The floor of the ravine descended into a wide, waterlogged hollow. Silt-choked pools bubbled sluggishly, surrounded by towering walls of damp clay. The air smelled of rotting vegetation and heavy, mineral-rich mud.
Arthur moved cautiously, his boots sinking two inches deep with every step. The thick terrain was a nightmare for footing—it cut his natural mobility in half and doubled the stamina cost of sudden turns.
*If I cast [Haste] in this mud, I'll tear a muscle trying to pivot, Arthur reasoned, scanning the murky pools ahead. I need to save my mana for absolute necessities.
A low rumble shook the hollow, sending ripples across the stagnant water.
From the center of the largest pool, the mud buckled upward. A massive monster heaved itself out of the mire—a Mud-Stalker Alpha. Easily twelve feet long, its thick body was coated in hardened plate-like mud armor, sporting powerful clawed limbs and a heavy, clubbed tail. Behind it, two smaller Mud-Stalkers slithered into flanking positions, their yellow eyes locked onto Arthur.
The Alpha roared, a wet, guttural sound that echoed through the ravine, and lunged forward with surprising speed for its size.
Arthur reacted instantly, channeling mana into his sword. "[Flame Blade]!"
Fire erupted along the folded steel blade. He swung in a rising arc, catching the first smaller Mud-Stalker across the chest as it pounced. The heat shattered its mud coating, scorching the soft flesh beneath.
[Target Defeated: Mud-Stalker (Lv 13) — +110 EXP Gained]
[EXP Progress: 790 / 1,000]
Before he could reset his stance, the second small Mud-Stalker whipped its tail, splashing a wave of heavy, blinding mud straight into Arthur's face.
Arthur threw his arm up, but the impact threw off his balance. His boots slid into a soft silt patch, trapping his lower legs up to the calves.
"Damn it!" he grunted, straining to pull free.
Shadow fell over him as the Mud-Stalker Alpha reared up. Its heavy, clubbed tail whipped through the air with terrifying force.
"[Mana Barrier]!" Arthur yelled, throwing up a shimmering wall of blue energy.
[Mana Barrier: Lv 1]
Category: Active / Magical Shielding
Mana Cost: 80 MP
Description: | Constructs a directional kinetic barrier that absorbs incoming physical and elemental damage based on the user's Max MP and Spell Power.
CRASH!
The Alpha's tail slammed directly into the barrier. The force was staggering. Blue fractures spider-webbed across the shield before it shattered completely into sparkling dust. The residual impact struck Arthur full in the chest, blasting him out of the mud trap and throwing him tumbling across the jagged rocks.
[Critical Damage Taken: Bludgeoning Impact!]
[-560 HP] (HP: 520 / 1,250)
[Status: Winded / Severe Chest Bruising]
Arthur coughed hard, blood pooling at the corner of his lip as he forced himself up onto one knee. Pain flared through his ribs with every breath. He glanced at his interface, his heart sinking.
HP: 520 / 1,250
MP: 70 / 600 (Critical Low)
My barrier collapsed from one raw physical strike, Arthur gasped, wiping his mouth. *I don't have enough mana for another barrier or [Iron Recovery]. One more solid hit and I'm done.
The Alpha bellowed in triumph, charging through the mud with its jaws wide open to crush him. The remaining smaller Mud-Stalker circled around to block his retreat.
Arthur gripped his longsword with both hands, feeling the rhythmic thrum of his racing pulse.
I can't out-magic this thing with 70 MP left. I have to rely on raw physical output.
His class passive flared into life: [Mana-Muscle Conversion].
[Mana-Muscle Conversion] (Class Ability)
Category: Active / Emergency Conversion
Cost: Variable MP Drain
Effect: Converts spent and remaining Mana into immediate physical strength, physical density, and explosive acceleration. When activated under severe strain, raw magic reserves burn directly into muscular horsepower—sacrificing spellcasting capacity to deliver devastating physical force.
Arthur drained his remaining 70 MP into the passive. A violent surge of physical energy roared through his bloodstream, deadening the agony in his ribs and pumping explosive power directly into his thigh muscles.
He kicked off the stone, driving forward like a crossbow bolt. The smaller Mud-Stalker lunged to cut him off, but Arthur didn't even slow down—he drove his shoulder into the creature's skull with sheer augmented muscle, breaking its neck outright.
[Target Defeated: Mud-Stalker (Lv 13) — +110 EXP Gained]
[EXP Progress: 900 / 1,000]
With the Alpha looming directly over him, jaws snapping shut inches from his face, Arthur ducked under its bite. His blade flashed in a razor-sharp thrust, leveraging every ounce of his converted physical strength.
The folded steel longsword punched straight through the soft skin beneath the Alpha's lower jaw, driving upward into its brain casing until the hilt struck bone.
The monster shuddered violently, its massive body freezing mid-stride before collapsing into the mud with a heavy, wet thud.
Arthur fell back onto the rocky ground, gasping frantically for air, his chest heaving as the adrenaline burst began to fade.
[Target Defeated: Mud-Stalker Alpha (Lv 15) — +220 EXP Gained]
[EXP Progress: 1,120 / 1,000]
[REQUIREMENT MET: LEVEL UP!]
A radiant burst of warm, golden light erupted from Arthur's chest, washing over his battered body. The fracture in his ribs knitted back together in seconds, the agonizing bruises dissolved, and the mental fog of zero mana vanished instantly.
StatusNameArthurClassMagic Swordsman(Class PassivesDual Channeling, Mana-Muscle Conversion)Level16 (UP!) (EXP: 120 / 1,500)Title{Wandering Transmigator}HP1,320/1,320MP650/650AttributeBaseStrength62Vitality55Agility55Intelligence43Mana AffinityFire / Physical AugmentationUnique Skill[Ancestral Synergy: Lv 1] (Angel's Blessing)Skills[Fire Magic: Lv 2], [Body Reinforcement: Lv 1], [Mana Barrier: Lv 1], [Flame Blade: Lv 1], [Haste: Lv 1], [Iron Recovery: Lv 1]Unallocated points: 0
Arthur lay back against the wet stones, staring up at the gray sky through the tree canopy as his full health and mana pools surged back to 100%.
"Level 16," he whispered, a tired smile finally breaking across his face. "Four more levels until the D-Rank trial."
He stood up, drew his longsword from the Alpha's skull, and began harvesting the rare mud-stalker hide and viper venom sacs to claim his bounty.