A cold chill ran down Boa's spine as he saw Kyle's provocative actions. He had intended to kill the little kobold as soon as he evolved and keep all the resources to himself. Never did it cross his mind that this simple-minded kobold had other plans.
Boa was furious.
Nothing vexes a backstabber more than being bested at their own game. He glared at Kyle furiously. However, upon seeing the glowing scales and recalling the goblin's death, fear instantly drowned out his anger.
Without hesitation, Boa turned around and sped away in the opposite direction, not daring to look back. If he was going to escape someone as fast as Kyle, he needed to focus all his energy on running.
As Boa fled, Kyle simply stood there, watching his figure vanish into the bed of flowers. Only after the snake was gone did he exhale loudly, causing his glowing scales to dim rapidly. Beads of sweat filled his face as his vision blurred.
With great effort, Kyle focused on the numbers in his stamina stat.
{Stamina:} 5/130
'Burning over a hundred stamina points in seconds is just crazy,' Kyle gasped as he swayed back and forth.
Immediately after killing the goblin, he had felt a strange weakness gnawing at his bones. That was why he threatened Boa and forced him to flee. If the snake had sensed his weakness while they were still together, Kyle was certain it would have killed him on the spot.
He would have preferred to kill it, but in his current condition, he was too weak.
'Did I use it wrong?'
'God damn it. Even if I did, how am I supposed to know how to use it? There's no manual.'
Kyle's breathing was strained and heavy. Only the pulsating ripples from the fragmented mana node gave him a sense of relief with each wave that washed over his body.
Even though he struggled to breathe, the air felt fresh and invigorating.
Even though he suffered from migraines, his thoughts were clearer than ever.
Even though his joints groaned with exhaustion, he could feel his muscles quaking with vitality.
Without being told, Kyle knew he would recover faster here than anywhere else. The last thing he needed was to pass out in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by predators. The only issue was that the fragmented mana node was bound to attract attention.
If he was going to run into anyone, it would most likely be here.
'Fuck it. I'll take the risk,' Kyle decided in a heartbeat.
As long as he recovered some stamina quickly, he should be able to defend himself. He didn't need to be at full health.
With that decided, Kyle staggered over to the mana node, bringing the jagged dagger and the backpack along. The closer he got, the easier it became to breathe, and the less his head hurt. Kyle quickly took that as a good sign.
He approached the earth-flower formation and sat beneath it, just like the goblin he had killed minutes earlier, then shut his eyes tightly.
With each ripple that poured over him, Kyle felt a strange sensation course through his veins, creating an unnatural comfort he had never experienced before. As someone who had never done drugs in his life, Kyle was certain that if he ever did, this was the kind of feeling he would want.
It was an unnatural clarity paired with detachment from his surroundings, allowing him to immerse himself deeply in thought.
Kyle's fight with the goblin replayed repeatedly in his mind, and he always found himself returning to the moment he activated his bloodline skill.
'What was that feeling?' Kyle wondered.
Thinking deeply, it felt as though each moment had been separated for him to analyze individually. As he replayed every memory, he couldn't help but recall the warmth he felt when he used his bloodline talent. It had felt satisfying, spreading across his body.
'So what if I focus it on one spot?'
{Bloodline Talent Activated: Hardened Scale}
Kyle felt the warmth spiral into existence within his belly. Naturally, it began to expand, forcing him to focus all his concentration on preventing its spread. At first, he failed. However, after an unknown amount of time, the speed at which the warmth spread began to slow.
The process was slow and repetitive. He often found himself gasping for air seconds later, forcing him to pause and analyze in silence before trying again. He repeated this cycle throughout the night.
When he finally opened his eyes, it was already morning.
To Kyle, it felt like he had spent no more than ten minutes sitting beneath the earth-flower formation. In reality, the entire night had passed. He had been burning and replenishing his stamina repeatedly.
'It's morning already?' Kyle's eyes fluttered open, greeted by the early rays of sunlight.
He was stunned. He had meditated all night and still felt strong and well-rested. Thinking about it now, Kyle couldn't help but admit this was unnatural.
To be honest, he felt better than ever. His body felt lighter yet sturdier. The air seemed clearer, and the world slightly more colorful. The changes were subtle, but Kyle noticed them all.
'This feels more like cultivation than magic.'
Kyle recalled his favorite novel genre, where characters would lock themselves away for years in the name of cultivation. As an American, he had always found the concept absurd but entertaining. Yet here he was, forced to reconsider.
No one can sit for years without moving. Or at least, that was what he used to think.
Bam!
Kyle's attention snapped away as something fell beside him with a loud thud. It was a bird resembling a vulture, but twice as large. Fist-sized insects clung to its body and wings, relentlessly stabbing it with their stingers.
The bird's beak was wide open, yet no sound escaped. Its body trembled violently as the insects continued stinging and feeding on it.
Kyle didn't panic. He frowned and looked upward, greeted by the familiar sight of birds and insects locked in deadly combat above.
"Should I leave?" Kyle considered.
It was already incredible that he had survived the night, killed a goblin, and chased away a serpent. He even had a leather bag full of items he hadn't checked yet. At this point, leaving the Bed of Reeds with his loot sounded tempting.
'But even if I want to leave, can I still remember the way home?' Kyle's brows knitted.
The chaos of the previous night had thrown off his sense of direction. He wasn't sure which way led home and which led south toward goblin territory. He had no compass, and his past life hadn't equipped him with any useful survival skills.
Heck, even if he were given proper equipment, he would probably fail to start a fire.
'I guess I'm staying until I find someone who can lead me out of here. Until then, I should check what I got from last night's battle.'
With that decision made, Kyle settled himself. Since he couldn't guarantee a safe return, he might as well make the most of his time here.