<h4>Chapter 18: Wings of Fire</h4>


    Ben''s body collided with the tree trunk, his fragile form absorbing the impact with a sickening crunch. Pain radiated through his remaining body parts, and he struggled to keep his consciousness from slipping away. Blood trickled from his wounds, staining the ground beneath him.


    The bird, sensing its imminent victory, descended upon Ben, its sharp beak and ws poised to finish the job. Its piercing eyes gleamed with a cruel hunger, ready to im its prey. Ben''s vision blurred as he desperately tried to muster any strength he had left.


    With a final surge of adrenaline, Ben managed to push himself off the tree, narrowly evading the bird''s lethal strike. He plummeted to the ground,nding with a bone-jarring thud, exacerbating his injuries. Every movement sent waves of agony through his battered body, but he refused to sumb to the pain.


    Barely clinging to life, Ben crawled through the undergrowth, leaving a trail of blood in his wake. Every inch felt like an eternity as he fought against the darkness creeping at the edges of his vision. His determination burned brightly within him, pushing him forward despite the overwhelming odds.


    His senses dulled, and the world around him grew hazy and distorted. Death loomed just inches away, its cold grasp ready to im him. But Ben refused to surrender. Memories of his mother''s words echoed in his mind, urging him to fight for his life.


    [HP: 1.1/5.0 ]


    "Think, Ben, there has to be a way." He struggled in his mind, his thoughts racing to find a solution amidst the chaos. The pain sharpened his focus, heightening his senses as he sought any advantage he could find.


    "The bird is faster than me, bigger than me, and stronger than me... Normal attacks wouldn''t even hurt a human being. The only attack I have is the Blood Needle skill." He thought with a determined expression before he came up with a n.


    With a sudden realization, Ben stopped struggling on the ground and left his body free to be picked up by the cold metallic w of its predator, as the bird grabbed him and took off into the sky.


    "The only way for my attack to hit the target is to close the distance between me and the enemy."


    "But my enemy is fast; I can''t close the distance between us. So, the only best course of action is..."


    "To let the enemy close the distance between us itself," he thought, opening his eyes again with a sharp smile as he sensed he was high enough in the sky. "I willunch this attack, WITH EVERY OUNCE OF STRENGTH I HAVE GOT!"


    "BLOOD NEEDLE SKILL: MAXIMUM CAPACITY!"


    Ben shouted in his mind, as if it were hisst scream before his death. A crimson-red needle started to manifest between his fangs; it grewrger andrger, almost twice the size of a normal blood needle, before it slowly turned golden yellow in colour, emitting heat like a hot red iron.


    "BANGGG!!"


    A sound as loud as a gunshot reverberated through the air, and before the bird could realise it, there was a 3cm thick hole through its chest, burning in mes.


    "Schreeekkk!" The bird screamed in pain, but gasps of blood filled its mouth. Its grey feathers were slowly engulfed in yellow mes. The bird tried to bnce in the air, but its feathers were burned. In an instant, the prey it was ying with became the cause of its demise; all the bird could do was freefall from the sky, bleeding like a spray in the wind.


    [HP: 0.1/5.0 ]


    Ben was falling from the air, still stuck in the bird''s metallic w. His ears were ringing, his senses were slowly going numb, his vision was fading away, and the only thing he could see was a status bar, indicating his critical HP.


    He closed his eyes and let his body rx. There was nothing more he could do but rest. Rest from the monotonous life he had been living until now; all his senses were now at ease; he could feel his body stop falling from the air; and the ringing sound in his ears turned into a whispering melody.


    "Ben!"


    ...


    "Ben?"...


    "Ben?"


    "Grasp" A child, about 11 or 12, woke up, huffing and panting, while beads of sweat covered his face as if he had just woken up from a nightmare.


    Mom, do you need anything? Sorry, I fell asleep." The child immediately stood up, being attentive towards a woman in a blue dress lying on a hospital bed.


    "Hmh... Such a good caretaker you are." The woman giggled, but the smile on her face couldn''t hide the tears falling from her eyes as she looked at her beloved child, as if she were looking at something precious she was about to leave.


    "Mom, why are you crying? Do you need anything? Just tell me, and I will bring it for you." The 12 year old boy, with blondie hair and crimson blue eyes, ran towards the bed, holding her mother''s hand, determined to do anything for her smile.


    "There is nothing more you can do for me, dear. I am already very lucky to have a child like you." The woman spoke, her voice heavy with emotion, swallowing the lump in her throat. "Listen closely, Ben; my time in this world hase. Momma is sorry, but I can''t apany you anymore in this cruel world."


    Listening to his mother''s words, crystal tears dropped from the young boy''s eyes. Notining, not fighting, as if deep down he had epted this day woulde. He listened to his mother closely, engraving each and every one of her words in his heart.


    "Promise me, Ben, whatever happens, Or however the world treats you. You will never give up on your life." The woman said this, extending her pinky finger towards him.


    The little boy, in response, didn''t utter a word as he extended his pinky finger to interlock with the woman''s. And nodded briefly.


    "Promise me, you will live a life worth two of us."


    ...


    ...


    ...


    " I Promise, I won''t give up on my life." Ben said in a determined voice as he opened his eyes again, looking at the floating hologamic screen with sharp yet purposeful eyes.


    [Congrattions host! You have sessfully evolved into a ''Vampiric Dreadwing Mosquito''. ]


    "And I promise, I won''t let anyone else suffer like you, mom. Not on my watch."


    .........


    [ Ahem...ahem.., Yo guys its author here! I know I am asking this too soon but, I need 2 more reviews on my book to get a rating on Webnovel. If you are reading this story till here, I believe you are already familiar with where this story is going and all, hahaha...]


    [ So, just spare a few minutes of your life and help this newbie author. Thankyou for your time, keep reading keep supporting <3 ]