For hours, Zane kept swinging his broadsword, his arms moving with unwavering momentum. He had long lost count of the number of zombies he had cut down. The battlefield was drenched in decay and silence.
Finally, the last corpse screeched—a dry, sickening sound—as its head separated from its shoulders and hit the ground with a wet thud.
Ding!
[Quest Completed]
[All Zombies Neutralized]
[Reward Granted: +10 bonus to all stats each time Divine Radiance is activated]
Zane dropped to one knee, using his sword to support himself. He panted heavily, chest heaving, sweat streaking down his blood-smeared face. His entire body was sore, his muscles screaming.
A flash of light burst beside him—crackling lightning—and Shelby appeared like a summoned god, a water bottle in hand.
"Here. Drink," he said.
Zane didn't hesitate. He snatched it, chugged the entire thing in one go, and exhaled sharply. The water tasted better than nectar.
"Take a breather," Shelby said, sitting beside him on a chunk of collapsed concrete. "Once you're good, we'll head into that forest."
Still kneeling, Zane reached into his pocket and pulled out a slightly bloodstained white handkerchief. With gentle strokes, he wiped the blackened zombie blood from the surface of his sword.
"Shelby," he asked, not looking up, "you happen to bring any oil with you? Any kind will do. Preferably a nice-smelling one."
Shelby raised an eyebrow. "Oil? For what?"
"Something important," Zane replied simply.
"I brought hair oil. Imported stuff. From Mars."
Zane's eyes lit up. "Perfect."
Shelby sighed and pulled a sleek white bottle from his coat. It was stylishly designed, with glowing Martian glyphs embossed on the side. "This cost me a fortune. Don't waste it."
Zane uncapped the bottle, tilted it carefully, and let several drops fall onto his palm. He began massaging the fragrant oil into the sword's surface with reverence.
"Wait—are you seriously using my imported hair oil from Mars on that rusty chunk of metal?" Shelby asked, half-disgusted, half-bewildered.
"Hey, it's not just a sword," Zane said with a sly grin. "It's my baby. And she likes pleasant-smelling oil. Besides, you're such a great coach—how could I refuse such a generous gift?"
Shelby groaned. "Great. A sword freak."
Zane chuckled. "Don't worry. It's just hair oil."
"Imported hair oil…"
"Yes, yes. I heard you the first time. And I read the bottle. Don't worry—I'll order you a dozen more online. Consider it a token of appreciation."
"You better not forget that." Shelby gave him a thumbs-up, though he muttered under his breath. "Brat's gonna bankrupt me…"
Zane didn't stop. He continued applying oil for the next few minutes, humming softly.
Somewhere in his mind, the childish voice inside the blade cooed with delight. "Mmm, I like this one! Smells like starlight and sugar!"
Shelby glanced over. "Alright, Romeo. You done pampering your lover yet?"
Zane smirked. "Almost."
After thirteen more minutes of delicate care, he finally sheathed the sword into the leather strap across his back and slipped the oil bottle into his front pocket.
Shelby just stared. This kid… he thought. Calling his sword 'baby,' oiling it like a pet. What a weirdo… No, scratch that. Every genius I've ever met had their quirks. This one? He's clearly head-over-heels for his blade.
As they walked toward the barbed wire fence marking the forest's edge, Shelby continued pondering aloud.
He puts more love into that sword than most guys give to a girlfriend. Why doesn't he just fall for someone his own age? Would be less weird.
They scaled the rusting barbed wire and dropped into the thick green woods beyond. Shadows danced between gnarled trees, and the air felt unnaturally humid—like the breath of something lurking just beyond the visible.
Just a few yards into the forest, the world changed.
Where the city ruins had been oppressively silent, here the soundscape was overwhelming. Crickets chirped in deafening numbers. Insects buzzed in swarms. Birds screeched with aggression, and eerie high-pitched cries of unknown beasts echoed from deeper within the jungle.
Complete silence could be maddening, Zane thought—boring, depressing, and almost nostalgic. But this? This chaotic orchestra of unnatural sounds was far worse. It demanded constant vigilance, setting every nerve on edge with each rustle, each distant howl.
The canopy above was so thick with leaves that barely a sliver of sunlight touched the forest floor. The light that did manage to sneak through was green-tinted and dim, casting long shadows across tangled roots and thick underbrush.
As they walked cautiously, the feeling struck them both at once—danger.
Without speaking, Zane and Shelby leapt backward in perfect sync.
Crash!
A massive serpent head slammed into the space where they'd stood a heartbeat ago, shattering branches and sending splinters flying.
Zane landed on a thick limb of a nearby tree, only for another enormous serpent head to shoot out from behind the trunk—fangs bared—aiming for his face.
Snap!
The branch he was perched on shattered as the serpent struck. Zane flipped midair, twisting into another perch just in time.
His heart pounded. His instincts screamed. Every hair on his body stood up from the sheer killing intent radiating off the monster.
He glanced around. "Shelby?!"
No response. Just the overwhelming rustle of disturbed foliage.
Then Shelby's voice echoed casually from somewhere high above:
"Lad, it's a three-headed serpent. This is part of your training. I forbid you to use any weapons… or magic. Slaughter it with your body alone."
"What?!" Zane nearly slipped from the branch in disbelief.
But there was no follow-up. No further explanation.
Zane gritted his teeth. "Alright. A three-headed serpent, huh?" He whispered, eyes narrowing. "Let's see what I can do with that."
He moved quickly, trekking a short distance across the trees with precise footwork. Moments later, he spotted it: a massive serpent, its three heads coiled low between the roots of two enormous twin banyan trees.
Its emerald scales shimmered dully in the low light. Two of its heads were actively scanning the surroundings, forked tongues flicking through the air while the third stared directly at Zane's last location.
It had failed with its ambush attempts, and now it waited.
Like a true apex predator.
It didn't fear him. It didn't need to fear him. To it, Zane was just prey—a small, delicious-smelling one at that.
Ding!
[Prey Detected!]
[Species: Mutated Corrupted Serpent]
[Three-Headed Serpent - Stats]
Health: 450/450
Mana: 350/350
Strength: 390
Agility: 600
Intelligence: 350
Zane barely had time to process the numbers before another chime echoed in his ears.
Ding!
[New Quest Available!]
[Objective: Kill the Three-Headed Serpent and Retrieve its Beast Mana Core]
[Reward: +5 to Agility stat]
Zane's eyes gleamed.
So that's the game, huh?
He stretched his limbs slightly, testing the tightness in his muscles, flexing the strain of the weighted Arcane Rings. Even without magic, even without weapons, he was a physical monster. A war tank trained under Shelby's hellish routine.
The Serpent hissed—all three heads raising now. The one in the middle opened its mouth wide, displaying rows of dagger-like teeth, and let out a guttural roar that sent flocks of birds fleeing into the canopy.