Lucas moved like a shadow through the undergrowth, his pace steady, controlled, and silent.
Ahead of him, Ethan Cole's team pushed forward, unaware they were being followed.
To Lucas, tracking them was effortless.
The faint scent of sweat, iron, and disturbed earth lingered in the air like a trail only he could see. Every snapped twig, every shift in grass, every hushed voice carried clearly to his enhanced hearing.
They weren't just visible—
They were obvious.
"…Too loud," Lucas murmured under his breath.
Even without his enhanced senses, their presence would have been noticeable.
Still, that worked in his favor.
Noise attracted danger.
And danger… created opportunity.
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"East Valley treasure, huh…"
He adjusted his grip on his blades.
"Let's see how valuable it really is."
After about fifteen minutes of careful tracking, the group ahead suddenly slowed.
Voices rose—louder this time.
Excited.
Tense.
Lucas immediately shifted position, slipping behind a thick tree trunk and lowering his breathing.
He listened.
"…Great! Ethan leveled up!" a rough, older voice said, filled with relief.
Another voice followed, calmer—analytical.
"Old Marcus… what exactly happened to Daniel?"
There was a pause.
Then—
A shaky reply.
"…We were scouting ahead. Just entered the woods when two Poison Ring Snakes came out of nowhere…"
Lucas's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Two?"
"…We ran. I ran faster… but Daniel didn't…"
The man's voice faltered.
"…One of them caught him. Wrapped him up… and that was it."
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Uneasy.
"…The other one chased me," the man continued quietly. "I barely made it out."
Lucas leaned slightly closer, focused.
"Two snakes… one confirmed dead already…"
His mind worked quickly.
"That means…"
There was still another one somewhere ahead.
Possibly wounded.
Possibly guarding something.
Possibly—
Another opportunity.
Just as Lucas was calculating his next move—
A voice cut sharply through the air.
"Someone's there."
Lucas froze.
"…What?"
His gaze shifted slightly.
A girl stood near the edge of the group, head tilted slightly, eyes focused directly in his direction.
Sharp.
Alert.
Listening.
"…Enhanced hearing," Lucas realized instantly.
Not bad.
Not bad at all.
"Show yourself," she called out.
The group immediately reacted.
Weapons raised.
Tension spiked.
Lucas exhaled slowly.
"…No point hiding now."
He stepped out from behind the tree, hands relaxed, expression neutral.
"Relax," he said casually. "Just passing through."
Recognition came quickly.
The girl's eyes lit up.
"Wait… you're Lucas Reign!"
Murmurs spread instantly.
"From the chat?"
"Yeah, I've seen his profile!"
"He's alone?"
Lucas resisted the urge to sigh.
Attention was exactly what he tried to avoid.
One of them stepped forward eagerly.
"Hey, want to join us? We're short one member."
"Yeah, we've got a solid team," another added. "Ethan's already Level 2."
Lucas's gaze shifted to Ethan briefly.
Confident stance. Slightly raised chin.
Expectant.
Then Ethan spoke.
"Show your stats," he said plainly. "If you're decent, you can come with us."
Lucas blinked once.
"…That's bold."
Outwardly, he simply shrugged.
"Appreciate it," he said. "But I'm good on my own."
Silence.
Then disbelief.
"You're… refusing?"
"Do you even know how dangerous it is out here?"
"People are dying!"
The girl stepped forward again, more urgent this time.
"Lucas, think about it. Soloing isn't safe. I assume you heard what happened to Daniel."
Lucas met her gaze calmly.
"I did."
A brief pause.
Then—
"I'll manage."
No arrogance.
No explanation.
Just certainty.
He turned and walked away.
No hesitation.
No second glance.
Behind him, voices erupted.
"What's his problem?"
"Thinks he's better than us?"
"Let him die, then!"
Ethan scoffed quietly.
"Doesn't know what he's walking into."
Lucas heard it all.
But didn't respond.
Didn't care.
Because none of them understood.
And that was exactly how he wanted it.
Once he was certain they had moved on, Lucas circled back.
Calm.
Unhurried.
Efficient.
The battlefield spoken about earlier was still intact.
Two massive snake corpses lay where they had fallen.
Lucas approached the first one.
"Plunder."
A faint glow pulsed.
[Success: Strength +1]
He nodded.
"Good."
Then moved to the second—
The one that had swallowed the unfortunate scout.
"Plunder."
Another pulse.
[Success: Energy +2]
Lucas exhaled slowly.
"…Even better."
He could feel it immediately.
A deeper reserve.
More stamina.
More control.
His body was becoming increasingly refined—
Less human.
More… optimized.
He opened his panel briefly.
[Name]: Lucas Reign
[Level]: 3 (20 / 300)
[Strength]: 20
[Agility]: 21
[Endurance]: 26
[Energy]: 39
[Talents]:
Infinite Plunder (SSS)
Strength Surge (D)
Agility Boost (E)
Advanced Vision (E)
Enhanced Smell (F)
Enhanced Hearing (F)
[Skill]: Insight
[Combat Rating]: ★★★
Lucas studied it for a moment.
Then smiled faintly.
"…Yeah."
This was no longer early advantage.
This was dominance.
Meanwhile—
Ethan's group reached the site where the scout had died.
The moment they saw it—
They froze.
The snake corpse had been cut open cleanly.
Precise.
Efficient.
Dead long before they arrived.
The remains of the fallen scout lay nearby.
Silence fell over the group.
Then—
The analytical one stepped forward, crouching down.
"…This isn't normal."
He examined the wound closely.
His expression darkened.
"This was a single strike."
"What?"
"The killing blow," he clarified. "Directly through the weak point."
Someone scoffed nervously.
"That's impossible. We needed multiple hits—"
"Exactly."
He adjusted his glasses slowly.
"That's why this is a problem."
The group went quiet.
Uneasy.
He continued.
"Look at the tracks."
They did.
"…Only one set of footprints."
A chill passed through the group.
"And based on the blood…" he added, voice tightening slightly, "this snake died before the one we fought."
That meant—
Whoever did this…
Was stronger than all of them.
Combined.
The girl with enhanced hearing suddenly stiffened.
"…Wait."
Everyone looked at her.
Her expression shifted.
Uneasy.
"You don't think…"
She swallowed.
"…that was Lucas?"
Silence.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
Images flashed in their minds—
His calm expression.
His casual refusal.
His complete lack of concern.
It wasn't arrogance.
It was confidence.
Because he already knew.
Ethan's jaw tightened.
"…Damn it."
For the first time—
Doubt crept in.
He had misjudged him.
Completely.
"Are we still going to the valley?" someone asked quietly.
Ethan hesitated.
Just for a second.
Then nodded.
"…Without fail."
But his tone had changed.
Less certain.
More cautious.
"Stay alert," he added.
Because now—
There was something else out there.
Not just beasts.
But someone stronger.
Watching.
Waiting.
Far ahead of them—
Lucas moved without pause.
No hesitation.
No doubt.
The eastern valley loomed in the distance, its terrain darker, denser, more dangerous.
Exactly what he wanted.
He rolled his shoulders slightly, loosening his grip before tightening it again.
A quiet rhythm.
A steady mindset.
Focused.
Controlled.
Ready.
"Treasure…" he murmured.
His eyes sharpened.
"Let's see what you're worth."
Behind him, others followed.
Cautious.
Uncertain.
Still thinking they were players in this game.
Lucas knew better.
They weren't competitors.
They weren't threats.
They were variables.
Tools.
Stepping stones.
And as he stepped into the shadow of the valley—
One thing became clear.
This battlefield wasn't about survival anymore.
It was about control.
And he—
Was starting to take it.