Part-253

  James had grot at dispatg the skittering creatures. Each time his sword ected with one of the Ratlings, the impact reverberated up his arm. Unlike before, he no longer relied on the nimbleness and fluidity of his martial arts. Instead, he forced himself to el everything into the sword. The weight of it, the length, the strain on his arms—it all became sed nature. He swulessly, his muscles ag with each passing day. The sound of steel meeting flesh was now a familiar panion.

  A, he refused to push beyond Level 1. The st time he had ventured deeper, into Level 2’s Early Midse, he realized his current strength wasn’t enough. The creatures there weren’t just strohey were smarter. They attacked with precision, and James had been forced to pause after losing his life more than once. His pride had stung for days, but he knew better than to charge in blindly. He needed more training. More skill.

  As he decapitated another Ratling, the creature’s head hit the stone floor with a dull thud. James wiped the sweat from his brow, panting. It had been hours since he’d started today’s hunt, and his body screamed for rest. But the pile of corpses surrounding him gave him a sliver of satisfa. "That's enough for today," he muttered to himself, sheathing his sword.

  ---

  Colpsing onto his bed, James barely mao kick off his boots before exhaustion cimed him. The mattress felt like a cloud beh him, and for a brief moment, he sidered skipping lunch altogether. But then, out of sheer curiosity, he pulled up his status:

  **Name:** James Khan

  **STR:** 63.5

  **:** 63.8

  **DEX:** 57.2

  **INT:** 60.4

  **WIS:** 58

  **CHA:** 109

  He stared at the numbers for a long while, his eyes trag over each stat. The growth was undeniable. He was stronger now, his strikes more forceful. His body could take more punishment, and his reflexes had sharpened signifitly. But something still felt… off.

  Sitting up, James gnced down at his arms. They were toned, sure, but not bulky. His frame was leahan it had been a few weeks ago. As he stood to stretch, his head brushed against the edge of his ceiling fan—a sensation he hadn’t experienced before. “Wait…” he murmured, stepping back to get a better look at himself in the mirror.

  It hit him like a ton of bricks.

  He was taller. A lot taller.

  James scrambled to find his measuring tape. Standing against the wall, he marked the top of his head, then measured the distao the floor.

  Six feet one.

  He bli the number in disbelief. How had he not noticed this before? Was all his stat growth verting into height? He had expected more muscle, more power, but this… this was different. “I’m going to end up like a giant if this keeps up,” he muttered to himself, rubbing the back of his neck. The idea of being a hulking titan didn’t sit well with him.

  With a sigh, he colpsed bato his bed. This growth had its perks—he felt stronger, mile. But the ges to his body were happening faster than he’d expected. For now, though, he o rest.

  ---