Under the sunlight, countless trees stood tall. So many that the ground couldn't be seen from above. Down below, between the trees, the area was quiet and bathed in green, thanks to the sunlight that managed to pierce through the foliage and light up the forest. This forest had a special beauty—green earth, graceful brown branches, sunlight, and proud, blooming flowers.
Amid the stillness, the sound of footsteps was heard, crushing the grass. Two figures appeared, walking and chatting, disrupting the peacefulness of the place. With their harsh gazes and leather armor, it was obvious they were adventurers. The first was a human with white hair and green eyes adapted to the environment. The second was a foxen with orange fur and yellow eyes. Ponier and Laos, clearly in the middle of one of their adventures in the vast Yavan.
"Man, I'm starting to lose hope. It's been five fucking days and we still haven't found a single Tier 4 boss!! Were you joking when you suggested going to Yavan?!" Laos asked in frustration, swatting away one of the long branches that nearly touched his face.
"Come on, don't be so pessimistic. We're still looking…" muttered Ponier as he munched on a red peach.
It's our fifth day in Yavan, and we still haven't found what we came for. Damn it. The place is full of nothing but mushroom monsters, slithering away from the sleeping dragon deep within the forest. And my god, they're so annoying. There's so many of them, crawling for long distances, even leaving Yavan in their panic. In other words, they're migrating. But what matters to me now is that I'm wasting my time searching—and finding nothing.
Also, it seems Ponier got a Yavan license. It frees us from some of the guild's restrictions, like the obligation to complete at least one quest per day. Since Alis doesn't have a branch in Yavan, we can't take on quests, so we got this license that allows us to stay in Yavan for a whole week without having to do any quests.
Right now, we're heading out again. We heard from another adventurer that a boss from a higher tier was spotted, so I'm hoping it's Tier 4. As we moved forward, I felt a surprising sense of ease. Ever since entering this forest, and learning about the benefits of Ponier's Yavan license, I've been feeling really relaxed. Getting rid of those restrictions feels amazing. I mean, I can sleep without worrying about those fucking quests.
"Amazing peach!" Ponier said, spitting out the peach pit after finishing it.
"Alright, aren't we close yet?"
"Honestly, I don't know. I heard it was seen attacking a village, so we'll head there and ask the locals," Ponier said, plucking an apple from a tree in front of him.
A while later, we heard screaming getting closer. I quickly drew Astral sword from my waist and gripped it with both hands. Ponier did the same, grabbing his twin swords and focusing on the source of the scream. A small girl suddenly appeared, running toward us. She had pink eyes and green hair adorned with blooming flowers. A dryad? Is she being chased by a monster?!
"Help!" she cried, sobbing as she hid behind me and clung tightly to my left leg.
I won't lie—a chill of fear crept through me. I waited to see what was chasing her, but nothing appeared. Ponier moved back into a battle-ready stance. Looks like he smelled a monster. I didn't try to push the girl away—she was clinging tightly—but she quickly became a huge nuisance. I couldn't even move… and damn it, how the fuck are we supposed to fight in a place packed with this many trees??
"Laos! Get the girl out of here—it's a monster!" Ponier shouted.
"Do you know the way home?" I asked the girl quickly.
"Y-Yes…" she muttered, scared.
"Then run. We'll distract the monster, so don't be afraid. Just focus on getting home," I yelled as I pushed her away.
She ran off. That's when I heard a growl… no, it wasn't a growl—it was a silent roar. Between the trees, a massive lion appeared. Damn! It was twice the size of a normal lion. Its fur was black, its eyes were blue, and its limbs were thick with terrifying muscles. And that deadly glare—shit, I didn't think I'd run into a monster like this!
"Come on, Laos, that thing's easy!" Thalesa's voice suddenly echoed in my head. Easy? No way!
"Tigeron. That's a Tier 5 boss. Is this what you were looking for? Then show me what you've got," Ponier said.
The beast leapt toward Ponier. Its size was many times larger than his, so imagining a favorable outcome wasn't easy. But this foxen wasn't going to be an easy meal. In a quick motion, Ponier moved forward, letting the monster strike empty air. But I wasn't so lucky. At that moment, I was the only target in front of the beast—not Ponier, who was now behind it.
"Water Slash!!" I yelled, activating the second form.
"Fotsios!" Ponier shouted from behind.
Both of our attacks landed. My slash cut into its shoulder, and Ponier's spell seemed to have scorched its ass. God, I'm trying so hard not to laugh—but I couldn't help it. A huge grin spread across my face as I looked at that burned-ass monster.
"Nice start! Let's keep hitting it," I said, watching the fire fade from its behind. Damn, that fire was so weak.
The beast charged toward me, ignoring the guy who had set its ass on fire. What the fuck? Does it love Ponier or something? Or does it just hate humans and sees Ponier as a fellow beast? As it lunged at me, I remembered Ponier's move and stepped forward, letting the monster strike empty space again. But this time, it caught on. It spun around lightning fast and charged—I'm going to die!
"You lack reflexes!" Ponier shouted as he blocked the monster's bite with his swords.
Where did that sharpness come from? I mean, where the fuck was it during the Daemon fight?! After he pushed the monster back, I rushed forward and switched the sword to its third form, then launched some spikes. I managed to wound it, but also made it even more furious. Ponier and I both retreated, waiting for its next move.
I didn't take my eyes off it for even a second, but fear crept in. A deep, raw fear. That thing was terrifying—and strong too. Suddenly, it rushed toward Ponier, so I took the opportunity to attack again. Out of nowhere, Ponier leapt high and landed on a tree branch, staring down at us from above. Fuck, he left me alone! The beast ignored me and began clawing at the tree, trying to climb up after Ponier.
"Laos! Fire at it!" Ponier yelled, clinging on so he wouldn't fall.
"Water Ball!!" I shouted.
Because of the Cold Needle, I launched a ball of water, but it froze before reaching the target and turned into a solid ice sphere. It quickly slammed into the monster's back and shattered. The monster turned to me and stared before charging at me with a roar. This is seriously terrifying. I tried to defend myself by firing some spikes, but it kept running.
It raised its claw high and swung it down toward me. I tried to react—either dodge or run—but I was too slow. In critical moments like this... yeah, all I know how to do is panic and try something random. I raised the Astral sword and tried to block, remembering that it's an unbreakable weapon.
But I couldn't reduce the impact. Its strength was way higher than mine, so it overpowered my guard and managed to scratch my arm with its claw. Damn it! I quickly retreated to create some distance so I could launch a spell, but then a sharp pain hit my face—I had crashed into a tree! Fuck, fuck, fuck! What a fucking place!
Its growls were getting closer… it was behind me. I jumped up and turned to see it attacking again. Great—its face had no armor at all. I pointed my blade at it, switched to the second form, and launched a few strong slashes. I managed to cut off its ear, then immediately backed off. Just as I expected, it started roaring and going berserk.
Ponier jumped down from a tree and looked at the roaring beast. Then he sprinted toward it and aimed one of his swords at its eye. He actually managed to burst one of them! Amazing. He realized that its rage was the perfect moment to land a critical hit. Afterward, he pulled back and panted, saying: "Drink a health potion from my bag!"
I ran to the bag and started searching—literally found everything except the potions. Is this… a mask?! What the fuck! After a while, I finally found a potion. I was shaking from the stress, and some of it spilled on my armor. I shut my eyes and stuck out my tongue, bracing for the awful bitterness.
"Water Ball!"
Another ball of water shot toward the monster chasing Ponier, but this time, it didn't turn to me. It was focused on the foxen as its main prey. Normally, I'd get excited and seize the opportunity to attack, but fear had taken over. I was scared it would leave Ponier and go for me instead… it is a Tier 5 boss, after all.
"Laos, you dumb! Cast your damn spells already!!" Ponier shouted while dodging the beast's bites.
Yeah, I have to do it. You bastard… how dare you let a party member fight alone? What a pathetic loser. I am a loser, and I'll stay a loser if I keep this up. I know I'm a coward, but that has to change the moment I realized I'm in another world. Fear in this world is a joke—it shouldn't exist. If I want to reach my goals, I need to become a machine that kills anything in its path!
"COLD SPIRAL!!!!"
Water swirled rapidly from the sword and, in a flash, blasted the monster locked in combat with Ponier. I managed to hit one of its legs, making it fall to the ground. It got up quickly, realizing the foxen was about to pounce. It tried to swipe at Ponier's chest but failed when he dodged and retreated.
Now the monster glared fiercely at both me and Ponier. It seemed to be deciding on its next target. As expected, it charged at me, but Ponier followed it too. I knew I had to slow it down so Ponier could land a hit, so I fired a few slashes at its face. More than slowing it, I actually landed some deep wounds.
"Ha! Amazing!" Ponier yelled as he dashed forward with lightning speed, gripping both swords to stab the monster's backside. My god, where was this power back in the daemon fight?
But to my surprise, the monster didn't stop—it kept charging at me and even outran Ponier. Then it leapt high toward me. The usual instinct kicked in—I tried to run forward so it would land behind me and I could attack its back. But as I sprinted, I slammed into something running in the opposite direction. A hard collision threw me to the ground.
"Ughhh, can't you see, you blind dumb?!" Ponier yelled, holding his forehead.
"Ugggh…"
Ponier quickly backed off and ran away. I realized then—the monster had come back for me. I tried to get up fast, but its foot stomped down on me. I'm going to die!! I tried to push it off, but it kept crushing me. God, I can't breathe!! I'm going to die!!! Shit!!! I started pushing its foot, trembling in fear. It was stomping directly on my chest, and my heart was pounding like crazy. My hands were weak and shaking, unable to push it away.
"This is what you get for being blind," Ponier muttered as he kicked the beast's head.
That kick forced the beast's foot off me, but its claw scraped my shoulder in the process. I gasped for air as its drool dripped from its mouth onto my neck. With my hands freed, I grabbed the Astral sword and stabbed its body in front of me. It was tough and hard to pierce, but I kept pushing and screamed: "Cold Spiral!!!!!!!!"
The attack blasted from my sword inside its body. Whips of tearing energy spread out, and suddenly, I felt something drop onto my stomach—ugh, its guts! They started spilling out of its stabbed belly and falling on me. I quickly got up and left it writhing on the ground. I stared at it, my heart ready to explode. Then it stopped moving. And at that moment, I realized… I just killed a Tier 5 boss.
"Finally…" Ponier muttered as he walked toward the beast's corpse.
"We killed a boss but couldn't take down a Tier 3 goblin," I said in disbelief at our victory.
"Kinda ironic, isn't it?"
"Very."
Suddenly, the monster began to fade, turning into black energy with some red sparks. It floated into the air, and both its body and guts disappeared like they were never there. Amid the blood, only a black crystal-like stone remained—its core. Ponier walked up, picked it up, and examined it closely. Then he said: "This is amazing. The guild will definitely reward us for this."
The place fell silent. Ponier leaned back against a tree. Then we heard footsteps—a lot of them. Crap, more monsters? I can't fight now. This fucking wound won't let me move my arm. I cast a healing spell quickly, but it didn't fully heal. I stood there and waited for my fate, just like Ponier. What kind of monsters would show up now?
"Are you alright?!" a voice shouted from beyond the trees.
A large group of armed men appeared—some with swords, some with spears, others with staves. They were all dryads. They approached with clearly happy expressions. Were they the villagers we were heading to before the beast attacked?
"We're from Bloomy Village. We heard from little Feefy that you saved her from the Tigeron," said one of them. He was tall, muscular, wearing minimal clothes, and had leaves in his hair.
"Oh, yeah. We killed it," I replied.
He stepped up and shook my hand. He was massive—his muscles made me look scrawny. He shook my hand firmly with a wide smile. The others did too, some of them shaking Ponier's hand as well. They were all so happy… and so was I. I felt genuinely happy.
"Please come with us to the village. Our leader will be glad to see you," said the dryad who shook my hand.
"What do you think?" Ponier asked.
"Why not?"
And with that, we all left the area as the sun began to set. Yavan is dark even in the morning, but at night, it turns into a black hole—if it weren't for those glowing insects flying around the forests, giving the place a unique beauty even in darkness. Anyway… it looks like I achieved something big, didn't I, Thalesa?
"Yes, and I have a surprise for you," Thalesa replied.
"What is it?"
"You've unlocked another form and two abilities."
"Seriously?! So killing a Tier 5 boss is worth it?!"
"Yes, this is the most efficient path to evolving me."
God, I'm so happy. I just achieved my first milestone. One battle, and I got a form and two abilities. That's insane. I'll collect more forms and abilities if I keep this up… My goal is to become the strongest, and I'll keep crushing everything in my way to make that happen. I'm doing exactly what I planned!! This is amazing!! Maybe becoming a killing machine that destroys anything in its path isn't so bad after all.
But I can't celebrate yet—this is just the first step I've won. I'm still at the beginning, and if I keep going, I'll gain power I never imagined having in this world. And that's why I…
"I need more."