My (Monster?) Hero Life

Chapter 2: Stalemate

Kace blinked, immediately noticing something was wrong. His eyes quickly adjusted to flickering firelight in the cavern. Strangely enough, his sight seemed sharper than before. What was that smell though? His face wrinkled in disgust giving the wrong impression to those gathered him. In fact, to the goblins and the few orcs present it gave them the impression this 'monster' was hungry and had just found its dinner!

Kharja bellowed at him as he barreled headfirst into him sending Kace sprawling back into to the pool. 'Vaskra what have you done!' he yelled infuriated, 'This 'THING' is an abomination!'

Vaskra could not bring herself to reply. Her dreams of creating a super goblin were over. Instead what she had created gave off an ominous feeling. Like a ravenous beast that would devour the world. The only consolation was it was just a newborn and would not have figured out its gifts yet. She was about to order her tribe to attack when she realised that they were all running screaming for the exit!

"Cowards!" she yelled. Gripping her staff tightly. She knew this reaction would have to come from higher beings aura. As monsters reached higher levels this would feel more oppressive and dominating. Instinctively dredging up fear in their opponents. The problem was this creature before she was only Level 1! She was Level 2 which meant it was not a difference in level but of status! This things lifeforce was far superior to anything she had ever felt. They had to kill it!

Kace scrambled up off the ground coughing. Glaring menacingly at the orc before him. Subconsciously he reached for the weapon he presumed would be at his waist. Wait? Isn't that just my skin? Glancing down panic overtook him. There was no weapon! He was entirely naked!!!

"What the FU...!" he began to swear before a hammer-like fist pummeled his stomach knocking the air out of his lungs. Before he could recover a blast of air struck him from the side sending him flying once more.

His head slammed into the rock wall making him feel groggy. The distraction was enough for a notification to surface in his mind.

'Congratulations on successfully spawning. Level 1 has been reached. Would you like to view your 'Status'?'

'Yes,' he quickly replied.

Name: Kace

Level: 1

Age: 17

Gender: Male

Race: Chimera (Monster)

HP 72/100

AP 100/100

MP 0/0

Exp 0/100

Strength: 3

Endurance: 2

Intelligence: 2

Willpower: 1

Agility: 5

Speed: 4

Charm: 2

Luck: 1

Skills:

Racial: Digestion (Passive)

Description: Able to eat the meat of any living thing absorbing a portion of its Experience for your own. Slight chance to trigger Assimilation.

Racial: Assimilation (Passive)

Description: A racial ability of the Chimera. When triggered randomly increases HP, AP or MP as a percentage of subjects Max Value. Slight chance to randomly gain an ability or knowledge possessed by the subject.

Tracking (Active)

Cost: (None)

Description: Heightens users sense of hearing and smell allowing them to 'see' recent paths of passing lives.

Night Eye (Active)

Cost: (None)

Description: Allows the user to see in the dark.

Kinetic Vision (Active)

Cost: (1 AP/ per Second)

Description: Heightens the user's ability to track fast movements resulting in faster reaction speeds.

This information had only taken seconds to flash through his mind. 'That mad cow! She made me into a fricking monster!'

Realisation dawned on him at this moment. Did this not mean that the ones in front of him should be his potential allies? 'Tsk got to calm them down somehow.'

This time a blade made from wind left a nasty slash across his chest as Kharja closed the distance.

[System]: -18 hp

Kace groaned quietly at the notification that notification at the edge of his sight. It seemed that activating his status had also turned on notifications. Not willing to take another beating Kace painfully rolled out of the way of the oncoming fist. Bits of crushed rock crumbled to the ground from the impact point. Kace winced as he imagined his face in its place.

Vaskra chose this moment as she immediately began channelling her mana to unleash another spell. This time she was intent on burning him to ash.

Kace immediately recognised his precarious situation. It was the very definition of a rock and a hard place as his back pressed against the wall. A slight stinging feeling coarse over his shoulder as he groaned in agony.

[System]: -7 hp

'Shit!' he swore to himself. Realising that he was now below half health. Turning to look at the culprit. His eyes widened as he realised that it was nothing but one of the torches he had seen scattered around the walls. An evil grin swept across his face as he grabbed it.

Winding back his arm he threw the torch straight at the goblin interrupting her spell casting. Buying himself a quick breather. The big, dumb orc had no intention of letting him off easily though as he threw a couple of powerful punches his way. Aiming to break his body with each strike.

-7 hp

-12 hp critical hit

-6 hp

These numbers danced at the edge of his sight making him feel powerless. As another fist flew at his face he strained to watch the oncoming blow.

[Kinetic Vision: Activated]

Everything suddenly seemed very slow to Kace. Ecstasy swelled up in his heart.

'Oh, this ability seems usable' he thought as a mad grin broke out. Suddenly feeling very cocky he waited till the last moment before starting to dodge. Only to discover that his reflexes did not keep up with his newfound prowess. A throbbing pain burst across his cheek as a look of shock appeared on Kharjas face.

Glancing blow -4 hp

'A moment ago he couldn't keep up with my moves. That should have caved his face in.' Kharja irritatedly thought to himself. 'Whatever, the next one will end this.'

Kace realised that he had to use his new observation skills to time his next dodge correctly. 'Guess I'll have to work on my speed and agility.'

This time he concentrated so hard on his opponents moves that he thought his head would burst from the pressure. Ironically enough this was what Kharja intended to achieve with his next swing. Before the orc could even get halfway through his next blow Kace had already begun to move. As his fist whistled through the air Kharja already realised he was in trouble. He watched dumbfounded as this monster adapted to his moves narrowly avoiding every following blow that he launched.

Sweat flowed freely from the face as the monster avoided any contact, frustrating the hell out of him. His strength that he was so proud of meant absolutely nothing now. Despair seeped into his mind as this Level 1 began to toy with him. He just could not figure out why it would not retaliate! Was it looking down on him! Fatigue settled in as he expended the last of his energy feeling dizzy on his feet. As he swayed unsteadily Kace dealt a quick jab to his jaw, robbing him of his consciousness. As his heavy body fell to the floor Kace could not bring himself to celebrate. After all, there was still one left.

The fight had barely lasted less than two minutes but he suddenly felt very weak. His eyes began to darken as a notification appeared.

[Warning! Action Points have reached zero. Initiating Sleep Mode.]

'Oh, so that's how that works. Kind of like stamina then.' he thought. His new life had been rather short, 'If I ever meet that goddess I'm going to...'

Vaskra looked on as this strange creature fell asleep. Snoring away without a care in the world. She hobbled over as fast as her small legs would allow her. She raised her staff and apprehensively prodded at it a few times. Rolling it over onto his back for what came into her eye line confirmed that it was indeed a 'He'.

'Well, it would certainly be strong if it had time to grow,' she thought as a tinge of red mixed with her green skin, 'besides... It has a few 'charming' features.'

She began to feel a bit giddy, with such potential if she could keep it alive and perhaps even seduce it well maybe she could become the queen of the entire world! Never mind such a small domain! Clarity clouded her thoughts as she reached a new level of madness. She had been dreaming too small for all these years. She chuckled as she stroked Kace's chest gently.

"Oh, Kharja certainly won't like this..." She let out a sadistic grin at the thought of the lumbering orcs reaction when he would find out she had not finished the deed. He would certainly feel threatened in his position with a new link in the food chain hanging around like a nasty smell. At the same time, she could use this as a shield for her brethren. 'Looks like things are about to get fun!'