The Dreamer's POV

Chapter 27: Grinding [Pt 1]

Something had been on my mind ever since the System informed everyone that the Tutorial was over, and that our positions were now Safe Zones.

It was what it said right at the end...

<Rest If You Wish>, or something like that.

The System never explicitly stated that we 'should' rest, but that we 'could' if we so desired. I felt a strong impression from that alone.

'Plus, the mere fact that there are Safe Zones means the Demons are still out there.'

The System never discouraged survivors from venturing out to grind even more. Instead, it gave a 24-hour interval that permitted exactly that.

I didn't need to buy 'Information' to figure out something was up with this arrangement. I even developed a theory about it.

"Maybe this is like the period of grace for us. A last opportunity for growing stronger before we get to experience this Tower Of Trial that the System has been preparing us for."

If that was the case, then the idea of Safe Zones was just another trap of comfort that the System was giving. An illusion of safety that many would bite into and miss out on the grand opportunity that existed beyond it.

"What if there are more rewards? What if I can Level Up more?" These thoughts kept bothering me, making me too restless to remain in my position.

In the end, I realized I couldn't just sit and wait for time to pass in this warehouse. In order to keep surviving in this world and get even stronger...

... I had to hunt!

******

[12:13 PM, Saturday 6th of May, 2024]

The fresh breeze swept through my dark hair as my amber eyes scoured the surroundings for the prowlers that littered the streets

At this point, I was already used to Demon-Hunting, so I knew all the basics—including how to keep myself hidden from the enemies.

'It seems the Demons haven't really changed in appearance. It's the same kind of Demons as during the Tutorial...' My thoughts trailed as I observed the loitering monsters.

I didn't know whether to classify this as good or bad news, all things considered.

'The good news is that they remain predictable and easy to beat. But that's the problem. If the difficulty remains the same, I won't be able to Level Up.'

That was a big issue for me.

'I've hit a wall in Leveling Up. It's going to be even harder for me now that I'm in Level 10.'

Killing the same monsters wasn't going to cut it for me—not anymore.

'At the very least, though, I can use them to practice my new Skills and combine them in combat.'

Sooner or later, I would have to try them out. It was much better to do so now, considering the fact that testing out my new assets against relatively safer foes would yield better results.

'Alright, Mikey. Let's do this!'

I inhaled deeply, loosening my tense muscles as I activated the first Skill.

'<Focus>'

In an instant, my senses expanded beyond my immediate vicinity, and I was able to capture everything around me—literally—in that moment.

The position of everything within my range, even behind me, became very visible, audible, and perceptible in general.

It was like I had become one with my surroundings.

"Haaaa... amazing!"

With <Focus>, it seemed I didn't need to worry about an ambush—at least, not from these low-level Demons.

Since the clock was ticking, I swiftly activated the second Skill... <Sprint>.

A sudden surge of energy coursed through me, and I could feel my legs especially strengthened and full of vitality.

I couldn't let all of it go to waste, so I instantly prompted myself to move.

~WHOOOOSSSSHHH~

I zoomed off, feeling the wing brush past.my face as I closed in on the unsuspecting enemies.

I was faster! Much faster than ever before! It felt too unreal!

Combat Ability combined a lot of elements into one; offense, defense, agility, endurance, dexterity, etc.

The fact that I raised my Combat Ability meant all of these Stats were improved at the same time.

With my Combat Ability already reaching 14, minus the effects Energy Rock, thanks to my newly acquired clothing, I felt light as a feather and full of power.

'Should I try punching one Demon?'

My body moved just as fast as my thoughts processed, and I closed in on the growling creatures in no time.

~WHAM!~

Effortlessly throwing my arm out for a straight thrust, I easily connected a solid blow with the jaw of a Demon, sending it flying away from me.

Not stopping for a moment, considering the attention I had drawn to myself, I rushed at the other Demons and dealt them the same deadly strikes.

"GRAAAAHHHH!!!" A bunch of them tried ganging up on me, but they were too slow.

... Or perhaps I was just too fast.

~FWISH~

Twisting my body in the air, I deftly dealt a roundhouse kick to one right on the head, while using my other leg to hit the other at the back of its neck.

It could have been due to all the excitement, but I thought I heard a ~Crack~ after the impact.

Within a minute, just as I felt the effects of both <Sprint> and <Focus> wearing off, I had dealt a great deal of damage to my adversaries.

Over a dozen of them were already on the floor, as good as dead.

"Twenty-one, huh? Not bad..."

Something seemed off, though. Not only did I have to hit some Demons twice, but they seemed sturdier than expected when I clashed with them.

'I should have enough power to kill four to five of them with just one hit, considering my past record and current strength.'

The fact that they were able to last so long meant one thing.

'They've gotten stronger.'

It seemed things had become more difficult after the Tutorial ended. Just as I suspected, the Tutorial weakened the Demons so we could easily beat them.

The kid gloves were off now, but I was still managing pretty well on my own.

'But judging by the current situation, it's like the System is further discouraging any more fighting. It makes me more curious.'

A wide smile formed on my face, and I began to hear incoming footsteps.

'More are coming, huh?'

Swiftly rushing to hide before another Demon would spot me, I left the vanishing corpses of my fallen foes.

Fortunately, there were several structures around to choose from, so I hid in a partly broken-down building.

Its walls were torn down on one end, most likely done by a powerful entity. If I had to guess, it was most likely the work of that Colossal Demon I defeated.

In any case, I hid there and watched my next batch of prey gather, dumbly looking around while growling.

'I've tested out both <Sprint> and <Focus>. They're on cool-down now, but they'll be hella useful.'

The next test on my checklist was the newest Exclusive Skill in my arsenal.

"Let's do this... <Visualize>"

Activating the Skill, I felt reality around me blur, and it felt like a sudden wave or echo entered into my head.

It was all so surreal, and I couldn't properly describe the feeling, but I was suddenly thrust into a scenery that showed me the movements of the clustering Demons while I simply watched, unable to do anything about it.

A timer stood at the top center of my vision, and it began a countdown.

<One>

The Demons sniffed around and growled.

<Two>

They walked slowly, glaring at everything in their path.

<Three>

They bumped into each other and growled angrily.

<Four>

They began to disperse.

<Five>

They drifted further apart

... And then, I was pulled back to the present.

"Haa... haaa... whoah! Haaa!"

The Demons were still standing, clustered together, just as I had seen at the start of my vision.

'I really can see the future. And a whole five seconds too!'

Sure, it drained my Energy Level considerably, but this was still amazing.

"I wonder what else I can do!"

*

*

*

[A/N]

Thanks for reading!

Looks like our boy is currently on the rise.