"SHAAAA!"
Seeing Sakeer appear to flee, the black-green serpent — with its limited intelligence — failed to recognize the tactic for what it was.
The serpent's upper body reared back, coiling tightly like a compressed spring. Muscles rippled beneath its dark scales as it launched itself forward, jaws wide open — a lightning-fast strike aimed directly at Sakeer.
'This is it!'
Sakeer's eyes gleamed — this was exactly the moment he'd been waiting for.
With a swift flick of his wrist, he reversed his grip on the iron sword and hurled it like a spear toward the serpent's gaping maw.
Boom!
The blade struck true, driving straight through the creature's open mouth. A spray of white slime, crimson blood, and shredded flesh burst into the air, splattering across the forest floor.
"Shhh—ROAR!!"
The black-green serpent writhed violently, its body crashing to the ground in agony. Its powerful tail flailed madly, whipping against trees with enough force to crack bark and splinter wood. Each impact shook the ground like distant thunder.
Bang! Bang! Bang!!
Sakeer instinctively stepped back, watching the serpent's violent convulsions from a safe distance. The creature's scales, hard and slippery, had made a direct strike difficult — but the softer interior had proven its weakness.
For the next two or three minutes, the serpent thrashed, twisting and writhing in its death throes. Gradually, its movements slowed... then ceased altogether.
『Ding! Gained 150 XP』
Current XP: 421/1000
"Not bad."
A satisfied smile crept across Sakeer's face. Confident the beast was dead, he strode toward the massive serpent's corpse. With the experience notification confirming his victory, there was no need to worry about it playing dead.
Retrieving his fallen iron sword—now coated in slime and blood — Sakeer's expression twisted with mild disgust.
He reached into his item box and pulled out a piece of stiff, yellowed parchment — a failed magic scroll he'd made previously — and used it to wipe the foul residue from his blade.
"The scales on this thing... they could make some decent armor."
His gaze shifted to the serpent's lengthy corpse, easily over six meters long. Aside from the destroyed head, the rest of the body remained relatively intact — ideal material for crafting.
But Sakeer had little interest in armor.
Given the craftsmanship available in this world, the best armor forged from such materials would barely qualify as Superior-level gear.
"Not worth the effort."
Time spent making armor was better invested in pursuing more powerful relics — perhaps the lost inheritance of the Eight Greed Kings or the Six Great Gods.
In YGGDRASIL, equipment was categorized into ten tiers:
[Inferior]: Levels 1–10[Basic]: Levels 11–20[Intermediate]: Levels 21–30[Advanced]: Levels 31–40[Maximum]: Levels 41–50[Heritage]: Levels 51–60[Relic]: Levels 61–70[Legendary]: Levels 71–80[Artifact]: Levels 81–90[Guild Weapon]: Levels 91–100
Above these tiers were the elusive World-Class Items, transcending all conventional equipment standards.
Considering Sakeer's eventual showdown with the infamous Great Tomb of Nazarick, securing at least Artifact-level gear was imperative.
"Still... this should fetch a nice price."
Extending his hand toward the serpent's corpse, Sakeer focused his thoughts — and with a faint shimmer of light, the massive body vanished, neatly stored away in his item box.
The earlier commotion had stirred the area, yet this stretch of forest seemed to belong to the black-green serpent. That meant other demonic beasts were unlikely to appear immediately.
With that in mind, Sakeer pressed on toward the east.
The expansive Great Forest of Tob encircled the Azerlisia Mountains in a vast U-shape, stretching roughly 120 kilometers in length and 40 kilometers in width. Carne Village sat right at the center, bordered by dense woodland on all sides — a natural barrier, yet one that also invited frequent monster attacks.
Sakeer estimated it would still take some time to reach the trolls' territory.
Before he knew it, noon had arrived.
Pausing briefly, Sakeer retrieved a pocket watch and a map from his item box. After checking the time and his approximate location, he sighed and tucked them away.
"Only a third of the way through... slower than I expected. Better pick up the pace."
He exhaled sharply, refusing to linger. As he continued moving, he grabbed a piece of black bread from his item box and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing as he walked.
The morning hadn't been unproductive.
In addition to the black-green serpent he'd slain earlier, his item box now held three wild boar carcasses and five massive pythons, each over five meters long.
Of course, he'd also encountered smaller snakes, minor beasts, and poisonous insects — but those offered minimal experience and weren't worth collecting.
Food? Useless.
Trade value? Practically none.
As for the two Eight Fingers members he'd killed, their bodies had long been discarded in the jungle. By now, wild beasts had surely taken care of them.
Sakeer glanced at the dense foliage ahead.
He picked up his pace, his steps louder and more deliberate. Surprisingly, this bold behavior seemed to make the forest's lurking predators more cautious. Hidden beasts that once stalked him now remained silent, as if instinct warned them away.
'Strange...'
The unexpected shift left Sakeer slightly puzzled.
'I guess I shouldn't have been so cautious in the first place. These beasts are barely worth my time — no real threat and barely any experience.'
Swish!
Sakeer's iron sword cut cleanly through the tangled undergrowth, slicing aside branches and shrubs to clear a path forward.
Overhead, thick layers of leaves intertwined, blotting out the sunlight. Shadows clung to the forest floor, weaving a stifling sense of unease.
Then—
Rustle...
A faint sound stirred to his left.
Sakeer's ears twitched, and he instinctively paused, stepping back just in time—
Sou!
A thin strand of white silk, as thick as a pinky finger, shot past him and struck a nearby tree with a sticky splat.
"Spiders?"
Sakeer's eyes narrowed as he turned to locate the source.
There — clinging to the branches — a spider the size of a basin dangled upside-down. Its earthy gray body was marred with purple markings across its abdomen, and eight sharp, spindly legs twitched with unnatural flexibility.
'Hanged Spiders!'
Sakeer's expression darkened.
He recalled information he'd purchased from the Adventurer's Guild about the Great Forest of Tob. This species — the Hanged Spider — was notorious among explorers.
While individually they weren't particularly powerful, encountering one often signaled the presence of many more. Even seasoned gold-ranked adventurers knew to tread carefully when these creatures were involved.
Rustle... Rustle...
Sou! Sou! Sou! Sou!
Before Sakeer could act, the trees around him came alive with movement. Leaves trembled, and dozens of white strands shot toward him from all directions.
"Tch!"
Sakeer bolted, weaving through the rain of sticky silk as the spiders scuttled after him.
The Hanged Spiders weren't content with mere webs. Using their silk as pathways, they glided swiftly across the strands, their clawed legs clicking against the threads as they pursued him.
In mere moments, the area behind him was swarming — a dense, writhing mass of gray bodies crawling closer with unsettling precision.
Sakeer risked a glance over his shoulder — and his breath caught.
'...That's way too many.'
(End of chapter)