After watching his surroundings, Tejasv prepares for the next event mentioned by the system. To face the monster waves, he needs loyal and brave subordinates who can withstand any danger in the future.
He reads through the requests, Most of them mentioned the difficulties the person had faced during these difficult times or pleaded with him to save others. Some were showing him the power of money and status.
The rest were only begging. None of these strikes Tejasv in mind. He has no greed for money and status, nor does he want to walk the path of a hero.
Tejasv organizes the requests based on his criteria, including strong skills, mentality, loyalty, and nothing to lose. If someone filled all these requirements, he would be happy enough to let them join. However, no one covers all these requirements.
Many with powerful skills face rejection because skills are only extra limbs. Without a good mindset, it will only hinder the growth of others. To survive in this world, adapting to nature is most important. Even without good skills, you can survive by riding on others' backs only if you have adaptability.
He knew that loyalty can only be earned; it cannot be forced. Tejasv was searching for a simple sentence that would describe the other person. Some ways to show their connectivity.
The requirement implies that he is only looking for warriors who will exert their strength for him.
Tejasv created the last category on a whim to see how many people have lost everything and are still ready to survive. Somehow, Tejasv wants to show himself that he is not the only one that lost everything, and there are others like him.
One of those entries arrests his gaze; he reads it repeatedly, still unable to comprehend the mindset of the sender. The words were,
====
"I do not need pity or compassion; I want a strong leader. Someone strong and capable of leading. Lead me the way you want. I will fight for my survival. I will stand my ground like a soldier. "
-Catherine Hills
====
Tejasv's eyes were wide open, and he stared at the system window for a while,
"Hahaha...Catherine! Interesting... let's see your performance. "
--
Back in the day, before the monsters appeared:-
A man in his late twenties, dressed in a suit and old glasses, trotted into the corridor with a tired and stressed-out look on his face.
It was obvious from his features and the many documents in his hands that he was the manager of a celebrity. He enters a room with a board indicating 'no entry'.
While gasping, he informs the person sitting there, "Mam! Can you explain your decision to cancel today's promotion for the sequel to 'Lord Chiang'?
Don't you know all these are for your future growth, Catherine? "
The manager's eyes met with the woman standing before him. A beautiful woman with shining golden brown hair, dark blue eyes like the ocean, beautiful red lips, and remarkable sharp features.
Catherine Hills is a rising star in the acting industry. In her debut film, she captivated the world with her superb acting abilities.
She glares at her manager. While playing with her hair, she speaks, "Today I have a meeting with my family, and you know, family is first."
After hearing her response, the manager sighed, "I will arrange the promotions later. Enjoy your time with your family."
He left after conveying his regards.
There are rumors that she is an illegitimate daughter of a successful businessman, and some say she is soon to be mistress of a prestigious clan. However, the reality is different. She is just a child of a normal family, who lived the dream of becoming an actress.
Everyone can see her beautiful smile and success on the stage, but no one notices the hardship she faced to get there.
Catherine departs from the studio and asks her driver to take her to the airport. She takes a flight and arrives in 'City Arin', her birthplace. She alters her appearance and discreetly moves to her home.
"Everyone, I'm back."
Catherine was hugged by a young boy, probably around ten years old, her younger brother Jason. She finds Jason's actions adorable.
Her parents were happy to see their daughter back home. They tell her how beautiful she looks on the big screen, and everyone praises her.
After remembering her manager's words, they were a tad discouraged. He told them Catherine's mysterious image is good for her career, so she cannot introduce her family to the world.
For their daughter's support, her father and mother ran an antique shop in their home and faced many financial situations. But now, they are not allowed to call their daughter in front of others.
Catherine assures her family that when she gains a stronghold in this industry, the world will know her family. The family spends a lot of quality time together.
Her brother leaves to bring ice cream from the kitchen as dessert after lunch. While waiting for dessert, she chats with her manager to confirm her schedule for next week. Her manager stopped replying in mid-conversation.
She was confused because he never discards his work midway. No one answered the phone when she called.
Suddenly, a breaking sound comes from the kitchen. Everyone glanced towards the closed kitchen door.
Slowly, the door opens with a kicking sound; they notice a big hairy hand in the corner. Before they could think of anything, a humanoid beast stepped out of the kitchen. It was a bit taller than the average human.
Its body resembles a wolf through and through. Drooling all over, he emerges from the kitchen.
The family noticed the beast was pulling Jason's bloodied arm with the other hand. Everyone was taken aback by the situation as if their hearts had stopped. The beast jerks Jason's body and throws it away.
After Catherine and her father came to their senses, they slowly backed out of the position. Her mom freaked out and cried aloud. The beast noticed her and leaped over. He grabs her neck with its jaws and rips her head apart. They were frightened by the blood that splashed over them.
Her father draws his attention to him and starts running upstairs. Catherine realized that her father was trying to save her from the beast. A loud noise comes from upstairs.
Catherine knew what happened and fell to her knees. From upstairs, the beast made loud a howling sound.
Catherine was afraid and alone. The sight of the blood was scaring her, and she was waiting for the beast to take her life. She notices the damaged corpses of her family and starts weeping. She holds her mouth tightly to stop any sound from leaking out.
"No ..No, How can I die like this? I'll at least take revenge for Dad, Mom, and Jason. I will smash that animal to bits and split his body. "
She moves to their antique shop and picks up a katana from one of the shelves. She encourages herself by remembering her kendo tournament days. She stands beside the gate in an enclosed room on the ground floor.
She makes very little sound to attract the monster and firmly positions herself. The beast comes downstairs and sniffs the entire area.
It slowly enters the room. Catherine shivers with each step the beast takes towards the room. As soon as the head entered the room, she swung the katana with all of her strength and slashed its head.
She kept staring at the headless body lying before her. Her body started shivering even more. She came to her senses when a small amount of blood touched her feet, and a loud voice enters her ears.
====
[Congratulations! You have defeated the gnome and completed your quest.]
[This territory now belongs to you.]
[Check your rewards and prepare yourself for the next event after 48 hours.]
[In the meantime, you can help the person in need and earn some more rewards.]
====
She wasn't even able to mourn for her family due to a notification ringing in her head. She checked the system window; many people were still fighting different monsters. She had mixed opinions about helping someone.
She knew that the only reason for her survival was the sacrifice of her family. Only due to luck, she was able to kill that beast. However, her survival instincts were screaming for her to become strong and stay alive.
"How can I face my end here? I survived in the acting industry for so long and reached the top with small steps. Catherine Hills will survive again and kill all monsters like gnomes or whatever. "
She checks her rewards.
====
[Skill - Weapon Master]
[You can use any object as a weapon as effectively as a professional can; the only condition is that you must accept that object as a weapon and keep it in your hands.]
====
After learning that anything can be used as a weapon, she turns her attention toward her physical ability.
To use weapons one must be strong enough to wield them. Therefore, she enhanced her physique with the three outlined choices. She also got cheap armor as a reward.
--
Stepping up, she changed into her kendo gear. She accepts the request for a nearby home. No one was alive when she reached her destination. Their bodies were scattered like trash but not even one drop of blood could be seen.
The bodies were lying as if sleeping. She couldn't find any monsters there. Suddenly, something hit her from behind and threw her away. She lost her katana in the impact. She took a deep breath and looked around.
A very large black spider, about 5 feet long, crawled on the walls. It was wrapping the bodies of residents in its web. It tries to attack Catherine with its long legs. She dodges but has narrow escapes.
She notices knives in the kitchen and leaps to grab them. As soon as she considered them as weapons, all knife skills came to her mind. Aiming for the spider's head, Catherine threw them one by one, and to her surprise, every attempt was successful.
The Spider fell to the ground, and Catherine received a notification that her mission had been completed. She was exhausted from facing two sturdy enemies in a day. She finds her katana and returns home.
After some rest, she checks the ranking and trending survival videos in the system. A man was killing monsters at an alarming rate, and people gave him the alias "Reaper". He appeared to be a beast who bathes in monster blood.
Catherine watched his videos the entire day, and the fight at the military base shocked her. The military base battle filled her heart with a sense of belief that this person will survive to the end.
Now she was adamant about working with this strong man and surviving in this world. She sent this person the request for cooperation and hoped for the best response...
In a silent room, a small stream of blood slowly makes its way toward the feet of a girl. The girl was sitting on the ground with her face buried in her thighs.Beep! Beep!A voice rang in her ears. She slowly lifts her head to check its source. A notification appears on her system window. There was a message from someone. She clicks the system window to confirm its content.Click===="Come! Let me see if you are a real tiger or a paper tiger. " -Tejasv====She smiles after reading the message. It was a reply she waited eagerly, but she never expected it to arrive so soon.She is Catherine Hills, who requested Tejasv to consider her a subordinate.A pop-up window appears on her screen.====Would you like to proceed to the destination now?-Yes / -No====Two options appear on the screen with a question, she already had the answer in her mind. However, she did not press any option's at this point.She was a veteran in the acting industry and was familiar with neg
Tejasv agreed to all of Catherine's terms when she asked him to accept her under his leadership.Now they were present in the same room, but the atmosphere was awkward. No one knew what to say anymore. How to start a conversation?It was awkward for Catherine to be present with someone who had never heard her name. She was the most famous person in the world just a few days ago, and many people would stand in lines to get a glimpse of her.Tejasv, on the other hand, seemed unconcerned about what was going on in the world and spent his days in this house. Even right now, he is sitting on his chair with the demeanor of a king. He is not even glancing at the beautiful woman in front of him.Meanwhile, Tejasv was in the same awkward position as Catherine. He had never talked to a friend or colleague for many years, so he never expected to initiate conversations. He didn't even know what topic to begin the small talk.Now that chaos has descended on this world, the only topic to discuss is
The golden sun rays stream through the window, falling on Catherine, announcing the arrival of the sun. She slowly opens her eyes to adjust her vision to the bright light. She awakens and yawns while stretching her body. Catherine couldn't recognize the room in which she woke. She rubs her eyes, still staring at her unfamiliar surroundings. The ceiling, bed, and each corner of the room looked different to her. The family photo on the wall opened her eyes to the reality she faced these days. She remembered the appearance of monsters, the death of her parents, and arriving at this house to get help from Tejasv. She forgot all the stress after spending a whole night sleeping. She looked around for a clock. On the right wall, there was one showing eight in the morning. She recalls being a famous actress, a servant bringing her juice, and another preparing her shower. But now she is alone in this unknown house with an unfamiliar man. As she steps onto the floor, Catherine realizes she
This new announcement caused a stir around the world. The appearance of monsters was already a matter of distress, but now they have to deal with dungeons. The majority of teenagers already knew this word, but no one expected to venture into it. Other age groups of people had no idea what a dungeon was. Similarly, Tejasv and Catherine faced the same situation. Amid a monster siege event, Tejasv was conflicted about how to proceed. However, dungeons created uncertainty and spoil his plans. Dungeons can provide them with benefits and time, but this also implies that monster siege event will be more terrible than before. They sat together to discuss it again. Click! Tejasv clicks the new dungeon column added to the system window. ==== >[Dungeon] ==== [Dungeons will open a wide horizon for humans.] [For entertainment purposes, humans often create these fantasy dungeons for different digital media. These dungeons will be the same.] [It won't be revealed what is inside the dunge
At dusk: the apparent descent of the sun, a yellowish color fades into the night, and a chill spreads throughout the world.At this time, somewhere in the back alley of City Arin, a muscular man with black hair was standing in a pool of blood and flesh. Blood was flowing like a stream on the floor.He was about six feet tall, and his nerves bulged out from his thick, beefy muscles. A deep scar runs from his forehead to his right cheek, passing through his right eye. His eyes were red like an aggressive beast.Five to six ruined human corpses were lying in front of him. A few steps away, another man with bruises all over his face, was begging on his knees. It was evident from his condition that someone had tortured him severely."Ple-please! Please spare me!I didn't do anything; they did everything. I...I was not involved in this. "The muscular man slowly approached him, stepping on the corpses, splashing blood with each step. He glares at the begging man, and snorts before speaking
Until now, they were engaged in a fight based on their physical strength, making it difficult to determine the winner.Both Tejasv and the stranger backed off to take a breather. They were evaluating their opponent's hidden strength and predicting their next move.Since their physical strength was almost similar, only skills were left to determine the outcome. No one knew about the skills possessed by the other person, so they were hesitant to approach first.The stranger smiled the entire time as Tejasv peered into him to check his condition. There was not even a wrinkle on his forehead in response to the battle against Tejasv.He was thoroughly enjoying this whole situation.Tejasv firmly grips his ax and lunges toward the man. He swings his ax to split the man in half. However, the man clenches his fist and counters the attack head-on.Clang!A loud sound resonated as if two iron rods were striking each other. The collision threw them away with a backlash. This time, his fist was s
"Argh!"That man wakes up and slowly regains his vision. His body was sore, and his head was bursting with pain."That Bastard!... He sure did a number on my head. "When he tries to feel the rest of his body, he discovers himself tied with a rope. He grits his teeth and forces his way through the resistance.He surveys the room, which somehow feels familiar to him. He could notice some minor changes here and there.A voice suddenly came from behind, alerting him of their presence."So you're impatient as always. You broke the rope as soon as you woke up."The man turned around and grinned, noticing Tejasv behind him. Suddenly, Tejasv and that man start laughing at each other.Catherine was observing them from the hall. She was confused at their wild behavior as they laughed hysterically.That man approaches Tejasv while laughing, and Tejasv raises his hands to greet him. Instead of greeting, the man gives a hard punch to his abdomen. Tejasv coughs and drops to his knees, holding his
The soft and tender light of the dawn breaks around 5 in the morning. The sun peeps out, half-hidden behind the clump of clouds.The dew on the grass gives the impression of liquid pearls, scattered with the green hands of bounteous nature.Walking sounds reverberate in the peaceful atmosphere of City Arin. A group of three people wearing armor, each with fierce eyes, departs for their destination.Not even a bit of hesitation or fear could be heard in their steps or seen in their firm resolve. They were out for a battle, which may affect this group's future.The young man in the middle resembled the leader, grabbing two axes in each hand. A beautiful woman was walking to his right, wearing a Katana on the left side of her waist.A muscular man with an aggressive nature joins him on his left, with knuckles in each hand.Today they were on a mission to raid a dungeon. Although many had encountered monsters before, this was the first time the world may manifest a dungeon.They have no i
Tejasv and Daemon both had aloof and nonchalant expressions on their faces as if nothing of concern happened in those few fractions of seconds when some arrows took out those fearsome monsters with ease.Noticing the piercing gazes of the robed duo, Tejasv waved his hands to them smoothly with a soft yet incomprehensible smile. He steps forward towards the duo with his arms relaxed, to drop the tensions in the ambience.The robed duo unaware of the situation cautiously took a stance and firmly fixed their weapons to strike back if necessary to which Tejasv didn't respond either positively or rebelled. He knew his team may seem suspicious to an outsider in such a bloody and ruthless world.On the other hand, Tejasv considered the behaviour and comeback of the duo normal and even better than some blinded people, who would regard others as a saviour after only first glance. To be prepared and counter, these are the basics to survive in most circumstances.Tejasv reigned his steps a few
The robed duo kept an eye on Tejasv to see which direction he was pointing at the snipers. They had their eyes widening at Tejasv’s figure, who was standing still and peering at the robed duo themselves.His eyes weren’t wavering or watching somewhere else, as if his men were around everywhere, prepared to trample them at any moment. The robed duo were shocked by what was happening in front of them.When the robed duo couldn't notice any changes in the area and no one came out from anywhere, they began to be perplexed, and their inner turmoil heightened even more as the seconds passed.Suddenly, when the robed duo rolled their eyes to scrutinise their surroundings, they noticed two silhouettes walking toward them from afar. For starters, they mistook those two for members of another party rather than Tejasv and Daemon's snipers.The only reason for that could be the number of people approaching them and the distance they were from them. It was difficult for the robed duo to imagine th
Tejasv, after a momentary contemplation in his head, blurted out while scrutinising the robed duo. He said, "What is it, now, about that strange behaviour of the spider?"The robed duo stood silently and shook their heads without any word from their mouth. The one with the manly voice stepped up and conversed, "Not here!" He hinted about the surroundings and resumed, "This place is too open for us to talk about anything!"Tejasv’s eyes widen, and a taunting smirk gradually creeps onto his face. He realised the robed duo were wary of the snipers, whom they presumed to be guarding the safety of Tejasv and Daemon from somewhere hidden around the area.Tejasv, on the other hand, remained silent and only glanced at Daemon; both of them understood the robed duo's intentions and concerns. Because Tejasv and Daemon might kill both of the robed men once they have the information they require, they wanted to relocate to a safe and well-known location.Aside from these concerns, Tejasv also saw t
In the end, Daemon finally ended the misery of the spider with his wild and broad muscles. He gradually stood back on his feet and relaxed his breathing while calming his drained state from this sudden, extensive labour.Then he looked to the front and saw Tejasv standing there with a slight distance and a wide gaze fixed on him. Tejasv was peering at him, while the former responded similarly and paused in those moments.Tejasv even had his eyes slightly wet from the last state he remembered Daemon lying before him. He appeared to be dying at any moment because the spider was about to go into a complete frenzy to eliminate him.However, his friend appeared in front of him after counter-eliminating the monster in a frenzy for him. Daemon also had similar feelings leaking from his eyes because he knew what he experienced, and Tejasv just saved him in the nick of time.Both had enough to say, but not even a word was coming out of their mouths. Tejasv and Daemon both nod and step towards
As the battle between Tejasv and the spider continued with Salina’s backing of arrows, the pressure on the monster intensified from the number game played by Team Tejasv with their vigorous strength.Gradually, Tejasv and Salina’s attacks withered the exoskeleton of the spider. It even fell to the floor with no chance to retaliate against those two. When the spider realises it has no choice but to overthrow this situation, it lashes out in a frenzy.The spider swings the rest of its limbs with ferocity and abruptness while thrashing them all over. Its intentions were clear: to land some heavy blows on Tejasv since it had no other plan but to dash away from this situation.Another cause behind such trancelike behaviour could be defending itself from the incoming barrage of arrows. The spider must have thought that by moving around in unpredictable ways, it could avoid the arrows and prevent the archer from marking the spider.However, the spider had no clue about the skill of the arche
Tejasv and Salina had a short conversation when Salina enhanced her skill to a better one, which was able to use the features of both [search] and [chaser strike].That was the moment to mechanise the way Salina may use the skill, which should handle the use of this skill more appropriately and better than Sally. As a result, Tejasv and Salina talked things out, and Tejasv then suggested a method to her, which elevated her talent as a sniper to new heights.Tejasv suggested to Salina that she may aim for a target and mark him with her skills. Then he asked her to act differently than Sally. Tejasv instructed her to strike her arrow in a different direction rather than releasing it to the target she had targeted with her skills.Because her ability would direct and hover the arrow on its own, it will take a curve and strike the target with a different path after releasing the arrow. Even if someone tried to find the location of Salina, these events would lead to a different origin poin
As the spider began to repeatedly attack Tejasv, Catherine and Salina were rather a in relief since Daemon was now out of danger for a few moments, but when they realised Tejasv had no weapons in his arms, they were frightened.Whether the spider was in his straight head or not, its attacks were enough to paste a human with a single blow on the right mark. Tejasv was in definite danger because he had nothing to fend off the strikes of the spider.Not only that the spider was somewhat in a hurry to end Tejasv, and because of these reasons, it used every ounce of strength within him to stomp him on the floor when facing no resistance from him.The spider gradually realised that Tejasv had nothing with him that could threaten or halt its aggression toward him; therefore, the spider was now on a killing spree for Tejasv. It cackled in rage and resumed attacking Tejasv.However here, Catherine, and Salina, along with the robed men, could see Tejasv wisely moving in Daemon's opposite direct
Salina, when she got a permit from Catherine, aimed for the spider’s front legs since its head and the rest of its body was covered by a tough armoured exoskeleton. She intended to put an end to the spider's frenzy of pursuing Daemon.She shot another arrow for the next limb of the spider as soon as she marked it and invoked her skill while releasing the arrow to definitely stop it in that position and give Tejasv more time in that strenuous task.When those arrows struck the spider, it became stuck in that position because two of its limbs, which had previously allowed it to crawl toward the Daemon, were rendered useless by the arrows, which appeared out of nowhere and attached to the floor.Tejasv sighed with relief and smirked slightly. He was drenched in sweat from the intense and laborious task he had taken over. He had to pull a monster whose mouth had been salivating over a certain target.Tejasv tensed every muscle in his body in an attempt to stop the spider from moving any f
The agitated and perplexed ones were not only team Tejasv but also the robed duo. Though they had no dismay for the spider’s strange actions, they had more concern for Tejasv and his companion, Daemon, who was in a hopeless state.When Dameon fell and faced a sudden attack from the spider, they lost all hope of him surviving, regardless of whether Tejasv intervened or someone else struck the spider, because the monster was intent on eating Daemon whether anyone approached him or not.When they least expected it, Tejasv not only disturbed the spider’s balance but also leapt before it to rescue his friend from the spider’s clutches. Tejasv threw Daemon back and stood in his position in these circumstances.Anyone with such a trained body and mind could assess the situation and its severity. The robed duo agreed that the spider's fangs on Daemon would inevitably bite Tejasv instead and that Tejasv could've known about it before jumbling into the fray.Even then, Tejasv leapt to rescue hi