Alec sat in a rattling wagon, *across* from a hunter he didn't recognize. They were headed towards Aria. The hunter wore full tal plate armor, a helt with nurous small holes obscuring everything but his face. Alec could hear the man's ragged breathing through those holes, a sound almost like suffocating. *These other tanks,* Alec thought, *what's the use of getting so much armor like this to protect yourself if you're just going to die in it? If anything, he's gonna suffocate to death, and isn't it hot already?*
He noticed the armored hunter staring at him, his gaze visible through the helt's holes. Alec looked down at his own legs, a sigh escaping his lips. *I left that idiot at the crossroads. I sure hope he doesn't get himself killed. He's annoying and doesn't listen to all the ti, but if we lose another mber, things won't be looking good for us. And the rumors are starting to go around that soone is killing our mbers. I have to make it back quickly and tell the Black Cloud Guild mbers, all of them.*
Alec addressed the driver. "Hey, can we move a little faster?"
The man grunted, tightening his grip on the reins. The horses surged forward, the wagon rumbling less violently as it picked up speed.
anwhile, in the forest, Rebecca kept her hands over her eyes, shielding them from the intense, blinding light radiating from Tyler's armor. The light spread across the forest, illuminating the trees and undergrowth in a wide, dazzling arc.
The light from Tyler's armor faded as Rebecca cautiously opened her eyes. Tyler had already shed the plate armor; the Hexhorn armor now clad his form. She watched, montarily stunned, as the change occurred.
Tyler turned, a predatory grin spreading across his face. "Get ready, they're coming."
Rebecca, already alert, nocked an arrow, her bowstring taut. Two daggers, one red, one silver, materialized in Tyler's hands. He was clearly anticipating sothing, a grim satisfaction in his eyes.
Rebecca thought, *He said they're coming, but I don't hear anything yet.*
Tyler's gaze flickered to Rebecca's bow, and his expression changed. "Rebecca," he said, "give your bow, quick."
"What? Why?" Rebecca demanded, her voice sharp with suspicion. "I thought you said they're coming."
Tyler's smile didn't falter. "Trust . Just hand it over."
Rebecca, confused but trusting his instincts, handed him the bow. The arrow remained in her hand. Tyler took the bow, and with a swift, brutal movent, he snapped it in two. Rebecca stared, her face a mask of disbelief and anger.
"What the fuck are you doing!?" Rebecca demanded.
Tyler muttered, "Craft shiny bow." A system panel appeared before him, reading: `Craft Shiny Bow: Yes/No`. He ntally selected yes.
"I'm fucking talking to you!" Rebecca's face was contorted with anger.
Tyler let the broken pieces of the bow fall to the ground. "You don't need this thing. You said it was garbage, rember?"
Rebecca launched a fist at Tyler's face. He effortlessly caught her fist in his left hand, his gaze unwavering. The system panel read: `Crafting…`
"What, you're angry now?" Tyler said, a small, playful tone in his voice.
This only fueled Rebecca's rage. "What the hell do you think you're doing? I told you this thing was garbage, but I didn't tell you to *break* it! What do you think I'm going to use to defend myself now? Why did you break it?"
Tyler smiled, lifting a finger on his right hand. "Just a sec." The system panel (invisible to Rebecca) read: `Crafting Successful.` He opened his right hand, and a gleaming, beautiful bow with a silver tal string materialized.
He handed it to Rebecca. Her eyes widened at the sight of the new bow. "You… you gave a new bow? Why the heck didn't you explain that to begin with? Why would you just suddenly break my bow? I still could have used that, you know!"
"That bow wouldn't have lasted long," Tyler said. "Lots of monsters are coming at us from all directions. That's why I had to give you a new bow. You should actually be grateful. Take a good look at it."
Rebecca, seemingly calr after receiving the new bow, examined it closely. The bow was crafted from a polished steel, gleaming even in the dappled shade of the forest. Its curves were elegant and fluid, suggesting both strength and grace. The silver string, impossibly thin yet seemingly strong, was perfectly taut. The grip was smooth, shaped to fit perfectly in the hand, promising both comfort and control. The overall impression was one of sleek, deadly efficiency. It felt cool and smooth to the touch, and balanced perfectly in her hand. This wasn't just a weapon; it was a superior replacent for her previous bow.
Rebecca thought, *This bow is so much better than any other bow I've used. It's almost the sa quality as the bow my father used to use. I was saving money to buy a bow just like this, and he just gave it to . Just like that.*
Before she could comnt, two slis erged from the undergrowth. Rebecca quickly nocked an arrow and aid. As she drew back, Tyler called out, "Wait!" More slis appeared—six more, varying in size, bringing the total to eight. System text boxes appeared above each sli, displaying their levels: a level 6, a level 17, a level 32, a level 3, a level 4, a level 7, a level 8, and a level 12.
"What? Why are you stopping ?" Rebecca asked, still aiming.
"I have an idea," Tyler said.
The level 17 sli launched itself at Rebecca, while others bounced towards her. Tyler saw the incoming sli mid-air. Rebecca drew her arrow back, ready to fire. With a swift movent, Tyler ran towards the airborne sli, slapping his palm against its gelatinous body and gripping it firmly in the process. He spun, rotating rapidly, then hurled the sli towards the level 12 sli. As the two slimy bodies collided, sothing remarkable happened—they fused, forming a single, larger level 29 sli.
Rebecca was completely taken aback by Tyler's actions, her surprise evident on her face as Tyler smiled. The level 29 sli reacted; its form began to bubble as if undergoing so internal change, then it stopped.
Rebecca aid her arrow once more. "Wait," Tyler said, "I want to see if this works again." He started running towards the remaining slis.
"What exactly are you planning to do?" Rebecca yelled.
Tyler, already in motion, replied, "Can't you see? You said you wanted to grow stronger, didn't you? I'm just trying to give you more XP."
The level 3 and level 7 slis activated their Bash skill, launching themselves at Tyler. He reacted instantly, catching the level 7 sli—its gelatinous form slightly slippery in his grasp—with one hand. With his other hand, he simultaneously caught the incoming level 3 sli, slamming the two together before either could escape his grip. They fused into a level 10 sli.
Tyler then threw the level 10 sli into the air, kicking it with force. The airborne sli collided with another level 7 sli. The impact, combined with the force of the throw, caused the two slis to fuse, creating a level 17 sli that thudded against a tree, emitting a small, squelching *kyuu*.
Rebecca was utterly astonished. *What the hell? What is he doing? How is he doing this? He is slamming the slis together, forcing them to fuse with each other. This has never been done before.*
As Rebecca watched Tyler start to march toward the other remaining slis, she suddenly heard sothing. She looked to her left and saw four hex horns charging towards her.
As Tyler walked toward the slis, he realized they weren't attacking. Their gelatinous bodies were shaking, as if trembling. Tyler chuckled to himself and said, as he marched toward them, "What? You guys can actually experience fear."
Rebecca, seeing the approaching hex horns, nocked an arrow and drew back the string. Tyler then saw a system ssage: `Non-user has been equipped with user's weapon. Permission needs to be granted for non-user to use weapons, skills and effects.`
Tyler stopped. "Huh?" Looking over at Rebecca and seeing the hex horns re ters from her, he thought, *That's right, I didn't even see the bow's attack power or check if she had a skill or not.* He said out loud, "Grant permission."
As Tyler's attention was focused on Rebecca, the level 32 sli launched itself at him, activating its Bash skill. Tyler quickly turned, a grin spreading across his face. He launched his fist at the sli, holding back to avoid killing it. His fist t the sli's gelatinous body, causing it to wobble violently in mid-air before being driven back into a tree.
The sli fell to the ground with a soft thud. Tyler saw the remaining slis bouncing and slithering away in an attempt to escape. With surprising speed, he reached the level 4 sli, scooped it up in both hands, and the sli let out a confused *kyuu*. Without breaking stride, Tyler held the sli in his right hand, jumped, and then slamd it into the level 17 sli. The two fused into a level 21 sli, which was sent flying by the force of the impact, hitting a tree.
anwhile, Rebecca experienced sothing remarkable. New information flooded her mind; she had learned a new skill. This wasn't the first ti this had happened, but it was still strange and random. *Did I just learn a new skill?* she thought.
Her attention snapped back to the four approaching hex horns. She released her arrow, activating her new skill: Daylight Arrow. As the arrow flew toward the hex horns, it exploded mid-air into a barrage of bright white light, similar to the light emanating from Tyler's armor, though less intense. The light blinded the hex horns, but sohow Rebecca remained unaffected.
Rebecca could see perfectly through the blinding light, but the hex horns had stopped in their tracks. She quickly nocked two arrows and fired them simultaneously, then drew and fired two more arrows in rapid succession. All four arrows found their mark, piercing the eyes of the hex horns. Three of the creatures fell, dead. The remaining hex horn, its eyes impaled, was in obvious pain as the light faded.
Rebecca saw the fallen hex horns, leaving only one still alive, though seemingly dazed and blind. She ran towards it, bow in hand, drawing another arrow. *How is this possible?* she thought. *I didn't even level up that much. I haven't gotten another rank, but sohow I got a skill? It doesn't make any sense.*
As Rebecca ran, the hex horn sensed her approach. It shrieked, its hoof pounding the forest floor as it activated its Charge skill, its speed and strength amplified. Rebecca slid to the ground, firing an arrow as she did. Mid-air, the arrowhead was coated in ice. It struck the hex horn under the jaw, piercing its neck. Ice instantly spread across its face, freezing its head solid. The hex horn stopped, then fell, its frozen head shattering upon impact with the forest floor.
Rebecca stood, turning her attention back to Tyler.
Rebecca was surprised to see Tyler standing before a massive sli, hands on his hips, a proud smile on his face. Rebecca was shocked; she'd never seen a sli so large. She couldn't tell the exact level, but it was enormous—big enough to reach Tyler's waist. Tyler thought, *It's a level 53 C-rank sli. It's got to have tons of experience, right?*
The sli launched itself at Tyler, with no apparent skill activation. Tyler smiled. *I've been wanting to test my strength. So give it all you've got.* He launched his fist at the oncoming sli. His fist connected, the sli's body wobbling violently before recoiling and rolling across the ground.
"Not enough, huh?" Tyler said, still smiling.
Rebecca thought, *That sli... it has to be a C-rank. I've never seen a sli this big before. I didn't even know slis could get this big. How is he doing that?*
Tyler ran towards the sli. As it launched itself at him, activating its Bash skill, Tyler easily dodged its attack, running past the massive creature towards the level 29 sli. The level 29 sli, letting out a squelching *kyuu*, launched itself at Tyler.
Tyler spread his arms as the level 29 sli slamd into his chest. He groaned slightly, not from pain, but from exertion, his grin unwavering. The force of the impact sent him skidding backward across the forest floor, his legs dragging. He squeezed the sli, eliciting a pained *kyuu*.
Rebecca watched, her eyes widening in understanding. *So that's what he's trying to do. He's trying to combine all these slis to make an even bigger one. That's how he wants to make stronger. He wants to kill stronger monsters so I can grow in strength quickly. But this thod is just so…*
Tyler, still gripping the level 29 sli, ran toward the level 53 sli, which was attempting to flee. "You're not getting away," Tyler called out. Rebecca ran after him. Tyler felt the level 29 sli squirming in his grasp, trying to escape. He increased his speed, lifting the sli high before hurling it with all his might at the approaching level 53 sli.
The level 29 sli flew through the trees, striking the level 53 sli with considerable force. The two slis rged in a rolling collision, impacting a tree with a soft *kyuu*. Tyler smiled; the resulting sli was surprisingly smaller than the sum of its parts, but its level had increased significantly. Its color was a deeper, darker blue, and it let out a long, lodic *kyuu*, seemingly content as it waited.
Rebecca stopped, staring at the sli Tyler had created. It was a small sli, the result of the fused slis. Tyler grinned, a triumphant gleam in his eyes. "You see what I an? This was my plan all along. You said you wanted to grow stronger, so I made you a B-rank monster."
Rebecca's jaw dropped. "But that's just crazy," she breathed. "This has never been done before."
Tyler chuckled, a confident swagger in his stance as he began to approach the pulsating mass. "Well, this is a first for everything," he said, his voice brimming with excitent. Rebecca, sensing sothing was amiss, nocked an arrow, the tip already crackling with a small, contained inferno.
Before Tyler could take another step, the sli began to change. It wasn't a gradual swelling; it was a sudden, explosive expansion from within. Bubbles erupted across its surface, distorting its shape as it rapidly inflated. The dark blue deepened, becoming almost black in places, and a low, guttural *kyuu* rumbled from its depths, a sound that vibrated through the very ground beneath their feet. The sli grew to a size that dwarfed even Tyler, easily capable of swallowing a small vehicle whole.
"What the hell is happening?" Rebecca exclaid, her eyes wide with alarm.
Tyler's confident expression faltered, replaced by a look of dawning apprehension. "I... I don't know."
A violent wind erupted from the monstrous sli, its springy form now contorting wildly. Rebecca, without hesitation, loosed her flaming arrow. It struck the creature's surface, exploding in a burst of searing heat and acrid smoke that billowed outwards, obscuring their vision. Tyler shielded his eyes, coughing as the smoke and wind stung his face. When the smoke partially cleared, a system ssage materialized in the air, stark and clear: `Level 81, Mr. Sli.`
The smoke cleared, revealing a sight that made both Tyler and Rebecca's eyes widen. The sli was standing on two legs, with two arms and a distinctly humanoid body—though its form was still undeniably sli. Its color was a very dark blue, almost black. It had no face, but deep, dark holes where eyes should be, not quite piercing all the way through. It possessed an athletic physique, its abdon clearly showing a six-pack.
"What the hell is this?" Rebecca exclaid.
"I don't know, but it looks kind of aweso," Tyler said, a grin spreading across his face.
"It's evolved," Rebecca said, shaking her head. "I've never seen a sli like this before. I've never even *heard* of it."
"It's a level 81, Mr. Sli," Tyler stated, reading the system ssage again.
The sli folded its fists, stared upward, and let out a piercing *kyuu* that resonated with painful intensity, causing both Tyler and Rebecca to instinctively clap their hands over their ears. The sound lingered, a wave of almost unbearable pressure.
A system panel appeared before Tyler: `Level 81 Mr. Sli has activated skill: Ultimate Bash.`
The dark holes where the sli's eyes should be glowed a brilliant blue. It launched itself at Tyler with terrifying speed. Tyler crossed his arms defensively as the sli's fist connected, sending him skidding backward across the forest floor, tearing through the grass. Pain shot through his wrists, but a grin spread across his face. He felt a surge of exhilaration. Rebecca quickly nocked an arrow, aiming at the boss monster.
Rebecca's arrowhead frosted over with ice as she loosed the shot. The sli, however, reacted with surprising agility, rotating swiftly to dodge the attack; the arrow passed by the sli's shoulder. Mid-rotation, the sli folded its fist and launched a long-range punch. Its gelatinous arm stretched impossibly far, striking Rebecca squarely in the chest. She fell heavily to the forest floor.
Tyler, surprised by the sli's range and speed, sprinted toward it. As the sli's hand stretched towards him, Tyler sidestepped, dodging the grab with practiced ease. The sli instantly launched its other hand, but Tyler slid to the ground, evading the attack. He sprang to his feet, leaping upward and delivering a powerful uppercut to the sli's chin. The impact sent the sli flying through the air, spinning before landing gracefully on its feet. It seed unfazed.
The sli charged at Tyler with an incredible speed that even surprised him. A system panel appeared: `Mr. Sli has activated skill: Rapid Bashing Punches.`
A flurry of punches—a blur of motion—rained down on Tyler. Left hook, right hook, jabs, uppercuts; a brutal combination of blows delivered with such speed that he couldn't react. He was hit in the face, chest, abdon, both cheeks—a brutal combination that left him reeling. The sli let out a triumphant *kyuu* as its final punch slamd into Tyler's chest, sending him sprawling across the forest floor.
The sli turned its attention to Rebecca, charging towards her. Rebecca scrambled to her knees, but before she could fully rise, the sli launched a devastating kick aid directly at her face. Rebecca's eyes widened; she was completely defenseless. But then, Tyler appeared, crouching low, intercepting the blow with his hands. The force of the kick slamd into his arms, but he held firm, his muscles bulging with the strain.
*Damn it,* Tyler thought, *What is she thinking? If I didn't catch that kick, she would have died. And I just activated my Charge skill.*
Rebecca, regaining her composure, quickly sprang to her feet, drawing the dagger from her hip. With a fierce cry, she swung, slashing the sli across its neck. The blade bit deep, but the wound instantly sealed itself, knitting back together perfectly as if nothing had happened.
Tyler, using the montum of the kick and the grip he still maintained on the sli's leg, explosively straightened his legs. With a powerful roar, he leveraged his strength, flipping the sli end over end in a spectacular display of raw power. The sli landed gracefully on its feet, seemingly unfazed.
"Did you see that?" Rebecca exclaid, her voice filled with disbelief. "It can regenerate!"
"Yeah," Tyler grunted, already shifting his stance. "I don't think slashing skills are going to work on it. We're just gonna have to beat it to a pulp." His speed instantly increased by 40%. A system panel appeared: `Mr. Sli has activated skill: Rapid Bashing Punches.`
The sli launched a fist at Tyler. Tyler t the blow with his own, the Charge skill still active, its skin-hardening effect still in effect during the initial ten seconds of the skill's activation, boosting his speed by 40%. A gust of wind erupted from the force of their colliding fists. Tyler grinned. "You're pretty strong," he said to the sli.
The sli, however, seed montarily staggered; its body wobbled from the impact. It retracted its fist, as did Tyler. Then, the rapid-fire punches began. The sli unleashed a flurry of blows, and Tyler countered each one with his own, a furious exchange of fists. Rebecca watched, srized, as the two combatants traded blows with increasing speed and power. Each impact echoed like thunder, the sounds blurring together in a cacophony of force.
*I could end this fight if I wanted to,* Tyler thought, a strange thrill coursing through him, *but for so reason, I'm enjoying it. What the hell is wrong with ?*
Tyler's enhanced speed finally overwheld the sli. He landed a powerful blow to its chest, sending it skidding across the forest floor, its gelatinous legs sliding precariously close to a tumble.
*I'm not turning into a fighting junkie, am I?* Tyler mused, a hint of self-doubt creeping into his exhilaration.
Rebecca thought, *Tyler said slashing skills don't work on this thing, and I saw it regenerate, so piercing skills probably won't work either. Does its regeneration have a ti limit?* She nocked an arrow, frost instantly coating the tip. The cold air visibly frosted around the arrowhead as she drew it back, the tension in her muscles palpable. "But if I freeze this thing," she muttered, her voice tight with concentration, "we can break it. After all, it's still just liquid."
As she spoke, four Gloomfangs materialized from the left—large, blue-furred canines, their teeth bared in a nacing snarl, their low growls vibrating the air. They moved with a predatory grace, their muscles rippling beneath their fur as they advanced. Imdiately behind them, three Pixels appeared, their clawed feet making barely a sound on the forest floor. Their feathers, ruffled and slightly iridescent, shimred in the dappled sunlight. They stood poised, their beady eyes fixed on Rebecca, a palpable sense of nace emanating from their compact forms.
*Shit,* Rebecca thought, her eyes darting between the approaching monsters. A cold dread washed over her. *I almost forgot about the light Tyler emitted. I forgot it attracted monsters. They just took a bit longer to arrive, didn't they?* The realization hit her with the force of a physical blow.
The lead Pixel shifted its weight, its feathers ruffling slightly as it prepared to unleash its Hypnosis skill. Rebecca reacted instantly. With a powerful draw, she loosed the arrow. As it flew through the air, the arrow suddenly blazed with intense white light, exploding mid-flight into a dazzling barrage.
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