[You have entered the Hydralae Continent.]
[Special gifts of the Hydralae Continent will apply to you.]
[Experience gained from killing the Brood monsters or anyone allied with them is increased by 50%.]
The Dark Dimension Door threw Zephyr and Sherine into pitch black darkness. A foul, nauseating smell snuck into his nose. The revolting stench shook the very essence of his being. As someone who regularly partook in various medical tests, he recognized the stench.
'Blood.'
He would be creeping out if he didn't feel the warmth near him. "Can you see anything?"
Sherine's blue eyes shone like sapphires in the darkness. Zephyr thought he saw a slight nod in response to his words, before an orange fireball manifested above them, temporarily washing the area in a warm glow.
The earth below was awash with death. Bones littered the ground, some large and some small, studded with the tusks of ancient beasts and the skulls of creatures far too large for any human mind to comprehend. They teleported into a predator's lair.
"Riven, you piece of shit," he muttered and nudged Sherine. "Give me the scythe."
Sherine reached into the pouch at her hip and carefully pulled out a slender scythe. Its curved blade was cold to the touch as Zephyr gripped its handle. He took a tentative step forward as Sherine released his hand, the light from their surroundings guiding his steps.
"Stick with me. I need your directions."
"I don't sense anything. Did it leave?"
"It probably went out to grab more prey. Let's just leave."
"Okay."
The duo traversed the confusing structure of the cave. Fortunately, Sherine's sense of smell guided them towards the flora and fauna. She wasn't a half dragoness for nothing.
After a few more minutes of navigating the darkness, the beam of his flashlight finally hit the exit. Stepping into the bright sunlight, he squinted and hugged his arms close to his body as his eyes adjusted. The air was different here, and he noticed a patch of thick, green tree canopies covering everything in sight. The sunlight struggled to make its way through the branches, barely filtering into the ground beneath them.
Sherine inhaled the scent of nature. "It's so nice…"
The young man, who had never been to any forest, wholeheartedly agreed with Sherine. The refreshing scent gave him the impulse to lie down and sleep, even though he wasn't tired.
The deep, melodic chirp of a single bird echoed in the trees and suddenly, as one, the flock took off from the tree. The abruptness of their departure left a chill in the air, as if they were warning of something to come.
"Something is coming," Sherine said. "An evil being…"
Soon enough, he could hear the thumping footsteps of this evil being. His heartbeat soared to a dangerous territory, realizing what may be his first encounter with an actual enemy.
A figure walked out from behind a tree. Its pale skin, glowing purple eyes, and claws set it apart from your average human.
"A zombie?"
He lacked any analysis skill to see its status. The zombie-like creature spotted them and growled before it rushed at them.
He stopped Sherine from equipping her gauntlets. "I'll handle it."
He dodged the reckless charge with a single step to his left and hooked the scythe blade in the zombie's legs. It fell face first into the ground but quickly gathered itself to its feet. Before it could turn, he swung down the scythe. The sharp tip of the scythe pierced through its back rather easily and pinned the zombie to the ground.
"Argh." Zephyr stepped on its back. His strength and weight barely stopped the creature from escaping.
"It's fucking strong. I hope the typical zombie killing method works."
He stood on the zombie's back and stomped its head. A gruesome feeling was transmitted to his leg. It nauseated him. But he kept his focus and stomped again and again. The zombie perhaps became dizzy that it stopped struggling wildly.
"It's so fucking sturdy."
He pulled out the scythe. With one leg pressing down on the zombie, he slipped the scythe under until its blade touched the zombie's neck. Then he yanked the scythe with as much force as possible. The blade got stuck in its throat, prompting another attempt. This time, the blade sliced through the throat and beheaded the creature.
"My first kill is an execution."
The unbearable stench made his stomach churn. If he had eaten anything, he would be vomiting his guts all over the place. He moved away from the corpse.
[Brood type: Fool Lvl. 3 killed.]
[Experience +4.5]
"Brood type Fool?"
The experience gained was meager considering the experience required to level up. He had to kill over twenty of Level 3 Fool to level up once. That too with the buff gained from the world.
"Leveling is gonna be hard." He looked over at his companion. "What's your level?"
Sherine paused for a moment and recalled her status. "Level 200... currently Level 99 under the restrictions. All deities reach Level 250 after adulthood, which takes centuries…"
"Born with a golden spoon…" He shook off his envious thoughts and glanced at his first kill. "Does it have a monster core or something like that?"
Sherine bent down and picked up the decapitated head. She narrowed her eyes on the sturdy cave wall and threw the monster's head as if she was playing handball. The head exploded, scattering blood and brain fluid all over the place.
"I don't see any monster cores," Sherine said with a naive smile. "Do you?"
Her innocent method of testing amazed him. Sherine was an introvert with a twisted sense of common sense, and he expected nothing less from a half dragon and half goddess.
"I almost forgot about extracting its soul. What was the method again?"
[Extract.]
"Extract?" he repeated the words that came up to him in the form of a system prompt.
White flames engulfed the corpse, melting its flesh along with its bones. The spontaneous cremation left a tiny white wisp in its wake. The wisp hovered for a moment, then darted into Zephyr's chest.
[Soul Essence +30]
'The power of a Nether Soul Empyrean.'
Despite Riven's looks, he was a true god, and his powers were even stronger than his daughter.
'I was joking around with such a being.'
Zephyr's lips curled into a smile. "Let's find the town before night."
He wasn't interested in spending his night with these monsters. But where should he go in this vast forest without any map? He decided to climb a tree for a better understanding of the forest.
He stood before the tallest tree he could find around and gazed up at its brilliance. He took one step at a time and carefully reached the top, doing his best to not let his eyes wander down. The scene at the top left him speechless. Even though he loved green, seeing it everywhere annoyed him a bit.
He protected his eyes from the shimmering rays of the sun. In the sun's direction, a gray tower stood, almost invisible.
'Got it.'
As he prepared to descend the tremendously tall tree, a weak chirp reached him. He looked around for the source. A hawk with white feathers gazed at him with soft, beady eyes. The frightened bird shivered visibly within a small hole inside the tree.
'Sick? Not my problem.'
He went down a few meters before climbing back up. The eagle's eyes looked teary as it pleaded for help. He rubbed the back of his head. The bird reminded him of his powerless struggle against his disease. A bird in the same boat as previous him softened his heart. He never felt the same level of emotions for someone else. After all, he had seen many patients struggle in various hospitals.
"Sherine?"
"Yes?"
"Can you come up here?"
Since his own power was insufficient, he decided to ask his companion for some help.