Free Web NovelChapter 8: The Price of Hunger
Gabriel did not react immediately upon discovering the hidden presence among the undergrowth. He continued observing the deer’s corpse as if he were completely alone while openly cursing his luck.
He had not obtained the antler drop. It was common sense to understand how certain rewards worked: not every enemy guaranteed materials.
Sometimes the game demanded persistence. A persistence that drove many people to quit.
Gabriel observed the animal’s body lying over the damp grass. The blood was still fresh and the fur continued reacting softly to the forest wind.
The realism was ridiculous. That was one of the main reasons why The Heaven Above All had conquered everyone in such a short time.
One could not distinguish between the real world and what was displayed; it felt like entering another reality.
And yet, Gabriel knew the corpse would soon disappear, partially absorbed by the system.
A balance between realism and technical functionality.
Slowly, he began leaving the clearing. But the heartbeats were still there, calmer and more rational now. freeωebnovēl.c૦m
The presence continued watching him. And that was enough for him to understand something important: that person was not there by chance.
They were following him.
Gabriel maintained steady breathing while slowly advancing through the vegetation. He neither quickened his pace nor turned his head.
He did not want to alert the stranger in any way.
He acted as though he truly had not detected anything. Until suddenly, he disappeared behind the undergrowth.
His body exploded into stealth with tremendous speed. Vampiric reflexes and enhanced agility propelled him like a shadow cutting through the forest.
Everything happened within seconds. Gabriel circled the area using trees and natural slopes until he positioned himself far away from the mysterious observer.
Silently returning toward the clearing, where he finally saw her.
It was a woman.
Dark hair partially tied behind her head. She wore light leather clothing, with a short sword hanging at her waist.
She slowly approached the deer’s virtual corpse while looking around with obvious confusion.
"Impressive."
Her eyes scanned the area several times. Letting out a small sigh.
"I know you’re there."
Gabriel remained completely motionless behind a thick tree, observing every one of her movements.
The woman waited a few more seconds, maintaining a calm, though slightly frustrated expression.
When she finally seemed to have regained her composure, a small sound echoed from the distant undergrowth.
The woman immediately reacted toward that direction, quickly realizing it had been a fatal mistake.
Gabriel appeared from the opposite side.
His daggers advanced in a swift and precise trajectory while testing his own true combat capabilities against another player.
The woman’s reaction was immediate, to his surprise.
Clang.
She deflected both daggers with astonishingly clean precision.
Gabriel slightly narrowed his eyes.
She was good.
The woman spun on herself, attempting to gain distance while Gabriel naturally stepped half a pace backward.
"Spying on a committed man is rather dishonorable, miss," Gabriel said with dry sarcasm.
He received no response.
Instead, she advanced directly toward him.
Her short sword traced a rapid diagonal slash that Gabriel deflected with one of his daggers while shifting his body sideways.
The exchange began immediately afterward.
Metal constantly collided while footsteps echoed across the damp grass. Their movements unfolded at high speed between the trees.
Gabriel immediately noticed the level difference between them. She was physically stronger, faster in certain reactions.
And yet... he could keep up with her.
They were not equals, but close enough to surprise her.
Gabriel used every advantage he possessed. His instinctive battlefield balance. His vampiric reflexes moved with agile precision through compact movements.
Every time she attempted to overpower him with strength, he diverted the trajectory. Every time she tried cornering him, Gabriel used the environment to reduce her attack angles.
It was a beautiful, violent, and precise fight.
And deeply strange for novice players.
The woman finally stepped back twice and slightly raised her free hand.
"I don’t want to hurt you."
Gabriel did not lower his daggers immediately.
"I followed your out of curiosity. That’s all," she said. Her eyes drifted toward the deer’s corpse behind them before returning to Gabriel.
"Honestly... I’m surprised."
Gabriel mentally reviewed their previous exchanges. Concentrating his attention between the woman and his own thoughts.
"A novice shouldn’t move like that."
This outcome was natural, Gabriel assumed internally.
He answered without changing his cold expression.
"The sky is falling... For a second, I thought you were an elite player."
She slightly arched one eyebrow.
"My armor is leather."
Gabriel continued speaking with calculated naturalness.
"I suppose I adapt."
It was a sufficiently logical explanation within the game’s context. Some players truly possessed better reflexes thanks to more efficient neural synchronization.
"I suppose that makes quite a bit of sense. That’s why I’m surprised."
The woman finally sheathed her sword slowly.
"Bella Handford."
Gabriel immediately memorized the name.
He had learned to memorize important information.
Players who gave their names away so easily usually belonged to two groups: people who were extremely confident, or people accustomed to nobody daring to touch them.
"Rich girl", Gabriel immediately thought.
The kind of person who had spent her entire life surrounded by privilege and protection.
Bella observed him for a few more seconds.
"That was fun."
Then she calmly turned around and began walking away through the trees.
At no point did Gabriel try stopping her.
He simply watched her disappear into the vegetation while rapidly organizing his thoughts.
He knew he could not defeat her. Not yet.
To defeat someone clearly superior, he would have to reveal too many things about his deeper abilities. And that would be a stupid mistake.
But above all, she had never openly acted hostile. Only curious.
Gabriel slowly sheathed his daggers. But time continued moving forward.
He needed to complete the mission, and he also needed to become stronger. So he continued hunting.
The Outer Forest gradually became quieter as the hours passed. Many beginner players remained near the safe zones, clumsily fighting small creatures.
Gabriel, on the other hand, ventured far deeper into the forest.
Understanding an implicit truth: the better the performance in a mission, the better the rewards would consequently become.
The system reacted to efficiency, difficulty, and overall performance. It was not simply about "completing objectives."
The game constantly analyzed how you accomplished them.
So Gabriel decided not to stop at the minimum requirement of three pairs of antlers. freēwēbηovel.c૦m
He continued hunting, and his prey count kept increasing.
The deer became easier and easier for him to track. His vampiric senses drastically reduced the difficulty of the hunt.
Combining body scent, tracks, and heartbeats. Everything was absurdly clear to Gabriel.
And while hunting... he leveled up.
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LEVEL INCREASED
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LEVEL INCREASED
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LEVEL INCREASED
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He gained three levels in total.
Gabriel observed the system windows with silent satisfaction.
His body felt lighter. Stronger and steadier.
When he finally decided to stop, he had already obtained eight pairs of deer antlers.
And he stopped just before the forest began darkening dangerously.
Gabriel quickly stored all the materials inside his inventory before beginning the return trip.
The journey back was surprisingly peaceful.
The virtual sky was beginning to tint itself with orange hues while the sun slowly descended over the village. The warm lighting passed through the trees and stone structures with intrinsic beauty.
Gabriel walked silently while observing the scenery.
When he finally reached the smithy, the business was practically closed already.
The interior lights remained dim.
The old man with the monocle rested seated near the entrance while Golyat cleaned tools with obvious irritation.
Both raised their eyes when Gabriel entered.
Golyat immediately frowned.
"You didn’t die."
Gabriel opened his inventory without responding much and placed the materials over the counter.
One, two, three.
Until there were eight complete pairs of antlers.
The silence inside the smithy became strange.
Even Golyat stopped cleaning for a moment.
The old man observed the materials carefully before letting out a faint nasal laugh.
"I truly have never been wrong when judging people, boy."
A window immediately appeared before Gabriel.
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MISSION COMPLETED:
[Horns of the Outer Forest]
Rewards:
• Hunter’s Daggers
• Additional bronze coins
• Reputation increased with Golyat Smithy
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Golyat finally placed the promised daggers on the counter.
They were much better than the previous ones. Lighter and sharper, perfect for his hands.
Gabriel immediately took them while the system updated his equipment.
Then he received a small pouch with additional coins for the excess materials.
It was nothing enormous, but it was useful.
Gabriel gave a slight nod.
"Thank you."
Golyat snorted.
But this time, he did not respond with hostility.
The old man, however, stared directly at him before speaking.
"The young always believe power is an endless staircase."
Gabriel remained silent while the old man calmly continued.
"I’ve seen it before. They always hunt more, kill more, and desire more. Until they finally forget why they started doing it in the first place."
The smithy fell silent.
"Be careful, boy."
The old man slowly adjusted the monocle over his eye.
"There are men who surrender themselves so completely to ambition... that they end up buried beneath it."
Gabriel held the old man’s gaze for several seconds.
And for a brief instant... He remembered the recent events.
Something inside him remained completely still.
