9 What Lays Within Me
At the break of dawn, in the quaint village, the day of departure had arrived. Within the house, everyone was still sleeping, while outside, the streets lay empty and silent.
It was the ideal moment for the boy to embark on his customary morning expedition. He ventured towards the neighboring forest, gradually immersing himself in its depths until he felt utterly secluded from the world.
"Very well, one last time before our great departure."
After a brief moment of closing his eyes, he reopened them to reveal a vibrant shade of orange. Immersed in the solitude of the forest, his perspective unveiled a captivating message displayed on a luminous green screen.
[Extermination Quest: Kill 10 Boars | Reward: 20 exp - 1 soul stone]
[ Quest: Gather 400 black water lilies| Reward: 40 exp - 3 elemental stones]
The boy observed attentively his screen, nodding his head.
"Huh... So the normal quest gives a special reward and the special quest gives a normal one, great. Hmmm If I was serious, I would choose the 40 experience and the 3 elemental quest but... 400... Damn... And on the other side this rare stone... And then... I don't have all day... I've been doing this all these years, what difference will this time make? Extermination Quest Select."
Once this sentence was spoken, the special quest disappeared and only the extermination quest was displayed.
After a brief moment of closing his eyes, he reopened them to reveal a vibrant shade of red. Immersed in the solitude of the forest, his perspective unveiled a captivating message displayed on a luminous green screen.
"Found ya."
In a swamp, near a heap of black stones releasing a thick miasma, a group of wild boars devoured the carcasses of a large creature whose body was leading to decomposition.
Boars, classified as E-rank monsters, likely emerged from the same rift that Shining Sword had previously dealt with. These creatures were sizable, averaging about 6 meters in length and 3 meters in height, boasting two prominent fangs protruding from their mouths.
Their tank-like bodies were enveloped in thick black fur. Approximately twenty of them roamed the woods, a bonus experience for Dora.
A dark stain materialized in the heart of the swamp, gradually expanding. Initially unfazed, the boars became agitated as the stain made contact with them, eventually blanketing the entire swamp.
"Gamma Body"
About fifty ice spikes came out of the ground and impaled several boars, 2 of them by the head and the others in the side, The creatures went wild and those who had escaped the attack ran in all directions.
[Boar killed: 2/10]
"... Oh? the head is their weakness."
Dora emerged from the heart of the murky swamp, gracefully stepping out of the concealment of shadows, and unleashing a powerful surge of energy. The boars abruptly halted their frantic sprint and pivoted their attention towards him.
"We're all adults here, don't play hide and seek."
They rushed at him, roaring, a few meters separated them and soon the first line leaped.
"Rest..."
His whole body turned black and countless matter-like tentacles emerged from it, impaling all the boars everywhere.
"... in..."
The tentacles rose, carrying the boars in the air, and stopped several meters from the ground.
"... pieces."
Finally, the tentacles expanded, turning into black ice, and tore the monsters to pieces, which fell into the swamp. A macabre spectacle, from which I reappeared at the top of the highest peak.
[Boar killed: 10/10]
[Quest Completed]
[You have successfully achieved the quest]
[Reward received]
[+20 exp]
[1 rare stone dropped| 2 soul stones dropped]
"Nice, 2 souls in one quest, I made the right choice."
[Unlocked a new skill]
[Iron Stomach acquired| Allows the user to digest anything he eats]
Dora examined the message with the same scrutiny one would give to the middle child in a dispute. He carefully inspected the two soul stones, analyzing them in great detail.
"... Huh?! Smell tracker? The 2 of them??? What the fuck?!"
He deeply lamented his decision, as anticipated from creatures feasting on a carcass, they merely generated waste. He clenched his fist, trembling from the tension when out of nowhere a massive shadow loomed over him.
A colossal wave carrying the most dreadful horrors of the swamp soared into the sky and crashed down on the back of a massive Boar, crimson with four huge tusks protruding from its jaws.
The beast, measuring nearly 13 meters in length, lifted its head and noticed that one of its legs was trapped in a large obsidian Crystal.
"A little bit interesting."
Dora emerged once again atop the colossal ice pinnacle, and gradually, every spike shattered into fragments that transformed into javelins. Each pointed end aimed directly at the monster, which bellowed in a mixture of fury and agony as the crystalline shards enveloped its body.
"... So this is really the end? Can't break free? Sorry in advance, because I'm only an E-rank, I can't get you to sleep fast, it might sting."
The creature curled up and spat a green bubble at me, I waved my hands, and the javelins in its path expanded and absorbed the grime, a puff of smoke made me understand it was probably acid.
"Grit your teeth."
He extended his arms and directed them towards the creature, causing the javelins to swiftly soar towards the monster, repeatedly piercing it from every angle. A whirlwind of black and red accompanied the agonizing cries of the creature, whose defensive abilities had turned into a nightmare for itself.
After a substantial minute, the beast collapsed heavily, torn apart on all sides. It was evident that the creature was a boss or a superior breed of boar. However, the limited experience gained indicated that E-rank missions were no longer sufficient for his growth. Perhaps joining the academy would prove more advantageous after all.
He descended back into the swamp, surveying the aftermath of the brutal scene. A soul stone hovered above the creature's lifeless body. He picked it up and examined it briefly before hurling it towards the boar's remains.
"As a token of respect, I won't take your stone, and it's not because it's another ridiculous smell tracker, definitely. Next time, pick something good... Sigma Body"
The red glint in his eyes disappeared and his face took on a placid, relaxed look. He noticed the Boar's entrails on his shoes.
"Ew... and who decides what's good anyway?"
Filled with an indescribable sense of revulsion, he retreated into his secluded sanctuary. This was a routine occurrence for him, where some days proved to be fruitful as he effortlessly acquired fascinating abilities, while other days were marred by unfortunate events like this.
As the day progressed, the time for departure drew near, and only a handful of individuals gathered to bid them farewell.
His mother, Wendy, and Elizabeth, who had skillfully altered her appearance using her unique powers, accompanied Albert as he made his way back to the capital alongside Baron. Dora bid his family a final farewell.
"But... If we're going to be rich, do I still have to study?"
"Wendy, your brother is working very hard for you, don't complain, and studying is good."
"Yes Wendy, thanks to my hard work you won't be able to oversleep anymore, you will spend hours reading books, doing brain-burning calculations, stop being carefree, and soon enter the world of over-exhausted adults."
"..."
She looked at him with her cute puppy eyes and when he couldn't hold his smirk any longer she lunged at him and gave him the sweetest, cutest beating his arm had ever felt. After that, his mother gave him her last encouragement and everything was ready for their departure.
"Show them who you are, and if you ever have any doubts, remember that you have a home here and we will always be waiting for you."
"It'll be fine, I'm your son so I'm going to do... Oh?"
He stopped upon seeing some recognizable figures preparing to get on the bus with him and Hope. Their gazes locked, and he encountered, after several days, this group of emissaries well-known in the village, the members of Shining Sword.
