--
Claws and fangs met TJ's steel.
He and Tiger turned into a series of blurry movements with how fast they were attacking each other.
The tiger's attacks were relentless and heavy; each one was laced with intent to maim and kill its target. TJ wasn't equipped to meet the tiger in a direct clash; the beast's physical body triumphed over his easily.
So, he mostly relied on technique to offset the lethality and weight of the tiger's attack. The attacks that should've shredded him apart were instead parried and/or deflected by TJ instead.
In this high-octane fight, a moment's carelessness was deadly. Fortunately, the voices in his head were cut off upon coming here, allowing him to wholeheartedly focus on defeating his enemies.
Tss!!
The tiger let out a whimper of pain as TJ's rapier pierced through its skin, poking through the joints of its claws. It growled angrily at him in pain and confusion.
It wasn't aware that TJ's perks had been ramping up as they fought.
The Super Soldier Combat Technique perk called [Combo III] had stacked up to two times by now, increasing his overall combat stats by a whopping 80%.
The [Combo III] perk increases his combat stats by 40% after landing consecutive attacks on the enemy 10 times. It has a maximum of five stacks, each stack adding another 40% bonus. So, at max stacks, this perk increases TJ's combat stats by a whopping 200%, an insane increase for sure. And it only gets better as the perk upgrades.
Of course, this was under the premise that the combo string wasn't broken. It's fine if the attacks were blocked or guarded against; it only needs to land.
Additionally, his fencing skill perk [Armor Pen] had been triggered again, allowing him to easily pierce through its tough hide as if it were paper.
TJ pressed his advantage. He didn't want his combo string to drop now. He rushed at the tiger, refreshing the combo string and engaging it in another melee.
He didn't forget about his gun. TJ knows he has a gun. He could pull it out at any given moment and surprise this beast with it. But he wouldn't do that unless he's cornered. This gun was his trump card; he wouldn't use it unless it was completely necessary.
With his combat stats receiving an 80% boost, TJ quickly overwhelmed the tiger.
Even without the armor penetration perk, his attacks were still able to pierce through the tiger's tough hide, albeit requiring more force than before.
In one of their clashes, TJ noticed the weakness and carelessness being shown by the tiger. His eyes gleamed as he smelled an opportunity and latched onto it like a deadly snake.
With one strong lunge, he drove his rapier to the eye of the beast, penetrating its skull and its brain in one smooth motion.
The tiger roared soundlessly and tried to swat him with its paws as a last-ditch effort. Alas, TJ withdrew his blade on time and evaded it.
With the enemy collapsing with a loud thud on the floor, TJ knew that the fight was over, especially after seeing how its body turned into dust, which was then scattered by the wind.
**
[Black-Striped Dire Tiger, killed! ]
[+20 exp! ]
[Quest Updated! ]
[Kill Slime 1/1]
[Kill Goblin 1/1]
[Kill Kobold 1/1]
[Kill Tiger 1/1]
Summon the next monster? ]
**
TJ didn't respond right away. Instead, he sat on the ground to catch his breath and have a little rest.
The stacks of [Combo III] perk accumulated vanished as soon as the target was killed. There were no additional enemies around, and the combat state had been terminated. That's why it disappeared.
Knowing that he will fight a strong enemy next, it wouldn't make sense for him to summon it right away like a buffoon when he had the option to take a brief rest.
So, he rested.
He sat down on the ground, not minding that it's dirty or smelly. He caught his breath and took out bottles of water from his inventory and proceeded to empty them one by one. He also ate some energy bars while he was at it.
TJ was aware that the water and the energy bar he ate were fake. He knows that his real body was lying comfortably on the VR pod and that doing this doesn't actually fill his stomach.
He's aware that he's in a VR world; nothing in here is real. But he still observed real-life actions. It's better for him to do so rather than risk failing because of carelessness.
After resting for a bit, he stood up and decided that he was ready to meet the next enemy: the polar bear.
With fur as white as snow, the beast's burly body loomed in the distance, radiating an intimidating aura. Its body released a chill that's local to its natural habitat.
Its official name was the 'Compact Snow Polar Bear,' and it's definitely not a native of this gorgeous prairie. Its home was the frigid lands of the extreme north and south—a place that's perpetually covered in snow and has barely a night and day cycle.
The beast was about two and a half meters tall, easily the biggest creature that TJ has had to face so far. Its pelt was thick, and its limbs were long and strong. Its paws were covered with snow that might as well be as hard as crystals.
Unlike the tiger, this polar bear didn't exude a strong killing intent right away. Instead, it looked calm, indifferent even. However, it did start marching towards him, leaving trails of frost with every step it took.
Don't be mistaken by its lack of killing intent; this polar bear was an apex predator just like the tiger. It just doesn't see TJ as a target worthy of its aggression.
In its eyes, TJ was just a slightly bigger ant. One that it's about to snack on later. That's why it didn't show any hostility to him.
Grr!
The polar bear went on all fours and started charging at him. Its hulking body caused loud sounds as it pounced. The air around it turned misty and frosty.
TJ's first instinct was to run, but then he recalled that it's no use.
According to the Monster Encyclopediea, polar bears love to play with their food. Their targets running would just be whetting its appetite even more. A good workout and then a scrumptious meal afterward result in a happy and satisfied polar bear.
The best one could do upon encountering a polar bear was to stand and fight and pray to the almighty god that they get to live to see another day.
Well, there's also the option to just lie down and accept death.
Of course, there is a possibility of outrunning the beast. But that's not something that TJ could achieve right now, given that he's essentially caged in here.
So, his only option was to stand his ground and fight. And he absolutely can't fail here.
Grr!
The polar bear swiftly closed the distance between them, and with a surprising speed, it swatted TJ, wanting to turn him into a meat paste. Thankfully, TJ evaded it.
The polar bear was slower than the tiger, for now, at least. It shouldn't ever be as fast as the tiger, especially at its peak speed, but it will definitely ramp up in time, so it's best to be careful still.
Just like the tiger and the kobold, polar bears also have tough hides, but unlike the previous two, this wasn't included in their skill set. This was their innate gift.
The polar bear's two commonly known skills are [Frigid Touch] and [Frost Charge].
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Ice and frost covered the spot where its paw landed, spreading chill to the surrounding area and making the ground slippery. This was the effect of [Frigid Touch]. It's simple but highly effective, plus, it's passive—meaning that it doesn't require constant application; it's always there.
TJ wasn't expecting much when he poked the bear with his rapier. He knows that the chances of him penetrating its hide are very low. And he was right to expect that. However, he still did it anyway.
Not to piss off the bear, although that's already given. It's to build a stack to activate the [Combo III] perk again. He knew that he'd have to rely on this perk again to defeat this lumbering beast.
The polar bear's attack was a bit slower than the tigers, but it's certainly much heavier. If it weren't for the [Frigid Touch], the ground would've been pelted by small dents by now, making the field uneven and dangerous for TJ.
Although the frost making the ground slippery isn't really exactly comforting either.
TJ poked the bear very quickly. At least he had this going with him, and it allowed him to accumulate a stack of [Combo III]. His next attack after this finally managed to inflict real pain on the bear, but that wasn't exactly good news.
Because the bear went on all fours and released a chill that instantly dropped the surrounding temperature. It gathered momentum, and its body had been covered with a thick layer of ice.
It's using the [Frost Charge].