Watching Riley get into position behind a nearby boulder to prepare for the surprise attack, Snow couldnât help but grip the hem of her white dress tightly.
The annoyance building inside her was something she had never felt before.
âWhy is he so casual about things?â she thought, frustrated. She hadnât been able to sleep properly last night.
âHe must think Iâm some loose woman! No, even worse, a loose princess!â
Ever since what happened yesterday, her mind had been plagued with thoughts on how to properly face him today, only to be met by his casual ignorance as if nothing had ever happened.
Although she did admit it was better than having to mention it in front of him again, the unspoken tension made their already awkward atmosphere even more strained.
She couldnât resolve the misunderstanding they had, and it gnawed at her.
She had tried to steer their conversation toward resolving the one thing that had been bothering her, but she was too embarrassed to bring it up herself.
The memory of her boldness and his calm rejection played over and over in her mind, each repetition making her cheeks flush with a mix of anger and humiliation.
Even all the way here, she had been giving him subtle signs to bring it up himself, butâŠ
âThat bastard doesnât seem to care!â
Snowâs annoyance only grew more profound with each passing moment.
âYour Highness, as planned, I want you to wait here and prepare casting your spell,â Riley had said, his voice a mere whisper in her ear.
Remembering the way he had casually whispered in her ear, Snowâs face flushed bright red.
âDoes that man not know boundaries?â she wondered, though she wasnât one to talk considering her own actions towards him.
But to sneak up on a maiden like her from behind, casually grabbing onto her shoulder and tickling her ears with the whispers of his breathâŠ
She felt like prey in front of an apex predator. Whether Riley was doing it intentionally or not, it was a fact that this man was quite obnoxious when it came to matters between men and
women.
âAm I just overly sensitive about this, perhaps?â Snow thought, struggling to calm her nerves. She pinched her own leg, the sharp pain rippling through her mind, helping to ground her.
As she started to slowly calm down, she reminded herself that now was not the time to dwell on such thoughts.
They had a mission to complete.
Snow watched Rileyâs every move as he positioned himself behind the boulder, his focus unyielding. Despite her irritation, she couldnât deny the respect she had for his skills.
âHeâs very good in stealth as wellâŠâ Snow thought, marveling at Rileyâs ability to move silently through the dense forest.
The way he knew exactly which rocks and leaves to step on demonstrated his deep knowledge of the environment.
If it were just some random knight or student, they would have undoubtedly alerted the Bandit Tortoise immediately.
Rileyâs confidence and precision were undeniable, and in this moment of looming battle, they were very crucial.
Snow tightened her grip on her staff, preparing to cast her spell at the right moment. Boom!!!
With a loud, thunderous sound, Riley suddenly shot forward like an aura-infused arrow, making his way towards the boss monster. He moved so fast that Snow could barely track him with her eyes. His attack, a blur of motion, aimed directly at the Bandit Tortoise.
Although his strike didnât fully succeed-the Bandit Tortoise managed to block it with an axe it retrieved from beneath its feet-Riley had provided her with the space she needed. His speed and precision had created an opening.
âGAAHCCKKKK!!!!â The monster screamed in madness. The scratch Riley managed to land on its face induced a toxic reaction, causing its grayish skin to turn a sickly purple, with its veins bulging out grotesquely.
Snow seized the opportunity. With Riley creating a distraction, she focused her energy, channeling her magic into a powerful spell. The air around her crackled with energy as she summoned her strength.
Since when did Riley coat his sword with poison? Snow wondered briefly, but she let the thought go as her hands gathered the latent mana in the air and the one inside her.
âNow!â she heard Rileyâs signal.
Her staff pointed at the damned, disgusting monster, and she channeled her spell. â[Frost Lance!]â
A blue light gathered at the tip of her staff, and the cold winds began to freeze the
surrounding area.
The spell formed into a lance made of ice, exuding cold blue flames. The world momentarily turned bluish-white as the spell fired off.
Like a bolt of lightning from the sky, the Frost Lance shot toward its incapacitated target, hitting it with an explosion that echoed through the forest.
For reference, a fire spell like Explosion has enough force to wipe out a small town if you put enough mana into it.
The Frost Lance, while different in nature, demonstrated a similar level of power and destructive capability.
In an instant, everything around the Bandit Tortoise froze. The ground, the trees, even the air seemed to crystallize under the intense cold.
The boss monster was encased in a white haze of ice, and all of this happened in just three
seconds.
Inside the towering pillar of spiky ice stood the Bandit Tortoise, frozen solid.
At least, its outer layer was.
Snow knew better than to assume it was entirely incapacitated.
The outer shell of ice was a temporary measure, buying them precious seconds to strategize
their next move.
âThat didnât kill it?â
Snow was surprised to see the boss still alive inside her ice. Her spell usually froze people and monsters alike down to their very core.
Given the Bandit Tortoiseâs smaller size, she didnât expect it to have such a high amount of magic resistance. This realization made the creature even more impressive in her eyes.
Moments later, the ice encasing the Bandit Tortoise started to crack and quake under the pressure of its intense aura.
The creatureâs outer shell began to splinter as the Bandit Tortoise struggled to free itself. It was clear that the fight was going to last longer than expected.
Redyeing herself, Snow got into position and prepared her next spell.
At least, thatâs what Snow initially thought would happen. Her eyes widened as she saw a silvery trajectory streaking through the air, trailing a vertical blue light.
SWOOSH!!!
Like lightning, Rileyâs sword cleaved through the ice, cutting the Bandit Tortoiseâs head in
one swift motion.
The boss didnât even have time to recover. It didnât have the chance to show its full strength or react to the sudden attack.
As its frozen head landed upon the icy swamp, it signaled the end of the battle. The relatively rising tension they had moments ago vanished as if nothing had happened.
Riley stood amidst the shattered ice, his breathing steady, the toxic poison on his blade still glistening in the cold light.
Snow stared at the scene, momentarily taken aback by the sheer efficiency of Rileyâs strike. His expression remained neutral, but there was a glint of satisfaction in his eyes as he stared in the air for a couple of seconds before looking at her direction.
âGood job, Your Highness!â Rileyâs voice cut through the tension, his blade returning to its sheath as he glanced at Snow, who stared back at him with wide-open eyes. Though his last attack might have seemed like foul play, in the hunt for monsters, anything goes. After stretching his arms, Riley slowly approached the frozen Snow, who remained still, her gaze fixed on him. âWhatâs wrong, Your Highness?â he asked, concern lacing his words. âNothingâŠâ Snow replied softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
âAre you sure? Did you get hurt by any chance?â Rileyâs worry was palpable as he reached out, intending to check if she was injured. But before his hand could reach her, it was swatted
away.
âNo⊠Iâm really fine.â
âI-I see⊠well, letâs move on to the next one then?â Riley suggested, his tone tentative as he
gestured forward.
Nodding at his suggestion, Snow followed behind the young man, a swirl of emotions
churning inside her.
Despite his annoying, obnoxious, and frustrating tendencies, Snow couldnât deny one thing:
âHeâs very capableâŠ.â
âŠ
[Note:]
[Congratulations! You have leveled up!]
[Level up x2]
[Level: 63-65]
[Congratulations! You have achieved level 65!]
[The middle threshold has been reached!]
[Congratulations! Bonus points rewarded for reaching the upper echelons.]
[Note: System Bonuses will conclude after level 70.]
[Bonus ability points: +10]
[Available status points: 43]
[Congratulations! Skill Basic Swordsmanship has reached rank threshold!]
[Skill: Basic Swordsmanship (Proficiency 100%)] â [Skill: Intermediate Swordsmanship
(Proficiency 0%)]
[Congratulations! You have defeated your first A-rank boss. Bonus ability points shall be
given.]
[Bonus ability points: +10]
[Available status points: 53]
[Congratulations! You have acquired a new title!]
[Title: Predator] [Effects: Surprise and ambush-based attacks will now deal more damage (+15%)]
Reading all the system notifications that kept popping up in front of me, I almost couldnât help but jump up in happiness.
My legs were almost tip-toeing on the ground as I struggled to contain my excitement. Hahaha! At this rate, I might get intoxicated by the sheer amount of rewards the system was
giving me.
I finally reached level 65!
Reaching level 65 was a significant milestone. It marked the transition from being an average combatant to becoming a formidable force.
The bonus ability points as well were a welcome addition, giving me more flexibility to
enhance my skills and attributes.
My swordsmanship skill as well, got upgraded to the next level.
Moving from basic to intermediate meant my combat techniques would be more refined and
powerful.
I could now handle tougher opponents with greater ease, and my proficiency would only
improve with practice.
I even got a title as well. Overall, the benefits I got from this boss hunt were way beyond my
expectations.
Glancing at Snow, who was walking behind me, I couldnât help but smile. âShe must be the reason Iâm getting so many rewards,â I thought.
With her luck stat, it wouldnât be unnatural at all.
Back when we faced the Bandit Tortoise, if her spell hadnât fully incapacitated the boss, I
wouldâve been done for.
Although it was only brief, I did see the red glint in its eyes and its ever-expanding aura-it was clear that it was on the verge of transforming into an A-rank monster.
Thankfully, Snowâs ice spell lasted long enough to keep it at bay, giving me enough time to
kill it.
With the Bandit Tortoise gone, there were only two applicable bosses we could hunt now:
[Tempest Wolf]
[Acid Viper.]
If we can maintain this level of efficiency in hunting down the other remaining boss
monsters, then maybe reaching level 70 wasnât as hard as I thought?
ââ
Meanwhile, deep inside the forestâs shade, two red glowing eyes watched from afar,
stretching towards the canopy of dead trees. The red pupils locked onto the unsuspecting young man and woman in the distance.
The creatureâs eyes narrowed, filled with a predatory intensity as it observed Riley and Snow.
The surrounding gloom seemed to thicken with each passing moment, the forest holding its breath in anticipation of what was to come.
Click!
A man, perched on top of a gigantic snake, grabbed a communication crystal in his hand.
The snakeâs scales shimmered ominously under the sparse light filtering through the dead branches above.
His eyes mirrored the snakeâs, glowing with an unnatural red hue.
As he stared into the dreadful scene before him, he activated the crystal and spoke with a tone
that brooked no argument.
âThis is Alpha 1. Target located.â
His voice was sharp, like a blade slicing through the dense silence of the forest. The crystal
pulsed with a dull light, confirming the transmission. With the princess found, their mission could now truly start.