The Fortress of the Divine Light sprawled like a behemoth city. Even within 24 hours, exploring the outer region while eradicating mutant animals was a tall order.
Zephyr wasn't worried about completing the quest once. It resets, allowing repeat runs as long as the creatures remain. This mission's popularity stemmed from its accessibility. It could be tackled without an Exosuit, relying on the physical enhancements granted by the AP-X Serum. Those mutated animals weren't much more powerful than humans with its boost.
However, efficiency soared with an Exosuit. It drastically increased the "grinding speed," making it a lucrative option before facing frankly formidable foes.
Meanwhile, Zephyr held a dagger, muscles tense as he scanned the forest edge. His voice, low and wary, cut through the silence. "Well, well. Look who's come to play."
Two imposing shapes emerged, red eyes gleaming. Guttural snorts and gnashing teeth sent shivers down one's spine. Those weren't the average gorillas. Towering almost as tall as adults, their size alone fueled the primal fear gnawing within those who stood opposite them.
With a deafening roar, the gorillas pounded their chests in unison, the ground trembling beneath their fury. Without wasting a second, they charged, targeting Zephyr in their arbitrary rage.
The ground trembled, but Zephyr stood firm, eyes sharp as a hawk's, tracking the two raging gorillas. With a synchronized swing, they unleashed a double blow, followed by two more.
BOOM!
The earth buckled under the impact, cracks snaking across the ground like angry scars. Trees swayed, leaves raining down. Yet, Zephyr remained untouched. A single assertive leap propelled him back, placing him just out of reach.
Frustrated, the gorillas roared, their anger fueling their charge. They pursued Zephyr relentlessly, blind to anything but their target.
But this time, Zephyr wasn't just evading. He danced around their attacks, his dagger flashing, leaving shallow cuts on their hulking bodies. The gorillas roared in fury, enraged by their wounds, but the injuries were mere pinpricks to their massive frames.
The forest, once tranquil with emerald grass, echoed with the frustrated roars of the two gorillas. Each time Zephyr danced out of their reach, their bellows seemed to scrape against the very sky.
Minutes bled into one another, the gorillas' screams turning ragged, their charges less frantic. Zephyr, a whirlwind of steel and agility, remained untouched.
"Strength and speed mean nothing without wit," he taunted, his voice a calm counterpoint to the crude outrage around him. He knew the words were wasted on the enraged animals. But the Apex World's volatile atmosphere, while fueling their fury, dulled their instincts.
Normal gorillas, faced with repeated failed attacks and accumulating wounds, would retreat and recognize the danger. These, however, were mindless brutes, driven only by madness.
While each individual cut might have been a mere pinprick, the cumulative effect was undeniable. Both gorillas panted, blood staining their fur crimson, turning the once pristine forest floor into a macabre canvas. The fight wasn't over, but the tide had turned, and the time had come to end the one-sided battle.
Exhaustion choked the gorillas' roars, their once mighty charges reduced to clumsy swipes. Zephyr, a blur of honed reflexes, danced through their attacks, each dodge followed by a precise, flashing strike. Two final, rotating thrusts above their heads, swift and deadly, brought the rampage to a silent end.
He scanned the fallen animals, the data on his Ex-communicator screen silently updating with the kill count. A cold reminder of the brutal truth of the Apex World. A reality that paid well at the Legion Union. But beneath the mercenary sheen, a flicker of something else crossed his eyes. It was the poise and finesse of a seasoned Legion.
At the same time, the System also buzzed. A holographic notification pulsed in his vision.
Ding!
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[Congratulations! The host has cut down 20 rampaging animals...]
[Earns 1 Credit!]
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Zephyr looked at the System's notification. It was the second time today that he had gotten the message after cutting down a total of 40 berserk animals.
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[ Status Window ]
Name: Zephyr Quinn
Vitality: 100/110
Status: Normal
Legacy: Human/Unrefined
Credits: 3
Sync: (Inactive) (Expand)
[ Abilities ] (Expand)
[ System In-store: (N/A) ]
[ Inventory: (0/6) ]
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Zephyr already expected "Credits" as the System's currency. He guessed its potential uses hidden behind the greyed-out "In-store System" tab. Unlike the other tabs, this one remained opaque, hinting at a deeper level of complexity. Similar to the Sync tab.
His fingers, driven by curiosity, tapped the In-store tab out of nowhere, replicating the action he used for Inventory. Nothing. A wry smile played on his lips. "Expecting too much, perhaps?" he mused, a hint of frustration creeping in.
Suddenly, his eyes narrowed. With a focused tap on the Credits tab, a notification materialized.
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[The host finally uses the System to its capacity...]
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Zephyr's brow furrowed. "If you're interactive," he muttered, "why not guide me from the start?" He paused, considering using his thoughts to complain. But before he could, another window flashed into existence.
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Credits: 3
- Sending to Ex-communicator (Exchange)
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Confusion clouded his mind. 'What did it mean?' His brain raced to process the new information, gears turning frantically.
But before Zephyr could understand and learn about it, a jolt of sound lanced through his ears – human screams, not from the Fortress of the Divine Light, but from somewhere to his distant left. Without a second thought, his feet pounded the earth, carrying him toward the edge of the plain.
Below, a group of people fled in terror, their panicked shouts swallowed by the growing roars of three black panthers in hot pursuit. The cliff wasn't a sheer drop, and a patch of smooth, sun-baked grass offered a chance for a quick descent. Zephyr took it, adrenaline a familiar fire in his veins.
As he neared the ground, he launched himself at the rearmost panther, a graceful blur of motion. The animal snarled in surprise, but the other two continued their pursuit, their ebony forms cutting through the sun-drenched landscape.
Using the uneven terrain to his advantage, Zephyr lunged and delivered a lightning-fast strike with his dagger, finding the panther's neck in a precise arc. The animal collapsed instantly, its guttural snarl cut short. Rolling briefly to avoid its flailing claws, he used his left hand to stop and retrieved his bloodied blade, ready to face the remaining threats.
Adrenaline thrummed through Zephyr's veins, yet an icy calm settled in his mind. Though his heart pounded, he kept his breathing steady, his eyes fixed on the fleeing group. He understood their panicked dash - fear painted the world in shades of danger, obscuring even the deadliest escape routes. Because at the end of the path, there lies a dead end for them.
As Zephyr ran, he kicked two pebbles, aiming not to injure the black panthers but to momentarily snag their attention. It was a gamble, one that could backfire spectacularly. But that was already in his calculations.
The first stone arced through the air, connecting squarely with the flank of one animal, drawing its gaze for a fleeting moment. The second missed its mark, bouncing harmlessly away.
The distraction was brief, hardly enough to slow the mutated creatures, but it was enough. In that precious window, Zephyr surged forward, closing the distance between himself and the group.
Zephyr exploded low, a coiled predator unfurling. In a blur of motion, his arm slashed right, a guttural war cry ripping from his throat. Then, in a lightning-fast switch, the swing pivoted, the dagger flashing silver as it met the right black panther's neck.
The animal shuddered, a grotesque marionette with strings severed. Blood erupted, painting the air crimson. Though his blade wasn't long enough for a clean decapitation, Zephyr knew he'd struck true. The panther crumpled, a silent testament to his deadly precision.
Terror pricked the remaining panther. Zephyr's attack had shaken its primal rage, but the warped influence of the Apex World held it captive, fueling its fury. A snarl ripped from its throat, teeth glinting like daggers, as it launched itself in a zig-zagging assault, gathering speed and power for the pounce.
Zephyr stood his ground, dagger flipped in his grip, tip pointed like a viper's strike. His left hand braced his right, a wall against the coming force. The impact hit like a battering ram, sending him staggering back, but the dagger held, piercing the panther's skull with a sickening crunch.
The animal convulsed, a flicker of defiance sparking in its eyes before dying. Even wounded, it lashed out, claws tearing at the air. Zephyr, with a practiced movement, released the dagger and unleashed a powerful kick, driving the blade deeper into the panther's head. It collapsed, a guttural groan escaping its throat as crimson bloomed on the emerald grass.