Oliver moved through the dense forest, his steps deliberate and steady.
There was no need to sprint or burn unnecessary stamina—even with Meta Essence enhancing his physical capabilities, his body still had limits.
Endurance was key. Charging blindly through unfamiliar terrain was a surefire way to collapse from exhaustion long before reaching the next town.
"The system could've at least given me a map," Oliver muttered to himself, his voice cutting through the soft rustling of leaves above.
His complaint floated into the open air, met only by the gentle breeze and the distant cries of unseen creatures.
Despite the constant undercurrent of danger, the scenery was undeniably beautiful.
Towering trees of varying shades of green and gold formed a natural canopy above, the sunlight filtering through their leaves, scattering patches of golden light across the forest floor.
Wildflowers of crimson, violet, and silver sprouted between the roots, their petals occasionally swaying from the brush of the wind.
To Oliver's right, a crystal-clear lake stretched out, its still surface acting like a perfect mirror, reflecting the drifting clouds and the sun high above.
The air near the lake felt crisper, laced with the clean scent of fresh water mingling with the earth.
Oliver veered toward the lake, kneeling by its edge. The cool water was refreshing, and after drinking to his fill, he considered taking some along.
But a quick check of his gear confirmed what he already knew—no containers.
Just then a spark of inspiration flickered in his mind.
"The inventory."
It was meant to store anything as long as it was not living.
He then placed his hand just beneath the surface of the water, feeling the gentle ripples against his skin.
Mentally, he commanded the system to store the water directly into an available inventory slot.
The experiment worked—the water vanished from under his palm, a small note appearing in his interface:
[Stored: Purified Lake Water – 1 Slot.]
A satisfied grin tugged at Oliver's lips. "Finally, the system doing something useful." With that, he now had a limitless water supply, so long as he had available slots.
Just as he was silently praising his own brilliance, the water before him rippled unnaturally, distorting the pristine reflection of the sky.
A split second later, a massive jaw burst from the depths, serrated teeth glinting in the sunlight as it lunged toward him.
Time seemed to slow for Oliver as his eyes locked onto the beast mid-attack.
Its body was a grotesque fusion—a monstrous hybrid between crocodile and shark.
Its jagged snout stretched wider than Oliver was tall, lined with rows of translucent, needle-like teeth.
Its metallic-grey skin shimmered like tarnished steel, ridged with bony plating. Along its spine, a series of spiny fins jutted out, their tips coated in slime that faintly smoked upon contact with air.
Its limbs were a horrific mix of webbed claws and muscular legs, built for both speed on land and in water.
The creature struck—but Oliver was already moving.
With a subtle shift, he sidestepped the lunging maw, the beast's head slamming into the shoreline with a wet thud, sending dirt and water spraying into the air.
It recovered almost instantly, turning its unnatural milky eyes toward Oliver, jaws snapping hungrily. Yet Oliver stood there, utterly calm, his hand resting loosely at his side.
There was no sense of threat. No danger.
To him, this was nothing more than an overgrown reptile—a minor inconvenience in his path.
The beast reared back, its grotesque form towering over Oliver, its translucent claws flexing and curling.
With a sharp screech, it swiped at him, and from the tips of its claws, blades of compressed water shot through the air—razor-thin, moving faster than an arrow.
But Oliver was already on the move, his body a blur as he sidestepped the attack with ease.
The blades carved deep grooves into the earth where he once stood, but they might as well have been gentle breezes for all the danger they posed to him.
With a single, fluid motion, Oliver closed the distance, his dagger flashing in the filtered sunlight.
He didn't hesitate—the blade sank deep into the creature's left eye, bursting the milky orb in a splatter of viscous fluid.
The beast let out a choked, gurgling howl, its body thrashing violently as it stumbled back into the water's edge.
Enraged and half-blind, the creature lashed out again, another volley of water blades tearing through the air.
But Oliver was already gone, melting into the creature's new blind spot like a shadow, staying always just outside its line of sight.
Before the beast could adjust, Oliver struck again—his dagger piercing deep into its remaining eye, twisting cruelly before ripping the blade free, leaving nothing but a dark, oozing socket.
The creature's roar shifted into a frenzied scream, one born of both pain and utter frustration.
It thrashed wildly, its tail whipping, its claws slashing at nothing, desperately trying to catch its tormentor.
But Oliver was untouchable—his body weaved through the storm of attacks with effortless grace, his footsteps light, his movements clinical.
One tail swipe came close, forcing Oliver to raise his dagger to block.
The force of the impact sent him sliding back, his feet carving shallow trenches in the damp earth—but he remained standing.
The few attacks he couldn't dodge, he redirected, deflecting their power without wasting a breath.
The beast's stamina began to wane, its slashes slowing, its movements becoming sluggish under the weight of its wounds and its fading energy.
Oliver saw the opening—and he took it without hesitation.
He lunged, his dagger held in a reverse grip, his eyes locked onto the small patch of flesh between the creature's ruined eyes—a vulnerable seam between the metallic plates of its skull.
With all his strength, Oliver drove the dagger deep, his muscles flexing as he pushed past bone and cartilage, until the tip of the blade pierced into the beast's brain.
The creature's entire body seized, its limbs jerking in spasms before finally collapsing, its lifeless bulk slumping into the shallows of the lake.
As Oliver pulled his dagger free, a soft chime rang in his mind.
[System Notification: You have slain a Young Abyssal Maw – Rank 2.]
[+50 Meta Essence rewarded.]
Oliver stood over the massive corpse, its bulk sprawled half in the lake, half on the forest floor. Despite his usual calm, a flicker of surprise crossed his face.
"That thing was not even an adult?"
It was hard to believe. Even in its infancy, the Young Abyssal Maw had been larger than any normal predator.
The sheer ferocity it displayed made Oliver wonder — if this was the offspring, what were the parents like?
That thought lingered for a moment, sending a slight chill down his spine.
It wasn't fear — Oliver wasn't afraid of a fight or death — but he was pragmatic. He didn't need unnecessary trouble. Not yet.
"No point sticking around to find out," he muttered.
With a brief gesture, he opened his inventory, and with a mental command, the colossal corpse of the Abyssal Maw vanished into a shimmering light, neatly stored away.
The lake grew still again, its surface reflecting the sky above like nothing had happened.
The only trace of the battle was the churned earth and scattered claw marks.
Oliver took one last glance around, the serene beauty of the forest masking the danger lurking just beneath the surface.
Without another word, he turned and left the area, his footsteps light, his caution heightened, leaving the still waters — and whatever else might be watching — far behind.