Deep within the Crossroads Monster Base, the forest floor a carpet of shadows and dappled sunlight, Rebecca watched Tyler. He stood motionless, his gaze fixed on so distant point, his expression unreadable. Her thoughts raced, a whirlwind of questions and suspicions. *How did he suddenly beco so much faster?
He couldn't have leveled up significantly from those few accidental kills. Did he have a skill like that all along? Even his strength seed to have increased; he shattered that entire room with a single blow. His skills, his abilities… how many more is he hiding? He's a false ranker. He has to be.*
She began to walk towards him, her footsteps barely disturbing the quiet of the forest.
anwhile, another system panel appeared before Tyler: ` 50 AGI.` A slow smile spread across his face. *Speed of sound… I knew my speed would increase dramatically, but I didn't expect to break the sound barrier. I didn't think reaching a certain speed would trigger an achievent. I got a huge speed boost in the process. Which ans, even if my skill wears off, my base speed has increased significantly. Wait… does that an if I activate it again with this 50 AGI boost, I'll beco even faster?*
He looked down at his arm, flexing his fingers. "The skin-hardening effect wore off," he murmured, "but the speed boost is still active."
He turned as he heard Rebecca's approach, her footsteps growing closer. "So, what'd you think?" he asked, his tone casual, almost too casual given the events that had just transpired.
Rebecca's voice was laced with confusion, a tremor underlying her words. "I don't understand. I don't understand you… at all."
Tyler tilted his head, a slight frown creasing his brow. "Huh? What do you an?"
"Your skills, your rank, even your personality… it doesn't make sense…" she stamred, her voice trailing off, lost in a sea of bewildernt. "I don't even know what just happened…"
Tyler thought, *She's right. She has no idea what just happened, and even if I tried to explain it, she probably wouldn't understand.*
"How shall I put this?" Tyler said aloud, choosing his words carefully. The late afternoon sun slanted through the trees, casting long shadows across the forest floor. Dust motes danced in the golden light filtering through the leaves. "You saw those crystals I created earlier, right? Well, they have a special effect. When I use them, they double the effect of my armor and weapons. As you saw, I suddenly got much faster because of them. This probably won't make sense to you, but that's just how it is." He shrugged, a subtle movent that belied the complexity of the situation. The air hung heavy with the scent of damp earth and pine needles.
Rebecca frowned, her brow furrowed in confusion. "But I don't understand," she said, her voice laced with frustration. A small, almost imperceptible tremor ran through her hands.
Tyler interrupted, his voice softening slightly. "Nothing is going to make sense, and the more you question my abilities, the more confusing it will beco. Listen, asking about my skills will only confuse you. Just think of it this way: I'm going to use all my skills to help you level up. In the anti, you need to stop asking questions, because there's a lot more where that ca from." He paused, letting the weight of his words settle between them. The only sound was the gentle rustling of leaves in the breeze.
"So you… so you really *are* hiding more skills?" Rebecca asked, her voice barely a whisper. Her eyes, wide and questioning, searched his face.
Tyler nodded, a small, almost imperceptible movent. "Yeah, sothing like that." He watched her carefully, his expression unreadable.
Rebecca pondered this, her thoughts a whirlwind of confusion and suspicion. *This person… What kind of hunter is he? Is he really not an assassin? Is he… a craftsman, as he claims?* The uncertainty gnawed at her.
"Right," Tyler said, a new energy entering his voice. A faint smile touched his lips. "I have an idea. And… if it works… you're going to level up like crazy. In fact," he added, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, "you might even reach B plus rank."
Rebecca’s heart leaped into her throat. The unexpected prospect left her breathless. The forest around them seed to hold its breath as well.
"Reach b plus rank?" she finally whispered, her voice barely audible above the rustling leaves.
Rebecca studied Tyler's face, the seriousness etched in his features striking a stark contrast to his previous deanor. *He's actually serious,* she thought, a wave of apprehension washing over her. *I know we've done almost the impossible—leveling up more than ten tis in a single day in a Yellow Tier monster zone—but reaching B rank… isn't that a bit much?* The air hung still and heavy with unspoken possibilities.
Tyler crouched down, his gaze unwavering. "Get on my back," he instructed, his voice low and steady.
Rebecca blinked, taken aback. "What? Why?"
"Just trust ," he replied, his tone brooking no argunt.
"I can walk just fine," Rebecca protested, her voice laced with confusion. "Why are you telling to get on your back?"
Tyler turned his head slightly, his eyes eting hers. "You can still shoot arrows accurately while running, right?"
Rebecca nodded, a flicker of understanding beginning to dawn. " Yeah.."
"That's exactly what I'm planning," Tyler said, a grin spreading across his face. "You're going to be firing arrows while I run through the forest carrying you. We're going to speed run this forest, killing so many monsters you won't be able to recycle your arrows fast enough. With the speed boost I've got, it's completely possible. Now get on." The thrill of the plan, the sheer audacity of it, was palpable.
Rebecca considered this, a whirlwind of thoughts racing through her mind. *He's right. This plan might actually work. But why do I feel a bit intimidated? Am I scared of suddenly becoming this much stronger in one day? Will it really work?* A nervous flutter took hold in her stomach.
Slowly, she climbed onto Tyler's back, her arms wrapping securely around his neck. The feel of his strong shoulders beneath her hands was oddly reassuring.
Tyler smiled, a confident, almost cocky grin. He stood up, his movents fluid and powerful. "You've got your arrows ready, right?"
Rebecca nodded, her bow already in hand, her quiver full.
"Alright," Tyler said, his voice low and intense. "Get ready."
A faint blue light emanated from Tyler's eyes, growing steadily brighter as he activated his skill once more. The forest around them seed to hold its breath, anticipating the storm that was about to break.
Suddenly, a compressed burst of air exploded beneath Tyler's feet as he launched forward. Rebecca instinctively grabbed onto him as a powerful gust of wind whipped through her silver hair, slapping against her face with the force of a small explosion. The world beca a blur of motion.
*As the trees start to blur,* Rebecca thought, *his speed is crazy. Am I even going to be able to hit a monster at this speed? Should I tell him to slow down?*
Then, a new thought struck her. *No,* she realized. *If I activate my perception skill, I'll be able to hit them.*
With that decision made, she activated her perception skill. Instinctively, she loosened her grip slightly, drawing her bow. An arrow materialized on the string, seemingly teleporting from her quiver. Tyler, sensing her slight shift, crouched lower, giving her more space to aim.
*This skill only lasts six minutes,* Tyler thought, his mind racing. *We have to make every second count. Co on, where are they?*
He veered sharply to the left, navigating the trees with impossible speed. Rebecca’s enhanced perception instantly located a Hex Horn, its snout probing the earth. Without hesitation, she loosed a frost arrow. The arrow, a blur of motion itself, found its mark with deadly accuracy, striking the Hex Horn directly in the eye. The creature crumpled instantly.
In a single, fluid motion, Tyler muttered, "Extract," as he continued his blur-speed run. The entire sequence—spotting the monster, firing the arrow, killing the creature, and initiating the extraction—had taken place within a single second. The forest seed to vibrate with the sheer intensity of their speed.
A small smile played on Rebecca's lips at their imdiate success.
*Oh!* Tyler thought, a wave of relief washing over him. *She can actually hit them! I had a little doubt there for a second. I thought this might be too much of a challenge. With her on my back and my body moving so rapidly, I thought it might make aiming harder for her. But it seems like… she can kill them effortlessly. Then I don't need to worry.* The forest blurred past them in a dizzying rush.
*That's the first one down,* Rebecca thought, a surge of exhilaration coursing through her. *This is really going to work. I'm going to grow a lot stronger from this.* Her enhanced perception, still active, instantly spotted two more creatures ahead—a Crimson Wolf and a Brolin—positioned on either side of their path. Tyler was about to run directly between them.
*What now?* Tyler thought, a flicker of hesitation crossing his mind. *Should I just speed through?*
Sensing his montary pause, Rebecca smiled confidently. "Don't worry about it," she called out, her voice calm and reassuring. "Just keep going forward."
"Alright," Tyler replied, his hesitation dissolving.
Without missing a beat, Rebecca nocked another arrow, this ti a flaming one, and loosed it at the Crimson Wolf. Before the creature could even react, the arrow struck its jaw, exploding in a burst of fire that instantly killed it. Tyler, maintaining his incredible speed, passed between the two monsters.
Rebecca swiftly turned her body, firing a second flaming arrow at the Brolin they were leaving behind. The arrow found its mark, striking the creature's head and shattering its shell in a fiery explosion.
*Shit,* Tyler thought grimly, *I couldn't extract those. Well, we gotta keep moving.* The relentless pursuit continued, the forest a whirlwind of motion and destruction.
Rebecca spotted more creatures ahead and, without hesitation, drew her silver bow. An arrow materialized on the string as if summoned from thin air.
*I thought this was going to be a challenge,* she mused, a grin spreading across her face. *I thought it would be hard to hit these creatures at this speed, but… I'm kind of enjoying this. And this is sohow… exhilarating.*
With a practiced ease, she loosed the arrow. It flew true, striking its targets with deadly accuracy, taking down a Pixel, a Hexhorn, and a Draco in rapid succession.
Suddenly, a warm wave of energy pulsed through Rebecca's body. Her smile widened. "This is it," she exclaid, her voice ringing with excitent. "I just leveled up, didn't I? " *This wouldn't even be possible without Tyler. But I think we can actually do this. I wasn't sure at first, but I picked the right person for this.*
Tyler muttered, "Extract," as he effortlessly navigated the chaotic scene, his body moving with an almost supernatural grace. His movents were instinctive, his focus honed in on the next target. But his mind, for a fleeting mont, drifted elsewhere.
*After all of this is done,* he thought, a new ambition taking root in his mind. *I want to go to Hector's shop and deliver the crafting items. I want to craft a lot of them. I want to build my own shop, even. I want to beco successful in this life. I want to beco soone important, just like my brothers—soone successful, soone people can look up to. Not just a burden, like I was back then. No, I want to beco even more successful than they were, back in my world.* The desire for a better future, a future he would forge himself, burned bright within him.
anwhile, a constant smile played on Rebecca's lips as she effortlessly dispatched monsters, now firing two arrows at a ti with pinpoint accuracy, hitting every target Tyler ran into.
*Is he getting faster?* she wondered, noticing a subtle increase in Tyler's already incredible speed. *It doesn't really matter,* she thought, her focus unwavering. *Every target is a guaranteed hit. I'm going to make sure I don't miss a single one—no arrows wasted.*
Tyler was a blur of motion, zig-zagging through the forest with impossible speed. Suddenly, Rebecca's enhanced perception picked up two other hunters—a woman clad in dark, possibly iron or black silver, armor, her long black hair tied back in a ponytail, and a shorter, heavier-set man in leather armor, wielding an axe. The woman carried a sword. They were engaged in a fierce battle against a large Hexhorn, easily C-rank or higher.
A predatory grin spread across Rebecca's face. She nocked an arrow, its tip igniting in a brilliant burst of fla, burning brighter than she'd ever seen it before. As she released the arrow, it sliced through the air like a guided missile. The flaming arrow struck the Hexhorn on the side of its neck with devastating force, exploding in a shower of sparks and smoke. The Hexhorn crumpled, its body collapsing in a cloud of dust and debris.
The male hunter instinctively shielded his face with his hands, while the female hunter raised her sword to protect herself from the blast. "What the hell!?" the man yelled, his voice filled with disbelief and alarm.
The woman, montarily blinded by the smoke and debris, could only make out a fleeting glimpse of sothing moving at impossible speed—a blur of motion that vanished as quickly as it appeared.
Lowering her guard, the woman asked, "What the hell was that?"
The man, still shaken, replied, "I don't know, but whatever it was," he said, his gaze returning to the fallen Hexhorn, "I don't want to face it again."
Tyler started to say, "Extr—" but stopped himself. "I probably shouldn't," he muttered, then spoke to Rebecca. "Was it all right for us to do that?"
Rebecca, a playful smile on her face, replied, "Don't worry about it. In fact, we did them a favor." *I leveled up again,* she thought, a thrill coursing through her.
"All right, whatever you say," Tyler replied, his tone nonchalant.
*I definitely leveled up again,* Rebecca thought, her mind racing. *How many tis is it now? Is this the third? The fourth?* The sheer volu of experience gained was almost overwhelming.
*I can't believe there are actually four minutes left,* Tyler thought, his mind reeling from the sheer number of monsters they'd dispatched in such a short ti. *I was joking about possibly killing all the creatures in this forest, but… it kind of seems like it might be possible.* A wide grin spread across his face. *So many freaking items!* he thought, his excitent growing. *I'm going to have them all. I'm going to craft so many items, Hector won't be able to put them all in his shop!* He let out a silent chuckle as he continued his relentless run.
Rebecca noticed his change in deanor. *He's enjoying this too, isn't he?* she thought, a warmth spreading through her chest. *Is he actually happy that I'm growing stronger?*
Spotting more creatures ahead, Rebecca instantly drew her bow, another arrow materializing on the string. *There are probably about twenty arrows left,* she calculated. *I have to make all of them count.* The hunt continued, a whirlwind of speed, precision, and exhilarating power.
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