Ch4

Moka's POV

Moka Akashiya hurried back through the dense woods, clutching a bag of snacks. The sunlight filtering through the trees felt unnervingly warm against her skin, a constant reminder of her limitations under its glaring rays. She had been gone for just a few minutes, but the growing pit in her stomach urged her to run faster. Something was wrong.

As she neared the clearing where her friends were waiting, a terrifying roar echoed through the trees. Moka's heart stopped. Her blood ran cold. She sprinted the last few yards, bursting through the tree line—only to find chaos.

A towering troll, grotesque and monstrous even in its human form, loomed over her friends, its eyes filled with hunger and malice. John Aono was huddled near a tree, his face pale with fear. Hank Jackson was lying unconscious, a deep gash bleeding across his arm, while Yukari and Jasmine stood frozen, wide-eyed in terror. The troll's lips curled into a menacing grin as it advanced on them.

Moka's mind raced. She had to act. "Get away from them!" she shouted, her voice shaking with a mix of fury and fear.

The troll's eyes flicked toward her, amusement dancing in its gaze. "Ah, another one... a vampire," it hissed, its voice low it backed away sniffed the air before it froze and smiled revealing large yellow tusks. "But I can smell it on you... weak. The sun has taken most of your strength."

Moka's heart pounded. He was right. She could feel the sun's oppressive rays, like a heavy weight pressing down on her chest. Her power, once a fierce and untamed force, felt distant, as though it was slipping from her grasp with every moment spent under the daylight. She was at barely 30% of her true strength.

But her friends needed her. That was enough. 10ft of troll stood in her way. She could only hope her father didn't hear of this.

Summoning what remained of her vampire abilities, Moka lunged at the troll with blinding speed, her claws extending as she aimed for his throat. The troll dodged, his movements unnaturally quick for something so large. Before she could react, his massive hand swatted her away like a ragdoll.

Moka hit the ground hard, the wind knocked out of her lungs. Pain radiated through her body, but she pushed herself back up, refusing to give in. Her vision swam, and she could taste blood in her mouth. The troll chuckled darkly, watching her struggle.

"Foolish blood sucker" it sneered. "You should have stayed hidden in the shadows where you belong."

Moka gritted her teeth, her crimson eyes blazing with defiance. "I won't let you hurt them," she spat, though her voice wavered.

The troll moved toward her with deliberate slowness, savoring his dominance. Moka's muscles tensed, but her body felt sluggish, drained by the constant exposure to sunlight. Her vampire powers were sinking, slipping away faster than she could summon them. Desperation clawed at her chest. She wasn't strong enough.

This couldn't be how she went out. Not like this.

…

Red moved swiftly through the dense underbrush, his cursed blade humming with dark energy at his side. He could already feel the sinister presence ahead, a massive troll that had dragged its victims from the basement to finish them off. His mind sharpened as the quest notification hit him: "Defeat the Troll. Save the captives."

Agumon, his loyal partner, paced beside him, eager for a fight. But Red held up a hand. "Stay in the shadows for now, Agumon," he ordered, his voice calm but firm. "I'll need you at the right moment."

Agumon nodded, vanishing into the darkness as Red advanced toward the clearing. The troll stood over its prey—Moka's friends, beaten and helpless on the ground. The beast was hideous, standing at least seven feet tall, with dark, leathery skin and eyes that glowed with a predatory hunger. It hadn't yet noticed Red, its attention focused on Moka, who was weak from sunlight exposure and barely holding on.

The troll didn't hesitate. With a single swing of its massive arm, it obliterated Red's skeleton hound, the swiftest of his summons. Bone fragments scattered across the ground, and Red's eyes darkened with fury. "Damn it," he hissed. The troll's raw strength was overwhelming. But he wouldn't lose another monster today. Not here. Not now.

Summoning his dark spirit, a creature he had tamed from the depths of the dungeon, Red willed it forward. The shadowy figure slipped from his side, invisible to the troll, its tendrils extending toward the creature, seeking its life force. The dark spirit latched onto the troll's back, its ghostly arms sinking into the monster's flesh. The troll grunted, stumbling slightly as the spirit began draining its stamina, feeding on its strength. Every second bought Red precious time.

"You're going to tire before I do," Red said, eyes gleaming with calculation. He needed to stall the troll, weaken it enough for the killing blow. But even with the dark spirit siphoning its energy, the troll was still dangerous—too dangerous for a direct confrontation. Red needed a plan, something to distract the monster and leave it vulnerable.

Without hesitation, Red reached out with his mind, summoning an army of the undead. Twenty-five zombies burst from the ground, rising in eerie silence around the clearing. Their rotting bodies shambled forward, encircling the troll from all sides. Their strength was nothing compared to the troll, but that wasn't their purpose.

"Hold it," Red commanded, his voice low. The zombies lunged, surrounding the troll and forcing it to fight on all fronts. The creature roared, swatting at them with its massive hands, but every moment spent smashing through the undead was another moment Red could exploit.

He watched, waiting for the right opening. The troll was slowing, its movements becoming labored as the dark spirit continued its relentless drain. The zombies did their part, clogging the troll's path, forcing it to expend more and more energy as it tore through them. But Red knew the creature was still far from defeated. He needed to line up the perfect strike.

"Agumon, get ready," Red whispered. His partner emerged from the shadows, teeth bared, the anticipation of battle burning in his eyes.

The troll, now enraged, swung its massive fists wildly, sending several zombies flying into the trees. Its chest heaved, but Red saw it—an opening, a split second where the troll's defenses dropped. This was it.

"Now!" Red shouted, charging forward.

With a flash of dark energy, he closed the distance, his cursed blade slicing into the troll's side. The creature bellowed in pain, staggering as black tendrils seeped from the wound, corrupting its flesh. Red didn't stop. He drove the knife deeper, twisting it as the cursed energy pulsed through the blade, opening the troll up further.

The troll reeled, trying to strike Red, but its movements were sluggish now, its strength fading under the combined assault of the dark spirit and Red's relentless strikes.

"Agumon, finish it!" Red roared.

Agumon leaped into the air, his chest glowing with fiery power. "Pepper Breath!" The black flames erupted from his mouth, slamming into the troll's exposed chest with brutal force. The impact sent the troll crashing to the ground, its skin charred and burning from the fire.

The monster writhed, howling in agony as its body disintegrated, black smoke rising from its wounds. Red stepped back, watching as the troll's life force drained away, its body collapsing into ash. The dark spirit returned to his side, its job done.

The troll was dead.

Red's breath came hard and fast, but as the ash settled, a surge of power rushed through him. He felt it in his core—a notification flashing in his mind. He had leveled up. "Level 10," Red muttered to himself, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

New strength coursed through his veins, and with it, a new skill unlocked.

Tamer Skill Unlocked: Lesser Command. The words appeared in his mind, and with them came the knowledge of how to use it. He could now command his monsters with greater efficiency, enhancing their abilities in combat and allowing for more coordinated strikes. This was the power he needed.

He turned toward Moka and her group, still shaken but alive. Moka's eyes met his, wide with relief and gratitude. "You saved us," she whispered.

Red nodded, wiping the blood from his blade. "We're not out of the woods yet," he said, scanning the clearing for any remaining threats. But for now, the danger had passed.

He glanced at Agumon, who stood beside him, his black flames still flickering with residual heat. "Good work, partner," Red said softly.

Agumon grinned, his sharp teeth glinting in the fading light. "You too, boss. That was a tough one."

Red sheathed his cursed knife, the weight of his new power settling over him. They had won this battle, but he knew there would be more to come. With a final glance at the smoldering remains of the troll, Red turned to lead Moka and her team to safety. His journey was far from over, but for the first time in a long while, he felt ready for whatever came next.

…

Red stood at the edge of the clearing, his eyes scanning the tree line as the faint sound of distant sirens drifted through the air. The battle had been brutal, but they had won. The troll was nothing more than ash now, and his forces—Agumon and his dark spirit—had returned to his side, victorious and ready for the next challenge. However, his focus was elsewhere. He knew he had to leave before the authorities arrived, but Moka Akashiya had other ideas.

Moka leaned against a tree, a sly smile on her lips, her eyes never leaving Red. "So, you're just going to vanish without saying goodbye?" Her voice was playful, teasing, but beneath it was something else—a spark of interest.

Red sheathed his cursed knife, his mind still racing from the fight. He turned to face her, his expression calm but wary. "I need to get out of here before the police show up," he said, adjusting the strap of his bag over his shoulder.

Moka pouted, taking a step closer. "Oh, come on. You're not going to leave me hanging, are you? After all, you did save me—and my friends." Her voice dripped with charm, her tone a mixture of gratitude and something more flirtatious.

Red raised an eyebrow. "You're welcome," he replied, not missing the way she was looking at him—like a predator who had just found something interesting to play with.

Moka's eyes sparkled with amusement. "Don't be so serious, Red. You know, a guy like you shouldn't be such a mystery. What's the deal, huh? Saving damsels in distress and disappearing before they can properly thank you?" She tossed her hair over her shoulder, the sunlight catching the strands and making them shimmer.

He couldn't help but smirk a little at her boldness. "You're not exactly a damsel," he pointed out, remembering the ferocity in her eyes during the fight, even when her powers were drained by the sunlight. "And I'm not disappearing. I just don't want to be around when the cops show up with a bunch of questions."

Moka stepped even closer, her voice dropping to a more intimate tone. "Well, at least let me thank you... properly." She bit her bottom lip lightly, her eyes locking onto his. "Maybe... I don't know... get your number? We could grab coffee sometime. You know, do something fun when we're not fighting monsters."

Red blinked, caught off guard by how casually she made the offer. He hadn't expected Moka, of all people, to be this forward. Then again, she had an air of confidence about her—like she knew what she wanted and wasn't afraid to go after it.

He pulled out his phone, trying to keep his cool as she practically purred the words. "Sure," he said, handing it over to her. "Why not?"

Moka's fingers brushed his as she took the phone, tapping her number into his contacts with practiced ease. "There," she said, grinning as she handed it back. "Now you can't just ghost me." She tilted her head playfully, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I'd be really disappointed if you did."

Red chuckled under his breath, pocketing his phone. "I'll keep that in mind." He glanced back at the cabin, its weathered exterior standing untouched, a mirror of the dungeon they had fought in. The place felt oddly still now, as if it was waiting for something to happen again. But for now, it was over.

"So, coffee?" Moka asked, her voice light as she crossed her arms and leaned into him slightly. "I know a cute little café in town. It's got that whole indie vibe—perfect for brooding guys like you." She teased him with a wink, clearly enjoying the game they were playing.

Red gave her a sidelong glance, his lips twitching into a small smile. "Brooding, huh? Is that how you see me?"

"Oh, definitely," Moka replied, leaning closer, her voice sultry. "All dark and mysterious. It's a look, Red. But don't worry, I can handle it."

Red's smile widened just a fraction. "I'll think about the coffee," he said, stepping back slightly. "But I really do need to get out of here before we have to explain what happened to the authorities."

Moka sighed dramatically, though the twinkle in her eyes showed she wasn't disappointed in the least. "Fine, fine. But you owe me, Red. Don't forget that." She winked, then turned on her heel, her long hair swaying behind her as she walked back toward her friends.

Red watched her go, shaking his head slightly in amusement. She was something else, that was for sure. He had expected gratitude, maybe even some shock after the fight, but Moka's bold, flirty approach had caught him off guard. Still, he had to admit—there was something refreshing about her confidence.

With one last glance at the cabin, Red took a deep breath and focused his thoughts. He called forth his dark spirit and the remaining undead forces that had fought alongside him, commanding them back into his Lesser Monster Storage. He felt the familiar pull of energy as each of them returned, the process smooth and efficient. A soft notification appeared in his mind—Lesser Monster Storage leveled up to 6.

The boost was noticeable. He could now store and summon his monsters with more efficiency, giving him an edge in future battles. The thought brought a sense of satisfaction. Every victory, every battle was pushing him further along his path. And now, with level 10 under his belt, he felt stronger than ever.

Red turned toward the woods, the sound of sirens growing louder. It was time to go. He'd done what needed to be done here, and lingering would only raise more questions than he wanted to answer. He glanced at his phone, Moka's number freshly added to his contacts, and smiled to himself. Maybe coffee wouldn't be such a bad idea after all.

"Catch you later, Moka," he muttered under his breath, slipping into the shadows just as the flashing lights of the police cars appeared at the edge of the clearing.

With his monsters safely stored and his mind already planning for what came next, Red vanished into the forest, leaving the scene—and the chaos—behind him.

Red moved swiftly through the woods, the cool shadows swallowing him as the sirens faded into the background. His mind buzzed with the events that had unfolded—facing the troll, saving Moka and her friends, and then, of course, Moka herself. Her boldness was unexpected, but not unwelcome. It had been a long time since anyone had flirted with him so openly, and it left him with a lingering smile on his face.

As he walked deeper into the forest, his thoughts shifted back to his new skill. Command hummed at the edge of his consciousness, waiting to be put to use. The thought of how much more efficiently he could command his monsters now filled him with excitement. He could feel his powers growing, becoming something even darker and more dangerous than before. Leveling up to 10 had given him new potential—he could sense it in every step.

But there was more to consider. He needed to prepare. The troll had been tough, and it wasn't the strongest monster out there. If there were others like it—or worse—he couldn't afford to get complacent.

As Red walked, the forest around him shifted, the trees becoming denser, the air cooler. He slipped deeper into his thoughts, considering his next move. Agumon remained in the shadows behind him, a loyal presence, ready to act at any moment. Red knew he needed to find the right balance between using his forces effectively and keeping them hidden. The strength of his monsters was undeniable, but their existence raised questions—questions he didn't want to answer if the wrong people found out.

The cool evening breeze rustled the leaves overhead, and Red's gaze flickered back to his phone. Moka's number stared back at him, a small reminder of the encounter that was somehow both lighthearted and intense. He hadn't expected someone like her to enter his life—not in this way. But she was strong-willed, confident, and surprisingly comfortable with danger.

"A coffee date, huh?" he mused aloud, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

Red paused for a moment, considering the weight of what lay ahead. He would meet Moka again—there was no doubt about that—but with each encounter, the danger around him only seemed to grow. The world they were part of wasn't kind. It was brutal, unforgiving, and filled with creatures like the troll, waiting in the shadows.

But for now, there was calm. Red would enjoy the reprieve, however brief it might be.

With a final glance at the fading sunlight through the trees, Red moved deeper into the forest, vanishing into the shadows, already preparing for the next battle, the next challenge—and maybe, just maybe, that cup of coffee.

Red's Status:

Class: Monster Tamer lvl10

Tier: 1

Resources:

HP: 240/240MP: 360/360SP: 260/260

Attributes:

BDY (Body): 12

Toughness and health of Red's physical body.RGN (Regeneration): 10

How quickly Red recovers health, mana, and stamina.STR (Strength): 14

Red's physical strength and damage dealt with physical attacks.END (Endurance): 13

How long Red can maintain physical activities.REF (Reflex): 15

Red's reaction time and agility.SNS (Sense): 9

Sensitivity to environmental changes and the five basic senses.MST (Mystic): 18

Connection to mystical energies, impacting spell power and mana pool.RCT (Resist): 12

Resistance to mystical effects and physical attacks.INS (Insight): 14

Ability to perceive and access higher realms, affecting taming and spirit interaction.

Skills:

Lesser Monster Storage: lvl6/10 Tier 1

Increased capacity and regeneration boost when monsters are stored.Lesser Tame: lvl7/10 Tier 1

Increase capacity and the ease of adding monsters to team.

Lesser Command: lvl1/10 Tier 1 (New Skill)

Allows Red to give enhanced commands to his monsters, improving their efficiency in combat.Knife Handling: lvl3/10 tier 1

Increases Red's combat effectiveness with bladed weapons.

Monsters:

Agumon (Black Agumon)Level: 10Abilities:Pepper Breath (Fire attack)Enhanced speed and strength after leveling up.Type: Dark Fire-based Dinosaur MonsterDark SpiritLevel: 8Abilities:Drain Stamina (Drains enemies' stamina and weakens them)Invisibility (Remains undetected until attacking)Skeleton Hound (Deceased)Level: 6 (Before destruction by the troll)Abilities:Fast, high agility houndBone-clad attacksZombie Army (x25)Level: 5 (Average)Abilities:Basic melee attacks, slow but durableServe as fodder for stalling enemies