The ground didn't just shake; it groaned.
What began as a low rumble surged into a full-scale digital seizure. The forest textures tore apart, flickering between lush greenery and jagged, unrendered voids as if the world were trying to overwrite its own reality. The rabbit toads didn't just multiply—they began to fuse, limbs overlapping and skin stretching across multiple torsos in a sickening, unstable mass of twitching limbs and mismatched eyes.
The horde was far too large for a group of level-three players. Ellie shot an anxious glance at Liam. He hadn't flinched. His eyes were locked on the monstrosity, his mouth curled into that same sharp, hungry smile.
Then, Liam moved. Menus flickered behind his eyes as his internal "hunger" spiked to a fever pitch.
Rogue took an instinctive step back. "Yeah, that's not normal."
His stream chat was a frantic blur of scrolling text:
[BobaLady]: WHAT IS THAT?!
[StoneArrow]: BRO WHAT DID YOU DO
[IcantFlap]: IS THIS A WORLD EVENT???
[Draco]: DAY ONE BTW??? HELLO???
"That's not a mob," Ellie whispered, her blade trembling slightly. "That's... a mistake."
Liam didn't wait for a strategy. He lunged.
"Kid, wait!" Rogue shouted, but it was too late.
The corrupted mass surged forward, moving with a jarring, teleport-like stutter. Bodies separated mid-motion and reformed instantly, slamming into the party as green poison built up in dozens of gaping maws.
"Spread!" Mirra screamed.
Liam didn't spread. He planted his feet like an iron anchor.
The first wave hit him like a tidal wave. Poison splashed across his armour, hissing and sizzling as it coated him in a thick, toxic film.
"CHILD, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? MOVE!" Ellie's voice cracked with panic.
Rogue, realising the kid wasn't moving, threw himself into the fray. He darted between the toads with lethal agility, his daggers flashing as he carved through the chaos.
Liam raised his shield, a dull glow emanating from the iron. He triggered Bull Rush, slamming directly into the densest cluster. The impact scattered the corrupted mass just enough for Rogue to slip in.
"Okay," Rogue panted, adrenaline finally hitting his system. "New plan: we use the child as bait."
Mirra adjusted her casting on the fly. "I'll keep him topped off, but honestly? I don't think he needs it."
The mass reformed, larger and more unstable than before. Limbs lashed out like whips as multiple rabbit toads stacked atop one another, trying to crush Liam under sheer weight. Poison hit him in waves, but he didn't even trigger his invincibility skill. He just stood there, absorbing it all.
Ellie stared, her jaw dropping. "That's... that's illegal."
Rogue let out a sharp, hysterical laugh. "Oh, this is content."
The chat went nuclear:
[KikiKitten]: IMMUNE???
[Sundaes]: IT'S IMMUNE???
[MrBlack]: DAY ONE IMMUNITY???
"Yeah, chat," Rogue muttered, sliding under a leaping toad. "I don't think this is normal either."
Liam didn't reposition. He didn't dodge. He simply walked through the carnage, letting the corruption break against his shield while Rogue and Ellie harvested the exposed edges.
Ellie found her rhythm, her academic mind mapping Liam's movements. "Fine," she muttered, "if you're not going to die, I'm using you." She moved in sync with his pushes, her blade striking with surgical precision into anything he staggered.
Mirra's role shifted from panicked healer to tactical coordinator. "Left cluster reforming! Backline building pressure! Rogue, rotate!"
"I see it!" Rogue's daggers were a blur now, his confidence skyrocketing as the chaos stabilised into a slaughter.
The mass shrieked—a sound of tearing metal—and split one last time. A central core condensed into something heavier and more solid.
Rogue swore. "Mini-boss?"
"Of course it is," Ellie spat.
Liam's Bull Rush met the boss head-on. The shockwave rattled the ground. As the creature staggered, its form destabilising, Liam finally popped his invincibility.
"Finish it!" Mirra's timing was perfect, her buffs landing just as Ellie and Rogue converged. With a final, coordinated strike, the grotesque mass collapsed into a shower of light and code.
[+EXP]
[+EXP]
[+EXP]
[DING]
Notifications flooded Liam's screen as the "Level Up" chime played on loop.
Rogue didn't even catch his breath. "Drops, drops, check the drops!"
Rare loot was scattered across the damp grass. Mirra stepped forward, her eyes wide. "That's... not normal loot."
Rogue crouched and snatched up a pair of daggers. His breath hitched.
[Item Acquired: Rare Grade Twin Daggers]
"Okay, yeah, that's insane," he laughed, shaking his head.
Mirra picked up a leather-bound book.
[Grimoire Acquired: Wind Cutter]
She blinked. "I have an attack spell. Finally."
Ellie picked up a ring.
[Ring of Hestia's Friends]
+10% Drop Rate+30% Drop Rate when in a party with a Chosen of Hestia "...Hestia?" she murmured. The ring felt warm, strangely comfortable. She slipped it on.
Liam picked up the final item. It felt like a warm loaf of bread fresh from the oven.
[Ring of Hestia – Vanguard Variant]
Kills count as x10
"Kinda mid," Rogue noted, glancing over. Ellie nodded. "Good for quests, I guess."
Liam didn't respond. For him, it was a masterpiece. His absorption counter ticked silently, the numbers finally flying.
[Quest Complete: Spring's Request]
[Congratulations: You have received 300 kill credits for the Corrupted Mini-Boss]
[Level 13 Reached]
Liam opened his panel. The +200 available stat points felt like a victory lap. In the real world, his luck was mediocre at best, but here? He was better than Ellie. He was winning.
He ignored speed for now, pouring his points into making himself an immovable object.
[Character Panel: Little Liam]
Level: 13
HP: 150 / 300
STAMINA: 150 / 300
DEFENSE: 95 / 300
ATTACK: 100 / 300
SPEED: 15 / 300
TALENT: Absorption Level 1 (400 / 1000)
The forest finally settled. Rogue rolled his shoulders, exhaling a long breath. "Yeah... that was..."
Mirra nodded, still gripping her staff. "That was way above early game. But... thanks, Liam. That would've gone very differently without you."
"Differently?" Rogue snorted. "We would've been a smear on the ground."
Rogue flicked open his menu. "Alright, I'm adding you both. No way I'm losing whatever this is." He glanced between Liam and Ellie. "Apparently, you two are a package deal now."
Ellie blinked. "We are not—"
[Friend Request Sent]
Mirra followed suit immediately.
Ellie looked at Liam.
Liam looked at a tree.
Ellie sighed, her shoulders dropping. "...Yeah, okay. Fine."
Liam didn't type a confirmation, but he didn't hit decline.
"Good," Rogue said. "Because I'm not explaining that stream to the forums without witnesses."
"I didn't ask to be included," Ellie muttered, crossing her arms.
"You stayed," Rogue replied simply.
The walk back to town was quiet, not because the danger was gone, but because they were all processing the sheer amount of loot in their bags. Their inventories were stuffed with toad carcasses, frog legs, and silver. It was messy, excessive, and glorious.
As they reached the village, the familiar hum of Day One players surrounded them. Spring was exactly where they had left him. He looked up, his expression shifting from boredom to genuine shock.
"Well," the NPC said slowly, his eyes lingering on Ellie's new ring and Liam's bloodstained armour. "You've been busy."
[System Tool Tip: Levelling & Scaling]
Stat Gain: Players receive +20 Stat Points per level.
Stat Caps: To maintain game balance, stat caps increase at set intervals:
Levels 1–5: Cap is 100.
Levels 6–10: Cap increases to 200.
Levels 11–15: Cap increases to 300.
Note: Reaching Level 13 allowed Liam to bypass the early 100-point cap, effectively making him twice as strong as any "capped" player still grinding at Level 5.