Arin sat with his water flask in his hand. He found a strange thing about his water flask.
If held it upside down, water would not fall. Or no matter how much he shakes water wouldn't spill out.
He had to touch it with his lips to make water come out.
Then what's the point of cap?, thought Arin as he twisted the cap back on the flask. The cap clicked into place with a satisfying snap.
He held water flask in hand as he closely examined the body of flask.
It had dark body around 10 inch long and narrow mouth.
The most fascinating thing about flask was murals etched on it. A silver river was flowing with blue-ish water.
River had waves and few fishes swimming and jumping out of water.
I thought the waves were higher. Was it not?, Arin thought. Anyway, It doesn't matter.
Arin put the flask in inventory. Water is the most valuable resource. Don't wanna drop this somewhere accidentally.
"That's enough rest. Let's test few things before going down this building", Arin said to himself.
First he chose to test firepower of his slingshot. He pulled out his slingshot and loaded it with small piece of metal.
He pulled the pouch, feeling tight strech of band. His fingers were trembling.
He used all his strength and still wasn't able to fully stretched the band. So, he just decided to release it.
Twang
With that sound, piece of metal was launched. It flew through air with sharp whistle and then.
Thunk
The piece of metal embedded into the boundary wall of rooftop.
Arin looked satisfied with the result,It already has enough fire power to gravely injure or kill ordinary person. But I need more strength to use it in full power.
Now let's try the special effects, Arin thought as pulled out T.G and asked, "How do I use it's special effect?"
[You have to use your energy to activate it's special effect function. You had never utilised you energy until now so it may take you some time]
"Okey then how do I do it?", asked Arin.
[You have to start by meditating and visualizing. It's like a body part you never had so you have to spend time familiarizing with it]
"Is it gonna take a lot of time?"
[Will it take time? Yes. But how much that's depends on you]
"Okey, then guide me."
[Sit on the ground with straight back...]
T.G started to give instructions.
Arin lowered himself gently to the ground, his legs folding beneath him. Crossing his shins, he settled into a seated yoga pose— back straight.
His shoulders relaxed and his hands resting lightly on his knees, palm up. He closed his eyes and empty his mind.
Breathe in.
Hold.
Breathe out.
Stillness.
Arin could feel calmness spread through his mind and he slowly forget about the fear of getting attacked by another owl while doing that.
He concentrated as T.G instructed, trying to sense his energy.
He started to faintly sense something. It was like blood flowing through his body.
It felt like whisper pulsing through his veins, threading itself along the nerves he never knew existed.
It moved like blood remained untouched by the heart. As he kept observing he realised his body wasn't made of just flesh and bone anymore. Or was it always like it?
[So, do you sense anything]
Arin silently nodded trying not to break his concentration.
[That's exceptional. Next, you need to learn how to control it?]
Arin tried to control it with his mind but failed. Then he started to interact with it in anyway possible but it never happened.
Then his concentration broke.
He opened his eyes and asked T.G about it.
[It's normal. You need to keep meditating for few days to weeks. The you can start interacting with energy and eventually can use it]
All that for just one special effect. Arin sighed as he thought.
[No. Being able to control and use your energy will be beneficial for you. It has many applicability]
Arin nodded and decided that he should meditate for once or twice a day.
So, let's move to next testing, Arin thought and pulled red berry this time.
It can explode, so maybe I can use it as a weapon, Arin thought and he turned toward a boundary wall.
He stepped back until he stood near solar panels. He threw berry with all his might toward the wall and ducked.
Nothing happened immediately.
1 second
2 second
3 second
Arin slowly stood up from his cover thinking, Did system show me wrong inform...
Boom
Just as Arin was in the middle of his thought berry exploded. Leaving his ear ringing for few moments.
Sh#t, it's like a granade, Arin thought as he walked towards wall to check damage.
Size of around 2 meter of wall was broken and already fallen.
It has quite a high level of explosive power, Arin concluded. Now the next test.
System also said that it is edible, due to saliva preventing it from exploding. And it has timer before it explodes, so let's test one last thing . Arin thought of new experiment.
He stood near already broken wall and pulled out another berry.
He put it in the ground. He crushed it and the spat on it the run for cover.
He waited for few seconds nothing happened. But he didn't get impatient.
He waited for around 5 minutes before going near that berry.
So, now I'm sure it will not explode in my mouth. Arin thought but still he kick that berry off the roof through broken wall. No need to take unnecessary risk. What if it explodes after the spit dried off.
He took out another berry but this time it was for eating. He was little fearful of the berry but he believed in his own deduction and ate it.
"Hmm... It has weird sweet and spicy taste." Arin thought,One should be enough for now.
With this all his experiments were over. So, he decided that it was time to go down.
He finally walked toward small room which should contain stairs to the ground floor. But it had lock hanging from outside.
Weird, how is it locked from outside. Who locked it and how did they get down then? Arin had a lot of questions arising in his head.
He looked around the roof again but this time trying to find something to break the lock.
He found a steel pipe. He took that to the door with lock hung on the hasp.
He hit the lock with pipe for few minutes but nothing happened. Then he got an Idea.
He threw the pipe away and pulled out berry from his inventory and put that berry on the lock.
He squished the berry with his fingers and put that on the lock then ran for cover.
Boom
Berry exploded. Lock didn't break but fortunately for Arin hasp of door wasn't as tough as the lock.
Arin moved toward door with a grin, Am I a getting better or this is getting too easy.
But just as he neared the door. It swung open and a rat jumped out.
Normally, Arin wasn't afraid of rats, but this one was half of his height when on four legs.
It had grotesque, hulking body. It's fur was scorched off in places, Arin could see some of it's spine.
It had overgrown jaw, causing it to drool.
Just as it appeared. A sour metallic stink hit him. He felt a bile rising in his throat.
Arin felt his knee weakened and his chest tightened like someone had squeezed his lung.
Arin quickly stepped back. He drew his knife out with trembling hand.
How the hell did things went from lizards and birds to this monstrosity? Arin screamed in his mind.
The rat soon adjusted to light and noticed Arin. It jumped toward him. It was not fast, just sudden.
Arin's once again either due to stat, trait or just pure adrenaline felt like everything slowed down.
He tried to calm his fear and decided to move away. He noticed that rat's jump was very straight so he just decided to move away.
Arin ducked and rolled to his left side. And just as expected rat just jumped toward his previous location.
Arin didn't wait for rat and started to run. His boot scraping against the concrete.
Rat followed leaping in short, brutal arcs. It missed him again and again.
Arin glanced back. Rat was clumsy, it's overgrown muscle dragging it down.
It is not very dexterous I guess. Arin deducted, almost making him laugh out loud.
Then his foot got caught in something. His body twisted and he hit the rooftop hard.
The laugh died in his throat. But fortunately he didn't stab himself with his own knife.
He looked up just in time to see the rat jumped toward him.
No time to roll. So,He stabbed with his knife.
Rat fell on him with it's full weight. The knife pierced it's jaw close and got stucked. Unfortunately knife didn't reach it's brain.
It thrashed violently, throwing him across the rooftop.
Arin hit boundary wall, making him see the stars during the day. He quickly stood up, although with shakey legs.
The rat staggered. It's jaw closed due to the knife still stucked in them.
The rat charged again and Arin dodged barely. But he was slow and got slashed with it's claw.
Arin felt the extreme pain assaulting him, he look down. The right side of his stomach was bleeding.
He tried to run but it became more painful and he realised.
He couldn't run anymore. He was bleeding and his only close range weapon was already inaccessible to him.
Arin's mind churned trying to find a solution because if he didn't find anything soon then it will be the end of him.
With left hand clutching his stomach and right hand behind he turned toward the rat.
Please work or I'll die, thought Arin as he summoned the berry in his right hand.
He waited until he saw the rat leaped toward him then he crushed the berry and dropped it before dodging to side with his full might. Making his injury worse.
But this time, he didn't try to get away from the rat instead stayed close to it.
"I'm not going anywhere so just stay still for a moment", Arin said with his gritted teeth and tried getting close to the rat so rat didn't move away.
Rat stayed on his place and slashed it's right claw toward Arin.
Arin was already in a little bending position, so he just bend little more and turned to brace for attack.
Just as he felt the claw touching his back.
Boom
Berry exploded. Explosion pushed Arin from sitting position to laying on his stomach. He felt the familiar ringing in his ear, but this time it was weaker.
Arin slowly stood up, slightly hunched. He looked around and found the rat.
It was still alive. Berry had destroyed it's legs, tail and lower part of his body.
It had it's innards coming out from the bottom of his body. Making it unable to move.
Maybe, due to the explosion knife had also come out of it's jaw and was laying nearby it.
Arin slowly walked toward the knife and picked it.
Seeing the Arin came closer, the rat start to make wet gurgling sound and clicked it's teeth.
Arin inched toward the rat with hunchback. His left hand clenching his wound in right side of stomach and right hand holding the knife.
"Don't take it personal. It's just... Business.", Arin said smilingly with a great effort.
Arin stood near it's head and look in it's eyes and completed his words,"A very personal business." Then stabbed him in both eyes.
He heard the familiar chime but he didn't stop and continue stabbing until he was satisfied.
Arin stood up and used Material Extract on the body.
He picked two white orbs and looked around.
If I remained here that owl's relatives will definitely come to attack me, He deducted from the roof filled with bloodstains.
He moved toward the staircase room where rat came from. As he got closer and closer sour metalic smell got stronger and stronger.
And just as he stepped inside he heard another chime. He was thinking of ignoring it but then suddenly the system panel opened.
But this one was in red color.
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WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
YOU ENTERED THE AREA OF SUB-BIOME BOSS : RAT-KING VARNOK
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