They kept walking, leaving the southern region behind and heading toward the west. The female assassin was still following Ethan, clearly with her own intentions.

Ethan allowed her to follow, thinking he could use her to his advantage. He could let her strike first, then finish off the enemies himself.

That would give him two benefits: the last hit and better MP efficiency.

From a distance, Ethan spotted a group of three kobolds roaming through the forest. He and the assassin stopped walking.

Their eyes focused on the kobolds ahead. The woman looked curious about who should take the first strike.

"Who's going to kill them?" she asked.

Ethan stayed silent for a moment, then turned his head to look at her. In his mind, she was the one who should attack first.

The assassin was shocked, but Ethan didn't give her time to argue. He shoved her out from behind the tree, then threw a stone toward one of the kobolds.

The stone flew through the air but didn't hit them. Even so, the kobolds sensed movement nearby.

When they turned their heads, they clearly saw a human inside their territory. The sight enraged them, and they began to chase the female assassin.

Meanwhile, Ethan dashed out of his hiding spot at lightning speed, avoiding the battle until the perfect moment to strike.

The assassin glanced back, seeing the kobolds chasing after her. They had switched weapons—now drawing bows and arrows from their backs.

That made her even more cautious. She couldn't afford to get hit by a single arrow, especially since those arrows might be coated with poison.

Unwilling to keep running, she clicked her tongue in annoyance. She turned around and drew her sword.

Her goal was simple—to kill the three kobolds.

At first, she had planned to corner Ethan to get a chance to attack him. But now that he had thrown her straight into the kobolds' attention, her plan was ruined.

With swift movements, she slashed and stabbed at the kobolds. Although she landed her hits, they weren't enough to kill them.

From another direction, Ethan saw the kobolds' HP dropping sharply. Holding his Tempest Reaver sword, he rushed in from the forest straight toward them.

He attacked from behind, slashing their backs and injuring them one by one. After marking all three with his skill, Ethan thrust his sword into the ground.

SLASH!

The kobolds screamed in pain as the wind blades tore through their bodies. Within seconds, Ethan killed all three of them cleanly.

The loot he received was the same as before.

Maybe the loot stays the same if the monsters are from the same region, even if their levels differ.

[Congratulations, you have obtained loot]

[+600 EXP || +300 Gold || +300 Contribution Points || +3 Moon Fragments]

The assassin also received loot. Ethan glanced at her username: VioletAshfallen1412. It was a long name, so he decided to call her Vio.

"How are you feeling, Vio?"

"How do you know my name?" she asked.

"Your username."

Vio winced when she felt pain in her leg. Looking down, she saw a purple wound where an arrow had struck her calf. Ethan narrowed his eyes.

The purple mark was clearly poison, though not a deadly one—most likely kobold poison.

Based on their nature, he guessed it came from tree sap, plants, or forest mushrooms. A low-grade toxin.

The poison spread slowly, but it could still be dangerous if left untreated.

"Hissy… can you absorb the poison?" Ethan asked.

From his sleeve, the snake Venomfang slithered out and dropped onto the ground near Vio's wounded leg.

At first, Vio panicked when she saw the snake, but Ethan calmed her down, assuring her it was safe.

Hissy hissed softly and nodded, signaling that he could handle the poison since it hadn't spread far yet.

The snake bit exactly where the poison began to flow. Vio flinched from the pain as Hissy sank his fangs into her leg, but soon she felt her body getting better. Her numb calf slowly regained feeling.

In a few seconds, Hissy spat the extracted poison onto the ground. Ethan crouched down, observing the greenish liquid with tiny worms wriggling inside it.

Gradually, Vio's condition improved. She drank an HP potion, healing her wounds completely and restoring her energy.

"Thank you, Ethan," she said.

Ethan reached out his hand to help her stand. She smiled faintly and took it. Her view of him had changed a little, though she still intended to carry out her plan, even after he saved her twice.

"So, can you keep hunting?" Ethan asked.

Vio nodded. The monster hunt in the forest had turned out much faster than she expected.

Ever since Ethan arrived and saved her, everything had changed.

The kobolds she once thought were impossible to kill had become easy targets for him. He could wipe them out with instant kills.

With power like that, Vio was sure Ethan would become even stronger in the next floors. She took his hand, and together they continued westward. Ethan still kept his Tempest Mode active, just in case.

They encountered more monsters along the way—perfect timing for Vio to carry out her plan.

But every time she tried to strike Ethan, he dodged easily, moving faster than lightning.

Vio grew frustrated, like trying to hold a slippery eel with one hand. Ethan's movements were too quick; even her fastest sword swings couldn't touch him.

Eventually, they continued southwest. Ethan was the first to reach the edge of the dead forest. Ahead of him was a quiet lake of medium size, with an island in the middle.

The place felt mysterious. Could there be a Tower Artifact there?

Moments later, Vio arrived, panting heavily after sprinting to keep up. She collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath.

"You… run too fast…"

Ethan didn't respond. Vio turned her head forward and gasped at the sight of the vast lake, its calm waters glimmering under the light.

"Whoa, a lake," she said in awe.

"Look! There's an island out there."

"What could be on that island?"

Ethan crossed his arms, eyes fixed on the island.

"I don't know. I can't tell yet if this lake is safe or not. Better not let curiosity get the best of you."

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