[Exploration Mission: Get a World Map and explore at least 0.005% of the world.]
[Rewards: A – Rank Summoning Scroll.]
[Duration: 85 days]
'Since I got the Strengthening Potion and Fire Explosive Magic Scroll, I shouldn't worry about leaving the tower on my own. I just need to get a map of the first floor and navigate the forest. It's time I check out what the Summoning Scroll is. An A-Rank item seems promising.'
After roaming around the town one more time before leaving, Leonard acquired a map of the first floor for free. His excitement couldn't be contained as he learned more about the world on this floor.
There were at least three different areas inside the first floor, excluding the center area since it differs for each Hunter or party. The first area, where he had come from and where he currently was, was the Green and Purple Forest. Based on the name, he assumed it was taken from the surrounding plants. It was located in the south, which aligned with the Zack Republic's location on the outside world map.
The other areas were the Winter Forest and Summer Forest. All of the areas were forest-inspired, making him ponder if there were any natives on this floor based on the biome type.
'Well, the monsters are the natives. If there were high-intelligence natives here, they'd probably hide from humans due to their differences and could be mistaken for monsters as well. It's not something I should be too interested in.'
Knowing himself well was already an advantage in his journey to become a good summoner. Getting distracted by simple curiosity would only drag him away from his goal.
'But, if there's something interesting about them, I might try to learn.' Setting aside the possible existence of high-intelligence beings, Leonard continued on his way out of the tower.
"Since there's an entrance to the northwest, just a few kilometers away, it shouldn't be a problem to go there myself." Leonard prepared, checking his inventory to see what he had brought from the town.
[Inventory]
[Fire Explosive Magic Scroll] [Strengthening Potion (1/30)]
Nodding in satisfaction, he ventured out of the town. Passing through the short gate with high vigilance, he navigated the foliage.
The first few minutes went well, but after a few more minutes of trekking the uneven terrain of the forest, he found the trip tiring and boring.
"Being without Zeus is different. But this isn't uninteresting. I'm enjoying being alone…" he mumbled, only to realize later that he was just fooling himself.
Even though Leonard wanted to seriously pursue the path of a summoner, ignoring the words of other Players about the Summoner Class, there was still a part of him that longed to be a mage or at least a warrior. Since this was a fantasy world, that interest couldn't easily be shaken.
"I bet those main characters from fantasy novels enjoy getting cheats. I wonder what kind of emotions they feel when they suddenly become powerful. I don't find it interesting—jumping into the embodiment of strength within the blink of an eye."
The world had much to offer, but Leonard's interests were still vague. His previous life still clouded his pure intentions, leaving him unsure of the true path to his goal.
"Even though life is about surviving, earning money, achieving satisfaction with the world's feats, or creating a legacy to become known, there's still something about life that makes it feel redundant or mundane, despite the achievements."
As he continued pondering, Leonard didn't notice the light coming from the direction ahead of him. There was also a faint voice—a young lady, ragged and wounded, carrying her quiver and broken long bow.
Her rough breaths carried the heaviness of her near-death experience just moments ago. As a normal Hunter, powerless unlike Players, she had pushed herself to the limits to survive. Her party, with whom she had entered the tower, was now at risk, and she had no idea of their fate.
"This wouldn't have happened if I hadn't overestimated ourselves." Her face grimaced as she ran behind a tree, leaning against it in exhaustion. "Now, my party is…"
She couldn't finish her words as a rumble shook the ground, the vibrations extending to Leonard's position, making him more alert.
Leonard prepared himself, looking around, trying to sense the source of the movement. The vibrations were stronger in the direction ahead of him, so he planned to move south, but then he heard the faint shout of a woman.
His legs stopped involuntarily. "No, keep going. That could just be confusion," he muttered to himself, trying to convince himself to escape whatever danger lay ahead. However, the faint shout continued to be audible, making it clear that it was from a human.
'What if it's a monster?' he thought, but his calculated caution slowly dissipated as he realized something. 'There's no danger greater than what a normal human could handle. This is the first floor. What am I even thinking?'
Disgraced by his cowardice, Leonard stayed put, the tremors getting stronger as if a huge entity was approaching. With a prepared stance, he hid behind a huge tree, peeking out for incoming danger. And just as he had anticipated, a being the same height as the surrounding trees, almost towering, walked in his direction. His eyes squinted as he followed a small being being chased, which he assumed was the owner of the voice he had heard.
'That is a huge monster,' he commented, forgetting about the earlier calculation and stepping out of his comfort zone. Leonard thought this was a challenge he must overcome to prove to himself he wasn't the coward he had thought. 'Whatever. There's no way I would live in a fantasy world cowering from danger. Danger is another element of fantasy novels.'
With a wide grin, Leonard watched as a young woman approached, adorned in an ugly, torn leather outfit, carrying a quiver on her back and holding a broken long bow. The creature behind her was a humanoid with dark blue skin and had a striking similarity to a chanak's appearance, but it had a huge glowing stone on its forehead.
"What kind of behemoth is that?"
The young woman, running for her life, noticed Leonard from afar. Her fading hope began to reappear as she pushed herself to where he stood. Leonard, noticing the woman's intention, shook his head.
PassingNote: Let's have a trade.
For every 50 power stones, I will provide a bonus chapter. After chapter 15, the novel will be updated twice a day.