As Jyle's house faded slowly from view while Maximus walked deeper into the forest, he suddenly came face to face with a terrifying beast. It resembled a massive bear—one that was both bloodthirsty and cunning. His first instinct was to duck and hide within the thick bushes growing right beside the trees. The beast caught wind of his presence, yet it couldn't pinpoint exactly where he was hiding.
When the creature grew increasingly wary and began to circle the area, Maximus's hand moved to the steel blade at his belt. With swift precision and decisive action, he lunged forward and sliced through the beast's jaw, aiming to disable its powerful bite. He followed through with sharp thrusts, driving the blade into the beast's chest and neck. But something unexpected happened.
Even after Maximus delivered what he thought was a final blow to its abdomen, the wound wasn't deep enough to finish the creature off. Slowly but surely, the beast began to regenerate its injuries. Thinking fast, Maximus scooped up handfuls of dirt and dust from the forest floor and threw them directly at the beast's eyes to distract it. While the creature shook its head and roared in frustration, he scrambled up a nearby tree to catch his breath and plan his next move.
'So, normal attacks won't stop this monster. Even if I slash open its guts and spill its organs out, it just heals right up. Brute force alone is useless against something this strong. I can't call Jyle for help—I made a promise to handle this on my own. There's no choice left but to see this through myself.'
He reached into his sack and pulled out the weakness orb, gripping his blade firmly in his right hand. Without hesitation, he dashed back toward the beast. But the creature was ready this time, and its claws swiped across Maximus's left eye. Hot blood streamed down his face, leaving a jagged scar in its wake. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he fumbled in his sack for the peculiar lined mushrooms he'd packed earlier. His gaze fixed on the beast, and in his remaining good eye, there was a mix of raw fear and unshakeable determination.
He popped one of the blue-and-black striped mushrooms into his mouth and chewed quickly. Within ten seconds, the scar on his eye had closed completely, and the bleeding stopped.
'Huh. I was hoping it would grant me extra strength to take down this beast… but at least the healing will have to be enough.'
Not knowing how long the regenerative effect would last, Maximus didn't waste a moment. He scooped up more dust and threw it at the beast's eyes once again, then hurled his blade with all his might—driving it deep into the creature's throat. Next, he unfastened the heavy rope from his belt and wrapped it tightly around the beast's broad chest, looping it around a nearby tree trunk to hold the creature in place.
''This is… way too heavy!''
he strained, his muscles burning as he fought to keep the beast from breaking free.
In a final act of desperation, he pulled out the weakness orb and pressed it against the creature's chest where his blade had pierced the skin. The moment the orb made contact, the beast's regeneration slowed dramatically, then stopped entirely. Seizing his chance, Maximus stowed the orb back in his sack and drew a sharp machete from his pocket. He began cutting carefully through the beast's thick hide and muscle, working his way toward its core.
There, nestled deep inside, was the mana core—glowing with a soft moss-green light and shaped like a trapezoid.
'I see! So this is what a mana core looks like. It's actually pretty incredible, to be honest! Well then… I'll end this right here and now!'
Stabbing the mana core was like striking the beast's very heart and life force all at once. He drove the machete deep into it, and the blade lodged firmly in place.
'Got it!'
The beast let out one last earth-shaking roar before collapsing heavily to the ground. Its massive body tumbled forward, barely missing Maximus as he dove out of the way at the last second.
'Goodness, that was close,' he panted, brushing dirt and leaves from his clothes. 'If I hadn't moved in time, this bear would've crushed my internal organs to a pulp.'
Afterwards, Maximus brushed off the dust that had settled on his sack, his fingers tracing the worn fabric as he straightened its shape. He then looked up and smiled warmly at the sight of the fallen beast lying still across the forest floor—its great bulk no longer a threat, but a testament to his hard-fought victory.
''Thank you, Jyle,''
he said aloud, his voice carrying softly through the quiet trees around him.
He made a small, respectful gesture toward the direction of his friend's home, knowing full well that he could never have defeated the monster alone. The weakness orb had been Jyle's gift, just like the sturdy rope and even the map that had guided him this far into the woods. Every item his friend had given him had played its part, and Maximus felt a deep sense of gratitude and satisfaction for their partnership.
With the battle behind him, he turned his attention back to the path ahead and began to venture deeper into the forest. It reminded him of the very first day he'd spawned into this fantasy world—how he'd wandered through these same trees with wide eyes, discovering things he'd never imagined possible. Back then, he'd been thrilled just to find one or two of the special striped mushrooms hidden among the roots and moss. Now, as he moved carefully through the undergrowth, he spotted them everywhere.
They grew in clusters around old logs and beneath shady canopies—their blue-and-black lines standing out clearly against the green of the forest floor. By the time he'd filled a small pouch tied to his belt, he'd collected twelve of them in total. He couldn't be sure if it was just incredible luck on his side, or if he'd simply grown more skilled at reading the forest's secrets and finding where these rare plants liked to hide. Either way, he tucked the pouch safely away, knowing they'd serve him well if he faced more danger ahead.
''Well then,''
he murmured to himself, adjusting the strap of his sack and taking a steady step forward.
''I'll venture further still into this unknown forest. There's so much more I need to see—and learn.''