"System, when do I get new skills?"
"Answer. When you meet certain conditions such as leveling up, learning from books, killing bosses, picking up rare items, or self-creation."
"Self-creation? I can create skills myself?"
"Answer. You certainly can. However, since you haven't mastered the elements yet, the magic creation mechanism is not unlocked."
"So how do I master the elements?"
"Answer. You need to adventure more to learn more."
"Sigh, that answer is as good as no answer."
Zofia sat up, stretched, and got out of bed to wash up. Today, neither of them would take a quest. The most important thing now was to find a blacksmith to forge these two ores into powerful weapons.
The city of Iusium was large, but there were only four blacksmith shops. All of them refused to handle the two ores because they lacked the skill. Walking around the city all day made their legs sore, forcing them to rest in a tavern.
"No one here is capable of processing those ores. Maybe if you go to Durtusus village deep in the forest to the southeast, you might have a chance."
A stranger sat down at their table. After speaking, he downed his entire mug of ale in one gulp.
"Hey, Grata the Drunkard! Bothering my customers again? Go crawl into a corner and drink."
The owner personally came over, grabbed him by the collar with a table-wiping cloth, and threw him into a corner. Zofia asked the owner and learned the man was just a deserter who was drunk all day.
"Maybe we should go to Durtusus."
"You believe what he said?"
"It doesn't hurt to try. It's a convenient way to train if there are monsters along the way."
"But deep forest is very different from the plains."
"If we stay in the safe zone forever, when will we ever improve?"
Nathan couldn't argue with Zofia, so he nodded in agreement. The two set off for Durtusus.
Since they had no carriage, they had to walk, taking two days to reach the forest outside Durtusus. As soon as they entered the village, they saw the residents in a panic, some looking for children, others packing belongings.
Zofia tried to ask around, but no one had time to answer her. Finally, she stopped a woman and learned that a Chimera had appeared in the forest. Conveniently, Zofia asked about the blacksmith, and everyone immediately stopped and stared at her.
"What's wrong?"
"It's just... exactly as the blacksmith predicted," the woman replied.
"What did he say?"
"A few days ago, he said someone would come looking for him, and when that happened, not to show them where he lives."
"Huh?"
"Huh?"
Zofia and Nathan both wore blank expressions.
Perhaps she had expected too much from the first part of the sentence, only to learn the blacksmith had no intention of welcoming them. But the scary part was that he knew they were coming and had warned the villagers. Did this hermit possess talents other than smithing?
"I will deal with the Chimera. If I kill it, please show me where he lives," Zofia declared loudly so the whole village could hear.
"Even Amber rank adventurers haven't dared to face it. You two better flee to avoid losing your lives."
"It's fine, rest assured. I may look like this, but I'm very strong."
"What is your rank?"
"Uh well... Silver."
The villagers, who were paying attention, pouted upon hearing "Silver" and dispersed to continue evacuating.
Unable to rely on the villagers, Zofia had to ask the System. Luckily, she remembered it could scan for monsters. Thanks to that, they found the Chimera.
The Chimera was indeed a formidable monster, as rumors suggested. Its body was twice the size of a mature bull. It had the heads of a lion and a goat in front, and its tail was a snake head hissing continuously.
Zofia didn't wait for the monster to notice her presence; she immediately launched bolts of lightning at it.
Provoked by the attack, the monster ignored the prey it was waiting for outside a wooden house. The Chimera let out a roar that sent animals fleeing in panic. Nathan couldn't handle the sound and fainted on the spot.
However, to Zofia, it was merely noise. She completely resisted its mental oppression ability.
"Nice try. Take this back. Water Blade!"
Dozens of water blades shot out, slicing into its flesh and causing the monster to bellow. Enraged, it charged, swiping its claws at Zofia, but she recognized the move and dodged in time.
While rolling on the ground, Zofia finished her chant and called down consecutive lightning bolts directly onto the goat head, making it bleat in agony.
"One head down, two to go."
Zofia stood up, a smile on her lips, feeling an intense thrill.
"Turns out you're the toughest opponent I've faced so far."
The Chimera wasn't to be trifled with; the snake head began spewing purple toxic smoke. She wasn't afraid of it, but Zofia still had to run over to drag Nathan away.
Because of that action, she took a claw swipe right to her back. It felt like four knives cutting into her. Zofia froze from the pain.
Checking her health bar, she discovered she had just lost one-third of her HP. Truly a formidable monster.
Zofia regained her composure and backed away. She called down lightning again, aiming for the snake head. Unlike the goat head, the snake seemed uninjured, but Zofia noticed a detail. For a moment while being struck by lightning, the snake head stopped spewing poison. It was likely paralyzed.
She tried again. Timing it right when the snake head froze, she softened the ground to trap the Chimera's feet, then used Water Blade to sever the snake head.
Only the lion head remained, roaring in pain.
"One left!"
The monster angrily pulled its legs from the ground, sending dirt and rocks flying. It leaped, raising its claws to attack her again.
"I won't fall for the same move twice!"
Zofia immediately dropped flat to the ground. The Chimera, carrying too much momentum, tumbled sprawled out behind her.
She stood up instantly, channeling all her remaining energy into a lightning bolt.
"Ultra Lightning Strike!"
The sky turned black in the blink of an eye, then a massive bolt of lightning, like a god's judgment, struck the Chimera. Everything was engulfed in blinding light, and afterward, only a charred carcass remained, the surrounding grass scorched bare.