After some time passed, with him fighting the cat, Ellis finally saw an opportunity, and he aimed for a lethal strike. However, as he struck, he felt something was wrong, and quickly dodged to the side.
Woosh!
And a green wind blade struck the spot he had just vacated.
Ellis, looking at it with more surprise than ever, became even more serious. He resumed the battle in the small space of the room, feeling a pang of envy that the cat had an active skill using mana, while he, a human, didn't, despite his mana attribute being the highest.
Fortunately, as the battle continued, he came to the conclusion that its skill-based attack didn't seem to be something it could use repeatedly.
So, while it took some time, he was still able to finish it in the end.
[You have killed Lv.2 Variant Nyxara monster]
[You have earned 30,000 Experience]
[You have reached Level 13]
[All attributes increased by 1]
[You got 5 unassigned points]
[You have killed your first unique creature]
[All attributes increased by 3]
[You are the second one to kill a unique creature in your world]
[All attributes increased by 5]
[You got the "Unique Monster Killer" title]
[Your Basic knife mastery has become Lv.4]
Ellis was exhausted from the battle with the cat, as while it seemed less dangerous than the previous mutant zombie, its one lethal attack kept him on edge, and it ended up taking more time than expected.
Still, as he looked at the flurry of system messages, and feeling his body growing stronger. With this time, even sensing a strange energy that brought a clarity of mind, something he assumed was linked to his innate talent. Along with the notification about his knife mastery skill leveling up, Ellis couldn't help but groan in satisfaction.
Everything about the cat screamed extraordinary, and in the end, it truly was. The amount of experience it granted, more than double that of the Level 14 mutated zombie he had killed before, was yet another clear indicator.
Ellis couldn't help but feel grateful for his luck that its level was only two. If it had been at the same level as him, he had no doubt the battle would have turned out very differently.
He took a moment to catch his breath, reading through the system messages and checking the details of the title he had just earned. Which, to his disappointment, turned out to be mostly useless, offering only a buff when fighting unique creatures, while also coming with a significant downside, drawing the hostility of such creatures.
After a couple of moments, Ellis decided to dismantle the cat before heading back to his apartment. He hoped to find a magic stone, similar to the one he obtained from the mutated zombie, though he anticipated that one from a unique creature would be far more valuable.
"Found it," after some time, he muttered with satisfaction.
His eyes lit up as he held the stone in his hand. Unlike the white one from the zombie that seemed filled with impurity, this one was a dazzling golden crystal, its appearance radiating a sense of rarity and power. Feeling a surge of joy, Ellis finally left the apartment, his steps light and almost skipping.
Arriving at his apartment, Ellis headed straight to the bathroom, taking a long bath. He felt the need to cherish these small comforts while they lasted, unsure how long he could hold onto such luxuries in this chaotic world.
Afterward, he prepared something to eat.
His cooking skills were by no means impressive, but it was enough to fill his stomach. While eating, he checked in on his mother. She reassured him that she was doing fine and even mentioned that his sister was handling the situation surprisingly well, perhaps even better than him, and knowing her, Ellis thought it could really be possible.
After all, he had never won a fight against her before the mana awakening, so what could possibly stop her now?
Reading the messages over and over again, Ellis felt an even stronger urge to meet them. He missed his naive yet caring mother, and he missed his cheerful sister even more. Despite some entanglements in their relationships every now and then, they remained precious to him, unlike his trash father, after all.
And with that lingering feeling in his heart, Ellis finally allowed his tired body to rest, as his gaze fell on the wall in front of him, its paint peeling and cracked, a reminder of how quickly things could fall apart.
While leaning back, he began to mull over his next steps — where his next hunting ground should be, whether he should venture farther or stick closer to home. The thought of joining a gathering, groups of people coming together to make sense of the current chaos, also crossed his mind.
But, thinking of his sister and mother, Ellis found himself rejecting all those options.
They were fine. He knew that.
But he still wanted to see them, even if their plan against his father, which they had been setting up before all this chaos, had been canceled now.
So, maybe, he should make his way toward their place, despite the possible dangers on the road?
Before he could arrive at a decision, however, a system message suddenly appeared before his eyes.
[Blue gates have started descending worldwide. Challenge them and protect your world.]