The Box: Fate
Chapter 10 — Levels Rising
The battle on the mountain road had already begun The wolf like monsters rushed toward the players while dust rose from the ground beneath their claws
Akira stepped forward and blocked the first attack with a powerful strike
Axel Hatanaki jumped into the fight with excitement and landed a heavy punch that pushed one of the monsters backward
Murasaki released a wave of purple energy that struck another creature from the side
Aaron Moses stood firm near the cart protecting the old driver while forcing a monster away with raw strength
Sharky Bee moved quickly around the battlefield searching for openings
Mikochi attacked with speed while laughing with excitement
Kuro and Kyoshiki moved calmly like experienced fighters striking the monsters with precise timing
Joel and Monk Fish fought together pushing the creatures away from the road
Zanaki joined the fight with his usual fearless grin
The sound of battle echoed through the mountain path
But away from the chaos Kataki stood quietly once again
For a moment his thoughts returned to the strange memory about the missing player
When did that person arrive
And where did they go
Kataki exhaled slowly and shook his head
We will deal with that later
Right now it does not matter
At that exact moment a low growl came from behind him
Kataki did not turn immediately
A large monster was standing only a few steps behind him with its teeth showing and claws digging into the ground
The creature growled loudly preparing to attack
Kataki finally turned his head slightly
"You should have joined the others and fought with them
The monster lunged forward instantly
But Kataki moved faster
His body shifted calmly to the side while one knife flashed across the creature's shoulder
The monster roared and tried to strike again
Kataki second blade appeared in his other hand
His movements were smooth and precise
The creature attacked wildly but every strike missed as Kataki moved through the fight like a shadow
One quick slash cut across the monster leg
Another slash struck its side
The creature stumbled
Kataki stepped forward and drove both knives deep into its chest
The monster froze for a moment before collapsing onto the ground
Its body slowly turned into glowing particles that floated into the air
At the same time the other players finished their own battles
Akira delivered the final strike against the last monster while Axel Hatanaki laughed loudly
"Well that was easier than the last one
The glowing particles from all the defeated monsters began to gather in the air
Suddenly blue screens appeared before several players
Experience points increased
Some players looked surprised as their levels changed
Mikochi jumped excitedly
"I leveled up
Sharky Bee smiled while checking his status
"Looks like my level increased too
Akira nodded while observing his own status window
Murasaki calmly studied the changes in her abilities
Aaron Moses simply crossed his arms after confirming his level increase
Even Kuro and Kyoshiki quietly checked their new status without showing much reaction
Zanaki stretched his arms and looked toward Murasaki again with a playful grin
"Well looks like leveling up suits you
Murasaki glanced at him calmly
"Focus on the road
Zanaki laughed
I am focusing I just appreciate talent when I see it
Several players shook their heads slightly at Zanaki behavior
Meanwhile Kataki quietly wiped his blades and looked toward the mountain path ahead
The village was somewhere beyond this hill
And the journey of the seventeen players was only becoming more dangerous