PLAYER SYSTEM C10 FIRST QUEST VI

The adventurer party and Asha watched intently from a distance, their eyes glued to Jack. After witnessing him take down one of the Quacklash Vermin, their curiosity had only deepened—how would he handle four?

Yes, not two—four. The remaining vermin had converged on him, circling like vultures. One after another, their whip-like tails lashed toward Jack with brutal speed.

He dodged as best he could—his footwork swift, reactive—but even so, a few strikes grazed him, opening shallow cuts across his arms and shoulders.

Without pause, he raised his hand and activated [Healing Light] again.

[Healing Light has leveled up: Level 1 → Level 2.]

With the level-up, the spell grew more efficient. Now Jack could cast it silently through thought alone, and even target up to three allies at once. A major upgrade—and one he desperately needed.

‘Perfect. Now I can multitask if needed…’

As the fight wore on, his mana dipped. He quickly pulled a flask from his belt and drank a «Mana Potion», instantly feeling the energy return.

‘Alright… I’ve studied their rhythm. The timing of their whip strikes is predictable now.’

He adjusted his grip on the dagger, lowering his stance slightly—coiled, focused, waiting.

Albert and his team had been watching silently, but concern was growing.

“He’s holding his own, but he’s clearly taking hits,” one adventurer muttered.

“We should help him. Four of those things is too much.”

“Yeah,” another agreed. “Let’s go support him.”

Albert gave a short nod and stepped forward—ready to jump in.

But then they stopped.

One of the vermin lashed its tail toward Jack again—but this time, Jack didn’t dodge. He leaned in.

“Light cuts. Shadow claims,” he whispered.

His dagger pulsed—half-gold, half-black—radiating a flickering dual energy. In one fluid motion, he slashed diagonally, his blade colliding with the incoming tail.

At first, the others thought it had no effect. No one ever managed to injure a tail—let alone cut it.

But then—

Ssshhhlk!

The tail split.

“Screeeeech!!!” the Quacklash Vermin let out a howl of pain, flailing as blood spewed midair. Jack instantly covered his ears, avoiding the sonic backlash.

The creature spiraled down, crashing into the dirt—its balance shattered. Without missing a beat, Jack rushed in and finished it with a clean strike to the head.

[You have leveled up: Level 2 → Level 3.]

[All attributes increased by +3. You now have 6 unallocated stat points.]

A warm surge spread through his body. Jack flexed his fingers—he could feel the difference. Stronger. Faster. Sharper.

---

[Status: Larkight]
Race: Half-Human, Half-Demon
Class: Twilight
Level: 3
HP: 167
MP: 201

Attributes:
• Strength: 17
• Endurance: 17
• Agility: 15
• Intelligence: 18
• Wisdom: 17
• Dexterity: 15
• Charm: 20
• Luck: 14

Unallocated Stat Points: 6

Skills:
• Healing Light (Lv. 2)
• Grasp of Doom (Lv. 1)
• Gracepierce (Lv. 1)

---

Jack exhaled and grinned slightly, the blade still glowing faintly in his hand.
‘Let’s keep going. I’m just getting warmed up.’

Everyone stood in stunned silence.

Under their incredulous gazes, Jack moved like a rising storm. His aura sharpened with each passing second. When the remaining two Quacklash Vermin lunged with their whip-like tails, Jack timed the strikes flawlessly, parrying and slicing through both tails with precision.

One after another, the vermin crashed to the ground—wounded, disoriented, vulnerable. Jack didn't waste the opportunity. He dashed in and dispatched both with clean, decisive blows.

The final Quacklash Vermin panicked and tried to escape—wings flapping hard, but before it could rise too high, an arrow zipped through the air and pierced one of its wings.

“Got it!” an archer from the party shouted.

Jack dashed forward. His dagger gleamed with light and shadow.

“Light cuts. Shadow claims.”

[Gracepierce] hit true, slicing through the vermin’s chest. It let out a feeble screech before collapsing in a heap.

[Gracepierce has leveled up: Level 1 → Level 2.]
[You have leveled up: Level 3 → Level 4.]

Jack let out a breath and grinned. “Leveling up mid-battle... now that’s satisfying.”

He felt the surge of power pulse through his veins again—his body lighter, faster, stronger.

Before he could fully bask in the moment, the adventurer leader, Albert, approached him with a look of genuine respect.

“You just took down five of those failed experiment beasts on your own. That was... incredible,” Albert said, offering a firm nod.

At that moment, the carriage door opened. Asha rushed toward him, eyes wide with awe.

“That was amazing, Sir Larkight!” she said, beaming. “You may dress like a priest, but you fight like a warrior!”

“Maybe even a knight,” her driver added from behind with a grin.

Jack rubbed the back of his head, a little embarrassed. “Ah… it’s nothing, really.”

Wanting to shift the spotlight, he gestured to the fallen monsters. “Anyway, these things should drop materials, right? Something useful?”

Albert stepped forward and crouched beside one of the corpses. “You’re right. The Ratwing Feathers can be used for beginner-level arrow fletching. Their Whiptail Glands are useful in crafting basic stun potions.”

He inspected the vermin closely. “The matted hide can also be tanned and turned into lightweight armor. As for the tails… normally they’d be good for making cheap whips, but these are too damaged to be worth much.”

Jack nodded, stroking his chin thoughtfully. “Alright. Let’s harvest what we can and keep moving.”

Everyone agreed. After collecting the materials, Albert spoke up.

“Since you did most of the work, Sir Larkight, the loot is yours by right.”

The others nodded in agreement, but Jack held up a hand.

“You all supported me—and helped in the cleanup. I’ll take half. Split the rest among yourselves.”

The party looked at him, surprised by the gesture.

“You’re generous, Sir Larkight,” Albert said with admiration.

Jack just gave a modest nod. ‘Building good relations with this party could come in handy later… It’s a fair trade.’

As the journey resumed, the atmosphere shifted. Jack now walked among them not as a stranger, but as a respected companion. They laughed, exchanged stories, and welcomed him into their circle with ease.

Along the way, they encountered minor monsters—nothing unusual or difficult—but the tension from earlier had lifted.

It was during a lull in conversation that Albert shared something curious.

“Those vermin... Quacklash creatures... they’re not natural. They’re failed alchemic experiments, left behind from the era of the Alchemic Kings.”

“Failed experiments?” Jack echoed.

Albert nodded. “They were created long ago by rogue scholars trying to fuse species using forbidden methods. The Quacklash is one of many still lurking in old corners of the world.”

Jack’s eyes narrowed slightly as he took it all in.

‘This world’s lore runs deeper than I expected… and if those things are still around, then I doubt that’s the last “experiment” I’ll see.’

They had been traveling for nearly an hour and a half. The trek to Luke Town had been slowed by sporadic encounters with low-level monsters—not enough to threaten the party, but enough to delay them.

The adventurers were relieved.

“Glad we only ran into small fry,” one muttered. “Wouldn’t want another batch of those cursed Quacklash Vermin.”

But for Jack, it was a different story.

He glanced at his stat window. [Level 6].

‘Low-level mobs aren’t giving much EXP anymore… If only more Quacklash had shown up, I could’ve leveled again by now.’

His thoughts slipped out loud. “Still no sign of those Gelatine Slimes, huh…”

Albert chuckled lightly. “Let’s hope it stays that way. Those things are a pain to deal with.”

But just moments later, they turned a bend in the road—and Asha, still in her carriage, leaned forward, her expression tightening.

“Stop,” she said quietly. Her eyes locked on the sticky, translucent residue smeared across the cobblestone road.

The party slowed, and so did the wagons and carriage. The horses’ hooves squelched uncomfortably against the trail of slimy gel, and soon, their breathing turned labored. The animals snorted and stomped in protest, visibly agitated.

Albert narrowed his eyes. “Wait… the horses. They’re reacting—”

His sentence died in his throat.

From behind a rise in the road, hundreds of bouncing, milky-white blobs emerged, quivering with each jump.

As they landed, they left behind fresh globs of sticky slime.

“Gelatine Slimes…” Albert muttered grimly. “And a lot of them.”