Chapter Five: The Hive

[Regulation Expandable Baton] (Light/Basic)
Weapon Quality: Excellent
Attack Range: Very Short/Short
Attack Level: Minor
Equipment Special Effect: None
Inlay: Broken Fang of the Mimic Chest (Increases damage by 1-2 points)
Requirement: Strength Level 1
Description: This is a core component of a legacy weapon, carefully restored to be even more durable and to regain its extendable function. Its excellent quality allows it to withstand further enhancements.

...

The attack level of the Regulation Expandable Baton rose from "Extremely Weak" to "Minor." Although the exact increase was unclear, judging from the combat feedback, Ash was able to inflict four to five points of damage when attacking Shadow-Eater Larvae—enough to reliably defeat an eight-health Shadow-Eater Larva in just two strikes.

Swish, swish, swish!

Before long, NotASwordSaint finished off his opponent with a fierce assault. Watching Ash, who had already stopped fighting, he couldn't help but marvel, "No wonder the experts say you were the biggest winner in their assessment. I was already surprised he got an outstanding rating on hard difficulty, but it seems your gains will astonish me even more."

Ash simply smiled, saying nothing, because at that moment, the rescued Great Tree was calling out to the two players.

"Thank you so much for your help!"

The tree's voice was not ancient, nor was the face on its trunk aged. It looked at the two players in puzzlement. "Are you the new gardeners? What perfect timing! There have been so many bugs in the forest lately, I was nearly torn apart. Can you destroy the nearby nests? I'll reward you for your efforts."

[Prompt: Do you accept the side quest—"The Guardian Tree's Request"?]

...

Quest Name: [The Guardian Tree's Request]

Objective: Clear out the insect nests
Reward: Contribution Points, Reputation Points, Equipment
Description: The Guardian Tree's duty is to protect the order of the Shadow Forest, but the rampant Shadow-Eater Larvae have threatened its survival. Now, the Guardian Tree asks you to clear the nests. Accomplish this, and you will receive a reward.
[Prompt: Completing side quests will help players trigger the main quest.]

...

Main quest?

Ash exchanged a glance with NotASwordSaint. They immediately accepted the side quest and, guided by the Guardian Tree, made their way into a path leading to the location of the insect nests. On the black soil, traces left by the Shadow-Eater Larvae could still be seen, and the surrounding thickets bore signs of unfinished gnawing.

"So there is a main quest in this assessment after all!" NotASwordSaint, with his higher Perception level, took the lead, following the tracks along the path. "Plus, the farmer said that participants in this assessment aren't just from our Foundation. Looks like as the quest develops, player conflict will be inevitable."

Ash agreed with NotASwordSaint's assessment. Since only minutes had passed since the game began, their information was limited. If this side quest could yield clues to the main quest, it would be an excellent outcome.

Soon after, pushing through a thicket, Ash and NotASwordSaint discovered the lair of the Shadow-Eater Larvae.

A great tree had fallen to the ground, its trunk hollowed out by the larvae. Several gaping wounds marked the trunk, and from these, swarms of Shadow-Eater Larvae periodically emerged. Ash made a quick count: at least twenty juvenile larvae, along with one enhanced juvenile resting atop the trunk.

"This looks tough. If we charge straight in, the two of us may not make it out alive."

NotASwordSaint frowned, his superior Perception constantly scanning the environment. Suddenly, he noticed something: "This terrain is odd. The ground sinks a bit around the trunk, probably because part of the underground has been hollowed out, forming a shallow basin. There are three openings around the basin—the teams of larvae that left just now all disappeared through the other two. We might be able to ambush them partway and thin their numbers first."

From previous battles, the two had learned that the larvae shared a group aggro. To avoid being swarmed, they chose not to act rashly. Instead, they circled cautiously along the edge of the basin until they neared another exit, just in time to encounter a returning group of larvae.

Battle erupted in an instant!

Six Shadow-Eater Larvae, eyes glowing red, launched a desperate charge at the players.

"Watch out!"

NotASwordSaint called out a warning to Ash, then gripped his longsword and dashed forward, drawing away half of the monsters.

Ash flicked his wrist, extending the baton a segment. He stood his ground, lowering his center of gravity and focusing intently on the movements of the remaining three larvae. The swarm charged in a wedge formation, one leading, two behind. This time, Ash changed tactics, targeting the leader first. Two swift blows felled it, then he dodged an attack from another larva. His short baton struck out, clashing directly with the razor-sharp wing of a third.

With the baton's superior quality and Ash's greater strength, the collision ended in his favor, knocking the larva back half a meter. Rather than pursue, Ash spun and struck the one that had slipped past him, catching it mid-ambush and stunning it.

With three points in Vitality and two in Willpower, Ash enjoyed an extra two points of stamina, totaling twelve—enough to swing the baton six times. The two remaining larvae were no longer a threat. Ash retreated a step to fully recover his stamina, then advanced once more, finishing off the last two larvae with ease.

To his surprise, however, he found he wasn't much faster than NotASwordSaint. His companion possessed an attack skill that swept the longsword in a wide arc, striking three larvae at once with damage not much lower than a normal attack. The cooldown was short, though it did cost more stamina per use.

"I lucked out last assessment and got a sword I really like. Plus, the difficulty was low—just Simple—so I got a perfect rating and picked up an area attack skill," NotASwordSaint said, twirling his sword in a graceful flourish. Clearly, he was an accomplished swordsman in real life.

Their ambush went smoothly: minimal time spent, no injuries, and no need to consume precious healing items. The only regret was that the ten larvae yielded no loot except Contribution Points. Still, Ash couldn't help but glance at his Contribution bar—it was nearly time to level up.

After completing the two-stage challenge with the enhanced juvenile Mimic Chest, Ash had gained a large amount of Contribution Points. Though his double-contribution pool was almost depleted, his progress had reached ninety percent at the current level. Defeating five larvae added another five percent. Ash estimated that once the pool ran dry, he would reach Level Four.

At that point, he considered investing in Perception for a wider field of vision, allowing him to respond more proactively to danger.

After tidying the battlefield and hiding the larvae corpses in the thicket to avoid attracting attention, the pair circled the basin to another entrance, lying in wait for more prey. As they waited, Ash stored his baton in the special compartment of his waist pouch, curious to see the precise effects of the "Sluggish" status.

However, the next encounter took longer than expected to arrive. By the time the baton had acquired the Minor "Sluggish" status, six more larvae finally appeared. With the baton’s effect, the already slow larvae became even more sluggish, making the ensuing battle a rout. They repeated this tactic, returning to the previous spot to await another group.

The two had agreed that after clearing another wave or two, they would assault the main nest together. By then, their basic Peashooters would have matured, offering extra firepower. Both had purchased full starter kits for their Peashooters, spending sunlight, water, and three batteries as fertilizer to reduce the ten-minute growth time to seven. With this support, even if confronted by ten larvae at once, they would manage with ease.

Yet plans never keep pace with change.

When the next wave of Shadow-Eater Larvae emerged from the undergrowth, Ash and NotASwordSaint simultaneously noticed that this group numbered seven...