More importantly - I got two new stats from devouring the gremlin. MP and AGI.
Considering what I had learned about the Familiar Forest - that it seemed to be divided into territories that contained certain types of monsters - that meant that this area would be a way for me to gain more AGI and MP.
I pushed myself off the ground, stretching my arms as I got ready to get to work.
I continued walking through the forest, looking for more gremlins. However, my theory was proven wrong just minutes later as I spotted a different beast.
It looked pretty much the same as a regular bird, except it had red feathers and huge black eyes. Its beak was also long and sharp, looking more like a spike than a beak.
[Demon Bird] - Level 7
Apparently, the forest wasn't divided into different categories of monsters. I just happened to spawn in Dire Wolf Paradise.
I looked up at the demon bird as it casually sat on a branch roughly 20 feet above me, the corpse of a gremlin in its mouth. It spotted me but didn't move, clearly feeling safe in its position far above me.
Luckily, I had just gotten a new skill. I looked at the branch it was sitting on, thinking of the best way to push the bird off.
I could make it mud? The bird would slip off, or if I could manage to turn the entire branch to mud then it would fall down. If I caught it off guard, it might not be able to fly until it was close enough for me to strike.
That was my best plan at the moment, but I wasn't confident in it. The skill was useful, but I was no scientific genius.
I didn't know a lot about many materials.
Wait, what if I try this? I reached down, quickly grabbing a small stick on the ground. If I chucked it at the bird as it was, it wouldn't budge it even if it managed to go that far.
But…
I stared down at the stick, wrapping my fingers around it. When I unwrapped them, the small wooden stick was a bit heavier.
I didn't manage to change the whole thing, but part of it was stone now. It would be easier to throw accurately, and it could actually cause some damage.
I cocked my arm back and chucked the stone-wood stick. It soared up into the air, and… continued soaring through the air.
The demon bird simply took a step to the side, letting it blast past him.
As it looked down at me, I swear I saw a smug look on its face. Alright, I can't give up on this now!
I blinked as an idea came to me.
Isn't air technically a material? I looked up at the branch the bird was sitting on. I couldn't put into words how the skill worked - I just kind of willed the branch to become air.
A second later, most of it did. I didn't manage to change the entire branch, but it actually worked out better that I didn't.
The front of the branch completely disappeared, catching the bird by surprise. It lost its balance, falling forward and flipping over completely.
It plummeted downward, flipping over and stabilizing itself mid-air, but it was too late. It was now only a couple of feet over my head, and I leaped upward.
My hand wrapped around its talons, pulling it downward. Its wings flapped in vain, but it didn't last long as my fist hardened.
The level 7 bird stood no chance.
[Devour] has been used on [Demon Bird] - Level 7.
You have gained:
+7HP (1,005/1,005)
+7 AGI
+4 MP
+5 XP
+ [Demonic Resistance] Skill!
[Demonic Resistance] - [Demonic] attacks will do less damage to you!
That should be very helpful, considering that I'm in the underworld and all.
And, I also got a lot of AGI from that. That's good since that's really the only thing holding me back at the moment.
I continued deeper into the forest, looking for more prey. As I did, I became even more confused about how the forest worked, as all I encountered were gremlins and demon birds.
Did different sections spawn different mobs, like in a video game?
It seemed like that was the most likely line of thought.
After hunting for hours, and ending up likely miles from where my old sleeping spot had been, I decided it was time to find a new one.
This was a much better place to set up a base anyway, as there was no 'Great Wolf King' to send legions of dire wolves after me.
I'd eventually have to go and deal with that guy to complete the tutorial, but it was a later priority for now. I'm a cautious guy - I'd rather stack up on stats before I go after someone like that.
Granted, I had no idea how strong the 'Great Wolf King' was, so I didn't know if I was being overly cautious or not. He could end up being level 100, or he could just be an easy level 10 snack.
Considering he had Rena, a level 10, working under him, I was leaning toward the former.
As I continued through the forest, I finally came upon another small open area. I was glad because my legs were starting to feel heavy.
[You have claimed a plot of land!]
[You will be alerted if anyone enters your land!]
I laid down on the grass, letting sleep consume me, my mind satisfied from the AGI and MP grinding I had done today.
—-
[ALERT!] [Demonic Chipmunk - Level 1] has entered your land!]
I shot up at the alert, my body tensing. However, I quickly relaxed as I saw the level.
A level 1? Invading my land? Come on!
I blinked as I looked over, quickly spotting the chipmunk. It was huge and fat, with fat cheeks and red fur.
It also had a huge, fluffy tail that was even taller than its roughly 2-foot-tall body.