CHAPTER 6: HUNTING SPREE!

A black sedan rolled smoothly to a stop in front of a small suburban house.

A rigid man in a sharp black suit and dark shades was behind the wheel.

He looked at the quiet girl in the back seat through the rearview mirror.

"Miss Susan, we’re here."

His tone was flat and disciplined.

Exactly how a bodyguard was supposed to sound.

"Oh, I see."

Susan Fox’s voice was soft.

She sat with her knees together while her slender hands squeezed between her thighs. Her uniform skirt folded neatly around her, but her fingers fidgeted nervously as she stared at the quiet house outside the tinted window.

"He didn’t look happy today when he left school..."

She murmured with a sad face.

"I know it’s better if I leave him alone, but... I’m really worried. I’m sure he’s being bullied again and just doesn’t want to tell anyone."

She let out a small sigh that fogged the glass.

The man in the driver’s seat glanced at her reflection and frowned.

"The boy we came to visit... is he your boyfriend? Is he the one making you sad?"

His voice grew darker.

"Did he cheat on you? Let’s go in. I’ll make sure to set that rascal straight."

He was already reaching for the door handle when Susan nearly jumped out of her seat.

"NO—! Please don’t do that!"

She blurted and flailed her arms as she blushed like she’d die of embarrassment.

The man paused, hand still on the handle.

"I-, I’ll be quick!"

She added, then rushed out of the car before he could say another word.

It was nearly 8 p.m.

The street lamps gave the neighborhood a soft color.

Susan still wore her school uniform — the blazer, the short pleated skirt, and her black thigh-highs that clung neatly to her legs.

She brushed off some dust, patted down her skirt, and took a deep breath.

"Alright! Let’s do this." (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧

She clenched a tiny fist in front of her, trying to look brave and confident. But her round cheeks puffed up when she did to ruin any attempt at intimidation.

Instead, she just looked... adorable.

Steeling her nerves, she walked up to the porch and pressed the doorbell.

Ding-dong.

No response.

"Hm?"

She pressed it again.

Still nothing.

Just as she was about to hit it for the third time, the door creaked open.

Standing there was a tall man in casual clothes and a faint smile on his lips.

"Oh, good evening, sir!"

Susan greeted brightly as she bowed politely.

The man raised an eyebrow.

He was in his late thirties, maybe early forties.

Susan quickly connected the dots.

Jefferson Tray. Nick’s stepfather.

Nick had never mentioned him much, but Susan had heard enough from neighbors to guess what kind of man he was.

Not a bad person, just... there.

Jefferson leaned on the doorframe as he looked her over with some amusement.

"Ooo... and who might you be?"

He asked with a slow smile.

"I’m a friend of Nick’s."

Susan said cheerfully.

"I uhm... I was a little worried about him, so I came to check on him! I promise it’ll be quick... I don’t want to disturb anyone."

Jefferson’s expression stiffened.

"Nick’s friend...?"

His voice went flat.

But Susan didn’t notice, she only nodded earnestly.

"Yes, sir!"

Jefferson turned his head slightly.

From where he stood, he could see Nick’s room right down the narrow corridor. He remembered the boy walking past him a few hours ago, head low, quiet as ever.

"Uhm... he’s not around."

Jefferson finally said as he put on another forced smile.

"I sent him on an errand. But maybe you can wait a bit? He shouldn’t take long."

He opened the door wider.

Susan froze. Her instincts screamed no.

"Ah— no, that’s okay. I’ll... come back another time!"

She said quickly as she forced an uneasy smile and stepped back.

Jefferson’s eyes narrowed.

He watched her leave without another word then shut the door with a loud bang.

━ ━ ━ ━

Meanwhile, back in Phantasia—

A gentle breeze brushed past Nero’s hair as he stood at the entrance of the small village of Elaris.

The wooden gates creaked faintly behind him.

A few knights on guard waved with warm smiles.

Being Merlin’s student had its perks.

The villagers liked and trusted him.

Their greetings were always friendly and genuine.

"If only people were this nice in real life..."

Nero muttered with a frown.

Then again...

"They’d probably treat me like trash if they saw what I really looked like."

He sighed and shook off the thought, when that usual ding rang in his head.

A glowing info board appeared in front of him.

◉ Location: Elaris Village

[It’s a small settlement in the isolated Bramble Region of Camelot. Once neglected by the Bramble Family due to the dangerous monster domain separating it from the main territory, Elaris became a humble haven for wanderers and outcasts who built a life here.]

Nero smiled faintly.

"That’s neat..."

He swished his lips from side to side.

"So the monster domain must be up ahead."

He turned to the distant treeline.

A vast forest, dark and foreboding, stretching endlessly under the dusk sky.

He tightened the straps of his leather knapsack.

A waterskin and two old staffs dangled from it.

On the way, he faced plenty of low-tier monsters.

They were perfect for warm-ups.

"I’ve almost figured out the system. Spells are built with three steps: Spell, Effect, and Distance."

Three «Horned Rabbits» suddenly darted toward him from the grasslands with vicious red eyes.

Nero raised both hands.

"Alright, let’s test this again."

[Fireball!]

A sphere of searing flame spun into existence.

Then — whoosh! — it split into three as it shot forward like a comet and exploded on impact. The ground trembled as a burst of fire consumed the rabbits and left behind scorched fur and charred horns.

"Oooo, that was insane! Spell: Fireball. Effect: Meteor. Distance: ten meters."

Nero grinned, proud of himself.

"If you don’t set the distance right, you’ll either miss completely or blow yourself up. Most games have an auto-aim system, but this world’s got none of that. Luckily, I’ve got [Oracle Engine] kek."

He raised his hand again, and a small red circle appeared on a «Vicious Eagle» soaring overhead.

[Fireball!]

This time, the sphere was smaller and faster.

It shot up like a bullet and exploded mid-air to send the creature plummeting down.

"With [Oracle Engine], I don’t even need to aim. It’s pretty much the appraisal ability. It scans targets and tells me the best effect for each spell. Total cheat skill."

Another «Horned Rabbit» lunged at him.

Nero spun around and grabbed his «Elder Iron Staff».

[Wind Needle!]

A ball of wind materialized in front of the rabbit then erupted into dozens of razor-sharp gusts.

The creature was shredded mid-charge.

Nero twirled his staff and hung it on his shoulder.

"Yes! Just like I planned!"

He raised the staff and admired the faint red mana stone glimmering at its crooked tip.

"The higher your level, the faster the casting time. I’m only level 20, so it takes me three seconds for a D-rank spell and five if I add an effect. But using artifacts like this baby cuts that down and saves mana."

He pointed his staff toward the looming forest ahead.

"Alright then... time to see what the Great Demon Forest has for me!"

He marched forward.

After half an hour of battling stray monsters, he finally got to the entrance.

Another info board shimmered to life.

◉ Location: Great Demon Forest

[A vast monster domain within Bramble territory. Once deemed unconquerable, the forest was partially subdued by Lord Mauros. Though still dangerous, adventurers often explore its borders for rare herbs, minerals, and all sorts of magical resources.]

Nero cracked a grin as he rolled his shoulders.

"Sounds like a great place to die."

He walked leisurely into the dark forest.

–

–

–

The moment Nero stepped past the tall black trees it felt like the mood changed. The sunlight barely reached through the thick canopy, and the sounds of distant roars could be between the branches.

The faint glow of his mana stone lit up the misty ground beneath his boots.

"Alright..."

He stretched his shoulders.

The first monster lunged out before he even finished talking.

It was a «Feral Boar» (Lv. 8) with glowing red eyes and tusks that looked like curved daggers.

"Too predictable."

He raised his palm.

A swirl of fire bloomed and exploded like a shotgun blast.

[Fireburst]

A modification of his usual [Fireball].

The creature’s health bar dropped to zero instantly.

You’ve defeated a «Feral Boar» (Lv. 8).

‣ Loot acquired: «Beast Hide x1» (Common), «Iron Tusk x2» (Uncommon)

He crouched down and tapped the tusks as his [Oracle Engine] flared to life in his vision.

‣ «Iron Tusk»

- Durability: 70/100

- Material Grade: C

- Description: Useful for crafting low-tier mana-infused weapons. Can also be ground into powder for reinforcing armor durability.

Nero smiled.

"Hmm. That’s not bad. If I can get five more, it says I can craft a beginner’s talisman."

He continued deeper.

Every few minutes, another monster showed up—

Venomfang Wolf (Lv. 9)...

Spore Slime (Lv. 6)...

Ash Crow (Lv. 10)...

He easily killed them all with precise combinations of spell sequences.

Fireball + Spread Effect...

Wind Needle + Split Pattern...

Flame Cannon + Chain Reaction...

Every mistake cost mana or time, and every hit earned him loot and experience.

‣ Congrats! You’ve acquired «Wolf Fang x1» «Toxic Slime Core x1» «Ash Feather x3».

He examined the slime core and frowned.

"Too unstable... if I mix this with a fire element it’ll probably explode."

A moment later, he opened [Oracle Engine] again and scanned the nearby shrubs.

Names and data floated over every plant he looked at—

‣ «Moonleaf Herb» – Used in brewing low-tier potions that restore minor MP. Pairs well with Toxic Slime Core to create Mana Balm.

‣ «Blackvine Root» – Highly poisonous. Handle with gloves or a death wish.

‣ «Silver Blossom» – Enhances fire-element spell potency by 5% when used as incense.

He carefully plucked the «Moonleaf Herb» and stored it in a glass jar on his belt.

"Oh? So I can make «Mana Balm» with this... I think Merlin also said something about them being a great seasoning for «Aether Elk Meat» yeah?"

Minutes turned into an hour.

Every time he cast a spell, he adjusted his timing to calculate how far, how fast, and how strong.

"That one took too long."

He muttered after blowing apart a «Spine Lizard» with [Fire Lance] at full power.

"If I channel mana through the staff first and then set the distance manually, I think I can cut the delay even more by let’s saaayyy... half a second?"

‣ Loot: «Lizard Scale x4» «Green Blood Crystal x1»

He wiped the sweat off his forehead and looked around.

"Strange... shouldn’t there be more monsters here?"

An info board popped up in his vision.

[The outer perimeter of the Great Demon Forest is regularly patrolled by Adventurers and Royal Knights of Bramble to prevent monster overpopulation. Weaker monsters (Lv. 10 and below) are most common in this zone. Stronger monsters and rarer materials can be found deeper within the domain.]

Nero tilted his head a bit.

"Ah, that explains it... no wonder the EXP gain feels like chewing on dry bread."

He sat down beside a mossy boulder and fished out his waterskin.

The cool water dripped down his chin as he drank.

"This world’s game system really nailed the immersion part. I can even taste the water. Well, not exactly taste... but it does feel like I’m drinking water."

He tilted his head back to stare at the dark canopy above and then froze.

Through the gaps between the trees, a soft silver-blue light shimmered in the distance.

"What the...?"

He immediately used [Oracle Engine].

‣ «Aether Elk» (Lv. 15)

- Classification: Spirit Beast

- Temperament: Docile unless provoked.

- Drop Rate: «Aether Horn x1» (Rare), «Spirit Hide x1» (Rare), «Mana Crystal Shard x2» (Uncommon)

- Weakness: Lightning Element.

- Note: Highly valuable materials. Avoid unnecessary damage to preserve loot quality.

Nero slowly lowered his waterskin and grinned.

"Oh-ho... now that’s what I’m talking about."

He stood, quietly brushed off his purple cloak, and twirled his staff once.

The red mana stone at its tip pulsed like a heartbeat.

"Heh, I knew it’d be lightning..."