Don exhaled slowly. It wasn't a boss, but still, far stronger than anything he had faced so far. For a moment the jungle seemed to grow quieter, the tension thickening around him like humidity before a storm. And then a grin spread across his face.
'Good. The stronger it was, the better the reward.'
Without hesitation, he sat down and recovered his HP. Seconds passed, his health bar filled completely, and he reached into his inventory for another Red Potion. This time he didn't rush. He placed it between his lips, prepared, calculated, and locked his gaze onto the Jungle Worker Bee.
Then he moved. Fast and silent, his steps barely making a sound against the forest floor as he circled around, closing the distance from behind. Closer. Closer. Almost within striking range, and then the Jungle Worker Bee reacted. Instantly. It spun mid-air with terrifying speed, its stinger shooting forward like a spear.
[59!]
The attack struck Don square in the chest.
[PIERCE!]
A sharp, piercing force tore through him, followed by an overwhelming wave of numbness. His body jolted and his HP dropped violently, nearly a third gone in a single hit. The Heavy Strike was terrifying. The impact hadn't just been painful, it had weight. Real weight, like something dense and violent had slammed straight through his chest, rattling his bones and leaving a lingering numbness behind.
But there was no time to dwell on it. Don reacted instantly, biting down on the Red Potion as the bitter liquid spilled into his mouth. At the same time, his dagger moved, fast and decisive.
[490!]
[549!]
Consecutive Slash carved forward in two clean arcs, striking directly into the Jungle Worker Bee's abdomen. Don's eyes lit up. 'A Weak spot!'
He'd hit it perfectly, and a surge of adrenaline rushed through him as instinct took over. This was the momentum he needed, he couldn't let it slip.
Without pausing, he twisted his body, his footwork flowing seamlessly as he pivoted around the Worker Bee. His movements were tight and controlled, each step placing him exactly where he needed to be. Before the creature could fully turn, he struck again.
[Backstab - 1,202!]
The dagger plunged deep into the rear segment of the bee's body. The resistance gave way instantly, a burst of green fluid erupting outward as the Jungle Worker Bee released a distorted, violent buzz, its entire body convulsing from the impact. Don's heart pounded. A three-thousand HP monster, and he had just taken over two-thirds of its health in three hits. This build was insane.
But the Jungle Worker Bee was no ordinary monster. Pain only made it more dangerous. Its wings roared to life, the buzzing growing louder, sharper, angrier. Its body trembled as it entered a state of fury, movements becoming erratic yet far more aggressive. Its stinger snapped forward again, faster than before, more vicious.
[55!]
[You have been inflicted with [Bee Sting].]
[You'll lose 23 HP every 2 seconds for 10 seconds.]
The hit landed clean, and Don's HP plummeted. Barely a quarter remained. The situation had flipped instantly.
Don's expression tightened. 'Can't fight head-on anymore.'
He retreated. Not a full escape, but controlled movement, measured and calculated. If he broke aggro now, everything he had done would be wasted, and that was unacceptable.
Fortunately, this wasn't new to him. Back when he had played as a Mage, situations like this were routine, kiting, positioning, surviving on the edge of death while squeezing out damage wherever possible. So he adapted instantly.
Don moved toward a nearby tree, massive and ancient, its trunk thick and wide, easily four to five meters in diameter. He circled around it, steps quick but controlled. Behind him, the Jungle Worker Bee buzzed furiously, its massive body chasing him through the air.
Its stinger lashed out repeatedly, each strike sharp and lethal, but the tree blocked its path. Again and again. Each time it tried to angle its attack, the trunk got in the way. Its movements grew more aggressive, more erratic, more impatient.
And that was exactly what Don wanted. His breathing steadied. His eyes sharpened. He waited, one second, two seconds, three, then moved.
A sudden burst of speed, a sharp reverse step. In an instant he slipped out from behind the tree, his body cutting across the bee's blind spot. He appeared behind it like a shadow and struck.
[Critical Hit - 1,902!]
The dagger tore through the junction between its body segments. The sound was wet, sickening, final. The Jungle Worker Bee froze mid-air, its wings faltering before its massive body dropped heavily to the ground. Dead.
The jungle fell quiet once more, the heavy buzzing fading back into the distant hum of lesser creatures. Don exhaled slowly and raised a hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead. His heart was still pounding, but there was a grin on his face. He checked his experience bar and his expression shifted.
Eleven percent from a single kill. That meant nine of these could almost guarantee a full level, and right now he was already at Level 6, fifty-six percent. Two more kills and he would level up again.
He crouched down to collect the drops. Copper coins scattered across the ground, glinting faintly among the leaves, more than sixty.
He gathered them efficiently, his movements quick and practiced. Then he paused. Something else lay among the drops. A piece of equipment.
[Lost Gauntlets]
[Grade: White Iron]
[Type: Leather Armor]
[Level Requirement: 5]
[Physical Defense +9]
[Magic Defense +9]
[Additional Attribute:]
[Agility +2]
Don smiled. Another one. His luck today was undeniably good. But as the excitement settled, a thought surfaced and his gaze sharpened slightly. 'No, this isn't just luck.'
He recalled the layout of Yiersa Village, four leveling zones, east, south, west, and north, each with different monsters and different drops. This Lost Jungle was clearly tailored, leather equipment, agility bonuses. A perfect hunting ground for Rogues. For Thieves. Understanding dawned fully.
'So that's how it works.'
As if to confirm his thoughts, he moved deeper into the jungle and found more Jungle Worker Bees, not just one, but several, hovering among the canopy, dominating the space around them. Don didn't rush in blindly.
Instead he adapted, refined, improved. Tree positioning, aggro control, hit-and-run tactics, each fight became cleaner and more efficient. The results were immediate.
His potion consumption dropped drastically, now he only needed one for every three kills. Efficiency skyrocketed.
Going back to the village wasn't an option. Not until Level 10 and class advancement, teleport scrolls were useless until then, and running back and forth would only waste time.
So he stayed, grinding, fighting, optimizing. Kill after kill, the jungle became his battlefield, his hunting ground, his domain and his level climbed
[Level 7]
The golden light washed over him once more making him stronger, sharper, more dangerous. Then another drop, he picked it up without hesitation.
[Lost Spaulders]
[Grade: White Iron]
]Type: Leather Armor]
[Level Requirement: 5]
[Physical Defense +9]
[Magic Defense +9]
[Additional Attribute: Agility +2]
He equipped it immediately. The armor settled into place, and with it his build began to take shape, piece by piece. In Realms Online, equipment wasn't just about stats, it was structure.
Upper garment, leggings, gloves, shoulders, boots, cloak. Accessories layered on top, helmet, belt, rings, necklace. And weapons at the core of it all. At low levels the differences were subtle, barely noticeable. But later, everything would matter, every piece, every stat, every hidden attribute.
Don glanced down at his current gear, then forward into the deeper parts of the jungle. A faint smile formed on his lips. Step by step, he was building something, an advantage, a lead. And the gap between him and everyone else was only going to grow wider.