Pov Logan
After several more days and a series of restful nights, I woke up with renewed determination. At dawn, I headed straight to the guild, fully aware that nearly a week had passed since my arrival in this fascinating world. By this point, I had reached level 35, a remarkably fast progression that far exceeded the usual standards.
My extensive research and various experiences had revealed some intriguing aspects of the leveling system. I learned that each new level requires an increasingly greater amount of experience to advance. This means that progress becomes harder over time. To continue climbing, I would need to face a far greater number of monsters and not just any monsters, but increasingly formidable and powerful creatures. This realization strengthened my resolve and stoked my thirst for battle in this world where every level gained represented both a greater challenge and an opportunity to grow stronger.
Up to that point, everything made sense, especially considering that leveling up also unlocks various skills related to one's class. Today, I decided to dedicate my entire day to preparing and making purchases aimed at becoming stronger while completing as many quests as possible. By precisely 7 a.m., I was already on my way to the guild, my mind filled with all the possibilities the day could offer.
"If I want to prepare myself, I need money. And if I want money, I need quests. And through these quests, I'll become stronger."
Crossing the guild's threshold, I was immediately struck by the lively and anticipatory atmosphere that reigned there. Without wasting a second, I headed straight for the quest board the true heartbeat of adventurer activity. There, I meticulously examined the available postings and made a bold, calculated choice: I selected every single Rank D and Rank E quest available.
In total, that amounted to 50 Rank D quests and 50 Rank E quests, each one involving the subjugation of various monsters.
What made this insane task feasible was the unique advantage of my Vector Control skill. This ability allows me to act without consuming any mana—a decisive advantage that grants me the ability to chain quests without interruption, as long as my physical stamina holds. However, there was a limit I needed to keep in mind: my Calculation stat. I had to make sure not to exceed this limit, as it dictated how efficiently I could use my abilities and manage dangerous situations. It was a delicate balance between exploiting my advantages and managing my constraints a challenge I was ready to face with enthusiasm.
As I methodically gathered the 100 quest slips from the board, a wave of shock rippled through the guild hall. Each piece of paper I took seemed to amplify the adventurers' disbelief.
"He's insane!" whispered those around me, their voices tinged with a mix of surprise and skepticism.
"He just wants to show off, obviously!" added another, dripping with disdain.
"Leave him be, he'll either give up quickly or, worse, die in his madness," muttered a third, shaking his head disapprovingly.
Amid these murmurs and incredulous stares, Marie looked hesitant at the idea of me attempting this. After all, 100 quests for an adventurer who had only been around for a week was beyond excessive. She made her concern clear, but I trusted my abilities.
"Logan, I know you have some special skills, but isn't this a bit much?"
"Are you going to stop me?"
"I'd like to, yes, but I don't have the authority."
"Thanks for caring. Even though it's only been a week since we met, you helped me a lot during those first three daysand you still do."
"Well, that's the receptionist's job: helping adventurers, especially the ones we like."
I placed my hand gently on Marie's shoulder.
"Don't worry." I said before leaving.
"Good luck," she called after me, her face showing clear apprehension.
I now wandered through the city streets with a very specific idea in mind.
"Alright, I need to hire porters to carry the monster corpses. Renting one porter for a day costs 500 copper coins. I have 3 silver coins, so I can hire six."
The porters' association was conveniently located right next to the guild. I headed straight there.
"What can I do for you?" the receptionist greeted.
"I'd like to hire six porters."
"Very well, that will be three silver coins."
"I want the best the ones capable of hauling heavy loads," I specified.
"In that case, you can only hire three porters. Will that suffice?"
"That works perfectly."
Soon after, I was accompanied by three rather burly porters, equipped with bags and small carts.
"Well, it's going to be a very long day. I hope you're ready," I asked without arrogance.
"We're professionals, don't worry, kid. Now tell us, where's your team?" one of the porters asked, scanning the surroundings.
"A team? I don't need a team."
"Are you kidding us or what?!" he shouted angrily.
"I've taken exactly 50 Rank D quests and 50 Rank E quests," I informed him, my expression dead serious.
"That's madness!"
"Shut your mouth!"
"What?" the man stammered, visibly taken aback.
"There's no turning back. I've already paid. You'll follow my orders is that clear?!" I said coldly and with authority.
"Who the hell do you think you are, bastard?!" another shouted, stepping toward me.
Suddenly, the enraged porter, fueled by intense rage, in a swift and determined motion, raised his fist now engulfed in crackling flames glowing with a threatening red hue. With brutal force, he swung a flaming punch aimed directly at my face.
However, his fist stopped cold just short of my face without the slightest chance of actually touching me.
"What?!" he exclaimed, stunned by what had just happened.
"You can all come at me if you want. But when it's my turn, I'll beat you into the ground until you're drenched in your own blood," I declared, my gaze cold and murderous.
Faced with me, the porters visibly swallowed hard, trapped by their own uncertainty, a palpable wave of anxiety washing over them. Their faces, once marked with confidence, melted into expressions of hesitation and fear. Feeling the weight of the threat hanging over them and understanding the implacability of my promise, they slowly resigned themselves.
"Nothing will happen to you, just follow me. If you ever feel like your life is in danger, you're free to run."
"Don't worry, you didn't need to tell us that we'll leave you to die without hesitation," one of them swore bitterly.
"Well then, if that's settled, let's go!"
We delved deeper into the forest deeper than I had ever ventured before. My quest led us to track down hidden goblin camps, search dark caves housing the twisted nests of Noras, hunt down packs of feral wolves roaming in bands, and fight swarms of particularly aggressive and invasive giant insects.
As my attacks rained down with precision and fury on every monster that crossed my path, one thought resonated relentlessly in my mind. It was like a mantra, an unshakable objective guiding my every movement, every strike:
"One day, 100 quests. Cut down every monster that dares stand in my way for the sake of becoming stronger!"
Around me, the porters watched the scene with a mix of fascination and doubt, as if captivated by the relentless struggle I waged against the monsters. Their eyes, usually distant and detached, now gleamed with a light of awe mingled with disbelief.
"Hey, tell me I'm not dreaming, right?" one of them asked, his voice tinged with astonishment.
He stared at me and at the chaos surrounding me, desperately trying to find some explanation in his mind for the extraordinary spectacle before him.
"No, you're not dreaming. He's wiping out all the monsters by himself."
"But what kind of magic is he using?"
The porters were witnessing a completely one-sided battle. All around me, the monsters were falling one after another with unsettling ease. Goblins, wolves, Noras, giant insects—none could escape their fatal fate. Waves of stones shot out like bullets with surgical precision. With every motion, my attacks turned these creatures into a deluge of flesh and blood, their mutilated bodies littering the ground in macabre chaos.
Even their most furious assaults vanished against my impenetrable defense, like waves breaking helplessly on a cliff. And strangely, a faint sense of pity seemed to seize the porters—a kind of unexpected compassion for the ferocious creatures being slaughtered before their eyes.
"From what I've seen, he must be using earth magic."
"Yeah, but he's dropping the Noras by hurling stones."
"He must have the Herculean Strength skill."
"Hey! What are you waiting for? The bodies aren't going to pick themselves up!" I shouted, cutting their conversation short.
"Yes, sir!"
The hunt continued with relentless ferocity, transforming the terrain into a true theater of war against the bewildered monsters. My speed was such that to the porters, I was nothing more than a streak of lightning, an elusive shadow tearing through the hordes. With each step, I left behind a trail of destruction, the bodies of fallen creatures strewn across the ground like the remnants of a battle lost before it even began.
The porters, despite their astonishment and their struggle to keep up with my blistering pace, limited themselves to their grim role: collecting the corpses I left in my wake.
"But there's something else weird about him," one of the porters remarked.
"Yeah, when I tried hitting him, I couldn't even touch him—and it seems to be the same for the monsters."
"He's probably using a magic barrier skill."
"No, it's different!"
"What could it be?"
"Who knows? But it was strange."
Meanwhile, I continued on my path without the slightest interruption or lapse in focus.
"I feel perfectly fine—no fatigue and no mana depletion. The porters are doing their job well. Judging by the sun's position, it should be around noon. So it's been about five hours since I started hunting. I've completed 20 Rank D quests and 10 Rank E quests. That leaves about 70 quests left in total. The porters won't be able to keep up with my pace; they'll need to rest. We'll head back to the city so they can drop off the monster corpses we've already collected at the guild."
After two more hours of intense hunting, I finally ceased my assault. Turning toward the porters, I gave the order to haul the corpses back to the guild.
"Begin processing them," I told them politely.
I knew there was considerable value to be recovered from this massacre. The wolf pelts—precious and highly sought after—would fetch a good price; the giant insect carapaces, tough and unique, would also find eager buyers. As for the flesh of the Noras, it was renowned for its quality and would surely be appreciated. And of course, there were the monster crystals, by far the most valuable part of the haul.
*****
At the guild, one of the porters walked in and headed straight to the reception desk.
"Marie," he called, as if he knew her.
"Ah, George, to what do I owe the pleasure?"
"I've got some monsters for you, on behalf of Logan."
"How many are we talking about?"
"Come see for yourself."
When Marie stepped outside, she was met with a sight that left her speechless. In front of her, wagons overflowed with monster corpses, carelessly piled one atop the other. Wolves, Noras, giant insects, and even large goblins, their imposing size and yellow-green skin covered with coarse hair ranging from brown to dark gray, stood out starkly from the smaller sacks filled to the brim with the ears of more common goblins.
The large goblins, with their brown or yellowish eyes and jagged, yellowed teeth, were humanoids standing around two meters tall. Recognized as a superior evolution of normal goblins, generally around level 35, they typically lived about sixty years. Their presence among the slain testified to the sheer violence and scale of the battle that had taken place.
"This is..." Marie began, her voice a mixture of horror and awe, unable to find the words to describe the spectacle before her.
"He's a real monster on the battlefield. His rank doesn't match what he's capable of. He should be at least Rank B," commented George, fully understanding her shock.
"Where is he?"
"He stayed back there."
Shhhhhh!
Large goblins were just now being skewered, their bodies riddled with multiple gaping holes before collapsing lifelessly to the ground, their blood pooling into crimson puddles. At that moment, a pack of enraged wolves, their fur gleaming with a dazzling silver sheen, charged straight toward Logan.
"So these are the Silver Wolves? They're a bit bigger than the regular ones," Logan observed calmly, analyzing his new opponents.
These beasts, each the size of a grown man, represented a fearsome evolution of ordinary wolves but to me, at that moment, they were nothing more than free experience points. One of them, clearly the leader as it outpaced the rest, lunged at me with wild rage.
"They may be bigger, but that changes nothing. Time to bring this hunt to an end!" I declared with unwavering determination.
With a sudden, powerful stomp of my right foot, I unleashed an explosion of supernatural force. Dozens of spikes burst violently from the ground, erupting with unmatched ferocity. They skewered the wolves' bodies with brutal precision. The beasts' cries blended with the macabre sound of tearing flesh as their blood sprayed outward, drenching the earth and the spikes in a deep crimson.
The battlefield had transformed into a horrific tableau, with me standing at its center, smiling like the uncontested master of carnage. The ground, littered with mutilated corpses and scattered limbs, was soaked with the blood of the monsters. The sheer violence of the clash had left an indelible mark on the land itself, turning nature into a bloodstained sanctuary of death and destruction.
****
In front of the guild, wagons sagged under the weight of monster corpses, forming a sight both horrifying and mesmerizing. Each carcass—from Silver Wolves to Great Goblins—told the story of a merciless hunt. Amid this macabre display stood a man, unflinching, his presence radiating an aura of terrifying invincibility. His clothes and face, drenched in the blood of his enemies, gleamed a dark crimson hue under the setting sun. With his blood-red eyes as well, one could easily believe a demon had escaped from the depths of hell to spread chaos.
"I've completed all 100 quests. Can you calculate my earnings, please?" Logan asked in a firm voice, his tone betraying neither fatigue nor emotion.
Marie, accustomed to warriors and hunts, still couldn't hide her astonishment at this man who seemed to embody unshakable strength.
"It'll be done once we've verified all the monsters," she replied, her gaze never leaving the man before her.
"Perfect. I'll come back tomorrow," Logan declared as he turned to leave, each step exuding absolute confidence.
"You don't look tired," Marie noted, almost in a whisper.
"Because I'm not," Logan retorted without even looking back.
As he walked away, leaving behind the murmurs of admiration and fear among the guild members, a new nickname began to take shape in their minds: "Red." The name perfectly captured the image of this newly arrived adventurer—returning from a blood-soaked hunt, cloaked in an aura of power and mystery, his passage marked by the color red and the respect tinged with fear he inspired.
Level Up: 32 ➔ 55
< A new title has been acquired. >
Insatiable:
The thirst for battle consumes you. Each victory only fuels your hunger for power. Even amid the piles of corpses, your gaze is already seeking the next prey. You are never sated. The more blood flows, the more your will ignites.
Name: Logan | Race: Human | Age: 18 | Profession: Avenger-??? | Level: 55
Vitality: 400 | Magic Power: 137 | Attack: 146 | Defense: 140 | Speed: 120 | Endurance: 150 | Agility: 139 | Intelligence: 290 | Physical Strength: 180 | Willpower: 210 | Calculation: 270
Skills: Analyze, Stealth
Unique Skills: (None)
Legendary Skills: (None)
Exclusive Skills: Vector Control, Ultra-Fast Learning, Encyclopedia
Elements: (None)
Titles Acquired:
Goblin Exterminator Merciless Pigeon Shooter Insatiable