Dawn broke with a blood-red sky. Sanji stood at the village gates, watching the sunrise paint the forest in shades of crimson and gold. Behind him, Yuki and Akane were doing final equipment checks, making sure everything was in order before they ventured out.
Today would be different. Today, they would push their limits.
"Ready?" Yuki asked, approaching with her staff in hand. Her expression was determined, focused. After last night's conversation, Sanji understood the steel beneath her calm exterior.
"Ready," he confirmed.
Akane jogged up, quiver full of arrows, her bow newly restrung. She'd reached level five during their last session, and the confidence showed in her posture. "Where are we heading?"
Sanji pulled out his map, pointing to an area he'd marked. "Deep Forest, northeastern section. According to the information I gathered last night, there's a grove where vine serpents spawn. Level six to seven enemies. They're poisonous, but we have antidotes, and the experience should be excellent."
"Vine serpents," Yuki mused. "Probably weak to fire. I'll need to learn some fire magic soon. Ice won't cut it against everything."
"Can you learn spells from other elements?" Akane asked.
"Eventually. Mages can branch into multiple elements, but it requires training, skill books, or learning from NPCs. Right now, I'm specialized in ice, which means I'm at a disadvantage against certain enemies."
They set out into the forest, passing through the areas they now knew well. The flower wolf zone was crowded with lower-level players, some working in large groups for safety. Sanji noticed the Crimson Fang guild members patrolling the eastern edge players with red cloth tied around their arms as identification. They were watching other players with predatory interest, clearly enforcing their "territory."
"Ignore them," Sanji said quietly as they passed. "Don't make eye contact, don't show fear. Just walk."
One of the Crimson Fang members, a level-seven ranger, stepped into their path. "Hold up. You planning to hunt in the eastern forest?"
"No," Sanji said evenly. "We're heading northeast. Different area."
The ranger studied them, eyes calculating. Sanji could feel the man assessing whether they were worth robbing. Finally, he stepped aside. "Fine. But if you come back with good loot, we'll want to see it. Just to make sure you weren't poaching in our territory."
Sanji nodded curtly and kept walking. His hand was tight on his sword hilt, ready to draw if needed, but the confrontation passed without violence.
"That's going to be a problem eventually," Yuki said once they were out of earshot.
"I know. But not today. Today we focus on leveling."
They reached the vine serpent grove by mid-morning. The area was distinctly different from the rest of the forest the trees here were massive, ancient things covered in thick vines that seemed to move with a life of their own. The undergrowth was dense, and the air smelled of rot and vegetation.
Sanji activated his Game Master's Eye. Immediately, he saw them serpents woven into the vines themselves, nearly invisible until they moved. There were at least a dozen in the immediate area.
Vine Serpent - Level 6 - HP: 280/280
Weakness: Fire, Slashing damage
Resistance: Piercing damage (arrows reduced by 40%)
Special Ability: Venomous Bite (applies poison DoT), Vine Grasp (immobilizes target)
"Akane, bad news," Sanji said. "These things resist piercing damage. Your arrows won't be as effective."
Akane frowned. "Then what should I do?"
"Focus on support. Watch for ones trying to flank us. Call out threats. And aim for the eyes if possible weak points usually bypass resistances."
They approached the first serpent carefully. It was coiled around a tree trunk, its scales a mottled green that blended perfectly with the bark. Only Sanji's enhanced vision picked out the subtle movement of its breathing.
"I'll pull it," Sanji said. "Yuki, heavy burst damage. We want to kill these fast before the poison stacks up."
He threw a rock at the serpent. The creature's head snapped toward him, tongue flickering. Then it launched itself from the tree with frightening speed.
Sanji raised his shield, but the serpent was too quick. It wrapped around his shield arm, its body constricting. Fangs flashed toward his face.
He jerked his head back, the fangs missing by inches, and slashed with his sword. The blade cut through scales and muscle. -47 HP appeared above the serpent.
"Ice Bolt! Ice Bolt! Ice Bolt!" Yuki rapid-fired spells, each one striking the serpent's body. -31 HP, -33 HP, -29 HP. Not as effective as they'd hoped the creature had some ice resistance too.
The serpent bit Sanji's shoulder, fangs piercing through his leather armor. -28 HP, and a new debuff appeared in his status: Poisoned - 5 HP per second for 30 seconds.
"Damn it," Sanji growled. He grabbed the serpent behind its head and threw it to the ground, then stomped on it with his boot. -15 HP. His sword came down in a heavy chop. -52 HP.
Akane's arrow caught it in the eye. Critical Hit! -89 HP.
The serpent thrashed, but it was dying. One more slash from Sanji finished it.
+55 EXP
Serpent Scale x2 obtained
Venom Sac x1 obtained
Sanji immediately drank an antidote potion. The poison debuff cleared, though he'd already lost 25 HP to it. His current health: 127/180.
"These are tougher than the shadow wolves," he said, drinking a health potion. "But the experience is better. We need to be more aggressive."
They refined their strategy over the next few fights. Sanji learned to dodge the initial lunge rather than block it, saving his shield for when the serpents tried to constrict. Yuki discovered that while her ice spells did reduced damage, they also slowed the serpents significantly, making them easier to hit. Akane focused on critical strikes to the head and eyes, bypassing the piercing resistance.
By the third serpent, they'd cut the fight time in half.
By the fifth serpent, they were working like a machine efficient, coordinated, deadly.
Level Up!
Level 7 achieved
The notification came after their eighth kill. Both Sanji and Yuki leveled simultaneously, the golden light washing over them. Sanji's HP jumped to 200, his MP to 110. He felt stronger, faster, his reflexes sharpening.
They took a brief rest to restore Yuki's MP and eat some rations. Akane was close to leveling too just one or two more kills would push her to level six.
"We're making good progress," Yuki said, checking her status. "At this rate, we'll hit level eight by tonight, maybe nine by tomorrow."
"Then the dungeon the day after," Sanji confirmed. "A level-ten dungeon with us at level eight or nine should be challenging but manageable."
"Assuming it's actually a level-ten dungeon," Yuki pointed out. "Recommended levels don't always match actual difficulty."
"That's what my Game Master's Eye is for. If we get inside and it looks too dangerous, we retreat. No heroics."
Akane was about to respond when Sanji's danger sense flared. His Game Master's Eye picked up movement not serpents, but players. Multiple signatures, approaching from the south.
"We have company," he said quietly. "Five players, coming this way. One of them is level eight."
Yuki's hand tightened on her staff. "Crimson Fangs?"
Sanji focused, trying to get more information. His skill showed him name tags through the trees: Ryoga - Level 8, Takeshi - Level 7, Miyu - Level 6, and two level-six warriors.
"Crimson Fangs," he confirmed. "Led by Ryoga himself."
"We can't fight them," Akane said, fear creeping into her voice. "Five against three, and their leader is level eight."
"We don't fight unless we have to," Sanji agreed. "But we don't run either. Running makes us look like prey."
The Crimson Fang group emerged from the trees, spreading out in a loose semi-circle. Ryoga was a tall man with a scarred face and cold eyes. He wore red leather armor with black trim, and a massive two-handed sword strapped to his back. His gaze swept over Sanji's party with calculating interest.
"Well, well," Ryoga said, his voice smooth. "Looks like someone found the vine serpent grove. You three been hunting here long?"
"Just got here," Sanji said, keeping his voice neutral. "We're not on your territory. This is the northeast section, outside your claimed areas."
"Is it?" Ryoga smiled, but there was no warmth in it. "Funny thing about territories they expand. The Crimson Fangs are growing fast. We've got forty members now, and we need more hunting grounds to support them all."
The implication was clear: this grove was about to become Crimson Fang territory.
"That's unfortunate for everyone else," Yuki said coolly. "But we were here first. We'll finish our hunt and move on."
"Or," Ryoga said, taking a step forward, "you could join us. We're always looking for competent players. You three work well together I've been watching. That coordinated takedown of the serpent was impressive."
Sanji's Game Master's Eye focused on Ryoga, trying to read his intentions.
Player: Ryoga - Level 8
Status: Guild Leader - Crimson Fangs
Threat Level: High
Hidden Trait: Ruthless Pragmatist - Will eliminate obstacles without hesitation
Not good. Ryoga wasn't bluffing or posturing. He would absolutely attack if he thought it was necessary or beneficial.
"We appreciate the offer," Sanji said carefully, "but we prefer to stay independent. We're not looking for guild affiliation right now."
"Pity." Ryoga's hand moved to his sword hilt. "Then we have a problem. See, we can't have independent operators hunting in our territory. Sets a bad precedent. So you have three choices: join us, pay a daily tribute of half your loot, or leave this grove and don't come back."
The other four Crimson Fang members had their hands on their weapons now. The threat was explicit.
Sanji's mind raced through options. They couldn't fight not successfully. Joining was out of the question. Paying tribute would bleed them dry of resources. That left retreating, but if they backed down now, they'd be marked as weak, easy targets.
He needed a fourth option.
"How about a different arrangement," Sanji said. "We'll leave this grove, but not because you're forcing us. We were planning to move to a different area anyway there's better hunting elsewhere. In exchange, you don't bother us when you see us around, and we don't tell other players that the Crimson Fangs are extorting people."
Ryoga's eyes narrowed. "That sounds like a threat."
"It's an offer of mutual non-interference. Your guild's reputation matters, right? If word spreads that you're just bandits, recruitment will dry up. But if you're seen as a legitimate guild that respects strong independent players, you'll attract better members."
For a long moment, Ryoga studied Sanji. The forest was silent except for the whisper of wind through vines.
Then Ryoga laughed a genuine sound. "You've got balls, I'll give you that. Most people just piss themselves when I make demands." He removed his hand from his sword. "Fine. You three get a pass. Stay out of areas we claim, and we'll stay out of your business. But if I see you causing problems for my guild, the deal's off. Understood?"
"Understood," Sanji said.
"Good." Ryoga gestured to his team. "Let's go. There are more serpents deeper in the grove."
The Crimson Fangs moved past them, and Sanji felt the tension finally ease from his shoulders. That could have gone much worse.
"That was risky," Yuki said once they were alone again. "Talking to him like that."
"I read his personality through my skill. He respects strength and cleverness. Backing down would have made us targets. Standing our ground with a logical argument appealed to his pragmatic side."
"And if you'd read him wrong?"
Sanji didn't answer, because they both knew what would have happened.
"Come on," he said instead. "Let's find that better hunting area I mentioned. It actually exists I saw it marked on my map. Deeper in the forest, level seven to eight monsters. Less crowded, and hopefully no guild claims yet."
They moved on, leaving the vine serpent grove to the Crimson Fangs. The encounter had shaken them, but it had also taught them something important.
In Alkhali World, power wasn't just about levels and equipment. It was about information, negotiation, and knowing when to fight and when to walk away.
To be continued...