"By the way, that fish was a level-two monster, wasn't it?" Claire asked seriously. "If we kill it, wouldn't our mission be over?"
Raven gave a slight nod. "You're right. But…"
His gaze shifted toward the lake. "It's not that simple. That monster lives in the water, while we're on land. Catching it is impossible unless we can lure it out. But is that even possible? Of course not."
Raven sighed and slowly shook his head, looking helpless.
Level-two monsters had already developed a certain level of intelligence. It was unlikely they could be tricked into leaving the water so easily.
Their instincts would surely sense Raven and Claire's intentions.
Claire felt his words made sense and fell into deep thought.
"So, do you have a plan?" she asked again.
Although Claire was fairly smart, that didn't mean she was an expert in everything—especially when it came to strategy.
"I have an idea, but…" Raven's eyes narrowed.
"But?" Claire tilted her head.
Raven glanced at her and replied softly, "It's pretty dangerous."
Claire's expression tightened. She didn't know what the plan was, but the word "dangerous" alone was enough to make her nervous.
Whatever he was thinking, it would likely put both their lives at risk.
After a moment, she regained her composure and said in a heavy tone, "Before we decide, can you tell me what your plan is?"
Raven nodded and quickly explained.
In short, he would lure the monster onto land.
Then Claire would use her water magic to trap it and finish it off.
The plan sounded perfect, but there were too many factors to consider—especially Raven's safety.
He would have to act as bait, and Claire couldn't hide her fear and worry.
"Raven, don't you think your plan is too risky? I mean, we should find another way," Claire pleaded, tightly clutching his right hand.
Raven smiled and gently patted her head.
"I know it's risky," he said softly, "but this is the only way we can complete the mission."
Actually, they could just search for a level-two monster in the forest. Raven was confident they could find one without much trouble.
But there was a problem—their level and strength weren't enough.
Raven himself was already level three, and he should be able to kill monsters below his level.
In theory, that was true. But in reality, things weren't that simple. Level mattered, but there were other factors that mattered even more, such as skills and physical endurance.
Many level-one monsters already possessed A-, B-, or C-rank skills. Level-two monsters would likely have even more.
On the other hand, Raven didn't have any useful offensive skills. The only skill he had was Gluttony, ranked FFF.
Maybe in the future, Gluttony could break through to S-rank… or even SSS-rank.
But that was the future, and Raven wasn't even sure he would survive long enough to reach it.
That was why the only "safe" level-two monster they could handle was the fish monster—the Red-Finned Firefish.
At least, with their current strength, their chances of killing it were fairly high.
Claire's mouth opened and closed, as if she wanted to argue, but no words came out.
Raven was the leader of their two-person group. Every decision rested on his shoulders, and Claire was already used to following his lead.
Since he had made up his mind, she couldn't say anything more.
"Alright, let's not waste any more time. Let's finish this first mission," Raven said firmly.
Claire could only nod, her expression heavy. "Alright."
Raven then walked to the edge of the lake. The water was so blue and clear that just looking at it made him feel refreshed.
He took a deep breath, then jumped in.
Claire watched him with anxious eyes.
"Raven… please come back safely," she whispered.
***
The deeper part of the lake was dark. That was to be expected, considering how deep it was—perhaps more than forty meters, or even deeper.
Raven didn't dive right away. He closed his eyes and whispered, "System, help me stay underwater and locate the fish's coordinates. You can do it, right?"
Not long after, a message appeared to his right.
He tapped it, and the system's voice echoed in his mind.
"[Okay, Host. But I can only help you for fifteen minutes. You have to return before then.]"
Raven nodded. "Thank you."
[Ding! Underwater breathing blessing activated! Time remaining: 14:59.]
Raven didn't dare waste time. With the system's help, he quickly pinpointed the fish monster's location.
It was hiding in its lair, about twenty meters below the surface.
Without hesitation, Raven dove deeper.
When he arrived, he finally saw the lair clearly. It was a coral reef.
But it wasn't an ordinary coral reef. It stretched nearly seven meters wide.
In front of it, Raven looked tiny and insignificant.
His eyes focused on the inside. The Red-Finned Firefish was sleeping peacefully, curled beside its twenty eggs.
The eggs were round and surprisingly large—each one about the size of two adult palms.
Raven swam closer, then stopped about two meters away.
He studied the monster carefully and thought, 'What's the fastest way to lure it onto land?'
Suddenly, his gaze shifted to the eggs.
An idea flashed through his mind, and a wide smile formed on his face without him realizing it.
"Open the status panel," he whispered.
[STATUS!]
Name: ???
Type: Eggs of the Red-Finned Firefish
Level: 1
Description: Eggs of the Red-Finned Firefish that are about to hatch. They pose no threat, as they cannot resist. However, they contain a vast source of life energy. It is recommended to use the Gluttony skill to absorb it. Doing so will greatly increase your power.
The moment Raven finished reading, greed surged within him.
"Hehehe…" An evil grin slowly spread across his face. "I never expected to hit the jackpot. It seems the gods really are on my side."