Free Web NovelChapter 8: Ch 8: Rocky Hunter
After what felt like hours, Raidan finally reached solid ground.
He instantly became alert and glanced around.
Ahead of him stretched an endless expanse of rugged gray stone, towering cliffs, and weathered boulders that seemed to have existed since the dawn of time.
[ Zone: Mountain Titan’s Backyard ]
[ Threat Level: Medium ]
The notification provided him with a little information about what awaited him.
From the name alone, Raidan guessed he would encounter gigantic mountain beasts. That also meant he had to be prepared for combat.
The wooden sword in his hand suddenly felt even more inadequate.
Still, he maintained his calm and stepped onto the uneven terrain.
The rough rocks dug into the thin soles of his leathery boots, while loose gravel shifted beneath every step.
The climb was exhausting.
"Maybe increasing my DEF stat will help me endure this better?" he thought inwardly.
After all, Defense was a combination of Health and Endurance.
He didn’t hesitate.
He assigned 2 points to ATK and 3 to DEF.
The moment he confirmed the allocation, warmth spread throughout his body. His muscles tightened, fatigue faded, and even the constant strain on his legs became far more manageable.
"It worked," he exhaled with relief.
Now he could focus entirely on moving forward.
He couldn’t afford to stay in one place. He needed to find shelter, water, and food before worrying about anything else.
As he trekked across the rocky wilderness, dust clung to his boots and sweat slowly soaked his clothes beneath the blazing sun.
The journey was miserable.
But Raidan knew suffering could be turned into rewards.
Without hesitation, he created a quest.
[ Quest Title: Lost Among the Mountains ]
[ Objective: Find a Shelter ]
[ Time Limit: 24h ]
[ Difficulty Level: Normal ]
[ Punishment: -30% Agility ]
[ Rewards: +200 EXP, Mana +5 ]
He carefully chose Normal difficulty. He wasn’t interested in dying beneath a collapsing cliff.
At the same time, he didn’t make it too easy. Growth required hardship.
After accepting the quest, he continued walking.
This time, every exhausting step felt worthwhile.
Only the sound of his boots scraping against loose stones echoed through the valley.
Then, without warning, even that sound seemed to disappear.
Raidan immediately sensed something was wrong.
And he was right.
Everything became unnaturally silent.
Suddenly—
Thud.
The ground trembled violently, nearly knocking him off balance.
Something enormous was approaching.
He immediately crouched behind a massive boulder while carefully peeking around its edge.
Soon, the source of the vibration revealed itself.
A Mountain Bear.
More precisely...
A Lesser Mountain Bear.
The beast emerged from behind a rocky ridge like a living nightmare.
It stood nearly 10 feet tall on all fours, its body covered in thick dark-brown fur streaked with gray stone dust. Massive muscles rippled beneath its hide, and its claws resembled sharpened pickaxes capable of tearing through solid rock.
Most people would have started trembling.
Raidan didn’t.
His newly acquired passive skill, [ Fear Immunity (F) ], reduced his fear by thirty percent.
His heart raced, but his mind remained perfectly clear.
His eyes carefully observed every detail.
The bear’s broad shoulders were protected by dense muscle, while countless old scars marked its body.
Its jaws were powerful enough to crush bones, and every breath escaped as a low rumbling growl.
[ Enemy Spotted: Lesser Mountain Bear ]
[ Level: 5 ]
[ Threat Level: Medium ]
"Hmm, a Medium threat level for a monster two levels higher than me? System, are you sure you’re not making a mistake?" he asked.
The System replied,
["The System does not make mistakes."]
Raidan shut his mouth.
Instead, he searched for the beast’s weakness.
Its neck was heavily protected by muscle and fur.
Its legs were thick as tree trunks.
Fighting it head-on would be suicide.
Then his gaze drifted upward.
Balanced precariously on a cliff ledge above was an enormous pointed boulder, barely held in place by a narrow outcrop.
Seeing that, a plan immediately formed in his mind.
But first, he created another quest.
[ Quest Title: Rocky Hunter ]
[ Objective: Kill a Lesser Mountain Bear ]
[ Time Limit: 15 Minutes ]
[ Difficulty Level: Easy ]
[ Punishment: Being impotent for one day ]
[ Rewards: +5 ATK, +3 AGI ]
Eight attribute points were practically equivalent to gaining an entire level.
He accepted the quest and stood up. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
The moment he exposed himself, the Lesser Mountain Bear noticed him.
Driven by pure instinct, it lowered its head and charged.
ROAR!
Its enormous paws pounded against the earth, sending gravel flying in every direction.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Raidan quickly grabbed a loose stone and hurled it straight at the bear’s face.
The pebble barely hurt it.
But it accomplished its purpose.
The beast became completely enraged.
With another furious roar, it accelerated toward him.
Raidan immediately turned and sprinted toward the narrow passage beneath the unstable cliff.
His eyes never left the massive boulder resting above.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Lesser Mountain Bear rapidly closed the distance.
"Just a little closer," he muttered, breathing heavily.
Finally, he reached the base of the cliff.
Raidan turned around.
Sweat dripped from his forehead, yet a confident grin spread across his face.
Compared to his six-foot frame, the colossal beast towered over him like an unstoppable avalanche.
ROAR!
The bear rose onto its hind legs before bringing both massive forepaws crashing down.
Instead of blocking, Raidan relied entirely on his 11 Agility.
He threw himself into a desperate slide across the loose gravel.
The attack missed.
Boom!
The bear’s tremendous weight crashed into the rocky wall.
The entire cliff shook violently.
Exactly as Raidan had calculated.
Crack.
Crack.
CRACK! freewebnσvel.cøm
The enormous pointed boulder finally broke free.
From there, gravity took over.
Like a falling meteor, it plummeted straight toward the beast.
Crunch!
The massive rock struck the Lesser Mountain Bear squarely on the back of its neck, driving it into the ground.
The monster released one final roar before its eyes lost all light.
Thud!
Its gigantic body collapsed.
Moments later, it dissolved into countless particles of golden light instead of leaving behind a corpse.
Just like a monster defeated in an MMORPG.
And just like in a game, Raidan received additional EXP alongside his quest rewards.
[ Ding! Quest Completed: Rocky Hunter ]
[ Rewards Received: +5 ATK, +3 AGI ]
[ EXP +35 ]
And with this, he finally stopped himself from being an impotent.
Status:
Player Name: Apollo
Level: 3 | Exp: 340/500
Species: Human
Titles: None
Class: None
Origins: [Sun God’s Shrine]
Physical Attributes:
ATK (Attack): 19
DEF (Defense): 14
AGI (Agility): 14
Mana: 1
Skills: Fear Immunity (F-2)
