SWNOVELXO Chapter 9: First Kill, Lvl 3
"Shit!" Cassius growled as his limbs felt sluggish, his body refusing to respond the way he needed. The oppressive Fear Effect from the Savage Monkeys' screeches was taking its toll, weighing him down like lead.
"I can't falter here," he muttered through clenched teeth, his gaze darting around the forest for anything he could use to turn the tide. But what was there to find in a forest? Trees? More trees? Moss? He cursed under his breath.
What the hell am I supposed to do with moss? Knit them a sweater?!
Whatever was chasing him had the clear advantage. They knew this terrain better than he ever could, and they likely had the strength to back it up. If this was a poker game, his hand was garbage, and they were holding a full house.
As if on cue, the underbrush rustled violently. Cassius stopped dead in his tracks, his breath hitching. Shadows darted through the trees, and then—
*Thud, Thud, Thud.*
Three figures dropped from an overhanging branch, landing directly in front of him.
"Screech!!!"
The creatures let loose a blood-curdling cry, their glowing red eyes gleaming in the darkness. Their sharp claws glinted as they slashed at the air, demonstrating their lethality.
Cassius's heart pounded as he instinctively stepped back, his mind racing. This was his first time seeing a monster, and every fiber of his being screamed at him to run. Their savagery, their predatory grace—it was overwhelming.
'Run,' a voice in his mind whispered. 'You can't fight this. Get out before it's too late!'
For a moment, he almost gave in. His body tensed, ready to turn and sprint for his life. But then his foot stopped mid-step, and he froze.
He thought about what running would mean—what it would make him. A coward. A failure. The same pathetic loser he had been before the system came into his life.
The memory of scornful gazes, mocking laughter, and cruel whispers hit him like a slap in the face. The person he had been, the person everyone had dismissed and ridiculed, clawed at the back of his mind.
"No," he whispered, his voice trembling. Then louder, more resolute: "No!"
With a shout of defiance, Cassius clenched his teeth and swung his bag into his hands.
"Damn it!" he roared, spinning just in time to dodge a swipe from one of the creatures. Its claws whistled past his face, close enough for him to feel the rush of air.
Pain exploded across his shoulder as another creature's claws raked against his flesh. He staggered back, blood dripping down his arm, but he gritted his teeth and stood firm.
'If I run now, I'll never forgive myself,' he thought.
[Savage Monkey (F)]
The illuminated nametags above their heads gleamed yellow against the darkness. Cassius barely had time to take in the detail, but the color alone was enough to send a chill down his spine.
*Ding!*
[The difficulty of monsters is determined by the color of their nametags.]
[Gray/White → Yellow/Orange → Red → Black]
[Weak → Dangerous → Extremely Dangerous → Certain Death]
"Well, isn't that just peachy," Cassius muttered as he evaded another swipe, the monkey's claws carving through a nearby tree trunk like butter. "Guess I don't even rate as dangerous. Must be more like a harmless bunny sort of rating."
The Savage Monkeys moved with terrifying agility, their claws gleaming as they closed in. Cassius swung one of his wooden staffs at the nearest monkey, but the blow barely slowed it down. Worse, when another monkey slashed at the staff, it shattered into splinters.
"So much for my 'great' weapons," he grumbled, ducking just in time to avoid decapitation.
The monkeys lunged again, their screeches reverberating in his ears. Cassius bent backward like a limbo champion, narrowly dodging their claws. In the momentary gap, he reached out and grabbed the tails of two monkeys mid-flight.
One tail slipped free, but the other monkey wasn't so lucky.
"Gotcha!"
With a primal shout, Cassius swung the creature downward, slamming it against a large rock with bone-crunching force. The Savage Monkey shrieked in pain, but he didn't stop there. Pinning the creature to the ground with his knee, he drew one of his wooden spikes and drove it down.
"Esceetch!!!"
The monkey let out an ear-splitting cry as the spike pierced its chest, blood pooling around the wound.
The other two monkeys screeched in fury, rushing to save their comrade. Cassius glanced up, his breath catching as he realized they were about to overwhelm him.
*Ding!*
[You have 7 unspent AP.]
Without hesitation, Cassius opened his system interface, his hand trembling as he tapped the up-arrow beside his Agility stat five times. A surge of power coursed through his body, and the speed of his next motion doubled.
His spike fell with incredible force, driving deeper into the monkey's chest. Instead of raw strength, Cassius had relied on gravity and speed to amplify the blow. The result was devastating.
"Esceetch…!!!"
The Savage Monkey's body convulsed once before going limp. Blood dripped from its open mouth as its eyes glazed over.
It was dead.
Cassius stared down at the corpse, his chest heaving. He had just…
He had just killed his first monster.
*Ding!*
[You leveled up!]
[All Stats increased by 1 Point!]
[You received 2 AP!]
[You leveled up!]
[All Stats increased by 1 Point!]
[You received 2 AP!]
The notifications flashed before his eyes, but Cassius had no time to savor the victory. The remaining two monkeys were upon him, their claws swiping wildly. He rolled off the corpse, narrowly avoiding a strike that would have torn through his neck.
"Damn it, give me a second to breathe!" he snapped, his voice filled with both frustration and exhilaration.
Feeling his newly gained strength settle into his muscles, Cassius turned his icy gaze to the remaining monkeys. They circled him, their glowing red eyes filled with rage, but he noticed something.
"They're hesitating," he muttered.
The death of their comrade had shaken them. Cassius couldn't afford to waste the opportunity. His grip tightened on his remaining staff, and he felt a grim smile tug at his lips.
"Alright," he said, raising the staff. "Who's next?"