The night air outside the cave was cool and still. Moonlight slipped through the trees, silver and soft.Inside, Pramit was sprawled across the sofa, half-asleep, one arm hanging off the side.
"Ahh… peace and quiet. Just how I like it," he mumbled.
But peace never lasts forever.
From deep within the forest came a low growl — deep, rumbling, almost shaking the ground. The animals went silent. The wind itself seemed to hold its breath.
Then, the system pinged softly.
[Warning: Hostile Creature Detected — Class: B | Species: Stonefang Beast][Approaching Safe Zone Perimeter — Distance: 80 meters.]
Pramit groaned. "Oh great… just when I got comfortable."
He turned on his side and pulled the blanket higher. "Let it come. I'm not going out there."
Outside, the trees rustled. Heavy footsteps shook the ground. A huge beast emerged — a creature with stone-like skin, glowing red eyes, and massive claws that cut through earth and rock.
It roared, shaking the air — then lunged toward the cave.
The moment it crossed the invisible boundary, the Earth Soul Ring activated automatically.
[Auto-Defense Barrier: Activated]
The ground split open in front of the cave. Sharp stone pillars rose from the earth, slamming into the beast's chest and hurling it backward. The air boomed with the force.
The creature howled in pain, thrashing wildly. Each time it tried to move forward, the barrier summoned another wave of earthen spikes and walls, throwing it farther away.
Inside, Pramit yawned again. "So noisy… can't a guy nap in peace?"
He snapped his fingers lazily. "Earth skill… quiet mode."
The system obeyed. The cave's walls sealed themselves with a thick layer of stone, muffling the chaos outside.
[Safe Zone Sealed — External Threat Neutralizing.]
Minutes passed. The beast's roars faded into whimpers, then silence. When everything was still again, the barrier slowly deactivated.
The system chimed:
[Threat Eliminated | Reward: EXP +350 | Monster Core Acquired.]
Pramit's half-open eyes drifted toward the glowing text. "Exp, huh… maybe I leveled up. Eh… I'll check in the morning."
He rolled over and muttered softly,
"Thanks, ring… you did the hard work. I'm proud of you."
Then he went back to sleep, completely ignoring the crater and the smoldering monster remains just outside his luxurious cave.
Morning sunlight crept into the cave through the small cracks in the stone wall. Birds were singing again. Everything looked peaceful — except for the faint smell of burnt monster outside.
Pramit rubbed his eyes, yawning loudly.
"Hmm… that was a good nap. Did I dream of explosions or was that real?"
The system chimed softly.
[Battle Summary Available | Threat: Stonefang Beast (Class B) — Eliminated][Reward: EXP +350 | Monster Core: Stone Essence Crystal Acquired]
Pramit blinked. "Wait… I really did fight something? Or… the ring did. Nice teamwork."
He dragged himself out of bed and wandered toward the cave entrance, scratching his hair. When he stepped outside, he froze.
The forest clearing looked like a battlefield — trees were uprooted, ground cracked, and a giant beast corpse lay half-buried in stone spikes.
"Wow… that's messy. Guess my defense works too well."
He looked around lazily and noticed something glowing near the monster's chest. A small, floating crystal shimmered in soft orange light.
[Item: Stone Essence Crystal | Rank: A | Description: Contains condensed elemental energy. Can be used to upgrade Earth-based skills or craft magical tools.]
Pramit picked it up carefully, watching the light dance in his hand. "So this is what they drop, huh? Not bad."
He examined it for a moment, then tossed it up and caught it again.
"Crafting, upgrading, tools… all sounds like effort."
Still, the system notification blinked insistently.
[Optional Quest Unlocked: Forge Earth Relic — Reward Unknown.]
Pramit groaned. "Ugh, quests already? I just wanted breakfast."
He stared at the crystal, thinking for a second.Then he smiled lazily. "Eh, I'll keep it. Might come in handy someday — or I'll trade it for food. Either way, win-win."
He tossed the glowing crystal into his inventory, turned back toward the cave, and stretched.
"Alright, enough hero stuff for one day. Time to see what's in the fridge… if this place even has one."
The system pinged softly again, almost teasing him.
[Reminder: Earth Element Energy Detected — Cave Environment Enhanced.]
He glanced at the walls — faint lines of light now ran through the stone, making the whole cave glow warmly, as if the Earth itself was thanking him.
Pramit smirked. "So even the cave leveled up? Great. I'm surrounded by overachievers."
And with that, he walked back inside, yawning again. The strongest lazy hero in another world started his morning exactly the same way he ended every night — half asleep, mildly amused, and completely unaware that destiny had already found him.