Inside the forest of illusion—a place said to be inhabited by imps and species of the same caliber—an outsider was able to not only penetrate through their illusions and mental attacks. He was able to pressure these notorious monsters that were labeled nightmares for any guardian. Yet he stood tall and even changed the narrative of any similar tale. Neon was the embodiment of fear, and his role of prey was altered to a rampant predator.
[System: You're unable to produce any more than you could have desired. The Thornerus bone structure has sucked every ounce of mana stored within the host. You only produce no more than 20 Thornerus bolts.]
"Heh, just like my intuition has anticipated. It seems that I can only produce the weapon and not an attack. Producing a single bolt was already tiring—more or less time-consuming—but injecting my arm with mana? It's plausible that I can use my hands as its launcher instead of throwing it with brute force. However, doing such a thing will only use more of my mana."
He holds up a single piece Thornerus bolt in his hands and appraises its quality.
[Thornerus Bolt: A bolt created by the guardian known as Neon. It has the attributes of a late catastrophic monster called
Thornerus Hound—a monster said to have both offensive and defensive capabilities, able to conjure its bone as a means of absolute defense or inescapable attack.
Attack Damage: 25
Pierce Rate: Reshaped for more penetration, lessening impact power. Overall: D+
Precision: Crafter is inexperienced; the design lacks accuracy at range. Overall: F-
Air Resistance: Aerodynamic design makes it fit for projectile use. Overall: E+]
"It's quite better than its previous iteration. While I'm not that knowledgeable in crafting weapons, I was told my stats in intelligence were the highest when I was a child. I was told I have the quality befitting that of an alchemist, blacksmith, or even a magician. Whilst blacksmithing relies more on dexterity, they also need a good amount of intelligence."
The reason why he entered into this treacherous path: he'd noticed a strange occurrence on his hunting grounds. Something didn't feel right. The beasts that once roamed were slowly disappearing. No matter how much he slaughtered their kind, monsters were known to reproduce at a faster rate.
It was one of the few things he learned when he was still the person known as Ernest Quelt.
"Even though I didn't inlay any kind of fear on their kind, it's strange that they've been silent... I thought it was just a coincidence when the hogs disappeared. However, by the time I came to the void serpents… they vanished without a trace. I came to realize that the territory of the imps had reached my turf."
It was commonly known that monsters seek to expand their territory. When a group of monsters grows larger in size or strength, it's only the laws of nature at work. However, he saw this as a blessing.
But at this rate, the monsters would've already sought to conquer the rest of the lands. This made Neon skeptical. Why would such overwhelming monsters be so reserved?
It was an odd sight—until he found a logical conclusion.
"Perhaps… no, thinking it's only a possibility is beyond ignorance and lies on the borderline of stupidity. Well-behaved, for a bunch of monsters known to toy with their prey. It's official—these monsters have an 'Abnormal' on their side. I remember writing a book about this…"
"Abnormalities are an existence inside a race that's far beyond what a standard member of their kind can accomplish. If the guardians call their kind geniuses or prodigies, I classify these occurrences as abnormalities. Those monsters are mutated variants—and at one point may even develop new abilities."
[System: You've taken a few items from your dimensional pocket. The requested items have been placed by your side.]
After concluding his theory, he brought forth a bunch of alchemical equipment from his inventory. He anticipated the forest of illusion would be hectic. Whether out of foresight or caution, he brought an abundance of materials—herbs, monster drops, and most of his alchemical set.
"I wasn't someone that liked to be overly concerned with my surroundings—but thank God for my intuition. For now, I should craft a few presence-warding potions, since I've entered into the territory ruled by an Abnormal. I was lucky the ones I fought weren't that intellectual."
After placing a few vials near the fire, he started brewing. When the first potion was ready, he drank it all in one go. With that, his worries were extinguished. Soon after, he retired to rest.
While he slept, a few imps arrived at his previous post. There, they saw their fallen kin. They wept and cursed the one who took their lives—before being set ablaze by gas hidden on the corpses.
Six hours later...
When Neon came to, he found his hiding spot surrounded by a dozen imps. They couldn't locate him thanks to the potion's effects, but their behavior confirmed his suspicions.
Their coordination and discipline proved it—he had encountered one of the rarest phenomena in the world: the rise of an Abnormal and its growing military force.
"If they keep this pace, they'll undoubtedly rule the dark forest with numbers alone. However, they came to the wrong place. This is my territory. Even if I'm not acknowledged as its ruler—inside the vicinity of my cave, I'm undoubtedly the most powerful entity."
His surroundings had been affected by the imps' expansion. If his main source of experience fell due to such extraneous events, it would leave a sour taste. He was determined to maintain his standing.
[System: The skill called [Empower] has been activated by the guardian's command. The guardian has chosen to empower his hands by injecting the required mana. For a short period, you'll gain increased strength in your hands.]
[Special ability: Golden Eye of the Abyssal Tiger has perceived the location of the hostile forces. The eyes allow you to see through illusions and increase accuracy.]
He wasted no time. His first bolt pierced its target's skull. The imps were misdirected by a loud thud in a nearby tree—only to later be drenched in their comrade's blood. None of them realized they were already prey.
They had stumbled into one of Neon's deployed leeches—left behind to guard his rear.
[System: [Empower] has greatly increased the damage of the Thornerus bolt. Its synergy with the Golden Eyes of the Abyssal Tiger is highly effective. Increased accuracy and throwing power confirmed.]
"Graaaaah!!!"
An imp attacked the devouring leech—only to regret it immediately. Its circular, blender-like teeth shredded through thick flesh as if it were nothing.
In the center, Neon stood, watching. Most imps had fallen to his bolts. Usable ones were retrieved. His leeches returned those not broken into useless fragments.
He had achieved his goal—to trigger the system into granting a new spell.
[System: Your kill count on the tiny little scheming devils known as imps has exceeded 50. You'll be granted a skill related to the monsters you've slaughtered. Satisfy the requirements first. Choose between [Mental] or [Magical] property.]
"I think it's time to create a new set of armor and equipment. The sword I made from the void serpent's fangs isn't lacking in damage. However, I'm facing a race that specializes in long-distance combat. I've already acquired a ton of their drops—scales, body parts… I think I can make a weapon for myself."
After collecting the materials from his leeches, he left for another location. Staying would've been unwise—especially now that he had slain the imps meant to scout.
He was now a threat. A marked enemy of the abnormal ruling the forest.