[AN: Due to some issues, I have to change Martin and Gina's name to Darius and Vera. I apologize for the inconvenience.]
Darius and Vera were engrossed in fighting off the Voidsting Bees, their attention solely focused on the task at hand.
With his spear, he charged into a group of bees, the edge of the weapon gleaming as he impaled a monster. Just beside him, Vera danced between the ranks of the swarm, dealing devastating damage.
Her feet were soundless—something that baffled Gabriel. Her movements were so swift that, if one didn't pay close attention, it would seem like she was hovering just above the ground.
Gabriel's gaze lingered on the couple for some time as he realized why so many high-ranking players had fallen victim to their antics. The two were simply perfect—they made killing monsters seem effortless.
His eyes flashed sharply, electric-blue irises burning with a determined gleam.
In his current state, dealing with a single mutated Voidsting Bee would be extremely difficult.
He drew in a sharp breath. If they decided to make their move now, he strongly doubted he would last even two seconds.
"Well, let's do this," he muttered under his breath after confirming their attention wasn't on him.
He quickly replied to the screen flickering in his retina with a clear voice: "Yes."
Immediately, 2 EP was deducted from his reserves, and the first screen dissolved. In its place appeared another screen:
---
[Please select what to extract]
[Strength and Agility +2]
[Voidsting Sword (Iron)]
[Voidsting Detox Elixir]
---
His gaze flickered over the options.
He needed to prioritize survivability, but he couldn't ignore the sword. Currently, he lacked any weapon to defend himself if things went south.
But… the elixir was tempting. Though the description wasn't stated, he could tell it had something to do with countering the bees' venom.
Then there was the stat boost—more attack and defense.
He clenched his jaw. Each option had value, but in the end, he went with the weapon.
A weapon meant survival. Without it, he'd just be another prey waiting to be slaughtered.
The moment he confirmed his selection, a flash of purple light materialized the Voidsting Sword in his grasp.
---
Name: Voidsting Sword (Iron)
Durability: 50/50
Description: A weapon crafted from the carapace of Voidsting Bees. Capable of inflicting minor venom buildup on each strike.
---
His fingers tightened around the hilt of the black blade, which pulsed faintly with residual venom.
Perfect. A small smile appeared on his face.
Just as he finished acquiring the weapon, the couple finished off the remaining Voidsting Bees.
"Ugh, damn it! Not a single drop," Darius cursed, kicking a corpse violently. The force behind it sent the body flying into the distance.
He looked at Vera beside him with hopeful eyes. "Did you find anything?"
"No, nothing."
Right, in the Realm of Ascendency, it's very rare for monsters to drop loot, Gabriel mused. Hence the reason players kill each other for items.
But… His eyes gleamed, heartbeat quickening with excitement. That doesn't apply to me. I can continuously extract these items as long as I have sufficient EP.
With a talent like this, he was very excited about the future. He could barely contain the smile on his face.
This didn't just promise strength—it promised wealth.
By selling off the items he extracted, he could easily fund most of his plans in the Realm of Ascendency.
"Hmm, someone seems excited." Darius chuckled, amusement in his tone as he approached.
Gabriel remained calm, standing from his kneeling position without showing the slightest discomfort.
"Did you find anyth—" Darius was about to speak when his eyes landed on the Voidsting Sword.
"Nothing," Gabriel said calmly. "I found nothing. This is a sword I brought from home."
"Tsk, it's just iron-rank. You can keep it." Vera clicked her tongue from the side, mild disgust flashing in her eyes. After a single glance, she returned to collecting Mana Stones.
She seemed disappointed the weapon wasn't of higher rank. In this world, weapons were categorized: Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Epic, Mythic, and Divine.
So far, according to Gabriel's knowledge, only a few factions possessed Mythic and Divine-grade weapons. One of those factions was one of his biggest enemies.
Darius looked at him with a helpless expression and mouthed, "There's nothing I can do about her attitude. I'm sorry."
Gabriel felt bile rise in his throat at the so-called righteous behavior.
"It's fine. I've met people with worse attitudes." He nodded and walked past.
"Phew, thank you for understand—" Darius placed a hand on his chest dramatically, but before he could finish, Gabriel had already walked past him.
Tsk. The cattle is getting too cocky. An irritated expression crossed Darius's face as he stared daggers at Gabriel's back.
After collecting the monster cores, the group encountered another swarm.
Like before, the couple dashed forward. Gabriel tightened his grip on the sword, ready to engage.
However, he soon noticed they were hoarding all the kills for themselves.
After witnessing this for the third consecutive time, his eyes narrowed.
They're doing this on purpose, leading me deeper into the wilderness. Then they'll carry out their plan where no one can see.
They're purposely hogging all the kills so I'll be helpless when the time comes.
I need to think of something.
Shing! Shing!
Some time later, after another wave of fifteen Voidsting Bees, the couple checked for drops. To their disappointment, there were none—again.
"Today is a really terrible day for hunting, isn't it?" Darius sighed, chugging down a small bottle of Stamina Potion.
Vera hummed in agreement, kneeling to inspect a fallen bee. "Tell me about it. Not a single decent drop."
He turned to complain but paused mid-sentence. His brows furrowed. "Huh? Where did the cattle go?"
Vera's head snapped up. Her eyes scanned the area—no sign of Gabriel.
"He was just here a moment ago," she muttered, her expression darkening.
"Tsk. That bastard actually ran off. Did he notice?" Darius clicked his tongue, irritation flashing in his eyes.
Meanwhile, not far from their current location…
Shing!
Gabriel effortlessly cut down a Voidsting Bee.
[Please select what to extract]