[Character Status Update]
Level: 24
Titles: [The Apex Butcher], [Friend of Spring]
Gold: 102
Attack: 252 (+42 from Wolf-Fang)
Defence: 265 (+85 from Platinum Set, +50 from Vulcan Greaves)
Speed: 100 (Sonic Step Active)
Inventory Additions:
[Wolf-Fang Longsword] (Uncommon)
[Vanguard Platinum Set] (Uncommon)
[Black-Iron Heavy Skillet] (Rare Tool)
[Gale-Sliver Rapier] (Equipped by Elizabeth)
The gate of Aeros creaked shut behind them, the heavy thud of wood on stone sounding like the start of a timer. Most players were currently pushing north toward the Jagged Peaks or the Iron Mines, desperate to stay ahead of the level curve. The idea of returning to Tana Forest. The literal kindergarten of the Online Game was viewed as a waste of precious time.
But Liam didn't see a starter zone. He saw a buffet.
"Alright, look," Liam said, checking the straps on his new [Wolf-Fang Longsword]. The platinum armour he wore caught the morning light, making him look like a solar flare moving through the trees. "I want you on high alert. No slacking because the mobs are low level."
Elizabeth, looking lethal and slightly ridiculous in her high-cut platinum armour and flowing red cape, adjusted her new rapier. Her pink tail flicked in annoyance. "Liam, we're Level 24 and 19. The squirrels here literally have 10 HP. I could kill them by tripping on them."
"That's exactly how you get caught in a pincer move," Liam grunted, his eyes scanning the treeline with an intensity that would have made an Ogre sweat. "What if a World Event triggers? What if a Level 50 Hidden Boss spawns because the system realises two high-level anomalies are 'weed-whacking' its starter mobs? In a death game, the second you think you're safe is the second the system starts measuring you for a coffin. Take it seriously."
Ellie sighed, but she unsheathed the [Gale-Sliver Rapier]. "Fine, fine. Serious mode activated. Prepare to die, fluffy rodents of doom."
For the next three hours, Tana Forest became a site of systematic extraction. Liam wasn't just wandering through the woods killing monsters; he advanced from glade to glade, methodically seeking out each [Tana Squirrel] and [Garter Snake] he spotted. When a creature lunged, Liam activated [Sonic Step], vanishing and reappearing behind it in a blur of black steel. He dispatched each foe with precise strikes, never leaving a target behind. Every motion of his blade was calculated, turning the hunting process into a relentless, efficient operation rather than a chaotic fight, a quick bite, or twelve later he got what he was after.
He wasn't looking for EXP. He was looking for the ping.
After forty-five minutes of clearing a grove of ancient chestnut trees, the notification finally popped.
[Recipe Unlocked: Roasted Hearth-Chestnuts]
[Tier: Common]
[Effect: Nutty Aroma. The user smells strongly of roasted chestnuts for 168 hours (1 Week).]
[Flavour Text: "Great for hiding the scent of blood. Bad for people with allergies."]
Liam stood over a pile of charred nuts, his brow furrowed in deep thought. "Smell like chestnuts for a week..."
"It's useless, Liam," Ellie deadpanned, poking a dead squirrel with her boot. "Why are we doing this? You're a legendary chef who just ate an Ogre General. Why are you making... an air freshener?"
"Think about it, Elizabeth," Liam said, his voice dropping into that serious, analytical tone he used for boss fights. "What if we encounter a monster that hunts by scent? What if there's a 'Great Oak Sentinel' that only ignores things that smell like trees? This isn't just a smell; it's a camouflage layer. It's a tactical scent mask."
Ellie stared at him. "You're actually trying to find a combat use for smelling like a snack."
"I'm saying everything has a place in the pan," Liam countered. "And quit calling me weird. I saw you laughing when we found the snake recipe."
That had happened ten minutes prior. A group of [Mutant Tana Snappers] had tried to ambush them from the canopy, dropping suddenly through the leaves. Liam swiftly fought them off and, afterwards, processed the defeated snappers into a strange, coiled pastry-like dish.
[Recipe Unlocked: The Cinnamon Scroll (Snake Edition)]
[Tier: Common]
[Effect: Serpentine Vanity. The user grows a functional snake tail for 36 hours. Provides +0 Battle Bonus.]
[Flavour Text: "All the sass of a cobra, none of the venom."]
"I wasn't laughing at the recipe," Ellie giggled, her pink ears twitching uncontrollably. "I was laughing because I imagined you with a scaly snake tail coming out of that heavy platinum armour. It would look so stupid!"
"It's a functional tail," Liam muttered, though he looked slightly bothered by the mental image. "It could be used for balance. Or as a third arm for holding a whisk. The system doesn't give you junk for no reason."
"It's literally called 'Vanity,' Liam! It's for people who want to look cool at the tavern!"
"Whatever," Liam grunted, turning his back to hide the fact that he was actually considering whether the tail would help his [Spin to Win] centripetal force. "I have the recipes now. Once the 'God of the Kitchen' makes it once, the system saves the essence. I don't need to carry the physical ingredients anymore; I can just manifest the effect as long as I have the Hearth-mana."
Liam paused in a small clearing where the sunlight filtered through the leaves in golden shafts. It was beautiful, peaceful enough that you could almost forget that your soul was currently a line of code.
He closed his eyes and whispered a quick, informal prayer.
"Dear Santa-Hestia, thanks for the sick recipes. They're kind of weird, but I'll make them work. Love you... I mean, amen."
"Santa-Hestia?"
The goddess's voice exploded in his mind, dripping with honeyed sarcasm and amusement. He could almost feel her breath on his ear. "My little butcher... are you calling me a jolly old man with a beard? Or are you just so overwhelmed by my gifts that you've forgotten how to speak to a lady?"
Liam's face didn't change, but his ears turned a very slight shade of pink. I thank you for the utility, Hestia. Don't make it weird.
[Tool Tip]
Ellie
[Level]: 19
[Class]: Pink Cat, Warrior (Progressing toward Shadow Stalker or Blade Dancer.
[HP]: 650 / 650
[Role]: She is currently the highest-level "warrior" in the Aeros district. While she feels weak compared to Liam, she is actually outleveling Saffron and Noir.