"Good morning," Tyler replied to Serena's greeting. Grone, standing beside him, added, "Good morning." Serena smiled. "Right, you're looking for quests, right? There are lots of D-rank quests, but I'm not really sure about the C-rank quests, though," she said, as Grone squinted at the quest board behind her. She ducked under the counter, returning with several flyers which she placed before Tyler.

  "Ah, thanks," Tyler said.

  "No problem," Serena replied.

  Tyler began looking through the D-rank quest flyers, noticing various requests: slime cores, hexhorn hides, and hides from other monsters.

  Grone pointed to the quest board. "I saw a C-rank quest on the board."

  Serena looked up. "Oh," she said, retrieving a flyer from the board. "There really *is* a C-rank quest. Sorry, I must have forgotten about it."

  "Let me see what it's about," Grone said, taking the flyer. He read it aloud: *Hunter is requested to return with the full hide of an Alpha Crimson Wolf.* He was a bit surprised. He looked at Serena, who simply nodded. "This quest is recommended for C-rank plus hunters," she explained.

  Grone looked at Tyler, then back at the flyer. "No, it's fine. I think I can complete it."

  "You do know it's the quest where you'd have to go into the Crimson Wolf's Den, right?" Serena said, a hint of caution in her voice.

  Tyler looked at Grone, a question in his eyes. "The Crimson Wolf's Den?"

  Grone nodded. "Yes, it's a C-rank quest, after all. I have to kill the Alpha and get its hide."

  Tyler asked, "Wait, but what level would the Alpha be?"

  "Probably 60 to 70," Grone estimated. "But not to worry, you'll have my back, right?"

  "Oh, right, of course," Tyler replied.

  "What about you?" Grone asked. "Did you already pick a quest yet?"

  Tyler started looking through the flyers again. "I'm not really sure. I mean, I can't seem to decide."

  "Just pick the one with the best reward," Grone advised.

  "Yeah, it's just that three of them have the same reward, and I'm trying to find the easiest one," Tyler said, continuing to scan the flyers. After a moment, he pointed. "Ah, I'll take this one." He placed the flyers on the counter, took a pencil, and signed his name, Grone doing the same.

  "Which one did you pick?" Grone asked.

  "Oh, it's one about hunting a level 40 Draco and bringing back its hide," Tyler replied. "Don't really know what they're going to use it for."

  Serena smiled. "Oh, those hides can be used to make lavish shoes and durable, beautiful clothing. Oh, and I almost forgot to tell you something. Some people have come through here looking for you."

  Tyler raised an eyebrow. "People were looking for me?"

  "Yes," Serena confirmed. "They kept describing your outfit, so I told them it was you."

  "Who were they?" Tyler asked.

  "I don't know who the others were, but one of them was Gary," Serena replied.

  Grone's brow furrowed. "Gary? Why was he looking for Tyler?"

  Serena shrugged. "I don't know."

  "If it's Gary," Grone said, "I don't think it's for a good reason." He looked at Tyler. "Did you happen to run into Gary at some point?"

  Tyler thought for a moment. "Uh, no. I've only seen him once, and that was with you when I first got here."

  "The other one's name was… Bernardo, I think," Serena said. "Bernard… I'm not really sure. Anyways, it seemed like there were three of them. The other one wasn't here, though."

  "Did you tell them his name?" Grone asked, his tone sharper now.

  "Yes," Serena admitted. "That's what I said. I told them the person they were looking for was Tyler."

  "Why would you do that?" Grone exclaimed. "You know that if it's Gary, you shouldn't have told them Tyler's name."

  Serena's face fell. "Yeah, I apologize for that. I'm sorry. But, I only thought about it after they left. But just because it's Gary doesn't mean he's just looking to pick a fight with him, right?"

  "Well, let's just hope so," Grone said, though his tone didn't sound entirely convinced.

  "Wow," Tyler said, "does Gary really have that much of a bad reputation?"

  "You have no idea," Grone replied. "Everybody in the Crossroads base doesn't like him. Anyways, we have to go."

  "Oh, alright," Serena said. "Be careful out there."

  "We will," Tyler said, and together, he and Grone left the tent, heading towards the base's exit.

  Tyler checked his stats again, feeling a familiar flutter of nervousness, though not as intense as during his first quest. He accessed his inventory, noting he had enough materials. As they neared the base's exit, he stopped Grone. "Grone, I need to craft something first."

  "Craft something?" Grone asked, raising an eyebrow.

  "Yeah, let's stop here; it'll only take a few seconds," Tyler replied. He then muttered, "Craft Shine Armor." The system panel appeared, displaying "CraftingCrafting successful

  "So, you're looking at that 'system' thing you were talking about?" Grone asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  "Um, yes," Tyler admitted. "It must feel pretty awkward, huh? But I am crafting something. Actually, it's done. I just have to see the armor stats now." He mentally selected the icon, and the system panel appeared, displaying the armor's stats:

  Shine Armor

  DEF: 82

  Skill: Radiant Burst

  "Oh, it has a skill?" Tyler murmured, surprised. He then commanded, "Equip Shine Armor." Instantly, his body was enveloped in a blue light, and his Gloom Armor was replaced by gleaming silver armor.

  The Shine Armor was a marvel of craftsmanship. The chest plate, a broad expanse of polished silver, was intricately etched with swirling patterns that seemed to shift and shimmer in the light. It was segmented for flexibility, allowing for a full range of motion, and the edges were subtly rounded, suggesting both strength and elegance. The armor's overall design was sleek and streamlined, suggesting both protection and agility. The silver gleamed with an almost ethereal quality, as if reflecting an inner light. The armor extended to cover the legs in a similar polished silver, forming sleek greaves that moved smoothly with the legs. The design was practical and functional, prioritizing protection and mobility without unnecessary ornamentation. The overall effect was one of understated strength and refined craftsmanship.

  Grone was surprised. Tyler lifted his feet, testing the armor. It had some weight, but not enough to slow him down; it felt surprisingly light.

  "I don't think I'll ever get used to that," Grone said.

  "Same here," Tyler replied. "This armor seems much tougher than the one I was wearing."

  "Yeah, I mean, this one's made of metal, right?" Grone asked.

  "Yes, of course," Tyler answered. He then looked up, seemingly into thin air. "Can you give me a description of the armor skill? A description of what it does."

  Grone looked at him quizzically. "What are you talking about?"

  "Oh, sorry," Tyler said, "I was talking to the system." He felt even more self-conscious talking to the system in front of Grone; it made him feel abnormal.

  The system panel appeared, the text read:

  Radiant Burst: This skill allows the user to absorb ambient light into the armor. Once the armor's absorption capacity is reached, the user can release the stored light, blinding those around them. The armor absorption bar can be viewed at any time.

  "Show me the bar," Tyler requested. A circular loading bar appeared on the system panel, about halfway full. *Wow, that was fast,* Tyler thought.

  He looked at Grone. "Yeah, I'm sorry for keeping you waiting. We can go ahead now."

  "It's alright," Grone said. "Let's go."

  Tyler and Grone left the base, heading through the nearby bushes.

  As they walked, Tyler and Grone saw no monsters.

  "I thought there'd be more monsters, especially this early in the morning," Tyler said. "I guess other hunters must have gotten here early."

  "Yeah, it's unfortunate," Grone replied. "And we're just about to reach the river."

  As they spoke, Tyler felt something was wrong. Then, they both heard a shriek from above. Tyler reacted instantly, his iron axe materializing in his hand. "Watch out!" he yelled, whirling around as the axe narrowly missed Grone's forehead. He swung, cleaving the slither that had dropped from a tree. Its head and body landed on the ground with a thud. He breathed heavily, adrenaline surging.

  "So it was a slither," Grone said. "Those things are pretty dangerous."

  Tyler looked at the slither's severed head and body. "Yeah," he agreed, noticing the blood pooling around the severed head. He remembered something.

  "Let's go," Grone urged.

  "Wait," Tyler said. "I need to take the blood."

  "What?" Grone asked. "Why do you need a slither's blood?"

  "It's an ingredient for my alchemy skill," Tyler explained. He then commanded, "Craft vial." The system responded instantly: Crafting successful.

  "Huh, it actually worked," Tyler muttered, as the vial shimmered briefly before disappearing into his inventory. He stood up. "Let's go."

  Tyler and Grone continued walking. "Man, it's kind of unnerving thinking those things could drop from anywhere," Tyler said. "I didn't know they lived in trees."

  "They don't," Grone corrected. "They mostly live in holes. I'm surprised it was attacking from a tree, too."

  "So, since you started hunting, it's never done that before?" Tyler asked.

  "No, never," Grone confirmed. "Slithers are very dangerous, especially if they level up past 60."

  "What do you mean by that?" Tyler asked.

  "Well, if they level up past 60, they evolve into white venomous serpents," Grone explained.

  "Venomous serpents?" Tyler repeated, surprised.

  "Yes," Grone said. "And they're very huge."

  "How come we've never run into one before?" Tyler asked.

  "Well, it's pretty rare to run into them," Grone said. "Because… slithers are one of the weakest monsters you can find. They're… slightly below the food chain. A slither can be easily killed by a hexhorn or a gloomfang."

  "So what do they survive on?" Tyler asked.

  "They mostly feed on weaker prey," Grone answered. "For example, slimes, smaller pixels, or small creatures. They never really feed on bigger ones, although they're also stupid enough to attack stronger prey, like us."

  "Yeah," Tyler agreed, "that's pretty dumb."

  Tyler noticed they had reached the river. Grone walked carefully across the narrow, stone path. Tyler looked down at the water cautiously, remembering his near-fatal encounter with a lurker during his last river crossing. He felt a wave of relief as he reached the other side.

  They continued walking when Grone suddenly placed a hand on Tyler's chest, stopping him. "Do you see that?" he whispered.

  Tyler focused on the direction Grone indicated and spotted two pixels. Their backs were to them, and they hadn't noticed Tyler and Grone.

  "We need to be really careful if we want to kill them successfully," Grone murmured. He gestured for Tyler to crouch. Tyler crouched low beside Grone as they stealthily moved towards the pixels.

  As Grone slowly drew his sword, a sharp *shink

  Tyler and Grone quickly stood, eyes squeezed shut, hands over their ears. The sound was incredibly loud and intensely high-pitched. While one pixel shrieked, sending waves of sound at them, the other started running towards them. Tyler cautiously opened his eyes a crack.

  Tyler slammed his eyes shut, a guttural roar escaping his lips. "Keep your eyes closed!" he bellowed, unleashing the raw power of Radiant Burst

  The light vanished as abruptly as it had appeared, leaving an echoing silence in its wake. Tyler's eyes snapped open, his senses sharpened, his body a coiled spring of lethal energy. He launched himself at the disoriented pixel, a blur of motion. His iron axe materialized in his grasp, a gleaming extension of his own furious will. With a savage, earth-shattering arc, he cleaved through the pixel's neck, severing its head with brutal efficiency. The creature crumpled to the ground, lifeless.

  His attention shifted to the second pixel, a creature of breathtaking, terrifying beauty. Its wings, vast and iridescent, shimmered with a kaleidoscopic display of shifting colors, a hypnotic vortex threatening to ensnare his very soul. The rapid, mesmerizing change of its plumage held Tyler captive, his movements slowing, his mind caught in the creature's deadly spell. His iron axe, forgotten in his hand, drooped towards the earth. He was a statue, frozen in time, drawn inexorably towards the mesmerizing spectacle of death.

  Grone, eyes still clamped shut against the aftereffects of the blinding light, reacted instinctively. He snatched up his sword, a blur of motion in the lingering afterglow. With a guttural cry, he unleashed his slash skill, a searing arc of steel that sliced through the air, severing the pixel's wing with a sickening slash

  Snapping free from the pixel's mesmerizing spell, Tyler roared, his primal fury unleashed. He launched himself at the wounded creature, his iron axe a weapon of righteous vengeance. With a mighty leap, he brought the axe crashing down, the sharp edge tearing through the pixel's neck and shoulder with savage precision.

  The creature split in half as it fell, and a system panel appeared above the two corpses, displaying a single word in a blue text box: EXTRACT

  Tyler thought, *If I'd been equipped with the Gloom Armor, I could have used my Rush skill to be faster. Then again, if I'd used Rush instead of Radiant Burst when the creature spotted us, I could have killed it quickly, but I still might have gotten hypnotized by the other one.*

  He turned to Grone. "Are you alright?"

  "I'm fine," Grone replied, looking at the dead pixels. "What level were they?"

  Tyler checked. "The one I killed near you was level 39,level37

  "So they were both E-rank monsters," Grone concluded.

  "I guess so," Tyler said. "We need to keep moving, right?"

  "Yes, let's keep moving," Grone agreed.

  Tyler looked at the blood on his axe, lost in thought. *I killed both those creatures in one strike, and if I remember correctly, the attack power on this axe is 82. Does this mean these creatures have low vitality, or was I able to one-shot them because I have a lot of strength now? Man, the system is so confusing. Its game logic feels… weird.*

  Grone's voice broke through his thoughts. "Aren't you going to use that skill?"

  "Oh, yeah, right, extract," Tyler said. Both corpses shimmered blue, and their feathers vanished.

  "Alright, let's go," Tyler said.

  As they walked, Tyler considered something. *Should I make it now?* He checked his inventory; he had all the materials needed for the Poison Bond alchemy recipe. He muttered under his breath, "Craft Poison Bond."

  The system responded: Craft Poison Bond?( Yes/No)

  Tyler mentally selected "Yes." The system confirmed: Crafting Poison Bond…

  Grone, walking beside him, pulled out a small leather bag, took out a waterskin, and took a drink. "Do you want any?" he offered.

  "No, I'm fine," Tyler replied.

  He opened his palm, and a vial appeared, containing a purple liquid. A text label above it read: Poison Bond.

  Grone saw this. "Is that another potion?" he asked.

  "I'm not really sure," Tyler replied.

  "What do you mean by that?" Grone asked.

  "Well, I'd have to ask the system," Tyler said. "This is something new I just crafted."

  The system panel appeared: It is recommended that the user has over 100 HP before consuming Poison Bond.

  Tyler frowned. "Huh, why?" The system remained silent. Tyler nervously swallowed, his gaze fixed on the vial.

  Tyler blinked, surprised that nothing immediately happened. He’d expected a more dramatic effect from the Poison Bond. Grone looked at him expectantly. "So, what kind of potion was it?"

  "I don't know," Tyler replied, a slight tremor in his voice.

  "Why did you drink it?" Grone asked, concern lacing his tone. "What if it turned out to be poisonous?"

  Tyler chuckled nervously. "Poisonous, huh…"

  The words were barely out of his mouth when a searing pain lanced through his chest, a white-hot agony that stole his breath. His heart hammered against his ribs, a frantic drumbeat against the sudden silence. He clutched at his chest, his eyes squeezed shut, a low groan escaping his lips. The pain intensified, spreading like wildfire through his body.

  Grone's eyes widened. "Whoa, are you alright?" he asked, his voice sharp with alarm.

  "No," Tyler gasped, his voice strained, as he sank to his knees, his legs buckling beneath him. He felt a suffocating pressure in his chest, each breath a ragged, painful struggle. His body began to overheat, a wave of intense heat washing over him. He could feel the change in his saliva; it was becoming intensely sour, a thick, viscous liquid that now poured from his mouth, coating his chin and dripping onto the ground. A wave of nausea rolled over him, and he vomited a torrent of sour, watery fluid, collapsing onto the forest floor, unconscious.

  Grone rushed to his side, his face etched with worry. He quickly turned Tyler onto his back. Tyler gasped awake, his chest heaving, his breath ragged and shallow. He groaned, a low, pained sound,

  "What the hell just happened?" Said Grone his voice lanced with concern.

  A system panel shimmered into existence, hovering in the air above him, obscuring Grone's concerned face:

  User has lost 100 HP.

  User has gained a new skill: Poison Blood.

  User's blood is now poisonous. Skill can be turned on or off at will. No mana is required.

  SPECIES: Human

  NAME: Tyler Evans

  RANK: D

  LVL: 40

  CLASS: Craftsman

  HP: 115/215 MP: 138/158

  STR: 152 AGI: 150

  DEF: 216 STM: 148

  STATUS: Healthy

  Skills: Armour Craft Lv2, Weapon Craft Lv2, Weapon Mastery, Alchemy, Accessory Craft, Poison Blood

  Equipped Skills: RadianBurstMC 20