King of the Apelops

Kit could see the massive form of the boss Apelop from his position, its rough skin and enormous hands resembling large watermelons. The spikes on its back glistened with a sticky liquid.

"This is going to be a blast," laughed Mars.

"Are you sure we can handle this, Mars? I only reached level 8 today. Here, let me show you, my stats."

Kit

Level: 8

Class: Swordsman

Sub class:

Money: 43 silver 404 bronze crowns

Restaurant capital: 45 silver 209 bronze crowns

Free points: 16

Culinary points: 42

Health: 270/2700

Stamina 20/20

Magica: 60/60

Experience: 1605/7500

Attack + 19 (30)

Speed + 55 (5)

Intelligence + 56

Agility + 112 (5)

Defence +13 (5)

Weapon: Beginner Sword

Clothing: White apron

"No worries, he's only level 30. Your agility is pretty good now, so your dodge skill should be able to handle it. Just stay focused. I'll deal most of the damage; you can attack when you see a chance." Mars confidently assessed.

"How do you know his level?" Kit wondered if he could get the same ability as Mars, he felt it would come in handy.

"I used Identify." Mars gave Kit a strange look. "Wait, you haven't been using that on the monsters?" Mars raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Oh man, how did I not think of that? I feel silly now," Kit blushed.

"You've never played any games before huh?" Mars looked incredulously as Kit.

"No, my mom thought they were a waste of time, and when I moved in with my sister, we couldn't afford them anyway. And even if I had the money, my phone is too old to support most apps. Beside I only wanted to play CAL," replied Kit.

"That explains a lot. But it might actually work in your favour since you have no expectations or limits from previous game experiences. CAL is completely different from its predecessors." Mars looked Kit up and down, nodding to himself. "I think we can get you to level 10 with this monster. Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be...wait, what happens if one of us dies? Where do we meet back up?" Kit felt a moment of panic.

"We won't die, but if we do, it's okay. We should respawn back in Sweet Meadow. We're still within the respawn field for that area," explained Mars.

"What?" this concept was alien to Kit, what even was a respawn field.

"Each area has a designated respawn field. You'll respawn at the nearest stone arch to where you died." Mars patiently explained.

Kit nodded in understanding, "got it."

"You ready now?" Mars lifted a brow in queries.

"Um...yeah?" Kit could feel his heart racing and his palms getting sweaty. This was starting to become familiar. He focused on the massive Apelop and used his Identify skill. Information flooded his vision instantly.

[King of the Apelops]

Swift Feet, Level 30.

HP 5,000

"What in the world! How are we supposed to DEFEAT it? My health points are only at 270. I'm going to perish."

"Stay optimistic," replied Mars calmly.

With that, Mars retrieved his throwing knives. This time, however, there was a slight variation. The blades in Mars' grip began to emit scorching flames. With a swift toss towards Swift Feet, the knives erupted into a blaze of fiery red.

The blast of fire upon impact caused Swift Feet to let out a loud cry of agony.

With a loud cry, Mars swung his sword and dealt 500 damage to Swift Feet. Kit was impressed by his speed and skill as he continued to deliver attacks at an astonishing rate.

- 105 damage

- 150 damage

- 300 damage

- 500 damage

"Are you even human? How are you able to do that?" Kit couldn't believe how effortlessly Mars was defeating their opponent. But there was no time to dwell on it - they were in the middle of a battle.

"Come on, Kit! Don't let me have all the fun!" Mars called out, urging Kit to join in.

Kit snapped into action, leaping over the shockwaves created by Swift Feet as he approached. He was grateful for his increased agility, thanks to his cooking skills. Without it, he doubted he would have been able to react in time.

As he neared Swift Feet, the giant creature roared and slammed four hands onto the ground. A wave of force rippled through the dirt towards Kit, but he managed to jump over it and land on his feet with surprising grace. His heart raced as he charged towards Swift Feet, ready to take him down.

Raising his sword to the sky, Kit then brought it down with precision towards one of Swift Feet's hands. This time, something felt different - he had complete control over his movements and his sword sliced cleanly through flesh as he removed the hand from its arm.

- 85 damage

Ding!

[Skill learnt: Advanced beginner Swift Strike]

Player delivers a swift decisive strike to inflict damage on his target.

+ 40 Attack

+ 5 Defence

Kit's vision was temporarily obscured by the warm blood spraying from the severed hand covering his face. He quickly wiped it away, feeling a wave of nausea wash over him from being coated in bodily fluids. "Well done, Kit," Mars encouraged, "but don't lose focus now. Keep attacking."

Kit pushed through the stickiness and focused on fighting Swift Feet. He dodged its attacks and managed to land a few hits with his sword, each time causing a gush of blood to erupt from the creature's body. Meanwhile, Mars was taking most of the hits from Swift Feet.

It was difficult for Kit to keep up with the intense speed of the flying hands, but he managed to inflict some damage - 85 points at a time. His heart raced with fear, knowing that one hit from this giant Apelop could kill him.

Sweat dripped down his face as he struggled to maintain concentration. He glanced at Mars and saw that he was grinning maniacally and laughing. A mixture of sweat and blood entered Kit's eye, causing it to water and blur his vision.

He blinked rapidly, trying to clear it, but it was enough of a distraction for Swift Feet to land a hit on him. Kit tumbled backwards from the force of the blow, feeling excruciating pain in his left arm as it collided with the ground. He quickly drank from his water bottle, grateful that he had refilled it before their journey began.

As he chugged the water down, he felt his shoulder start to reposition itself uncomfortably back into place. The healing effects of the water dulled the pain and restored his health back to full capacity.

Gritting his teeth against the discomfort, Kit stood up determined to keep fighting alongside Mars. He didn't want to be a burden or let Mars down. With renewed determination, he went to joined the battle again.

Kit stared in disbelief at the chaos unfolding before him. The once tranquil Mars was now a tornado of destruction, with Swift Feet at its centre, brandishing his sword against the onslaught of flying hands.

The ground beneath them was slowly turning crimson with blood. Mars moved with nimble grace, easily evading every attack from the huge creature. It was like watching a slow-motion battle, with Swift Feet unable to land a single hit on his opponent. Suddenly, Swift Feet let out a piercing scream and collapsed onto the ground.

Ding!

[King of the Apelops, Swift Feet Killed]

Rewards: 15,000 experience, 1 silver crown

4 x King Apelop Hides

Ding!

[Congratulations, you are now Level 9]

Ding!

[Congratulations, you are now Level 10]

Mars stood next to the giant dead Apelop with a wild grin on his face, "That was fun. Right Kit?"

Kit could only shake his head, his thoughts consumed by fear and survival during the intense encounter. "Fun? Mars, I was just trying to stay alive. That hand nearly killed me." Kit's heart was still racing from the adrenaline of the battle.

"You were fine. I told you it would be easy." Mars seemed oblivious to Kit's feelings, still bouncing with excitement.

But for Kit, it hadn't been easy. If Mars hadn't been there to help, he would have been defeated before the fight even began. The weight of this realisation settled heavily in Kit's heart. He couldn't keep relying on his friend's strength; he needed to improve his own fighting skills or he would become a burden.

Determined not to fall behind, Kit vowed to work harder and keep up with Mars. Meanwhile, Mars was still grinning from ear to ear.

"The second-best part is yet to come," he exclaimed.

"Second?" Kit questioned.

"The loot." Mars pointed down at Swift Feet lying on the ground, and a wooden chest next to the Apelop's feet.

Kit felt a surge of excitement at the sight of the treasure chest. He eagerly joined Mars by its side, both of them filled with anticipation for what they would find inside.