The group had grown far more efficient in their battles against the hideous Acid Deviants.
After managing to kill the first one, the group had devised a far better method of bringing the beasts down.
While analyzing the corpse of the first grotesque fiend they had slain, Reed had discovered that its underbelly was much softer than the thick chitin covering its back.
With that discovery, the group had managed to lure out and kill five more of the Deviants.
Kyle and Reed would act as bait, drawing the monstrous frogs from where they lurked beneath the endless sea of ash-colored grass. Reed, with his inhuman speed, would strike first, forcing the monstrosity out of its hiding place. Then Kyle would attack, hurling his crude dagger from a distance with all the strength he could muster.
As the hideous frog attempted to leap away to avoid the spinning blade, that was when Rita would react.
She would send a wall of highly pressurized water crashing into the beast.
Her attack would connect, sending the wretched fiend tumbling violently onto its side, completely disoriented...
At least long enough for either Thors to crush its entire body beneath his battle mace or for Reed to drive the tip of his katana straight through its exposed underbelly.
All in all, within only a few hours, they had managed to rid a large portion of the surrounding fields of the hideous creepers.
[You have slain ten Creepers.]
[You have received a total of four Soul Fragments.]
[Soul Fragments: 4/100]
Kyle brushed the sweat from his face as he read the notification, his back hunched from exhaustion.
He glanced down at the motionless hideous frog lying beneath him, his dagger buried deep within the creature’s soft underbelly.
Then he bent over and pulled it free with a wet squelch, wiping the thick grey blood from the blade onto his already stained shirt before fastening it back onto his waist.
He then turned toward the others, all of them visibly exhausted from the relentless hunt.
It had been a successful hunt all in all, but when he remembered that these frogs were merely Low-Grade Deviants, yet had still pushed them this far, his heart tightened.
’And out of everyone... I am rather the one who did the least...’
He glanced once more at the number of Soul Fragments he had received and couldn’t help but feel cheated.
Soul Fragments were what an Awakener acquired after killing a Deviant. The more one accumulated, the stronger they became.
For someone like him, who had only managed to obtain four fragments, the improvement was little to none. Especially considering he still hadn’t gotten the opportunity to properly test his durability and resilience...
He then glanced at the group—Rita, Thors, and Reed.
They were powerful, formidable, and all came from wealthy families.
And that alone gave them a tremendous advantage over him.
’If I stay with them, all I’ll do is slow down my own growth. It’s good having a team watching my back, but...’
Staring at them, Kyle could tell they had only been using a fraction of their true strength during the hunts.
Thors could easily one-shot an Acid Frog on his own.
Reed probably could too... if he stopped holding back.
And Rita...
She was probably the strongest among them, possessing the ability to command two magic Talents.
The Tower distributed rewards from every joint hunt based on each member’s contribution.
And right now...
They had all received far more Soul Fragments than he had.
Reed let out a loud yawn, breaking the silence.
"Man, I am getting really exhausted. These bastards aren’t much of a fight anymore."
Thors released a low grunt before nodding in agreement.
Rita stared across the endless field. In the distance, other Awakeners battled their own share of the hideous frogs, flashes of magic and steel occasionally lighting up the gloomy landscape.
Then she sighed.
"True. But if we want to journey any farther, we’ll need better equipment... and maybe some proper rest to recover from the battle."
Kyle watched the others nod in agreement.
’Of course they’re agreeing to log off and prepare before venturing deeper into the First Floor.’
After all, it was the most logical decision.
While the frogs had already proven to be troublesome opponents, deeper within this realm lurked mysteries and horrors capable of wiping out their entire cohort within seconds if they entered unprepared.
Reed stretched out his hand.
The ring around his finger glowed with a brilliant golden light that washed over the corpse of the dead hideous frog before Kyle. A second later, the massive carcass vanished without a trace.
"I’ll sell all the Deviant corpses and send everyone their fair share," Reed said with a smile. "I’m really glad I met you all, bros. This was practically a cakewalk."
He turned around and began walking back toward the town.
Thors followed shortly after.
Then Rita.
The group had only taken a few steps before Rita suddenly stopped.
She turned around and looked at Kyle, her usually indifferent expression carrying the faintest trace of concern.
"Aren’t you coming?" she asked quietly.
Kyle simply shrugged.
"I’ll stay and keep hunting for now. Just send me my share of the loot."
Rita opened her mouth as though she wanted to say something...
But she hesitated.
Whatever words had formed in her mind died before they could leave her lips.
Reed smiled at Kyle and gave him a casual wave.
"Don’t worry. I’ll see to that. Just be here at the same time tomorrow."
Kyle nodded.
The next moment, they continued walking.
Rita hesitated for another second before finally turning away and following the other two.
Only then did Kyle turn his gaze away from them.
His eyes drifted...
Past the endless fields.
Past the swaying sea of ash-covered grass.
And toward the dense forest waiting silently in the distance.
Its towering black trees stood like silent giants, their twisted branches blotting out what little light remained, while an unsettling stillness lingered beneath the thick canopy.
It felt almost stupid.
Or perhaps just outright insane.
But if he wanted to test himself...
If he wanted to grow beyond the rest of the cohort...
This was the only path forward.
Whether it was suicide...
Or madness...
"It’s time I got stronger."