I lowered my sword. When I looked at my left forearm, blood was flowing. I had scraped my forearm in the process.

‘Status window.’

[Kishasha Bicshavi (★★★★) Lv. 22 (Exp 32/180)]

[Class: Half-beast]

[Strength: 54/54]

[Intelligence: 10/10]

[Health: 48/48]

[Agility: 59/59]

[Skills: Intermediate Martial Arts (Lv.1), Determination (Lv.3), Instinct (Lv.1), Battle Momentum (Lv.1), Beastly Manifestation (Lv.4), Forest Hunter (Lv.8), Swift Agility (Lv.9)]

[Imprint Slots: 1/1]

[Slot 1: Descendant of the Beast King (B+, Lv.3)]

[A descendant of the Beast King who once contested the dominance of the Empire and the continent. The bloodline of a fearless warrior.]

[Effects: Mental Resistance +50%, Immunity to Fear, Ability increases by 20% in near-death state (Duration: 60 seconds)]

[Unique Skill: Transformation (Beast)]

I let out a bitter smile.

She had the upper hand in all stats.

“That’s to be expected.”

The base stats she possessed were different.

Judging by the total, it seemed like her growth rate was outstanding. If I were to undergo enhancements in the future, I could make up for the lacking stats, but for now, there was no way.

Furthermore, she had top-notch skills like Intermediate Martial Arts and even an Imprint. In other words…

“She’s in the top tier among 4-stars.”

In terms of numerical values, she clearly outclassed me.

In a game that relied solely on stats, this would be fine. But ‘Pick Me Up’ wasn’t that kind of game.

In battles where the outcome was clear-cut, there were always chances for an upset, whether it was a mission or a duel between heroes.

She had the bloodline of the Beast King.

From birth, she was a powerhouse. She probably had her own abilities, but she seemed to be a natural-born prodigy.

‘But that doesn’t mean I can’t win.’

I don’t like feeling frustrated.

I smiled and adjusted my sword.

I’ll fight for whatever reason. I had already forgotten the fact that the opponent before me looked like a teenager in her mid-teens.

“If you won’t come to me, then I’ll go to you.”

I raised my sword and bent my lower body.

At that moment, stardust sparkled from the side. Iselle. I stopped her before she could intervene.

“Don’t stop me. We don’t intend to kill each other. It’s just a greeting. Isn’t that right?”

“Hehe! You know what’s up. Right, this is a conversation of body and body. A ritual to establish camaraderie. You’re a human, but I like you!”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

I jumped lightly.

Whoosh!

And swung heavily.

I discarded similar tricks. Only heavy strikes. I didn’t have the talent to master all forms of swordplay like Ridgion. Therefore, I had to focus on one thing. Realizing that fact was the key to mastering the Heavenly Sword Spirit.

“Heavy Sword.”

Thud!

The solid blade of Bifrost struck Kishasha.

A strong shockwave hit her face. Kishasha, who was standing, slid several meters on the ground.

“This is exciting!”

Kishasha burst into laughter.

Simultaneously, she charged at me, kicking up the dirt floor. I welcomed her willingly. Kishasha attacked me with every part of her body, from her hands and feet to her elbows and knees.

Hand-to-hand combat and swordsmanship. In cases like this, the one with a weapon had a clear advantage, but Kishasha deftly avoided my sword and sometimes clashed with it.

Kishasha lowered her body as if she were bowing.

The blade that passed above her sliced through a tree. The severed tree slid to the left. As it fell, dust billowed up, and a fist flew through the dust. Just brushing it caused blood to spatter.

Amidst the ongoing battle, where I smashed and shattered trees, dirt, and rocks without mercy.

“It’s time to shift gears.”

Fighting like this was fine, but it didn’t suit my temperament.

She was hiding her full power. I was too. I had already shown enough. It was time to move on.

“Frenzy.”

Hot blood surged in my head.

[‘Han (★★★)’ has entered a frenzy state!]

My vision became heated.

I exerted strength in my hands and waist. The three-hit combo, carrying immense weight, struck Kishasha. Kishasha flew like a cannonball and crashed into a pile of dirt.

As Frenzy reached level 7, the added stat values broke through 15. When combined with Heavenly Sword Spirit, I could wield a pure strength of nearly 80.

“Let’s finish this.”

I said while looking at the swirling dust.

“My schedule is quite busy as it is. I have other things to do.”

‘Are you gonna use it too?’

Each Imprint came with a unique skill.

Their usefulness varied, but the Descendant of the Beast King that Kishasha possessed was rated B+. It was a fairly high grade.

A shadow rose from the dust.

[Unique skill, Transformation activated!]

[‘Kishasha (★★★★)’ transforms!]

A low growl resonated.

There was no trace of the young girl’s voice. It was a pure beast’s cry. And…

‘A tiger’

I chuckled.

Now I understood why she was called a half-beast. What emerged from the dust was a giant beast. Approximately 2 meters in size. It was much larger than what I had seen in the zoo.

“Is that your true form?”

Her tail behind her back swayed left and right.

Her entire body was covered in thick stripes.

“……”

Kishasha didn’t reply.

Instead, she took a step forward with only her upper body.

‘This is what you call a jackpot.’

Her individual combat power was excellent.

In addition, she had the ability to transform.

Although her temperament was somewhat unusual, it was within an acceptable range.

‘It will be of great help for our strategy.’

If only I could handle it properly.

‘If you want to fight, I’ll do as you wish.’

I aimed my sword at her.

Her fangs bared towards my face.

And…

“Roar!”

Kishasha roared charging at me.

And I also ran towards her.