My attributes are increasing infinitely Chapter 489: Coming out of the forest

Ethan stayed perfectly still behind a dense thicket of dark-barked trees, eyes locked onto the horde of monsters clustered by the sinkhole. Steam billowing from the pit warped the air, forming subtle waves that hazed distant shapes. In typical scenarios, this kind of atmospheric distortion would hinder far-off battles. Yet Ethan's powers ignored standard paths. The Sword of Infinity heeded his mere thoughts, and teleportation let him sidestep all distances.

He breathed out steadily, regulating his breath.

A subtle hum from the Law of Infinity Strand stirred inside him, echoing his resolve. His awareness reached out, locking onto each foe. Seventeen level two beasts roamed the outer fringe, as level three Stalkers clung nearer the sinkhole. Clearing the lesser threats first would cut down uncertainties without sparking a unified retaliation.

No flashy draw for the sword. The blade materialized at his side, floating level like propped on unseen stands. A soft silver glow played along its edge, shunning both the leafy overhead and swirling vapors. As Ethan let loose, the sword hung poised, ready for orders.

He chose the initial mark.

A Shadowfang Whelp stalked the border, form half-fused with darkness while probing the area. Ethan triggered teleportation. The Sword of Infinity blinked away from him and rematerialized silently behind the beast's neck.

Right as it formed, he seized command via Spirit Mastery.

The blade surged forward.

It carved a flawless curve, cleaving the whelp's spine ere the creature detected peril. The carcass crumpled right away, gray fog lifting from the husk.

Ethan steered the sword clear and summoned it atop the treetops. The fog wafted skyward, arcing toward him under the pull of the Law of Infinity Strand.

[Shadowfang Whelp defeated. Level 2.]

[Essence absorbed. Evolution points gained: 30.]

Nearby monsters snapped to attention instantly. Multiple heads jerked to the downed whelp. A Thornhide Boar huffed loudly, claws raking the dirt. Stalkers twitched spasmodically, spindly fingers flexing as they hunted for signs of intrusion.

They couldn't pinpoint him.

Ethan held his ground unmoving. He tagged the next prey.

Teleportation fired once more. The sword popped up by a Thornhide Boar’s flank. Before the brute could twitch, the edge hammered down, rending its tough plating and stabbing the heart. The boar thrashed and toppled.

Gray fog ascended anew.

[Essence absorbed. Evolution points gained: 30.]

The monsters grew restless, eyes darting. They fanned out, sweeping the woods. Stalkers chittered lowly, narrow sense slits flaring open. A handful clambered partway down the pit's sides, seeking higher ground for sharper scans.

Ethan kept his cool.

He pressed ahead.

The sword flickered in and out nonstop. Every warp dropped it next to a fresh level two foe. Spirit Mastery directed it with lethal accuracy each strike. Zero stray swings. Zero excess power. Beasts toppled in quick succession, forms hitting ground before full alarm rippled out.

Three down.

Five.

Nine.

Chaos erupted in the clearing. Monsters bolted every which way, ranks crumbling. Some dashed back to the sinkhole. Others rampaged blindly through trees, desperate to find the hidden slayer. Stalkers twisted space nearby, forms blinking erratically in their frantic hunt.

Ethan never paused.

He tweaked the sword's hover spot and zeroed in on a bolting Venomroot Viper. The blade warped straight overhead and stabbed deep. The snake parted smoothly, torso splitting into twin pieces.

Thirty points more.

Gray fog poured into him relentlessly, the Law of Infinity Strand throbbing with every pull.

He kept at it relentlessly.

The last level two beast dropped seconds later, frame slumping at the sinkhole's lip. The survivors—mostly level ones and eleven Stalkers—huddled deeper in the crater, refusing to linger in the open.

Ethan recalled the sword, letting it drift beside him once more.

[Essence absorbed. Evolution points gained: 510.]

Seventeen kills.

Five hundred ten points.

Gray fog swirled around him like lazy haze before seeping into his flesh. The core thrum spiked sharply, then settled steady.

A thin smile tugged at Ethan's lips.

The technique proved flawless. Perfect distance, pinpoint accuracy, and negligible danger. That empowering sense of mastery flooded back, accompanied by a quiet boost to his assurance. Since departing the primordial bird's form, a piece of him had seemed lessened. The immense might he once commanded was gone, swapped for a weak start. Now, for the first time afterward, he sensed a hint of that former unbeatability creeping in—not as brute force, but as precise certainty.

He didn't hang around.

The leftover monsters had pulled back, and chasing them into the sinkhole would bring pointless risks. Practicality called for advancing, not fixating.

Ethan pivoted and slipped away from the spot without a sound, as the Sword of Infinity broke apart into specks of light and then faded away.

Silence hung over the forest clearing for a few seconds following his exit.

Then, something materialized.

It didn't come by traveling. It just popped into existence, like reality had finally noticed its constant presence. The shape was vaguely human-like, yet its form bristled with countless eyes. Tiny sharp teeth ringed each eye, gnashing open and shut leisurely. Its skin rippled nonstop while the eyes winked out of sync.

It appeared grotesque.

It appeared horrifying.

“He said our nemesis is in this forest right now,” it grumbled, the words resounding from numerous mouths simultaneously. “I wonder who it is.”

Had Ethan still been there, primal dread would have gripped him. The being's mere existence warped the air nearby. This was a beast way above the forest's threats. Its level surpassed one hundred.

It glanced at the surviving beasts.

Every eye blinked in unison.

The monsters went rigid.

An unseen power yanked them closer. The Stalkers twisted space desperately, yet it failed utterly. Thornhide Boars fought the earth, gouging furrows with their trotters. Shadowfang Whelps melted into shadows, trying to flee.

All attempts failed.

The entity's maw parted.

It stretched into an inky abyss that devoured even light. One after another, the monsters got hauled into the gloom, their forms crunching down before erasing completely. The blackness sealed shut, erasing every sign.

The being wheeled around and vanished just as suddenly as it had shown up.

In the distance, a sharp coldness raced along Ethan's spine.

[Master, get out of the forest immediately. A horrifying presence hides here], Yumiko warned in haste.

Ethan didn't hesitate or doubt. He'd sensed that same vibe just before. The warning was gut-deep, like prey detecting a top hunter nearby.

Teleportation fired off without delay.

His figure blinked out and rematerialized scores of meters forward. No stopping—he teleported once more. Again.

One.

Three.

Five.

He kept at it until the forest overhead started to sparse out. After the tenth straight jump, he breached Pandora Forest's edge and stepped into wide-open land.

He eased his speed a bit.

Then fresh ice clutched his chest.

Instincts howled in alarm.

Short-range teleport triggered in a flash.

A massive axe crashed down exactly where he'd been an instant prior, exploding the ground and hurling rock shards everywhere.

“Tsk. That Aurora clan bastard endured your strike. How lame is that?” a sneering voice taunted.

A second man lingered close by, face cool and detached. “Cut the crap. Grab him. He teleported. A low-level guy handling space shifts like that could matter. Maybe he's tied to some space artifact.”

“Boring,” the initial guy drawled indifferently. His eyes fixed on Ethan, mouth twisting into a derisive grin.

Tension in the atmosphere grew heavier.