Alicar had evolved his skill, and somehow, that seemed to have affected Iris as well, likely because they shared the class through the contract.
Alicar didn’t actually know whether to consider that great news or not, but to be honest, it simply meant that Iris was now stronger as well, which could only benefit them both in the long run.
That also made Alicar believe that his talent was much more connected to his class than he had initially thought, perhaps even intertwined at a fundamental level.
Leon brought food for the morning, and everybody ate breakfast together, though once again, it was just monster meat cooked over a simple fire with no seasoning.
"We don’t have anybody with a support-related class, so the food gets bland," Leon smiled apologetically, shrugging his shoulders in defeat. "But we don’t get any luxury around here, so we make do with what we have."
At that moment, Alicar turned his gaze toward Iris, his eyes carrying a silent message that only she could understand.
She frowned at him, immediately catching his meaning and rejecting it without a single word.
’I’m not using my Genesis Farmer class here!’ she scoffed internally, her expression hardening with stubbornness. ’We need to focus on getting out!’
’It’s the perfect time,’ Alicar responded by rolling his eyes, his frustration clear. ’Also, who knows if we’ll ever leave.’
’Don’t even say that,’ Iris shot back with her glare, her jaw tightening with determination. ’I’m sure we’ll be able to leave... soon! Plus how can I even farm with no crops and tools?’
’...You might be right,’ Alicar conceded, realizing the logic in her argument.
Of course, neither of them spoke aloud, but somehow, for some strange reason, the two understood each other perfectly, as if their souls were connected.
During the morning, Alicar got to know everyone that was still alive in the cave.
Excluding him and Iris, there were five others:
William, the leader who had tried to organize the group back in the clearing, Elliot, the young man who had first noticed the sun moving in the sky, Olivia, a quiet woman who kept to herself and rarely spoke, Mark, a burly man with a fresh wound on his cheek from a previous battle, and Susie, an extroverted girl who seemed constantly on edge.
They were all still shaken by what had happened, their faces pale with fear and uncertainty about their future.
"Alright," Leon clapped his hands as he got up, his expression turning more serious than before. "Today’s your first real day here, and unfortunately, there will be no break. All of you need to level up as fast as possible."
He explained that the only way to do so would be to risk their lives against the monsters of this place, fighting and killing them one by one.
And more than anything, they would need to avoid the sun beast, as it was constantly observing the world from above, its eyes always watching.
"The sun beast doesn’t attack randomly," Leon continued, his voice dropping lower. "It only comes down when it senses a large group or when it’s hungry enough."
"Small groups of three or four can move around without attracting its attention, as long as they’re careful."
Sera nodded in agreement, her hand resting on her spear. "We’ve learned to read its patterns. The forest is dangerous, but it’s also full of resources. You just need to know where to look."
Alicar listened carefully, absorbing every piece of information they offered.
He knew that his survival depended on understanding this place and its dangers.
"Alright, here’s the plan," Leon said, his voice taking on a commanding tone. "We’ll split into groups. Sera and I will take some of you guys, while Darian will keep the non-fighters here."
"We’ll hunt monsters, gain experience, and teach you how to survive in this hellhole."
Iris was the first to step forward, her voice firm and clear. "I want to go with Alicar."
Leon raised an eyebrow at her request, "I heard that you had a support-related class though?"
"I can fight," Iris nodded, aura flickering in her gaze.
Seeing that, Leon simply shrugged, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Fine. You two lovebirds can stick together. But don’t expect any special treatment."
William, ever the leader, stepped forward as well. "I’ll go with you, Leon. I want to learn from the best."
"Hey, I ain’t that bad either," Sera retorted, a hint of offense in her voice. "I can use... my spear, though it’s kinda chipped on the edges."
The others quickly divided themselves among the three groups.
Alicar and Iris found themselves with Leon’s group, which also included William.
"Alright," Leon said as he led them out of the cave. "Follow me, stay quiet, and don’t do anything stupid."
The forest outside was just as dark and foreboding as it had been the day before, the trees looming overhead like silent sentinels.
Alicar could feel the weight of the sun beast’s gaze from above, a constant pressure that made his skin crawl.
They walked for about twenty minutes before Leon held up his hand, signaling them to stop.
"There," he whispered, pointing toward a clearing ahead. "A Scorched Boar. Level 6."
The creature was massive, easily twice the size of a normal boar, with tusks that gleamed dangerously in the dim light.
It was the same monster Leon had killed yesterday, though much weaker.
"William, you’re up first," Leon said, his voice calm but firm. "Show me what you can do."
William’s face paled slightly, but he nodded and stepped forward, his hands trembling as he readied his weapon.
William’s class was [Strong Warrior], an evolution of the basic [Warrior] one, though not by much.
The battle was messy and uncoordinated, with William barely managing to avoid the boar’s charges.
But eventually, with some guidance from Leon, and a LOT of attempts, he managed to land a killing blow using his sword.
Ding!
[You have killed Lv.6 Scorched Boar.]
William let out a shaky breath, his face flushed with exertion and relief.
"Good," Leon nodded approvingly. "You’re not dead. That’s a good start."
Iris went next, killing a monster as well using a fireball, much more easily than William.
"But how?!" William gasped, "I thought that Lady Iris didn’t get anything to fight with..."
"Don’t trust anything you hear," Iris lied smoothly, "I have a few tricks up my sleeve."
"W-Wow!"
And then it was Alicar’s turn.
A creature emerged from the trees, and though it was much smaller than the boars William and Iris fought, it seemed much more deadly.
[Gloomfang Rabbit Lv.8]
[Rank: Uncommon]
"Nevermind," Leon shook his head, his eyes widening with concern. "That thing’s way too strong so let’s just—"
Boom!
Ignoring Leon’s warning completely, Alicar simply did the same thing he did yesterday, combining his water and lightning elements and throwing it toward the rabbit with all his might.
The creature tried to dodge, but due to the area of effect of the attack, it was still hit, and adding that to the 20% damage increase from his level up, it was instantly killed.
The Gloomfang Rabbit collapsed to the ground, its body smoking from the combined elemental assault.
[You have killed Lv.8 Gloomfang Rabbit.]
His experience points bar immediately shot up, almost filling up entirely.
Alicar then turned toward Leon, who was quite shocked at the sight, and spoke with a determined tone, "We’re getting out of here quickly."
Leon stared at the fallen monster, then back at Alicar, his expression shifting from surprise to something resembling respect.
...
A/N: Support this novel by adding it to your library and giving a powerstone or two, it greatly helps!