"So far I haven't gotten any treasure to sell to the shelter authorities. If I don't find anything before nightfall, I will be thrown out," Zich thought to himself.
He was currently walking on a dirt path alone. Slimy was back in the graveyard so he could save mana points.
While he walked, searching for a monster, Zich realized something.
His knowledge of Ascension Mountain was severely lacking, but then again, it was partly because information about it was tightly guarded.
"When I log back outside, the first thing I'll do is go register and get access to the forum," he thought.
Not long after, Zich came across a monster. It was a single large blood mosquito the size of a soccer ball.
The large mosquito was hungrily feeding on the carcass of a dead monster.
[Level 9 Blood Sucker]
When Zich stared at the giant mosquito, another screen popped up below its name.
[Details: A poisonous mutated insectoid that uses blood based attacks.]
"Blood attack?" Zich thought, puzzled. He didn't expect a mosquito to possess such an ability. Because the mosquitoes on—
'I seem to forget that I'm no longer on Earth.'
Tightening his grasp on the rusty blade, he began to advance forward as Slimy appeared beside him.
Once he noticed the antenna of the mosquito twitching, he raised a hand, and Slimy stopped at once. The next moment, the giant mosquito suddenly shot forward, rushing straight for Zich's neck.
Zich reacted quickly and swung at once. The blade struck the creature's side, but instead of splitting apart, the mosquito only spun wildly and let out a shrill sound.
Its body was harder than he expected. Before Zich could press again, the mosquito steadied itself and lunged at him with its long stinger aimed at his chest.
He stepped aside and narrowly avoided the thrust. The stinger pierced the tree behind him with enough force to sink in.
"Not bad," he muttered, shifting his stance. Slimy had already moved around the side, poison gathering inside its mouth.
The mosquito pulled its stinger free and darted toward Zich again. This time it moved faster, circling around him in short bursts while looking for an opening.
Slimy spat poison at it, but the mosquito twisted away midair. Zich used that opening to rush forward and slash upward, forcing it higher before it could dive again.
The creature buzzed angrily and attacked again. Its wings beat so fast that dirt rose from the ground, and its shadow flickered around Zich as the stinger came from different angles.
One thrust grazed his sleeve and cut the cloth. Zich lowered his body and waited instead of chasing it, while Slimy kept bouncing around the edge and cutting off its path.
That delay worked. When the mosquito swooped in again, Slimy's poison hit one of its wings, and its movement faltered for a split second.
Zich moved at once and slashed across its neck.
Pshh!
A shower of red blood splashed on the ground as the mosquito let out a sharp cry and crashed to the ground. It tried to rise again, but this time Zich did not give it the chance.
He stepped forward and drove the sword down through its head. The buzzing stopped at once, and the body twitched twice before going still.
[Ding. You have slain Level 9 Blood Sucker.]
A scroll and a dark backpack dropped beside the dead mosquito.
"A skill and equipment," he said, bending down.
Zich picked up the scroll first and unrolled it. The words on it glowed faintly before turning into light and entering his body.
[Blood Arc LV.1]
[Details: Unleash a destructive crimson arc.]
"Useful," Zich said quietly as his eyes shifted to the backpack lying beside the corpse.
The bag looked ordinary at first, but the moment he touched it, more information appeared before him.
[Spatial Backpack]
[Rank: Rare]
[A rare treasure that can store items in an expanded space.]
Zich opened it and looked inside. Just like the description said, the space inside was far larger than the outside. It was big enough to store large items without trouble.
"This will make gathering treasures far easier," he smiled in satisfaction as he slung it over his shoulder and found that it barely affected his movement.
Afterward, he crouched beside the mosquito and began collecting materials. The stinger came off with some effort, and after that, he removed the wings, the legs, and the blood sac without wasting anything.
Slimy watched him work while bouncing in a slow circle. Every useful part Zich harvested vanished into the backpack.
When he finished, the area around him had gone quiet again. He wiped the blade clean on the dead grass, stood up, and was about to move when a distant clash reached his ears.
Zich froze at once. The sound came again, sharper this time, mixed with the buzzing of another giant mosquito.
He broke into a run without hesitation. Slimy followed right behind him, and the trees blurred past as the sounds grew clearer.
Soon he reached a narrow opening between several thick trunks. Zich slowed, stepped behind a tree, and looked ahead.
Several figures were fighting a huge mosquito in the clearing. They were taller than normal humans, their bodies lean and strong, and their skin had a reddish tone and texture.
At first, he thought they were monsters. But the way they moved was too coordinated and too precise for mindless creatures.
One of them ducked under the mosquito's stinger while another struck from the side. A third raised some kind of weapon and covered the others.
Zich stayed still behind the tree, his grip tightening on the sword. Shock slowly spread across his face as one thought rose above every other possibility.
"Aliens…?" he said under his breath. His eyes remained fixed on the battlefield. "Why are aliens here?"
...
50 Power stones for one extra Chapter!