Participants experienced stress and anxiety when the dungeon quest notification was out. The clamor wasn't about receiving the quest, but about its ambiguous contents. They had to kill the boss monster, but what was this boss monster? Who will give the rest of the details? In distress, both eyes flinched in confusion. They tried clicking the system screen again and again but to no avail. Click! Click! ==== ...[ERROR] : OUT OF SERVICE ==== All they received was either an error or a service failure. Angry over the error, they despised these words like never before. |Is this shitting us? Give us at least some more details about the quest. Where is this monster in this forest? How strong is the boss? Can we even fight a monster while protecting ourselves from other fucking teams?| Many questions need answers, but the only one who can give them answers shuts its door on them, saying "OUT OF SERVICE." Without precise information, what can they do in this situation? Members glance
Tejasv takes the initiative, keeping Salina between Daemon and Catherine. They used an arrow formation for this team of four, with Tejasv in front, Catherine and Daemon on either side while shielding Salina in the center. Catherine had the job of protecting Salina first in any circumstance, while Tejasv and Daemon would deal with the incoming threat. Because they had already encountered various monsters until now, and many of them were intelligent enough to make traps. They had their weapons unsheathed, ready to counter an ambush or trap. Their alarmed state was a natural condition in this terrain. But somewhere in their conscience, they knew the dungeon was level 1, so the threat must be within their limits. -- Yet another constant thought crossed their minds that no one wanted to raise among others. |What if this quest requires the combined efforts of multiple teams?| The system never stated that the boss monster should be eliminated by an individual team or in a group, keep
Ah-eh-em! Changing the topic, Tejasv clears his throat and composes himself. "We should stay alert and consider the possibility that someone may have the same skill as Salina." Then he turned to Salina and said, "Use your skill to find water first. Depending on that, we can finalize the location for our camp." While smiling, Salina nodded enthusiastically. She closed her eyes and invoked [Skill-search]. As her eyelids opened, she rolled her head back and raised her finger, pointing in a specific direction. With frowned brows, their gaze locks in that precise direction. "Isn't that ?" Catherine gasped while staring in that direction. Standing firmly on the spot, Salina pointed in the way thugs chose to run. This alarmed and distressed others, as that path, must be enclosed by monsters up to now, hunting those thugs. Since this was a dungeon, there was no doubt some monsters could be hidden for the time being. However, that also meant they would obviously target a group exhibiting
Moments later, Tejasv and his crew took a rest by the stream to replenish their stamina. Seeing them complacent, Tejasv shrugged and sighed, "Guys, I think we've had enough fun. Remember, we're not here for amusement. Monster's maybe lurking around somewhere while other teams could be one step ahead by each passing moment." He lifted his head and stared at the sky. "In a few hours, dusk will fall upon us. Before that, we must build our camp while looking for food. I don't think any of you can toil around on an empty stomach, right? " The fact that, he mentioned food hit his companions hard as they gulped their saliva due to hunger. Obviously, they were hungry by now; none had eaten since embarking on this raid. Tejasv glanced at Salina, especially worried for her since he was unaware when the girl last had her fill. Everyone shook their heads, supporting his suggestion. Rolling his eyes, he inspected the terrain opposite the stream. His gaze fixed on a specific direction, sharply
The buzz from millions of insects and other creatures rushed about their daily lives. During midnight hours, the cicadas started their calls, filling the forest with a continuous drone. Periodically, the background noise of the forest may be pierced by other bird calls. In the hustle and bustle around midnight, it was Catherine's turn to keep watch. She rolled her eyes, fearful of lingering loneliness. She sat beside the campfire, dozing, unaware of the threat advancing towards her, and the exhausted body overtook her consciousness. Suddenly, some yellow-shiny eyes sparkled in the pitch-black darkness. They stared at the four people sleeping comfortably nearby. A mouth flicked open under the eyes, slithering the tongue and licking the lips and face, drooling saliva on the ground. Slowly, it stepped forward, cloaking itself in abyss-like silence. Crack! The figure stopped after stepping on a twig, roused Catherine from her snooze, and frightened when a cracking sound resounded in
Faced with blood and gore, Tejasv showed a worrisome expression. Upon being noticed by Catherine, he tried to feign ignorance. Yet Catherine sensed something was off and asked abruptly, "What happened? Why the solemn face?" Tejasv sighed, uncertain whether to reply or not. Even though he tried to keep his companions away from most of the burdens by providing ample rest, some issues still needed to be addressed. He scratched his cheek and stutteringly answered, "I-I know everyone is exhausted, but-, w-we have to leave soon." Catherine raised her eyebrows, frowned, and said, "You must have a valid reason behind it, right? Why not just let it out in the open?" Daemon stared at them from a distance, his hands clamped. Not to mention he avoids complicated stuff if it's not life-threatening. Glancing around, Tejasv sighed inwardly and replied, "Look around us! Blood and gore, what do you think will happen if we still keep using this place?" Catherine and Daemon had their eyes and mout
A shiver passed through Tejasv. Startled, he swiveled around, rolling his eyes here and there as if searching for something nervously. Watching his weird behavior, Daemon tilted his head, worried, and asked him, "What now? Looking for something?" Tejasv narrowed his eyes and swallowed. In a momentary pause, he replied, "Just felt a hostile gaze towards us." Pointing his hand in a certain direction, he continued, "From those bushes, I guess!" Daemon turned and frowned while clenching his fists. He stepped forward to inspect while others were ready with their weapons, trembling at the thought of another ambush. Taking a deep breath, Daemon hesitantly peeked behind the bushes. He flinched as his eyes widened and let out a loud shriek. His scream echoed in the eerie darkness. Others freaked out by how Daemon yelled and got goosebumps. Sweat rolled down their spines as a chill ran through them. |What in the world could scare a freak like a Daemon?| Daemon leaped back to his companio
Moments ago, when the wolves appeared, Catherine and Salina had their breath stuck in their throats. Cowering in fear, Salina squirmed behind Catherine, squeezing her gear. As Tejasv commanded, Catherine drew her katana to defend Salina. Although her hands trembled, she was determined to protect Salina with her life. She followed each move of Tejasv and Daemon, who were fighting the wolves, and imprinted them in her head. The fear that seeped into her bones transformed into awe and conviction. The blood-soaked, robust figure of the warriors inspired her, lighting a fire in her eyes. Soon as she laid her eyes on Salina, two beasts were peering at her. The wolves' slithering tongue and drooling sent chills down her spine, indicating they had painted both girls as their targets. Similarly, she noticed Tejasv and Daemon standing firmly between them, and a sigh of relief left her mouth. Her belief in companions shone brightly like a fire. Both wolves sprinted toward the girls, growlin