[ You have crafted a "Makeshift Torch". ]
[ Durability: 100% (slowly reduces durability by 1 every three seconds.) ]
It may not look like it does damage, but it is extremely reliable against enemies with fire weaknesses, especially tree-type enemies. With this on his hand, the trearios will not recklessly attack him and force them into thinking up a new strategy. If they want to be safe, they'd do 'that' strategy.
Suddenly, a treario slowly shuffles towards him with their shield forward and sticks on the side. A defensive stance while trying to do an offensive once near the enemy, it's predictable. Nash sighs, the treario keeps getting closer. Blocking the sight of what's behind him.
Yes, that's their tactic. Going behind an ally and setting up a two-man ambush. The one on the front is on defense while the one behind is on offense and ambush. If he targets the one in front, it'll move to the side and the one behind is gonna strike him down with their stick. With their level, it will straight up knock his consciousness out and possibly kill him within a few hits.
Nash turns to the side and only shows the left side of his body, his right hand which is holding the torch is hidden due to him turning his body to the left. With this, he lifts his left leg and lowers his body, as if he is gonna throw the torch. So, he threw it at them.
The treario's soon realized that and began to scatter immediately. The one in front evaded to the right side while the one behind evaded to the left. The torch that he threw landed where they were supposed to be, the treario(2) looked back at the human who no longer had the torch, but soon found him running towards the treario(1) from who was found on the right side, holding a flaming torch.
The Treario(2) from the left instantaneously looked at the 'torch' that the human threw earlier towards their previous position, and it was but a wooden club with a burnt tip.
Then, they looked back at their comrade, which had now been lit up by the human using a real torch. The Treario(1)'s shield hand is being burnt by the torch and it quickly spreads throughout its limbs and towards the torso. The human jumped backward, with the sound of a string being released.
𝙏𝙝𝙪𝙣𝙠! 𝘾𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙠…!
The durability of the treario's has been broken by weakening it with fire and breaking it with an arrow released at a normal speed. The treario's skin crumbles down, but the flames never stop spreading. It spread inside of the treario's body and effectively shattered the core inside of it which keeps them alive.
It all happened within a minute, and all the other treario could do was watch it happen. Because they are scared of flames, they can't even help their comrade because they too have a sense of self-preservation.
[ Torch's Durability: 60% ]
Treario(1) and Treario(3) joined up together and formed a formation. Similar to what 1 and 2 did earlier, the defensive ambush tactic. They both learned their lesson, that the human will not let go of their only weapon that could kill them. Anything that they throw is either a distraction or a bluff.
"They learn so quickly…! I guess I can't call them A.I's anymore if they are my reality now…!"
Think, Nash. How will you handle this–
Suddenly, a huge pain entered his entire body and mind. It lasted for a few seconds before it finally stopped, however, his vision was hazy. A message appeared in front of him, showing a percentage.
[ Exhaustion %: 72% ]
'I… I'm exhausted?'
I see, I haven't paid attention to my CON status at all ever since I obtained all of those status points earlier. All I've done is run and fight, the fact that it reached 72% meant that his CON stat is low. That focused shot must've taken lots of my stamina and because my CON stat is low, more fighting would only make him reach 100% in no time, and if that happens… The penalty would be paralyzing his entire body for an entire minute, making him vulnerable to all kinds of attacks, ambushes, etc.
Nash looks forward, seeing the trearios' slowly getting closer to him while his vision is hazy and zooming far and closer. He takes a few steps backward only to experience more nausea and his stomach curling, wanting to release gastric juice out of his body.
Moving will increase his exhaustion, big movements will cause him to finally vomit. A big restriction is not being able to move despite being an agility archer. He lifts his torch, only to see Treario(1) right in front of him with its weapon above his head, swinging downwards.
𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙘𝙠!
"AGH…!"
He couldn't react fast enough, he stepped backward in hopes of avoiding getting struck on the head. Instead, he got his hands struck with the stick and his torch left his hand.
He groaned in pain, both his mind and body screamed in pain. Nash hasn't felt this much pain before, this is all too unfamiliar. He looked at his hands, his right thumb was dislocated, and his wrists were bloody. The torch kept flickering below him, on the ground.
[ Exhaustion %: 80% ]
Then, as soon as he tries to gasp for air. Treario(3) appeared and struck Nash twice diagonally with a stick on his shoulders and thrust the stick onto his solar plexus. Takes all of his breath away as he kneels to the ground and starts releasing all of his transparent gastric acid out in the open alongside a small pool of blood, spilling it all on the stone, cold ground. His insides are churning and hurting from all sides, as his mind continues to get stabbed mentally, like being stabbed with countless needles.
The combos from both treario's have left him injured. His shoulders were bruised and possibly broken, his right thumb was dislocated, and suffering from exhaustion.
The Trearios continue to get closer, imitating a laughing motion. Putting their tree hands on their mouth, as if they were mocking him for vomiting.
"Igh…!"
Dammit! Why didn't the exhaustion message pop up sooner?! This wouldn't have happened if I'd known that my meter was near to a hundred percent! Fuck! I'm gonna die to a treario? Who's buffed by the crimson moon effect?! BULLSHIT! I'll die to a floor 3 monster just like that? When I don't even know what it looks like outside of the dungeon?!
His hair covers his sight.
"Ah. It's red…"
Red?
"INVENTORY!"
Nash stood up and quickly kicked the flickering torch below towards the feet of the Treario's. While it spins towards the enemies, he quickly grabs a small vial that contains red liquid. He pops the cork off the vial and downs the red liquid within a millisecond. Then, he quickly grabs another one and drinks it.
The Trearios evaded it by moving in both right and left directions, just like what had happened before. However, something miraculous had happened.
[ LUCK activated! ]
A small flicker of flame has placed itself on Treario(1)'s foot. It was a small flicker, but due to its swift evasion, it grew bigger. Creating a bigger flame and it now burns the tree creature's foot. The flames spread upwards, the tree creature tries to put it out by stomping its foot on the ground, letting the wind extinguish it. Unfortunately, the wind made the flames spread faster and burn stronger.
[ Used 2 Minor Health Potions ]
[ Decreases Exhaustion by 30%, slowly heals up bruises ]
[ Exhaustion %: 50% ]
"That was close! Fuck! This is why that Character Profile is important!" He complains after downing two vials of minor health potions, he dropped the vials on the ground before glaring at the trearios.