Nyx stared at the wolf like it had just pissed on his dignity and chewed up the last decent pencil he owned. His grip tightened around the sword as he slowly unsheathed it with a sharp metallic whisper, lifting it in front of him like he was knighting the beast before execution.
Nyx was confident that he could slice through that beast's neck like butter, after his stats increased several folds.
He launched himself forward, while the beast also launched towards Nyx.
Nyx locked eyes on its neck and moved with the precision of someone who had visualized this exact kill a dozen times already. He dipped to the side just as the claw sliced through the air beside him, and he swung his sword with deadly intent.
But just before steel could meet flesh, something happened that shattered every expectation he had—
The wolf twisted mid-air, jaws snapping shut around the blade like it was designed to chew iron. Its fangs clamped down with enough force to jolt Nyx's arm and stall the momentum completely, locking them both in a messy stalemate.
There was no room for movement, no advantage, just pure brute resistance. The beast pushed forward, and Nyx found himself gritting his teeth, trying to keep his sword from getting yanked clean out of his hands.
"O-oii, Sys... wasn't this supposed to be a cliché-ass world? Why the hell is this mutt reacting like it's in a Dark Souls boss fight?" Nyx panicked as he saw the reflexes the wolf just showed.
[I ain't the one who was just trying to be a shonen MC. Told ya dumbass, avoid it.]
"This ain't time to be smug, bitch. Tell me a way to kill this shit, who bites steel like dog food." Nyx asked as his sword was being pressed more and more as the time passed.
[Use your fucking skills, dipshit.]
As soon as he heard 'skills' , a sky grin formed on his face as he faced the wolf, eye to eye and said,
"Say hello to Luci for me, will ya?" Nyx's grin widened as an arrow made of fire formed just above the wolf's neck.
A flaming arrow materialized just above the wolf's neck. The beast sensed something wrong and twisted to dodge—
but it was too late.
The Fire Arrow sank deep into its throat, erupting with a burst of searing flame.
Nyx tilted his head, his grin spreading wider.
"You thought that was it?" His voice cracked into a wicked laugh, low and smug.
In an instant, several more arrows formed—hovering like judgment. They launched together, each one burying itself into the beast's skull.
The final two pierced its eyes clean through.
---
Just as the wolf's body fell twitching into the dirt, Nyx collapsed beside it with a heavy thud.
"Haa... haa... that gave me chills. That bastard sure was powerful," he muttered, releasing his grip on the sword. His hands were still visibly shaking.
Then, in classic timing, something rang in his ear.
[Ding~! Congratulations for hunting the lowest of low, pest-level demonic beast. You've gained 10 SP.]
Nyx's jaw nearly unhinged.
"...What the f*ck is that supposed to mean? Lowest of low? Do you even know how much I struggled against that big-ass dog?"
[Do you think SP grows on a tree? That thing was only half corrupted—barely qualified as a demonic beast. If even a low-grade one shows up, it'll have you sipping Lucifer's bathwater for eternity.]
"W-well, who said I was complaining? I'm just—uh—thanking. Thank you, System-sama, for your generosity." Nyx backpedaled so hard it left skid marks on his dignity.
[Ding! You got 50 SP. Keep praising.]
A sly grin curved across Nyx's face. He stood up and eyed the corpse.
Without hesitation, he opened the system storage and shoved it inside like he was tidying up laundry.
[Oi, I didn't give you a personal system inventory just to turn it into a damn morgue.]
"I ain't got the gold for a spatial pouch. Deal with it, you stingy blue bastard," Nyx replied, already walking away in a different direction.
[Tch. Should've deducted points instead.]
---
Over the next five hours, Nyx encountered several more monsters—most of them either half-corrupted or freshly infected with demonic energy. Nothing too deadly, but enough to keep him on edge. His system storage? Stuffed to the brim with corpses like a discount horror movie prop truck.
But hey, he got the SPs.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, he made his way back toward the city. His steps were lighter than usual, and his expression practically glowed with self-satisfaction.
---
When Nyx entered the guild building, the chaotic environment greeted him like an old friend—mercs shouting, clerks swamped, and the faint smell of ale and unwashed ambition hanging in the air.
He walked up to the counter and casually flicked a cookie into his mouth.
"Got some monster corpses. Where do I sell?"
The receptionist blinked, slightly thrown off by his tone. "You can show us the monster remains and we'll evaluate their value based on condition and classification," she said, motioning him toward the backroom.
Nyx followed her in, then opened the storage.
And dumped nearly fifty corpses into the evaluation room.
The smell hit like a slap. The room filled, wall to wall, with twisted bodies and partially intact monsters.
The clerk stood frozen. Her eyes darted across the massacre on the floor, her soul visibly trying to leave her body.
"I-it will t-take some time to calculate, sir Nyx. Please wait in the resting area," she stammered, bowing slightly like he was a war criminal who'd brought in trophies.
"Sure. I'll be at the bar. Holler when the math is done," Nyx said, waving over his shoulder as he walked away like this was a Tuesday.
---
The resting area was full of mercs drinking, shouting, and playing cards like their lives weren't built on violence and trauma. Nyx blended in without issue—until he noticed three pairs of eyes tracking his every move.
Curiosity flared.
He strolled over, pulled a chair next to the girl who looked like she'd stabbed people before breakfast, and grinned.
"Can't take your eyes off this godly face, huh?"
The girl didn't miss a beat.
"Never seen a crazy-ass noble bastard like you before. Samantha's the name," she replied, flashing a smile that said she might stab you if you blinked wrong.
"Oh! 'Crazy bastard'—I like that. Got a ring to it. So, you guys mercs too?" Nyx asked, eyeing the group.
There were three: Samantha, clearly the rogue-type with twin daggers strapped at her waist like fashion statements; a quiet swordsman with the kind of stillness that suggested he didn't miss often; and a timid girl behind them—robe, staff, wide eyes—definitely the mage.
Samantha raised an eyebrow, smirking.
"You ever find royalty hanging out in a sewer? That's us."
"So, why's is a noble bastard joining the Mercenary Guild? I doubt it's for the riches." the swordsman finally spoke, raising his head and extending a hand toward Nyx.
"Valon, a swordsman."
"Couldn't have been more direct," Nyx replied with a smirk, shaking his hand. "But hey—ex-noble. Got the manor hanging by a thread, and I gotta earn some bucks before I'm sleeping under a fruit cart."
There was a beat of silence before Samantha laughed out loud.
"Pfftt... you got your charms, Nyx."
He was just about to throw back another quip when the clerk approached, posture stiff and professional.
"Sir, the calculations are done. Please follow me to retrieve your coins."
Nyx nodded, but noticed Samantha and her party trailing along. Valon spoke again, this time with a mocking grin.
"Gotta earn some bucks? Sure, let's see reality then."
Nyx didn't bother replying. He knew that tone. That quiet disbelief veteran mercs had after seeing another rookie walk in with confidence. They thought he was just another spoiled noble with shiny boots and no scars.
Well, let's test that theory.
At the counter, a second clerk took over, her voice flat—but loud enough for the room to hear.
"Sir, you provided us a total of 58 monster corpses, from which six were completely damaged so we can only pay you 1790 gold coins."
For a second, silence blanketed the guild hall.
Every eyes turned toward him, heads lifted to look at the figure, conversations died mid-drink.
This guy had registered yesterday, made a scene on arrival—and now had just earned more in a day than most mercs made in a month. And that was before splits.
Nyx saw the glances filled with shock, confusion and envy but not a single hint of hatred.
'Guess life-threatening work teaches you to respect the hustle.' he thought, smiling faintly as he collected the coins and dropped them into his system storage.
He turned before walking away, facing Samantha and the others. Valon wasn't meeting his eyes anymore—embarrassed by his earlier jab.
"Wanna join tomorrow's hunt?" Nyx asked.
It wasn't just curiosity. He wanted to see how real veterans fought. He needed to, especially if he planned on venturing deeper into that godforsaken forest. Not that he was scared or anything. Nope. Definitely not terrified shitless... by the fully corrupted demonic beasts. Nope. Not even a little. He was just... interested in party mechanics. Tactical synergy. You know, the usual.
Nyx turned to Valon and met his eyes directly.
"Mistakes happen, man," he said, giving him a light shoulder bump with a smirk.
---
Rhea and Karl sat in the main room, both of them clearly unsettled. Nyx had promised he wouldn't go too deep into the forest—but when was the last time that boy stuck to a simple plan?
The clock had ticked well past his expected return. Karl was just about to leave for the guild to track him down when the front door clicked open.
Nyx stepped in with the calm of a man who'd just taken a casual walk around the block. He spotted the two waiting for him, their faces tight with worry.
"Why the long face, Karl? Keep frowning like that and you'll start growing a fresh set of wrinkles."
He dropped into the nearest chair like he'd just carried the world on his shoulders. His voice was his usual flavor of smug—but the exhaustion in his posture didn't lie.
Seeing Nyx plop down on the chair, Karl's eyes softened despite the furrow in his brow.
'Please, don't break in the process trying to reclaim yourself, young master. We still need you.' Karl sighed and glanced at Nyx one more time before turning away.
P.S. You guys can tell me about the pacing of the story. Is it too fast paced, slow or just a blunder? Do leave a comment. Until then–
Stay healthy, Stay pure, just to get corrupted here~
–Clashercertified