Chapter 61 – Stillness Before the Hunt (Part II)
The forest felt different once they started moving.
The deeper Peterson and Naëlle walked, the quieter everything became. No birds. No insects. Even the wind seemed hesitant to pass through the twisted branches overhead. Their footsteps were soft against the damp earth, bare feet sinking slightly with each step.
Peterson kept glancing around, alert.
Naëlle, on the other hand, looked relaxed—almost bored.
"So…" Peterson started, breaking the silence.
She hummed in response, eyes forward.
He rubbed the back of his neck. "About… you know. Our date."
That made her slow down.
"And the kiss," he added quickly, before he could lose his nerve. "I just wanna know where we stand now. Like—are we… a thing?"
Naëlle stopped completely.
Peterson nearly walked into her.
She turned to face him.
For the first time since entering the forest, color crept into her cheeks.
"…You're really asking me that now?" she said softly.
"Feels like the right moment," he replied. "Might die soon."
She stared at him for a few seconds, then sighed and smiled.
Instead of answering, she stepped closer, leaned in slightly, and whispered,
"Figure it out."
Then she winked.
A slow, teasing wink paired with a small, mischievous smile.
Peterson's brain stopped working.
Before he could respond—
A violent CRACK echoed through the forest.
They both turned just in time to see two massive shapes crash through the trees ahead.
Two gorillas.
Each stood nearly six feet tall, bodies thick with muscle, fur dark and coarse. Their arms were long, veins bulging beneath their skin as they slammed into each other with bone-shaking force.
The ground trembled with every impact.
They were fighting—ripping, punching, roaring.
Peterson instinctively lowered his stance. "We could wait—"
Too late.
Both gorillas stopped at the same time.
Slowly, their heads turned.
Six glowing eyes locked onto them.
The forest went still.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
New Quest: Gorilla Suppression
• Objective: Defeat 2 Demon Gorillas
• Reward: +10 EXP per Gorilla
• Bonus Reward: +50 EXP
• Additional Reward: New Skill Unlock upon Completion
The gorillas roared.
They charged.
"Guess subtlety's dead," Peterson muttered.
"I'll take the left," Naëlle said calmly.
Before he could protest, she was already moving.
Peterson braced himself as the gorilla on the right barreled toward him, fist swinging like a wrecking ball.
He dodged.
Barely.
The punch shattered a tree behind him.
"Okay," Peterson said through clenched teeth. "Big. Strong. Not fast—"
The gorilla backhanded him mid-sentence.
He flew sideways, crashing into the dirt and rolling hard.
Pain exploded through his ribs.
"Correction," he coughed. "Very fast."
The gorilla roared again and lunged.
Peterson rolled, kicked up, and slammed his heel into its knee. The beast staggered for half a second—enough for Peterson to get back on his feet.
He punched.
Then kicked.
Then ducked another swing and drove his shoulder forward.
Basic techniques.
Raw.
Unrefined.
But relentless.
The gorilla grabbed him.
Slammed him into the ground.
The impact knocked the air out of his lungs.
Peterson groaned, vision flashing white.
Enough.
His veins burned.
The markings beneath his skin ignited.
Dark veve patterns crawled across his arms and chest as power surged through him.
His Veve Transformation activated.
He roared back.
The gorilla hesitated.
Big mistake.
Peterson surged forward, fist glowing faintly as he slammed it into the beast's jaw. Bone cracked. The gorilla staggered, then collapsed with a thunderous crash.
Peterson stood there, breathing hard.
Sweat dripped from his chin.
"…Done," he muttered.
Then he noticed something.
It was quiet.
Too quiet.
He turned.
Naëlle was lying under a tree.
Eyes closed.
Hands folded under her head.
Taking a nap.
Beside her lay the other gorilla—its skull caved in.
One hit.
Peterson stared.
"…You're kidding me."
Naëlle opened one eye. "Oh. You finished?"
"That thing almost killed me."
She shrugged. "You let it hit you too much."
"…You one-shot it."
She smiled and closed her eyes again. "Get stronger."
Peterson sighed, half laughing, half dying inside.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
Quest Completed: Gorilla Suppression
✔ 2 / 2 Gorillas Defeated
• EXP Gained: +70 EXP
Another notification followed immediately.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
Daily Quest Completed: Demon Beast Hunt
• Reward: +50 EXP
Light flickered before his eyes.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
New Skill Unlocked: Inspect – Level 1
• Allows viewing of Monster Tiers and Basic Information
Peterson exhaled slowly.
His body hurt.
His pride hurt more.
He looked at Naëlle, still resting like nothing happened.
"…Yeah," he said quietly. "I really need to improve."
The forest remained silent.
Far away, something massive shifted.
Watching.
STATUS UPDATE
Level: 2
EXP: 130 / 200
New Skill: Inspect (Lv.1)
End of Chapter 61 – Stillness Before the Hunt (Part II)