Chapter 5: King of the World

'Quest [ A Collector's Start ] updated.'

'Codes collected 2/3'

Allen nodded after hearing the notifications. For now he got the second Code. He only needed one more so he could complete the quest and find out what it does after its completion.

He had hoped that it would give him more power in the future. If he has any plans on surviving, what he needed to do was to get stronger.

The wounds and all the broken bones in his body was healed after he leveled up. He was thankful for the crab earlier for giving him additional EXP that he was able to level up in time.

If the crab did not appear, Allen would've succumbed to his wounds. He had a broken leg, ribs, and wounds all over his body. If any predator in the forest would hear him, he would die immediately.

Sitting up and recovering from his fatigue, Allen opened his interface to check his new Code.

[ Stone Hammer ]

Type: Weapon

Grade: Rare

Effect/s: (1) When equipped, the strength will be increased by 20%.

As the grade of the weapon type Code gets higher, the number of effects from it also increases. Basic grade Codes do not have any effect, but Rare grade codes get one.

The number of effects a Celestial grade has is five, just like the one Allen has. He heard of locked effects before too. Some of the effects are unavailable when the Hunter who got the code has a lower level.

In Allen's case, the other effects of the Snake's Code was locked. It wasn't clear when the effects will be available, but for now, what Allen can only do is wait.

He equipped the hammer to test it out, instantly being amazed by its almost non-existent weight. It felt as though he was only carrying a stick instead of a large hammer.

'Stone Hammer effects activated.'

'Your strength is increased by 20%.'

The voice sounded like melody in his ears. This weapon will help Allen a lot. Not just a suitable replacement for his broken dagger, this new weapon will allow him to take down stronger beasts.

Now that he was getting stronger bit by bit, Allen wanted to test his new weapon out. If he was planning on encountering manageable beasts that he could also eat, his best bet would be the lake.

Apart from the swans, the lake also had fish and other water dwelling creatures. Allen was looking forward to eating fish since fish was his favorite food.

Taking his hammer with him, Allen walked to the direction of the lake. Suddenly, the thought of him going back to Earth wasn't the thing he had in mind.

Back then, when he was in Haven with his group, the only thing in his mind was when he could get back to Earth. He couldn't wait to come back to his cold aparment and sleep in his hard mattress. Sure his life sounded pathetic and pitiful, but it was where he was comfortable with.

And right now, the forest felt like it was home. Even when he didn't know where he would sleep or how he would sleep knowing there are beasts nearby, Allen wanted to stay at the moment.

"This Snake must be influencing me or something," Allen joked, and shook his head in amusement. He shrugged the thoughts away and continued his path back to the lake.

When he got there, he saw the swans swimming on the calm surface of the waters under the blue skies. The swans looked like the ones on Earth except for the black outlines on their wings. From where he was standing, Allen could think that the view in front of him was only from a painting.

Shaking the reminiscing thoughts away, Allen took his clothes off one by one. He was wearing a shirt and pants with a long coat over it. The coat was something he whipped by himself since he can't afford Otherworld-suitable outfits.

In the Otherworlds, there are certain things Hunters must know about clothing. To mask themselves in the new world, they must wear something that was from it. This was the reason why Allen wasn't attacked by beasts even after they felt that he wasn't from their world.

Not long after Allen stripped down to his underwear, he started to walk closer to the lake. The boy didn't know how he could hunt fish by using a stone hammer, so he switched his weapons. The dagger was low on integrity, but it's not useless against Basic grade fish.

Allen took a deep breath and kept his plan on his mind before he dove right into it. Although he was weak compared to other Hunters, he was still stronger compared to regular humans. He can dive into the water and swim in the depths of the lake to find his prey.

He was a Hunter, and Hunters hunt.

Allen sighted a school of large fish in a distance. He was satisfied with how they looked like, so he swam closer to them. He needed to be fast since he can't breath underwater, but he also needed to be careful to not scared the fish.

If he was careless and alert the beasts of his presence, they will swim away and never come back. This was a scenario that Allen did not want to happen. He wanted fish, and he will get fish.

The boy positioned himself as he gently raising his dagger. Nodding to himself, Allen thrust his dagger up and slashed across the fish. Although the water didn't help but slow him down, he was still able to kill two fishes.

'Gray Salmon killed. +10 EXP.'

'Gray Salmon killed. +10 EXP.'

Satisfied, Allen pushed the bodies of the fishes on the surface with him. He got out of the lake and went back to the place where he left his clothes, carrying the large fishes on his back.

He was satisfied with his hunt even when he missed a couple more and didn't get any Code. After all, he wasn't rushing to get things done immediately. He will let fate dictate for him as to when he would rise and get stronger.

With a wide grin on his face, Allen prepared his meal. He took rocks and made a fire so he could have a place to cook his fish. This fire will also help warding off some of the nocturnal predators when the night would come down soon.

It wasn't long before Allen finished setting up his camp. He was planning on staying in this camp for a little while, just until he has at least ten Rare grade codes. By that time, he wouldn't be someone who's easily defeated in a battle.

[ Name: Allen Darkshade, Level: 7 (EXP: 60/700) ]

He sighed after seeing the numbers in his interface. It wasn't much, but his level was doubled in a span of two days. He was approaching the levels of the members from his group. He wasn't far from them now, and it won't take long before he can surpass them.

With a determined clenching of his fist and a newfound passion, Allen decided to stay in the forest for a little while. He will improve himself so much that no one will look down on him. Not his group, not society.

"I'll be the king of the world."