Please Bear With It!

Awakening in the dead of night, Jason found his skeletal form devoid of any residual fatigue from his rigorous weapon training. The early morning greeted him with its customary overcast skies and a gentle drizzle—a weather he had come to appreciate in this realm of monsters and mayhem.

"What a splendid day for adventure," Jason mused, eyeing the darkened sky before setting out, his weapons at the ready.

He understood the rules of this wild, untamed world all too well. Every creature fiercely guarded its territory, and trespassers, regardless of their intent, were met with hostility. The cave he had claimed as his refuge likely sat within the bounds of the Poison Demon Bee's domain, a fact that kept other monstrous intruders at bay.

Venturing out meant stepping into the domains of other beasts, an invitation to danger he could not avoid. As he tread carefully through the thick underbrush, distance growing between him and his makeshift home, Jason's thoughts turned to the Crypt Demon Spider.

Hidden within the foliage, he stumbled upon a grim scene—a wild boar's head, ensnared by strands of white webbing. His eyes traced the ground, landing on a vast dark opening beneath a large tree, a gateway to the spider's lair, no doubt.

Recalling Yule's memories, Jason estimated the spider's size to be formidable, capable of preying on creatures much larger than himself. Such a monster was best left undisturbed.

Memorizing the site's location, he prepared to retreat discreetly when suddenly, his vision was filled with an illusory map. It was largely obscured by darkness, save for two illuminated areas labeled "Poison Demon Bee" and "Crypt Demon Spider," alongside a notation for his "Residential Cave" within the bee's territory. A red dot marked his current position in the spider's domain.

"Is this some sort of game map?" Jason wondered aloud, intrigued by the possibility of unveiling more of the Undead Mountains by exploring and gaining experience simultaneously.

Leaving the spider's territory behind, his path took him past a barren cliffside, a stark landscape devoid of life. An ominous feeling crept over him, a premonition of unseen dangers lurking nearby.

That's when he sensed it—a chilling presence. Turning, he found himself face to face with three ethereal figures, two large and one small, their light blue, translucent forms floating silently behind him. Their blurred faces bore no expression, yet their quiet observation sent a shiver through his bones.

Jason stood still, wary of the souls' intentions, his mind racing to determine whether they were friend or foe in this unpredictable world where the dead walked and the living feared to tread.

Jason's heart raced as he recognized the ethereal figures before him: ghosts! In this realm of undead and monsters, ghosts were among the most feared entities, capable of possession and immune to physical attacks. Panic surged through him as he fled, the ghostly family in swift pursuit.

"Don't you dare touch me!" Jason's voice echoed through the barren landscape, a mix of fear and defiance. But the ghosts, unimpeded by his pleas, closed the distance effortlessly. The child-like ghost, in a display of eerie playfulness, floated above Jason's head, making a mocking gesture before releasing a stream of light blue energy that splashed down upon him. It was more an insult than an injury, yet it filled Jason with a sense of indignation.

"Curse this humiliation!" Jason inwardly raged as he continued his desperate sprint, the juvenile specter gleefully marking its territory with each pass over his head.

[Explore map area × 1, experience +5]

[Skeleton monster lv3 → lv4]

[Experience value: 0/40]

[Free points: 0.2]

Once he had put distance between himself and the ghosts, another section of his map illuminated, labeling the area [Ghost Territory]. "That impudent child!" Jason fumed, cleaning his hat with leaves, his dignity slightly restored by the act. He swiftly allocated his newly earned points to agility, determined to evade such encounters in the future.

[Agility: 0.4→0.6]

The Undead Mountains were proving to be a land of constant vigilance and danger. Jason's gaze then fell upon a dead bird circling above, its appearance sending another shiver down his spine. These creatures, stripped of flesh and adorned with decaying feathers, harbored a sinister light in their eye sockets and the ability to unleash deadly blue flames.

"I refuse to be reduced to ashes," Jason vowed silently, making his way cautiously through the underbrush, spear and meteor hammer in hand, to avoid the territory of the dead birds.

[Explore map area × 1, experience +5]

[Experience value: 5/40]

Yet, the perils of the mountains were relentless. Crossing a seemingly innocuous meadow, Jason sensed an anomaly. Glancing down, he discovered a bloodied tentacle, as thick as a wrist, coiled around his calf—a sight that propelled him into immediate action.

Turning, his eyes met with a grotesque scene: a massive lump of rotting flesh sprawled across a large tree, its tentacles extending outward. "Flesh slime!" Jason recognized the danger instantly, his mind racing for a strategy to confront this new threat, his body tensed for the ensuing battle.

In the blink of an eye, Jason found himself hoisted into the air, the tentacles of the flesh slime securing a tight grip around his calves. A gaping maw yawned open within the slime's body, ready to engulf him whole. "This thing's belly is a vat of acid, and its strength surpasses any ordinary man. If it swallows me, it's the end!" Jason realized, panic threading through his thoughts.

At that critical juncture, Jason, driven by survival instinct, raised his spear and thrust it with all his might into the slime. Despite the creature's resistance to physical damage, Jason knew its vulnerability to pain and, more importantly, to venom.

"This spear, coated with the venom of the Poison Demon Bee, will make you regret capturing me!" Jason declared, defiance burning in his hollow sockets. "Take this, Poison Dragon thrust!"

The spearhead, imbued with deadly poison, pierced the slime's flesh, eliciting a reaction as the creature's body convulsed in apparent agony. Jason's lips curled into a grim smile of satisfaction. "Feel the wrath of my Dragon Spear, beast!"

Seizing the moment, Jason stirred and jabbed the spear deeper, the venom coursing into the slime's body with each thrust. The slime's torment escalated, its body quivering violently as it emitted pitiful cries. Transparent liquid seeped from its wounds, hissing as it made contact with the grass, a testament to the venom's efficacy.

At last, unable to withstand the assault, the slime flung Jason away, abandoning its attempt to devour him. "Saved by the venom," Jason gasped, scrambling to his feet and wasting no time in fleeing the scene.

[Explore map area × 1, experience +5]

With the afternoon waning towards three o'clock, Jason knew he had to make haste back to his refuge. The night promised a resurgence of undead activity, transforming the mountains into a far more perilous landscape. The thought of navigating such dangers in the dark sent shivers down his spine.

As he made his way back, a new notification appeared, marking his progress in this deadly terrain:

[Map: Mountains of the Dead 1%, experience +5]

[Unlock the achievement "Explorer (Elementary)", perception and intuition in unfamiliar environments increased by 100%]

Empowered by this newfound recognition, Jason's confidence swelled. His instincts honed, he felt a surge of determination. "With every step, I grow stronger," he mused, his resolve steeling against the looming threats of the night. The path ahead was fraught with danger, but Jason, the fledgling explorer, was no longer the easy prey he once was.