Boss of the forest

A solitary goblin, lured by the enticing aroma of mouthwatering meat seasoned with salt, soy, and sauce, wandered away from its pack. Unaware of the trap that awaited it, three arrows swiftly found their mark in its chest, followed by a relentless onslaught of flames, leaving the goblin overwhelmed and defeated.

The creature had strayed too far from its companions, and by the time it realized the danger, it was already too late to call for their assistance. It fell in silence, with its comrades completely unaware of its demise.

** You've helped slay a living thing **

** Receiving 0.1 Abyssal Points **

Before I could take another finishing shot, the system swiftly confirmed the kill, acknowledging the creature's demise.

"More points… Where are these things even going?" In every life taken, these messages appear. And to think the system values lives just by mere decimals. "This system is really broken…"

"… Abyss…" I spoke, and then the black circle emerged and the eyes of the abyss gazed. Then, the system materializes.

** Abyssal Dragon System **

Name: Cipher "No surname"

Rank: D

HP: 39/39 MP: 0/0

Str: 5.2/10 Agi: 7.5/10 Vit: 3.9/10 Int: 3/10 Magi: 0/0

Main quest:

1. Protect Gaia a.k.a Earth

2. Survive the incoming wave

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<<< swipe <<<

** Weapon Mastery **

Blade [C-]

Bow [E]

{Empty}

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Swiping the surface of the screen somehow shifts the image of the status into another information screen, a weapon mastery list. "Looks like my efforts aren't in vain. It's no longer E minus."

** Item classification **

Name: Makeshift Bow (F)

Made from Jester Tree and vines.

Effect:

1. Range attacks

2. Increase bolt damage by 5-10

Requirements: bolts

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"Ellie, come out now. It's over." I called, storing the bow away.

"My goodness, you let another stick of barbecue get eaten!" she complained, munching on one herself with the container in her grasp, and the sauce of the barbecue stained her lips.

"Don't start with me. I was focusing on my aim! You could have pulled the vines and saved it! And what happened? Shouldn't you be firing first and I'm only firing to ensure it's dead? Three of my bolts are already in ashes and no longer retrievable!"

"I was distracted, okay!? I thought I saw her..." she said, pertaining to the woman who sent us to this place.

It's been days since we got here. To be exact, fifteen days of sneaking on the random creatures for Ellie to level up and hide from the crazy woman who brought us here. On the trees, under the roots, as long as there was space the two of us could fit, we'd hide just to get unnoticed.

But for some reason, the psychotic laughter was gone over the past few days, and we can assume that she had already given up.

"Good thing we have provisions or else we wouldn't even survive up to this day… Hey, stop eating!" I yelled as she took another stick of barbecue out of the container.

"But I'm stress eating!"

"No buts! It's the only food we have in this place" I said, swiping the box and storing it in the storage.

There were no fruits in the trees and no vegetation on the ground. Hunting winged wolves risk us exposure and goblins are out from diet.

"Then hunt something with that bow of yours! There are literally birds everywhere and you can't even hit them!?"

"Look who's stalking? Who was the one who drained their mana for nothing?" I questioned.

"It was hard aiming at moving targets, okay!?" she complained.

The whole forest was silent and the absence of the woman's hysterical voice recalled into my mind. "It's already three days since we last heard that woman's voice. Should we try to look if she's really gone?"

"N-no, let's avoid going out of the forest for a while." She was still trembling with just a thought of it. Still afraid of the woman who brought us here in the first place.

"Fine. But no longer than three days." I had been staying for far too long in this space. I still have to warn the others in the smithy before the wave hits.

Yet the problem exists of how we could leave the slums. The city doesn't allow slum people who don't even have cash, and the slum was surrounded by bodies of seawater and the mountain path filled with dangers. The safest route to leave the region was by underground train but it too requires money, and its terminal is inside the walled city.

"If only I had money…"

"What did you say?"

"Nothing, Ellie. Just thinking out loud" I replied, then the bushes rustled. A horned rabbit came out of it, glaring then hopped to escape at such speed. "Ellie, help catch it!"

"W-wait a sec-"

I was following the rabbit, not realizing Ellie was no longer behind my back until called unto her. It was just me, and the rabbit.

But it kept slipping every time I aimed with the bow, going deeper and deeper into the forest until I lost sight of it into the open field. But I found something more interesting other than the rabbit itself.

A small building stands on the other side of the open field, and the inside is filled with gold coins and other items that would fetch a high price. More than enough to save the others from the incoming threat.

"Jackpot!" I claimed then behind me, something snarled. A white wolf, five times my size and gnawing a goblin within its teeth.

** Creature Information **

White Guardian

Level: 10

HP: 1000/1000 MP: 5/5

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"Oh, boy…" it pounced towards me, and I was barely able to dodge. The earth was shaken as it landed, leaving a crater with its paws in it.

"Sorry, but I need the treasure. Just enough to save my friends" I said, but it only barked in response, raising its hair and growling. "Fine, let's do this."

I retrieved the blade and took a stance. "On guard!"

With my breath staggering, I launched into the wolf and slashed my way under it, causing it to howl a deafening cry. It was big but too slow to react to my speed.

** You inflicted 10 damage **

** Enemy had resisted poison **

"I ain't done yet!" I shouted as it roared at me. As I advanced, so did it. No matter how heavy our breathing was, none of us intended to run away.

…

…

…

** You inflicted 10 damage **

** Enemy had resisted poison **

** You inflicted 10 damage **

** Enemy had succumbed to poison **

"Finally-ack!" Just as the poison had worked after numerous slashes, it found an opening. It shoved me aside with its paw and I was sent flying into the trees.

** Warning notice! **

Health point is too low

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"Shut up!" I scowled at the system. "I'm still alive. I can still fight! I won't run just because of that!"

Once again, I dragged all that was left of my strength and ran back into the battlefield to finish what I had started.

But something was odd in my movements. It was faster than before and the cuts I dealt against the wolf were a little deeper.

** Passive skill activated **

Resilience (111s)

Giving up isn't an option, even at great odds. Once a character's health points hit less than ten percent, the character's status will increase by 50%. But once the skill had ended, the character will experience a 50% decrease from the original stats

Skill duration: 2 minutes

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** Abyssal Dragon System **

Name: Cipher "No surname"

Rank: D

HP: 2/39 MP: 0/0

Str: 5(+2.6)/10 Agi: 7.5(+3.75) /10 Vit: 3.9(+1.95) /10 Int: 3(+1.5)/10 Magi: 0/0

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"T-thanks, system. I can do this!" Once again, I launched into the beast. Slashing its feet until I get to the opposite side in haste.

** You inflicted 10 damage **

** You inflicted 10 damage **

…

…

…

** You inflicted 10 damage **

** You inflicted 10 damage **

** You inflicted 10 damage **

** Passive: Resilience (3s) **

** Passive: Resilience (2s) **

** Passive: Resilience (1s) **

"No… I can still fight" I claimed but my movements had gotten slower and my feet had given up, limping to the ground. My hands tremble in fatigue that its grips on the sword had loosened, and the beast was slowly drawing near.

** Creature Information **

White Guardian

Level: 10

HP: 320/1000 MP: 5/5

********************

** Warning notice! **

Poisoned Blade's durability had exceeded its limits. The item is no longer usable.

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"So… this is the end…" The thought of not being able to slay the beast and not being able to use the treasure to save them was far worse than my nearing death. It was more excruciating inside than the pain coming from my wounds. "I'm sorry, Gabby…"

As the fangs of the beast were about to gauge my head off, it withdrew as it howled in pain. And in the beast's body, flames blaze as it devours its white furs.

Fireballs rained on the wolf, pinning it to the ground with the impact of the flames and not giving it a chance to get back on its feet.

** Creature Information **

White Guardian

Level: 10

HP: 290/1000 MP: 5/5

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** HP: 230/1000 **

** HP: 200/1000 **

** HP: 170/1000 **

** HP: 140/1000 **

** HP: 110/1000 **

** HP: 80/1000 **

** HP: 50/1000 **

** HP: 20/1000 **

** HP: 0/1000 **

** You've helped slay a living thing **

** Receiving 0.3 Abyssal Points **

"Stay down! Stay down! Stay down!" Ellie kept repeating words as she fired magic into the beast in a frenzy.

** HP: 0/1000 **

** HP: 0/1000 **

** HP: 0/1000 **

** HP: 0/1000 **

"E-Ellie, stop! It's over!" I shouted and as she regained her will, she collapsed to the ground in shock. "T-thanks, Ellie…"

"T-thanks!? What if you've died!? What about me!? You promised we'd escape this place! Together!" She cried while I felt the guilt of breaking a promise.