[Congratulations, Host. You have killed a Level 1 Magic Beast: Shadowfur Wolf!]
[Experience +10]
Zayen pulled the long golden sword free, wiped the blood off on the Shadowfur Wolf's fur, and continued forward without pausing.
He didn't spare the corpse a second glance. Stepping past it, he headed deeper into the forest, disappearing between the thickening trees.
With his current strength, only groups of Level 1 magic beasts would be a bit difficult to deal with.
Dealing with other individual Level 1 magic beasts was an instant kill, and even some Level 2 magic beasts with weaker defenses could be easily killed.
He needed to get stronger quickly, and the only way to do that was to head deeper into the forest, where stronger magic beasts roamed. Only by killing them could he level up fast.
[System Notification]: Player Malik Adebayo has killed a Level 1 Venomtail Scorpion.
[System Notification]: Player Yuna Park has been killed by a Level 3 Ironclaw Tiger.
[System Notification]: Player Raj Patel has killed a Level 2 Emberfang Wolf.
[System Notification]: Player Mei Ling has been seriously injured by a Level 3 Ironhorn Rhino.
...
As Zayen advanced, system notifications kept appearing in front of him, each one reporting players being killed.
It seemed the depths of the forest were indeed much more dangerous than the grassland outside.
But Zayen continued walking deeper into the forest. Although the trail of death around him had shaken him to his core, he had no intention of turning back. He knew that if he truly wanted to grow stronger, he had to hunt powerful magic beasts—and the only place to find them was deep within the heart of the forest.
Suddenly, a commotion and a series of human shouts came from not far away.
"Quick, chase it! Don't let it get away—this thing is definitely more valuable than any Level 1 magic beast!"
"Don't worry, it's injured. It won't run for long. We can wear it down and kill it."
"Don't be careless. Archers, keep firing! Let's finish this quickly to avoid any complications."
The voices weren't far from Zayen and were moving in his direction.
He was certain that the members of that team would arrive here soon.
Zayen had no intention of being discovered. He quickly found a thicket and hid himself inside.
No sooner had he stepped into the thicket than a white shadow suddenly flashed past from ahead, moving at extreme speed.
Even so, Zayen clearly caught sight of its true form.
It was a white rabbit—completely snow-white, with not a trace of any other color on its body.
[Name]: Snowveil Spirit Rabbit (Rare)
[Type]: Spirit-Type
[Level]: 2
[Attack]: 9
[Defense]: 12
[Speed]: 45
[Skills]: Spirit Veil Escape, Snowbound Concealment, Froststep Dash
[System Notification]: Rare monster detected. Killing it will grant special rewards.
A rare monster… with rewards?
Seeing the system notification in front of him, how could Zayen possibly let this opportunity slip away?
He leaped out of the thicket, and with a thought, golden light gathered around the short dagger in his hand. In an instant, it transformed into a long golden sword, glowing with divine brilliance.
Without hesitation, he charged after the Snowveil Spirit Rabbit, his eyes locked on the rare beast as it darted through the forest.
The Snowveil Spirit Rabbit froze for a split second at Zayen's sudden appearance.
Then, sensing imminent danger, it unleashed all its speed, sprinting forward with every ounce of its strength.
The strain, however, was too much for its injured body. Its wound tore open, and a thin stream of blood began to flow, staining its pure white fur.
Because of its injury, the rabbit's speed began to falter.
Seeing this, Zayen knew it could no longer escape. He adjusted his stance, gripping his long golden sword tightly, and prepared to strike once the distance was right.
But at that moment, the Snowveil Spirit Rabbit, which had been fleeing ahead, suddenly spun around and lunged straight at Zayen.
Zayen's eyes widened in surprise. Instantly, he swung his golden sword horizontally in front of him.
Clang!
The rabbit's sharp claws collided violently with the radiant blade. The force of the impact sent a shockwave through Zayen's arms, knocking him backward onto the forest floor.
The rabbit seized the advantage, crouching low before lunging again. Its fangs aimed directly at Zayen's throat.
Gripping his longsword tightly with his right hand, Zayen thrust it fiercely toward the Snowveil Spirit Rabbit's neck.
Pfft!
The golden blade pierced cleanly through the rabbit's neck, freezing its movements instantly. Its struggling ceased, and a faint frost mist rose from its body as the life drained away.
Afterward, Zayen pulled the longsword free from the Snowveil Spirit Rabbit's neck.
As the Snowveil Spirit Rabbit collapsed, a system notification instantly appeared before Zayen.
[Congratulations, Host. You have killed a Level 2 Rare Magic Beast: Snowveil Spirit Rabbit
[Experience +20]
[Congratulations, Player! You have leveled up to Level 2!
Attack +10 | Speed +10 | Defense +10 ]
[Name]: Zayne
[Race]: Human
[Level]: 2
[EXP]: 10 / 100
[Chosen By]: Archangel Michael—The Supreme Archangel of Judgement, Order, and War.
[Title]: Apostle Of Judgement, Order, and War.
[Talent]: Divine Paragon (Eternal grade).
[Affiliation]: Light, Fire, Lightning, Space, Time, Energy, Creation, Fire.
[Skills]: Seraphic Ascension (Eternal grade), Legion of Light (Eternal grade), Divine Manifestation (Eternal grade).
[Attack]: 30
[Defense]: 20
[Speed]: 35
...
He had leveled up!
Zayen had finally reached Level 2!
He could clearly feel the change—his body felt sturdier, more resilient, as if every muscle and nerve had been reinforced.
"Holy cow… Leveling up just one level actually increases so many attributes," he muttered, with a mix of surprise and excitement in his voice.
From this, he realized that leveling up didn't just make him stronger in combat—it physically enhanced his body, granting tangible benefits. As long as he continued to grow, there would come a day when he could soar through the skies and approach true immortality.
Looking over the increase from Level 1 to Level 2, he noted it clearly: each attribute—Attack, Defense, and Speed—had risen by 10 points.