He decided to test his new weapon. After a bit of searching, he leapt at a new target—and just before striking, his weapon appeared in his right hand. In just two scythe strikes, the rabbit was knocked out. This time, no fur dropped. The appearance of a Soul Weapon was nothing ordinary, and every time Cry summoned his own, he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. It was so incredible—even he had trouble containing his joy at such an extraordinary novelty. He wondered how Red must feel each time he summoned his whip—probably completely ecstatic, considering how much he loved new weapons.
Always analyzing every detail of his fights, Cry quickly made an observation about drops (items monsters leave behind when they're defeated):
*Hmm, I see… pelts don't drop every time! I'll keep going—using my weapon, it'll be quick work to handle the rabbits.*
Cry got to work, and after a few hours, he had collected the 8 rabbit pelts. The task hadn't been too hard, but finding more rabbits still took some time. He then headed to the nearby lake and began hunting frogs.
*It took 25 rabbits to get 8 pelts—I guess it'll be about the same for frogs.*
He attacked the first frog and defeated it easily. **Tiling!** A strange sensation ran through him. He checked his stats and saw he had leveled up.
CRY'S STATS – SCYTHE MANTIS RANK E –
Level 2
Strength: 7 + 1
Agility: 11 + 2
Defense: 7 + 1
Speed: 8 + 1
Charisma: 20 + 1
Weapon: Scythe
Innate skill: Leap
*Nice—this will make hunting rabbits and frogs a little easier!*
He resumed the hunt, and a few hours later, he had collected all the frog skins needed for his mission. Returning to the village, he delivered the hard-earned materials to the merchant.
**Mission complete – reward: 150 BC (bronze coins)**
*This is the first time I've earned money—feels great!* Cry thought. *And I've already leveled up—perfect!*
He was proud of himself. It wasn't much money, but if he kept working hard, his mother and brother could live a better life. Since his father's death, he'd seen his mother working tirelessly for the two of them. He was determined to change that and make her life easier.
He was about to head home when suddenly someone shoved him to the ground. It was Gron, another boy from the village, eleven years old. He was tall but a bit chubby, liked to mock others, and enjoyed picking on people. He was a loner and didn't like many people.
"Watch where you're going, runt! Can't you see I was walking here?" Gron said arrogantly.
"I didn't see you—but I'm sure you pushed me on purpose! You should calm down. Just because you're older doesn't mean you get to bully everyone!" Cry replied firmly.
"What did you just say, runt?"
"You heard me. I'm not afraid of you, so stop trying to intimidate me!"
"Oh, so you're not afraid? You just got your first monster and you're already acting tough! Mouhahahaha! And I hear you picked an insect to harmonize with—Ha! Ha! Ha!"
"Tss… you picked a rabbit yourself…"
"Grrr! Watch it! Don't mock my spotted rabbit—I'm already level 9, I could crush you in one hit!"
Suddenly, a deep voice cut through the tension—it was Malik, the chief, who had overheard Gron threatening Cry.
"That's enough, Gron! We're part of the same clan—we're supposed to support each other. I don't want to see fighting in my village! Understood?"
The chief was level 19 and had chosen a grey fox, a rank D monster—far beyond the little creatures around the village. He was on a completely different level, and no one could rival him, least of all a troublemaker like Gron. Malik was a fair leader, and even this rascal respected him.
"…Fine… nothing will happen inside the village," Gron said slyly.
"Cry, come with me—I'd like to talk to you," Malik said kindly.
"O-okay, chief," Cry replied, surprised.
He wondered what the chief wanted. Following him, Cry realized Malik was leading him straight to his home.
Inside, Cry's eyes widened at the hunting trophies mounted on the walls. It was his first time inside. He saw incredible things—horns from strange monsters, skeletal remains, a boar's head. The chief must have been a truly great Soul Warrior to have defeated them all.
"Sit here, boy."
Cry sat in silence, a bit awed, unsure how to react.
"You know, I knew your father well. He was a great warrior—nothing like us ordinary villagers of Tipoon. When he left five years ago, I promised him I'd take care of his family if anything happened to him."
"I don't remember much about my father… and Mom never wants to talk about him. I don't know why," Cry said, a little sad.
"Your mother is a good woman and a good mother, that's all—she's just trying to protect you. But today, you've become a Soul Warrior, and I'm sure you'll be a great warrior too. There's something about you that reminds me of your father. Believe me—you'll accomplish great things in the future," Malik said.
"For now, I just want to help my mom and little brother so they never lack anything… and also try to get stronger."
"That's good, boy. Your father would be proud of you. Keep walking this path, do your best, and I'm sure one day you'll catch a glimpse of a world beyond the reach of ordinary mortals."
Cry was a little surprised by the chief's words, nodding politely without fully understanding them.
"Well, it's late. Head home. I see you've worked hard today, finishing a mission in just one day. Go rest, and keep working hard!"
"Yes, chief," the boy replied proudly. He was glad he'd been allowed inside the chief's home—and learning more about his father made him even happier. His father had been a great warrior, and now Cry had one more reason to become one himself.
On his way home, Cry ran into Red and Summer.
"Hey, deserter—what were you doing today? We didn't see you," Red said, sounding a little annoyed.
"I was doing a mission—had work to do. And I'm going to keep at it for a while to earn as much money as I can for my family."
"Oh! That's great, Cry! We trained in the forest," Summer said calmly.
"I see you leveled up too, buddy—that's cool. We should have a spar sometime to train. What do you think?" Red asked, as excitable as ever.
"We could do that… but I don't have much time right now. How about three days from now? We can meet by the lake at sunrise so we don't get in trouble with the other villagers. Sound good?"
"Woohoo! I didn't think you'd say yes!" Red grinned. "I'm going to train like crazy, just so you know—Ha! Ha! Ha! Watch out!"
"Yeah, yeah, don't worry," Cry said confidently. "Alright, see you in three days."
"Bye, Cry," Summer said softly.
"Summer? After our date today, what time should I come pick you up tomorrow?" Red asked mischievously.
*Bam!* Summer punched Red square on the head, furious he'd said that in front of Cry.
"Tomorrow I'm going solo, idiot! Since when was that a date?!"
"Ha! Ha! Ha! Oh, Red—you never miss a chance to get hit," Cry laughed.
"Grrr… yeah, yeah—you'll see. One day all the girls will be falling at my feet when I'm strong enough!"
"Sure… you always say that. We'll see," his friend replied. "Alright, I'm off. See you in three days."
"Okay, bye, buddy."