Charles's heart pounded as the bull glared at him with furious eyes.
The beast pawed the ground, kicking up dust and grass, and with a low snort, lowered its horns and charged.
The earth shook under its hooves, and Charles, sweat dripping down his forehead, dove to the side at the last second.
Thump!
The bull barreled past, so close Charles felt the heat of its body and the brush of its fur. He rolled through the grass, scrambling to his feet with a nervous grin.
"Ha! Better luck next time, pal!" he taunted, mocking the animal.
But the bull wasn't amused. It spun with surprising agility for its size, snorting again, and charged once more.
Charles cursed under his breath, heart still racing.
"Damn it, you're persistent!" he said, leaping aside again.
Whoosh!
The horns missed him by inches, and Charles landed clumsily, breathing hard.
He was exhausted, starving, but adrenaline kept him moving.
As the bull readied another charge, a wild idea hit him.
Without overthinking, he sprinted toward the bull as it turned to face him.
"Let's see how you like this!" he shouted, aiming a kick at the animal's flank.
Crack!
The blow connected, but pain shot through him instantly.
It felt like he'd kicked a brick wall.
"Damn it!" Charles grunted, limping back. "You're freakin' solid!"
The bull barely noticed, and with a snort, charged again, aiming its horns straight for his chest.
Charles threw himself to the ground, rolling to dodge.
Zwoom!
The horns sailed over his head, the air whistling with the force of the attack.
Charles staggered to his feet, panting, his foot throbbing.
'This isn't working,' he thought, eyeing the bull as it turned for another go.
But then he felt the familiar tingle in his hands, the electricity humming across his skin.
"Alright, time to try something else," he muttered, sprinting toward the bull as it prepared to charge.
Charles focused all his attention on his right hand, feeling the electricity build like a buzz racing up his arm.
As the bull lunged, Charles dodged narrowly, twisting to end up beside the animal.
With a yell, he threw a punch at its flank, releasing his power at the same time.
Zzzzt!
A blue flash erupted from his fist, and electricity coursed through the bull's body.
The beast let out a deafening bellow, its legs buckling beneath it.
Thud!
The bull collapsed, faint smoke rising from its fur, eyes rolled back.
Charles stood there, panting, wide-eyed.
"Did I do it?" he muttered, staring at the motionless animal. "I did it!" he shouted, raising his arms, though the pain in his foot and exhaustion made him wobble.
The euphoria didn't last.
A blue panel popped up, showing updated stats:
Name: Rian Cole
Element: Lightning
Level: 4
Stats
Health: 92/100
Energy: 0%
System Intelligence: 3
Control Level: 1
XP: 752/800
Available Upgrade Points: 0
Charles frowned, confused.
"Energy at zero? And my health dropped to 92?" he said, staring at the panel. "It didn't even touch me—why'd my health go down?"
Before he could dwell on it, another notification appeared:
[Update complete. Changes applied.]
Charles blinked, surprised.
"Well, talk about timing," he muttered with a tired laugh. "System, what's the deal? What do I get now?"
The panel responded with a message more detailed than he expected:
[Update completed. You now have access to enhanced features:
Martial arts training guide
Smarter, more natural responses
Expanded range for location requests
Access to detailed stats for active skills
Optimized energy consumption for future skills]
Charles read the list, his eyebrows climbing higher with each item.
"Seriously? All that?" he said, but then frowned. "And? That's it? Don't give me a list of cool-sounding stuff without explaining what it means."
The panel stayed silent for a few seconds, like the system was mulling it over.
Then a new message appeared:
[Hey, chill, don't get all demanding. That's the main stuff. Want more details? Ask something specific. I'm getting better, you know.]
Charles burst out laughing, caught off guard.
"Now you're talking like my buddy?" he said, shaking his head. "Alright, fine, I get it. No more useless fluff."
The panel vanished, and Charles felt a bit more upbeat.
The system was starting to sound less like a machine and more like… well, something with a personality.
"Let's get to it," Charles said, eyeing the river. "System, how can I use my power? Is there a way to do it without it looking like magic?"
The panel reappeared:
[I recommend increasing your Control Level stat. This will improve your ability to wield your element with precision and subtlety. However, you have no upgrade points available.]
Charles laughed, though it was pure frustration.
"Of course, because I blew all my points making you less useless!" he said, running a hand through his hair. He glanced at the bull, still out cold. "Guess I'll have to hunt more critters like this to level up, huh?"
He approached the bull, making sure it wouldn't spring up suddenly.
It was breathing, but clearly down for the count.
"Sorry, buddy," Charles muttered, feeling a twinge of guilt. "Had to practice."
He'd gained a solid 374 XP, leaving him just 48 short of Level 5.
But the health loss nagged at him.
"Why'd my health drop if I didn't get hit?" he muttered, eyeing the panel. "System, does using my power hurt me or what?"
The panel responded:
[Using your element consumes energy. If energy is depleted, overexertion can affect your health. Increasing your Control Level will reduce this impact.]
Charles frowned, processing the info.
"So if I push too hard, I hurt myself…" he said with a sigh. "Awesome. One more thing to worry about."
It made sense, though.
His punch had burned through all his energy, and the system had tapped his health to cover the difference.
He'd need to be more careful, especially with the arena fights looming.
Charles looked at the river, weighing his options.
Water helped him channel his power, but he relied on it too much.
If he wanted to be discreet, he needed to learn to use lightning without soaking everyone around him.
"Maybe I can shoot small sparks," he muttered, extending a hand toward the water.
He tried to focus, but with zero energy, he felt nothing.
"Damn it, I need to recharge first," he growled.