The Orc began to draw near, each of its footsteps heavy as a thousand pounds, destroying everything in its path. Hiding in the shadows, Pip strained to remain undetected. He skillfully scaled a nearby tree, gripping the branch tightly as if clinging to his very life. But the wood, unable to bear the sudden weight, snapped with a loud crack. Pip plummeted onto the crimson-stained grass below. Though dazed by the painful fall, he forced himself back to consciousness immediately. Hearing the commotion, the Orc turned toward Pip's location. It roared in a frenzied rage, lunging at him as if ready to swallow him alive.
Pip ran for his life. Gasping for breath, his mind raced to find an escape. Hundreds of strategies flashed through his head, but none offered a way out. Helplessly sprinting, a sudden memory sparked: within his item storage lay a two-hundred-kilogram boulder he had hoarded long ago, originally used to practice expanding his cubes. As the massive beast pursued him relentlessly, its mouth salivating at the prospect of devouring him, Pip formulated his plan.
Abruptly, Pip stopped dead in his tracks. He turned to face the monster directly. The Orc halted, confused as to why its prey had stopped running, but its primitive mind disregarded the anomaly and it charged forward once more. Pip smirked, flashing the smile of a victor. As the Orc lunged, Pip swiftly executed his technique, shouting, 'Orc! The one lying down today will not be me—it will be you!'
He roared the name of the ultimate technique he had practiced endlessly in the deep forest over the past two years: 'Grip of the Cubic Matrix!'
Instantly, small white cubes materialized around the Orc. While the beast stared in confusion, the cubes rapidly merged, forming a massive circle with a twelve-meter radius that enveloped both the monster and the surrounding giant trees.
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'Activate!' Pip yelled.
The boundary shrank at an impossible speed, violently dragging all the trees within the area toward the center. The massive trunks slammed into the Orc, trapping it in a crushing vice. Caught in the middle, sharp branches impaled its flesh. The monster unleashed a sky-shaking roar of pure agony.
Without a moment's hesitation, Pip summoned the two-hundred-kilogram boulder from his storage, materializing it high in the air. It plummeted straight down.
Boom!
A thick cloud of dust erupted upon impact. Gasping heavily from the immense energy drain, Pip cautiously approached. The Orc had been completely crushed to death, flattened into a bloody mass beneath the massive stone. Pip recalled the boulder to inspect the carcass, noting that only the head remained intact.
Suddenly, a system notification flashed before his eyes:
[ Do you wish to harvest the Orc's Eye? ]
[ Destroy ] or [ Save ]
After careful consideration, he chose [ Save ]. Another notification immediately appeared:
[ You have successfully harvested 'Orc's Eye'. You may view the item's detailed information. ]
Curious, Pip tapped the screen.
[ Item: Orc's Eye ]
- Attribute: Earth
- Description: Can be used to craft the 'Red Eye Necklace' or sold for a high price.
Intrigued by the mention of the equipment, Pip muttered, 'A Red Eye Necklace...?' He questioned the system about its effects, but it remained silent. Moments later, a text box popped up:
[ Detailed information can only be viewed once the item is crafted and owned. ]
Pip fell into deep thought. 'Should I try to craft the Red Eye Necklace? To do that, I'll have to descend the mountain and enter human society to find a blacksmith. But the risk of being exposed as a member of the Upo clan is far too high.'
After weighing the dangers, Pip resolved to risk it all. Driven by a lifelong curiosity about the human world, he steeled his gaze and prepared to set out on his journey.