As we crossed the threshold of the town, a pop-up notification appeared in my peripheral vision.

  NEW QUEST: Adventure Awaits!

  Welcome to the realm of Aterios! Here you will find all manner of monsters and beasts. Kill 10 of any of these.

  REWARD: 100 XP and 10 gold.

  We all received the quest simultaneously, and grins spread across our faces.

  "So it begins, ladies and gents," I said excitedly. Everyone chuckled, and we continued walking down the road. After about ten minutes, we veered off into the woods, eager to begin the hunt.

  Leo gathered herbs and plants as we passed them, identifying them from our alchemy book, while Max collected twigs and stones for crafting weapons. We stopped, gathering enough materials to make crude weapons, ensuring we were not defenseless.

  Before crafting, we found a nearby creek to refill our water skins. The water was clear, but we knew better than to drink it without purification. Using a method my father had taught me; we boiled it over a small fire built from gathered wood and stored it safely in our skins once it cooled.

  For weapons, I broke branches from trees, stripped away the outer bark, and soaked the fibrous inner layer in creek water. After softening, I twisted the strands into a strong cord and lashed two thick branch handles to sharpened stones, creating crude hatchet-like tools for Mel and me. Meanwhile, Max used string from his pack and a carved branch to craft a functional bow. Leo and Trish waved off the need for weapons, knowing they wouldn’t be useful for their classes.

  After gathering our supplies, we moved toward the forest edge to begin the grind. As we stepped into the shadows of the trees, a low, rumbling sound reverberated through the forest. I raised my hand, signaling the others to halt. The air grew thick with tension, the silence around us broken only by the ominous growl. My grip tightened on the hatchet, bracing myself for whatever was about to emerge.

  Suddenly, a massive, shadowy figure leaped from the underbrush, its claws slashing wildly. I ducked just in time, my hatchet narrowly missing the creature’s belly. Mel reacted faster, grabbing the beast mid-air and slamming it down with a resounding thud. The beast’s enraged roar was cut short as it sank its fangs into Mel’s arm, blood trickling from the wound.

  I swung my hatchet at the beast’s flank, the blade connecting with a dull thud against its muscle. Max fired an arrow that struck the beast’s side, while Mel hurled the creature against a nearby tree. The leopard-like beast had blue-green fur, dark red eyes, and massive sabretooth fangs. As I watched, its health bar barely dropped, only ten percent depleted. Above it, glowing red text read:

  [♀ Azureblade Feralith – Level 3]

  The creature’s eyes blazed with blue magic. Before I could react, it vanished, only to reappear behind Mel, raking her back with its claws. She cried out, spinning to strike, her axe carving into its side as her health bar surged back to full.

  The beast roared again, and vanished. A chill ran down my spine as it reappeared behind me, claws poised to strike. Before I could react, a fireball from Leo slammed into its face, searing flesh and forcing it back. An instant later, Max’s arrow buried itself into its flank with a solid thud.

  Seizing the opening, I swung my axe down toward its neck with all my strength. The impact sent a jarring shock up my arms then a sharp crack. My axe shattered, fragments flying as blue blood sprayed across my face.

  The Feralith staggered, its health plummeting, and before it could recover, Leo finished it with a precise icicle to the heart. The beast let out a final, guttural wheeze before collapsing.

  I wiped the blood from my face and quickly scanned the area. Mel was catching her breath, Max perched in a tree, eyes sharp as he scouted for any threats, and Leo studied the corpse with an unreadable expression. Then my gaze landed on Trish.

  She stood rigid, eyes wet with tears, hands trembling.

  Trish had never hunted. Never taken a life for sport or survival. Hell, she had never even hit an animal by accident with her car.

  I stepped toward her, my voice low and gentle. “Hey, hon. Come on, let’s sit down. It’s going to be okay.”

  She didn’t resist as I guided her to a massive root curling from the base of the ancient tree. One by one, the others gathered around, offering quiet reassurances. This was why Trish always chose healing classes, why she gravitated toward the role of nurturer. Even outside of games, she had always been the one to care, to mend, to heal.

  And now, for the first time, she had taken something away.

  I squeezed Trish’s hand gently. “I know this is hard, especially seeing it for the first time. But we didn’t have a choice, it was her or us. And we won’t let her death be in vain. She’ll help us in ways we don’t even realize yet.”

  Mel and Max both nodded, their expressions grim.

  Leo studied the dead beast for a long moment before speaking his voice unusually measured. “This won’t be the last time we have to take a life. And it won’t always be monsters.” His gaze flickered between us. “One day, it’ll be people. And we need to come to terms with that now. We walked in here like it was a game, thinking we were invincible, but that thing almost killed Mel. It made me realize just how real this is, not just dying but losing one of us. And worse, taking a life because it’s the only way forward.” He exhaled sharply. “We have to harden ourselves, or we won’t survive this… new reality.”

  Max stared at him, something shifting in his expression. “He’s right. If we don’t adapt, we’ll fail.”

  Mel nodded, though hesitation lingered in her eyes.

  Trish, still wiping away the last traces of tears, turned to Leo with a fiery determination. “That doesn’t mean we have to lose our fucking humanity, Leo.” Her voice was sharp, unyielding. “I’ll do what needs to be done, but I will also save as many people as I can. We’re not here to kill everyone in our way, we’re here to save multiple realms. Do you even realize how many lives we’re fighting for? I refuse to let my soul rot just because we’re forced to do… this.” She gestured angrily at the carcass.

  Leo hesitated, his jaw tightening.

  Before the tension could boil over, I stepped in. “Enough. You’re both right.” My voice was firm, my glare sweeping across the group. “We can’t pretend this won’t be brutal. There will be fights where we have no choice but to kill. But I’ll be damned if any of us lose ourselves to bloodshed. We need to face this now, because the deeper we go, the harder it’s going to get.”

  The weight of my words settled over them. No one spoke, but the air crackled with silent understanding.

  Mel stared off into the distance, lost in thought for several moments before turning back to us. “Let’s make a promise,” she said, her voice firm yet uncertain. “We stick together. No matter what. We keep each other safe, and we always talk through the tough choices as a team.” She hesitated before continuing. “But… if there’s a moment where a decision has to be made on the spot, we need someone who can handle that.” She exhaled sharply. “I know it can’t be me, I get too caught up in my rage, and this race doesn’t make it any easier.”

  Leo shifted uncomfortably, his gaze dropping to the ground. “I don’t think I should, either. I have experience, but I can be too brash. And that’s not something we can afford.”

  Max smirked slightly and glanced at me. “Oh, come on, we all know who it’s gonna be. You’re the most levelheaded one in a crisis. You’ve proven that time and time again.”

  The others nodded in agreement, their eyes locking onto me.

  I sighed. The last thing I wanted was to be the one making these calls. But if someone had to carry that weight, I’d rather it be me than any of them. Even so… the fear gnawed at me. What if I made the wrong choice? Or worse, the right choice, but one that got someone killed? Could I live with that?

  Trish placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. “I love you,” she murmured, her voice warm yet steady. “And I trust you. We all do.”

  I swallowed hard. Deciding when to take a life, when to end something, or someone, was a burden unlike any other.

  I glanced at Leo. He met my gaze, his expression unreadable. But in his eyes, I saw it, the understanding of what this truly meant.

  He was the only one who really knew the weight of this responsibility.

  Without a word, he placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

  "Look, bud," Leo said, his voice steady. "I've seen a lot of people in war. I know what it does to a person’s mind. But I also know the kind of person who can keep their head straight when it matters." He met my gaze. "You're the only one I believe can lead us through this. And remember, you’re not alone. We’re all here, and that’s something you can’t forget."

  The others murmured their agreement.

  I exhaled slowly, feeling the weight of their trust settle onto my shoulders. Looking down, I kicked at the dirt, letting the moment sink in.

  Then I picked my head up, looked each of them in the eye… and let out a loud belch.

  A beat of silence.

  Then: "Ugh, seriously?" Trish groaned, scrunching her nose before breaking into a smile.

  “Always ruining a heartfelt moment,” she teased, shaking her head.

  Max just waved me off with a dismissive hand as he turned away, laughing. Mel and Leo rolled their eyes but couldn't keep the grins off their faces.

  The tension melted away, replaced by quiet chuckles and smirks.

  I stretched and stood. “Alright, we should get what we can off her before she starts rotting. Or worse, before something else picks up the scent.”

  With that, we got to work, salvaging whatever we could for our professions. I took the fangs and bones, splitting them with Max. Leo carefully filled a vial with the beast’s blood from his profession kit. Mel claimed the claws and eyes, while Trish took the fur. The meat, we divided evenly between our packs to spread the weight. By the time we were done, there wasn’t much left of the beast. We buried the remains, seemed like the least we could do.

  Oh, did I forget to mention? We all took cooking as a profession.

  I mean, who wouldn’t after seeing that polite little message in the professions book?

  Besides, the last thing we wanted was to get split up and be stuck somewhere starving like idiots.

  I glanced at my interface and noticed I had earned ten experience points from the fight. The others had gained the same. Good to know experience was shared among the group.

  As the sun dipped lower, we pushed deeper into the forest to set up camp before nightfall. Gathering supplies for a makeshift shelter, we cursed our lack of gear. If only we’d been able to keep the equipment we’d walked into the cave with.

  Everything we had on us when we arrived in this realm just vanished without explanation. No warning, no reason. We figured most of it wouldn’t have been useful here anyway, but damn, a few coats and blankets would’ve been nice for makeshift pillows.

  Still, this wasn’t the first time we’d been caught unprepared in the wilderness. We knew how to make do.

  Using fallen branches and layers of leaves, we fashioned a crude shelter and bedding. The temperature had already started to drop, the warmth of the day giving way to an unsettling chill. We built a fire, small but strong enough to keep us warm.

  Once camp was set, I took a slow walk around the perimeter, letting myself absorb our surroundings.

  The trees stretched impossibly high; their canopies lost in the darkness above. Flowers scattered across the undergrowth, their petals a mesmerizing array of colors, some even giving off a faint, otherworldly glow. The sky was unlike anything I’d ever seen, painted in hues of reddish-purple, deep and endless.

  Above, three moons hung in the sky, aligned in an offset line. Each glowed with a different light. The smallest, closest one burned with an orangish-white hue. The second, slightly larger, cast a cool, bluish-white glow. And the last, the largest and furthest, shimmered in silvery white, its surface marked by strange, vein-like patterns that pulsed softly.

  None were blinding, yet none could be ignored. Together, they created a breathtaking contrast against the vast sky.

  And then there was the sound.

  At first, it was familiar, the soft rustling of leaves, the chirping of unseen creatures, the distant whisper of wind through branches. But as I listened closer, I realized it was different. It had a rhythm, a melody that almost felt… intentional.

  Like the forest itself was singing.

  Or worse, like it was lulling us into a false sense of security.

  When I walked back into camp, Max had just finished cooking some of the meat. We’d decided to rotate cooking duties for each meal to help everyone develop their cooking skill.

  The meat tasted… interesting.

  A solid ten out of ten would not recommend.

  Not that we had much choice.

  We forced it down in silence, each of us chewing with varying degrees of regret. Afterward, I noticed Trish hesitating, like she wanted to say something but wasn’t sure how. She glanced at me, then over to Leo.

  “Hey, Leo?”

  He looked up at her, his expression neutral but attentive.

  “I’m sorry I snapped at you earlier,” she admitted. “I’m just…” She exhaled sharply. “I’m scared. This is all… a lot to take in at once.”

  Leo turned fully toward her, his posture softening. “Don’t worry about it,” he said. “I didn’t have to be that harsh either. I think it’s fair to say this is terrifying for all of us. As exciting as this place is, there’s a reality we can’t ignore.” He paused, glancing at each of us. “If I’m being honest, I’m more afraid of losing you guys than anything else.”

  For the first time, there was something raw in his voice.

  “My time in the military, it made me more aware of what this situation means, but probably less aware of how you guys would react to having to hurt someone.”

  Leo was the only one of us who had ever seen real combat. He never talked about what he did in the military, and we never asked. After he got out, he had taught Max and me some martial arts over the years, but that was the closest he ever came to discussing it.

  I reached out and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Max did the same, giving him a firm pat as he walked past to lay down.

  As I turned to leave the camp, I glanced back. “Get some rest. I’ll take first watch. Max, come wake me when you’re up for a swap.”

  Max nodded, already settling onto the makeshift pad he had made.

  I climbed up one of the towering trees, settling onto a thick branch about fifteen feet up, giving me a solid vantage point over the camp. The fire’s glow flickered through the trees, casting shifting shadows across the ground. My eyes scanned the edge of that light, searching for anything lurking just beyond its reach.

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  Then, I heard rustling behind me.

  I tensed, shifting carefully to peer around the trunk and foliage.

  A small shape emerged from the tall blue grass, a creature that looked like a rabbit, yet… not quite. Its ears were more rounded, its fur a deep shade of purple, and its eyes glowed gold, reflecting the fire’s light. It sniffed the air once, then hopped back into the grass, vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.

  Strange.

  I leaned back against the tree’s trunk, keeping my senses sharp. But before I could dwell on the oddity, another rustle came, this time from camp.

  I glanced down and saw Trish stepping out, scanning the trees.

  A small smile tugged at my lips. I let out a short, high-pitched whistle to signal my location. She looked up, locking onto me, then quietly made her way to the base of the tree. When she was close enough, I reached down, offering my hand to pull her up onto the branch beside me.

  She didn’t speak. She didn’t need to.

  She simply leaned into me, her warmth seeping through the cool night air.

  I wrapped my arms around her, holding her close.

  And just like that, she drifted off to sleep, safe against me.

  A couple of hours passed before I heard a whisper.

  "Hey, bro. Shift change. Go get some sleep."

  I jumped slightly, damn it, Max, not realizing he had snuck up on me. Too tired to come up with a snarky remark, I just nodded in thanks.

  Carefully, I nudged Trish awake. She stirred, groggy but compliant, and together we climbed down the tree, moving quietly back to camp.

  I woke to the warmth of sunlight creeping across my face. Blinking against the brightness, I carefully slid my arm out from under Trish, trying not to wake her. She murmured something incoherent but didn’t stir further.

  Sitting up, I scanned the camp.

  Leo and Max were perched up in a tree, speaking in low voices, while Mel sat near the fire pit, brows furrowed as she scrolled through her menus.

  Stretching, I wandered over to her. “Anything new?”

  She shook her head. “Nah, just checking my experience bar and reading up on my profession a bit more.” She flicked a finger across her menu, still focused. “If the XP gain is consistent, we should be almost level three by the time we finish this quest.”

  Curious, I opened my own menu, eyes scanning the experience bar. We only needed one hundred experience to reach level two.

  “That’s assuming the scale works the way we’re used to,” I mused, inspecting the numbers.

  “I guess we’ll find out soon enough,” Mel replied.

  Before I could respond, a voice behind me nearly made me jump out of my skin.

  “It’s time we start getting serious about this.”

  Trish.

  I turned to see her smirking, arms crossed, clearly amused at how she had managed to startle both me and Mel.

  She continued, “We need to push harder, hunt more, and gain experience as fast as possible.”

  I exhaled, shaking off the surprise. “Yeah, I think so too.”

  Tilting my head back, I let out a sharp, high-pitched whistle.

  Leo and Max both looked over from their perch, immediately noticing my signal. At my gesture, they climbed down and joined us.

  Once we laid out the plan, they both nodded in agreement.

  It was time to get moving.

  After a few hours of trekking through the dense forest, we stumbled upon four more [Azureblade Feralith], and four towering [Goremaw Bohemoth].

  The latter were monstrous, resembling massive Kodiak grizzlies, their hulking forms covered in thick black and red fur. Jagged bone spikes jutted from their spines, forming a lethal ridge down their backs. Their fangs, stained yellow and white, dripped with thick saliva, saliva we quickly discovered was laced with paralytic venom.

  The first one, a male, spotted us from over a hill.

  With an ear-splitting roar, it charged, saliva flying from its gaping maw.

  By now, we were better prepared. Using the bones from our first kill, I had crafted makeshift weapons. A war pick for myself, its head fashioned from a sharpened rib and hafted onto a femur. Mel wielded twin daggers, both carved from femurs, their edges honed to brutal sharpness. These bone weapons were leagues ahead of the crude wood-and-stone hatchets I had made before, though they still weren’t enough to increase my blacksmithing skill. Apparently, metal was a requirement for that.

  No time to dwell on it. The behemoth bore down on us, each step shaking the ground.

  I dashed to its right, aiming my pick for the back of its neck. The blow landed, but the beast barely flinched.

  Mel, the opportunist, slid under its belly, driving both daggers deep into its underside. A spray of blue blood rained over her. Before she could retreat, the behemoth’s colossal maw snapped around her leg.

  With a violent crack, it flung her into a nearby tree.

  She hit the bark hard and crumpled to the ground.

  “Mel!” I shouted, eyes darting to her health bar. Trish was already on it, her healing magic flared, restoring Mel’s HP, but a flashing lightning symbol appeared beside her name.

  “She’s paralyzed! Get her out of there, now!” I barked.

  “I’m on it!” Trish called back, rushing to drag Mel behind the thick trunk before the beast could strike again.

  “Hey, over here, asshole!”

  Leo’s voice rang out like thunder, and a bolt of lightning streaked through the air. It struck the behemoth square in the side, sending it crashing sideways with a furious roar.

  It turned to Leo, eyes burning with rage.

  Its health bar, sixty percent remaining.

  Now was the time.

  I surged forward, my war pick aimed at its exposed flank. An arrow from Max struck the beast’s thick neck, embedding deep. My weapon hit next, sinking into its right side, but the behemoth reacted fast, too fast.

  It swung a massive paw at me.

  I barely dodged, rolling to the side just in time to activate [Abyssal Retribution].

  A spectral black blade materialized.

  With a single strike, it slashed through the beast’s leg.

  The limb severed with a sickening crack, and the behemoth let out a deafening howl, collapsing to the ground. Its health plummeted, twenty percent… then ten percent.

  Leo followed up with a scorching fire spell. Max’s arrow pierced its chest.

  I didn't hesitate.

  With one final, brutal swing, I drove my war pick straight through its jaw, the weapon sinking deep until I felt the resistance snap.

  The Goremaw let out a gurgling roar before its massive body crashed to the earth, motionless.

  Silence fell over the battlefield.

  Then, a notification popped up.

  A surge of power rushed through me.

  CONGRATULATIONS TRAVELER! YOU HAVE REACHED LEVEL 2! YOU HAVE GAINED 3 NEW STAT POINTS!

  Base health increased

  Base Mana increased

  I immediately turned to Trish and Mel, sprinting toward them.

  Mel’s debuff still flickered beside her name, a countdown showing three seconds remaining.

  I held my breath.

  As soon as the timer hit zero, she let out a groan, rubbing her head. “Cheers for yankin’ me outta that, Trish. Bloody hell, that was weird. I could see and hear everything, but I couldn’t move a damn muscle.”

  Relief flooded through me. She was okay.

  Satisfied, I pulled up my stats screen, eyes scanning the interface.

  After a moment of thought, I allocated my points, two into Intellect, one into Wisdom.

  STATS

  LEVEL – 2, TRAVELER

  STRENGTH – 7

  DEXTERITY – 9

  INTELLECT – 19

  WISDOM – 15

  LUCK – 9

  I glanced around and noticed everyone else was also adjusting their stat points. Once we were done, we pressed forward, continuing the hunt.

  Along the way, we encountered deer-like creatures, stunning to look at. Their fur was a deep green, blending seamlessly with the forest, while moss-covered antlers stretched high, interwoven with delicate vines that seemed to grow between the branches. More of those strange rabbit-like creatures darted through the undergrowth as well.

  Despite their beauty, survival took priority. We killed a couple of the deer for food, hoping they would taste better than the [Azureblade Feralith] meat we had choked down the day before.

  That left us with just one last beast to hunt.

  Following faint tracks deeper into the forest, we came across an unusual pathway. The ground was flattened in an odd, unnatural way, and the trees bore strange rub marks along their bark. This wasn’t the work of people, something else had made this trail.

  As we cautiously followed the path, Max suddenly stopped, eyes narrowing at something hanging from a low branch.

  “Guys…” His voice was tense. “I don’t think we should stay on this path. This looks like a scale, and I’m not sure I want to find out what it came from.”

  I stepped closer, peering at the object he was pointing to.

  Before I could say a word…

  CRACK!

  A sharp, splitting sound echoed through the woods. Then another.

  And another.

  The noise grew louder. Closer.

  I didn’t hesitate. I quickly gestured for a quiet retreat.

  We moved fast but only made it a few yards before a massive head glided past us, its sinuous body following in an unending, undulating wave.

  We froze.

  A forked tongue flicked out, tasting the air.

  The sheer size of it was staggering, hundreds of yards long, its body thick as three full-sized buses lined up, side by side. Its scales were a sleek, obsidian black, broken only by shimmering silver streaks running the length of its form, starting just behind its massive, fanged mouth.

  And its eyes.

  A deep abyss, swirling with the impossible, galaxies and stardust dancing within their depths. They were hypnotic, mesmerizing in a way that made it dangerous to stare too long.

  I realized, too late, that we were being entranced, our bodies locked in place, our instincts smothered beneath the sheer wonder of it.

  Panic surged in my chest.

  I forced myself to break free from the trance, wrenching my gaze away from its cosmic eyes.

  And that’s when I saw the glowing name above its head.

  [? Nethermaw Serpent Lvl ???]

  This was not good.

  What the hell do three question marks even mean?

  My mind raced as I took in the sheer size of the creature, and the fact that we had no idea what level it was.

  "Guys! Stop looking at its eyes!" I shouted, snapping my fingers to break the trance. "It's trying to entrance us, to make it easier to eat us!"

  Leo and Trish flinched, shaking themselves free from its hypnotic pull. But Max and Mel were still locked in place, their eyes glazed over, completely enthralled.

  Then, a voice slithered through my mind, cold and insidious.

  “Oh, come now, little onesss… You tasssty morselsss need not run… I will catch you regardlessss, and I ssshall devour your sssoulsss for my mother…”

  A chilling, otherworldly whisper.

  I froze for a heartbeat, my skin crawling as I forced myself to shake it off.

  No time for distractions.

  The serpent, now enraged, coiled around us, its massive body forming a living prison. The only way out was over its slick, scaled bulk, a climb none of us were prepared for.

  Desperation clawed at me.

  We need to get Mel and Max out of this trance, now.

  With no better options, I reared back and slapped Max across the face. Hard.

  Leo caught on immediately and did the same to Mel.

  They both blinked, disoriented, as reality came rushing back to them.

  "Don't look at its damn eyes!" Leo barked. "Avoid them at all costs! We need to get the hell out of here!"

  To their credit, they didn’t hesitate. Both refocused, deliberately looking anywhere but the serpent’s head.

  The monster let out a furious hiss, its head swiveling as it tried to catch our gazes again. When that failed, it slammed the tip of its tail into Leo and Mel, sending them sprawling across our small, rapidly shrinking space.

  I winced, glancing at their health bars, only a five percent drop, but still, we couldn’t keep taking hits like that.

  Think, think, think…

  I grabbed Max’s arm, lowering my voice. "We have to cut its head off. I know this isn’t Earth, but it’s the only way I know to kill a snake in any realm."

  Max’s eyes flickered with understanding. Then, in an instant, he vanished into the shadows.

  For the first time since we started this adventure, I saw him use his full stealth ability, and as cool as it was, I had to focus.

  The serpent hissed in frustration, scanning wildly for Max. Good. Stay distracted.

  I sprinted toward the others, explaining the plan in hurried whispers.

  They hesitated.

  But the choice was clear. Die trying or die giving up.

  Mel took the initiative, scaling the beast’s coiled body with terrifying determination. She stabbed between the gaps in its armored scales, each strike meant to piss it off rather than cause real damage.

  Leo unleashed a relentless barrage of spells, careful never to make direct eye contact. Fire, ice, electricity, every element at his disposal rained down on the serpent’s head, forcing it to recoil from the onslaught.

  The serpent uncoiled, thrashing violently as it snapped at them from every direction.

  Trish moved fast, weaving between the chaos, casting small, efficient heals to keep everyone standing without draining her energy too quickly.

  But this wasn’t a battle we could win through endurance.

  We needed to end it fast.

  And Max, wherever he was, had the best shot at making that happen.

  Climbing as fast as I could up the serpent’s coiled body, I leaped the last few feet, driving my war pick as deep into its flesh as possible. Below, Max fired arrow after arrow into the underside of its neck, somehow dead-on accurate despite being blindfolded.

  Leo timed his attack perfectly, launching a massive icicle straight into the beast’s throat, piercing deep. At the same time, Mel lunged, her daggers sinking into the opposite side of its neck.

  The serpent shrieked, a sound that reverberated through the trees, shaking the very air around us.

  But it wasn’t done fighting.

  Its tail lashed out, sending Leo flying deep into the forest. In the same motion, it whipped its head toward me, flinging Mel off with violent force. She hit the ground hard, tumbling a few feet away.

  Max immediately sprang from his perch, sprinting toward where Leo had vanished.

  “Thisss isss where you die, you weak, impudent little…”

  The serpent’s massive jaws snapped down, missing me by inches. The sheer force of the strike sent a blast of wind that threw me backward further than I intended.

  But in that moment, I grinned.

  [Abyssal Retribution].

  Darkness surged to life.

  Two massive, spectral blades, each as large as the serpent’s own head, manifested from the void, their surfaces darker than the abyss, as if staring into pure nothingness.

  For the first time, the serpent’s swirling, cosmic eyes bulged in fear.

  The blades collapsed inward, slicing clean through its neck.

  A sickening crack split the air, followed by a violent eruption of ink-black blood.

  The serpent’s severed head hit the ground with a resounding thud, its body convulsing in uncontrollable spasms.

  I barely had time to react.

  Diving behind a tree, I narrowly avoided a wild tail swipe that would have decapitated me if I had been a second slower.

  Panting, I bolted toward Trish, helping her drag Mel away from the serpent’s thrashing corpse. My eyes darted frantically, searching for Max and Leo.

  Then…

  “Hurry! He needs health fast!” Max’s voice rang out from the distance.

  I met Trish’s eyes. “Go,” I said quickly. “I’ll handle Mel.”

  She hesitated for only a moment before nodding, then sprinted toward Max’s voice.

  I propped Mel up against a nearby tree, checking her over. She was dazed, but conscious. Before I could say anything, Trish returned, Leo slung between her and Max, his health bar dangerously low, twenty percent.

  Trish was gasping for breath, sweat beading on her forehead. “I… I have nothing left. I’m out of mana.” She swallowed, exhausted. “I need to rest before I can heal him again.”

  I couldn’t wait.

  I activated [Celestial Sanctum].

  A soft, golden light enveloped the group, restoring everyone’s health to a more manageable level. Leo and Mel groaned as they pushed themselves upright, looking far better than before, but we were still far from safe.

  Our health was low. If anything else decided to attack now…

  That was a problem for later.

  For now, I finally let myself lean against a nearby tree stump, my breath slowing. Only then did I notice the two new notifications blinking in my menu.

  Exhaling, I opened them.

  CONGRATULATIONS TRAVELER! YOU HAVE REACHED LEVEL 26! YOU HAVE GAINED 72 STAT POINTS!

  Base health increased

  Base mana increased

  CONGRATULATIONS TRAVELER! YOU HAVE KILLED A MONSTER THAT WAS 50 OR MORE LEVELS HIGHER THAN YOU! YOU HAVE GAINED A LEGENDARY BOX!

  My eyes widened at seeing those. “Uh… guys… did you?” I said, my voice trembling with disbelief.

  Even bleary-eyed Mel smiled exasperatedly at the question, we all got the same notifications.

  I opened my inventory, eyes locking onto the box now sitting inside.

  LEGENDARY BOX – Contains 1 legendary item, weapon or armor that is set for your level. This item does not level with you, however, you can increase its potential through crafting… if you have the skill for it.

  I exhaled sharply. A legendary item this early? That could change everything.

  But as tempting as it was to open it immediately, I knew better. We weren’t safe yet.

  I needed to consolidate my stat points first, just in case something else jumped out of the woods at us.

  I put thirty-five into intellect, seventeen into wisdom, ten into luck, five into strength, and five into dexterity.

  I wanted to skyrocket my intellect after seeing what having a spell cast twice could do. With increased power and a higher double-cast chance, my spells would be even stronger yet.

  Satisfied, I looked at the Legendary Box again, my fingers hovering over the option to open it.

  The others had their own boxes, waiting.

  I glanced up, meeting their eyes.

  We were all thinking the same thing.

  This could change everything.

  STATS

  LEVEL – 26, TRAVELER

  STRENGTH – 12

  DEXTERITY – 14

  INTELLECT – 54

  WISDOM – 32

  LUCK – 19

  After consolidating the points, I looked at my menu and noticed I could pick two more spells.

  You may pick 1 more spell from the ones listed below -Note: you may only have 3 spells at a time, you may replace any spells. However, if you replace a spell, it is gone forever.-

  Stars Aegis – You create shields of celestial light around you and your party negating 80% of the next attack. Sheilds lasts 1.5 seconds – 4-hour cooldown

  Celestial Flare – You unleash a burst of stars energy in a radius around you, searing enemies within the radius. 10-foot radius – 2-minute cooldown

  Stars warmth – You channel the warmth and comfort of the star’s energies into yourself and your allies healing them for a moderate amount. 30-foot radius – 20-minute cooldown

  Celestial battle cry – Taunt all enemies around you causing them to focus attacks on you, reduces incoming damage by 20%. Taunt lasts for 10 seconds, 20-foot radius – 10-minute cooldown.

  I ultimately chose the taunt.

  If I was going to be the tank, I needed to solidify that role.

  While the other abilities were tempting, I had to prioritize team survival. Too many close calls had already taught me how crucial it was to keep enemy focus on me so my teammates could do their jobs without interruption.

  [Stars Aegis] was strong, but it only protected against one attack, meaning I’d have to predict enemy strikes perfectly.

  [Celestial Flare] was tempting for its AoE damage, but without a taunt to control enemy attention, it wouldn’t be as effective in battle.

  [Stars Warmth] was another solid choice, but I already had [Celestial Sanctum], which felt better suited to my role.

  And there was no way I was giving up [Abyssal Retribution], its power was too valuable.

  With my decision made, I took one final look at my menu, committing to my choice.

  OPTIONS

  CLASS – STARS ASCENT

  STATS

  INVENTORY – LIMITED BAG SPACE

  PROFESSION – BLACKSMITHING

  I opened my class tab.

  CLASS – STARS ASCENT

  You are but a sparkle in the sky, not yet powerful, yet not unnoticed. Burn with fury, be the light that guides, and burns with the wrath of the heavens.

  Celestial Sanctum – You cast a dome of protection that reduces damage taken for you and any allies inside by 20% and heals you and allies for 2% of total base HP over 10 sec every 1 sec. Dome Lasts 10 sec, 5-minute cooldown.

  Abyssal Retribution – Can only be cast after being a target of an attack, hits enemy for 100% of the damage that would have hit you. 8-minute cooldown. -Becomes ineffective after level 50-

  Celestial battle cry – Taunt all enemies around you causing them to focus attacks on you, reduces incoming damage by twenty percent. Taunt lasts for 10 seconds, 20-foot radius – 10-minute cooldown.

  Well, that was an unexpected development.

  I had suspected that ability was entirely too strong, the fight with the Nethermaw Serpent had only confirmed it.

  A thought lingered in the back of my mind. Could I combine it with another ability to create a new effect? It was worth exploring when the opportunity arose.

  As I continued analyzing my menu, something else stood out.

  None of my current abilities seemed to scale directly with my stats.

  That meant no matter how much I increased Intellect, Strength, Dexterity, Wisdom, or Luck, my current skills wouldn’t automatically grow stronger with them.

  That needed to change.

  If I wanted to fully utilize the enhancements, I had built up so far, I’d need to start acquiring new abilities, ones that actually scaled with my chosen stats.

  But that was a problem for later.

  For now, my stats were consolidated. My new skill was chosen.

  Which meant only one thing was left to do.

  I turned my attention to the [Legendary Box] in my inventory.

  And opened it.