The monster nest was silent now—nothing but broken bodies, shattered huts, and the faint glow of cooling embers. Alex and Sherry didn't linger.
Aside from their mana cores, the Orcs and Hobgoblins had nothing worth carrying back. Their crude weapons were heavy and unbalanced, their armor clumsy and ugly.
By the time they left, night had fully claimed the sky. The twin moons hung high, silver and blue light spilling across the land, washing the wilderness in ghostly hues.
Conveniently, the destroyed nest acted as a warning—nearby monsters gave the area a wide berth.
They traveled north for several dozen kilometers before finding a spot hidden from casual eyes, quiet enough to be safe for the night. Here, they pitched their tent.
The tent had only one shower. Alex didn't hesitate; he was practically caked in blood and dirt—most of it belonging to the monsters. His own blood was there too, dried in thin streaks along his ribs and forearms.
He stepped under the spray, scrubbing until his skin was raw but clean.
Once done, he reached into his system space and pulled out a bath bomb—no ordinary kind, but a medicinal herbal decoction.
He dropped it into the filled tub, watching as it fizzed and dissolved, releasing a mellow blend of herbal and faint floral aromas. Calming at first, yet with a subtle sharpness that hinted at potent medicinal effects.
Sliding into the steaming water, Alex let out a low groan of relief. The heat seeped deep into his muscles, easing the ache in his shoulders and legs. The decoction's essence worked quickly, improving circulation, steadying his breath, and melting away the fatigue lingering from hours of battle.
Only then did he turn his attention to the backlog of unread system notifications. He'd silenced them earlier—each chime an unwelcome distraction during a fight—but now the time had come.
With a simple mental command, they began to display.
There were a lot.
Once again, nearly every one of his spells had its mastery improved by one rank. The slaughter inside the monster nest had been a goldmine—though in this case, more of a blood-soaked one. The Orc Chieftain alone had made the whole fight worth it. That oversized brute had given him five times the SP and XP of a normal B-rank monster.
And that wasn't even counting the side quest. Since, it was complete, the reward had been waiting for him like a gift-wrapped present.
But what really made his jaw slacken was his status screen.
His XP had skyrocketed—blasting past the stratosphere and landing at around 11 million—while his SP had broken the million mark. The numbers sat there in bold, almost mocking him to start spending.
His XP far exceeded the required amount only because he hadn't run the pending system update yet. Running it now would mean downtime, so he pushed it off for later.
Even his mana reserves, without any direct system help, had swelled to absurd levels.
----------------------------------------------------
[Status]
[Host: Alex Blanc]
[Title: Territory Boss Exterminator]
[Race: Human]
[Age: 16]
[Rank: B]
[Magic Affinity: Dark(SS), Ice(D)]
[MP: 11800/11800]
[HP: 6255/6500]
[Experience: 10910600/125000]
[System Points: 1044158]
----------------------------------------------------
Leaning back into the steaming bath, Alex stared at the glowing numbers. He tried to play it cool, but the sharp breath he took in, the quiet chuckle, and the ridiculous grin spreading across his face gave him away.
That's when a familiar, sing-song voice drifted into his ears.
"Well, well… someone's looking far too pleased with himself."
He didn't even flinch. "Aurora."
The spirit drifted lazily into view, her translucent form lounging against the edge of the bath as if it were solid. Candlelight shimmered through her, catching on her curves, her expression equal parts playful and predatory.
"Not even a twitch?" she pouted, tilting her head. "Honestly, what's the point of barging in if you don't blush anymore?"
Alex exhaled through his nose, entirely calm. "I'm immune now."
Her eyes narrowed, but her smile turned knowing. "Immune, hmm? Guess all those nights bathing with your master and her… friend… have toughened you up. Or maybe you've just gotten too comfortable being watched."
She let the words hang, her voice dripping with feigned innocence, the corners of her lips curling into a slow, sly smile.
"Not biting." he said, scrolling through his status menus without looking up.
Aurora sighed dramatically, folding her arms. "Hmph. One of these days, Alex, you'll slip. And I'll catch you."
Leaving the teasing aside—though the faint smirk never quite left her lips—Aurora's tone shifted, her playful lilt replaced by something more deliberate.
"Jokes aside, you really pushed yourself this time." Her eyes, usually half-lidded with mischief, sharpened as she floated closer. "Fighting all those monsters alone was already bad enough, but that last push against the Orc Chieftain… you overdid it today, Alex."
He glanced up from the system screen, catching the sudden seriousness in her voice. "I'm fine."
Aurora shook her head. "You look fine because your foundation is strong. I checked you earlier while you were busy soaking like a lazy cat." Her gaze seemed to pierce past his skin, as if she could see the flow of mana inside him. "Your mana circuits are screaming right now—completely burned out."
His brows furrowed. "Burned out?"
"You've been draining your mana pool dry every day, then refilling it—" she traced a looping motion in the air, "—which, yes, is the fastest way to strengthen it. Normally, that's fine. But today? You went past your limit. If your regeneration rate wasn't ridiculous, you'd already be in full mana fatigue."
Using magic now wasn't impossible, but with his mana circuits overheated, it was like driving a car with the engine still hot—technically doable, but far from recommended.
Alex leaned back in the tub, the herbal-scented steam curling lazily around him. "And your prescription, doctor?"
"Simple." She crossed her arms with mock sternness. "Try not to push yourself magically or physically for at least a day, okay?"
His lips twitched. A quiet chuckle escaped, but he didn't argue.
Refocusing on the system screen, Alex opened the side quest rewards. A new item shimmered in his inventory—a pair of boots. With a thought, he appraised them, scrolling through the list of features that unfolded before his eyes.
----------------------------------------------------
[The host has completed a Quest]
[Side Quest: Monster Nest Elimination]
[Reward: Random D-rank Artifact]
----------------------------------------------------
==============================
[Magic Artifact]
Name: Skybound Boots
Grade: D
Type: Shoes
Description:
- Enhances leg strength, allowing the user to leap up to 10 meters vertically or 15 meters horizontally with ease.
- Absorbs landing impact, preventing injury from falls up to 25 meters.
==============================
Alex's eyebrows went up. 'Well… that's actually good.'
Aurora drifted closer, curiosity in her eyes. Since she couldn't see the system screen, Alex read it out loud.
"Skybound Boots. Lets me jump ten meters straight up or fifteen forward, and they absorb impact from falls up to twenty-five meters."
Aurora gave a low, approving hum. "Hmm… so now you can bounce around like some oversized grasshopper."
He smirked. "More like a predator dropping in from above."
"That works too," she said, her grin turning sharp. "In aerial combat, you could vault right over a monster's guard… and if it's big enough, go straight for the head in one strike."
Alex chuckled at the image. "Sounds like a plan."