Chapter 2 - Flora

Nex formed an O shape with his hand, peering quietly at a nearby tree. Its wide branches were covered in bright flowers that stood out boldly in the dark.

At first glance, the sight looked calm, almost peaceful. But in this jungle, calmness was often a trap.

[Mutated Flora Snake Identified!]

A soft chime sounded in Nex's ear, followed by glowing text on the translucent screen strapped to his wrist.

[Rank – Basic]

[Description – These snakes have mutated by absorbing ether energy from the environment, giving them a vine-like appearance. WARNING! Their venom is ten times more deadly than normal.]

Nex's eyes narrowed as he studied what looked like an ordinary vine. Upon closer inspection, it wasn't a plant at all. The snake's body blended so perfectly with the tree that its green, textured scales looked just like bark and leaves. Only the bright red flower at the end of its body gave it away, it wasn't a flower but a decoy, meant to lure prey.

Before entering this jungle, Nex had spent months training to survive in dangerous environments like this. Yet even with all his preparation, he couldn't shake the tension building inside him. This wasn't just any forest. It was a maze of living traps, a place where even the air felt dangerous.

He crouched low, his hand instinctively moving to his knife. His thoughts raced. How many others had come here? How had the veterans, the ones who had lived through this nightmare, managed to survive? Nex felt a nagging doubt about his own skills. But there was no time to dwell on it.

His fingers tightened around his knife. Taking a steadying breath, he lunged forward, the blade cutting through the air.

Swish!

The sharp edge sliced cleanly through the coiled snake. Its flower-like head fell to the ground, losing its vibrant color as it withered into a dry husk.

All that remained were its venomous fangs, shining wickedly under the dim light.

But it wasn't over yet. The rest of the snake's body, still clinging to the tree, twisted and writhed violently in a desperate attempt to fight back.

Nex didn't hesitate. He stepped in, raised his knife, and drove it down with force.

The knife pierced through the creature, pinning it to the tree. After a few final, frantic jerks, the snake's body went limp.

A faint white glow rose from its corpse, marking his victory.

[Mutated Flora Snake defeated. Gained 1 Ether PT.]

"One more down," Nex muttered, sliding his knife back into its sheath. But the MOD's warning echoed in his mind. "Ten times more lethal... I can't let my guard down here."

He crouched next to the snake's remains, studying its strange form.

This mutated creature was a clear example of how this world warped nature into something deadly.

A vine that could kill. A flower that lied. This was the essence of the jungle, a place where survival meant questioning everything.

The humid air carried the heavy scent of damp earth as Nex stood and scanned his surroundings.

Now that he knew the snakes' tricks, he could see them everywhere. Vines coiled in unnatural ways, flowers arranged in patterns that were just a little too perfect.

"This place is crawling with them,"

Each flower could be a snake in disguise, waiting to strike. While the mutated flora snakes were deadly with a single bite, they weren't strong creatures, just clever.

For a novice hunter like Nex, they were ideal prey.

If he handled this right, he could earn Ether Points quickly.

A glance at his wrist screen showed his progress so far, but it wasn't enough. If he wanted to keep up with the stronger competitors in this dangerous world, he'd need to push harder.

Swish!

His knife cut cleanly through another snake hanging low to the ground. The flower-like head hit the ground with a soft thud, shriveling instantly, followed by the rest of its writhing body.

[Killed Mutated Flora Snake. Gained 1 Ether PT.]

A smirk tugged at Nex's lips. "If they're all this easy, I might actually survive this place."

In this wilderness, Ether Energy was everything. It was the fuel that kept contestants alive, the key to growing stronger, and the currency of survival.

Creatures had to be killed, their energy harvested, and resources replenished. Even low-ranked creatures like the flora snakes were worth something.

He continued. With each swing of his knife, another snake fell, its floral disguise shedding in its final moments.

The Ether Points on his screen steadily increased, driving him forward.

As he worked, his thoughts wandered.

The creatures in this world were ranked: Basic, Advanced, Elite, Apex, and Apocalyptic.

These snakes were at the bottom basic-ranked monsters with little to offer besides their venom. But for someone like him, still lacking strength and experience, they were a goldmine of opportunity.

This stretch of jungle wasn't chosen by accident.

Nex had studied the terrain, reviewed the ranks of creatures here, and picked this area because it was relatively safe.

For someone like him, a solo hunter with no awakened powers and no party for backup, it was the smartest choice.

While others hunted in high-risk zones with their skilled teams, Nex had opted for caution over ambition. The rewards here might be small, but they were far better than gambling his life in a place he wasn't ready to face.

"Better to live small than die big," he muttered, swiping the sweat from his forehead.

The high-risk zones weren't just tough, they were notorious. Over the last two years, they had swallowed up countless experienced contestants.

Entire nations had lost their brightest talents to these merciless regions. Governments, trying to avoid further losses, had quietly encouraged their contestants to retreat from areas that were too dangerous. Survival was now the priority, not glory.

But not everyone listened.

There were always those who refused to turn back, the ambitious, the desperate, and the reckless. They charged ahead, chasing fame and power, hoping to leave their mark on history.

Nex wasn't one of them. At least, not yet.

"If everyone else gives up, my chances of taking good position in the ranking could go up," he mused, though the words felt hollow.

Nex shook the blood off his knife and scanned the trees. The other snakes hung motionless on the branches, their disguises as vines and flowers undisturbed despite the carnage around them.

"Guess they don't care about their own," he muttered, stepping closer.

With swift movements, he sliced through another snake. The flower-shaped head hit the ground, and the MOD chimed:

[Killed Mutated Flora Snake. Reward: 1 Ether PT.]

He struck again, his blade cleanly severing another vine-like creature.

[Killed Mutated Flora Snake. Reward: 1 Ether PT.]

The translucent screen on his wrist displayed his Ether Energy reserves, the small numbers creeping higher with each kill. It wasn't much, but it was progress.

Then, a different notification popped up, the lines longer than the usual.

[Bonus item identified!]

[Killed Mutated Flora Snake. You have received a bonus item: Venom Crystal.]

Nex froze, lowering his sword as he reread the message. A bonus item?

Killing low-ranked creatures like these almost never gave anything beyond Ether Energy. Valuable drops were rare, so rare that for a moment, Nex wondered if the MOD had made a mistake.

"Hold on..." he muttered, crouching beside the dead snake.

He carefully inspected the body, using the tip of his knife to push aside the shriveled remains of the flower-head.

Hidden within the vine-like form was a small crystal, shimmering faintly. It glowed with an eerie green light, as if it were alive with energy.

Nex reached out cautiously, plucking it free and holding it up to the weak light filtering through the jungle canopy.

His wrist screen flickered as new information appeared:

[Venom Crystal: Rare. Mutated snakes occasionally form these crystals as they age. The venom within is highly concentrated and lethal enough to kill an adult elephant with a single drop. Handle with care.]

Nex raised an eyebrow. "Enough to kill an elephant, huh?"

He turned the crystal over in his hand, admiring the way it shimmered.

A drop like this from such a weak creature was almost unheard of. For a moment, he considered the possibilities, poisoning a stronger monster, setting it as a trap, or selling it for a hefty price.

"Better hold onto it," he decided, tucking the crystal safely into his pocket. "Never know when something like this might save my neck."

He opened his inventory screen for a quick glance at his progress:

[Ether Energy Reserve: 550 PT.]