Its tongue shot toward her eye like a spear, but a hand grabbed it.

  Ferzan.

  He threw it into the air for his bird monster to incinerate with a fire beam.

  She had nearly died from something so damn small. Oh my god.

  She gripped her wounded arm, instinctively preparing to heal it, but stopped short. Ferzan had seen her get hurt, and no amount of excuses would fool him—unless he was stupid, and she didn’t think he was.

  The pain was almost unbearable.

  “Let me see the wound,” he said, his tone calm but firm as he gestured to her arm.

  He pulled out a medical kit the size of a briefcase from his inventory. The kit was a stark mix of white and green, with an image of hands surrounded by a vapor-like energy symbol in the center.

  She squeezed her injured arm tighter to stop the bleeding, her voice strained as she asked, “Can you store anything in that magic circle?”

  “It’s a pocket space, called ‘personal pocket,’ and technically, yes,” he answered casually.

  “Cool. How do I summon mine?”

  He grabbed a roll of bandages from the kit and answered, “By leveling up a lot.”

  She groaned in frustration and pain. This was bullshit.

  Ferzan handed her a healing elixir and told her to drink a finger’s worth (an absurd way to measure liquid), then sprayed her hand with a small green bottle. The spray hurt at first, but it dulled the majority of the pain.

  Now, it just felt like a moderately painful cramp. Still bad, but not hellish.

  He wrapped her arm up carefully.

  Once he finished, he asked, “Why didn’t you use your monster when it attacked you?”

  “I didn’t think of it.”

  “You haven’t fought with a monster before?”

  “Only once. I don’t have much experience with them.”

  “For now, try relying on your Geifelin for everything, like it’s literally an extra limb. Do that until you can command it instinctively.”

  Geifelin. Weird name.

  “I call it Mon. Also, why was that spider so quick? I fought a monster once, a really big one, and it wasn’t this fast.”

  “Maybe the big monster didn’t think it needed a surprise attack to kill you.”

  Oh.

  Ferzan looked ahead. A black worm the size of a large dog stared back at them, its back covered in a long fin.

  A toothless, perverted grin stretched across the worm's grotesque face as it shot toward them, its body coiling in a blur of motion.

  Kill it!

  Mon was a streak of shadow, leaping forward with blinding speed, crashing into the worm with the force of a battering ram. They collided head-on, muscles tensing, the earth vibrating beneath them from the impact.

  The worm didn't even have a chance to react. Mon's claws tore into its neck, sinking deep, and the creature let out a guttural squeal, its body thrashing in vain.

  Burn it with your fire spit.

  Mon’s jaws snapped open, a gush of flames erupting from its mouth, engulfing the worm's head. The air crackled with heat as the creature writhed in agony.

  But the flames didn't relent. The screams began to falter, fading as the fire consumed it entirely.

  Then the worm monster collapsed. Dead.

  Level 6.

  Hm.

  “I don't like fighting on the sidelines. I want to be in the thick of it,” she told him.

  She pulled her knife out. “This one’s enhanced, gives me a 5+ strength buff when I hold it.”

  “Fair enough.”

  He pulled a black knife from his inventory and tossed it to her. She caught it. [+7% strength]

  He then said, “I’d suggest avoid getting touch. You lack any amor so anything will kill you.”

  “Got it. I think I want to capture some monsters. Hopefully, not the super horrifying ones.”

  She looked up. Perched on a branch was a black bird with four wings, its eyes red.

  She gripped both knives, gaining a total of +13% strength. It felt incredible.

  She dashed forward, Mon running alongside her. The bird screeched and dove at her, its body glowing.

  She immediately stopped.

  Mon, Fire at it!

  Mon hesitated for a second before unleashing a barrage of fireballs. The bird shot straight through them, barely fazed, heading straight for her like a missile.

  She barely managed to dive aside as it crashed into the ground, its talons digging into the dirt.

  Not wasting a second, she kicked it with all her strength, sending it tumbling. Her dagger flashed as she slashed at its wing—

  The bird’s beak detached with a snap, shooting toward her like a bullet. She flinched back, but not fast enough—pain burned across her cheek as it grazed her.

  Gritting her teeth, she drove her knife into its wing. The bird screeched, and its other wing glowed before it swung at her.

  She jumped back, but the attack still sliced her arm. The bird screeched again, preparing to take flight.

  A glowing list appeared in her vision.

  [Flame Claws]

  [Strong Charge]

  [Fire Spit]

  The bird’s body pulsed with light. It was about to strike again.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  Mon! Strong Charge!

  Mon’s body glowed red before it launched forward like a cannonball. It crashed into the bird’s side, slamming it into a tree with a loud bang.

  The creature collapsed.

  She stepped forward and placed her hand on its chest.

  Mon, cover my hand.

  Mon moved in close, pressing its broad, heated body against her. Its claws curled around her wrist, covering her hand completely.

  A black flash erupted between them, swallowing the bird whole.

  It was over.

  Ferzan looked on, impressed. “Want a serpent too? It’s behind you.”

  A chill ran down her spine. She spun to the side just as a blur of blue lashed toward her.

  Water slashed through the air where she had just stood. She landed in a crouch beside the creature—a serpent, its body rippling like liquid trapped in a thin, translucent membrane.

  Mon! Strong charge.

  It reared back, then fired a pressurized stream of water straight at her.

  Mon [strong charged] in front of her, taking the full brunt of the attack. All the pain it took flowed into her.

  She slipped to the side. Its eyes followed her, weighing whether to stop its attack on Mon to target her.

  She closed in on it, ready to strike its chest, but then the stream stopped, and its tail glowed. It whipped the tail toward her.

  Fire spit!

  Before the tail could strike, Mon hit the snake in the face with a fireball. Stunned, the snake screeched, giving her enough time to stab it and grab its head, tumbling to the ground.

  She called Mon over. It rushed in and bit down on the snake’s tail just as it was about to coil around her.

  The snake writhed in pain, struggling to free itself. Minutes passed, and her muscles grew tired… Then it gave up.

  Mon, cover me.

  Mon released its grip on the tail and placed its chest on her hand. The flash came, and the snake was sucked into her palm.

  She lay on the ground, exhausted. “This is so tiring… But to ask again, modification points only affect how my body changes, right? I can’t just make myself stronger instantly?”

  “No. After a night, you’ll feel stronger.”

  “Great… I’ll put them into speed.”

  Modify my speed. Ten modification points.

  Modification in progress. Changes will take effect after 8 hours of rest. You will gain 3 more speed points.

  System, tell me my stats.

  Strength: F8

  Combat Speed: F7[]

  Traveling Speed: F8[]

  Endurance: F7

  Defense: F9

  Mind: F8

  She knew each level gave two mod points. The brackets likely meant pending changes.

  She looked at her bleeding arm, then at Ferzan. “It’s kinda weird. I think I like this.”

  “The adrenaline?”

  “No. Using my powers. Exploring them. It’s cool. I just don’t have time.”

  “You’ll have time when your problem is done.”

  She gave him a small smile. “You’re right.”

  They ventured deeper into the forest, where a massive purple flower swayed gently in the wind, its petals pulsing like slow breaths.

  “Are there any animals here?” Vernisha asked.

  Ferzan shook his head. “No. Animals fear monsters, and animals associate ether with monsters.”

  She nodded, then spotted movement ahead.

  A goblin. Or something close to one. Its skin looked like charred wood, its eyes and jagged teeth burning with fire.

  It dropped to all fours and lunged.

  Ferzan reacted instantly. Space twisted, forming a watery eclipse. He pulled a sword from his personal pocket.

  “Try to keep up,” he said, dashing forward.

  She tried. She really did. But he was too fast.

  The goblin leaped high, flames trailing from its limbs. Fire rained down.

  Vernisha rolled aside just in time.

  Mon, protect me!

  Mon jumped in front of her, blocking another fiery strike, then retaliated with ‘Fire Spit.’

  The goblin landed before Ferzan, slashing down with burning claws. He blocked with his sword and kicked it back. It snarled and lunged again.

  A powerful gust slammed into it from behind. Ferzan’s bird hovered above.

  “Your turn!” he ordered.

  Vernisha dashed in. Mon followed.

  The goblin rose, embers flickering from cracked skin. Its fiery eyes locked onto her. It lunged.

  She twisted aside, heat searing her skin. It landed, spun, and pounced again.

  Mon, charge!

  Mon crashed into its leg mid-air, knocking it off balance. Vernisha drove both daggers into its throat.

  It shrieked and thrashed. A blazing fist slammed into her ribs, launching her backward.

  Pain exploded as she skidded across the ground.

  She gasped, clutching her side. The goblin staggered, gurgling, flames sputtering, but still moving.

  It dragged itself toward her, smoldering, teeth bared.

  Mon, Super Charge!

  Mon flared red and slammed into its ribs, sending it crashing aside.

  She forced herself up, yanked a dagger free, and drove it deeper.

  The goblin howled. Flames burst from its mouth in all directions.

  She threw herself aside as fire scorched the ground where she had been.

  The goblin convulsed, then collapsed.

  Personal level: 8

  Ferzan smiled. “Nice work.”

  She dropped to the ground, breathing hard.

  He unfolded a small device into a vibrating pyramid and began speaking into it.

  While he was distracted, Vernisha moved away and healed her side and arm. The injuries were not deep. She could lie about them.

  Not far ahead stood a walking flower, petals curled inward.

  It looked almost cute.

  Then it saw her.

  Roots wrapped its body like armor. Flowers bloomed from its back, spinning before launching like saw blades.

  Mon, Fire Spit for defense!

  Fireballs collided with the spinning petals mid-air, bursts of heat and sparks lighting the space between Vernisha and the flower monster as she dashed sideways, startled by how much faster she suddenly felt.

  She wanted this one.

  The creature abruptly slammed into the ground like a dropped stone and vanished beneath the soil.

  Vernisha froze, scanning the earth—

  Pain exploded in her neck.

  She stumbled back, blood spilling hot between her fingers as she clutched the wound, realization striking instantly. It had burrowed under and attacked from behind.

  She forced ether into the injury, healing as fast as she could. “Mon, keep firing!”

  Flames rained down across the area, but the creature kept disappearing and reemerging in unpredictable bursts, never staying exposed long enough.

  Frustration coiled in her chest.

  Then Mon’s fire stopped.

  Out of ether.

  The flower monster dove underground again. Vernisha spun, bracing for the next strike—

  It erupted upward beneath Mon instead.

  Mon yelped as it was blasted into the air, and a second later agony ripped through Vernisha’s stomach, the shared damage doubling her over as she vomited onto the forest floor.

  Enough.

  She slammed her hand against Mon’s form and absorbed it back into her seal. The pain dulled instantly. She healed herself in hurried pulses, then summoned her bird.

  Its previous injuries transferred to her chest and arm like a shockwave. She grabbed the bird, prioritizing its healing first, draining more ether until her head felt light.

  Still enough left.

  System. Skills.

  [Deep Dive]

  [Hard Wing]

  [Beak Bullet]

  Ahead of her, the flower monster gasped, its movements slowing, energy clearly fading. But it was not done. Flowers bloomed along its back, petals spinning faster and faster before launching outward in a storm of shrieking blades.

  Vernisha ran, weaving between them, petals slicing past her ears and shoulders by inches.

  “Go up!”

  Her bird shot skyward, climbing fast.

  The monster tracked it and unleashed another barrage, the spinning flowers changing direction mid-air, hunting it down with terrifying precision.

  One struck.

  A deep cut opened across the bird’s shoulder, and the same wound tore across Vernisha’s own.

  She grit her teeth, fury rising.

  No more stalling.

  “Deep Dive!”

  The bird flared with light and dropped like a comet, blasting straight through the storm of petals, shredding them apart in its wake before tearing through the flower monster’s core and slamming it into the dirt.

  It twitched, shredded roots twitching weakly, but it did not rise again.

  Vernisha approached cautiously and gave it just enough healing to keep it alive, her palm glowing faintly red.

  Then she pressed her other hand to it.

  A black flash engulfed the creature as it was absorbed into her seal.

  Four monsters now. Her limit.

  She leaned against a tree, breathing hard, partially healing the cut on her shoulder but leaving enough damage to look believable. Fully recovering would raise questions, and draining herself to lightheadedness would be worse.

  A realization settled in.

  The more she leveled up, the more she could heal. Her ether capacity was growing.

  Movement again.

  She almost screamed in frustration.

  A cat-sized blue ant made of shifting water skittered toward her, its body sloshing unnaturally inside a thin membrane.

  She dodged its lunges and slashed repeatedly, but her blade passed through like cutting thick liquid.

  “Deep Dive!”

  Her bird launched skyward, then dropped in a blur, splitting the creature apart in a burst of water and ether.

  Silence followed.

  Then—

  Personal level: 10

  Forwing level: 6

  Vernisha collapsed onto her back, lungs burning, staring at the canopy.

  [Choose a Life Buff:]

  [Inspect]

  [+10% Durability]

  A grin spread across her face.

  This was it. This rush, this growth, this constant edge. This was what she had been missing.

  System, spend eight mod points on durability.

  Modification in progress. Changes will take effect after 6 hours of rest. You will gain 4 more durability points.

  The speed modification taking longer made sense the more she thought about it. Speed affected everything: movement, reactions, even thought processing. Durability was simpler. Reinforcement instead of recalibration.

  She pushed herself up and walked back toward Ferzan. He ended his call just as she approached and looked her over.

  She smirked.

  “Level 10.”