Rael crouched behind a rge boulder, his breath steady as his eyes focused on the marsh croc. The creature lumbered he edge of the s, its massive tail swishing through the water with a slow, rhythmient. Rael's hand instinctively tightened around the shaft of his bow. The croc was unaware of his presence, and Rael had no iion of making it aware.

  Slowly, he adjusted his position, ensuring his footsteps were silent on the muddy ground. His heart beat steadily in his chest, and the mist around him seemed to grow thicker with each breath. He nocked an arrow and aimed carefully, not rushing. This was a delicate operation.

  With a sharp exhale, Rael released the string. The arrow soared through the air with pinpoint precision, striking the croc's exposed neck. The creature let out a startled hiss before colpsing onto the ground with a heavy thud, already dead.

  Rael didn't pause to admire his shot. He immediately dipped back behind the boulder, melting into the shadows. He o keep a low profile; the crocs weren't the only creatures here, and being spotted meant unnecessary plications.

  A few moments passed before he checked again. Another crodered into his line of sight, slightly further than the first. Perfect. He adjusted his position once more, using the mist as his cover, aed the same process.

  Each kill recise, methodical. Rael hadn't o rush, and each croc fell one by one, unnoticed by the rest of the s's denizens.

  Rael was doing this to level up quickly. It had been approximately half a day of farming Solmora time. He had spent the eime hunting these crod had just reached level 6.

  The strategy was simple: find a croc, pull it away from the pack, take it out with a single headshot, a. The crocs were retively weak, rangiween levels 4 and 9, which made them perfect targets for his current capabilities. With his Ranger css, he had det ranged damage and stealth, and his Deadeye passive gave him an advantage in those crucial moments when a well-pced shot could down a cro one go.

  The process wasn't thrilling, but it was effit. Rael didn't o draw attention to himself by overexerting or rushing the kills. His goal ure progression, and in this remote part of the s, far from the major pyer hubs, there was little ce of entering other pyers looking to steal his kills or interfere with his grind.

  "Status."

  [STATUS WINDOW]

  Name: EzPz4040

  Race: Lunaris

  Css: Ranger

  Level: 6

  Affiliation: None

  [ATTRIBUTES]

  Strength - 9

  Dexterity - 20

  Endurance - 10

  stitution - 10

  Intelligence - 5

  Charisma - 5

  [STATS]

  HP - 130/130

  MP - 60/60

  Stamina - 120/120

  [Abilities]

  Deadeye: Your Headshots deal 2.5x the damage.

  ———————————————————————

  Looking at his Dexterity stat, Rael nodded in approval. Being siat heavy was actually pretty nice.

  The only reason those crocs were dying in a si wasn't just because of his Deadeye passive but also because his Dexterity was absurdly high for his level. Every point ierity increased his ranged damage, precision, and attack speed. The crocs weren't just weak—they simply ood a ce.

  Most pyers tried to baheir stats early on, hedging their bets in case they o adapt. But Rael? He had min-maxed Dexterity as hard as possible. His arrows struck faster, nded more critical hits, and ht erased enemies before they could eve. Sure, if something got too close, he'd be in trouble—but that was the point of being a Ranger.

  "If it never reaches me, it's not a problem."

  Rael leaned against a tree as he mulled over his move. The crocs weren't going to cut it anymore. With each level-up, the experience required tress increased, and these low-level mobs wouldn't be effit for much longer.

  His default Ranger bow wasn't helpiher. It was weak, slow, and cked any real power. If he wao level faster, he needed better gear and stronger enemies.

  Opening the in-game forums, Rael searched for information about the marsh's location. As expected, it was far from the Order's maiory, situated at the southern edge of the tral ti. That expined why he hadn't seen any pyers around—this wasn't a typical starting area.

  Just as he scrolled through the threads, a soft ping echoed in his interface.

  Rael's eyes flicked to the notification: [Friend Request: Artemis]

  Rael g the emis, but he didn't o think twice—there was only one person who would bother sending a friend request to EzPz4040.

  He sighed, a wry smile f. Of course.

  He had purposefully kept his profile private so others wouldn't be able to see his level. If he accepted now, Sabrina would immediately see he was level 6—ly suspicious, but enough to make her question things.

  "It should be fine... but still, better to be careful."

  For now, he let the request sit there auro browsing.

  * * *

  Rael walked through the fishing vilge, his boots pressing lightly against the damp wooden pnks of the dock-like pathways. The vilge was small, built on stilts above the marshy waters, with crude nterns swaying from wooden poles, casting flickering light on the dark waters below. The air carried a strong st of salt, fish, and damp wood, but he ig as he approached a on vendor led between stacks of fishis and barrels.

  The vendor, a fish-like humanoid with dull blue scales and webbed fingers, immediately perked up upon spotting the bundle of aterials on the ter.

  "You been hunting s crawlers, outsider?" The vendills fred slightly iement. "Not bad, not bad. We don't get many who bother with 'em. Scales like that? Mighty fine for crafting."

  Rael tapped the ter twice. "You buying or just admiring?"

  The fishma out a raspy chuckle before running his webbed fingers over the stack of croc scales, teeth, aher. "Oh, I'm buying. In fact—" He reached uhe stall, rummaged around for a moment, then pulled out a newly crafted Scale Bow. "—you might like this."

  Rael took it and ied its stats. Not incredible, but definitely better than the basiger bow he had been using. It had a slightly higher attack bonus and a passive that slightly increased arrow speed, making precision shots easier.

  "Not bad." He nodded, shouldering it.

  The vendor, still pleased with the trade, suddenly leaned down again arieved a few murky-looking potions, pressing them into Rael's hands with a grin that showed far too many sharp teeth.

  "On the house. Some good alcohol for a hunter like you."

  Rael uncorked one, sniffed, and immediately regretted it. The stench of brine, fermented seaweed, and something unmistakably fishy hit his nose like a punch. His expression remained ral, but inwardly, he sighed.

  Of course, it was a fishperson saying this.

  Sliding the bottles into his iory without another word, he left the vendor behind and explored the vilge, hoping ter a quest. He chatted with a few fishermen, eavesdropped on NPversations, and even helped some random vilger carry a crate—all in vain. No hidden storyline, no breadcrumb trail, nothing.

  After twenty minutes of aimless wandering, Rael sighed and decided to move on.

  No quest, but y-handed.

  As he left the vilge, his map updated, revealing a s serpent camp nearby. A cluster of aggressive mobs with a slow respawn rate but a sistent drop table—perfect for passive farming.

  He took one look at it and smirked.

  AFK farm it is.

  * * *

  Rael's lungs burned, each breath sharper tha as he sprihrough the s, the enraged hisses of the serpents closing in behind him. His legs ached from the relentless pace, but the thought of the venomous breath on his neck pushed him forward. He gnced over his shoulder just in time to see one of the serpents spit venom in his dire, narrowly dodging it by veering to the left. The grouh him was soft, and each step threateo slow him down, but he wasn't about to stop now.

  Why did I think throwing that brew at them would be a good idea? he cursed himself. The logic had seemed sound at the time: if the fishperson could drink the brew without issues, surely the serpents would be simirly affected.

  But remember that fishy smell? Yeah. That wasn't just some strong liquor.

  That was the st of their dead brethren.

  And now, Rael ubliemy number one.

  It wasn't long before the sounds of slithering grew louder and closer. Rael's heartbeat quied. He wasn't sure how much longer he could keep this up. Just as panic was starting to take over, his eyes caught sight of something—an opening in the side of the hill, a dark cave entrance. Without thinking, he darted towards it, slipping inside just as the serpents' venomous hissing echoed in the distance.

  He pressed himself ft against the cool, wet storying to steady his breathing. The cave was dark, the air thick with dampness. Rael's heart was rag, but he knew he couldn't stay still for too long. The serpents would follow.

  They did.

  A momehe first of the serpents slithered is tongue flig the air as it tried to catch his st. Rael held his breath, blending into the shadows, praying they wouldn't spot him. Before they had entered, he'd quickly smeared himself with the thick, ud from the cave floor, masking his heat signature. The serpent stopped, flig its tooward the air, fused by the new st. After a moment, it hissed in frustration and slithered deeper into the cave. The other three followed suit, their hissing voices breaking the silence.

  Rael moved quickly, his mind rag through options. He couldn't outrun them for much longer, and the cave's narrow pathways offered little room for maneuvering. His only ce was to take them down, and fast.

  One by one. He had to be stealthy, precise. He had no choice.

  He shifted further bato the cave, his eyes sing for an advantage. He spotted it: a sharp roation hanging precariously above the serpents. He slowly crept into position, careful not to make a sound. One of the serpents was moving closer, its body coiling as it searched the shadows.

  Rael aimed carefully, releasing the tension in his bow. The arrow shot out, striking a sediment spike overhead. It tumbled down, the sharp point impaling the serpent below. It let out a horrific screech befoing still.

  One down. Three left.

  Rael didn't wait to see the rea. He quickly moved, staying out of the serpents' line of sight. His mind was w at full speed. His only other tool? The st bottle of the fishy brew.

  With a swift motion, Rael tossed the bottle to the far side of the cave, hoping the st would fuse the remaining serpents. The pu odor wafted through the cave, drawing the serpents' attention.

  With the serpents distracted, Rael moved in closer. He crept up behind one of them, dagger ready. The serpent was still sniffing the air, oblivious to the danger. Rael struck, his bde sinking deep into its head. The serpent hissed in pain, but the damage was signifit.

  One more down.

  Rael quickly backed away, cursing his ck of skills. He only had Deadeye, and while it made his headshots deadly, the situation was too chaotic. He had to think fast, but all his options came with a deadly risk.

  Rael barely had time to exhale before the remaining two s serpents slithered into a loose formation, their forked tongues flig as they tested the air.

  His HP sat at 70, stamina was running low, and the venom from an earlier graze still pulsed through his veins. He had no active skills, just Deadeye—good for headshots, but in a fight like this, precision wasn't always an option.

  The serpents circled him, their sleek bodies gliding effortlessly over the damp stohey had seen what happeo their kin. Now they were careful.

  Which meant Rael had a problem.

  A direct fight would be messy. He didn't have enough space, and if he tried to outmahem in close quarters, he'd get overwhelmed.

  He slowly stepped backward, eyes locked onto the left serpent. It watched him just as ily, waiting for the smallest sign of weakness.

  So he gave it one.

  With a sharp intake of breath, Rael stumbled on purpose, making his movements look sluggish. His stance loosened, shoulders dropping slightly as if the fight was wearing him down.

  The left serpent took the bait.

  It lunged forward, fangs bared.

  Rael reacted in an instant. Instead of dodging ht, he twisted his body just enough for the attack to graze his side—pain fred, and a fresh burn of venom seeped in, but he ig. His real focus was oion itself.

  HP: 70 → 30

  Using the force of its own lunge, he drove his dagger into the side of its head and dragged it down, smming the creature's skull into the jagged rocks beh them. Bone cracked, and the serpent thrashed violently for a moment befoing limp.

  Three down.

  Rael sucked in a breath, f himself to stay still. His HP barely sat at 30, and the st serpent was already coiling to strike. He had no room to dodge, no time to shoot—

  And then it happened.

  A sharp whistle cut through the air.

  A fra of a sed ter, a massive force tore through the serpent's skull, sending a ripple of energy through its entire body. Pierg was an uatement—the creature exploded into mist, its body erased by the sheer power of the impact.

  Rael didn't move.

  Not because he was in shock—though, to be fair, he kind of was—but because his instincts screamed at him. The sheer force behind that shot wasn't normal.

  Who…?

  His answer came in the form of soft, deliberate footsteps.

  From the cave's entrance, a figure emerged—tall, almost seve, with lean muscle that gleamed uhe dim light. A massive greatbow rested against his back, its frame intricately carved with flowing patterns. But none of that was what caught Rael's full attention.

  It was the ears.

  Pointed. Sharp. Unmistakable.

  An elf.

  The man strode forward, stopping just a few feet in front of Rael. His gaze lingered for a long, heavy moment—his pierg goldeudying him, as if peeling back his yers and seeing through him entirely.

  Then, without a word, he tossed a potion toward Rael.

  Rael caught it, the cool gss pressing against his palm. A high-grade potion.

  "You're lucky I saved you there." The elf's voice was low but steady, carrying a weight behind it.

  Rael gave a short nod. "Thanks." His grip tightened around the bottle, but he didn't down it immediately. Instead, he stayed on guard, his posture cautious.

  The elf took note of it and gave a small nod of approval. "Good. Not letting yuard down is the right instinct."

  Rael didn't respond, simply watg him. This wasn't a pyer. That much was obvious.

  The elf lifted his bow slightly, resting it against his shoulder. "Introdus are in order. I am Weyrn, a dragon hunter."

  A dragon hunter?

  That immediately set off arms in Rael's head. His mind raced, going through what little he knew about the lore of Ast. He didn't remember anything about a Weyrn, but if this guy was hunting dragons, then he wasn't just some random NPC.

  Then it hit him—

  I haven't checked his status yet.

  Rael activated S, eyes narrowing as the information popped up in front of him.

  Then his jaw nearly dropped.

  [ Weyrn, The Guardian Hunter of the South ]

  [ Danger: Death ]

  …Well, that expihe explosion of a shot earlier.