Temur swung his sword, slicing the red gloop in two. The small, slimy monster collapsed and splattered across the forest floor. For the third time that day, Litha groaned in frustration.
"How are we supposed to gain anything from this Zone when everything we've seen since morning are slime monsters?" she said, throwing her hands up.
After renting the Zone the day before, we had rested and prepared. Early this morning, we finally entered it, it was a forest known as the Crimson Zone, named for the red hue of most of its trees.
We'd been exploring since then, and so far, the only monsters we'd encountered were red slimes. They had little essence and no cores.
Temur crouched and picked up the dead slime, storing it inside his ring. "We can still sell them. You'd be surprised by their value. Slimes are used for cooking ingredients, the texture's perfect for a special kind of noodles. Though I've never seen this color before."
"Probably because of the red environment," I suggested.
Litha shot Temur a look and shook her head. "I'm going to burn that book of yours, 'How to Eat Monsters', because there's no way I'm eating slimes."
"It's a good book, and I spent a lot of money on it," Temur defended. "But you're right. We should be seeing stronger monsters by now. Maybe we need to go deeper. We can also look for a place to shelter, to train."
And so we moved again.
Aside from the crimson trees, the forest wasn't much different from a normal one. The air smelled earthy and leafy, filled with clicking insects and the sharp cries of small monsters. The biggest difference was the air itself, it felt thick and kind of sloppy, like breathing through invisible water.
The trees grew tall, the undergrowth dense, but we pushed deeper in. Temur led the way, unsurprising, considering he'd been a hunter before Awakening in his world.
Litha decided this was the perfect time to start my training and began with theory.
"Do you know why we hunt monsters?" she asked. "Why most Awakeners choose to do it?"
"To get essence and monster cores," I replied. I've done little research in my own way back on Earth.
"Yes. Essence is vital for all Awakeners. It's like nutrients, it makes us grow. If we keep absorbing essence, we advance. Our Grimoire updates more abilities, skills, and techniques. But why do we fight monsters when we can simply buy essence and consume it? A lot of people do that."
I grimaced. I'd tried consuming essence before, hoping it would help me fully Awaken. It hadn't worked.
I kept that to myself. "Because facing danger is necessary for growth?"
"Exactly! Every essence, whether you kill for it or drink it, raises your Grimoire and abilities, including your rank. But only a little. It takes an enormous amount to reach Silver rank, and far more to reach Gold.
"There's also risk in buying essence. Quality matters. And the higher your rank, the more expensive essence becomes. Those who rely only on buying it..."
"They won't be able to handle the cost when they reach higher ranks," I finished.
Temur snorted from the front. "Too much explanation! Torvan, think of it this way, essence is good food. Eat well, and you get a healthy body. But if you train that body, you become stronger and fit. The ladies like that. Training hurts, and not everyone wants to do it. Monster hunting's the same, except you might actually die."
Litha and I exchanged a look.
"I… I think I get it now," I said, giving a thumbs-up. "Hunt enough monsters, and you rank up, gain experience and become more deadly."
"Quality monsters," Litha corrected. "The Tower rewards those who climb and hunt with more power."
I silently digested everything. I'd always known essence was important, but not to this degree. We followed Temur as he tracked the trail of a large monster we found earlier.
Eventually, he raised a hand and stopped us. "I think I've found what we're looking for."
He motioned for silence.
We crept behind the tree line and peeked ahead. A clearing opened before us, centered around a cave.
Something lived inside and it wasn't weak from the feel of the dangerous aura we can feel. Thanks to Hermit, my senses are even more sharpened. The creature smelled like wet fur and rusted metal.
"That might be our new home while we hunt this Zone. Torvan," Temur said with a grin as he suddenly turned around. "Why don't you deal with our unwanted guest?"
"Me?" I asked in clear surprised.
"Torvan," Litha said flatly. "You're one of the reasons we're here. You need to train for next week's test. Then you'll be repaid."
I looked at them and then took a deep breath. Right, I'm an Awakened now as well. I nodded and out stepped into the clearing, my boots barely making a sound against the leaf-covered ground.
I stopped in front of the cave and opened my mouth....
"AAAAAAHHH!"
My scream echoed in the silence air, shaking the cave walls and the surrounding trees.
What followed was a stunned silence and then something roared back, the sound like metal grinding against metal.
The sound of rushing footstep echoed from the cave and then a monster burst out. It was as large as a bear but shaped like a wolf. Its body was covered in reddish-brown metallic fur, long teeth gleaming as its red eyes locked onto me.
It leaped forward, jaws snapping toward my face without even waiting.
But I was faster.
In an instant, I was behind it, my right hand thrusting forward as a long, sharp fang extended from my hand. The monster's fur bristled, and needle-thin metal spikes shot outward at me.
My hand exploded into a shield, flesh melting and enlarging, deflecting the barrage. The monster twisted instantly, jaws lunging for my neck.
My right hand shifted again, swelling into a fist nearly half its size and I brought it down like a hammer. The impact crushed the creature in a single blow as if it's head was made of egg.
I wasn't even breathing hard.
I grinned.
Turning back to Litha and Temur, my hand returned to normal, slick with blood as I pointed at the cave.
"Home sweet home."