[Welco to the Monster Hunter Academy Online!]
[You have logged in as Emperoar Lv. 1]
Rainbow light parted like a curtain, revealing the Light Tree Hub. Players were already tead up, monts away from entering one of the academy’s dungeons. Others spilled back out, either frustrated or thrilled.
Martin had no interest in any of it. He swiped through the air, opened the System, and activated his special privilege to enter the Level One Dungeon.
He vanished from the Hub like everyone else, but only a handful of players knew he had gone straight to the exclusive dungeon.
[You have entered Level One Dungeon.]
[Ti: 59:58]
Let’s stack a lot more Damage Taken points this run.
Without hesitation, Martin pulled his shield and sword from his Equipnt Slots and moved them into his inventory. The items broke into particles, just like players did, except the particles stread into him.
A huge weight lifted off his shoulders.
Equipnt weight slowed down.
I only needed it at the shoreline.
He wore nothing but the simple linen clothes every beginner received after character creation. No armor. No safety net.
Unarmored, he took off at a run.
Wood Wolves peeled out of the trees, forming mid-stride. Before they could even react, Martin was already past them, unhurt. They spawned behind him, unable to catch him imdiately.
That said, four legs closed distance fast.
Martin had been ready for that. The mont he heard paws gaining on him, he cut hard to the side and changed direction.
He angled toward a patch of exposed roots and broken stone near the shoreline. The wolves had speed, but they did not have footwork. He made them follow a line.
The wolves were too simple. None of them turned as sharply as he did. One even pounced where he had been, missing by a wide margin. More wolves peeled from the trees and joined the chase.
He did not let the pack grow too big. He shaved it down with turns, keeping only what he needed.
Martin kept his ears sharp, tracking not just the wolves, but the lake too. Water slapping water. A wrong rhythm.
Here we go. Ti to wake the boss.
Last ti, he had used the lake as a safe wall behind him. It turned out the lake was ho to sothing stronger. Still, it had not surfaced right away.
Why?
There had to be a trigger. Wolves drowning in the lake had to be it.
Martin stopped hard and skidded across the soil. He flicked open the System and equipped his shield and sword.
Ard, he raised his guard and waited.
The wolves pounced.
Before their muzzles could reach him, he stepped aside and let three of them plunge into the water.
His smirk widened.
"Threat."
The nearest wolf snapped toward him, caught by the taunt. Martin yanked it off balance and threw it into the lake as well. Then he fed the rest a Shield Bash into a Sword Thrust, shaving their HP down to around 25%.
Good. Low enough to finish fast if I need my stamina and HP refilled.
He checked the clock.
[Ti: 54:49]
Great ti. Now co out.
As if on cue, the lake’s surface churned. Water trembled like sothing massive had shifted beneath it. Then the lake erupted in multiple blasts. Thick tentacles speared up, towering over the clearing. They twisted and snapped toward Martin.
He raised his shield and braced.
BANG!
DING!
[Perfect Block!]
[-100 HP has been blocked]
His stamina dipped hard. The shield rang, and his forearm went numb from the shock.
The impact nearly threw Martin backward. His smirk vanished. He bit down hard and tightened his grip until his knuckles went white. The number in the notification made his eyes narrow.
One fucking hundred. I barely have any room for error.
That number carved a chunk out of his HP bar.
Other tentacles slamd down around him, crushing the wolves he had deliberately left alive. Each strike kicked up a heavy cloud of dust, swallowing the shoreline and burying Martin in it.
Fuck. It erased the monsters I’d prepared for a HP and stamina refill.
Can I last without refills, or do I need a new way to recover?
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