Tutorial II (4)

  ----

  [Enhanced Bow]

  - Type: Weapon

  - Grade: Rare

  - Mana Consumption: 30

  - Arrows Remaining: 4

  - Effect: Allows you to shoot Enhanced Arrows.

  - Details: An item forged by the blacksmiths of the fallen Telsia Kingdom during the great continental war.

  Though their kingdom was erased from maps, their craftsmanship became the backbone of the empire’s victory—copied, mass-produced, and distributed.

  ---

  ‘Not a bad item.'

  I mused as I held the weapon, the bow’s grip still warm from Tris’s hands—residual heat mingling with the faint pulse of mana that hummed beneath the polished wood.

  It was light, but sturdy—its sleek black limbs etched with glowing blue runes that flickered softly with each breath I took.

  The string itself was taut and humming, like it hungered to be pulled again.

  I cast a glance at her lifeless, headless body beside me.

  Her blood had soaked into the rocks, dark and thick, and smoke still rose from the stump of her neck.

  One hand was curled toward where the bow had been, as if even in death she still reached for it.

  How did she even get this?

  My mind wandered as I ran a finger along the bow's curves.

  Maybe it was a battlefield reward, snatched from a fallen enemy or offered in gratitude.

  Maybe she stole it from some ancient ruin.

  A gift from a dying hunter?

  Whatever.

  It didn’t matter now.

  The dead didn’t shoot arrows.

  SWOOSH!!

  A fireball, molten and massive, exploded toward me—ripping through the air with a shriek.

  The heat licked my cheek like the breath of a furnace.

  I twisted my body sideways just in time—

  FWOOM!!!

  The fireball struck behind me, slamming directly into Tris’s corpse.

  Her body ignited like dry kindling, the flames consuming her cloak, her armor, and what little dignity death had left her.

  The air reeked of burning flesh.

  I stared at the inferno, unflinching.

  The bow still rested in my hand, untouched.

  Somehow, even the flames seemed to avoid it.

  Protected, maybe—by lingering enchantments.

  Or just fate.

  The fox shrieked again—

  “RRRRAAAAHHHH!!”

  Its voice tore through the cavern, raw and cracked, thick with fury and desperation.

  It stood high on a stone outcrop, body trembling.

  Its once-magnificent tails—each like a plume of fire—now limped behind it, charred and tattered.

  One tail had been burned down to a smoldering stump, twitching uselessly.

  I looked ahead.

  Magma snakes slithered toward me, their scales glistening with liquid fire, hissing with every step.

  SSSSTHHH… SSSTHHH…

  Behind them, salamanders emerged from bubbling lava pools, their cracked stone skin leaking glowing veins of magma.

  From their eyes oozed molten hate.

  I didn’t have time for them.

  I wasn’t here for them.

  They were distractions. Nothing more.

  I took a long breath.

  “Hoo…”

  The air was hot in my lungs, but I steadied it.

  I drew one of the glowing arrows from Tris’s quiver, the shaft cold and smooth between my fingers.

  [Enhanced Bow is enhancing the arrow…]

  As I pulled the string, a surge of mana rushed from my core into the weapon.

  The arrow’s tip began to shimmer—first with a soft glow, then flaring bright blue, like lightning trapped in crystal.

  Sparks danced around it, tracing lines of power down the shaft.

  [3 Enhances remaining!]

  I angled slightly left of the fox’s current position.

  It was injured, sure—but still clever.

  Still fast.

  The bowstring hummed, vibrating like a chorus of ghosts whispering in unison.

  TWANG!!!

  The arrow exploded from the bow with a thunderclap.

  The fox moved—leaping left with one powerful leg—but not fast enough.

  KRAK-BOOOOOM!!!

  The arrow struck the beast’s ribs, detonating with a blinding flash of blue energy.

  A shockwave rippled through the cavern, sending pebbles skittering and dust into the air.

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  Fur, blood, and burned flesh rained from the pillar.

  The fox shrieked again—

  “RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!”

  —and lost its footing.

  It stumbled off the rock pillar, landing with a bone-cracking thud that echoed across the cave.

  Just then—

  CRACK!!!

  A salamander burst from the edge of the platform and sank its molten teeth deep into my wrist.

  SSSSHHHHHHHH!!!

  My flesh sizzled beneath its bite—skin blackening and blistering.

  The pain shot through my arm like a lightning bolt.

  “—Tch!”

  I dropped the second arrow mid-draw, it clattered against the stone floor, rolling into a pool of ash.

  The pain was sharp, intense—

  —but it didn’t last.

  Hsssssssshhhhh…

  My veins pulsed red.

  Ironblood Regeneration activated—flesh bubbled, peeled, and then reformed in seconds, steam rising from the wound as if it were being forged anew.

  With a grunt, I smashed the salamander’s head beneath my boot.

  CRUNCH—SPLUT!!!

  Its skull burst like an overheated melon, and its twitching body fell limp.

  I looked up.

  The fox was climbing to its feet again.

  Two of its tails were now gone, and the last one flickered weakly behind it like a dying torch.

  Its body was a patchwork of burns and bleeding wounds.

  One eye had melted shut. Its breaths were short and shallow—each one a wheeze.

  Behind me, more monsters were crawling over the edge of the platform—snakes, salamanders, even molten beetles with glowing mandibles clicking open and shut.

  No more delays.

  I drew my sword and charged.

  SHHHK—SLASH!!

  One salamander lunged and was sliced clean in half—its top half sliding away with a hiss of blood.

  CLANG!!

  A beetle rammed me—I deflected it with the flat of my blade and spun, kicking it hard.

  WHAM!!!

  The insect flew across the cavern, smashed against a rock, and exploded in a burst of flame.

  WHOOSH!!

  A snake lunged for my throat—I caught it mid-air and impaled it through the mouth.

  SPLUT!!!

  I shook off the corpse and stepped back, breathing hard, and grabbed the next arrow.

  [2 Enhances remaining!]

  The blue light surged again—stronger now, reacting to the growing heat of the battle.

  I aimed at the fox.

  It was limping toward a broken pillar, dragging itself along, determination still burning in its single eye.

  Its head turned, meeting mine.

  So much rage.

  So much fear.

  “Give it up.”

  I whispered.

  TWANG!!!

  BOOOOOOOMMMM!!!

  The arrow streaked forward and struck the fox’s left shoulder.

  A spray of blood and scorched bone followed.

  The blast knocked the creature off its feet, slamming it into the rocks.

  It lay there, twitching.

  It tried to rise—its limbs quivering like they no longer obeyed—but it still tried.

  One more. That’s all it needed. That’s all I needed.

  I reached for the final arrow.

  [1 Enhance remaining!]

  The mana surged like a tidal wave.

  This time the arrow didn’t just glow—it crackled.

  Lightning danced along its shaft, wrapping it in a cocoon of raw energy.

  I didn’t say a word. Didn’t breathe.

  I let the tension hold for just a moment longer—

  —and released.

  TWAAAAAANG!!!

  The final arrow ripped through the air, trailing blue lightning like a comet.

  KRAK—THOOOOMMM!!!

  It punched into the fox’s chest—dead center—and the entire rock platform beneath it shattered from the impact.

  The explosion was deafening, blue flames ripping through the area like a divine wrath unleashed.

  The fox let out one last, broken cry—

  “GGRRAAAAAAHHHHHH…!”

  Then it collapsed backward, skidding across the rocks with smoke rising from every inch of its body.

  It twitched. Once. Twice.

  Then stopped.

  [Congratulations! You’ve slain the boss of Northern caves: Three-Tailed Fox!]

  [You’ve gained a lot of TP!]

  [You’ve gained a lot of Exp!]

  Silence fell.

  Only the distant hiss of magma and the soft crackle of flames remained.

  It was over.

  The cave fell into silence for a single breath—only the bubbling of magma and the soft crackle of glowing embers remained, flickering across the rocky floor like whispers of fire.

  Then—

  CRACK!

  A large section of the platform groaned, and the cracked stone beneath the fox’s corpse gave way.

  ‘Shit! It’s falling!’

  The body of the fox teetered—then plunged toward the roiling sea of magma below.

  Without thinking, I broke into a sprint.

  The heat blasted against my face like a wall of flame, sweat instantly evaporating off my skin.

  I leapt onto a nearby rock pillar, its surface scorched and steaming.

  From there, I began jumping from one stone to the next—each landing sent chunks of brittle, half-melted rock crumbling into the lava below.

  SPLASH!

  The fox’s corpse hit the magma.

  A wave of molten rock surged upward, droplets of liquid fire sizzling through the air and landing across my arm and shoulder.

  “—Tch!”

  The intense pain made my muscles twitch, but I didn’t stop.

  The body began to disintegrate rapidly—fur igniting, flesh melting, bones turning to black sludge.

  And then… all that was left floating on the surface was a radiant, red-shining core.

  It pulsed like a heart of fire, small and brilliant amid the lava's endless glow.

  I jumped again—landing harshly on the next pillar, which quaked under my weight.

  The heat was suffocating now, pressing down on me like a furnace from all sides.

  I gripped the edge of the final stone, body dangling dangerously close to the molten river below.

  [Warning! Warning!]

  [Surrounding temperature is too high!]

  My vision blurred from the rising waves of heat.

  My exposed skin hissed and bubbled, and even my regeneration had slowed.

  “Ughhh—!”

  I clenched my jaw, the searing pain clawing into my nerves.

  From the corner of my eye, I saw them—

  Monsters.

  They were slithering and crawling toward the core.

  Salamanders with cracked stone scales dripping lava from their jaws.

  Magma snakes coiling, tongues flicking with embers at their tips.

  Flame beetles scuttling with glowing underbellies, clicking furiously.

  They had sensed the core too.

  They wanted it—to devour it and evolve.

  “Back off!!”

  I snarled, drawing my sword and swinging hard.

  CLANG—CLANG—SLASH!!

  The blade carved through a beetle, slicing it clean down the middle.

  Its two halves fell into the lava, hissing violently as they sank.

  A snake lunged at my face.

  SSSSHHK!

  I deflected it mid-air and stomped it into the molten edge.

  The lava splashed again—burning my boots, searing through the soles.

  More monsters piled in.

  I slashed in every direction, the sword glowing red-hot from the heat.

  But then—

  [The durability of sword is over!]

  CRACK—SSSSHHHHH…

  The blade hissed, then crumbled into pieces in my hand, melting from the heat.

  “Damn it—!”

  But it had been enough.

  I dropped to one knee and snatched the Three-Tailed Fox’s Core with my bare hand.

  The red gem pulsed like a star, radiating waves of blistering heat that made my skin peel instantly.

  I let out a choked gasp, stuffing the core into my inventory before my hand turned to charcoal.

  Hssssss…

  Smoke rose from my palm, tendons visible beneath the melted flesh.

  But Ironblood Regeneration surged again, the wound slowly stitching itself back together.

  I didn’t wait.

  I dug my fingers into the edge of the rock and began to climb—every inch fought against me, my arms trembling from the heat, my vision swimming in waves of red.

  And then—

  I pulled myself up and stood.

  Stone cracked under my feet as I leapt from pillar to pillar, each jump barely clearing the lava’s edge.

  Finally—

  I landed back on solid ground.

  “Hoo!!”

  I exhaled hard, my breath coming out as steam.

  But there was no time to rest.

  “Seriously!?”

  I growled, turning around.

  Dozens of monsters surrounded me now—drawn by the battle, the scent of blood, and the power of the core.

  Magma snakes coiled.

  Flame beetles scuttled.

  Lesser salamanders snarled, drool glowing like molten wax.

  They all charged.

  But I… didn’t feel a hint of fear.

  Not anymore.

  They were nothing.

  ‘Inventory!’

  I summoned a longsword, its blade forged of blacksteel and enchanted to resist heat.

  It glowed as it appeared in my grip.

  I raised it high and shouted—

  “COME!”

  The monsters roared.

  They surged forward, a wave of claws and fangs and flame.

  I met them head-on.

  SLASH!

  A salamander's head flew off, rolling into the lava like a severed melon.

  THUNK! THWACK!

  My blade carved into a beetle’s shell, breaking it open like a furnace-cracked egg.

  FWOOSH!

  A snake spat fire—I ducked and impaled it mid-spit, dragging its burning body across the ground.

  The burns reopened again and again—but Ironblood Regeneration surged with every heartbeat, every slash.

  I didn’t slow.

  CLANG!

  SHHINK!

  CRUNCH!

  One by one, they fell.

  [You’ve slain a magma snake!]

  [You’ve slain a lesser salamander!]

  [You’ve slain a flame beetle!]

  [You’ve slain a magma snake!]

  [You’ve slain a lesser salamander!]

  ....

  ....

  ....

  ....

  [You’ve slain a lot of fire monsters!]

  [Your heat resistance has increased!]

  Their corpses scattered across the battlefield, some still twitching.

  I stood in the middle, breathing heavily, my armor scorched and smoking, blood running down my arms—but my stance unbroken.

  The last flame beetle hissed, turned—and tried to scuttle away.

  Too late.

  SLASH!

  I cleaved it clean in two.

  [You’ve slain a flame beetle!]

  [You’ve gained some TP!]

  [You’ve gained some Exp!]

  [You’ve leveled up to lvl 26!]

  Silence returned.

  Only the low rumble of magma remained.

  It was over.

  For now.

  ----

  “Haa… ha…”

  I gasped, taking short, shallow breaths.

  Each inhale burned my throat, tasting of ash and smoke.

  My chest rose and fell as sweat rolled down my scorched skin, evaporating almost instantly in the smoldering air.

  I slowly looked around me.

  The battlefield was silent now—only the occasional crackle of cooling magma and the hiss of fading embers filled the air.

  All around me lay the lifeless bodies of monsters.

  Their once-blazing forms had turned into charred husks, blackened and twisted.

  The salamanders were no longer molten; their stone-like bodies now cracked and brittle.

  The flame beetles’ shells had lost their glow, shattered like broken pottery.

  The magma snakes were still—curled like ropes of burnt leather, no longer hissing or twitching.

  All of them… dead.

  “Damn it… not again.”

  I glanced down at myself.

  My shirt—what remained of it—was little more than a few shredded, singed strands clinging to my body.

  My pants were half burnt through, exposing raw skin beneath, and my boots were completely melted, leaving me barefoot on the scorched rock.

  Each step sent sharp pain through my soles, even with regeneration kicking in.

  “Hoo… I guess I’ll have to buy new gear again.”

  I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck.

  Just as I was thinking about that—

  “Wow! You really killed a lot.”

  A voice echoed from behind, smooth and slightly amused.

  I turned around quickly and looked up—

  Suspended mid-air, arms folded casually, was Gilbert.

  He floated effortlessly above the ground.

  His black curly hair glinted in the glow of the magma, and a faint smirk played at his lips.

  “I watched your fight. It was really interesting.”

  He said, lowering himself slowly until his feet touched the scorched stone floor.

  “What do you want?”

  I asked flatly, not hiding my irritation.

  “Oh? Not the reaction I expected,” he chuckled, giving a small shrug.

  “But, well, that’s fine.”

  He stepped closer, boots clicking against the stone, eyes scanning the battlefield with mild curiosity.

  “I heard you traded the Ice Witch Core with Fiona recently… and now, you’ve obtained the Three-Tailed Fox’s Core too.”

  He muttered, more to himself than to me.

  I didn’t answer.

  Just narrowed my eyes.

  He continued to muse aloud, tapping a finger against his chin.

  “Are you planning to enhance your body?”

  He tilted his head.

  “No, no… it can’t be that. The heat output of the Three-Tailed Core is too unstable, and the Ice Witch Core was riddled with impurities.”

  I nearly rolled my eyes.

  ‘Yeah, no kidding.’

  If I really wanted to enhance my body with elemental cores

  I’d need a Nine-Tailed Core, something capable of stable fire control, and perhaps a Frost giant’s Core—powerful, pure, and without the unstable fluctuations of lesser monsters.

  “What could you be planning then?”

  Gilbert muttered, his gaze flicking toward me like he was peering straight into my thoughts.

  I smirked.

  “Aren’t guides supposed to not interfere with player actions?”

  I asked, arching a brow.

  Gilbert paused, then gave a small nod of approval.

  “You know that too? Good. You’re learning.”

  He clasped his hands behind his back and stared at the remnants of the battlefield, the smirk on his lips fading slightly.

  Then—

  “Well, I’m here to warn you.”

  “Warn me?”

  I raised an eyebrow.

  “Oh, don’t get the wrong idea.”

  His smirk returned, but his tone grew more serious.

  “You did a good job. Truly. Slaying the Three-Tailed Fox is no easy feat. But… every action in this world has a consequence.”

  He waved a hand casually toward the magma pit.

  “That fox wasn’t just a strong monster—it was one of the Four Pillars. A boss entity that helps maintain the balance across the elemental regions.”

  I already knew what he was getting at, and sure enough—

  [Someone has slain the Three-Tailed Fox!]

  [The Power of Fire has weakened!]

  [The Power of the North has weakened!]

  [The South has gained a buff!]

  [The Water Element has gained a buff!]

  [The Lake Bison has begun his rampage!]

  “Now it begins.”

  Gilbert said, as the flicker of blue light danced across his body.

  [New Quest: Bison Rampage!]

  “That core you’ve taken? Its absence has shifted the balance.”

  Gilbert’s voice echoed slightly as he began to fade.

  “The Lake Bison—once dormant, once restrained—is now empowered.”

  He gave one last smirk, as his form shimmered and dissolved into motes of silver light.

  “Good luck… Player.”

  [The Lake Bison has been buffed up!]

  [The Lake Bison has regained his lost ability: Water Shroud!]

  [Please defeat the Lake Bison to restore balance.]

  I stared at the notification, a drop of sweat running down my cheek—not from the heat this time, but from anticipation.

  “So that’s the next one, huh…”

  The flames behind me crackled softly, and the ground trembled slightly in the distance—

  A sign that something enormous had awakened.

  The hunt wasn’t over.

  It had only just begun