Mission Opportunity. Lily Rowan
After upgrading the Dragon Slayer Blade, Ethan Quinn did not remain in Novice Village for long. He turned away from the crowded square and headed toward the river valley outside the village. According to his memories from his previous life, the valley was filled with Demon Wolves that provided excellent experience and crafting materials. It was one of the best hunting grounds for players who could survive there.
Following the route he remembered, Ethan arrived at the valley within a short time. Unlike Starfall Valley, which had been nearly stripped bare by the Boarfolk earlier, this valley remained wild and untouched. Tall trees grew everywhere, their thick branches blocking most of the sunlight and leaving the forest floor covered in shadow. The moment Ethan stepped beneath the canopy, the atmosphere changed.
A sudden rush of wind sounded beside him.
A massive dark figure lunged from the trees.
Ethan reacted instantly. He shifted his body slightly to the side and avoided the attack with a single step. In the same motion, the Dragon Slayer Blade flashed through the air and cut cleanly across the creature's waist.
A crimson damage number appeared.
The monster collapsed immediately.
Even before it hit the ground, its health had already dropped to zero.
After evolving to Gold Rank, the Dragon Slayer Blade provided Ethan with a minimum of 450 attack power. Combined with the 30 attack points he gained from leveling, each strike now exceeded 480 base damage. When his Tenfold Critical Talent triggered, the damage increased to terrifying levels. On top of that, the weapon itself added another forty percent damage bonus.
The result was devastating.
One strike could deal over six thousand damage.
For monsters at this stage of the game, such numbers were absurd.
System notifications appeared.
You killed Forest Wolf.
Experience gained. 1000.
You obtained Forest Wolf Fang.
You obtained Silver Coin.
Ethan crouched and inspected the fang with the Eye of Insight. The material quality was decent. Forest Wolves were Bronze Rank monsters, and their fangs were useful for forging beginner weapons. When the auction system opened later in the game, these materials would sell consistently.
That thought alone made Ethan more motivated.
He continued deeper into the valley, cutting down wolves whenever they appeared. With his overwhelming damage and Tenfold Critical Talent, no wolf survived more than a single strike. Their bodies fell one after another while Ethan collected materials and coins along the way.
Within an hour, his level increased again.
Level 4.
When the system granted new Attribute Points, Ethan paused briefly to consider where to place them. In the early game he had invested everything into Strength, maximizing his physical damage. This time he chose differently.
All the points went into Intelligence.
The reason was simple.
His newly learned skill, Flying Immortal, consumed a large amount of mana. Without enough mana reserves, he would only be able to use it a few times before exhausting himself. Increasing Intelligence ensured he could unleash the skill repeatedly during larger battles.
After finishing the allocation, Ethan resumed moving deeper into the valley.
According to his memories, a pack of Level 7 Magic Wolves roamed the deeper forest. Eliminating them would push his experience close to Level 5. If he was lucky enough to encounter migrating Forest Giant Apes, the rewards would be even greater.
But before he could find the wolves, a terrified scream echoed through the forest.
"Help! Don't come any closer!"
The voice clearly belonged to a child.
Ethan's eyes narrowed slightly.
In online worlds like Divine Realm, many NPCs appeared as children. Encounters involving children often triggered hidden quests or special missions. Hearing the panic in her voice, Ethan immediately changed direction and ran toward the sound.
Branches whipped against his shoulders as he pushed through thick undergrowth. Thorny vines tore aside under the sweep of the Dragon Slayer Blade as he cut a path through the forest. Within seconds he reached the source of the scream.
A little girl clung desperately to the trunk of a tall tree.
She carried a backpack nearly as large as herself and was scrambling upward with trembling hands. Below her, several Forest Wolves circled the tree while drool dripped from their jaws.
The girl looked no older than ten.
Her round face was pale with fear.
Ethan activated the Eye of Insight and confirmed that she was an NPC.
Without hesitation he moved.
A flash of steel cut through the wolves surrounding the tree. Within seconds the entire pack collapsed onto the ground, their bodies motionless.
Before Ethan could speak, a deafening roar echoed behind him.
He turned instantly.
A massive white ape stepped out from between the trees.
The creature stood nearly three meters tall. Thick muscles rippled beneath its pale fur, and its red eyes burned with fury.
Ethan immediately activated his detection ability.
Forest Giant Ape Leader
Boss Monster
Level 9
Rank Bronze
Health 15000
Attack Power 178 to 183
Abilities
Bloodthirsty Roar
Battle Frenzy
Boulder Throw
Description
The dominant predator of the valley. Feeds primarily on Forest Wolves.
Ethan studied the boss calmly.
Fifteen thousand health.
Perfect.
He walked forward slowly, tightening his grip on the Dragon Slayer Blade.
Seeing the human approach without fear, the giant ape roared toward the sky. The sound echoed across the forest as several other apes emerged from the trees. The leader activated Bloodthirsty Roar, boosting the attack power of its group.
The giant apes pounded their chests violently.
It was their traditional pre battle display.
"Big brother, run!" the girl shouted from behind the tree. "Those monkeys are really dangerous!"
Her name appeared above her head.
Lily Rowan.
Ethan glanced back briefly and gave her a reassuring smile.
"Hide somewhere safe."
Then he accelerated.
Before the giant apes finished their display, Ethan was already among them.
The Dragon Slayer Blade descended in a blur of motion.
Several apes collapsed instantly.
The remaining ones finally realized the human before them was far more dangerous than they expected. Abandoning their ritual, they charged forward with furious howls.
Perfect timing, Ethan thought.
That saves me the trouble of hunting you down individually.
His blade moved again.
Damage numbers burst across the battlefield.
5920
5923
5941
One giant ape after another fell to the ground.
The leader howled in rage as it watched its pack collapse. Its white fur bristled and its body swelled as Battle Frenzy activated. The boss charged forward, raising its massive fists.
But the result had already been decided.
The Dragon Slayer Blade sliced across its body repeatedly.
System notifications appeared.
Weapon Effect Activated.
Slow applied to Forest Giant Ape Leader.
Weapon Effect Activated.
Bleeding applied.
The boss's movements slowed drastically. Blood poured from its wounds as the damage continued ticking.
Ethan stepped around the creature, striking again and again with ruthless precision.
4120
4125
4154
The giant ape leader collapsed with a final roar.
System message.
Boss defeated.
You gained 10000 experience.
You gained 1 Skill Point.
Item obtained. Hidden Cloak.
Ethan did not stop moving.
To him, the remaining apes were simply walking experience points. He chased them through the trees, cutting them down one by one as they attempted to flee.
Just as he prepared to eliminate the last survivors, a burst of laughter echoed from behind him.