By this time of midnight, only fewer people would be spotted on the streets of Solara Kingdom, and almost all of them were ranked.
One of the ranked individuals was Zephyrion, holding the war hammer named Skullsplitter, which he covered with some clothing on his hand.
The hammer was too large, and Zephyrion didn't want anyone to spot him with it, so he avoided people on his way and used the tall buildings' shadows to his advantage.
After a few minutes of walking through different streets portal, Zephyrion would finally see the outline of a forest just a few distances away.
The forest was enveloped with what seems like a transparent barrier which glow after each five seconds. Its size was imposing, spanning several meters in radius and it covered the entire forest like a dome.
"I guess this is the Forest Of Shadow, huh?" Zephyrion spoke with a sense of certainty as he observed the forest before him. It was identical to the image he saw on the computer screen earlier.
Approaching the mysterious barrier, Zephyrion cautiously extended his hand to explore its texture. To his astonishment, his fingertips seemed to effortlessly penetrate the barrier, and it crossed the other side.
"Hmm, if I guess correctly, human should be able to pass this barrier easily but no beast inside this forest stands a chance," Zephyrion muttered under his breath as he toy with the barrier for a few seconds.
Satisfying his curiosity, Zephyrion tightened his grip on the hammer's sturdy handle as he prepared himself to cross the barrier. He didn't know what was waiting for him on the other side and he understands the wisdom of being better safe than sorry as he took his first step.
Just as he arrived at the forest, Zephyrion suddenly sense danger and his hair stand out on end, with swiftness, he placed the war hammer in front of him and then....
BAAM
Zephyrion's hand throbbed with pain, a numbing sensation spreading through his arm as his feet skidded several steps backward before he regained his balance.
Shocked, he gaze forward and before him loomed a menacing creature with the form resembling that of a deadly serpent. The beast was purple and covered in all scales, its eyes were bloodshot and a low hiss escaped from its bared fangs, sending shivers down Zephyrion's spine.
Cold sweat broke out on Zephyrion's forehead. This was his first time seeing a beast and just now, if he react a second later, he would surely be dead.
With lightning speed, the serpent lunged at Zephyrion once more, closing the gap instantly. As it drew near, it opened it jaw wide, as if to swallow Zephyrion in one clear swoop.
Zephyrion didn't dare to be careless, he gathered his strength on the war hammer and swung it horizontal, meeting the beast head on.
"Boom." Upon contact, the snake was sent flying away, colliding on the barrier by the side and slowly slid to the ground."
[The host has killed a basic-tier beast named Serphide]
[100 exp points gained]
[First time killing a basic-tier beast, 200 experience points gained]
[First time killing Serphide beast, 100 experience points gained]
[Congratulations to the host for leveling up to level 5]
"That's it? Zephyrion was surprised at the system series of message, he gaze at the purple serpent on the ground and indeed, no movement could be detected from the creature.
It was only after he walked toward it he understands why the creature could die so easily like that. There was was a deep dent the shape of the hammer on the creature's head and its once bloodshot eyes were now empty, vacantly staring into the distance.
"Hehe, who asked you to be so arrogant just now? Acting like the mighty young master benshao of the snake sect?" Zephyrion chuckled as he extend his hands toward the mouth of the lifeless serpent.
It's important to note that when Zephyrion wields the war hammer, his strength increases by fifteen, making his strength stats the highest. Additionally, the hammer, being an intermediate weapon, is exceptionally powerful.
Using his strength, Zephyrion rip the body of the serpent into two. With his understanding of beast creatures, there should be beast core inside the body of serpent and it wasn't long before he spotted a glowing crystal in the puddle of blood on the ground.
[The host is in contact with a basic-tier beast core]
[Would the host like to refine this core to gain 5 attribute points or coins?"]
"Hmm, five attributes point."
["The refining process begins."]
After that, the crystal was covered by a dazzling light and in a second, vanished from Zephyrion's grasp.
[The refining process completed, and the host had been granted 5 attribute points.]
Seeing the vanished beast core triggered a memory in Zephyrion's mind, and suddenly, he recalled something.
"Hey system, do you have inventory? Something like storage space, used to keep objects inside?"
[.....Yes host]
"Errhh, if you have it, then why is it not showing on the status screen?"
[I forgot to add it]
"You, a whole system, forgot to add it?"
[..... Yes]
"Why do I feel you're lying, like you intentionally hide it from me?" Zephyrion sighed. He was getting tired of this system.
Had the system mentioned the inventory earlier, he wouldn't have had to move around with the heavy hammer, wandering the streets and looking like a fool.
But how will he know that the system indeed forgets about this kind of thing. In fact, there are many things the system hadn't add to the status screen but was just too lazy to reveal them.
[Inventory has been added]
[The host can now access inventory]
[The host just need to hold an object, think about it disappearing and it will vanish]
Zephyrion didn't open his status screen to check whether or not inventory was added. He was in a dangerous forest and anything was possible. He wouldn't let his guard down.
Looking around, it was now that Zephyrion finally have the time to scan his surrounding.
The forest was filled with towering, gnarled trees and, strangely, all of them were black. What was more obvious was a thick, dark, oppressive fog blankets that covered the entire forest, making visibility to a mere two meters ahead an impossible feat.
"This forest is truly worthy of it shadow name, huh." Zephyrion acknowledge as he tightened his grip on the hammer handle. He was standing at the outer layer of the forest, but he would sense the heavy aura in the air.
"The academy resumption date is just two weeks away and I need to grow stronger quickly, I can't enter the academy looking weak like this," Zephyrion said and with determination, walked deeper into the forest.
He had barely covered a mere hundred steps when a bloodthirsty growl suddenly resonated beside him. In a flash, Zephyrion swiveled his head towards the origin, only to find a formidable creature on all fours, its mouth stained with fresh blood.
"Shit, a magical type beast!"
======
(A/N):
Please vote with powerstones for more daily chapters, guys.