[ Chapter VII (7): "EXPERIENCE FARMING" ]
[ "The fuck is this...?" ]
Voicing out his thoughts, Alastor could be seen stabbing an abnormally sized colorful worm on a tree. Impaling the thing using his sword, of course through the System he found out what this thing is, but he still couldn't help but question what it is.
[ VERMIS COLORATUS LVL. 0 KILLED BY PLAYER! ]
[ +4 EXPERIENCE TO PLAYER! ]
Throughout his journey, which span of minutes. He had encountered many such colorful worms, insects, and abnormalities that lived in the local forest.
There are some heavily deformed birds, insects the sizes of a cat, and some parasites living within the trees. All considered neutral by the System, which is great.
Because he doesn't know if he could take all of them out if they were hostile. Perhaps they can spew acid, he wouldn't want that to happen. He'll die... But at the moment the weakest to the weak seems to be easy experience farm for him, so he kills them.
And in seeing a group of intelligent life, let's say birds, he'll actively move away from them... He knows how intelligent birds are, they have flight advantage, and home territory advantage; he wouldn't stand a chance against them. So he moves away...
Killing larvae, insects, and worms with their level ranging from 0 to 1... Compared to the wolves they give little, even pitiful in comparison, but that's better than nothing.
Because he knows if he accumulated enough, then he could level-up, and upgrade his Strength for better chances of winning against the more tougher local wild life.
He extracted his sword and could see the black goo oozing out of it, this being the blood of the said bug-thing... Once he thought of eating it, wanting to extract energy and live a hermit life.
Similar to that of the Lion King, wherein the protagonist after running away from home, encountered 2 strange animals that introduced him to bug-eating culture...
Which was delicious from his words... But to Alastor... Doesn't look like it at all, as his face scrutinizes in seeing the thing stuck to the tip of his sword...
Not wanting to touch it, he uses his shield to remove it from his sword, with it flopping down on the ground below in turn... He looked at this for a second, before continuing his journey.
Wanting to find fresh water for himself, or perhaps food, or a civilization amidst this godforsaken place... The likelihood of finding any of those in this place is low, but not impossible.
So he continued his journey, killing the bugs he could when plausible and avoiding those he couldn't.
The ones that he could kill include the following, but not limited to:
[ ANGUIS VERMIS LVL. 1 KILLED BY PLAYER! ]
[ +9 EXPERIENCE TO PLAYER! ]
[ SCOLOPENDRA POLYMORPHA LVL. 1 KILLED BY PLAYER! ]
[ +10 EXPERIENCE TO PLAYER! ]
[ ROSEUS SCARABAEUS LVL. 0 KILLED BY PLAYER! ]
[ +3 EXPERIENCE TO PLAYER! ]
A small snake that resembles a worm more than a normal snake. A blue-colored centipede train that has many legs climbing up a tree; being stopped by a sword splitting it in half.
And lastly a colorful pink dung beetle hiding behind wild flowers, mercilessly being cut down by Alastor alongside the flower that ejected some weird dust-like particles to his face...
This slightly clouded his vision but thankfully it didn't seem to be harmful, or poisonous. So he continued his journey, not wanting to wait for his energy and strength to be lost overtime before he could even find food, or fresh water.
About to turn to the right, to avoid a gigantic tree blocking his path. Alastor stopped when he noticed gleeful laughter coming from not far away... He looked to where it came from, but couldn't exactly pinpoint where, only the rough location...
Wolves he guesses. Alastor prepares himself for a fight, ready to test himself... His heart is rampaging, but he told it to stop... Not completely but enough for him to not hyperventilate, failing miserably in the process.
So biting his tongue he prepared with what he have... But to his dismay, confusion, and even fear... The laughter of the wolves turned into howls of pain, before ultimately stopping abruptly... Leaving Alastor in the dark.
[ "What's going on...?" ]
Not knowing what's happening, he guesses that there might be an internal feud in-between the wolves, perhaps medium sized wolves are fighting smaller sized wolves... Or perhaps there is a new hunter on the block.
The latter being much more scary than the former... A bigger sized wolf against him, who has a buff, who increased in Strength is easily handled... But a hunter of wolves... That is something he doesn't want to fight against, or even know of the existence.
Panicked, he looked left and right, afraid that there might be other such existence like those around him... But to his surprise, aside from the occasional worms, or harmless birds... There is nothing.
That should have calmed down his beating heart, but no, it made him more afraid... What exactly is going on...?!!
About to back away to where he came from, or perhaps go in another direction. Alastor stopped mid-way when he heard a painful giggling approach him, having killed 3 green-wolves he knows what that means...
That's akin to panic, meaning the wolves are either about to die, or are dying, and they want to run away from their attacker. In this case, the so-called hunter monster of green-wolves.
Which isn't a great sign... Because the said wolf is approaching him, he glared through the green mist and did notice a figure of a wolf— small in comparison to what he just seen...
But just like the others, it also falls... [ "Holy... fuck..." ] When smaller such shadows tackled it to the ground, before then getting dog piled by other such shadows...
The wailing stopped mid-way the attack, but the shadows didn't stop devouring the thing... Now knowing where the threats are, on his left. Alastor devised a devious plan, never thought of before by humankind, so well thought out that h-
He went and go farthest away from the shadows. Going to the right, not wanting to encounter such terrifying creatures.
Especially with the enemy's number advantage, it is no wonder that he'll be afraid of them— they did dog piled a literal dog...
Not touching that.
[ "Not touching that..." ]
Speedwalking, before ultimately running fearing for his life... Alastor noticed a mossy covered grasshopper-like monster nearby, so he detoured and killed the said monster with the strike of his sword; for experience of course.
[ TROPIDACRIS LVL. 0 KILLED BY PLAYER! ]
[ +5 EXPERIENCE TO PLAYER! ]
Before then following the messy gaps that the gigantic trees provide... On his way, Alastor killed more and more bugs, some being familiar with others not so much...
Nonetheless he welcomed it, the experience more than the bugs itself. As he is disgusted by them.
[ ... ]
[ VERMIS COLORATUS LVL. 0 KILLED BY PLAYER! ]
[ +5 EXPERIENCE TO PLAYER! ]
[ PLAYER NO. 1 YOU HAVE LEVEL-UP! ]
[ PLAYER LVL. 3 ---> PLAYER LVL. 4 ]
[ "Finally!" ]
Alastor who's covered in sweat welcomed this notification, not even annoyed with the voice ringing inside his head... It after all has been ringing for what now, he doesn't even know... He just instinctively blocked it out, and didn't focus much on it.
He had been hacking on bugs left and right wanting to earn some little more experience, avoiding threats he sees on the way. His hard work now seemingly having bore fruit.
[ "Player Status..." ]
Opening his Player Status, Alastor immediately upgraded his Strength from 7 to 8; in fear that he might abruptly encounter a threat... And right he did, when he noticed a lone wolf not far away from where he is standing, seemingly eating something.
Taking this chance, he stealthily walked behind the preoccupied monster... Having calmed down his heart to the best of his abilities, Alastor was baffled when he noticed something...
That is not a wolf— a Ridens Viridis Lupus. But is instead another existence on itself, much smaller, much hungrier, and is eating a small wolf-cub under it without care...
That is... [ "What... the fuck...?!" ]
[ FORMICA MUSCO LVL. 2 ]
[ HOSTILE ]
The hovering text above the monster's head gave him a hint to what it was, but no matter what he does. He still doesn't know what the hell it is, so he observed closely.
And immediately he was able to notice that this thing has 6 lanky legs, big head that is busy eating the bones of the hapless monster under it... He looked more closely and could see that this thing is covered by moss.
It has small eyes... And looks like... [ "An ant...?" ] Yes, to him who loved torturing ants, he was vaguely familiar with them... And who wouldn't? Especially with them being abundant wherever he goes back in his home world.
Apparently he heard somewhere that normal ants outnumber humans by 100 to 1. So there's almost a trillion of these such monsters roaming around the 21st century... Thankfully they are small, easily crushed, and no threat to human.
But... In here that doesn't seem to be the case. Especially with it being the size of a normal dog, and is fatter than a fat cat...
Truly a threat.
Seizing the opportunity, Alastor swallowed his saliva, and forced himself to move; do or die... Before ultimately stabbing the monster in the back, this caused it to react widely...
The pinchers in its mouth moving erratically, bloodied by green blood, it was about to bite whoever attacked it. The small eyes of the thing meters apart wanted to find out who attacked it.
But to the ant-monster's dismay, another attack was given to it... This time, in-between the head. Causing it to react widely... Before finally, dying.
Ending the monster's reign on terror.
[ ——— ] [ ——— ] [ ——— ] [ ——— ]
[ 05/02/2025 ]
[ 05/03/2025 ]