Chapter 9 - 8/Blood red

Pov Logan

After a few more days and a series of restorative nights, I woke up with a renewed determination. At dawn, I headed towards the guild, aware that almost a week had passed since my arrival in this fascinating world. By this point, I had reached level 35, a remarkably rapid progression that far exceeded the usual norms.

My thorough research and diverse experiences had revealed intriguing aspects of the leveling system. I learned that each new level requires a greater amount of experience to level up. This means that progression becomes more difficult over time. To continue advancing, I will need to face a greater number of monsters, and not just any monsters: increasingly formidable and powerful creatures. This realization confirmed my resolve and fueled my thirst for combat in this world where each higher level represents a greater challenge and an opportunity to become stronger.

Until then, everything made sense. Additionally, as one levels up, various skills related to their class can be obtained. Today, I decided to dedicate my day to preparations and purchases with the goal of becoming stronger by completing quests. At precisely 7 a.m., I headed to the guild, my mind occupied with the possibilities this day could offer.

"If I want to prepare, I need money, and if I want money, I need quests, and through these quests, I will become stronger." (Logan)

As I crossed the threshold of the guild, I was immediately captivated by the lively and anticipation-filled atmosphere that reigned there. Without wasting any time, I headed towards the quest board, the true beating heart of adventurer activity. There, I carefully examined the available offers and made a strategic choice: I selected all the available D-rank and E-rank quests. Altogether, this represented 50 D-rank and as many E-rank quests, each involving the subjugation of various monsters.

What makes this task feasible is the unique advantage of my 'Vector Control' skill. This ability allows me to act without consuming mana, a decisive advantage that enables me to chain quests without interruption, as long as my physical strength permits. However, there is a limit to keep in mind: my calculation capacity. I must be careful not to exceed this limit, as it dictates how effectively I can use my skills and manage perilous situations. It is a delicate balance between exploiting my advantages and managing my constraints, a challenge I am eager to take on with enthusiasm.

As I methodically gathered the 100 quests from the board, a wave of astonishment spread through the guild hall. Each paper I took seemed to amplify their incredulity.

"He's crazy!" whispered the adventurers around me, their voices tinged with a mix of surprise and skepticism.

"He's just trying to get noticed, it's obvious!" added another with disdain.

"Let him be, he will quickly give up or, worse, die in his madness." echoed a third, shaking his head in disapproval.

Amid these whispers and incredulous looks, Marie was a bit hesitant about the idea of me doing this. After all, 100 quests for an adventurer who arrived a week ago is far too exaggerated. She made this clear to me, but I had confidence in my abilities.

"Logan, I know you have certain abilities, but isn't this a bit too much?" (Marie)

"Are you going to stop me?" (Logan)

"I would like to, but I don't have the right." (Marie)

"Thank you for the consideration you have for me. Even though we've only known each other for a week, you have helped me a lot. During the first three days and you continue to do so." (Logan)

"Well, it's the receptionist's job to help adventurers, especially those we appreciate." (Marie)

I placed my hand on Marie's:

"Don't worry." I said before leaving.

"Good luck." (Marie)

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"Well, now I need to hire porters for the monster corpses. Renting a porter for a day costs 500 copper coins. I have 3 silver coins, so I can hire 6." (Logan)

The porters are an association located right next to the guild. So, I headed over there.

"What can I do for you?" (Receptionist)

"I'd like to hire 6 porters." (Logan)

"Alright, that will be 3 silver coins." (Receptionist)

"No, I want the best ones capable of carrying heavy loads." (Logan)

"In that case, you can only hire 3 porters. Is that acceptable?" (Receptionist)

"That works perfectly for me." (Logan)

After that, I was now accompanied by 3 porters who had bags and small carts.

"Alright, the day is going to be very long. I hope you're ready." (Logan)

"We're professionals, kid, don't worry. Tell us instead, where's your team?" (Porter)

"A team? I don't need a team." (Logan)

"Are you kidding us?" he shouted.

"I took exactly 50 D-rank missions and 50 F-rank missions." (Logan)

"But that's madness!" (Porters)

"Shut up!" (Logan)

"What?" (Porter)

"There's no turning back now. I've already paid. So you'll follow my orders. Is that clear?!" (Logan)

"Who do you think you are, bastard!" one of the men shouted, stepping towards Logan.

Suddenly, the porter, animated by intense rage, in a quick and determined move, raised his fist, now enveloped in crackling flames, tinged with a menacing, reddish glow. With brutal force, he threw a flaming punch aimed directly at my face. However, his fist stopped near my face without the slightest chance of touching me.

"What?" he said, stunned by what had just happened.

"You can all go at it, but after, when it's my turn, I'll beat you until you're bleeding." (Logan)

Facing me, the porters visibly swallowed, trapped by their own uncertainty, a palpable wave of anxiety coursing through them. Their faces, once marked by confidence, decomposed into expressions of hesitation and fear. Feeling the weight of the threat hanging over them and understanding the implacability of Logan's promise, they slowly resigned themselves.

"Nothing will happen to you, just follow me. If you feel like your life is in danger, you can run away." (Logan)

"Don't worry, you didn't need to tell us that. We'll leave you to die." (Porter)

"Well, if everything's settled, let's go!" (Logan)

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We ventured deeper into the forest, deeper than I had ever gone before. My quest led us to seek out hidden camps of mischievous goblins, to scour the dark caves housing the twisted nests of Noras, to track packs of ferocious wolves roaming in bands, and to combat swarms of particularly aggressive and invasive giant insects. As my attacks struck with precision and rage at every monster that crossed my path, a thought resonated incessantly in my mind. It was like a mantra, an unwavering goal guiding every move, every blow delivered:

"One day, 100 quests, to slay all the monsters that dare stand in my way in order to become stronger!" (Logan)

Around me, the porters watched the scene with a mix of fascination and doubt, captivated by the fierce struggle I waged against the monsters. Their eyes, usually distant, now shone with a glimmer of amazement mixed with incredulity.

"Hey, tell me, I'm not dreaming, am I?" one of them asked, his voice tinged with astonishment.

He looked at me and the chaos surrounding me, searching his mind for an explanation for this extraordinary spectacle.

"No, you're not dreaming. He's exterminating all the monsters by himself." (Porter)

"But what magic is he using?" (Porter)

The porters witnessed a one-sided, completely unbalanced fight. Around me, the monsters fell one by one, with disconcerting ease. Goblins, wolves, Noras, giant insects—none could escape their fatal destiny. Waves of stones like bullets burst forth with surgical precision. With each movement, my attacks turned these creatures into a deluge of flesh and blood, their mutilated bodies littering the ground in a macabre chaos.

Even their most furious attacks vanished before my impenetrable defense, like waves crashing against a rock. A strange sense of pity gripped the porters a kind of unexpected compassion for these fierce creatures being massacred before their eyes.

"From what I've seen, he masters earth magic." (Porter)

"Yes, but he takes down the Noras by throwing stones." (Porter)

"He must have the Herculean Strength skill." (Porter)

"Hey, what are you waiting for? The bodies aren't going to pick themselves up!" I interrupted their conversation.

"Yes!" (Porters)

The hunt continued with relentless ferocity, turning the terrain into a true theater of war against the disoriented monsters. My speed was such that I was just a blur to the porters, an elusive shadow carving a path through the monsters. With each step, I left behind a trail of destruction, the bodies of the defeated creatures lying on the ground like the remnants of a lost battle.

The porters, despite their surprise and difficulty keeping up with my swift movements, stuck to their grim task: collecting the corpses I left in my wake.

"But there's something else strange about him." (Porter)

"Yes, when I tried to hit him, I couldn't touch him, and it seems the same for the monsters." (Porter)

"He probably uses a magic barrier ability." (Porter)

"No, it's different!" (Porter)

"What could it be?" (Porter)

"Who knows, but it was bizarre." (Porter)

"I feel great, no fatigue and no drop in mana. The porters are doing their job well. Judging by the position of the sun, it must be around 12 PM. So, I've been hunting for about 5 hours. I've completed 20 D-rank quests and 10 E-rank quests. I still have 70 quests in total to complete. The porters won't be able to keep up with my pace; they'll need to rest. We'll head back to town. They can also drop off the monster corpses we've already accumulated at the guild." (Logan)

After two more hours of intense hunting, I finally ceased my assaults. Turning to the porters, I ordered them to take the bodies to the guild.

"Start processing." I told them.

Knowing that there was significant value to be recovered from this massacre. The wolf pelts, precious and sought after, would be sold; the shells of the giant insects, robust and unique, would also find buyers. As for the Nora flesh, it was known for its quality and would certainly be appreciated. For the rest, I would simply bring back proof that I had killed them.

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At the guild, one of the porters entered and headed towards the reception.

"Marie." (Porter)

"Ah, George, what brings you here?" (Marie)

"I have monsters for you on behalf of Logan." (George)

"How many are there?" (Marie)

"Come see for yourself." (George)

When Marie stepped outside, she was greeted by a vision that left her speechless. In front of her, carts were overflowing with monster corpses, piled haphazardly. Wolves, noras, giant insects, and even large goblins, whose imposing size and yellow-green skin covered in hair ranging from brown to dark gray, contrasted sharply with the small bags filled to the brim with ears of more common goblins.

The large goblins, with their brown or yellowish eyes and sharp, yellowed teeth, were humanoids measuring around 2 meters. Recognized as a superior evolution of normal goblins, at around level 35, they generally lived for about sixty years. Their presence among the corpses testified to the violence and scale of the battle that had taken place.

"This is..." began Marie, horror and admiration mixing in her voice, unable to find the words to describe the spectacle before her.

"He's a true monster in combat. His rank doesn't match what he can do. He should be at least rank B." (George)

"Where is he?" (Marie)

"He stayed back there." (George)

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"Shhhh!"

Large goblins had just been pierced and now had multiple gaping holes in their bodies before collapsing lifelessly on the ground, their blood spreading like a pool. It was then that a pack of enraged wolves, with fur shimmering in bright silver, rushed towards Logan.

"So these are silver wolves? They're a bit bigger than the regular ones," Logan observed, calmly analyzing his new adversaries.

These beasts, the size of a man, represented a formidable evolution of ordinary wolves, but for me at that moment, they were just free experience.

"Maybe they're bigger, but that doesn't change anything. It's time to end this hunt!" I declared with unwavering determination.

With a sudden gesture, I stomped my right foot on the ground, triggering an explosion of supernatural force. Dozens of spikes suddenly erupted from the ground, springing up with unprecedented violence. They pierced the wolves' bodies with unmatched brutality. The cries of the beasts mingled with the macabre sounds of perforated bodies, while their blood spurted, covering the ground and the spikes with a deep red.

The battlefield had transformed into a horrifying tableau, in the middle of which I stood with a smile as the undisputed master of the carnage. The ground, littered with mutilated corpses and scattered limbs, was soaked with the blood of the monsters. The violence of the confrontation had left an indelible mark on the terrain, transforming the very nature into a sanctuary of death and destruction.

END Pov

[6:30 PM]

In front of the guild, carts laden with the weight of monster corpses created a scene both horrifying and fascinating. Each carcass, from the silver wolf to the large goblin, told the story of a relentless hunt. Amidst this macabre display stood a man, unperturbed, his demeanor exuding an aura of frightening invincibility. His clothes and face, soaked with the blood of his enemies, glistened with a dark red hue under the setting sun. With his red eyes, one might have thought a demon had escaped from hell to spread chaos.

"I've completed the 100 quests. Can you calculate my earnings, please?" Logan asked in a firm voice, his tone betraying neither fatigue nor emotion.

Marie, accustomed to warriors and hunts, couldn't hide her astonishment at this man who seemed to embody quiet strength.

"It will be done once we've verified all the monsters." she replied, her gaze never leaving the man in front of her.

"Perfect, I'll come back tomorrow," Logan declared, turning to leave, each step imbued with absolute confidence.

"You don't seem tired." Marie remarked, almost whispering.

"Because I'm not." Logan retorted, without even turning around.

As he walked away, leaving behind the admiring and fearful whispers of the guild members, a new nickname was born in their minds: 'Red.'

This nickname perfectly captured the image of this newly arrived adventurer. Returning from a bloody hunt, enveloped in an aura of power and mystery, his passage marked by the color red of blood and the respect mixed with fear that he inspired.

Level increase: 32 < 55

Name: Logan

Race: Human / Age: 18

Profession: Avenger- ??? / 55

400 / 137 / 146 / 140 / 120 / 150 / 139 / 290 / 180 / 270

Analysis Lv3 / Stealth Lv4

(None)

(None)

Vector Control / Ultra Fast Learning / Encyclopedia

(None)



Titles Acquired:

Goblin Exterminator

Merciless

Sharpshooter

Insatiable
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Special thanks to Rebecca for her power stone.

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