Sakeer trudged eastward, his steps alternating between firm strides and cautious footing. Perhaps because he remained near the forest's outermost edges, he had yet to encounter any beasts or demonic creatures despite traveling for some time.
Buzz—
The faint sound of wings flapping broke the silence.
A strange insect emerged from the branches above — about the length of a thumb, with an emerald-green body resembling a caterpillar, yet sporting a pair of thin, delicate wings.
The winged caterpillar slipped from a leaf and drifted downward, slowly descending toward Sakeer.
Just as it hovered above his head—
Shing!
The iron sword flashed through the air, tracing a swift arc that split the creature cleanly in half. Its lifeless body dropped to the ground.
"Gained 1 experience."
A faint, fishy odor wafted through the air.
'Poisonous?' Sakeer wondered briefly. Without much concern, he cast a casual glance at the fallen insect before continuing on his way without pause.
'If only I had some detection magic... I wouldn't have to rely on guesswork.'
At present, Sakeer's stats had improved considerably:
HP: 73Physical Attack: 73Agility: 73
HP aside, his strength had already proven itself. Not long ago, he'd tested his physical power — with a full-force swing of his iron sword, he could cleave through a tree trunk as thick as his own torso in just three strikes.
When relying solely on his fists, a powerful punch could drive his knuckles nearly halfway into the bark.
His agility, however, was harder to measure precisely. Still, Sakeer knew one thing for certain — his reflexes and reaction speed had improved significantly.
Previously, with an agility score of 63, Sakeer had faced off against a thief whose speed would have overwhelmed an ordinary person. Yet to Sakeer, the man's movements had seemed manageable — even sluggish.
Among the adventurers Sakeer had interacted with, the most experienced was Dosari, the captain of the Rock team. Now, Sakeer felt confident that he had surpassed Dosari in strength.
More importantly, his growth wasn't limited to raw stats. Sakeer had also gained martial arts knowledge, skills, and magic.
In a direct confrontation, victory against the Rock team wasn't guaranteed. But in a surprise attack? Sakeer was confident he could eliminate them — albeit not without sustaining some injuries himself.
From a powerless weakling to someone comparable to a Silver-level adventurer team... Sakeer couldn't help but marvel at the sheer power of "players."
Even the captain of the legendary Thirteen Heroes — who ascended to power two centuries ago — had rapidly grown strong enough to draw the ire of the Platinum Dragon King.
'The potential of a player really is terrifying...'
Sakeer pressed onward.
In the Great Forest of Tob, the real danger wasn't always the beasts or obvious threats. The most troublesome enemies were often the colorful insects — many of which carried potent venom.
With his improved agility, Sakeer wasn't particularly worried about sudden ambushes from these pests. However, dealing with them remained frustratingly tedious, especially since each yielded only meager experience points.
The constant interruptions were steadily slowing his progress.
Snap!
The dry crack of a branch breaking beneath Sakeer's foot echoed through the forest. Ordinarily, this sound would have been insignificant amid the rustling leaves and constant insect chatter.
But Sakeer halted immediately.
"Finally found something interesting... This must be your territory, right?" he muttered, turning his gaze to the left.
There, concealed within the thick foliage where several trees intertwined, lay a creature cloaked in deep black scales with pale green spots. It lay motionless, camouflaged among the leaves.
'Good thing it's daytime...'
Even in broad daylight, the creature's slender outline blended almost seamlessly with the shadows. Had it been nighttime, spotting it would've been nearly impossible.
Sakeer had sensed something was off for a while now.
Although this area belonged to the outer regions of the Great Forest of Tob, the absence of beasts along his journey had been unusual. Now, the reason for that silence was clear.
There was only one explanation for this unsettling calm — this was the territory of a powerful beast or monster.
And now, Sakeer was certain he'd guessed correctly.
His gaze locked onto the dark figure concealed within the dense foliage. The creature's sinuous body stretched over a meter in length, its form coiled and still.
'What exactly is that?'
Narrowing his eyes, Sakeer raised his iron sword, holding it defensively across his chest.
Rustle... Rustle...
The faint sound of leaves shifting drifted through the air — too deliberate to be mere wind.
The hidden creature seemed to have realized it had been discovered. Its forked, crimson tongue flicked out, tasting the air.
Snap!
In an instant, the black-green figure shot forward like a coiled spring released, launching itself violently from the dense foliage. Its gaping maw, lined with jagged fangs, hurtled straight toward Sakeer.
The creature's scales shimmered coldly under the dappled sunlight, revealing a metallic sheen.
'A snake!'
And not just any snake — this was a monstrous serpent over six meters long, its body as thick as a grown man's thigh.
The serpent's massive body coiled and struck with terrifying speed. Its foul-smelling jaws lunged for Sakeer's head.
Sakeer reacted instantly, swinging his iron sword in a swift arc.
Clang!
The blade connected with the snake's open jaws, producing a dull metallic clang as sparks erupted where iron met scale.
'It's so tough!'
Sakeer's eyes narrowed.
"Hisss!"
The black-green serpent let out an enraged screech, writhing in pain. Its muscular tail whipped around from behind, slicing through the air with a sharp hum.
Seeing the incoming strike, Sakeer shifted his stance. With his right hand, he pressed his sword against the snake's head to keep its fangs at bay. At the same time, he reached into his inventory with his left hand and drew a second iron sword.
Swish!
He swung the second blade at the oncoming tail.
Bang!
Another heavy thud reverberated through the air. The impact forced Sakeer to stumble back a step, his left shoulder absorbing the brunt of the strike. But he'd managed to deflect the tail's powerful swing.
"Hisss!"
The snake reared up, half its body rising from the ground while the rest coiled tightly beneath it. With renewed aggression, it lashed out, its powerful muscles twisting in an attempt to coil around Sakeer's body — seeking to crush him in a deadly constriction.
But Sakeer wasn't about to be caught so easily. Using his superior agility, he steadily retreated, maneuvering his swords to fend off both the serpent's snapping jaws and its thrashing tail.
"Its scales are like armor... and its slippery body absorbs most of the force behind my attacks."
Sakeer gritted his teeth, swinging his iron sword at the serpent's body whenever an opening appeared — but each strike barely left a scratch.
'This isn't just a large snake... this thing's a monster.'
In this world, the distinction between a beast and a monster was simple: if it possessed unnatural strength, resistance, or special abilities, it was classified as a monster.
The serpent's glowing yellow eyes flickered with realization. It seemed to sense that Sakeer's strikes couldn't pierce its scales. With growing confidence, it abandoned its defensive tactics and began striking more aggressively.
Bang!
Once again, Sakeer's sword caught the serpent's tail. This time, the force was noticeably stronger — the snake was putting more power behind its attacks.
'Almost there...'
Sakeer's expression remained calm, his mind sharp. He had observed the creature's attack patterns, learned its timing, and mapped out his next move.
Dealing with this monster wasn't impossible — his speed gave him the upper hand.
But this serpent wasn't just a threat — it was an opportunity.
'This thing's a walking experience pack!'
With that thought, Sakeer stomped hard on the ground and leapt backward, feigning retreat.
(End of chapter)