Chapter 9 - Nasty Woman

She didn't listen and followed him whilst throwing curses left, right and centre.

After realising that she wasn't going to stop, he glared at her.

"If you don't stop following me, I will make you regret it," He said, his tone ice cold.

"Not until you give me my potion,"

" I will make your life miserable! So just give me one and I will call it even," Arthur glared at her for a second.

Thinking about it for a second, he nodded his head.

"Fine, I will give it to you." He said, as he took out a health potion out of his inventory and handed it to her.

After taking the health potion, her angry expression turned into a smirk before turning around and leaving.

Arthur looked at her leaving, memorising her face and figure.

'I can't deal with her right now. But, I will make her pay for this when the time is right,' He thought, as he turned around and left the village heading outside to level up.

"I need to farm, I'm sure people have already reached level 5 and chosen their class" He muttered, as he killed a corroded rabbit with ease dropping another backpack.

[You have slain a corroded rabbit]

[Backpack (Uncommon) has been dropped]

"Damn, that cat's talent is actually too op." He muttered as he picked up the backpack.

"To think that I am getting Uncommon rank items from these low-level mobs,"

A smirk formed on his face, as he realised that he would be getting higher-ranked items later when he fights stronger monsters.

Arthur glanced at Hank, a grin stretching across his face.

"Alright, Hank, you know the drill. Use that Scout talent of yours and find us some easy targets."

Hank, perched proudly on his shoulder, let out an enthusiastic shriek before taking to the sky.

Arthur watched him soar proudly in the air, scanning the area with his scout skill.

It didn't take long for Hank to locate a promising group that screamed money to Arthur.

The hawk let out a sharp call to Arthur and darted to the east, leading Arthur toward a small clearing.

A few minutes later, they came upon their prey, a group of five Corroded Beetles out and about, their greenish shells thicker than wood.

They looked nasty but relatively harmless, each only around level 2, which was a perfect setup for an easy farm for equipment.

"Five beetles?" Arthur murmured, as he readied himself. "It's like they've lined up just for us."

"Hank, go wait above them," Arthur instructed, as he followed behind.

Hank swooped down, circling above as he awaited Arthur's command.

Arthur couldn't help but smirk.

"Time to make some money."

But before he charged, he couldn't resist glancing over his shoulder toward a certain nearby tree stump.

And, of course, there she was—Neko, the legendary Primordial beast he summoned, lazing on her side, one paw raised as she casually licked it.

She didn't even glance in their direction, clearly immersed in her own world.

"Oh, don't mind us, Neko," Arthur muttered sarcastically. "We're only going to be risking our lives here while you… nap. Again."

Neko, unbothered by Arthur's provocation continued grooming herself as though he were an annoying background noise.

Arthur rolled his eyes. "What a summon, truly primordial."

"Alright, Hank, let's show her what a real work ethic looks like!" Arthur shouted, tightening his grip on his weapon.

Hank shrieked in agreement, diving in a wide arc as he prepared for his part in the attack.

With a battle cry, Arthur charged forward, swinging his stone sword with confidence as he met the first beetle head-on.

His sword landed with a satisfying crack against the beetle's shell.

-10 HP

The beetle stumbled back, its legs flailing in the air.

Arthur smirked readying himself for another strike, but before he could finish it off, one of the other beetles let out a low hiss and charged at him, its tiny feet clicking aggressively.

"Oh, wow, scary stuff," Arthur quipped, sidestepping the beetle's slow-motion attack with exaggerated flair.

"A beetle with an attitude problem? Am I attacking your wife, sir?"

As he danced around the beetles avoiding their weak attacks, Hank swooped down, landing a quick strike on one of the beetles' backs with his talons.

-6 HP

The beetle spun in a dizzy circle, clearly dazed by the hit.

Hank immediately lifted off again, his timing perfect.

They'd gotten used to each other's roles, and it showed in the way they switched attacks so effortlessly.

Their coordination was much better than when they attacked the Wild Boar.

"Great work, Hank!" Arthur called out, delivering another solid blow to a beetle in front of him.

As he whirled around to face the next one, his eyes caught Neko still lazing around.

By this point, she'd found herself a sunny patch, where she had curled up with her eyes closed, clearly uninterested in their mortal combat with these low-level creeps.

"Oh, don't get up to help or anything," he muttered sarcastically.

"I mean why would you right? It's not like I summoned you to fight with me..."

"Damn it, this game hates me too." He spat out, as he looked at Neko lazing around.

"They could've game me some overpowered dragon that would make me ride it to the top of this game... but they had to give me a lazy cat."

"Sigh!"

Meanwhile, one of the beetles had managed to crawl behind Arthur and went in for a nibble on his boot.

He felt a sharp pinch on his ankle and let out a yelp.

"Hey! Are you a pervert? Why are you licking my ankles?"

"Do you have a flipping foot fetish you weirdo?"

Hank realising that Arthur was cornered, quickly swooped in just in time, grabbing the pesky beetle with his talons and tossing it a few feet away.

"Thanks, Hank," Arthur said, giving the hawk a thumbs-up as he dusted himself off.

"If it weren't for you, I'd be sexually harassed by a beetle."

Another beetle tried to sneak up on Arthur, thinking that it would work again. But Arthur looked down at it, amused.

"Wow. Bold move, little guy," he said, stepping away from the beetle.

The beetle was determined to eat his toes.

"You want to taste my feet so bad?"

"Alright, eat this."

Arthur stomped down the beetle's unprotected head turning it to mash, then turned to see Hank delivering the final blow on another beetle.

Only one beetle remained, which was now scuttling back in a desperate attempt to flee away.

"Oh no, you don't," Arthur said, striding forward to cut off its escape. "We can't let you go back and tell your clan about us."

Hank let out a screech, and they both dealt a blow to the last beetle.

[You have slain a Corroded Beetle.]

As the last beetle disintegrated, Arthur leaned on his sword, catching his breath, feeling slightly exhausted.

He turned back to find Neko still lying in her sunny spot, now sprawled out as if she'd just had the busiest day of her life.

"Wow, Neko," he called out, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "How is the breeze over there, do you want some air conditioner?"

Neko cracked one eye open, giving him a lazy blink before promptly closing it again.

She shifted slightly, curling up tighter, and resumed her nap.

Arthur sighed while rolling his eyes.

"Alright, Hank," he said, a grin spreading across his face. "That was pretty good. Do you think you can find us another group?"

Hank gave an enthusiastic shriek, flapping his wings as he soared upward, clearly ready for another hunt.