SSS Awakening: Creating Primordial Beasts To Be My Summons-Chapter 5: Needleback Lizards

Cohen crouched inside a bush, watching his next victim cling to the trunk of a tree wrapped in dense foliage.

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Race: Needleback Lizard

Rarity: Common

Level: 5

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’A Level 1 wants to hunt a Level 5 alone. I guess my ability to take risks has increased too.’

Cohen thought with a smile.

He concentrated on the lizard, one he had seen multiple times back in the facility.

It was a brown, mid-sized lizard with sharp quill-like scales running along its back and tail—timid, but capable of lashing out violently when startled.

Cohen gripped a prepared throwing knife, pulling his arm back to throw.

Null Aura enveloped his body, reinforcing his muscles and skin.

Feeling the boost in strength, Cohen threw the knife, the blade spiderwebbing cracks across its scales.

The lizard released a loud yelp before detecting where the knife had come from.

The lizard, startled and injured, charged from the bushes, its movements erratic but swift. The throwing knife had slowed it, but its intent was clear—violence.

Cohen stood his ground, refusing to panic even as the Level 5 rapidly closed the distance.

The lizard coiled, ready to spring, but Cohen moved first.

Leveraging the faint power of his Null Aura, he pushed off the ground, a little burst of speed making his approach unexpectedly quick.

He dodged the initial tail swipe, the quill-like scales scraping harmlessly past his enhanced defensive Aura.

He drove the dagger low, aiming for the soft underbelly.

The lizard shrieked as the blade sank deep.

The Null Aura channeled through the steel, making the wound instantly lethal as it sliced through internal organs where normal steel might have only bruised.

With a final convulsion, the Needleback Lizard flopped onto the forest floor, motionless.

[You have gained Experience Points!]

Cohen retrieved his dagger, wiping the viscous monster blood onto the forest dirt.

’Null Aura works like normal Aura. It can enhance things far beyond simple mana reinforcement.

’The main difference, aside from it moving on instinct, is that its enhancement also seems stronger.

’I feel like my offence and defense stats are increased by twice the base when using Null Aura.

’I probably won’t have a problem with rare level 5 beasts too!’

He was still analyzing the fight when he sensed the space around him shift.

Perception of Grays flared, pushing his awareness to the twenty-meter limit.

Two more disturbances moved toward him. And they were fast.

He turned just as two identical Needleback Lizards emerged from the same thicket, alerted by the death yelp of the first.

These were not charging in blind panic; they were hunting.

The Null Aura instinctively intensified, reacting to the higher threat level.

One was Level 5, the other Level 6.

He couldn’t rely on the easy one-shot kill this time.

The two lizards flanked him, a coordinated attack he hadn’t anticipated.

The Level 5 lunged, aiming for his legs, while the Level 6 sprang higher, targeting his torso.

Cohen reacted, dropping low to avoid the Level 6’s initial strike, but he couldn’t dodge the Level 5’s powerful tail whip entirely.

The Null Aura absorbed the bulk of the impact, but the force still slammed into his side. A sharp, searing pain shot through his ribs.

He gritted his teeth, the pain momentarily dulling his focus.

He lashed out, his dagger catching the Level 5’s leg, momentarily crippling it.

But the Level 6 was relentless. It used the opening to bite down on his exposed shoulder.

The Null Aura flared violently, his strengthened skin pushing back against the beast’s jaws, but it wasn’t perfect.

Teeth scraped against reinforced skin, the pressure enough to make his vision flicker.

The powerful muscles tore through the outer layer of protection.

Cohen roared, a sound more of focused fury than pain.

He knew he was bleeding, and the sight of his own blood—the result of a fight he should have handled cleanly—spiked his determination.

’Enough with the slow death.’

He funneled a torrent of Mana, not into his Aura, but into his final skill.

’I Am Null.’

A heavy, oppressive pressure radiated outwards from Cohen.

It wasn’t visible, but the lizards felt it instantly. It was like the air itself had solidified, pressing down on them.

The Level 6 on his shoulder released its grip with a pained squeal, struggling to keep its footing on the pressure-filled ground.

The Level 5, already injured, collapsed entirely, pinned by the unnatural weight.

The effect was instantaneous—the predators suddenly reduced to struggling prey.

The lizards’ movements, previously a blur of aggression, became sluggish, labored.

Cohen seized the opportunity. He pivoted, his body moving with desperate speed against the pressure that also slightly weighed on him.

He slammed his foot down on the pinned Level 5’s neck, hearing a crunch, then plunged his dagger deep into the struggling Level 6’s throat.

The effect of I Am Null vanished as quickly as it came, leaving Cohen panting, his shoulder throbbing.

The heavy, metallic smell of blood mixed with the humid forest air as the forest slowly fell silent again.

[You have reached level 2!]

[You have obtained 8 stat points!]

Cohen took a shaky breath, pressing a hand to his bloodied shoulder. His reserves were running low.

[Mana: 167/500]

’I need to control the Null Aura better, or these short fights will drain me before I even reach the grounds.’

He looked at the three still, scaly bodies.

Cohen ignored the pain in his shoulder, a grim smile touching his lips.

’8 stat points? What the fuck is this ass mythic class! Oi, give me my 3 additional points!’

He laughed at his hypocrisy and proceeded to distribute his stats.

’Time to go get me a monster to Baptise!’