First Kill – The Green-Auraed Mob

Daisuke activated the Eye of Verity, scanning the area for any hidden clues. Meanwhile, Zephyr focused intently, employing his sharp sense of smell to sniff the ground and the surrounding air, alert for any signs of trouble.

RUMBLE.

But while they were hunting—

BOOOM!

They were also being hunted—

SNATCH!

Daisuke swiftly snatched

up Zephyr and dive-rolled to safety as an invisible enemy shot up from the

earth where the pup was standing just moments ago.

"Wh-What was that?" Kaine

recoiled in horror.

Zephyr looked around

frantically, his keen nose effortlessly pinpointing the general direction of

the assailant while his eyes strained to distinguish any sign of them.

Daisuke cautiously set the canine down, his golden eyes focused on a cluster of green mana that indicated the phantom was some kind of fiend. Dungeon monsters emanated a crimson red aura, while the surface dwellers exuded a yellow one. But what kind of monster would possess a green aura?

Before he could formulate any theories, the monster let out a strident roar, shattering his concentration like an earthquake ripping through the ground. Kaine, on the other hand, remained undeterred—his love for his wife surrounded him like a protective cocoon, allowing his wrath to blossom into something fierce and unstoppable.

Although he couldn't see the fiend, every fiber of his being told him this creature was the obstacle standing between him and the preservation of what his wife had once held dear.

Pinpointing the monster's location by its screech, Kaine surrendered to his rage and charged in with a cry. With a wild swing of his scythe, he severed several of the creature's tentacle-like appendages, which fell to the ground and writhed like the severed tails of lizards.

The monster emitted a pained shriek, seemingly flickering in and out of existence. Before it could be clearly seen, a tentacle lashed out like a whip, striking Kaine's stomach and sending him crashing to the ground.

"Kaine!" Daisuke exclaimed. Dammit!

"GRRR~"

Flames flickered and crackled from Zephyr's snout as he conjured a fiery storm within his belly. But before he could unleash a torrent of flames, the fiend swiftly burrowed underground again. In the same heartbeat, several tentacles shot up from beneath the earth like metallic spears, intent on skewering their foes.

Daisuke's sixth sense narrowly had him bending his back just microseconds before his forehead could be pierced. Zephyr, unfortunately, wasn't as lucky—a few nanoseconds too slow, he took a direct hit as an appendage shot out from the ground, carving a deep gash along his torso.

"AHWRU!"

The pup was sent soaring in a high arc before crashing onto the ground. Just as a series of tentacles threatened to finish him off, Daisuke sprinted forward to the rescue.

DING!

[Your companion, Zephyr, has been afflicted with the poison status.]

DING!

[A mysterious blessing has neutralized the deadly toxin.]

As I suspected, Daisuke thought as he fished a Small HP Recovery Potion from his inventory. There must be some special power protecting you. How else can those ridiculous stats be explained? With the poison cured, all that's left is to heal this wound.

"Rawrwu," Zephyr let out a weak whine, gesturing toward Kaine as his wound slowly mended.

"Shit!" Daisuke cursed under his breath, his eyes fixed on the motionless farmer. Kaine was hit by the same tentacle that messed up Zephyr. If he got poisoned too, his life's in danger!

PHIP! PHIP! PHIP!

Daisuke grunted in frustration as the monster's invisible appendages continued to shoot up from the ground like metallic spikes, primarily targeting Zephyr, who was cradled in his arms.

What's up with this thing? He thought angrily. It keeps going after Zephyr! Dammit! If it wasn't for the Eye of Verity, I wouldn't be able to see a thing!

Frustrated that its underhanded tactics weren't hitting their mark, the fiend boldly resurfaced and dispelled its camouflage.

Daisuke's eyebrows furrowed as a serpentine monster emerged. Its round, gaping mouth, lined with jagged, saliva-coated teeth, resembled that of a leech. A pair of webbed, mole-like hands jutted from its sides, along with several tentacles ending in blade-like tips. Daisuke's eyes narrowed as he noted the thick purple liquid coating them.

DING!

[Fossorial Ekimmu | Lvl 7 | Field Boss]

That's a Field Boss? Daisuke thought in surprise as he and Zephyr quickly split up to avoid another barrage of tentacles. No, that's not important right now. I need to quickly get rid of this thing and treat Kaine before it's too late!

The monster appeared to have no visible eyes, yet its body shifted mechanically to follow Zephyr's every move. It was enraged that its prey was unaffected by its lethal venom, yet welcomed the challenge of a difficult hunt, especially when its meal promised to be of such high quality.

DROOL~

Sensing the fiend's ravenous hunger and urge to devour him, Zephyr skidded to a halt and whipped his head around with a scowl, flames flickering in his mouth. With a roar, he unleashed a blanket of fire, intent on reducing the fiend to ashes. But the creature swiftly burrowed underground once more, causing the earth to tremble as it advanced toward the wary pup.

Zephyr's body dipped low, his eyes wide and ears perked. The canine could sense the creature's proximity through the gradual increase of vibrations beneath his sensitive paws.

Just as the fiend neared directly beneath him, Zephyr tried to bolt, but was swiftly ensnared by several tentacles that seemed to move with a mind of their own.

The monster eagerly resurfaced, enthralled by the prospect of its impending feast. In a chilling scene reminiscent of a horror film, a ghastly appendage slowly extended from its gaping jaws, its sharp tip seeming like it could easily pierce through metal.

Zephyr growled and squirmed frantically as the long shaft neared his forehead with surgical precision, poised to puncture his skull. But just before he could activate Divine Armament—

SWISHHH!

There was a blur of movement. The Lipanthyer's Fang traced a white arc as Daisuke shot across the battlefield like a bullet, appearing to slice through time and space—a remarkable result of channeling all his stats into Strength and Agility.

DING!

[The active skill «Cosmic Cutter» has been acquired.]

[Cosmic Cutter]

[Rank: Unique

Classification: Active Skill

Lvl: 1

Proficiency: 0%

Every fiber of your being is attuned to strength and speed. Energy courses into your weapon, enabling you to unleash a devastating strike with unparalleled swiftness.

Skill Effect:

▪︎ Equally distributing all Stat Points between Strength and Agility amplifies Attack by 250%.

▪︎ Once used, stat allocation returns to normal, and the Stat Reset skill is locked for 6 hours.

Mana Cost: 150

Skill Cooldown: 24 Hours]

FLOP!

The creature's head slid smoothly from its elongated neck and thudded heavily onto the ground. Zephyr and Daisuke stood frozen, their eyes wide with shock as green blood sprayed from the gaping wound. Daisuke gazed down at his hands in utter disbelief, blood dripping from the Lipanthyer's Fang.

…Is this kind of power really allowed inside the game? He thought as his stats righted themselves and were subsequently locked.

DING!

[FIRST KILL!]

[The elusive Field Boss «Fossorial Ekimmu» has been slain for the very first time! The player who accomplished this monumental feat is Haxks!]

[25,200 Experience Points have been acquired.]

[The title «One-Hit Kill» has been acquired.]

[Battle Bow has been acquired.]

[Copper Ore x3 has been acquired.]

[Bronze Ore x4 has been acquired.]

[Lead Ingot x2 has been acquired.]

[Crystalized Poison Sac x2 has been acquired.]

[208 gold has been acquired.]

DING!

[The quest «Preserving Mariam's Memories» has been completed!]

[Affinity with Kaine has increased to the maximum.]

[35,000 Experience Points have been acquired.]

[17 gold has been acquired.]

Brushing the notification windows aside, Daisuke hurried over to Kaine, who was likely poisoned just as Zephyr had been after being struck by the tentacles. Just in case he had any broken bones or worse injuries, Daisuke carefully turned him onto his back.

"…I know he's a farmer and all, but his body's surprisingly heavy and firm for an older guy," murmured Daisuke as he summoned a potion from his inventory.

"Rawrwu?" Zephyr tilted his head curiously.

"This jerk," Daisuke shook his head with a smile. "It's obvious he came looking for that thing prepared."

Knowing that he would eventually encounter the fiend that was terrorizing his livestock, Kaine always ensured that he was decked out in chainmail, which did well to protect him from the creature's attack.

As Daisuke administered the potion, his smile tightened. He found the farmer's actions admirable. Despite his weaknesses, Kaine cast aside his doubts and fears to follow the path he believed in.

Daisuke wished he had a significant other, or that his parents were still alive, so that he could make such sacrifices for them. He regretted not being able to do more for the Robinsons during the brief time he spent with them and felt similarly about his virtual mother. Yet, he knew there was no gain in burdening himself with such regret.

Instead, he needed to focus on the few treasured people he had left—April, Mia, Sylvia… he needed to find a way to keep them all safe in a world that belittled their kind.

Running and hiding wasn't an option that would always work; he needed power to safeguard his loved ones—and he would stop at nothing until he acquired it.