Alex leapt into the air, executing a swift flip as his sword sliced cleanly through the Poisonous Marsh Lizard's head, splitting it in two.
The monster had lunged at him with terrifying speed and agility, but Alex's precise timing turned the attack into its demise.
Alex landed smoothly, his feet sinking slightly into the marshy ground, while the severed body of the Poisonous Marsh Lizard fell with a thud behind him. Its toxic, greenish-black blood spattered across the wet soil, sizzling where it landed.
"This guy looks smaller than the one in the description and photos from the monster encyclopaedia. Still, it's native to these toxic swamps, and several of its parts are quite valuable. The whole body should fetch a good price." Alex remarked, inspecting the carcass.
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[The Host has killed a F rank Monster]
[+30 XP and +1 SP]
==============================
"Oh, so this guy is an F-rank monster, not an E-rank one. No wonder it's smaller." Alex mused, noticing the system notification confirming the creature's rank. Typically, Poisonous Marsh Lizards are classified as E-rank monsters, much larger in size.
Despite being larger than the size of a monitor lizard from Earth, this one was clearly not fully grown. 'Maybe it was newly hatched?' Alex wondered.
His suspicion proved correct as, moments later, two massive Poisonous Marsh Lizards crawled from the same direction as the smaller one. These newly arrived creatures matched the encyclopedia's description perfectly.
Their dark, iridescent green scales were streaked with black, blending seamlessly into the toxic swamp around them. Their glowing yellow eyes, sharp with predatory intent, were fixed on Alex, while poisonous gas seeped continuously from the sides of their faces.
Massive and deadly, they embodied the apex predators of the poisoned marshlands—feared for their brute strength and lethal venomous attacks.
Initially unsure of the situation, the pair first glanced at Alex, then shifted their gaze to the carcass he was inspecting. Their yellow eyes quickly filled with raw hatred and malice.
Without warning, they struck with terrifying precision and ferocity, moving with surprising speed despite their enormous size. Both lunged toward Alex simultaneously.
The first one came with its jaws wide open, aiming to sink its venomous fangs into him, while the other lashed out with its long, whip-like tail, moving in swift, powerful arcs capable of breaking bones or knocking down any opponent.
As they closed in, their cheeks swelled ominously, releasing a concentrated burst of poisonous gas that quickly enveloped the area. The noxious fumes clouded the surroundings, disorienting and suffocating anything caught within it.
Yet, their assault proved futile. Alex, with unmatched agility, easily dodged the venomous bite and skillfully parried the tail strike with his sword.
The thick toxic smokescreen did little to affect him, but he still backed away slightly to avoid having his vision hindered by the swirling gas.
Seeing their prey escape unharmed, the lizards grew even more aggressive. Their cheeks began to swell once again, preparing to unleash another poisonous gas bomb—this time directly at Alex.
Before they could act, two dark projectiles pierced through the air, striking both creatures in their venom glands. Their swollen cheeks exploded violently, killing them instantly.
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[The Host has killed an E rank Monster] X 2
[+200 XP and +10 SP]
==============================
"Ahh, damn. Their venom glands burst and destroyed their heads." Alex muttered ruefully as he crouched beside the corpses, running his sword's blade along their slick scales. "Still, their body parts are worth a fortune, especially the tails and the scales."
Alex's eyes gleamed with anticipation as he calculated the potential profit. The scales, once properly treated, could be crafted into high-end armor—particularly valuable for adventurers venturing into toxic environments.
The tail's strong, whip-like sinew could be harvested to craft flexible weapons or high-tensile ropes, often used for enchanted or cursed whips.
Without wasting time, Alex swiftly set to work, carefully extracting and storing the remaining intact body parts.
He stood up, scanning the area for any signs of movement before venturing deeper into the marshland. As he moved further in, he took a good look at his surroundings, noting the eerie stillness of the swamp.
The lanky trees around him were draped with creeping vines—dark, twisted tendrils covered in sharp, glass-like thorns. Among them grew wiry flowers with dark red, needle-like leaves knotted in tangled clusters.
These were Venomthorn Vines, infamous for their lethal properties. The thorns secreted a potent venom capable of paralyzing prey almost instantly. Alchemists prized this venom, not only for its use in creating powerful paralysis poisons but also for numbing agents. In carefully diluted forms, it could even be used as a painkiller.
The flowers that bloomed along the vines were called Vileweed. Its petals contained a toxin that could be refined into poisons causing debilitating pain and slow, agonizing death. The leaves, sensitive to movement, would wrap around anything that disturbed them, injecting a paralytic poison—often used to set small but effective traps.
"Guess today's haul just keeps getting better." Alex muttered, eyeing the dangerous plants.
Despite their lethal nature, both the Venomthorn and Vileweed were highly coveted by alchemists and others for their rare, valuable properties. A sly grin crept onto his face as he prepared to harvest what he could.
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆
The marshlands of the Poison Mist Forest were dominated by lizards, particularly the Poisonous Marsh Lizards. While the first Poisonous Marsh Lizard Alex encountered was an F-rank, the rest were all E-rank monsters—larger and more formidable.
Unlike the cunning Treants, who ambushed their prey, these lizards were aggressive and attacked on sight, leaving no room for hesitation. But with his newly acquired skills, Alex was hunting them at an astonishing speed, driving them to near extinction in the area.
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Mastery: D → C
==============================
After countless battles, the mastery of his
As he continued his hunt, Alex found himself deeper in the forest than he had originally planned. Without a proper map, it was difficult to gauge just how far he had ventured into the unknown.
'The sun has already set, and this place is becoming more terrifying by the minute,' he thought, glancing at the growing darkness around him. Although he had night vision, he wasn't eager to face these creatures on their home turf, especially with his stamina already somewhat depleted.
The visibility was growing worse, and nighttime in the Poison Mist Forest meant monsters would become even more active and dangerous. 'Not to mention, the deeper I go, the slower my mana recovery rate becomes. I'm down to just 15% of my total.'
As the sun dipped below the horizon, darkness settled over the forest like a heavy cloak. The weight of his dwindling mana reserves became more pressing, his energy draining faster than it could regenerate.
With swift, fluid movements, Alex began retracing his steps. Thanks to his newly acquired skills—Hunter and Survivalist—finding his way out of the marshlands became much easier.
Any monsters that crossed his path posed no real threat. He dispatched them effortlessly, though he encountered fewer creatures as he neared the exit.
As he made his way back, he couldn't help but reflect on the day's spoils. "Got plenty of Poisonous Marsh Lizard carcasses, some valuable plants and herbs, and a good number of monster cores." he muttered to himself. "Even the upgrade to
His eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he continued through the misty marshlands, already anticipating what the next day might bring.