The moment Arjun's command left his mouth, the group moved as one.
Tim reappeared first—sliding out of the shadows to Arjun's left.
"Single target," he whispered.
The blue monkey screeched again, beating its chest as the pressure enveloped. Its body coiled—then it launched itself forward.
"Now," Arjun said.
Raya stepped in first.
He met the charge head-on. Steel met claw with a thunderous clang. The impact forced Raya back three step—but he held.
"Frenzy," Raya growled.
A dull red glow surged over his body. His muscles swelled, veins standing out as he roared and swung his massive sword in a brutal arc.
The monkey twisted midair, barely avoiding a fatal strike—but Tim was already moving.
From the monster's blind side, Tim appeared like a ghost.
Slash.
His dagger cut across the monkey's flank. Not deep—but precise.
The creature shrieked and spun, claws flashing.
"Divya," Arjun said sharply.
Divya raised her staff, mana flowing smoothly through her hands.
"Magic ball."
Compressed mana hit the monster's legs, slowing its movement just enough.
That was all Rohit needed.
BOOM.
A single controlled shotgun blast tore into the monkey's shoulder, sending it crashing sideways. Bone cracked. Red blood splattered across the leaves.
"Reloading," Rohit called out immediately, stepping back.
"Koushik,now" Arjun said.
The archer was already aiming.
His breathing was steady. His vision sharpened unnaturally as Eagle Eye activated.
Thwip.
The bolt pierced straight through the monkey's forearm, pinning it briefly to a tree trunk.
The monster howled in pain—and then its eyes locked onto Raya.
But it leapt again.
Too fast.
Raya tried to raise his sword, but Frenzy had already begun to take its toll. Blood seeped from small ruptures along his arms.
"Rita," Arjun ordered.
Rita flinched—but she didn't freeze.
She raised her staff, hands trembling.
"Minor Heal."
A soft glow enveloped Raya's torso. The bleeding slowed. The pain dulled.
"I—I can't heal deep damage yet!" Rita said urgently.
"That's enough," Arjun replied. "You're doing fine."
The monkey landed behind Raya, jaws wide—
—but Arjun was already there.
He stepped in, blade flashing upward in a clean, decisive strike.
The sword pierced straight through the monster's throat.
The blue monkey convulsed once… then collapsed.
Silence returned to the forest.
Everyone froze for a second—listening.
Wind rustled the leaves.
No follow-up screams.
No movement.
[Exp:2]
[Gold:1]
Arjun frowned at the low exp and gold distributed but accepted it as a trade for safety.
He exhaled slowly. "Good work. No one rushes."
Raya dropped to one knee, breathing hard. "That thing was faster than it looked."
Rita hurried to him, casting Minor Heal again. "Your health dropped too fast…"
"That's Frenzy," Raya said with a weak grin. "Worth it."
Tim wiped his blade clean. "Clean execution. No mistakes."
Koushik retrieved his bolt carefully, inspecting it. "Reusable."
Rohit checked his weapon. "One shell used."
Divya scanned the treeline. "No other monsters responding."
Arjun looked at the fallen corpse.
"First hunt successful," he said. "But don't relax yet."
He met each of their eyes in turn.
"This is how we survive—together."
Rohit stared at the fallen blue monkey for a long moment, his fingers tightening around his shotgun.
"…I want to try something," he said suddenly.
Everyone looked at him.
"Try what?" Divya asked.
Rohit nodded toward the corpse. "Make ammunition. From its parts."
The forest fell quiet again.
Arjun studied Rohit's expression, then agreed
"We rest here," Arjun decided after a moment. "Let's take a short break and keep watch over the surroundings."
Tim melted into the shadows without a word.
Raya sat down heavily against a tree. "I'm not arguing with that."
Rita exhaled in relief and moved closer to Raya, staff ready.
Rohit knelt beside the monster.
"This might fail," he said. "So don't get your hopes up."
"Just don't blow us up," Koushik muttered.
Rohit gave a tight smile. "No promises."
Then his knife slid through blue-furred flesh with resistance—denser than normal muscle. Mana lingered faintly in the tissue, making it warm to the touch.
"This thing's heart…" Rohit murmured as he carefully extracted it, "It's still holding residual mana."
Arjun crouched nearby, watching closely.
"Is it a mana storage organ?" Arjun asked.
Rohit nodded. "No, it helps in the flow of mana just like how it helps in the flow of blood."
He placed the heart on a flat stone, then closed his eyes.
Slowly, he guided mana mana into it.
The heart twitched.
Then… dissolved.
Not into liquid—but into glowing blue particles, breaking down as if responding to his control.
Divya leaned forward. "He's stabilizing it…"
Rohit reached into his pouch and added crushed herbs he gathered nearby—bitter leaves, fibrous roots, and mineral-rich bark.
"These help in regulating volatility," he muttered. "Otherwise it will detonate."
The mixture reacted instantly.
The glow faded, condensing into a fine blue-grey powder that hummed faintly with mana.
Rohit froze.
A translucent notification appeared before his eyes.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
Subclass unlocked: Alchemist (Basic)
Rohit blinked.
Then laughed.
Not loudly—but with disbelief and pure joy.
"…I got a subclass," he said, voice shaking. "Alchemist."
For a second, no one spoke.
Then—
"That's huge!" Rita said, eyes wide.
Raya barked a laugh. "Of course, if you want to make chemicals for bullets you need to be an alchemist."
Divya smiled warmly. "Congratulations, Rohit."
Even Arjun allowed himself a small smile. "You earned it."
Rohit bowed his head slightly. "Thanks… I won't waste it."
Next came the bones.
Rohit selected the densest sections—leg and forearm bones—then carefully hollowed them using controlled mana and physical pressure.
"Bone structure's naturally reinforced," he explained. "Better than steel for mana conduction."
He measured the powder carefully—too much would rupture the barrel.
Too little would be useless.
The process was slow.
Precise.
When the first bullet was complete, Rohit loaded it into his shotgun.
Everyone stepped back.
"Lest test this bad boy," Rohit said with a wild grin.
BOOM.
The blast tore a crater into a nearby boulder—far deeper than before.
Fragments scattered.
Rohit stared at the damage. "…It's stronger."
Arjun's eyes narrowed. "And more efficient."
Rohit nodded. "Consumes less propellant. Mana does most of the work."
He crafted several more bullets until the powder was completely used up.
Nearby, Koushik was working quietly.
Using splintered bone shards and reinforced sinew, he crafted four new bolts—lighter, sharper.
He waited.
Nothing happened.
No notification.
He clenched his jaw.
"…I got no class," he said quietly.
Rita looked at him. "That doesn't mean it was pointless."
Arjun nodded. "You gained experience—even if the system didn't announce it."
Koushik exhaled slowly. "Yeah… I know."
Divya placed a hand on his shoulder. "You'll get there."
Arjun stood.
"Break's over," he said calmly. "We move."
Everyone gathered their gear.
The forest felt different now.
More dangerous.
But also—
They were stronger.
And the hunt continued.