The underbrush parted, and a beast the size of a small car stepped into the clearing. It looked like a hound, but its skin was formed from rotting grey bark, and thick red vines pulsed underneath it like exposed veins.
Shu tightened his grip on the bat as the monster locked its glowing yellow eyes on him.
It lunged with a speed that would have easily killed him a few days ago, but with his new upgrades, his body reacted before his brain could even finish processing the movement.
He sidestepped the heavy jaws, pivoting smoothly on his heel, and swung his bat hard into the beast's exposed ribs. The impact cracked through the clearing, shattering the monster's bark armor into jagged splinters and sending it crashing into the ground.
'My strength really did jump,' he thought, taking a step forward. 'I barely put any effort into that swing.'
