CHAPTER 80: DANGEROUS BUGS

Leaving the black shop, Nash found a spot to assemble his blade spear.

First, he split the end of the stick to create a notch where the blade could sit snugly.

He then inserted the spear blade between the split then wrapped it tightly with a wire, making sure it wouldn’t wiggle when he swung it.

After a few minutes of assembly, Nash let out a satisfied smile.

[Makeshift Spear Blade (Tier 1 – Low Grade)]

An unreliable makeshift spear that will break after a few swings.

Materialization Cost: 7,300 Merits]

"Nice!"

Even though the dark panel called it unreliable, it gave Nash a sense of security.

With a tier 1 spear in his hand, he felt like he could take on any dark beast.

"Once I have enough merit, I’ll reinforce the shaft and add a grip," Nash thought.

He only had 500 merits left. Besides the weapon, he still had to buy some Willow Paste.

Willow Paste was essential for hunting in the marshy lands around Dark Willow Shelter.

Not only could it repel small dark beasts the size of insects, but it could also mask his scent and slightly purify the poisonous air.

Without it, he couldn’t even hunt properly in these lands.

Entering a nearby shop, he easily bought five packs of Willow Paste.

"Tsk, this stuff’s expensive too!"

Each pack costs 100 merits and only lasts about an hour.

Realizing he could only hunt for five hours, he felt even more discouraged.

No wonder no one hunts in this place. Just this alone was a huge downside.

"I hope this place is worth it..." Nash muttered, walking out of the gate.

He had spent all his property. Unless he earned some merits, he couldn’t afford to move to another shelter.

---

[Arrived at Willow Forest: Danger Level – 4 stars]

Walking in a straight line, Nash quickly reached his destination.

The Willow Forest was a swampy area filled with lush, towering trees standing on muddy ground.

The air was thick and humid, carrying the scent of wet earth and decaying life.

Hearing the buzzing of insects, the croaking of frogs, and distant roars of unknown dark beasts, Nash felt his skin crawl.

"This place feels dangerous."

If the Silver Grass Plains and Silver Forest had breathtaking views, this place radiated an ominous gloom.

Thankfully, touching the medal embedded in his chest, he felt a sense of safety.

[Blue Stone Armor (Tier 1 – Perfect Grade)

A sturdy armor that can block almost all attacks below the Void Warrior rank. Dropped from a Tier 2 Blue Emerald Beast. Requires void energy for maximum defense.]

"This gift Camilla gave me is really strong."

An Armor that could block almost all attacks from a Void Warrior, at least here in Willow Forest, guaranteed his survival.

Activating the medal embedded in his chest, the armor materialized, wrapping around his body.

Applying the Willow Paste and gripping his spear, Nash stepped forward, ready for battle.

---

Soon, just minutes after walking, Nash spotted a snake slithering toward him.

[Mud Snake: Danger Level – 2 stars]

Seeing the snake open its mouth, Nash reacted quickly.

Dodging a spray of poison, he thrust his spear, skewering the snake from its mouth through the middle of its body.

[Mud Snake killed: +1 Merit]

"Easy~"

Seeing he had easily earned 1 merit, Nash couldn’t help but smile.

However, before he could celebrate, a huge black-and-white bird with a long beak dashed toward him, trying to snatch his prey.

[Ash Stork: Danger Level – 3 stars]

In the dark plane, even though dark beasts dissolved like holograms after being killed, the process took a few minutes.

During this window, a dark beast could consume the corpse, gaining a boost of power.

"Nice try."

Gripping his spear, Nash swung it upward, taking the bird’s head clean off.

[Ash Stork Killed: +3 Merits]

"No more enemies?"

Despite killing the Ash Stork, Nash stayed alert.

Sure enough, soon he heard a buzzing sound slowly approaching.

They were the size of fists, about 20-30 in number.

"The main target’s here~" Nash muttered, licking his lips.

In this dark forest, the scariest beasts weren’t the snakes or birds, but the swarm of horrifying bugs.

[Carrion Beetle: Danger Level – 4 stars]

Just at the edge of the Willow Forest, he could already face dozens here; how many more waited deeper inside?

As the beetles flew toward him, Nash swept his spear in an arc, slicing through a bug into two, spraying yellowish liquid that hissed and corroded the ground.

[Carrion Beetle Killed: +0.5 Merit]

[Carrion Beetle Killed: +0.5 Merit]

[Carrion Beetle Killed: +0.5 Merit]

---

After killing all 27 Carrion Beetles, Nash earned over 13 merits.

"A good start."

Although Carrion Beetles had a 4-star danger warning, it was only because of their numbers.

To Nash, as long as he memorized their attack patterns and embedded them into the [Combat Module System], they were weaker than the white rabbits he’d faced before.

Turning to the loot dropped by the Mud Snake and Ash Stork, Nash’s smile widened.

Though it was just basic raw material, with such a high drop rate, he felt luck was on his side today.

As for the Carrion Beetles, they didn’t drop anything.

Gathering everything, Nash continued walking deeper into the forest.

---

Soon, venturing further, he encountered a new type of dark beast.

[Bull Frog: Danger Level – 2 stars]

"A 2-star danger monster?"

Looking at the bullfrog, roughly the size of a wash basin, Nash couldn’t help but twitch his lips.

Brandishing his spear, he began dragging the frog around, inputting its movement patterns into the [Memory Module System].

Instead of hunting purely for efficiency, he aimed to collect data on all the monsters in the Willow Forest.

A few minutes later, the bullfrog died like a punching bag.

[Bull Frog Killed: +3 Merits]

"It gives the same points as a 3-star danger beast? Nice."

Besides the dark beasts, Nash also found herbs containing void energy.

Digging up a small, hardy herb with yellowish roots and a bright red, raspberry-like fruit on top, Nash carefully stored it in a special container.

He didn’t know what it was for, but collecting it was one of his goals for this trip.

Willow Forest wasn’t just a home to dangerous dark beasts. It’s also a treasure trove of herbs and elixirs that could be used to craft potions.

"I wonder how much this is worth."