After several minutes of running and turning through multiple chambers, they stopped for a while, catching their breath near the entrance of another chamber.
"We've been running straight for nearly 15 minutes, but we haven't encountered a single monster," Zayden said, trying to take a deep breath.
"I think most of the monsters must've already been slain by other hunters. They'll spawn back soon, I'm sure." Max looked far less tired than Zayden as he had been running and fighting like this for the past three years.
Screech!
Suddenly, a sound echoed from in front of them.
Zayden looked at Max, both of their faces lighting up.
"Monsters!" Zayden exclaimed.
They immediately ran and entered the next chamber. And finally, they saw it. A group of rats, each about one meter in size.
"There they are. Our prey, Moss Rats, the weakest monsters," Max said.
"Alright, Max, go kill them!" Zayden ordered.
Max narrowed his eyes at him. "Why do you want me to kill them? I thought you asked me to come here just to guide you on how to hunt?"
"You kill them first. You definitely want to try out that new weapon, right? It must be really strong," Zayden persuaded him. And Max was tempted.
"Fine. Just watch carefully. Don't take your eyes off the great Max. And stay close to me."
He then began walking toward the group of Moss Rats.
"Good luck, dude," Zayden cheered.
'This is my real plan. Jenny didn't say I had to kill the monsters myself, so maybe, just maybe, if someone near me kills them, I'll still get the FP. They call it EXP share, baby.' Zayden grinned.
Meanwhile, Max gripped his new sword with both hands as he approached the moss rats. Even though they were the weakest monsters, if they attacked in a group, it could still give Max some trouble.
Zayden looked at the rats and was able to see their HP.
---
[Moss Rat]
Rank: common
Level 1
HP: 30
---
"So I can see their rank and level too? Even their HP?" Zayden was amazed.
As Max came closer, the moss rats, who were currently munching on mushrooms scattered across the ground, noticed him. But before they could even react or clearly see who was approaching, Max had already charged forward and slashed one of them.
"Iyaargh!"
Swoosh!
One of the rats was struck cleanly. It flew backward, landing flat on its back, motionless. Blood oozed from its body. A red damage number, [35], floated above its head. The rest of the rats immediately turned hostile, swarming toward him.
Max stayed calm. Several of them leapt at him, but he parried and slashed through them. In less than a minute, over half of the twenty-plus rats were already slain.
'This sword is amazing! Every swing feels so light and controlled. It barely drains my stamina, and I can chain attacks effortlessly. Damn, this is the most fun I've had in a long time.' Max grinned as he dove back into the fray, continuing his massacre.
Meanwhile, Zayden frowned as he checked his status screen.
(FP : 0 )
"What the hell? I didn't get any FP from Max's kills? Do I need to be closer?"
He took a step forward, inching nearer to the battlefield.
But still, no change. No FP gained.
"Damn it! Do I really have to fight the monsters myself?" Zayden muttered under his breath. He genuinely hated combat. If there were any other choice, he would've never stepped foot in a dungeon.
As he brooded in frustration, he unintentionally stepped even closer to the rats.
One of the moss rats noticed his presence.
Screech!
It then signaled the other rats to attack Zayden, as if it could sense that he was weaker than Max.
"What? Zayden, they're coming to you!" Max shouted.
"Huh?! No, take them away from me!" Zayden screamed. He ran as fast as he could as the rats charged at him. He dashed all over the chamber in panic.
"Why are you running?! Just use your spear!" Max ordered.
Zayden heard him and immediately equipped the Obsidian Spear. He turned around and stared at the incoming moss rats.
"Can I do this? Can I really do this?" His knees were trembling. He had never been in a situation this tense. Even though the monsters in front of him were the weakest, he had never fought one before.
"But... if I don't do this, I won't be able to upgrade the reactor." He was caught in a dilemma.
One of the rats in front jumped, ready to pounce on him. Its sharp teeth were aimed at the human in front of it.
"To hell with this! If I'm still scared of something like this, then I can forget about the future I want! A future where I'm free! Free from DEBT!" he roared, clenching his teeth.
"Iyaargh!" Zayden yelled, thrusting his spear with all his might. The spear pierced through the rat's abdomen.
[Critical Hit!]
[You has inflicted 50 damage to enemy!]
[2 EXP gained! 1 FP gained!]
"I... I did it. I finally got EXP and FP," he said, catching his breath.
The other rats halted, staring at the shredded remains of their fallen kin. Fear took hold of them, and they started to flee.
"Come here, you rats!" Zayden yelled, chasing after the moss rats. A wide grin stretched across his face. The thrill of his first kill had awakened a sudden bloodlust, not because of the blood itself, but because of the Frame Points he had earned. More FP meant more Generator Points. And more Generator Points meant more money!
Max stood with blank face, watching the scene unfold in disbelief. Just moments ago, Zayden had been the one getting chased, now he was chasing his former pursuers.
Swosh!
[You has inflicted 48 damage to enemy!]
[3 EXP gained! 2 FP gained!]
Slash!
[Critical Hit!]
[You has inflicted 52 damage to enemy!]
[2 EXP gained! 1 FP gained!]
After nearly fifteen minutes, Zayden had racked up much FP. His EXP bar was now one-third full.
"Pheww! I haven't exercised in ages. But the rewards are worth it, hehe. Now I can upgrade my reactor. I cannot wait to go into that world again," he grinned.
In front of him, a pile of rat corpses lay scattered. As he looked over them, something shiny caught his eye. He stepped closer and noticed a glowing, spherical object that was inside the body of one of the rats.
"What's that, Max?" he asked, pointing at the object.
"That's a monster core," Max replied, walking over. Without hesitation, he dug into the rat's remains with his bare hand and pulled out the core.
"Uweek! You're not grossed out by touching that with your bare hand?" Zayden asked, holding back a gag.
"If you knew how valuable this thing is, you wouldn't care either," Max said with a smile.
Zayden's eyes widened hearing that.