Logan narrowed his eyes, combing all over for the slightest movement. Alice lay limp in his arms. The girl was still breathing normally. It seemed that she was okay.
The possibility that what happened to her was only the effect of the low-tier sleeping poison.
"Is it a Sleeping Sprout?"
'Pssshhh, a lowly creature!!!'
Although slightly, Logan finally found their form in various directions. They are monsters as tall as an adult human palm with a white body and the head of an umbrella. A plant-type monster spreads sleeping powder that can instantly make ordinary humans fall asleep if inhaled.
"You were only 1 tier higher than them. You guys are not so different!"
'Pssshhh no! I'm more special!'
Logan slowly laid Alice down on the ground. He gripped the dagger, setting up a stance to kill every monster present in the place.
Logan darted from where he was sitting. His running speed still looked normal but not fast enough to make the mushrooms covering behind the trees alert and escape.
One slash made the mushroom's small body split open and fall.
[You have killed Sleeping Sprout Tier 1]
[Would you collect its soul?]
[Soul Collect Progress Sleeping Sprout 15%]
Logan smiled and nodded his head. The second ability of the SSS Class he possesses allows him to collect a fragment of the souls of the monsters he kills.
Logan looked over at Alice, seeing that she was in good shape. These monsters could not harm a human, except for their troublesome sleeping poison. Logan could calmly carry out the fight without worrying about his little sister.
Logan was again after another mushroom monster hiding behind the trees. Logan dashed and jumped when the 3 mushrooms immediately spread to avoid the attack, pointing at them.
Logan fell, rolling over to catch one of them. The small body squirmed in his left hand, then the pores opened, and green powder came out of it, instantly covering Logan's face.
Logan felt a slight headache in his head, which loosened his grip, almost making him release the tiny monster in his hand.
'Master!!! Don't let those weak creatures trick you! Master!!!'
Logan bit his lip hard until he spits out a little blood, then he slashed a dagger at the little creature.
Logan immediately stood up and chased the other mushrooms that were spreading there.
Logan ran, jumped, and rolled on the forest ground covered with dry leaves and twigs.
Logan looked like someone who was trying to catch a chick, something that looked adorable from afar. Even though what he was actually feeling was a tense and exhausting battle.
It took some time for most of them to run and enough for Logan to warm up from his first actual fight against the monsters in this world. Logan killed quite a few of those cute monsters.
Logan smiled, wiping the sweat off his forehead, strolling towards Alice, who was still asleep on the ground. Logan shook his sister's body.
"Alice…"
Logan patted Alice's cheek lightly, waking her up slowly, trying not to startle her.
"Wake up…."
"Wake up, brother?"
Alice opened her eyes, then immediately got up, confused by what had happened to her, turning around in all directions.
"Why do I feel so sleepy?"
"It's ok, everything has passed. There were several sleeping sprouts around here. You didn't have enough resistance, so you slept really fast."
[Soul Collect Progress Sleeping Sprout 45%]
Logan reviewed Soul Collect status after killing some mushroom monsters. The progress didn't seem too disappointing for him. He needed a few more times to kill the mushrooms before he could actually witness the power of his SSS Grade class's skill.
Logan helped Alice get up and returned to the trail in the forest, which was looking dark.
Logan's first battle was very tiring, but he still didn't feel like he had enough. He wanted to continue, especially after knowing that the monsters in this place weren't too dangerous.
Some time passed in the forest's depths, which were now wholly dark because of the setting sun. From various directions, Logan could see many points of red light. Accompanied by a creaking sound that filled the surrounding area.
"Now, what?"
'Pssshhh, another lowly creature!'
Logan had Alice stand directly behind him, then braced himself as the red dots of light flew closer, numbering not just tens but hundreds.
Hundreds of insects the size of an adult human's fist flew towards them.
"Giant Fire Beetle!"
Firebugs are weak monsters that attack by banging their bodies against the target. Then they would blow themselves up, giving a blast effect enough to make an average human lose consciousness from the wound.
They came simultaneously towards Logan. It might be easy for him if it was just a unit, but not if there were that many.
Alice lowered her head when the bug crashed into Logan's body. But Logan nimbly slashed his dagger in all directions, with each slash also killing several insects.
[You have killed Giant Fire Beetle Tier 1]
[Would you collect its soul?]
[Soul Collect Progress Giant Fire Beetle 1%]
Logan carried Alice away, running fast enough to dodge the bugs attack. Then immediately put Alice back down and attacked those chasing him.
It was some time before he got rid of the bugs again.
Logan looked down and gasped for air. The sweat flowed profusely, and he wiped a few drops on his face.
"To think that even against such a weak monster, I would need this much effort!"
'I know you can do it, Master, and please let me eat those souls.'
'Shut up, you peasant!'
[Soul Collect Progress Giant Fire Beetle 99.87%]
Although it didn't take long, Logan had killed many insects, as seen from their carcasses scattered on the ground.
"Oh, just a little more!"
Logan wandered around, looking for even the tiniest of movement on the ground, hoping to find any remaining bugs he hadn't killed. And his efforts paid off after stepping on one that was still flapping weakly on the ground.
[Soul Collect Progress Giant Fire Beetle 100%]
Logan smiled, walked back, and sat down next to Alice, still panting.
"Alice, do you know the difference between a Monster Core and a Monster Soul Stone?"
"Huh?"
Alice looked up at the tree branches, looking thoughtful but not answering Logan's question.
"Monster cores can be used as a source of energy, and are usually used as a lamp in the house."
Alice nodded at Logan's explanation.
"Or also materials for making weapons."
Logan tried to catch his breath, regaining the proper tempo while resting.
"Monster cores originate from the heart of a monster, where they concentrate their mana. Just like humans. But not all the monsters we kill will leave a monster core."
Alice nodded her head again. She received too much information at once today. Maybe some of it no longer stayed on her head.
"And the Monster Soul Stone is the same as the monster core. But part of the monster's soul was left behind."
Alice opened her mouth, relating something to the information she had just received about her brother's new weapon, made of a Monster Soul Stone.
"For monster soul stones, since part of their souls is left behind. Thus, the possibilities for weapons that can be created will be even stronger."
That was why the dagger that Logan, right now, was something precious and had a very high value. Because there was something inside the weapon that not every person could control.
"Therefore, the possibility of gaining a Monster Soul Stone is smaller. About 1 in 100K"
"Wow… So the weapon that you are holding right now is that rare? I didn't expect it to be that high."
Logan nodded and showed the blood-red dagger in his hand.
"For a soul tier monster this low, the value of the weapon can be 200-500 times more expensive than the normal price. And even higher, it can be thousands of times more expensive."
Logan looked away and whispered something.
Energy swirled wildly in his palm, swirling like a whirlwind. It faded away and left a bright red boulder-shaped object, reflecting the night's moonlight.