“Quick, we need to hide the bodies,” he whispered, his voice shaking as they dashed at full speed toward the spot where they had killed the hunters.
He stored the corpses in his spatial storage and cleaned the area thoroughly, making sure no trace of the battle remained. Then they moved down the narrowing path, erasing signs of the other skirmish before finally taking cover behind the canyon wall.
“We need to plan this properly,” Corvin muttered. “It feels like fate, and the system are pushing us to continue this quest. The system keeps throwing stronger enemies at me. It’s like it wants me to grow fast.”
He fell silent, lost in thought. Why? What’s the purpose behind the system, the tutorial, and these quests that keep appearing?
“Ah, screw it. No point in overthinking now.” He shook his head. “Let me figure out our next move. Nera, stand guard, okay?” he asked with a warm smile toward the serpent.
Nera nodded and slithered toward the spot where the lizardman had been fishing earlier.
Okay… that tribe has at least twenty or so lizardmen capable of fighting, and the big one too. If I charge in, I’ll die before I even reach the blue one. He tapped his cheek, leaning on his right arm as he pondered.
“Oh! That’s it.” A memory surfaced, an old story he once read. It told of a Holy Mage from the church who was trapped behind enemy lines. With only four knights, he fought his way home by hunting small enemy groups, clearing a path piece by piece.
After a month, the enemy realized too late that many of their warriors had vanished. By then, the Mage and his men had already crossed the border. When the enemy general sought revenge and started the chase, he was ambushed by the full force of the Holy Church, turning the tide of war. The Mage was celebrated and granted noble status.
“That could work.” Corvin smiled.
“Nera, come back, I’ve got a plan,” he called softly. The serpent promptly returned.
“Listen, we’ll stalk them and pick off small hunting parties one by one. That way, we’ll level up while weakening their forces. Once most of them are gone, we’ll choose a location, set as many traps as possible, and lure the rest into fighting on our terms. Thoughts?” He asked as if Nera could reply.
The serpent tilted her head left, then right, before hissing softly.
“I knew you’d agree. Good girl. I swear, you’re getting smarter every day. You’ll be as smart as daddy soon!” He smiled and tossed her a piece of lizardman meat, which she devoured gladly.
Smart as daddy, my ass. Her Intelligence stat is higher than mine. Corvin shook his head, amused at his own ridiculous praise.
***
For the next four days, they returned often to the hill overlooking the tribe, carefully observing and taking notes on their behavior and habits. What unsettled Corvin was that no one left to hunt during that time, no one left the tribe at all.
They could be on guard since the other four never came back, he thought grimly. Maybe they’re smarter than I gave them credit for.
“Okay, Nera, let’s keep watching. They can’t stay holed up in there forever,” he sighed, settling back into position as they continued their silent vigil.
***
Within the Eternal Tomb, five days ago
Boridus, Isolde, Perry, and Roary had spent most of the previous day clearing out the chamber guarded by the golem. The room was overflowing with weapons and chests brimming with gold and rubies, yet there was no sign of any relic or the Omega Protocol.
Boridus spat on the ground, kicking a golden goblet against the wall.
“We’re screwed. That golem wasn’t the final boss, just a floor guardian. That door,” he pointed toward a set of massive, sealed doors, “ probably leads to another guardian before we even get close to the boss. What do we do?” His voice carried defeat.
“We’ve burned through a lot of resources to get this far,” Perry muttered, his face pale. “Sure, we’ve earned plenty along the way, and this chamber alone could buy us more slaves, stronger relics, and Skill Books… but honestly? I’m over it.”
“What did you just say?!” Roary roared, grabbing Perry by the collar and slamming him into the wall. His sheathed blades clattered against their scabbards as he snarled.
“We are NOT giving up! After everything we’ve done? We’re wanted by every guild and that damned noble family we robbed years ago. There’s no way out for us! We NEED that relic; it’ll make us strong. I can feel it!” Spit flew from his mouth as he shouted in Perry’s face.
If Corvin had heard him, he’d die laughing. Roary was so close to the truth about the relic, yet it had already been taken from right under their noses.
“Stop it, you fool!” Isolde snapped, cracking her staff against Roary’s head.
“This isn’t the time for infighting. The dungeon closes in two days. After that, we’ll have a year to rest and figure out our next move.” Her tone was calm, but the glint in her eyes was anything but reassuring.
Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
“But if you want me to stay,” she added with a chilling smile, “I’ll need new test subjects, ah, I mean new explorers to train.”
Boridus finally spoke, his voice steady. “First, let’s haul all this treasure outside. We can’t risk the dungeon closing with these riches still inside. After that, we’ll take a peek beyond those doors and call it quits for now.”
The others nodded and began dragging chests of gold toward the exit.
“If only that bastard Corvin were still alive, this would go much faster,” Roary growled.
“I’ll miss his fake politeness,” Isolde chuckled darkly as they got to work.
***
After two more days of nothing but spying and resting when they could, the lizardmen finally stirred.
The blue-scaled leader barked an order, and four yellow lizardmen armed with spears marched out of the tribe’s borders.
They headed south, following a path toward the river where it branched into a small lake. During the past few days, whenever Corvin wasn’t observing the tribe, he left Nera to keep watch while he scouted the surrounding terrain.
He discovered that the river, the same one where they had nearly died, ran through the entire region and beyond. In some places, it slowed and split into lakes and swamps, turning this land into a perfect habitat for lizardmen and aquatic predators.
On his scouts, Corvin encountered several high-level beasts, which he avoided with care, noting their locations. The most dangerous were a Giant Crocodile and a Bog Serpent, both over level 300.
He hoped to steer clear of them, but a reckless idea simmered in his mind: What if I could use them to crush the lizardmen? In the end, he dismissed it. As much as the past few years had driven him mad, he wasn’t that far gone.
Now, as the yellow lizardmen disappeared toward the lake, Corvin and Nera crept after them, keeping their distance and planning the perfect moment to strike.
***
Corvin and Nera watched from the shadows as the four yellow-scaled lizardmen tactically encircled a Level 87 Water Buffalo. The beast stood over three meters tall, its deep blue-green coat blending perfectly with the swamp, making it almost invisible in the murky light. Its horns shimmered like crystal under the sun.
The buffalo didn’t notice the hunters, not yet. Their scales had darkened, merging with the mud.
Camouflage skill, Corvin realized, a surge of envy hit him. Damn, that’s useful.
The lizardmen crept closer, slow and deliberate, until one suddenly lunged forward with explosive speed, spear aimed at the buffalo’s flank. The beast spun sharply, sensing danger, its horns glowing with watery light as a barrier of condensed water enveloped its body, deflecting the strike.
The other three charged in, their spears glowing with earthen mana. Each thrust unleashed stone spikes that slammed into the watery shield, cracking it, but failing to pierce through.
Interesting skills, Corvin thought, heart pounding as he witnessed the clash.
Realizing it was surrounded, the buffalo bellowed, a deep, primal roar that shook the swamp. Its body surged with power, and the waters behind it rose like a living tsunami. The beast charged, trampling the first lizardman into the mud with brutal force. But it didn’t stop. It wheeled around, horns lowered, thundering toward the remaining three.
The survivors screamed, stabbing their spears into the ground and kneeling as the monster bore down on them. Corvin frowned. What are they doing?
The buffalo ignored the strange gesture and kept charging. Then, just as it closed in, the lizardmen’s scales flared bright yellow. The swamp erupted, massive spikes of earth speared upward, impaling the buffalo’s trunk and hurling its massive body skyward.
The beast crashed down with a tortured cry, thrashing weakly. The lizardmen rose, spears ready to finish the kill,
Then Corvin and Nera struck.
[Lizardmen Soldier Lv. 52] [HP: 2779/2779] [MP: 0/120]
[Lizardmen Soldier Lv. 66] [HP: 4431/4431] [MP: 30/150]
[Lizardmen Soldier Lv. 50] [HP: 2575/2575] [MP: 0/100]
The two had waited patiently for the lizardmen to burn through their mana before striking.
Corvin switched his Title to First User, muscles tensing as he unleashed two Spear Throws in rapid succession. One spear pierced a lizardman’s leg, the other slammed into another’s upper back.
Nera surged forward like a black arrow, her body coiling as she fired a Miasma Beam at the strongest enemy, following up instantly with a spray of Acid.
Shrieks tore through the swamp, pain mixed with shock as the ambush unfolded. Before they could react, poison had already seeped deep into the wounds of the two Corvin struck, while the third writhed in the water, miasma and acid eating away at his vitality.
The remaining two spun toward Corvin, spears raised, but he was already moving. Mid-lunge, he drew Coilbreaker, swinging in a brutal arc that smashed into one and carried through to the other, hurling them several meters away.
Pop-ups flashed above their heads:
[Status: Poisoned | Bleeding]
[Weapon Effect: Hemorrhage – Bleeding Intensified]
Corvin stowed Coilbreaker and drew his new Scimitar, activating Dash to close the gap. Steel flashed as he pressed the attack, while Nera coiled around the third lizardman, crushing him and driving venom deep with Venom Fang. The creature screamed as venom burned him from within, his body breaking under her constriction before drowning in the shallow swamp.
Corvin landed between the last two and hacked like a madman, his blade carving through flesh and bone until body parts littered the mud. Then came the familiar chime:
[Experience gain reduced due to the user’s Constitution]
[Experience gained: 1560]
[Level Up!]
[Your Beast Leveled Up!]
[Experience toward next level: 47%]
Breathing hard, Corvin stared at the carnage. I think I overdid it… Well, better safe than sorry. He exhaled, forcing his thoughts back into order.
He collected two monster cores and a few Lesser Healing Potions scattered in the mud, then stored their crude spears. One more core remained, but Nera had already swallowed it along with chunks of her prey.
“Fine, you earned it fair and square,” Corvin muttered, shaking his head as Nera swallowed the last monster core. “I just hope you use those cores for something important since your level is not affected by it whatsoever.”
He turned toward the dying Water Buffalo. The beast lay in the mud, its massive frame trembling, eyes wide with fear as it stared at Corvin, unarmed, yet approaching.
“I’m sorry, big guy,” Corvin whispered, voice heavy. “I used you to get rid of them. If I could help you, I would. Forgive me… and thank you for your help.”
He bowed his head, then stepped forward to end its suffering.
The buffalo whimpered, its HP bar flickering as it continued to plummet.
Suddenly, a chime rang in his ears:
[User’s intentions recognized… Calculating…]
*** Emergency Quest Created: Help the dying beast! ***
Use any means necessary to heal the dying beast.
Reward: One random skill from the beast.
Failure: If the beast dies, the user will lose one level.
Corvin froze. What the hell?! Heal it? How?! It’s got holes all over its stomach!
He sighed loudly, his heart beating faster. It's a good opportunity, though!
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