"This isn't really important. I'm already close to the maximum value, which is one hundred. A few more points won't make any difference."
Orlax shrugged his shoulders and focused on the information displayed on the second screen.
"Contractor? What's this? There was nothing like that in the game."
He continued walking through the forest, keeping an eye on his surroundings.
After about fifteen minutes of searching, he finally reached the place he had been aiming for.
Now he stood in front of a cave. It wasn't very large, but it was strange, as it lay directly in the middle of the forest.
"How has no one entered this cave before? It's as if the world itself prepared it especially for the hero."
His right foot stepped forward as he entered the dark cave, where nothing could be seen.
[Fire Magic Activated]
A small flame appeared in his hand, then floated away from his body, hovering in the air and illuminating the cave's interior.
"Tsk! How annoying, more of them…"
He clicked his tongue in frustration when he saw two silver wolves growling at him.
"GRRRRR!"
"Awooooo!"
[Earth Magic Activated]
Immediately, he raised his right hand and summoned earth magic. Several stone spears erupted from the ground, piercing the beasts through their torsos.
The monsters died instantly, unable even to cry out in pain.
[Monster Killed…]
"Stop showing me these notifications."
The blue screen that had popped up vanished instantly after he spoke those words.
Orlax pressed on, slaying every monster that crossed his path until he finally reached the end of the cave.
"Well then, this will be interesting."
A faint smile curved his lips as his eyes settled on the massive beast before him.
It was a silver wolf, but unlike the others, this one was different.
Its size was several times greater, nearly reaching the ceiling of the cave. A powerful gust of air surrounded its body, and the overwhelming aura it released made it clear that this was no ordinary creature.
"[Greater Silver Wolf] — a fifth-rank beast. Roughly equal in strength to a university graduate, and sometimes even to a half-master."
The wolf opened its glowing green eyes, fixing its cautious gaze on the intruder.
A green aura enveloped its body, then in a flash, it vanished from sight and reappeared directly behind the man who dared to trespass.
Its claws lashed forward with full force, slamming him against the cave wall.
BOOOOM!
Dust exploded everywhere, obscuring the beast's vision. The wolf couldn't see what had happened to its opponent.
When the dust finally settled, the man emerged, brushing dirt off his shoulder, completely unfazed.
"Is that all you've got?"
His tone was filled with disappointment, which drove the wolf into madness at the realization its attack had failed.
The green aura around it surged violently, condensing into several glowing orbs.
WHOOSH!
The orbs shot toward Orlax, crashing into him from multiple directions.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The wolf then lunged once more, swinging its claws toward Orlax's chest, aiming to rip straight through him—
CLANG!
The claws tore through his clothes, but when they reached his skin, the sound of metal striking metal rang out.
Pain shot through the wolf's claws, forcing it to retreat several meters.
"Tsk, looks like I'm stronger than I thought."
Orlax glanced down at his torn clothes and the flawless, unblemished skin beneath, his body seemingly forged of steel.
"Alright then, playtime's over."
He raised his right hand toward the wolf and activated control magic.
The beast's body froze in place, panic flickering in its eyes.
Its aura flared violently, shattering the binding spell and restoring its movement.
"Oh? You broke free of my control magic. Interesting."
Orlax exhaled deeply as a sinister red aura enveloped him.
The cave grew suffocating as their auras clashed, filling the air with crushing tension.
While the wolf glared into his eyes, its instincts screamed in alarm. Suddenly, the man vanished.
"You fool… you don't even realize you're already dead."
The beast heard his voice from the right. It tried to turn its head, but its body refused to obey.
The world around it spun violently, a searing pain splitting its mind.
The last sight it ever saw was its own headless body, and the black-haired man holding its severed head in his cold, red eyes.
Orlax stepped away from the fountain of blood gushing from the corpse, careful not to be stained, and turned his gaze toward the cave wall.
Running his hand along the rough surface, he finally pressed a spot that felt different.
Click-click-click-click!
The wall shifted aside, gears grinding as it revealed a staircase descending into the depths below.
The flame floated ahead, lighting his way as he carefully descended.
At last, he arrived in a small chamber, no more than ten meters wide.
Scattered items littered the ground, while in one corner rested a heap of bones. Beside them, words were carved into the stone.
Orlax approached the remains, gazing at them with quiet respect before turning his attention to the inscription.
[To the one who reaches this place: I am the greatest hero in the history of mankind. I leave behind my legacy, especially my sword—the blade I used in my battle against "the Devil." This sword was the only weapon I ever wielded in my life. It was not remarkable at first—just a gift from a loving mother to her child. But over the course of my long journey, it changed. This blade was not forged from blood alone, but from our countless battles together and its will to remain by my side. Therefore, I ask whoever inherits it after me to treasure it dearly.]
"Hah! The greatest hero in mankind's history… a mysterious figure. Nothing is known about him—not his name, his face, nor his origin. Yet the stories say he defeated the Demon three thousand years ago."
Orlax studied the bones resting against the wall, as if trying to understand who the man once was.
Then, he picked up the black-and-blue sword lying beside the skeleton.
Holding it in his right hand, he admired the legendary weapon.
It was a medium-length, double-edged blade. When he drew it from its sheath, its pitch-black edge shimmered strangely, as though it was forged from a material beyond iron.
Its hilt was a deep, dark blue, beautiful yet strangely unsettling to behold.
Suddenly, a white thread shot out from the sword, piercing directly into Orlax's heart.
He didn't resist, knowing this was how artifacts like this formed contracts with their wielders.
The sword dissolved into particles, merging into his body.
He could feel it within him now, as though his very body had become its sheath.
Focusing his will, white particles emerged from his chest, reforming the blade in his hand.
He dismissed it once more, letting it return to his body, and exhaled deeply before turning toward the object of his quest.
"Huh? Who are you?"
A figure in a long cloak was seated on the ground, breathing heavily.
The cloak was stained with blood, clear evidence of a recent battle.
Orlax's eyes narrowed in caution, as he couldn't gauge this person's strength.
"Hah… hah… Please, help me…"