In a dimly lit place under a growing wooden tree, Wallace stood completely still, his eyes tightly closed, surrounded by an eerie silence.
The predator suit still clung to his body, its sleek design highlighting his strong presence.
A sudden change in the air startled him, and he quickly opened his eyes, showing a glimmer of determination.
Without hesitation, he swiftly turned around, his strong muscles coiling with deadly accuracy.
In a swift flurry of movement, his three sharp claws cut through the darkness, breaking the stillness like a sharp blade.
The loud metallic 'swing!' broke the silence, followed by a sickening 'splurt' as a stream of green, thick liquid spray splashed on his face.
The strong smell of decay filled the air as a huge assassin bug, as big as a lurking hound, fell to the ground.
Wallace dropped to his knees, his eyes fixed on the lifeless creature in front of him. But it wasn't just one; it was a horrifying scene of destruction, a graveyard of these strange beings.
His armored hand cautiously reached out, getting closer to the creature's oozing blood, a mix of curiosity and disgust on his face.
"Hmmm... their numbers seem to be decreasing, or maybe it's because I've already killed a whole lot of them," Wallace said out loud, his voice filled with a mix of awe and disbelief.
Soon his face would change and mumble, "Hehe, I feel sorry for the knights…" with a giggle.
The discovery was incredible.
Butler Mendez 'claim about these 'True Beasts' seemed untrue, he said they were rarely seen but how come there's a whole lot of them here.
Yes, here they were, killed by his own very hands.
"Doesn't matter, I still need to hunt them down for tomorrow. The system did not say anything bad would happen if the knights failed on their mission, so yeah, I don't mind…"
Determination coursed through his veins, urging him to wipe out these evil creatures once and for all.
He had a plan, a foolproof strategy to hunt them down: a simple attack on their nest.
Their weak existence would crumble under his strength, which he had gained through playing the virtual game "Predator versus Aliens."
However, Wallace's initial plan had failed, halted by the creatures' magic ability to disappear in the shadows.
Every attempt to capture them was met with their quick disappearance, vanishing into the dim covers of the forest without leaving a trace.
It made him frustrated, he felt like giving up. So, he concocted a plan, by waiting patiently, hiding in a dim part of the forest—where they usually appear, pretending not to know their existence.
It was a calculated risk, a risk that paid off with this surprise attack.
The once elusive creatures now lay scattered on the ground, lifeless and defeated.
As Wallace finished examining the lifeless bodies in front of him, a surge of curiosity filled his voice.
"What should I do with these 'True beasts cores'?" he wondered out loud, his armored hand revealing a captivating, yellow-green marble-like object.
These cores held the key to extracting magic crystals, but the process required taking them to the Kingdom, where they would undergo rigorous testing, inevitably resulting in the destruction of many of these priceless treasures.
Too much hassle, very energy consuming, time wasting and unreliable result for Wallace.
A flicker of uncertainty crossed his face as he considered another option.
"Should I just leave these bodies untouched, letting the dead assassin bugs decompose naturally, with their magical beasts cores still inside? Maybe then, they will eventually transform into marvelous magic crystals." The idea seemed possible, but Wallace couldn't help but question himself.
"But if I abandon them here, the Mana Knights will easily take them tomorrow, making their mission too simple. What choice should I make? And do magic bags even exist?
"Furthermore, Butler Mendez stated that these cores would have a greater chance of not forming into magic crystals if they were not sent to the Kingdom."
Yet, amid his doubts, a glimmer of hope sparked in Wallace's mind.
His gaze fell on his wrist, and there, like a guiding light from the future, rested a strange bracelet.
With a determined click, the air around him shimmered, and a familiar screen appeared before his eyes.
The sight left him wide-eyed with wonder.
Ding!
[ … ]
"Oh... it appeared!" Walace exclaimed, his voice filled with a mix of surprise and joy.
This otherworldly other screen had only ever appeared when he received a magic crystal from the Mana Knights, and he had never expected it to function in this way too in the magical beast core in his hands.
Wallace's heart raced as he reached out his trembling hand toward the second monitor screen.
[ … ]
Doubt ate at him, unsure if what he expected on this screen would give the desired results. But fueled by his curious mind, he didn't waste time and carefully placed the assassin bug beast core onto the monitor's surface.
A sharp, metallic sound echoed through the whole forest, indicating the core had vanished into the depths of the machine.
Kaching!
In an instant, a new image appeared on the screen, along with a message that sent shivers down Wallace's spine.
[ Converting core: 1 percent..." ]
The screen system read aloud with mechanical voice, while Wallace's eyes fixed on the screen.
The seconds felt like an eternity as he watched the number climb rapidly, changing from [ 1 percent ] to a triumphant [ 100 percent ] in a breathtaking display of speed.
Before his unbelieving eyes, another message appeared, illuminating the monitor with its revelation.
[ Ding!
[ Crawler Magic Crystal obtained! ]
This made his mouth wide open, almost touching the floor with his jaw.
Without hesitation, Wallace checked his inventory to confirm his newfound acquisition.
The inventory screen flickered to life, confirming his victory.
[ Ding!
[ Magic Crystals:
[ 1. Neutral Magic Crystals (205).
[ Crawler Magic Crystals (1). ]
A surge of joyful blood rushed through Wallace's ears, enabling him to create a series of claps with it.
The core had indeed transformed into a magic crystal, and not just any magic crystal, but a Crawler Magic Crystal—a rare specimen he had yet to come across.
"Oh crap..." he muttered, what a surprise.
Though unaware of its purpose, Wallace instinctively recognized the value of such a unique discovery.
With a firm decision, he vowed to gather the remaining cores from the dead giant assassin bugs, eager to unlock the secrets hidden within their "True Beast" cores.
"So, this magic crystal is of the insect type," Wallace pondered with a smile on his face. This made his adventure here feel like this moment was not wasted.
With determination etched on his face, he set off to the deceased bodies of the assassin bugs and collect as many cores as possible, driven by the allure of just collecting them.
Suddenly, Wallace felt the ground tremble.