The sun was high when Kael wandered off the main road, following a trail of broken trees and claw marks. He whistled cheerfully, his pouch jingling with weak monster shards.
"Adventure tip number one," he muttered to himself. "If something looks scary, it probably leads to treasure. Or death. But hey, treasure sounds better."
The trail led him to a clearing, and there it stood—his first real monster.
A D-rank Venomfang Lizard, taller than Kael, its scales glistening black-green under the sun. Two massive fangs jutted from its jaw, dripping purple poison that hissed when it hit the dirt.
Kael froze, eyes wide. "O-okay, maybe this was treasure AND death."
The lizard hissed, tail whipping the ground like a whip.
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The Fight
The beast lunged, jaws snapping. Kael barely rolled aside, the venom sizzling where he had just been.
He grabbed a fallen branch, the Gloves pulsing. The wood twisted into a jagged spear.
"Alright, ugly! Let's dance!"
The lizard charged again. Kael thrust the spear, but its scales deflected the blow with a metallic clang. The beast slammed its tail into his side, sending him rolling across the dirt.
"OW! Okay, note to self—this thing hits harder than Grandma's ladle."
But Kael wasn't giving up. He grabbed a rock, transforming it into a spiked chain, and whipped it at the lizard's face. The spikes dug into its eye, making it screech in pain.
Taking his chance, Kael rushed in, the Gloves twisting the broken spear into a massive spiked hammer. With a roar that surprised even himself, he slammed it down on the monster's skull.
CRACK!
The beast shuddered, then collapsed, its venom pooling harmlessly into the dirt.
Kael stood there, panting, trembling with adrenaline. "…I won. Holy crap, I actually won!"
---
The Relic Weapon
As the beast's body dissolved into faint ether mist, one of its massive fangs remained behind, still dripping faint venom.
Kael crouched, holding it carefully. "Oooh. Shiny, poisonous, and deadly. Just like… uh, Grandma when Grandpa eats her cooking."
The Gloves of Chaos pulsed. Kael grinned. "Alright, gloves. Show me what you can do."
The fang warped in his hand, reshaping into a sleek dagger. Its blade shimmered faintly purple, venom dripping from the edge but never corroding it.
Kael's eyes sparkled. "Ohhhh yes. This is so cool. A venom dagger! I hereby name you… Stingy McStab!"
The dagger pulsed faintly, as if insulted.
"Fine, fine. We'll workshop the name."