It was starting to get dark. The jungle was becoming more dangerous as time went on. Ethan ramped up his pace. Small sparks of light blue lightning flashed around his feet with every step.
The sparks helped him run faster through the thick undergrowth and around the tree roots as he kept his breathing steady. His legs felt different now. Stronger. Quicker. But he knew he had to watch how much power he used.
So he was careful. Releasing that much divinity into the air was risky. Beasts lived in this part of the jungle.
They were strong enough to hunt down A grade soldiers and mercenaries without much trouble. He had been a C grade himself until a short time ago. He did not know exactly what he was now.
The lightning had hit him hard during his escape. It had changed him. He felt the difference in his body but he had no numbers or clear idea of his new limits yet. He kept moving anyway, cause there was no choice.
He pushed through a patch of vines. His shoulder still ached from an earlier scrape but it did not slow him down. The ground was soft and muddy in places.
It made footing tricky even with the extra speed. He wiped sweat from his eyes and kept going with the trees grew close together here.
Leaves blocked most of the remaining light. Sounds of insects and distant animal calls filled the air. Night was coming fast and that meant more predators would start hunting.
He stopped when the echo of a chopper reached his ears. The sound cut through the jungle noise. He turned and looked back the way he had come.
He was surprised. He had expected them to send regular soldiers. Guys like the C grades he used to work with on low level jobs. But this was not that.
The chopper he saw through a gap in the canopy was large. Bright lights swept the area below it. The size and shape were clear even from this distance.
It was a leviathan crew.
That kind of manpower was not normal for a situation like this. Leviathan crews handled threats that could unsettle whole cities. They brought heavy weapons, armored suits, and teams of high grade fighters.
They did not use them on a single newly awakened person running through the jungle. This was too much for him. But he had no time to complain about it or wonder why they sent it.
"Come on then," he said out loud. "I will prepare a lot for you."
It might have been overconfidence. The awakening could have changed more than his strength. It might have changed how he saw risks too.
Or maybe he really could handle them now. His eyes sparked with blue light as the thought crossed his mind. He turned forward again and started planning.
He would use the jungle itself. Set traps with fallen branches and his lightning if he had any charge left. Lead them into tight spots where numbers would not help. He did not know if it would work but he had to try.
Then something else caught his attention. Red eyes appeared at the corner of his vision. He registered them but it was too late to dodge completely. The beast was quiet and fast. It came straight at him and clawed his shoulder right away.
"What th—"
The claws dug deep. Pain exploded in his shoulder. Blood ran down his arm and soaked into his shirt. The beast showed itself fully now. It was a dire wolf. Its body was lean and covered in dark fur. Its teeth bared at his neck as it tried to finish the attack.
Ethan reacted on instinct. He pushed a shock of light current through his body and into the wolf. The electricity hit hard. It threw the beast away from him and the wolf landed ten feet back. Its fur smoked a little where the current had burned it.
A notification appeared in the air in front of his eyes, the text, bright red.
[Power level low]
He did not know everything about his powers yet. But he understood this message. He was out of charge.
The wolf stood up slowly. It shook its head. Then it bore its fangs and growled at him. Its eyes stayed locked on his with clear anger.
"Easy… easy boy… or a girl? Which one are you?" he muttered under his breath.
He knew dire wolves well enough from past jobs. They were not the most aggressive species. They relied on stealth. That was why this one had slipped past his notice so easily. They preferred to hunt in packs and strike from hiding.
But they turned aggressive when hunger hit hard. And they were never alone. This one was scouting ahead. If it got into real trouble or called out, the rest of the pack would come running fast.
I have to kill it quick, he thought.
A new notification popped up on the blue screen right after that thought.
[New Mission]
Kill the direwolf and eat its heart.
Reward: Stamina 2 points
He stared at the screen for a second. He had heard rumors about systems like this.
They were supposed to be given only to the chosen demi gods. Chosen mortals who could become something more. Immortal even. The system, created by non other than Hephaestus himself a long time ago.
But it caused too much chaos. The system was overpowered and the gods had been careless with it. So the system was forbidden after that. Yet here it was in front of him. For some reason he had it now. No one had explained why.
A rush of excitement hit him. This changed things. Alot of things. He had a clear goal and a clear reward. He used whatever charge remained in his body. He focused it all into his right arm. The arm started to heat up fast.
He could feel the energy building. He knew he could only hold it for a few seconds. But a few seconds was all he needed if he timed it right.
He breathed in and out slowly. He calmed his heart rate, like he was trained. The wolf circled him now. It moved low to the ground with its head down and teeth still showing. Ethan kept his eyes on it. He gestured with his heated hand toward the wolf.
"Come on. You want to eat me right?" he asked.
The dire wolf growled louder. It did not call for its pack. Instead it attacked. It leaped forward fast.
"Good boy."
Ethan stepped to the side at the last moment. The wolf's claws missed his chest by inches. He swung his heated arm and connected with the side of the wolf's head. The impact made a solid thud.
Heat from his arm burned the fur and skin there. The wolf yelped but recovered quick. It turned and snapped at his leg. Ethan pulled back just in time. The teeth closed on empty air.
He moved around a thick tree trunk to keep distance. The wolf followed right away. It was faster than he expected even with the burn on its head. It lunged again. This time it aimed for his injured shoulder. Ethan blocked with his left arm.
Pain flared up again as the wolf's weight hit him. He pushed the last of his charge through his right fist and punched the wolf in the ribs. The electricity and heat combined.
The wolf flew back and hit a tree. It slid down the trunk and shook itself.
Ethan did not wait. He ran forward while the wolf was still recovering. He grabbed its neck with his heated hand. The burn smell filled the air. The wolf thrashed and tried to bite his wrist. Its claws raked across his side.
More blood flowed but Ethan held on. He squeezed harder. The wolf's growls turned into choking sounds. It twisted and got one paw free. The claws dug into his thigh.
He ignored the pain. He lifted the wolf off the ground with his new strength and slammed it down hard. The impact stunned it for a second.
That was enough. He punched it twice more in the head with the heated fist. Each hit landed clean. On the third punch the wolf went limp. Its body stopped moving.
Ethan stepped back and breathed hard. His shoulder, side, and thigh all hurt. Blood covered parts of his clothes.
But the wolf was dead. He looked at the body for a moment. Then he pulled out the small knife he kept in his belt.
He cut into the chest cavity. It took some work. The ribs were tough. He reached in and pulled out the heart. It was still warm. He did not hesitate. He ate it as the mission required. The taste was strong and metallic but He forced it down.
A new notification appeared.
[Mission Complete]
Reward applied: Stamina +2
[100x Multiplier applied.]
Reward: Stamina +200