Time fly quickly doing what you love. For Deva, that meant hunting, eating, and resting.
It happened three days when Deva was chasing a Black Fur Rabbit through the woodlands of the Black Forest.
His territory sat in a natural cradle of land where the forest dipped slightly before rising again in thick ridges of ancient trees. At its heart was a waterfall, tall and narrow, spilling from a jagged cliff of dark stone. The water shimmered faintly under the strange greenish blue sky, crashing into a deep pool below that reflected the canopy like fractured glass.
Behind the waterfall was a cave.
Not large enough for a full grown dragon, but perfect for something his size. The entrance was concealed by the curtain of falling water, masking scent and sound. Inside, the cave sloped gently downward into cool darkness. The walls were layered with mineral veins that faintly glowed when mana saturated the air. It was dry, stable, defensible.
He liked it immediately.
The pool beneath the waterfall fed into a narrow stream that cut through his territory like a silver vein. Along its banks grew thick moss, low shrubs, and clusters of bioluminescent fungi that pulsed softly at night. Small prey animals frequented the water source, which made hunting efficient. Fish with translucent fins darted beneath the surface. Amphibious monsters nested along the shallows.
Above, the trees of the Black Forest were enormous. Their trunks were wide enough that even ten men linking arms would not encircle them. Their bark was nearly black, and their leaves held a deep emerald hue that almost looked blue beneath the sky. The canopy was dense but broken in places, allowing beams of tinted light to spear down in dramatic shafts.
It was a good territory.
Water source. Shelter. High ground along the surrounding ridges. Abundant prey.
His territory stretched roughly the size of three football fields across the forest floor, and that estimate only accounted for the surface. Beneath it, the cave system threaded outward like veins beneath skin. Tunnels branched in multiple directions, some sloping down into damp stone corridors, others rising toward faintly glowing exits carved into distant cliff faces.
He had explored just enough to understand one thing.
Those glowing exits were not for him.
Not yet.
Every time he crept close to one of those distant openings, his senses screamed.
If he walked out through one of those entrances, he would die quickly.
Brutally.
That was not paranoia. That was instinct backed by not wanting to die.
So he stayed within his section of the forest and the safer layers of the cave.
It was not all bad news.
The forest portion of his territory was rich with prey. Black Fur Rabbits that could leap like coiled springs. Thornback Boars with bark-like hide. Moss Wolves that hunted in small packs but scattered once his Apex Predator Presence rolled over them. Hammer Deer wandered through occasionally, and smaller reptilian monsters basked along the stream.
There were so many monsters.
So many opportunities.
Three days of consistent hunting had done more than fill his belly.
He reached Level 4.
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STR: 230
VIT: 255
MAG: 270
AGI: 240
Combat Power: C
Magic Power: C
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Both his CP and MP reached C ranked in terms of power!
On paper, that sounded impressive. In practice, Deva knew he was still clumsy in real combat. Raw power was one thing. Using it efficiently without turning half the forest into charcoal was another. His skill execution lagged behind his stats. He could feel it every time he cast something too large or moved half a beat too slow.
So he patrolled.
Thinking about Deva went on his afternoon patrol. Even though he was the apex predator of his forest. He shouldn't slack off because yesterday he saw a monster nearing the cup of F rank and it was surprise. It was thanks to that monster that he level up from a single level.
If he wanted to get stronger he must expand his lands. The marks on the tree are doing something the monsters in his territory because they are getting stronger and bolder.
It was as if the land itself was absorbing his presence and feeding back into the ecosystem. Prey that survived longer inside his domain grew tougher. Smaller predators evolved faster. It was strange.
It was also useful.
Stronger prey meant more experience.
Deva froze when he suddenly caught wind of a strong scent that smelled of great danger and he quickly hide in a nearby bush activating [Camouflage] and using the brush to mask his scent.[Camouflage] had risen up to level three through constant use of the skill. It reached the same level as snakes at this point and his scales can minic flora patterns now. It still low level but Deva felt it was good enough for now.
Rustle~
Four eyes locked onto the disturbance.
A humanoid figure stepped through the underbrush.
Deva knew what it was before it fully emerged.
It was a human.
The man wore plated armor layered over chainmail, dulled from travel but well maintained. A battle axe rested easily in one gauntleted hand, its edge clean and bright. He moved with confidence, not the cautious shuffle of prey wandering into the wrong ecosystem.
Deva's instincts flared violently.
Do not engage.
The warning pulsed through his spine. Every predator sense he possessed shrieked at him to stay hidden.
Deva find why soon enough as more humans followed by the strong human.
More figures pushed through the brush behind the first. Three. No, four more humans. Lighter armor on two of them. One carried a staff. Another had twin blades strapped at the hip.
They were organized.
Deva's throat tightened.
Why are humans here?
He immediately activated [Scan].
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Name: —
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Level: ???
Class: ???
Adventure Rank: ???
[Description: Humans are a resilient species native to the world of Dagon. Though among the younger races, they have endured countless calamities through adaptation and cooperation. Their versatility and structured power systems make them one of the most influential forces across the continents.]
[Too low level to inspect]
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…Ayo what the fuck? Bits of his old personality slipped out internally.
The words echoed in his head as he reread the last line.
Too low level to inspect.
His stomach dropped.
He was Level 4.
C ranked Combat Power. C ranked Magic Power.
He had been feeling confident.
Now?
Now his confidence deflated like punctured leather.
He could not even see their level.
Not their class.
Not their rank.
Nothing.
That meant one thing.
They were far above him.
A cold clarity settled in his mind.
If one of them noticed him, he would die.
Quickly.
Before panic could spiral further, [Scan] flickered again. A secondary window opened as if responding to his confusion.
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[Class]
A class is the primary adventuring specialization of humanoid creatures. An adventurer's class determines the abilities, skills, spells, and growth paths available to them. It governs weapon proficiencies, armor compatibility, attribute scaling, and combat roles within structured societies.
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Deva stared at it.
I see. Thank you, Scan. That response was very generic and extremely helpful.
[Your welcome dick]
"..." Deva looked at the ball of text with dull look on his face. Did his [Scan] just insult him? He will--
"Sir Brody, we found that tracks of the Greater Drake. The scouts were correct of its fly path."
Being cut off by the human and putting how he was able to understand them Deva soon learned how close to death he was.
A Greater Drake was in the Black Forest and he didn't know about it? He is not sure how strong a Drake is but a Drake is dragon and dragons are OP as hell.
"Great. Let's get ourselves a dragon," Sir Brody said, adjusting his grip on his battle axe as he followed the massive clawed tracks carved into the soil.
Deva waited several long minutes after the humans moved ahead. Only when their footsteps grew faint did he slip from the brush and begin trailing them.
His [Camouflage] was not high enough to maintain perfect concealment while sprinting openly, but weaving through dense undergrowth and hugging shadows kept him safe enough. He moved carefully, staying downwind.
If a Greater Drake was here, he needed to see it.
Dragons were among the most sought after monsters in the world. Their blood amplified potion potency a hundredfold. Their bones forged into weapons. Their scales crafted into armor. Their hearts, cores, organs, even marrow all had value.
They were walking treasure vaults.
The Greater Drake's migration route had temporarily placed it within the Black Forest. Unfortunately for the drake, it had been spotted by scouts affiliated with the Adventurer Guild Backed Hammer. Information traveled fast when money was involved.
The guild wanted profit.
So they sent B rank adventurers.
Deva arrived at a high ridge overlooking a shattered clearing.
He crouched low behind a thick root and peered down.
The Greater Drake stood at the center.
It was enormous.
Easily six times Deva's current size. Its body was built low and muscular, wings large but heavier than his own. Dark crimson scales layered over thick hide. Horns curved backward from a broad skull, and smoke seeped from between jagged teeth.
It was not elegant.
It was brutal.
Sir Brody stepped forward confidently.
"Form up!"
The mage in the back raised a staff, runes igniting along its length. The air thickened with mana. Two melee fighters split to either side, spreading out to avoid a single sweep.
The drake noticed them.
Its head snapped up.
A roar detonated across the clearing.
The sound alone shook the trees.
Deva's instincts screamed at him to flee, but he forced himself to stay still.
The mage moved first.
A lance of compressed water shot forward, striking the drake's chest and bursting outward in a concussive blast. Steam exploded as it met heated scales.
Sir Brody charged through the mist.
The drake retaliated instantly.
A torrent of fire spewed from its maw, wide and overwhelming. The rogue rolled aside. One warrior raised a shield glowing with magic, barely deflecting the brunt of it.
Sir Brody leapt.
His battle axe came down in a two handed arc, glowing with reinforced mana. The blade struck between scale joints near the shoulder.
Clang.
Sparks flew.
The impact drove the drake sideways, but it did not penetrate deeply.
The creature retaliated with terrifying speed.
Its tail whipped.
One adventurer was launched across the clearing like a rag doll, armor crumpling on impact with a tree.
The mage shouted something and unleashed a barrage of wind blades. They sliced across the drake's wings, drawing dark blood.
The drake roared again and took to the air briefly before slamming back down, creating a shockwave that knocked two adventurers off their feet.
The fight was not clean.
It was violent.
Coordinated.
Precise.
These were not amateurs.
Sir Brody barked orders constantly, repositioning, drawing aggro, forcing the drake into openings.
After several brutal exchanges, the mage began chanting something longer.
Mana spiraled violently around the staff.
The drake sensed the danger and lunged.
Sir Brody intercepted.
He planted his feet and swung upward with everything he had.
The axe finally bit deep into the drake's neck joint.
At that exact moment, the mage released the spell.
A massive spear of condensed lightning descended from above and struck the embedded axe head.
The clearing flashed white.
The explosion was deafening.
When Deva's vision cleared, the Greater Drake lay on its side, body twitching, smoke rising from charred scales.
Silence followed.
Then cheers.
They had killed it.
A Greater Drake.
Deva felt that he enough and left the humans to themselves and hoped they leave soon.