After sorting his gear and buying a few essentials from a street vendor—mostly cheap bandages and a flask of water—Dave made his way to the eastern gate of the village, where the group had asked him to meet.
Zan was already there, leaning casually against a stone wall, flipping a small spark of lightning between his fingers. "Took you long enough, Punisher," he smirked.
Dave gave no reply.
One by one, the others arrived—Bran with a large brown pack slung over his shoulder, Rek in silence as usual, and Liri adjusting the string on her bow.
"Alright, team," Zan said, straightening up. "Let's move."
The road outside the village was narrow and dirt-covered, winding gently through a forested path. Sunlight filtered through the trees, and the sounds of birds filled the air. It almost felt peaceful—if not for the constant alertness every adventurer knew to maintain beyond the village walls.
As they walked, the group naturally fell into conversation.
"So," Bran said, turning to Dave, "What kind of ability do you have? Gotta be something cool if you're using that name—'Punisher' sounds like someone who punches holes through walls."
Zan chuckled. "Don't tell me it's some support skill. Or are you one of those rare types hiding a secret power?"
Dave kept walking, eyes fixed ahead. "Nothing special," he muttered.
There was a pause.
"Wait, seriously?" Liri asked, her tone neutral but surprised.
Rek glanced at Dave but said nothing.
"Well, whatever," Zan shrugged. "You're with us now, so stay close and carry your share."
"You didn't tell me yours either," Dave replied, calm but sharp.
Zan grinned. "Fair enough. I'll show off then. I use lightning affinity—fast strikes, stuns, the good stuff."
Bran spoke up next. "I've got telekinesis. Not super strong yet, but I can lift mid-sized stuff—weapons, crates, rocks… that sort of thing. I'm working on control."
"I can reinforce my body," Rek said plainly. "If I touch metal, my skin becomes like metal. Same for stone, or even monster hide. Short duration though."
Dave glanced at him briefly. That's a dangerous ability in close combat.
"I'm a healer," Liri added. "Basic regeneration, some anti-poison techniques. I'm not the best in a fight, but I keep people standing."
"Pretty solid party, huh?" Zan boasted. "We just need muscle to haul things and run errands. You'll do fine, Punisher."
Dave said nothing. He walked quietly, absorbing the information.
So this is their team.
It was clear to him: they were capable, and they were cocky. But he wasn't here to impress them. He was here to get stronger.
And if they wanted to underestimate him…
That suited him just fine.
The forest gave way to an open clearing surrounded by high grass and scattered stones. The scent of damp soil and something wild filled the air.
"We're here," Zan said, pulling out the worn quest note and glancing around. "This is the area. Be ready."
But something felt off.
Dave paused at the edge of the clearing, eyes narrowing. Normally, he'd have received a system notification by now.
No quest?
He opened the system interface briefly.
Still nothing.
Strange.
But he didn't let it distract him. Whether the system issued a quest or not, this was still a chance to grow stronger—and he intended to take it. He tightened the grip on his blades, his senses sharp.
A low growl cut through the silence.
Then—movement.
From the tall grass and behind scattered rocks, they emerged—creatures the size of large panthers, sleek and covered in thick fur. Their glowing green eyes shimmered with feral hunger.
There were nineteen of them.
Their lean frames moved with unsettling grace, crouching low with claws digging into the dirt. Their muscles were built for speed, and even before the group could prepare fully, the first beast lunged.
"MOVE!" Zan shouted.
The battle erupted instantly.
Bran lifted his hand, telekinetically throwing a nearby stone at one of the beasts. It slammed into its shoulder, sending it tumbling—but the creature was back on its feet in seconds.
Zan dashed forward in a blur of lightning, his body sparking with raw energy as he sliced at another beast. He landed a hit—but it was shallow. The creature twisted and leaped away with catlike agility.
"They're fast!" he growled.
Rek slammed his palm onto a nearby boulder, his skin turning grey and rough like stone. He stood between two charging beasts, absorbing their blows and pushing them back with heavy punches, but they kept circling.
Liri kept her distance, focusing on healing minor wounds as they formed, her mana already beginning to deplete.
Dave stepped forward, but—
"Back off, Punisher!" Zan barked. "Let us handle this!"
Dave hesitated.
"But—"
"You're just going to get in the way," Zan snapped, blocking another beast's claw swipe with a flash of lightning. "Sit down and don't get killed!"
Dave's jaw clenched, but he obeyed. For now.
He dropped to one knee at the edge of the field, eyes locked on the chaotic scene.
They're struggling.
The group had already managed to take down five of the beasts, but the price was steep. Blood streaked Bran's arm, Rek was limping slightly, and Zan's lightning was starting to flicker.
More importantly, their mana was draining fast.
Liri's voice rose above the snarls and yells. "I'm almost out! I can't keep healing if this keeps up!"
Zan gritted his teeth, narrowly dodging a lunge. "Damn it—how many are left?!"
"Fourteen!" Rek shouted back, punching another creature square in the jaw—but the force barely phased it.
"They're too agile," Bran said, chest heaving. "I can't pin them down!"
Another beast darted in and clawed Zan across the back before leaping away again. He cursed, staggering forward.
"This isn't good," Zan said, eyes darting between the circling beasts and his exhausted teammates. "We've got no backup, and they're not slowing down."
Bran shook his head. "We're out of mana. Rek's body hardening's fading too."
Liri's voice was tinged with panic now. "We need a plan, or we're not making it out of here alive."
Zan exhaled sharply, sweat beading his brow. "We either fall back… or we get torn apart."
The group stood in a tight formation, breathing heavily as the remaining beasts circled them with hungry eyes. Zan gritted his teeth, bracing for another round.
But then—two beasts broke formation and lunged toward the edge of the field.
Toward Dave.
"Dave! LOOK OUT!" Zan shouted.
But Dave didn't panic.
To him… they were slow.
Too slow.
His eyes tracked their movements effortlessly, and just as the beasts were about to strike—he vanished.
Flash Step activated.
He reappeared behind them in a blur, blades already mid-swing.
SHING!
Two clean slashes echoed like whispers in the air—and the beasts dropped before they even realized they'd been hit.
A familiar sound rang in his mind.
System Notification:
Rank E Beast Defeated +500 EXP
Rank E Beast Defeated +500 EXP
Dave exhaled calmly and turned toward the stunned group, a slight grin forming on his face.
"Stand back," he said, twirling his blades. "Let me handle this."
Zan blinked. "W-What?"
But Dave didn't wait for an answer.
He dashed forward—faster than before.
Dash Activated.
A streak of silver moved through the field as Dave weaved through the beasts. Every swing of his blade was deliberate, clean, and efficient.
SHUNK! SLASH!
One by one, the beasts fell—unable to react to his incredible speed and precision.
The ground became littered with twitching bodies and spilled blood as Dave danced between them like a ghost. He dodged, struck, vanished, and reappeared—striking at their blind spots before they could even blink.
Within minutes…
It was over.
The final beast let out a shriek before collapsing in the dirt.
Dave stood in the center of the field, blades coated in blood, his breathing steady—not a single major wound on him.
The group stared in stunned silence.
"H-He took them all out…" Bran whispered.
"By himself," Liri added, eyes wide.
"Is he… really an F-rank?" Rek muttered, limping forward.
Zan stepped closer, disbelief etched on his face. "What… the hell was that, Dave?"
Dave calmly sheathed his blades and turned toward them. "You're welcome."
"You're welcome?!" Bran laughed nervously. "You just saved our lives, man! That was insane!"
Zan shook his head. "There's no way you're an F-rank adventurer."
Dave gave a small shrug. "That's what they ranked me."
Just then, another system message appeared in front of him.
System Notification:
Multiple Rank E Beasts Defeated — Bonus Experience Awarded
+6000 EXP
Lvl.8 10950/6400 EXP
LVL UP
Lvl.9 4550/12800 Exp
His eyes flickered with satisfaction.
Not long now… he was getting close to Level 10.
And once he did—
He Would even get stronger
Just as they finished talking, a deep, guttural growl echoed through the trees.
It rumbled across the field like thunder, sending shivers down everyone's spine.
Zan froze. "What… was that?"
Rek took a cautious step back. "That… that didn't sound like an E-rank beast."
Even Liri, who usually kept her composure, clutched her staff tightly. "Something's coming…"
Dave's expression shifted. He felt it too.
Then—DING!
A cold message appeared in front of his eyes.
System Notification:
[Warning: D-Rank Beast Detected — The Panther King Approaches]
[New Quest Received: Defeat the Panther King]
Quest Reward: Instant Level Up
Failure Penalty: Severe Injury or Death]
Dave's eyes narrowed.
This wasn't just another beast.
This was something dangerous… something real.
He turned to the others. "A D-Rank beast is heading this way."
"What?!" Bran blurted out. "D-Rank?! We're not even close to ready for that!"
"We barely handled the E-Rank ones…" Rek muttered, already sweating.
Zan looked around in panic. "We need to get out of here. Now!"
But Dave didn't move.
He stood still, his eyes scanning the shadows at the edge of the forest.
"I'll handle it," he said quietly.
Zan snapped his head toward him. "What are you saying? You saw how fast those E-Rank cats were—this thing's worse!"
Dave didn't respond.
His grip tightened on the hilt of his blade as he took a slow step forward, heart beating steadily despite the tension.
The Panther King was coming.
And Dave…
Was ready.