The sun filtered through the thick canopy, painting the forest floor in mottled patches of gold and green. The party moved cautiously, weapons drawn and eyes scanning for any form of movement.
"We aren't getting that much of a threat around here," the swordsman muttered, stepping over a root. "I'd have expected there'd be more of those kobolds by now."
"They've probably retreated after yesterday," Elise replied, adjusting the grip on her dagger. "Still… this area isn't exactly friendly to Bronze ranks."
Hazel, walking slightly ahead, smirked. "Speaking of Bronze ranks… did you guys remember the kid from yesterday?"
The group chuckled softly. The memory was fresh: Kael, barefoot almost, rusty blade in hand, no armor, yet stepping up like he owned the place.
"That one?" the Doran asked, shaking his head. "I still don't get it. That part of the forest is filled with stronger tier 1 beasts. Not something an lone Bronze rank should be walking on."
"And yet he survived," Gareth said, his lips twitching into a grin. "Barely, sure, but he survived that long. That's more than most would've done."
The mage nodded, thoughtful. "There's something about him. His movements… he's fast, precise. He handled himself better than I expected. I almost want to see him again, out of curiosity."
Hazel chuckled again, shaking her head. "Also, he was broke. I don't think he even had proper gear, yet he still dared that fight. Either he's reckless, or he's just a monster."
Elise laughed lowly, glancing at the dense trees ahead. "Different or insane. Either way, he's interesting. I don't usually say that about other people."
Gareth smirked, hefting his axe. "Agreed. He's… memorable. Let's just hope he doesn't get himself killed before we see what he's really capable of."
They moved on in silence for a while, each lost in thought, the memory of the small, audacious Bronze rank lingering in their minds. By the time the party reached a clearing, the sun had climbed higher, casting sharper shadows on their path ahead. Somewhere in the dense forest, Kael was making his own way into danger, completely unaware of the stir he had caused among these seasoned adventurers.
---
His journey through the Forrest was rather quiet and uneventful, save for the sounds of nature all over the forest.
Kael stopped to check the crumpled quest slip again.
' Northern swamps, near the old creek bed.'
Lucky for him he had memorized a map of Fairhaven from the receptionist so finding it was easy enough.
He wasn't far now so he decided to weigh his strengths.
"Shouldn't be that bad," he muttered under his breath. According to the encyclopedia, the poison is still only paralytic… at it's young age."
He said it like a reassurance, though the memory of the receptionist's uncertain look made his throat tighten. He exhaled slowly, adjusting the grip on his dull blade.
Although they were stationary monsters, what made them so much of a threat to adventurers wasn't their attack power their speed. Coupled with the paralysis effect, they were one heck a scary threat to face alone.
His tunic still bore faint bloodstains from yesterday's goblin fight — an ugly reminder of how close he'd been to failing even that.
Still, something in him burned. Not arrogance, but the stubborn spark of someone who refused to stay weak.
The forest deepened ahead, shadows thickening as the canopy grew dense. The air smelled faintly metallic, and the ground here was different — damp, almost sticky. When he crouched to inspect, his fingers brushed something cold and slick.
"Swamp... Meaning it's around here somewh–"
The realization hit a second too late.
A line of red split across his cheek before he even realized the danger. A whip-like tendril had shot out, fast and precise, grazing his face with venom-laced sap. The sting was sharp, burning, and cold all at once, crawling down his cheek and making his fingers tighten uselessly around the blade.
He barely tilted his head in time avoid a fatal strike to his head.
The vine whizzed past his face, slicing a line across his cheek. Blood dripped instantly from the wound.
[-1 HP]
He froze. His heart slammed in his chest as he lifted his eyes — and saw it.
He blinked through the shock, his chest hammered and every nerve screamed at him to run. Yet, he couldn't. Not yet. His hands were shaky and tensed up but something deeper stirred inside him, the small, stubborn spark that had kept him alive this far–His resolve to survive.
Now that he had the chance, he took a good long look at his opponent, taking the sight into his eyes.
___
Name: Forest Ivy [Lv. ??]
Type: Plant
Description: ???
___
The 'Forest Ivy' stood atop near rotted log, its thick vines twitched like muscle fibers beneath its bark. Its flowers glowed a dull red, opening and closing with wet, sucking sounds. From their centers, thin tendrils waved in the air, tasting for warmth, for life
It's main body was just a ball of plant, pulsing like a heartbeat. It rested in caged of thorns probably to protect it's core from outside threat.
All around this swamp he could see ematiated corpses of adventurers that had fallen prey to this beast before.
Kael's breath came shallow. His mind raced — 'Do I keep distance, avoid contact? The vines are fast enough, so do I close in?
His thoughts were a mess. He couldn't think straight, then a message popped into his view almost like a horror show.
[You have been paralyzed]
Before he could curse though another message popped up.
[Effects of paralysis have been cancelled]
Then another lash came, snapping toward his legs. He side stepped clumsily, splashing mud all over as he brought down his blade only to see that he completely missed the target cutting only air instead.
"Damn it—!"
His pulse thundered in his ears. The thing moved faster than he did but he could handle it. His body screamed to run, but he forced himself still.
"…I won't lose here."
Another vine shot forward — this time, Kael parried it. His sword scraped along its surprisingly hard surface, going halfway before the metal caught on a thorn of hardened bark. The recoil numbed his wrist, but he grit his teeth and pushed through, driving his boot into the soil for leverage.
The vine recoiled with a hiss. A droplet of sap hissed against the dirt, burning a small hole where it landed.
"Right," he muttered, between shallow breaths. "Don't let that touch me."
A tendril whipped again. He ducked low, but the whip cracked past his shoulder, leaving a shallow bruise. Stinging but not enough to paralyze.
It wasn't just a plant. It was aware. It was thinking just like a him, he wanted to use it sapience against it but that was a impossible feat as he could barely even see the vines come at him, talk less of track their movements.
For a brief second, his Soul Insight flared again — and beneath that pulsing core, he saw it... A faint dim spark that represented its soul.
That was all he needed to aim for.
The creature lunged again. Kael barely slashed the vine aside, his blade severing it's tendril with surprisingly much resistance from a plant. The thornshade let out a screech that made his ears ring. Purple sap sprayed, from its wound, flashing over Kyle's exposed skin, prompting another system message.
[You have been poisoned.]
"Damn, my immunity doesn't cover poisons... I need end this quick."
[Poison is being detoxified from the body...]
'I guess it does.' he thought as he dodged another tendril and cut down another.
[You have been healed.]
Vines lashed, as Kael darted forward, his stance was clumsy but determined, focusing not on finesse but on survival. Every strike, every dodge, every heartbeat was a promise to himself: that one day, he would no longer be the same boy trembling in the forest, fighting for his life against a single, hungry plant.
His memories flashed back to that night. He didn't want to watch anyone die anymore. He wanted to be strong. With that frame of thought the monster before him almost felt like an insignificant stepping stone in his path. It needed to be crushed.
He rushed straight into the thornbush separating him and it's core, clearing a path as he ran. The more he cut down, the more that rose from the mud to attack him.
[-5 HP]
[-6 HP]
[-10 HP]
It lunged multiple vines at once. He managed to cut down a few but not all as pain seared through his body. One of its attacks even shot through his thigh attempting to bring him down but he was already so close.
[-23 HP]
[You have been poisoned...]
[You are bleeding...]
...
[You have been healed]
It grabbed him with even more tendrils, attempting to halt his charge, but none of that mattered, it was already too late.
His blade sliced through the air, cutting through its cage with every ounce of strength he could muster, connecting with it's heart and severing it in half, bringing people their battle to a rousing close.
[You have slain a Forest Ivy]
[You have gained +15 experience points]
[You have leveled up...]
[You have acquired the skill [Basic Swordsmanship]]
---
Kael collapsed as the adrenaline left him instantly. His wounds were painful but it was worth it, he'd won. The messages were proof of that.
[Would you like to consume this soul?]
[Y/N]
--
"Yeah..."
[....]
[You have consumed the soul of a Forest Ivy]
[Congratulations you have gained enlightenment...]
[Stamina +1]
"A stat increase?...." He whispered before collapsing on the dirt. "Maybe... after I catch my breath..."
*****
Back in town word spread had spread like wildfire. It was what everyone could talk about–A boy stained with a purple liquid dragging the corpse of a Forest Ivy through town. But the real shock came from the adventurers when he pushed the large guild doors open and waltzed in, the beast's tendrils slung over his shoulder, dead.
"U-um, mister Kael?." The elven receptionist called out with an awkward smile while he went straight for her desk as there wasn't a line there right now. "T-this is–"
"A Forest Ivy," he replied, placing the quest on the counter before her. "I'm here to claim my rewards if you don't mind."