under the dense canopy of trees. The shade allowed him to see a bit more clearly, even if his vision remained blurry.
Then, his gaze suddenly stopped on a strange shape.
A translucent serpent was slithering between the leaves, barely visible, like a mist gliding through the air.
The system manifested in his mind:
[System detection…
Name: Mist Serpent – Level 7.]
Without thinking, Alex launched a Static Bolt from his wing.
But the serpent dodged with disconcerting ease, undulating to the side without slowing down. A second bolt shot out, even faster, but the serpent kept approaching in a zigzag, intangible.
Then, suddenly, it vanished.
Alex flapped his wings, searching everywhere, disoriented.
Suddenly, something wrapped around him: the serpent.
It squeezed his bat-like body with crushing force, cutting off his air.
Alex gasped, his red eyes lighting up with a beastly glow.
He wasn't about to die now.
With a superhuman effort, he freed one wing, beat it violently, and managed to take off.
But the serpent, furious, struck violently with its tail.
Alex crashed into a tree, fell heavily into the leaves, dazed.
The serpent lunged at him again, ready to bite.
Alex, eyes half-closed, remained still, waiting for the moment.
Then, at the last second, he flapped his wings sharply and dodged.
The serpent bit into empty air.
Alex seized the opportunity, sank his fangs into the serpent's body, and bit with all his might.
The misty blood flowed down his throat.
The system announced:
[Skill: Blood Acquisition – Activated]
You drink the blood of your target…
Skill acquired: Mist Body
Description: Allows you to become intangible for a few seconds, passing through physical attacks or obstacles.]
Wiping his mouth, Alex murmured with a slight smile:
"I was hoping to copy an invisibility skill… but this isn't bad either."
But the fight wasn't over.
The wounded serpent leaped again, fast and precise.
Alex activated his new skill: his body blurred, became intangible.
The serpent passed through him like a gust of wind.
At the exact moment, Alex deactivated Mist Body and bit into the serpent's heart from the inside.
The monster screamed, twisted, and thrashed, but Alex didn't let go.
He drank again and again.
Then, suddenly, the serpent's body stiffened and collapsed, motionless.
The system confirmed:
[You drink the blood of your target…
Skill acquired: Concealment
Description: You temporarily blend into your environment.]
[Level +6!]
Current level: 10
Panting, trembling, Alex stood up.
His eyes shone with excitement.
He murmured:
"Level 10… already?!"
[Would you like to store these materials?]
[YES / NO]
Alex replied with a monstrous smile:
"Of course. I'll craft incredible weapons with this body."
Then, bowing slightly:
"Thanks for this body… I'll take good care of it."
[Mist Serpent – Level 7] – Stored
Slowly, he took flight again, skimming the ground and slipping between the trees to once again avoid the sunlight.