The only wild monster Daniel had previously encountered was a demonic lizard, a peculiar and somewhat monotonous experience. He vividly recalled slaying over twenty of these creatures, each one fading away in an instant as if absorbed by an unseen force, leaving the ground immaculate.
This time, however, the two demonic foxes he faced were different. One vanished just like the lizards, but the other lay still on the ground, inviting curiosity. Tentatively, Daniel approached and slipped the fox's corpse into his backpack. To his delight, it worked.
"Wow, some monster corpses can be collected," he mused. Though the fox didn't seem edible, its fur, sharp teeth, and claws could prove useful. He would take it back to study later.
After securing the fox, Daniel eagerly scoured the area for more items, but disappointment soon followed. Neither of the foxes had dropped any equipment.
"This isn't scientific!" he frowned, a wave of doubt washing over him. "This world feels like a game, where monsters should drop loot. I could overlook the lizards not dropping anything, but how could these foxes be so stingy? Is it that monsters here don't drop gear at all, or is the drop rate so low that I just haven't seen it?"
In this vast realm, he was the lone "player," unable to seek answers from anyone. The village chief and the others would never understand his confusion; for them, this was reality, devoid of game mechanics.
With no answers in sight, Daniel pressed on, determined to discover whether monsters would yield equipment. If they didn't, he'd have to chalk it up to bad luck. Who could he even complain to? There was no one to voice his grievances.
Despite having slain two demonic foxes, Daniel felt anything but safe. At level two, he knew that encountering a higher-level monster could spell disaster. He moved cautiously, eyes scanning his surroundings like a radar.
Fortunately, before finding the first herb he sought, he avoided any further monster encounters.
"Green Vine Grass: Intermediate-level herb, can be used as medicine."The simple description didn't faze him; he recognized it immediately as the target he needed. An excited gleam sparked in his eyes as he grabbed the herb shovel, carefully digging up the green vine grass and treating it like a treasure. To his joy, he discovered ten plants clustered nearby—enough to fulfill Pharmacist Li's request. Thankfully, these herbs stacked in his backpack; otherwise, he would have been at a loss for how to carry them all.
Maybe luck was finally on his side. After the green vine grass, he quickly found several other herbs that Pharmacist Li required. The digging process went smoothly; he hadn't encountered a single monster.
"Just the Purple Flame Fruit left. Once I find it, I'll have completed the task!" he thought, searching carefully with hopeful anticipation.
"Found it!" he exclaimed, spotting the coveted herb. However, his smile faded into a grim expression. Next to the Purple Flame Fruit lay a massive creature resembling a tiger. Its eyes were closed, appearing to be asleep, yet the aura radiating from it felt intense, like waves crashing against him.
This was a formidable foe!
Quickly, Daniel ducked behind some grass and used the Identification Technique on the creature.
"Gorgeous Evil Tiger: Level 10. Aggressive monster. Extremely high agility, as powerful as a small mountain, with formidable attack and defense. Skills??? "
The revelation took Daniel by surprise. This monster towered over him by a full eight levels. He wasn't foolish enough to think he could take on the Gorgeous Evil Tiger single-handedly.
Before he could formulate a plan to retrieve the Purple Flame Fruit, the tiger suddenly raised its massive head, as if waking from a deep slumber. Its eyes opened wide, vigilant as they scanned the surroundings. The powerful aura surrounding it pressed down on Daniel, heavy and oppressive.
His heart raced as he dropped low to the ground, careful not to make a sound. Thankfully, the lush grass concealed him perfectly. The Gorgeous Evil Tiger scanned the area, but eventually lowered its head and returned to sleep.
"That was close," Daniel thought, releasing a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Cold sweat drenched his back.
Yet the tiger's vigilance posed a dilemma: how could he dig out the Purple Flame Fruit without alerting it? The tiger's reaction reminded him of when he used the Identification Technique on Sofia during recess; she had looked at him warily, just like this creature.
"Could it be that the target senses the use of the Identification Technique? But when I used it on that guy Liu Guang, he didn't react at all," Daniel pondered, his mind swirling with questions.
"I need to ask the village chief about this when I return. He might have answers." After all, he had taught Daniel the technique.
But right now, the most pressing issue was figuring out how to retrieve the Purple Flame Fruit without alarming the Gorgeous Evil Tiger. Given Daniel's level two status, a direct confrontation was out of the question. Leveling up wasn't feasible either; he had no idea how long it would take or how much experience he might gain from slaying monsters. If he took too long, Pharmacist Li might be unhappy, rendering his task pointless.
He had to think quickly. As Daniel stared at the herb shovel in his hand, a spark of inspiration ignited.
Of course! Since this world closely mirrored reality, he could approach the problem practically. While he couldn't defeat the Gorgeous Evil Tiger head-on, there were ways to trap or even defeat it.
For instance, he could set a trap! The herb shovel felt like a magical tool, perfectly suited for digging a pit. With a trap, capturing the Gorgeous Evil Tiger—or even killing it—was no longer a mere fantasy.
Without wasting a moment, Daniel retreated carefully, maintaining a safe distance from the tiger before beginning to dig. He worked cautiously, knowing that even the slightest noise could rouse the fearsome beast. If that happened, he would find himself in grave danger.