"What the heck is going on? This summoned beast... why does it feel like it's stronger than me?"
Lily stared blankly at Ethan, her eyes wide with shock.
What just happened was straight out of an action movie—Ethan had effortlessly taken down eight forest wolves in just a few swift moves. His strikes were clean, precise, and devastating.
She was still reeling from the visual spectacle when she noticed Ethan had already turned around and was heading toward another pack of forest wolves.
"Boom!"
Another massive damage number floated above Ethan's Explosive Reaper's Scythe, accompanied by the constant chime of system notifications:
"You gained 10 experience points."
"You gained 10 experience points."
Lily's eyes sparkled with excitement, like a kid who had just stumbled upon a treasure chest.
"This is insane! So satisfying!" she exclaimed, but then her expression shifted slightly as a thought crossed her mind. "But..." Her gaze sharpened, and she began calculating. "The next evolution requires 1,000 evolution points. If we're just farming forest wolves, it's going to take forever."
As she mulled over the numbers, Ethan suddenly stopped moving and scanned his surroundings. Following his gaze, Lily noticed other players starting to appear in the area.
"Huh?" She blinked in surprise, then watched as Ethan turned and, without hesitation, began walking deeper into Silverpine Forest.
"Where's he going?"
Before Lily could even ask, Ethan had already made up his mind. He was heading toward the level 5 Rotting Grizzly hunting grounds.
"Wait! Isn't this spot good enough? Why leave?"
Lily was confused, but Ethan clearly wasn't interested in explaining himself. His steps were steady, purposeful, as if he had already figured everything out.
"More players are showing up," Ethan analyzed calmly. "The level 1 hunting grounds are already cleared out. These people are going to flood the forest wolf area next, hoping to get lucky. In a little while, this place will be packed."
He knew that more players meant more trouble.
"I can't let my secret get out too soon."
Ethan's eyes darkened slightly. He understood all too well how unpredictable players could be. If anyone realized how unusual his summoned beast was, things could get messy.
Would they try to rob him? Gang up on him? Or worse, outright kill him?
These possibilities flashed through his mind one by one.
Even though his current strength far surpassed that of ordinary players, players weren't like wild monsters. They wouldn't just stand there waiting to be slaughtered.
If he got surrounded or targeted by kiting tactics, his current movement speed wouldn't be enough to fight back.
And most importantly, players could respawn after dying. He couldn't.
"I can't take that risk," Ethan thought, his resolve hardening.
Besides, the forest wolves were starting to give diminishing returns. As his level increased, the experience and evolution points he earned from them were gradually decreasing. Each wolf now only gave 8 experience points.
Staying here any longer would be a waste of time.
"Heading to the level 5 hunting grounds is the best choice."
Lily finally snapped out of her thoughts and hurried to catch up.
"Hey! Where are you going? This spot is great! Why leave?"
She chased after him, grumbling as she went. "Oh my god, is he seriously heading to the Rotting Grizzly area?"
Her expression shifted from shock to resignation.
"Little guy, aren't you getting a bit too cocky? Who's the player here, you or me?"
She couldn't help but laugh at herself. "Why does it feel like I'm the one who got summoned instead of you?"
Despite her complaints, Lily stuck close to Ethan, her eyes filled with curiosity.
She watched as Ethan continued to cut through the forest wolves like a hot knife through butter, effortlessly clearing the path ahead. His experience points kept climbing steadily. Her emotions were a tangled mess—equal parts admiration and concern.
"This summoned beast is seriously getting way too cocky."
Lily couldn't help but grumble to herself. "It just barely managed to handle forest wolves, and now it's running off to challenge a level 5 Rotting Grizzly? What's wrong with playing it safe? Why does it feel like it's rushing to its death?"
The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she felt. Finally, she couldn't hold back and tried to talk some sense into him.
"Okay, fine, I was wrong. I shouldn't have thought you were scared of dying. I take it back, alright? Can we just play it safe and level up slowly?"
She chased after him, clasping her hands together in mock prayer, her face full of exaggerated pleading. "Big bro, let's talk this out, okay? I'm begging you, big bro!"
But Ethan didn't even glance at her. His steps remained firm as he headed deeper into Silverpine Forest.
"ROAR—!"
A deep, guttural growl echoed from up ahead, shaking the very air around them.
Lily froze in her tracks, her heart skipping a beat. She looked up and saw a massive Rotting Grizzly slowly emerging from the shadows, its body radiating a sickly, decayed aura.
[Rotting Grizzly]
Level: 5
Attack: 15–30
Defense: 5
HP: 100
Skill: Roar
Description: A mutated bear infected by the undead plague in Silverpine Forest. It possesses immense strength and high attack power but suffers from slow attack speed.
Lily's face turned pale. "We're doomed! This thing has crazy high attack power and 100 HP. How are we supposed to beat that?"
Panicking, she quickly summoned ten slimes, hoping to use them as meat shields to block the Rotting Grizzly's attacks.
But before the slimes could even do anything, the Rotting Grizzly swiped its massive paw twice, smashing them into puddles of green goo.
"You've got to be kidding me!" Lily's eyes widened in disbelief, a wave of despair washing over her.
Ethan, however, remained calm. He stood still, glanced at his stats panel, and a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Evolve Quick Slash."
The system notification chimed immediately:
[Congratulations! You've spent 100 evolution points to upgrade Quick Slash to Level 2.]
A glimmer of excitement flashed in Ethan's eyes. He had just discovered that evolution points weren't limited to improving his stats—they could also be used to enhance his skills!
[Quick Slash (Level 2)]
Effect: Increases attack speed by 60% for 10 minutes.
Mana Cost: 10 MP.
"Not bad. From 30% to 60%." Ethan nodded in satisfaction. "Let's go again."
[Congratulations! You've spent 200 evolution points to upgrade Quick Slash to Level 3.]
[Quick Slash (Level 3)]
Effect: Increases attack speed by 90% for 10 minutes.
Mana Cost: 10 MP.
Ethan studied the updated skill description, his anticipation growing. He had just burned through all the evolution points he'd earned so far, but the results were more than worth it.
"A 90% attack speed boost... I wonder how fast I can swing now."
He activated Quick Slash, and a surge of energy coursed through his body. His movements instantly became sharper and faster.
"1.58 seconds per strike."
Ethan muttered to himself, then raised his head, his gaze locking onto the Rotting Grizzly. His steps were steady, unhurried, as he approached the massive bear.
"ROAR—!"
The Rotting Grizzly let out another deep growl, as if warning Ethan to stay back.
A system notification popped up:
[You've been affected by Rotting Grizzly's Roar. Attack reduced by 10%.]
"So its roar has a debuff effect too?" Ethan raised an eyebrow but didn't slow down. In fact, his pace quickened slightly.
The moment the Rotting Grizzly raised its massive paw and swung it down toward him, Ethan's body shifted. With a quick sidestep, he easily dodged the attack.
In the same instant, his Explosive Reaper's Scythe slashed out, striking the Rotting Grizzly's hind leg with precision.
"CRACK!"
"-39."
The damage wasn't particularly high, but the strike hit a critical joint, causing the Rotting Grizzly's back leg to buckle. Its massive body tilted to the side, struggling to stay upright.
Ethan didn't waste the opportunity. As the bear began to fall, he swung his scythe again, this time aiming for its neck.
"CRACK!"
One clean cut.
The system notification chimed:
[Critical hit! Double damage!]
"-78!"
The Rotting Grizzly's massive body collapsed with a heavy thud, dissolving into a cloud of black mist as it hit the ground.
"Congratulations! You've gained 30 experience points and 30 evolution points."
Lily stood frozen in place, her jaw practically unhinged as she stared at the scene in front of her. She couldn't believe her eyes.
"It's... dead? Just like that?"
Her mind went completely blank.
That Rotting Grizzly had looked ridiculously overpowered just moments ago. It had obliterated her slimes in seconds, and yet Ethan had taken it down with ease—and he didn't even have a scratch on him!
Ethan glanced down at his scythe, giving it a satisfied nod.
"The Quick Slash upgrade really paid off."
If it weren't for the 90% attack speed boost, even with his skill, there was no way he could've pulled off a flawless kill like that.
With the increased speed, his combat rhythm had reached an entirely new level.
Dark Scrolls, as a virtual reality game, offered players an incredible degree of freedom. While it had standard skills and abilities, players could also rely on their own reflexes, creativity, and awareness to execute high-level maneuvers.
And Ethan? He wasn't just any player. As one of the game's developers—and a god-tier player to boot—his skills and instincts were leagues above the average gamer.
The Rotting Grizzly was slow, far slower than the forest wolves he'd fought earlier.
On top of that, these bears weren't pack creatures.
Ethan could easily exploit their sluggishness and isolation, luring them out one by one and taking them down with precision.
"Thirty experience points and thirty evolution points... not bad at all."
A faint smile tugged at Ethan's lips as he turned and began walking toward the next Rotting Grizzly.
What followed was a masterclass in monster hunting.
Ethan's movements were flawless. Every attack landed with pinpoint accuracy, every dodge was perfectly timed. The Rotting Grizzlies didn't stand a chance—they were nothing more than helpless targets in front of him.
Lily, still standing at a distance, watched the entire thing unfold with her mouth agape.
"This guy... his pulling and kiting skills are on a whole other level!"
Her expression shifted from shock to something closer to awe.
"That blade work, that speed... I can't even come close to this!"
She bit her lip, muttering under her breath, "This summoned beast... it's gotta be sentient or something!"