An enormous ogre, adorned with necklaces made of bones and sharp teeth, hanging around his thick neck. Ogre bore red tattoos on his body and face, resembling etchings made with blood. He wore an expression of both ferocity and weariness on his face. He gripped a massive war hammer in his hands and stood at a towering height of over 14 feet. Nearby lay the lifeless bodies of other ogres, gradually fading away into bright, tiny beads of light.
The ogre glared at the vanishing bodies of his comrades and let out an enraged roar, "GRAAAARH!" He raised his massive hammer, intent on smashing the human standing before him. However, before he could bring the hammer down, a swift sword strike severed the ogre's head from his body, causing it to fall to the ground. The severed head displayed a frozen expression of anger.
"Tha... tha... thanks, Captain Acks," stammered the brown-haired soldier, expressing his gratitude to the bald mercenary captain who had saved him from the clutches of the ogre warrior.
Captain Acks gripped his great sword, its blade bearing traces of blue blood that slowly dissipated into luminous beads of light. His gaze swept across the scene, taking in the lifeless bodies, and he inquired, "Have we dealt with all the ogres?"
"No, Captain, one ogre got away," replied another mercenary with braided hair. The news furrowed Captain Acks' brow as he asked, "In which direction?"
The braided-haired mercenary pointed in the town's direction.
….
"Damn, how many times will I get knocked out today?" Aarya mused as he slowly regained consciousness. Blinking his eyes open, he found himself staring at the lifeless body of the ogre, a small hole beside his right eye. "I got lucky," he muttered, looking at the gun lying beside him.
As Aarya looked closer, he noticed small beads of light emanating from the ogre's body. Curiosity piqued, he cautiously approached, expecting excruciating pain. To his surprise, there was none. "Why am I not feeling any pain?" Aarya wondered. He examined himself, noticing that his clothes were tattered and soiled, but there was no sign of injury. Even the wound on his head and his previously broken bones appeared to be miraculously healed.
"How? I was on the verge of death," Aarya thought. Seeking answers, he opened his status screen.
[Level 3 (5/20 exp)
Name: Aarya Ditew
Species: Human male
Occupation: None
Strength: 3
Agility: 4
Dexterity: 4
Intelligence: 7
Mana: 9
Skills :- Internet (EX), Orgasm for money(L)
SP(status point):- 10
OP(orgasm point):- 200 ]
"I've levelled up!" he exclaimed.
"So levelling up restores health," he understood as he glanced at the disappearing corpse of the monster. 'Will it leave drops?' Aarya wondered in anticipation.
Just after some time, the monster's corpse vanished completely in light, leaving behind its broken club and a small, oval blue gem emitting the same hue. Surprise flickered across Aarya's face as he beheld the crystal. When the blue crystal materialised, an instant window also opened.
[ Second Grade Mana Core ]
'I could also see this window on the ogre's head,' Aarya thought. He picked up the small, marble-sized, flat, oval-shaped blue gem. 'Then why can't I see it on everybody else? What's special about this gem and the ogre?'
Drawing from his previous memory, Aarya knew that these mana cores were used for making potions and powering various magic tools. He recalled that the walls of his room once had mana-powered lamps, but they had to be sold because they couldn't afford to buy mana cores to keep them running.
Aarya inspected the club the ogre had used, but no window appeared, leaving a perplexed expression on his face. He pondered, but couldn't find an immediate answer, so he placed the issue on the back burner and retrieved the blue mana core.
'Where did this ogre come from? We don't have any dungeons nearby, nor are there any humanoid monsters near Dunsany,' he contemplated. The sound of someone approaching caught his ear, prompting Aarya to pick up the gun and the fallen casing. He concealed the gun at the back of his waist, hidden within his pants, and tucked the shell casing into his pocket.
The footsteps revealed the identity of the person, and when Aarya saw her, he sighed in relief.
Inse, seated in her study, heard the commotion within her home and hastily made her way towards it. Upon arriving at the scene and spotting Aarya, her heart skipped a beat. With terror and concern etched across her face, she rushed towards him.
Aarya smiled as Inse approached, her concern washing over him. When she reached him, her eyes fell upon his dirt-covered clothes, and a torrent of questions poured out.
"What happened? Are you hurt? What happened?" Inse's voice quivered with fear.
Aarya, slightly taken aback by Inse's display of concern, smiled reassuringly. "I'm not hurt, Mother. Look, no injuries," he said, attempting to calm her. Inse, still trembling with fear, checked Aarya for any signs of harm. Finding none, she calmed slightly and inquired, "What happened here?"
Aarya recounted the entire ordeal, not withholding any details, including the purchase of the gun in exchange for the money they had earned the previous night. As Inse listened to his account, she pulled him into a tight embrace, her voice breaking as she whispered, "Thank the gods you're safe. Thank the gods." Tears streamed down her face.
For Aarya, it had been a long time since he had experienced such emotions directed towards him. It made him feel a warmth he hadn't felt in ages. However, this newfound feeling soon turned to guilt.
Crying, Inse muttered, "It's all my fault. I should have been here. You shouldn't have been alone."
Aarya, hearing her distress, sought to console her. "Mother, it's not your fault. How could you have known this would happen? Besides, I'm completely unharmed. So please, don't blame yourself."
Inse, her blue eyes brimming with tears, responded, "But I knew there were monsters near us, and still, I didn't do anything to protect us. I should have protected you."
Aarya was taken aback. "You knew there were monsters nearby?"