In the dim cave, Naohara kept pressing deeper.
"Level 25 already. This is an amazing grinding spot."
Name: Naohara
Race: Dragonoid LV15
Class: Sword Saint LV10
Level: 25 (Race Level + Class Level)
"If I keep this up, reaching level 30 shouldn't be a problem."
With that in mind, Naohara advanced steadily while dealing with wave after wave of monsters.
As his level rose, fighting Dragonoids and similar creatures was no longer as tough as it had been at the start. Even if he ended up taking on two Dragonoids at once, he handled it with ease, calm and unhurried.
Most of the time, Naohara would kill one Dragonoid, then stop and let the other one call for backup.
Then he'd unleash a full barrage with various items and wipe them all out in a single wave.
Under that onslaught, none of the monsters along the way lasted more than thirty seconds. In the end, they all turned into experience for Naohara.
To him, this place was the perfect grinding zone, tailor-made for his spend-and-burn approach. As long as his items didn't run out and he kept the rhythm right, he could farm here nonstop.
In an oddly carefree mood, Naohara even found the monsters' howls pleasantly musical.
But the deeper he went, the fewer monsters he encountered. A glow appeared ahead, and before he knew it, he seemed to have entered a new area.
So this run was about to end, Naohara thought, a little regretful.
He put away his items and headed toward the light. A brief flash flared across his vision, and when he opened his eyes again, he was no longer in the cave. He stood in a forest.
"This should be the place."
He surveyed the surroundings and took out his map. A faint glow pulsed from it, confirming that this was the final destination.
"So next up…"
Just as Naohara was thinking through what to do, a cry for help suddenly rang out from the dense woods not far away.
Naohara's eyes sharpened. He knew it. The quest storyline had begun.
In the thick forest, he sprinted toward the voice, slipping through brush and darting past thickets. He climbed a short incline and reached higher ground, and his view immediately widened.
Ahead was a small waterfall. Beneath it grew all sorts of unusual plants. Using his detection skill, Naohara identified them as rare medicinal herbs, materials used to brew potions.
Right in the middle of that growth, a very old-looking NPC was being attacked by a serpent-like monster. The cry for help had come from him.
Naohara locked onto the old man and checked his information with Detection.
Name: An Ordinary Old Man
Level: 7
Description: An elderly man who looks completely ordinary, but he seems to carry a past he doesn't want known.
Name: Azure Water Mystic Serpent
Level: 27
"A Level 27 monster can't even kill a Level 7 old man instantly? That's weird."
"Whatever. I'll save him first. If he dies, it'll be a pain."
Since he couldn't get anything else from the scan, Naohara drew his weapon and jumped straight down toward the waterfall. He wasn't about to gamble on whether the NPC would respawn if he died.
[Gravity Slash]
Using the momentum of his fall, Naohara triggered the new skill he'd learned after reaching Sword Saint Level 10.
Because of the skill's effective range, the giant serpent kept attacking the old man, not noticing Naohara's strike at all.
Only when Naohara dropped to within two meters did the serpent react, but by then it was too late to dodge.
The blade plunged into the serpent's skull, drawing out a string of furious hisses. It stopped attacking the old man and immediately turned on Naohara, lunging at him.
Using the giant serpent's body to cushion his fall, Naohara landed steadily. Facing its counterattack, he remained calm. With his experience and the layered buffs enhancing him, he weaved around the serpent's strikes and looked for openings to retaliate.
At the cost of 100 HP, Naohara finally brought the giant serpent down.
After collecting the serpent's drops and harvesting the rare medicinal herbs growing nearby, he quickly walked over to the old man.
The old man was clutching his leg and groaning in pain. The sound made Naohara frown. What was going on with this game? The voice acting felt strange.
He clearly looked like an old man, yet his voice gave off an oddly youthful impression. Something about it felt off.
"Are you alright?"
Naohara looked at the grimacing old man and asked.
"Thank you for saving me, hero. To be honest, I have been afflicted with a deadly poison. I fear my time is running short."
The old man opened his eyes and spoke with gratitude.
"What can I do?"
Naohara replied. He knew this was part of the quest progression, so he couldn't brush it off casually.
"In that direction, there is a cave. A Lesser Dragon lives there. Could you slay the Lesser Dragon and bring back its Dragon Heart?"
The old man pointed weakly in a certain direction as he spoke, then took out a box of ointment and began applying it to his wound.
"Alright. I'm willing to help."
As soon as Naohara agreed, a system notification rang in his ear.
"Accept Quest: Subjugate the Lesser Dragon?"
Without hesitation, Naohara selected accept.
He knew exactly what he would be facing. Even the weakest Lesser Dragon possessed at least Level 40 strength, far beyond what a Level 25 Player like him should be able to handle.
But Naohara believed that with his preparations, it wasn't entirely impossible. At the very least, he had to try. He had come all this way. Giving up now would be a waste.
"That is wonderful, hero. Please be careful in battle and do not damage the Dragon Heart."
"Got it. I'll be on my way."
Naohara nodded, then turned and headed toward his new objective.