The pioneer sets out, but a great serpent blocks the path.
"Didn't expect the quest to have a sequel…" Pepper muses, selling Rock-Eating Worm minerals at Fasteia's item shop and buying HP, status, and stamina recovery items.
The Special Quest: Roaring Scheme in the Marsh triggered right after clearing Rock-Breaking Strategy and unlocking the Small Hammer category. Though accepted, it offers no hints, leaving Pepper stumped. A chain quest? If the next rewards are as crazy as the last, will I get hunted down?
Glancing around warily, unaware they're already targeted by a dangerous figure, Pepper notes the evening sky. "The smith mentioned 'dangerous monsters' at night. Tempting to explore, though…"
Shangri-La Frontier's day-night cycle shifts events and monster spawns, teasing players' curiosity. As a gamer, Pepper wants to experience it. "An hour till sunset. If I dash through Rambunctious Forest, I can reach Secondil before dark, set a respawn point, and explore the night. Let's do it."
After checking weapon durability and supplies, Pepper leaves Fasteia, their starting town of dense memories, for the wider world.
In Japan, Oumagatoki—the twilight hour when day shifts to night—is feared as a time of calamity, when yokai and disasters strike. "Entering Rambunctious Forest at Oumagatoki? Talk about bad vibes," Pepper quips.
Sprinting full stamina, pausing for natural recovery, and monitoring Hunger—a unique stat affecting stamina regen—Pepper slashes and smashes monsters with the White Iron Tanto and Lock-on Breaker, its blue veins gleaming. Hunger, like in reality, requires food; neglect it, and actions slow, HP drains, and starvation kills.
"Monsters seem aggressive at this hour, gunning for me," Pepper notes. "Perfect for the Lock-on Breaker's debut." Guided by the map, they blaze the shortest route, gaining two levels. As the sun dips below the horizon, they reach the forest's edge—a canyon with a suspension bridge to Secondil.
"Almost night. Gotta cross—!" A massive serpent, coiled at the bridge's entrance, blocks their path. White fur adorns its head and tail, the head tied with a red gem. It hisses, forked tongue flicking—the area boss, Voracious Great Serpent, recommended for Level 10+ and parties of three or more.
"No time to waste. Let's take you down, snake!" Pepper charges.
Despite caution, Pepper finds the fight surprisingly manageable. The serpent's scales resist attacks, with only the head vulnerable—a tough foe for most. But Pepper's experience against the Rock-Eating Worm shines. That fight's lessons are paying off.
Charges, swallows, and sweeps would overwhelm a blind run, but Pepper, hardened by a deadlier foe, dodges fluidly. Slicing scales vertically and horizontally with the White Iron Tanto and striking softened flesh with Hard Strike, they dominate.
"Keep pushing!" As Pepper surges, the serpent's tail quivers, launching a black projectile. Caught off-guard, they take the hit. "Ugh, what's that stench? Dung?!"
A foul odor assaults them. Their HP bar appears, dropping by 1 with a beep, labeled Poison—1 damage every 10 seconds. With 9 HP left, death looms in 90 seconds.
"Careless mistake," Pepper mutters. "Good thing I prepared." Unequipping the White Iron Tanto, they pull an antidote from their inventory, bought in Fasteia, ready to counter the serpent's venom.