Chapter 6: A Hero's Work is Never Done (Unfortunately)

Ren barely noticed the numbers rising in the corner of his vision. Strength, defense, stamina — it was all climbing nicely. He let out a content sigh. Life was good. Again.

The red-haired girl, though, didn't seem to share his mood.

"You... that... how did you even—" She gestured wildly at the twitching, unconscious troll, her voice caught between awe and utter confusion. "You bounced a troll off of you like it was a rubber ball!"

Ren cracked an eye open, smirking. "Pretty sure it bounced off itself. I was just minding my own business."

She opened her mouth, closed it again, then pointed a finger at him like she was trying to pin him in place with sheer willpower. "You're lying."

"Am I, though?" Ren sat up, stretching his arms overhead. His back popped satisfyingly. "Maybe I'm just built different."

[Title Triggered: Insufferable Slacker]

Enemies are 10% more likely to underestimate you.

She groaned, dragging a hand down her face. "You're ridiculous."

The brick-wall axe guy groaned from the base of his splintered tree. "Did… we win?"

"You didn't," Ren called over to him cheerfully. "But hey, you gave it a solid effort. That's worth something, right?"

The guy let out a pained grunt. "Screw you."

Ren shrugged. "Fair enough."

The girl shook her head, exasperated. "Alright, seriously. Who the hell are you? You're not some regular traveler — not if you can toss trolls in your sleep."

Ren leaned back on his elbows again. "Oh, I'm nobody special. Just a guy who discovered the joys of minimum effort and maximum reward." He shot her a lazy grin. "Name's Ren, by the way."

The girl stared at him for a moment longer, then sighed. "I'm Aria. That big lump over there is Garth. We're from Solcrest."

Ren blinked. "Solcrest? Never heard of it."

Aria tilted her head. "You serious? It's the biggest town for miles."

"Sounds exhausting," Ren deadpanned.

She groaned again, but this time there was something almost amused in her eyes.

[New Quest Unlocked: Solcrest Bound]

Head to Solcrest with Aria and Garth. Reward: ???

Ren squinted at the notification. "Huh. That's probably a bad idea."

Aria raised an eyebrow. "What is?"

Ren waved a hand. "Following you guys. Sounds like work."

She let out a frustrated laugh. "Unbelievable. You're the only guy I've ever met who's too lazy to accept a quest."

Ren grinned. "Hey, someone's gotta set the bar."

The air settled as the troll's groans faded. Ren figured that was the end of it — until the ground started shaking.

[Warning: Nearby Hostile Presence Detected]

[Threat Level: Deadly]

Ren groaned aloud this time. "Oh, come on. Can't I have five minutes of peace?"

The trees ahead rustled violently. A low, rumbling growl vibrated through the air, deep enough to make his ribs hum. Aria's face went pale.

"That… that's not another troll."

"Nope," Ren agreed. "It sounds worse."

The trees exploded outward as something massive barreled into the clearing. It wasn't a troll. It wasn't even close.

[Wild Monster Encountered: Forest Warden Beast — Elder Ursagon]

[Level: 30]

[HP: 10,500/10,500]

[Threat Level: Extreme]

Ren stared at the bear-like monstrosity stomping towards them, easily twice the troll's size, covered in moss, bark-like armor, and thick patches of thorned vines. Its eyes burned green, pupils slitted.

"...Well," Ren said slowly, "that's bigger than I expected."

Aria swore under her breath. "We're dead."

Garth groaned again. "I hate this forest."

The Ursagon roared, loud enough to make the ground ripple. Ren sighed, rubbing his temples.

"Okay, new plan," he muttered. "We run. Very, very fast."

[New Objective: Survive]

[Failure Penalty: Death]

Ren blinked at the notification. "Wow. Way to keep it subtle."

The Ursagon charged.

Ren didn't run.

Aria did — or tried to. Garth was still struggling to stand.

The Ursagon was too fast. It crossed the clearing in seconds, each step like a thunderclap. Its massive paw swept toward Aria like a battering ram.

Ren sighed. "Guess I'm doing this."

[Skill Activated: Slacker's Aura]

Enemy combat instincts reduced.

The beast's charge faltered, confusion flickering in its glowing eyes.

[New Skill Unlocked: Lazy Taunt]

Draws enemy aggression by doing absolutely nothing. Success rate increases with laziness.

Ren flopped back down, folding his arms behind his head. "Hey, big guy. You're ugly."

The Ursagon froze mid-swipe. Its head snapped toward him, eyes narrowing.

It roared — and charged him instead.

Aria stared in disbelief. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"Winning."

The Ursagon's paw swung down like a falling boulder. Ren shifted slightly to the left.

[Lazy Dodge Activated]

[Agility +5]

The paw slammed into the ground, missing him by an inch. The beast snarled, confused.

Ren smirked. "Man, this is almost too easy."

The Ursagon reared back, preparing to slam both paws down at once. Ren exhaled slowly.

[Counter Slouch Activated]

The moment the paws hit, the shockwave blasted outward, sending the beast staggering backward, dazed. Its armor cracked, vines snapping.

[Critical Hit! Ursagon Stunned!]

Aria's sword dropped to her side. "...What the hell are you?!"

Ren yawned. "Just a guy who likes naps."

The Ursagon roared again, swaying on its feet. It was tough. Ren hated that.

[Skill Activated: Nap Time's Over]

HP fully restored. Stamina restored. All status effects cleared.

Ren cracked his neck. "Alright, enough warm-up."

He stood up, stretching.

"Let's finish this."

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