Ronan flexed his wrist, feeling the unstable energy of the Starflame still stirring wildly within his body.
In front of him, a giant Mandrill shook its massive frame violently, trying to shake off the remaining flames still burning in its fur. Its breaths came heavy, eyes glowing a deeper red—rage replacing pain.
Its savage gaze now locked onto Ronan. A loud roar erupted from its throat, echoing through the trees, sending flocks of birds scattering from the high branches.
Ronan gripped his dagger tightly. His eyes were sharp, calculating every move of his opponent without rushing to strike.
When facing a beast this powerful, acting recklessly would only hasten death.
The Mandrill stomped the ground hard, creating small cracks in the forest floor. Its body leaned forward, legs tensing—a telltale motion before a primate launches into a pouncing attack.
Ronan was ready for it.
The moment the monster lunged with brutal speed, he reacted.
One step to the left—just enough to dodge the first strike.
Two steps back—enough to avoid the incoming claw swipe.
The Mandrill crashed into the ground, sending up a cloud of dust and dry leaves.
But Ronan was already at its side.
Wasting no time, he flipped his dagger into a reverse grip and stabbed it behind the monster's knee.
"GRRRGH!"
Black blood sprayed out as the Mandrill roared in fury, swinging a claw at Ronan.
But he had already rolled back, withdrawing the dagger cleanly before retreating to a safe distance.
His eyes watched the creature's response.
Just as he suspected.
Thanks to the original Ronan's deep academic knowledge, he possessed a wide range of information—including about fauna.
The weak spots of large primates like this were in the joints and lower abdomen. Their muscles were too thick in the chest and arms, making regular attacks less effective.
But if their movement could be slowed...
A faint smile curled on his lips.
The Mandrill crouched, gritting through the pain in its leg before leaping again with astonishing speed.
Ronan had only a split second to react.
He slammed his heel into the ground, channeling energy into his body.
Starflame ignited in his left hand—still unstable, still foreign to his system.
But he didn't hesitate.
With perfect precision, his dagger struck right into the monster's lower abdomen.
Slash!
Flesh tore open, and in the blink of an eye—Ronan's left hand, cloaked in Starflame, drove straight into the wound.
FWOOSH!
The sound of burning flesh filled the air, a pungent stench quickly spreading around them.
"KRAAAAAAAAKH!"
The Mandrill howled in agony, thrashing and rolling wildly on the ground.
[New combat skill acquired: Vital Strike]
[Description: Allows attacks to focus on enemy weak points, increasing the chance of critical hits]
Ronan smirked at the system notification, stepping back low to the ground, his breathing steady. The monster kept rolling in erratic patterns, making it hard to land another strike.
But at least, he had weakened it.
That's what he thought—until the Mandrill suddenly lunged at him with unexpected speed, its massive leg swinging violently.
Ronan never saw it coming.
THUMP!
The kick landed squarely on his body, sending him flying over ten meters, slamming into a thick tree behind him.
CRACK!
The sound of splitting wood rang out as the tree collapsed from the impact.
Ronan's vision blurred.
Meanwhile, the Mandrill continued groaning in pain, smacking its burned wound aggressively.
Ronan clenched his teeth. Blood streamed down his temple, and he could feel several of his ribs had cracked.
But his body was already stronger than a normal human. Injuries like these wouldn't bring him down.
Staggering slightly, he stood back up. His eyes were now cold, burning with fury.
The Mandrill, as if responding, readied itself once more.
"I'm going to kill you!" Ronan growled, letting his dagger fall to the ground.
He charged forward, both arms igniting in roaring red flames. His clothes remained untouched by the fire.
Once in range, he hurled a barrage of fireballs at the beast like cannon shots.
FWOOSH!
The flames ripped through the air, scorching the space between them.
But the Mandrill moved swiftly, dodging each ball of fire hurled its way.
And with every motion, it got closer.
Within seconds, they were only a few meters apart.
But this was exactly what Ronan wanted.
As soon as the beast entered his strike zone, Ronan clenched his right fist, gathering all the fire energy into it.
And in one swift motion—
BOOM!
The fiery fist shot forward like a dragon, engulfing the Mandrill in blazing Starflame.
"KRAAAAAAKH!"
The Mandrill shrieked in agony, its entire body swallowed in raging red fire.
Ronan panted heavily, watching the beast thrash uncontrollably.
Nearby, the old man watched the scene in awe. That fire punch looked strong.
Seconds passed.
Then silence.
Its body charred black, completely burnt. Its mouth hung open in a death frozen in pain.
Ronan took a deep breath, then sat down to calm his pounding heart. He still didn't know the limits of using Starflame, but that last attack had clearly drained nearly all his energy.
It was then that the old man stepped forward, his face full of gratitude. "Thank you for saving us. If I may ask, what's your name?"
Ronan didn't answer right away. Instead, he looked the old man in the eyes—quiet, observant, as if trying to read something beneath the surface.
After a brief pause, he blinked slowly.
"My name is—"
He stopped mid-sentence.
Ronan's eyes widened slightly as a familiar blue screen flickered into view before him.
[New combat skill acquired: Fire Fist]