Leaving the fledgling bonds of his new companions behind, Tony ventured into territory that truly tested his solo capabilities. The transition from the relative safety of the herb fields to the Mountains Forest was jarring. This was a level 9 zone, and the game's design philosophy became brutally clear: safety in numbers was not a suggestion, but a requirement.
The monsters here—hulking, bestial humanoids with rock-like hides—rarely wandered alone. They moved in coordinated packs of three to five, their predatory instincts sharpened by the game's advanced AI. They covered each other's blind spots, and several possessed area-of-effect skills that could easily overwhelm a single target. Without a tank to draw aggro or a healer to mend wounds, every engagement was a delicate dance on the edge of a knife. His lack of a true stealth skill, like the one Brandan likely possessed, forced him into a tedious game of cat and mouse, using the dense foliage and jagged terrain as his only allies. The single mile to the base of the Lone Peak took him a full, nerve-wracking hour.
When he finally arrived, the silence was the first clue that this place was different. The constant growls and screeches of the forest faded into an eerie hush. Before him, the Lone Peak Mountain jutted into the sky, a stark, solitary sentinel. Activating [Hawkeye], the world shifted into a tapestry of visible energy flows. And there it was: a shimmering, nearly imperceptible dome of energy enveloping the mountain, a barrier that repelled the local wildlife and explained the unnatural quiet. A testing push confirmed it was permeable to him alone, likely a function of the quest. Taking a deep breath, he stepped through the invisible wall, the air tingling with ancient magic.
Inside the barrier, he took a moment to prepare, pulling up his status panel.
[Name: Mad Demon] [Class: Swordsman]
Level: 07 (91%)
HP: 300
MP: 30
Strength: 15
Agility: 15
Constitution: 12
Intelligence: 8
Vitality: 10
He allocated the ten attribute points he had been saving, pouring them into Strength and Agility. For a reconnaissance mission into the unknown, speed and killing power were his greatest allies. His panel updated, the numbers a comforting testament to his growth.
[Strength: 20]
[Agility: 20]
The ascent was tense, every shadow and rustle of wind putting him on high alert. Ten minutes in, he encountered the first guardian. It was a monstrous thing, an ambulatory pile of granite and muscle wielding a spiked club the size of a small tree. [Hawkeye] flared to life, feeding him critical data.
[Beast Rock] (Common Rank)
Level: 9
HP: 1300/1300
Skills: Charge, Rock Smash
Description: A tenacious warrior that revels in battle. Guards a large pile of treasure.
The description sent a thrill through him. Not just for the monster's stats, but for the final line. *Guards a large pile of treasure.* [Hawkeye] wasn't just a combat tool; it was a divining rod for opportunity. He began running mental simulations, a practice drilled into him by his master. He visualized the Charge, the wind-up for Rock Smash, his own dodges and counters. An expert wasn't born in the fight; they were forged in the meticulous preparation before it.
With a plan solidified, he exploded into motion. The Beast Rock detected him at fifteen yards, answering his approach with a ground-shaking roar. It lowered its head and [Charged], a living battering ram of stone and fury. Tony stood his ground, the Humming Blade flashing out to meet the onslaught with a perfectly timed [Parry].
*CLANG!*
The impact was tremendous, shivering up his arms, but his stance held. He was knocked back several yards, skidding across the dirt, but his HP bar remained full. In the same fluid motion, his free hand rose, and [Lightning Strike] crashed down. Three searing bolts of energy hammered the Beast Rock, the damage numbers [-60, -87, -90] floating up as the monster shuddered into a 4-second stun.
This was his window. [Wind Rush] activated, and the world blurred around him. For ten seconds, he was a phantom, his blade a constant silver flicker against the monster's stony hide. Slash after slash carved deep gouges, shaving off over 300 HP before the beast could even recover. When it did, it was too slow, too enraged to think. Tony led it on a furious dance around the large boulders littering the mountainside, using the environment as a second weapon. The monster's rage was its undoing; it swung wildly, smashing rock instead of flesh. Ten minutes of this exhausting, precise guerrilla warfare later, the Beast Rock let out a final, grating roar and collapsed into a pile of inert stone.
**System Notification: Congratulations for killing a Beast Rock. Rewards: 87 EXP.**
The EXP was pitiful, a harsh penalty for the level difference, but he hadn't come for experience. He had come for secrets. The commotion drew others, and the next three hours became a grueling cycle of lure, isolate, and dismantle. It was tedious, energy-sapping work, but his efficiency improved with each kill. By the time the seventeenth Beast Rock fell, a welcome surge of energy announced his level up. Yet, the looting was disheartening: a paltry 30 Bronze coins and 55 units of a common forging material, [Earth Rock].
"Damn it, is the system mocking me?" he muttered, wiping sweat from his brow. Three hours of relentless fighting for this? It felt like an insult.
Driven by frustration and the promise in the [Hawkeye] description, he scoured the area with renewed intensity. And then, tucked away in a crevice behind the largest boulder, he found it. A chest, wrought of aged silver and etched with forgotten runes.
In Ancient Myth, treasure chests were events. Ranked from Bronze to Legendary, finding one was like uncovering a time capsule of power. This was a Silver Chest, an unimaginable find in a beginner's zone. His heart hammered against his ribs. This was the real reward.
The 20-second progress bar to unlock it felt like an eternity. Finally, with a satisfying *click*, the lid swung open, revealing a trove that made his breath catch. Inside lay two skill books, a sleek sword, a simple ring, a stack of aged papers, a smooth stone, and a featureless mask.
A quick appraisal sent a jolt of pure shock through his system. The value was astronomical.
"It seems I'm the first player to open a chest... the first-kill bonus must apply to loot containers, too," he reasoned, his voice hushed with awe. He began examining his prizes, one by one.
[Thorn Bind] (SS-Rank, Magical-class): An area-of-effect crowd control nightmare. Instant restraint for all enemies in a 10-yard radius for four seconds, with damage-over-time properties. This was a game-changer for any mage, a tool that could single-handedly win group battles.
[Reflect] (A-Rank, Universal): A brilliant defensive skill. Rebounding 100% of the first physical attack was a "get-out-of-death-free" card against powerful bosses or rogue players. He learned it immediately, feeling the knowledge imprint itself on his mind.
[Jade Sword] (Gold Rank, Lv.8): A blade of emerald-hued crystal and steel. Its stats were excellent, it Increases attack damage by 13%, and 10% Ignores of the target's defence. But its true value lay in its unique property: "Can be equipped in the weak hand." This bypassed the level 10 requirement for dual-wielding. A childhood dream, now within his grasp.
[Shadow Blessing] (Gold Rank, Ring): A ring that granted [Absolute Nothingness]—perfect invisibility for one minute, albeit with a long cooldown and a non-combat restriction. For an assassin or scout, this was a legendary tool for infiltration and escape.
Any one of these four items could have made him the envy of the server. But it was the final three that made his hands tremble with the implications.
[Ancient One Record]: The first half of an alchemist's legacy. This was not just a skill book; it was a profession, a path to creating wealth and power from nothing. This solved his long-term resource problem for funding Hidden Edge.
[God Touch] (Unique Mask): A featureless, silvery mask that promised complete anonymity. It would hide all his information, protecting his identity and, more importantly, concealing the godly equipment he was accumulating. It was the shield for his growing legend.
[Teleportation Stone] (Consumable): Three uses of unconditional escape. In a world where death carried severe penalties, this was the ultimate insurance policy, especially when hunting a creature called a "Devil."
Without hesitation, he equipped the [Jade Sword] in his off-hand. The weight felt foreign, but right. He slid the [Shadow Blessing] onto his finger and, with a sense of finality, donned the [God Touch] mask. His name and all his information vanished from view, replaced by a simple, ominous question mark.
He was no longer just Tony, or Mad Demon. He was a phantom, armed with relics and marching toward a devil's lair. The Mountain Forest had tested his skill, but the Lone Peak was now rewarding his courage. The real challenge, he knew, was yet to come.