SQUELCH!

Another monster died from the accurate sword throw of Reyansh, he stepped forward to retrieve the sword.

’If this weapon had the recall like ability, the versatility of this weapon would go up a notch.’ He wondered.

’Well, it has no special ability beside shape changing and being indestructible, yet. I do hope, I get something like that. Till then, let’s try something new.’ He decided.

While he was walking, suddenly, he felt something aimed at his neck. He ducked and rolled ahead.

’What is it, I didn’t catch that until it reached close to my neck?’ he looked around while trying to perceive any monsters nearby.

[Daoist_kun: What was that? Why he ducked out of nowhere?]

[Ellise: Probably an attack but I am not seeing anything.]

[Black_Nails09: They are probably chameleon aka newbie killers.]

’Right, Prism Chameleon, they are hard to track unless they made a movement even with my high perception.’ He matched his information with Arpita’s comments.

’And I missed my first chance,’ he lamented as he tried to perceive every single detail in his surrounding.

He walked slowly with his knees bent, looking for any clues.

[Fiery_Redina: Why newbie killer though @Black_Nails09?]

[Black_Nails09: They are impossible to perceive at the level of newbies and they only make a move when they attack.]

[Raisena_Forge: Damn! I am already gawking my eyes out to watch. This is making me remember by early days.]

Reyansh filtered everything out and focused only on his environment. He could taste the wetness of the air but no sense of any monster.

’Still nothing, what am I doing wrong?’ he questioned, keeping his body in motion, ready for any unexpected attack.

[Anonimus_Assassin: This is the first time he is looking stumped.]

[Storm_Knight: Are you sure you are using your perception in the right way?]

[Ellise: This is also slowing down his pace to clear the dungeon.]

While the chat talked, Reyansh sensed an attack again, on abdominal area this time. He parried the attack, pivoting sideways.

He felt like he struck the tongue when he parried, confirming the chameleon presence.

He noticed the comment of Storm_Knight, ’No, I know I am missing something. When I was acquiring Absolute Instinct, it was very...’ his thoughts stopped midway as he found the missing link.

’I have been limiting my perception unconsciously, it does so much more than just giving me information about the surroundings.’

Trusting his sense again, he closed his eyes for a moment. This time he didn’t just focus on his environment but their reaction to his presence.

He remembered the sensation when he could feel the pointed particles aimed at him for that microsecond. He couldn’t exactly replicate it, yet, but he focused on that infinitesimal feeling.

The leaves, trunks and hanging roots didn’t gave much reaction but as he was scouring his surrounding, he felt a small threat from beside the trunk of a distant tree.

Believing in his perception, he raised his arm a bit, ready to attack and pushed his legs with speed, appearing near the tree in a blink.

Without giving the chameleon a moment, he stabbed his short sword in its head, killing it instantly. The moment it died, it camouflage turned off.

The chameleon with a rainbow colored skin and pointed mouth with sharp claws and half hanging tongue appeared in view.

[Your understanding of Heightened Instinct Trait has increased.]

[Fiery_Redina: So that’s what the monster look like.]

[Raisena_Forge: But how did he figure out the position? The monster didn’t attack, he attacked first.]

[Red Falcon: He stopped limiting his perception.]

"Thanks for the tip brother, I have much to learn yet." Reyansh addressed as he moved forward while he thought about the notification about his trait.

’Is that a way to increase the quality of my trait?’ A question bloomed in his mind.

[Storm_Knight: I didn’t do anything, you are natural at it.]

[Anonimus_Assassin: You are able sense killing intent this early, you should feel proud.]

[Dread Fist: Not just brawl, brains too, huh. Nice, I am going to share your channel’s name to my brothers too.]

Reyansh didn’t said anything and just smiled under his mask and continued on the path, keeping the question about trait at bay for the moment.

He continued using his increased perception, making it much easier than before to traverse the dense forest. Now he didn’t have to keep focusing on every detail instead only on the sense of threat.

As he traveled deep eliminating few leaflurkers with ease, he faced a group of Prism Chameleon this time.

All four chameleons surrounded him from all sides, prompting him to stop.

"You guys can leave your camouflage, I can sense your presence." He stated.

However, the two chameleon on his front and back, aimed their tongue at him, while the two on either side jumped at him.

"Suit yourself then."

He pivoted to side and ducked down, causing the two monsters to collide and fell down. He pushed his legs, appearing beside the chameleon in front and slashed his neck.

The other three monsters remained still, trying not to move and shake of his focus. However, Reyansh rushed to the monster at his back, stabbing it in the head.

The other two monsters, sensing the danger, tried to flee. This time he didn’t follow, instead threw both short sword, piercing their head, killing them immediately.

[Raisena_Forge: As bro had already said, ’Once you are in his perception, you are just easy meat.’]

Reyansh moved forward steadily, eliminating monsters he encountered on the way with rather ease.

As he reached the deepest part of the forest, he sensed the most potent killing intent until now.

’That should be the boss, it’s a tricky one too.’ He though as he stepped ahead.

The path ended as Reyansh stood in front of a massive mirror-like glass on a patch of land in front of him. He could feel the killing intent radiating from it.

[Fiery_Redina: Is that mirror the final boss?]

[Ellise: No, I don’t think it would be that simple.]

[Cat_Empress: This is getting interesting, Nya!]

Reyansh threw his sword at the mirror, to provoke the boss. The sword hadn’t reached the mirror, when a sword appeared from the mirror, deflecting Reyansh’s sword away.

The next moment, someone came out of the glass. It had exact height and same build as Reyansh, even copying the mask design and every other detail.

[Raisena_Forge: Okay, what is this? Why does it look like his copy beside that it is made of leaves or something?]

[Dread Fist: Okay, this fight will be more interesting.]

[Black_Nails09: It is called Apex Mimic, it mimics opponent fighting style it faces along with their stats. So yeah, this confrontation will be the one to watch.]

Reyansh observed his copy made of leaves, trunk and roots. He raised his empty hand, facing his palm outwards while pointing the short sword at the monster.

It mimicked the same pose as Reyansh, looking at him, like it was waiting for him to make a move so it could copy it.

[Cat_Empress: Okay, this is more creepy than interesting, Nya!]

"Any other day, I would have loved to flesh out my weaknesses fighting against you."

"However, today I am strapped for time and I have already taken more time than I thought to reach here. So, I would have to cut our fight short." He stated as a plan formed in his mind.

’I hope it only copied mask design,’ he thought as he focused on using the signature skill of mask for the first time.

’Astral Step,’ he mentally stated. The next moment, the world faded, appearing as a black and white, it felt like time itself stopped at that moment.

The only colorful part at the moment was Reyansh himself and few spots around him.

He could see all the colorful spots around him, he instinctively understood that he can move to any one of the spot at his moment thought.

He looked at the spot near the Apex Mimic and decided. The next second, he appeared beside the boss, before the leafy eyelid of the boss could blink.

Reyansh slashed at it neck as the short sword changed its form back to katana to compensate for the distance. The boss head rolled down and its body disintegrated.

[Black_Nails09: WHAT THE FUCK!!]