Chapter 16 – The Beginning of the Hunt
The story begins exactly where the previous chapter ended.
A large number of monsters were heading toward the same place to obtain the weapon.
However, the MC knew nothing about any of this. He was completely unaware of what was happening around him.
When the monsters finally reached the location, they found only an empty cave.
The MC was not there.
The aura of the weapon could not be sensed.
There was no trace of any human presence.
Confusion spread among the monsters.
They assumed that the target had already escaped.
After a brief discussion, all the monsters came to a decision.
"We will split up and search separately."
There were monsters of every kind—
snake-like monsters, lion-like beasts, lizard-type creatures,
and powerful monkey-type monsters.
Each one was different, and each one was dangerous.
At that moment, the monsters activated a powerful skill.
A massive protection shield covered the entire Earth.
No one could leave Earth.
No one could enter Earth from outside.
This was no ordinary skill.
It was a terrifying ability used only by extremely powerful monsters.
All of them began searching for one target—
Navi.
A short time earlier…
The MC was near the cave when his weapon suddenly reacted.
"Master… many extremely powerful monsters are coming toward us."
The MC froze.
"So many monsters… all at once?"
"But how do they know I have the weapon?"
"What should I do now?"
The MC looked upward, hoping for help.
But the system window did not respond.
It was nowhere to be seen.
"One problem hasn't even ended, and another one is already waiting."
His mind was in chaos.
Peaceful sleep had become impossible because of these monsters.
The MC spoke to the weapon,
"Hide your aura."
Then he muttered to himself,
"We need to find a good place to hide… quickly."
The tension was unbearable.
Time was running out.
Suddenly, an idea came to his mind.
"That place… if we hide there, they won't find us for some time."
Next scene…
The MC was hiding underwater.
His aura had completely merged with the aura of water-type monsters.
Because of this, the monsters were unable to detect him.
The MC thought,
"Hiding like this won't be enough. I'll have to do something."
He tried to speak through his soul,
but he couldn't talk while submerged underwater.
At that moment, Lisa understood.
A mind-to-mind connection activated.
The MC was shocked.
"How are you doing this?"
Lisa replied calmly,
"Master, this is one of my skills.
I can communicate with my master mind-to-mind."
The MC nodded.
"Go outside carefully and check if any monsters are nearby."
Lisa slowly moved upward.
After a moment, her voice echoed in his mind.
"Master, there is one S-Rank monster near the water.
The other monsters are still far away."
The MC took a deep breath.
"So… a fight is unavoidable."
He asked,
"Lisa, are you ready to fight?"
Without hesitation, she answered,
"Yes, Master."
The Choice
The MC thought to himself—
"If I want to survive…
I'll have to use the ring's full power."
He cut his own hand with the weapon.
A large amount of blood began to flow.
The blood soaked the ring, turning it red.
The ring began to shine intensely.
The power it released was overwhelming.
All the monsters sensed it at the same time.
"The weapon…!"
Every monster rushed toward the same direction—
toward Navi.
The MC closed his eyes and stood still.
Lisa shouted desperately in his mind,
"Master! Open your eyes! The monsters are coming!"
But the MC did not open his eyes.
Suddenly—
Splash!
The MC burst out of the water and attacked the monster in front of him,
buying himself a little time.
Lisa was trembling with fear and tension.
When the remaining monsters finally arrived—
their eyes lit up with excitement.
"The thing we were searching for…
is right in front of us."
The sword.
The ring.
Navi.