Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Wolves' Paradise
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Elite quest?
Zone 2 must have different monster types.
I'd better check the quest details right away.
I summoned the quest window with a mere thought.
General Quest - Compound-Eyed Wolf Hunt
Go to Zone 2 and hunt 5 Compound-Eyed Wolves
0/5
🎁 Reward: 20 EXP, 200 Gold
Same number as before.
EXP is four times higher, gold twice as much.
I checked the elite quest next.
Elite Quest - Star-Eyed Wolf Hunt
Go to Zone 2 and hunt 1 Star-Eyed Wolf
0/1
🎁 Reward: 20 EXP, 200 Gold
Just one?
Same rewards as the Compound-Eyed Wolf.
Even just these two would net an ordinary person several times more EXP than the slimes.
The rewards were meager for me, but considering the dozens of other dimensions with tens of people each, the daily EXP and gold distributed would be massive.
According to the system description, you could only do one quest per type per day.
In other words, one general and one elite were possible, but not two generals.
After confirming the rewards, my guess that the wolves were weaker than expected was proving true.
'Zone 2, huh. The monsters are too weak compared to my level. My growth might start slowing down soon.'
Having checked the quests, I recalled the skill I'd practiced yesterday.
I'd held it back during spawns to prepare for Zone 2.
Mana recovery after using it yesterday had been painfully slow.
My mana was essentially semi-divine power, which also aided defense regeneration.
But defense regen was even slower than mana recovery.
Even with both recovery and regen, it took quite a while to return to full strength.
'Should I buy a mana potion?'
If Zone 2 monsters could only be handled with skills, I'd need mana potions for mid-fight top-ups.
Mana potions restored gradually, just like stamina potions.
Buying powerful items still felt like a gold sink.
No matter how strong the wolves, my stats should let me gauge their level.
Zone 2 was the first new area, so I felt a bit tense.
But it was only the second zone—no way it was that intense.
The anxiety faded.
I headed straight for the village entrance.
My steps out of the village were light.
Crossing Zone 1's meadow, a new path leading into the forest appeared where none had been before.
The forest entrance exuded an ominous aura, like darkness opening its maw.
I glanced back at the slimes dotting the meadow, ones I'd slain hundreds of times.
'I can hunt slimes anytime. Zone 2 first, then mop them up.'
I stepped into Zone 2.
+ All Stats +1
The moment I entered the forest, the air's texture shifted.
Humid, chilly air assaulted me, thick with the scent of damp earth and beastly musk.
Towering, densely packed trees blotted out the daylight, plunging the interior into gloom.
The space reeked of danger incomparable to the Slime Meadow.
And I was a little surprised—not by the forest, but by the achievement.
An achievement?
For being first into Zone 2?
I quickly read the description.
It was indeed for the first to enter Zone 2, granting +1 to all stats.
Now achievements alone were worth four levels.
If they gave one for Zone 2, they must have for Zone 1 too.
On Day 1, I'd been too busy checking other things to hunt right away.
Someone else had claimed Zone 1's achievement.
Achievements could pop up unpredictably, and many might already be done in ways I hadn't considered.
'Gotta start planning for achievements too.'
I refocused on the forest around me.
Staying alert, I advanced slowly.
Before long, I encountered my first foe.
Red insect-like compound eyes gleaming in the darkness.
A Compound-Eyed Wolf.
Normal wolf size, but its namesake pair of compound eyes glowed with an eerie red light.
It growled low, baring its hostility toward me.
This was my first time facing a real beast, not some slime.
I decided to test my new power on it.
First time killing a monster with a skill.
I didn't draw my sword.
Instead, I focused on one of the two skills from yesterday's job change: [Demi-God Body 1st Grade].
At my will, the mana in my body wove together with the defensive aura enveloping my skin.
The new power I'd dubbed semi-divine writhed within me.
Still faint, but a brilliant condensation of energy.
"Grrr...!"
The Compound-Eyed Wolf hesitated briefly, sensing a threat as I stood motionless.
But feral instinct soon overrode caution.
It kicked off the ground, charging like a bullet.
I didn't dodge.
Instead, I concentrated semi-divine power into my right arm.
No special skill—just pure energy cloaking my fist.
The instant its sharp fangs lunged for my arm, I unleashed an uppercut at its jaw.
A heavy, destructive impact echoed through the forest—nothing like before.
Its head exploded, upper body torn clean off, spraying brains and bone fragments everywhere.
The corpse, reduced to just its lower half, crumpled to the ground without a single cry.
Overwhelming power. This was my strength after job change and awakening.
A satisfied smile crossed my face as I checked the gains.
2 EXP and 10 Gold.
Exactly double a slime's. As expected.
And I'd taken it down easily. These things were around level 3-4.
In other dimensions, once Zone 2 opened, it'd match folks who'd grown averagely so far.
Strong enough to kill low-level players.
Of course, unless people were idiots, lowbies would group up to hunt.
I started closing in on wolves I spotted sporadically, hunting them down in seconds.
It happened while killing another.
Item? No, item material?
Fang, huh.
I calmly collected the fang from the corpse.
Monster drops didn't auto-go to inventory; had to harvest manually, it seemed.
The material itself had no effect. Probably for crafting items.
I stowed it in my inventory and kept hunting.
One burst of semi-divine per wolf, and I still had plenty left.
Now I drew my sword and began applying the power in new ways, as practiced yesterday.
Semi-divine power flowed from my body, gathering subtly on the blade.
When it perfectly matched the sword's shape...
I knew true infusion had occurred.
Compound-Eyed Wolves gathering around charged at the still wolf.
Boosted by high agility, I slashed with pinpoint precision.
A few tried fleeing at the sight, but only one remained.
After the last, I sheathed the sword infused with semi-divine power. The energy returned to me.
Impressive... but a twinge of regret.
'Semi-divine infused in a weapon is dizzyingly strong. But the cost is huge—no need for trash mobs.'
Infusing a weapon took heavy initial cost, plus ongoing drain to maintain shape, plus mental focus.
Too taxing for mere Compound-Eyed Wolves.
I was already killing them barehanded without it.
The forest encircled the Slime Meadow, making it larger than expected.
I pressed deeper.
Then, gleaming compound eyes multiplied in the surrounding darkness.
One, two... soon over twenty Compound-Eyed Wolves encircled me.
Enraged by their comrades' deaths, they bared fangs and growled in unison.
Many-versus-one. A scenario I'd need to practice plenty.
I drew my sword again.
This time, I'd test another power.
If I went all-out, this skill was essential.
Activating the skill, space distorted faintly around me in a 50-meter radius.
The wolves instinctively sensed danger and faltered.
"Graaa!"
The boldest one roared and charged.
I closed my eyes. Domain senses replaced vision.
Within the domain, I could detect the unseen.
The wolf's leap angle, target spot—every detail painted in my mind.
Minimal movement to evade, slashing its flank as it passed.
Others swarmed from all sides, but it was futile.
I flowed like a dancer, deflecting attacks and landing light counters.
In truth, my speed didn't increase, nor senses amplify.
Vision was simply augmented by domain senses.
In this space, I felt like the world's master.
Linked to me, the domain transmitted everything via sensation.
Like ripples in water felt stronger here—tens of times more acute than in liquid.
Every air current, leaf quiver, muscle twitch in the wolves: all crystal clear, as if in my palm.
This was [Domain]'s first ability.
Absolute informational superiority.
I no longer fought with eyes or ears.
I fought as one with the space itself.
The wolves fell into chaos.
Their coordinated assault missed repeatedly.
The domain was built on semi-divine power.
Enormous cost—three uses max before depletion.
And semi-divine was like part of my body, akin to the sword infusion.
I clenched my fist instead of sword, channeling domain power at one wolf.
A shockwave erupted from my fist, smashing the wolf into a tree where it died instantly.
This was [Domain]'s second ability.
Within the domain, power proportional to Strength transmitted through domain force to the target.
Extremely fast, but not overwhelmingly so.
Would pack a punch with truly high Strength.
Weaker than close-range strikes, but devastating to inferior foes.
Similar to a shockwave, but focused—no scatter—and transmitted via my power through air, far more efficient.
Directional control was effortless with sensory aid.
These attacks cost no domain power.
Some did, though.
[Domain]'s third ability was one.
But yesterday's practice hadn't allowed much use.
Basically, remotely suppress or damage foes with domain force.
Freeze targets momentarily.
Short duration relative to cost.
Stronger domain could stun or kill instantly.
Huge expenditure, as it used domain force directly.
Low skill grade made proper use hard.
Higher grade needed for efficiency.
Great edge vs equals via instant suppression; shockwaves better for weaklings.
The wolves serving as shockwave dummies died in seconds.
I gathered scattered [Compound-Eyed Wolf's Hide] and [Compound-Eyed Wolf's Claw] from the ground.
Domain faded, taking semi-divine with it, but some recoverable. Higher grade would yield more.
In the end, Domain and Demi-God Body weren't hidden job exclusives.
What separated weak from strong was level and skill grades.
Hunting in the forest went smoothly.
Over a hundred Compound-Eyed Wolves were mere easy prey before my overwhelming might.
Skills tested, now pure hunting.
Dozens of minutes later, I reached the forest's deepest point.
A massive rock cave.
There, I spotted the gigantic wolf inside.
Star-Eyed Wolf. This zone's elite monster.