Rustle...
Rustle...
Chirp, chirp...
From the dense foliage of the Tob Forest, the layered symphony of insects and birds echoed out like whispers from nature itself.
The thick, leathery leaves brushed against black fur without resistance. Wherever the creature passed, branches quivered in its wake—rustling, trembling, as though yielding to a beast beyond their strength.
Riding atop the broad back of his evil hound, Minori grasped a bone-carved chain with one hand. A faint smile touched his lips.
"After all the meat I've fed you, it's about time you earned it."
"Arf."The evil dog grunted with uncharacteristic docility, adjusting its gait and shoulder muscles to give its master a more stable seat.
The forest floor—thick with rot, weeds, and years of decay—offered no resistance. The hound ran as though across flat stone, unwavering as it moved northward.
The once-small evil dog had grown tremendously over the past weeks. Fed with the flesh of high-tier monsters and infused with alchemical reagents extracted from the ogre Gu, it now stood equal in height to Minori himself when on all fours. Its body stretched over two and a half meters from snout to tail, brimming with dense muscle and volatile energy.
Even among wild evil dogs, such size was rare.
Minori wasn't certain whether it was the meat, the potion, or a combination of both. To test the effects of his regenerative alchemical formula, he'd given the dog several full-strength vials. The results were... impressive.
As they pressed further north, the suffocating gloom of the inner Tob Forest gave way to lighter greens. Shafts of sunlight pierced through gaps in the thinning canopy.
They were leaving the inner forest. But this time, Minori wasn't headed to civilization.
He was going deeper—north, toward the wetlands and beyond.
Seated comfortably on the beast, Minori opened his status screen with a single thought.
[Status Screen]
Name: Minor
iInnate Ability: [Player]
Overall Level: 32
Experience: 122,933 / 70,000
Skill Points: 59
Classes:
Basic: Genius 10Lv (Warrior-type)
Intermediate: Swordmaster 10Lv, Shaman Mentor 1Lv
Advanced: Magic Swordsman 1Lv, Curse Knight 5Lv, Valkyrie (Longsword) 5Lv
[Attributes] Justice: 51 (Neutral)
HP: 313 (24%
)MP: 128 (10%)
Physical Attack: 313 (24%)
Physical Defense: 248 (19%)
Agility: 213 (16%)
Magic Attack: 158 (12%)
Magical Defense: 188 (14%)
Comprehensive Resistance: 255 (20%)
Specificity: 230 (18%)
Total Power Rating: 167%
After subjugating both the Naga Beast and the so-called Wise King of the Forest, Hamsuke, he'd accumulated nearly 190,000 EXP. With that, the [Valkyrie] profession had hit max level—bringing an astonishing boost to his stats.
"Special classes really are on another level. The attribute boosts are absurd," Minori muttered, flicking through the floating screen.
There was still enough EXP to level up once more, but he wasn't in a hurry. Magic Swordsman felt underwhelming compared to what he had now.
"Right now I've got thirty [Angel Summoning – Tier 3] scrolls, ten Tier 4s, and the Death Orb is fully charged..."
The rhythm of the dog's sprinting rocked him gently as he calculated in silence.
He had everything prepared for the next phase.
Currently, he could cast Tier 5 angelic magic with his level, but Tier 4 was sufficient. The scrolls were cheaper, and for now, he needed quantity more than quality.
To craft Tier 5 scrolls, he'd need to spend points to raise [Papermaking] to the fifth tier. Not worth it—yet.
Tob Forest was already under control.
The demon serpent Naga had accepted leadership of the forest's internal tribes and was now tasked with raising goblins according to Minori's exact methods.
As for the ogres—Guu and the remaining five—they had been handed over to Naga. No reason to kill such high-yield potion ingredients.
And Naga was no fool. So long as the ogre Guu remained alive and productive, the serpent's authority and Minori's favor would both be secure.
"Using monsters to manage monsters... classic human history."
He had no worries about betrayal. The curse he placed ensured loyalty. What concerned him now were the goblins.
"Give them two or three months with enough food... their numbers will explode."
He could wait.
Ahead, the trees thinned further, the bushes shrank low, and sunlight bloomed into view. Minori narrowed his eyes.
"From here on out, it's not like the Tob Forest. It gets dangerous."He patted the dog's neck softly."Be sharp."
"Grr."The evil dog let out a low snarl and slowed down slightly.
To the north of the Tob Forest, just before the Angelicia Mountains, lay the Great Wetlands—a massive basin formed from snowmelt and tributaries. It was a wild frontier, home to roaming beast tribes and rarely visited by humans.
A sudden gust of fresh air greeted them as the dog leapt from the last patch of trees into open land.
Ahead stretched a vast, shimmering expanse of wetlands. Towering mountains loomed in the far distance under a wide blue sky.
"Beautiful," Minori said quietly, his eyes fixed forward."But beauty often hides monsters."
"Grrrrr..."
The evil dog growled again. Eyes narrowed.
They weren't alone.
From the edge of the grasslands, strange creatures turned their heads. They resembled oversized chickens with reptilian tails—like a grotesque cross between rooster and lizard. Scarlet eyes locked on Minori.
"Guji!"