Dave stepped out of the guild hall and into the warm afternoon sun. The village buzzed with activity—merchants haggling, children playing in the dust, blacksmiths hammering at metal—but all of it blurred in the background. His thoughts were locked onto one thing: survival.
As he walked toward the village's southern gate, a familiar chime echoed in his mind.
> System Notification
[Level: 7]
[EXP: 2150 / 3200]
[New Quest Received]
Complete the quest you accepted: Clear the beast zone.
Reward: +5000 EXP
[Quest Active]
Dave stopped in his tracks, eyes widening slightly.
"Five thousand EXP?" he muttered under his breath.
A slow smile crept across his face.
That would push him straight to Level up maybe close to Level 10—just one more step after that and he could finally evolve. His system had told him before: You've reached your limits. You must evolve to grow stronger. But for that… Level 10 was the threshold.
"I need this," he whispered, clutching the rolled-up map.
His grip tightened.
There was no hesitation now.
No fear.
Only purpose.
He tucked the map under his arm, took a deep breath, and marched through the gate—toward the danger, toward the beasts… toward the chance to finally rise.
The forest was unusually quiet.
Dave stepped carefully through the underbrush, his twin blades drawn and eyes narrowed. He held the map in one hand, folded now, committing the location to memory. It had led him to a clearing just past a stream, where the guild said a nest of Rank F beasts had been terrorizing nearby farmers.
But nothing stirred. No birds. No wind. Not even insects.
That silence made his gut twist.
Then he heard it.
A faint clicking. Like dry wood tapping together.
He turned his head—and they emerged.
Insects. Twenty of them.
Each one stood as tall as his waist, their exoskeletons gleaming black like polished obsidian. Sharp mandibles clicked open and shut. Legs as thick as branches bristled with spines. They had too many eyes and not enough weakness.
Dave's hands gripped his blades tighter.
"So these are Rank F?" he muttered. "They look worse than that."
The insects hissed in unison, their bodies shifting as they surrounded him.
Dave activated his Dash skill, leaping backward just as the nearest two lunged. Their jaws slammed shut where he had been just seconds ago. Dirt exploded from the force of their strike.
"Tch." He slashed his right blade down—only for it to bounce off one of their shells with a metallic clang. "What the hell...?"
> System Notification: [Warning: Enemy armor exceeds current weapon penetration threshold. Use Qi to enhance strikes.]
Dave didn't hesitate. He focused his energy inward, willing his Qi to flow. A faint blue glow ran along his blades as his system responded.
> [Qi Blade Activated]
He dashed again, this time slicing at a beast's side. His blade hummed, and with a clean motion, it cleaved through the exoskeleton, spraying greenish blood into the air.
One down.
But that was just the start.
Two more charged. He twisted, ducked beneath their legs, and spun—his blades carving arcs that left another insect split in half.
But they were relentless. He couldn't rest.
One lunged at his back.
He rolled.
Its mandibles snapped shut where his neck had been.
He kicked off a tree trunk and leapt into the air, flipping to land behind it. His blade came down hard.
Three.
Then a fourth and fifth attacked together. He barely managed to deflect one while the other rammed him with its body.
He was sent flying.
He hit the ground hard, the wind knocked from his lungs.
"Damn it…" he wheezed, forcing himself to his feet.
He glanced at the time.
Dave gritted his teeth and charged back into the swarm.
He danced between them. Dodging. Weaving. Striking only when he saw an opening.
Six. Seven. Eight.
Every kill sprayed acidic blood, some burning his clothes and skin. Pain flared across his ribs. A shallow cut on his thigh slowed his steps.
But he didn't stop.
He couldn't stop.
This was more than survival.
This was his evolution.
By the time he cut down the twelfth beast, his Qi Blade expired. His blades dimmed instantly.
Too soon.
A thirteenth charged—and this time, his blade bounced again.
He jumped aside, cursing.
They had started to adapt to his patterns.
He needed to switch tactics.
Focusing again, he let the Qi gather in his core. The pressure in his chest intensified
[Warning you are using Qi for longer than your body can handle penalty -15 Stamina]
His knees buckled from the sudden loss of energy, but he powered through.
Slash.
Fourteen.
Parry. Counter.
Fifteen.
Roll. Strike.
Sixteen.
Blood poured from his forearm, but he didn't care. He couldn't afford to care.
Three more lunged.
He deflected one with the flat of his blade, twisted his body, and jammed his sword into its face. The other two crashed into him, sending him rolling.
His vision swam.
He spit out blood.
"Come on," he growled. "Just a few more…"
He forced himself up.
His blades dragged across the dirt before he lifted them again. The insects clicked and hissed, their bodies twitching, still watching.
He counted.
Seventeen down.
Three to go.
He couldn't fail now.
With a final push, he charged forward. He dropped low and cut through one's legs—then leapt and severed its head in a clean arc.
Nineteen.
The final beast leapt onto his back.
Its weight crushed him to the ground. He screamed as its claws dug into his shoulder.
With one desperate motion, he stabbed his blade backward.
It shrieked.
Then went still.
Silence.
Dave lay there, trembling. Blood—green and red—soaked his clothes.
But he was alive.
> System Notification: [Quest Complete: Beast Nest Cleared – +5000 EXP Awarded] [Current EXP: 7150 / 3200] [Level Up!]
Lvl.8 3950/6400