[14th Everdusk 2103], DC-23 City, Dyna Crest Country, CGA Branch, Beast Grove Fields
The Beast Grove field dungeon buzzed with activity as hunters scouted and struck down forest boars, their blades flashing through foliage and fur alike.
Among them, unnoticed in the chaos, a lone boar moved with caution—its hooves crunching softly against the grass as it wandered away from the main paths. But while others ignored it, someone else had already locked onto their prey.
The boar's movements slowed, its beady eyes darting from side to side. A chilling premonition settled over it.It stopped.
Crunch—The sound of something stepping on dry grass echoed nearby.
Its head snapped toward the source—only to find several skeletons, swords drawn, charging toward it.
"GRUUAAAA!!"The boar roared and lunged, its tusks smashing into one of the skeletons. The summoned undead was knocked back, but not destroyed.
Before the beast could retaliate against another, a small spark of energy struck its flank.
[Spark]
The boar shrieked. The sound was sharp enough to turn heads across the battlefield.
Standing in the distance was Evan, calmly holding his staff. His eyes glinted as he activated another skill.
[Weak Curse]
Target's Strength, Agility, and Defense reduced by 5% for a short duration.
"Now—charge!" Evan ordered.
The skeletons swarmed the cursed boar, their blades carving through its hide with increased effectiveness. Though the curse would fade quickly, the damage had already been done.
Evan observed carefully, but he never had to step in.The boar was subdued without him lifting a finger.
"Hah, even this kind of low-effort strategy works… Why get hit when the undead can do the dirty work for me?" Evan grinned, walking toward the fallen beast.
A familiar tone echoed in his ears.
[You've defeated Lv.24 Forest Boar – EXP +340 (Bonus +120)][Total EXP: 1060 / 2200]
[EE Points Gained: +24 | Total: 1268]
He glanced around.
No one nearby. Good.
"Plunder," he whispered, activating his talent.
Black energy covered the boar's corpse. Lines of data streamed in his vision.
[Target Detected: 1x Lv.24 Forest Boar]
[Gained: +3 STR, +4 AGI, +2 STA | Acquired Skill: Charge]
[Incompatible skill detected. Disintegrating…]
[Skill Fragment Formed: T.F – 1 S.K.]
"…Huh? What's this?" Evan blinked as a glowing skill fragment icon appeared in his interface.
[Skill Fragments — A mysterious and versatile resource containing traces of skill energy. Even beings of higher realms desire them.]
Uses:
– Skill Enhancement: Boosts existing skills.
– Skill Fusion: Fuses with other fragments or skills to create altered forms.
– Skill Creation: Collect enough to forge entirely new abilities.
– Skill Restoration: Restore broken or forgotten skills.
Evan stared in disbelief.
"(O_O)... What the hell is this cheat-level talent doing? Isn't this way too overpowered?"
He quickly looked around, checking again to make sure no one was watching.
"Note to self—thank the original owner of this talent... when I eventually bury him," Evan muttered.
He opened his inventory space, grabbed the boar's corpse, and awkwardly forced it inside with a bit of struggle.
"Wheew~ Done. A few more like this and I'm heading back home. Some rest and maybe… fried dumplings?" he licked his lips at the thought, imagining all the food he could now afford to buy.
And with that thought warming his heart, Evan resumed his hunt.
Meanwhile...
In another area of the field dungeon, two hunters scouted the crowds—Lucas and Tess.
They were searching for one thing: a solo hunter without a party.
While Tess used her detection skill to scan the area, Lucas relied on something far superior.
As Tess looked around carefully, Lucas's eyes glowed faintly. Dozens of profiles floated in his vision—but most were unimpressive.
Until one stood out.
"Hmm… There you are. The one who'll become our third member."
"Tess," Lucas spoke firmly. "Found someone. Come on."
He pulled her by the wrist and walked straight toward a hunter loitering near the edge of the field—seemingly scanning the crowds, likely also searching for a group.
Lucas didn't hesitate. "Hey, want to join our party?"
The hunter turned.
And Tess froze.
Her eyes widened, her breath catching in her throat as she stared at the person standing in front of them.
"…You…?"
To be continued…
Who is this mysterious hunter Lucas found? Why is Tess so shocked? Is it someone from her past… or someone who shouldn't be here at all?