"W-What? I forgot this damn dagger is cursed!"
[Cursed removed by 'Lyndall']
"Thanks, Dally!"
[Congratulations! You have created a Poisonous Cursed Dragon Twin Dagger]
[Poisonous Cursed Dragon Twin Dagger]
Increases Critical Damage +25%
Causes Bleeding Curses Target (Target Stats -20%) ⟵ New
Inflicts Poison ⟵ New
Active Skill: Poison and Cursed Dragon Tornado (MP Consumption: 30) [Single Target] ⟵ New
First use does not consume MP.
"Skill name sounds lame, but overall? The weapon's OP. I really thought it'd melt or just slap poison on the blade."
ROOAAAAARRRRRRR!
"Almost forgot about you, bacon boy."
I activated Isaac's Hunter's Game and Rona's Iron Wall. Unequipped my scythe. Slid the twin daggers into my palms. As I plummeted, I activated Poison and Cursed Dragon Tornado, targeting the boar's exposed cranium.
The daggers thrusted deep into its head—poison oozed from the blade, spiraling in a tornado of cursed energy.
[Target: Ravonsac Wild Boar has been cursed. Target stats decreased by 20%. Target has been inflicted with poison. Due to low poison resistance, additional damage has been dealt.]
Its HP plummeted—20% and falling.
It squealed, thrashed violently.
"Ouii~ I'm getting dizzy…"
Still clinging on, I twisted the daggers deeper.
More HP gone. More squeals. More fury.
And then—wham—I was flung through the air like trash. Crashed into the stone wall.
[Warning! Your HP has dropped below 10%]
"That hurts so bad…" I coughed blood. "If it weren't for Iron Wall, I'd be jam on the wall by now."
Pshht—
The boar charged again.
"Oui—" I spat blood and activated Heal! Heal! Heal!
HP ticked back up to 18%. I dodged. Barely.
Boom—boar slammed the wall. Pressure alone shaved another 6% off.
"If that pressure alone did that, getting hit would reduce me to molecules."
It turned. Snorted. Charged again.
I swapped back to the scythe. Swung—
[0 damage dealt]
"Uh-oh."
I Dashed sideways, dodging narrowly. A game of cat and mouse—with the mouse slowly dying.
Time ticked. Poison ticked. I waited.
My HP trickled down. Breath shorter. Vision doubled.
[Warning! Your HP has dropped below 5%]
I collapsed. Blood splattered. My hands trembled. The boar's blurry form loomed, but I could barely tell which one was real anymore.
Still—one last chance.
I picked up my scythe. Tossed it blindly.
And blacked out.
...
Light.
Ceiling.
Stone.
Breath.
"Ugh… What happened?"
I turned.
The boar. Dead. Right next to me.
I sat up. Poked it.
"...You're asleep? Now? Way to ruin an opportunity."
[Congratulations! You have killed Ravonsac Wild Boar.]
[Due to enemy's level difference, extra EXP awarded.]
[You and your teammates have leveled up to Level 30!]
[Skill Level Ups: Dodge 6→7, Dash 3→5, Info Gathering 7→8, Eagle's Eye 5→6, Merry Go Lucky! 7→8, Iron Wall 2→3, Heal! Heal! Heal! 2→3]
I walked around the corpse.
My scythe—plunged into its eye.
My twin daggers—still in its skull.
I stared up.
"Rona's skill works better than a charm. I owe her big time."
I retrieved my weapons.
[Do you wish to put Ravonsac Wild Boar in your inventory? Yes / No]
"Seriously? I can do that? Heck yes!"
I hit 'Yes'. The boar vanished into thin blue light.
Ping.
Isaac: What was that noise?
Rona: You alright, Lil?
Isaac: Why aren't you replying?
Rona: Lil dead?
Isaac: Maybe? I find someone who can make a great gravestone while Rona will find a place for her to rest in peace.
Rona: Okey Dokey!
I groaned and typed back.
Llyne: I'm fine.
I didn't bother checking the 999+ unread messages. One sigh later—
"I don't know if I should be proud or insulted."
I scanned the boss room. Dozens of treasure chests gleamed around me.
"Just from killing one boar? Maybe because I almost died."
I opened one.
It jumped up.
Attacked.
I stabbed it.
[Congratulations on killing your first mimic!]
"Mimic?! Of course!"
I eyed the rest of the room. Silent. Suspicious.
One by one—I opened every single chest.
Out of 999, 994 were mimics.
"If Rona was here, I'd have had better luck." I sobbed.
[You and your teammates have leveled up to Level 35!]
[Skill Level Up! Stubbornness 5 → 6]
"It's not stubbornness! It's perseverance!"
Silence.
"Oh... What's the use of getting mad with a dumb screen."
I let out an exasperated sigh and turned away, rummaging through the meager loot I'd earned from the non-mimic treasure chests. "Let's see... human bone, normal writing pen, MP potion, two paper clips, and a seed?" I held up the tiny object between my fingers. "A seed? Like, plant-plant?"
Naturally, I sniffed it.
Then I licked it.
"Odourless and tasteless. Yuck." I wiped my tongue against my sleeve and stared at the strange collection. "The only useful one here is the mana potion… but I better keep all of it. You never know when a cursed paperclip might come in handy."
The screen blinked.
[Title Acquired: Hoarder Queen]
"I'm not a hoarder! I'm being practical!"
The screen enlarged the title.
"You're doing this just to piss me off, aren't you?"
It vanished without a word.
"..."
Ping.
Isaac: You're fine? What took you so long to reply just 2 words?
Rona: Isaac wants to bury you.
Isaac: I did not!
Llyne: Check the inventory.
Isaac: Rovansac Wild Boar?! Where did you get it?!
Llyne: That was the boss I had to kill. It nearly killed me.
Rona: Meat!
Isaac: Good job. I can cook it later.
Llyne: Thanks. I need my revenge.
Isaac: Ok...
Rona: (Sticker: question mark)
Llyne: I'll be continuing then.
Isaac: Sure.
Rona: Good luck!
I closed chat and moved forward.
Behind the boar's throne stood a towering metal door—black, unmarked. Cold air crept beneath it. No curses, no symbols. Just weight.
I placed a shaky palm on it and pushed.
Creak…
A breeze passed me. A haunting voice floated in the wind—soft, feminine, almost... weeping.
I swallowed hard and stepped inside.
[HP and MP fully recovered]
[Congratulations. You have passed Stage 2.]
[You have entered the World of Dreams.]
[Beware. They are not mere illusions.]
Darkness.
No ground.
No walls.
Only void.
The voice had stopped—but silence felt worse.
I strained my ears.
Pitter. Patter.
Water drops. Yet, when I stepped, the floor was dry.
No puddles. No ripples.
Still—I walked toward the sound.
Step. Step. Step.
Time blurred.
Then—I saw her.
A woman. Dressed in flowing red. Traditional. Regal. Weeping softly.
Or was she singing?
Her head was bowed. Her back to me. Her presence unnatural.
That voice—the eerie one. It wasn't a cry. It was a song.
My heart thumped.
Everything screamed danger.
But I couldn't look away from her sorrow.
Couldn't just turn my back.
Even if it killed me.