Ch 198.
Matt couldn’t help but grin as he observed the five remaining rock men arrive simultaneously, their massive forms clashing against one another as they vied to be the first to enter the hollow where he awaited. This refuge, much like the previous one, was just large enough for him to stand upright, but the moment any of the rock men squeezed in beside him, his options for movement would dwindle drastically. The cramped quarters could work to his advantage for landing blows, yet they also severely restricted his ability to evade incoming attacks. As a result, after taking down just one of the rock men, his health points had already down to about 80%. Although his bloodline granted him an accelerated recovery rate that would allow him to fully heal in mere minutes, that brief reprieve felt like an eternity in the heat of combat at his level.
For reference, it had taken him merely a minute to bring down the first rock man, and only five seconds had ticked by before he found himself once more confronted by the relentless rock men he had narrowly escaped. This time, however, he seized the initiative, launching a flurry of strikes at all five of them, determined to prevent any one of them from stepping forward to challenge him directly. The chaotic melee unfolded as they jostled and shoved against one another, eager to be the first to engage. Unfortunately, it quickly became clear that these five were not as mindless as he had hoped; their collective effort began to widen the hollow, just as before. Yet, they lacked the same speed as their predecessor, as Matt continued to unleash a relentless barrage of attacks. Seizing a fleeting opportunity, he darted out of the hollow, aiming to drop down to the nearest ledge.
"Tried" being the operative word, as his escape attempt was abruptly thwarted when one of the rock men clamped down on his wrist, swinging him violently against the unforgiving stone wall. The silver lining to this misfortune was that he managed to exploit the grip’s pressure, weakening his arm just enough to burst free like a balloon. A grin spread across his face as he witnessed his skill to transfer wounds to his enemies activate, inflicting damage back onto his assailant. With no time to waste, he quickly regained his footing, narrowly dodging a punch that hurtled toward his face with alarming speed. He deftly sidestepped another strike aimed at his chest, feeling a surge of adrenaline as his hands morphed into claw-like appendages, the tips glistening with a hardened enamel. Utilizing these newfound tools, he focused on scaling the cliff face with agility, leaping from one precarious hold to another, evading the rock men’s grasp as they attempted to close in on him.
What followed was a whirlwind of chaos in Matt’s mind as he ceased to think and allowed his instincts to guide him, flowing seamlessly from one movement to the next. Each time he absorbed a blow, he twisted it to his advantage, using the force to slip through the encirclement of rock men while ascending the cliff face, all the while landing strikes against his adversaries. Thankfully, despite their formidable size and strength, the rock men struggled to attack with their full power or any semblance of coordination while clinging to the jagged wall. The only reason Matt was able to maintain his offensive was due to the additional limbs that had sprouted from his body, specifically designed to facilitate climbing while engaging in combat. Even so, his strikes were wild and unpredictable, lacking precision, and he constantly had to evade being pinned against the craggy surface of the cliff each time one of the rock men managed to reach his level.
Had it not been for the clever technique he had mastered involving throwable puppets, Matt doubted he would have emerged victorious. Yet, the outcomes of deploying those puppets were decidedly mixed; often, the rock men managed to heal themselves, reattaching severed limbs with alarming speed. Best as he could surmise, the two parts of an arm didn’t fully separate during his attacks, allowing them to fuse back together seamlessly. The puppet strikes lacked the momentum needed to create significant damage, merely displacing matter rather than delivering a powerful blow. In an attempt to improve this, Matt experimented with making part of the puppet thicker, but this adjustment only compromised his accuracy and increased the risk of the bulkier section colliding first, especially given his limited practice.
Despite these inconsistent results and the fact that he had been caught and nearly crushed multiple times, Matt eventually found refuge in another hollow, his health points hovering around fifty percent. This time, though, the five remaining rock men were noticeably smaller than him, which allowed them to squeeze into the confined space without much resistance. However, their reduced size worked to Matt's advantage; he was able to muster enough force to send them hurtling off the cliff and plummeting toward the ground below. Shortly after, a notification flashed before him, confirming that he had defeated six enemies and had been awarded him 90 experience points toward the 1,000 he needed to reach level 66.
Matt leaned against the jagged rock face, allowing himself a moment to breathe as he processed the results of the battle. The thrill of combat still coursed through him, but he knew he had to consider his next moves carefully. On one hand, he recognized the invaluable training opportunity presented by this unique terrain; fighting along the cliff's edge had forced him to adapt in ways he hadn’t anticipated. While he didn’t plan on engaging in such precarious battles again, he acknowledged that mastering this environment could prove beneficial. However, the daunting reality loomed before him—he needed to defeat eleven more groups of six rock men to reach level 66. The thought of climbing to the next floor tempted him, promising easier and swifter victories.
Yet, he couldn't shake the anxiety creeping in as he glanced up the cliff, realizing he was just over halfway to the summit. How many more rock men or other creatures lay in wait? The uncertainty gnawed at him. In the end, Matt steeled himself, determined to charge forward and embrace whatever challenges awaited him once his health points and other stats were replenished.
Stolen story; please report.
His resolve led him into three more skirmishes with the rock men, each encounter growing increasingly frantic. Then, abruptly, the tide shifted when one of the rock men was replaced by a peculiar flying monster. It didn’t resemble a bird, nor did it match the fierce appearance of a dragon. Instead, it reminded him of a giant bat, lacking claws or hooks yet exuding an unsettling presence. As it swooped past, its strategy became clear: it aimed to knock him loose from his precarious perch. Several times, it dove straight at him, forcing him to brace himself against the unforgiving cliffside, struggling to withstand its forceful impact and prevent it from slipping between him and safety.
Each time Matt weathered the creature's relentless assault, it would fall towards the ground, its form diminishing with each encounter. Though it managed to recover and return, each iteration was noticeably smaller, making his task of fending it off increasingly manageable. Eventually, it shrank to the size of a songbird, its attempts to attack reduced to futile pecks at his hand. With a swift motion, he crushed the diminutive beast, silencing its threats once and for all.
Yet, after that exhausting fight, Matt found himself perched on a narrow ledge, contemplating his next move. He had lost over 30% of his health points battling the flying menace, and the looming dread of more enemies haunted him. The thought of scaling the cliff to reach the summit loomed large in his mind, and he felt confident that by the time he arrived at the top, he would surely achieve level 66. The challenges he faced felt almost orchestrated, as if the very terrain conspired to propel him toward that milestone.
If that was correct and it was to become the new normal, Matt understood that he needed to prepare himself to tackle each new floor in its entirety to maximize the benefits they offered. No longer would he hastily rush through levels, merely to confront stronger monsters and accumulate experience points at a frantic pace. Even though he had grown accustomed to battling creatures that were above his level, he sensed that each floor held distinct lessons for him, especially as they began to present unique environments. Moreover, even if it took him a full two days to defeat the 67 monsters required for his next level up, he would still have ample time to pursue his goal of achieving S rank. This ambition felt entirely within reach, yet he couldn't shake the nagging suspicion that he would soon discover why such a feat had apparently never been accomplished before, as noted by Tempormr and Randoznaormr.
With that thought in mind, Matt pressed on with his ascent, soon encountering two flying rock monsters, then three. Undeterred, he adapted his strategy and ultimately found himself facing a daunting group of six flying rock monsters as the summit of the cliff loomed just ahead. This time, he cleverly utilized the hollows in the cliff formed by previous battles to lure the airborne creatures into crashing into him. Each collision knocked about 15% of his health points away in a single blow, but it also allowed him to unleash a powerful counterattack, overwhelming and annihilating the monsters with one decisive strike. Although this tactic left him with roughly 20% of his health remaining, he felt satisfied with the outcome, especially since he had managed to partially block some of the suicidal assaults. However, a nagging concern lingered—he was still 100 experience points shy of reaching level 66. As he climbed, he could sense the cliffs rumbling ominously around him, prompting him to conclude that taking a moment to rest would be too great a risk at this juncture.
Matt had only just reached the top and rushed forward when the entire cliff began to crumble beneath him. The door to the next level loomed ahead, tantalizingly close. As he sprinted toward it, he was about twenty feet away when the deafening sound of stone crashing down echoed in his ears. Turning to look, Matt tilted his head back and saw a massive bird-like monster soaring into the sky. Its wings spread wide, casting a shadow over him, and he was reminded of past battles against creatures like the segmented centipede that could split apart. This new foe resembled a colossal rock man, perched atop an enormous flying beast, its form both imposing and fearsome. The sight sent a shiver down his spine as he braced himself for the impending confrontation.
Matt sensed that engaging the formidable monster would undoubtedly test his limits, and the temptation to rush forward was strong. The experience points he could gain from defeating the first seven or so creatures on the level 66 floor would easily compensate for not leveling up before entering the new floor. Yet, something deep within him held him back—a gut feeling that avoiding tough battles when he had the chance would hinder his growth and prevent him from reaching his full potential. He realized that if he assumed each floor would only escalate the challenges he faced, running away from the daunting confrontation before him would be a grave mistake. After all, in another ten floors, every creature he encountered might overshadow the one looming above him now, making it essential to confront this trial head-on.
With a deep breath, Matt turned to face the incoming monster, watching as it homed in on him and entered a dive, resembling a plane preparing to land on a runway. Ignoring the fact that he was only ten feet away from the edge of the new cliff, Matt charged forward, managing to slip beneath the creature's descent just in time, hanging precariously from the ledge. To his relief, the sheer drop of the cliff was no longer an issue; instead, several rocky outcrops jutted out at intervals, offering potential platforms for combat. The only question swirling in his mind was how the flying monster would adapt to this change in terrain. He felt certain that if it crashed into him, it would make losing 15% of his health points seem like a mere inconvenience; he wouldn’t be surprised if a single attack from this beast could spell his doom. Yet, if he dodged its assault, the creature's demise would feel futile, likely taking its rider down with it.
Unfortunately, such dreams were dashed when the massive flying monster circled back, and the rock creature on its back began hurling boulders the size of Matt’s chest toward the cliffside where he stood. While he easily evaded these attacks, the platform he had been on crumbled under the weight of the falling rocks. Suddenly, Matt found himself surveying the number of remaining platforms, considering how he could leap from one to the next while dodging incoming projectiles without exhausting his options too quickly. Just as he began to formulate a plan, another barrage of boulders came hurtling toward him, forcing him to act swiftly.
