Chapter 4 The Forest

Walking through the dark forest, a strange sensation came over me. It was as if the entire world had fallen into a deep slumber, leaving me to wander in a realm of eerie silence. The only sound I could hear was the gentle crunching of twigs and leaves beneath my feet.

Even though this area was only inhabited by G rank monsters, the slightest misstep could cost me my life. I couldn't afford to let my guard down, not even for a moment

Keeping my grip tight on the hilt of the sword, I moved forward, keeping a sharp eye out for any signs of danger.

Rustle...

Suddenly, the leaves of a nearby bush began to rustle, causing my face to shift into a smile. My first fight was about to begin!

My heart pounded as a massive creature leapt out from the cover of a bush. It looked like a purple wolf, but its massive body towered above three meters, and its jaws were filled with razor-sharp teeth that gleamed in the dappled sunlight. It was a G rank monster, a creature known as 'Curculus'.

"I need to strike its vitals..."

Looking at the creature's massive body, I clenched the hilt of my sword, preparing to attack.

I dashed towards the monster and swung my weapon in a wide arc, aiming to strike the wolf's neck.

Swish...

Unfortunately, my sword met nothing but air, Curculus evading my slash with ease. Before I could even recover, the creature lunged forward, its massive jaws open wide, ready to tear me apart.

I saw rows of teeth closing in on me, but the smile on my face was yet to fade.

Quickly, I dropped to my knees and dodged its massive jaws as they snapped above my head.

With a swift motion, I swung my sword, slicing through the air towards the creature's vulnerable throat. The blade connected with the beast's neck, tearing through flesh and muscle as blood gushed out from the wound.

The wolf was caught off guard as my sword swiftly sliced through its neck. The monster's body fell to the ground, and a puddle of blood began to form around its carcass.

"Damn!"

Looking at my sword's bloody blade, I quickly wiped off the crimson liquid with some leaves. Even though the blood wouldn't hinder my combat, it would attract unwanted monsters.

After recovering from my first fight I continued to make my way towards the base of the mountain, feeling my heart beating with slight anticipation.

As a normal player, upgrading my character gave me a sense of satisfaction and since everything now was real, the experience was even more addictive.

"Focus..."

I hit my cheeks and told myself to focus. I needed to clear my mind of any unnecessary thoughts and concentrate on what was ahead. I was almost at the cave.

Splash... Splash...

I heard the sound of a waterfall and breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that I had found the right place. Emerging from the forest, I was greeted by a magnificent sight - a towering wall of water cascading down into a crystal-clear lake teeming with fish and other aquatic life.

"The Lake of Life..."

Murmuring to myself, I made my way to the shore and removed my clothes, revealing my unhealthily pale and slim body.

Squinting my eyes, I scanned the water's surface for any hostile creatures, and seeing none, I jumped into the lake with a splash.

Slowly, I swam towards the towering water wall that fell from over 20 meters in height.

If this was really the world of Leclentia, then behind the curtain of water there was supposed to be a hidden chest that held the 'Elixir of Life'.

Diving beneath the water, I swam towards the cave hidden behind the waterfall. The force of the water was intense, and I had to swim with all my strength to avoid being pushed back.

Climbing out of the water, I quickly scanned the cavern for any signs of danger. As my eyes adjusted to the dim light, I spotted a skeleton leaning against the wall, its bones picked clean by the passage of time.

For a moment, I almost fell back into the water...

"I almost forgot about you..."

I scratched my cheek, feeling slightly embarrassed by my own reaction. After all, I had visited this place countless times and had never been startled by that same old skeleton before.

"Okay... Come on get up, I know you are not dead!"

I pointed my sword at the skeleton, my expression hardening as I saw its bony fingers twitch.

There was a slim chance, from my experience around 8%, for the skeleton to suddenly come back to life and attack the player. I had learned that lesson the hard way, after my first death in this very place.

I frowned at the memory of this stupid, undead creature suddenly lurching to life and using its powerful hands to twist my neck, killing me instantly.

Rattle...

I observed as the creature rose to its full height, a head taller than me. Its empty eye sockets stared at me, and a shiver ran down my spine.

"You look disgusting..."

Raising my sword, I dashed towards the being, my eyes fixed on its bony frame. I aimed my sword at its ribs, intending to break the creature's body piece by piece and ultimately shatter its skull, ending its undead existence.

Clank...

As my sword clashed with the skeleton's bony hand, I felt the force of its strength, causing me to stumble backwards. In a quick counter-attack, the undead used its leg to deliver a swift and powerful kick towards me, but I managed to dodge just in time, narrowly avoiding the attack.

Clank... Clank...

The fight lasted for another ten minutes, when I finally managed to land a critical blow to the skeleton's hand, shattering the bones into pieces. With one hand down, it became much easier to defend against the skeleton's attacks, and I was able to strike again and again, eventually crushing the skull and killing the undead.

Even though the skeleton was only a G rank monster, it was more difficult to defeat than most other living creatures due to its limited weaknesses.

Huff...

I've also wasted a lot of my Stamina and took a moment to rest and recover, before I could once again move.

"This body is really cursed..."

Something was really off with my vessel, but I didn't linger, since I would soon heal it anyway.

Standing up, I proceeded to walk deeper into the cavern, instantly noticing an old chest located at the corner of my sight.

Approaching it, I used my sword to shatter the rusty lock and quickly opened its lid.

"Found it!"