Roar!
Roar!
The massive roars of a beast echoed through the entire forest, startling countless birds into a chaotic flight. Among them were even a few magical beasts that had already stepped into the extraordinary realm.
A wild boar covered in sharp, needle-like spikes, with a pair of several-meter-long tusks protruding from its mouth, was staring with crimson eyes at a handsome young boy standing before it.
Its massive frame blocked the entrance of the cave behind it, as if trying to conceal something.
“Stop struggling. I already killed several creatures with your level of Combat Power when I was seven!”
Xia De scratched the back of his head in a bored manner and yawned, taking leisurely, unhurried steps as he approached the towering beast.
【Species: Tusked Boar
Combat Power: Tier Three, 955 (Defense)】
Roar!
The Tusked Boar let out a low growl, arching its massive back as if warning the boy in front of it that it was about to get violent.
And then, it lost consciousness.
Its massive, shriveled carcass crashed heavily to the ground.
“I already told you, I've killed several of your kind before.”
At some point, Xia De had already bypassed the beast and was standing right in front of the cave entrance.
Several thin black lines, resembling venomous snakes, slithered from the Tusked Boar's carcass to his feet, eventually merging into his shadow as if they had never existed in the first place.
A foul stench of wild beasts, mingled with the odor of decaying flesh, wafted from inside the cave.
But Xia De's expression didn't change in the slightest. He walked straight inside. The light within the cave was extremely dim, and the path was winding and complex. One careless step could easily result in crashing into the hard rock walls.
It's a good place to hide, Xia De silently evaluated.
Roar!
Another massive body with menacing tusks blocked his path, though its aura was highly unstable, carrying an air of bravado with no real substance.
Xia De could clearly see several relatively small Tusked Boars hiding behind a rock behind it. It was obvious they were its offspring.
“So, you're trying to protect your children?
A dark environment indeed helps with hiding, but you seem to have misunderstood one thing.”
“Darkness is my home turf!”
Thud! Thud!
The sounds of massive bodies collapsing echoed simultaneously, after which the cave fell into a dead silence.
With a snap of his fingers, the entire cave lit up instantly. The shriveled carcasses of several Tusked Boars lay on the ground like roadside trash, presenting a pathetic sight.
However, what met his eyes all around were human corpses. Some had already turned into stark white skeletons, their hollow eye sockets staring toward the cave entrance.
Severed limbs and broken bones were scattered everywhere. Xia De even spotted several children's limbs in the mouths of those small boars.
All the Tusked Boar carcasses were completely shriveled. Xia De stepped forward, cut off the left ear of the smallest one, and put it away. His expression was cold, his eyes devoid of emotion.
“A touching mother-and-son drama. If not for this cave full of human corpses, I might have actually been moved.”
Black flames erupted from their carcasses. In just three seconds, the bodies were reduced to ashes, leaving absolutely nothing behind.
...
“Thank you for your hard work, adventurer. We appreciate your contribution. Here is your reward.”
Taking his reward for subjugating the boars from the sweet-looking receptionist, Xia De walked over to the quest board, staring thoughtfully at the wall covered in notices.
More than a month had passed since the last incident. He hadn't seen that delicate boy since then. He had only heard later that the boy had joined some party and left the region.
This news made Xia De breathe a sigh of relief. Having a boss with ten million Combat Power nearby was highly stressful, even if they did nothing.
Not to mention, that delicate boy was so weak and seemed like the type who was easily bullied. If he were pushed too far and awakened, Xia De's life in this alternate world would have to be restarted.
Therefore, once he knew the boy had left, he completely threw caution to the wind and began frantically completing quests to raise his adventurer rank.
After all, the higher his rank, the higher the grade of quests he could accept, and the greater the rewards.
More importantly, the higher the grade of the quest, the stronger the targets would be.
He had discovered that the stronger his opponents were, the faster his Combat Power would increase. This held true even when facing opponents of a lower tier than himself.
Furthermore, his power possessed a devour trait, which provided an extra source of growth.
Unfortunately, the region he was currently in was just a small place. The strongest beings here were only Tier Four extraordinaries. The highest-grade quests available were only B-rank, and even C-rank quests were few and far between.
Most were minor D-rank and E-rank quests.
Over the past month, Xia De had only managed to snatch up two C-rank quests. He was still one C-rank quest away from his promotion.
Suddenly, his gaze locked onto a quest notice. The details on it read:
【Quest Name: The Petition of Riri Village
Quest Details: In Riri Village, located on the edge of the Kurosoto Mountain Range, the villagers have recently been experiencing unexplained heart palpitations for some unknown reason. Respected adventurers, please investigate the cause and resolve the villagers' distress. (Note: Initial assessment suspects a mental-type magical beast is causing trouble. Adventurers should accept this quest with caution!)
Quest Reward: 20 gold coins (Client's Message: Respected adventurer, please save us! We can increase the reward later!)】
Xia De reached out and snatched the quest sheet cleanly, without a shred of hesitation. He turned around and headed out the door to begin the mission.
What he didn't know was that after he left, quite a few people in the adventurer's hall began whispering among themselves as they watched his departing figure.
“No way, the Grim Reaper actually took that quest! The one that several C-rank adventurers failed!”
“The Grim Reaper took another quest! Doesn't he ever rest?!”
“I just saw the Grim Reaper hand in a quest, and he took a new one the very next second!”
“I heard his last quest was also C-rank!”
“Just how strong is he? Miss Elulu, do you have any info on him?!”
Hearing their inquiries, Elulu didn't answer. Maintaining her sweet smile, she said:
“I'm very sorry, but all information regarding our adventurers is strictly confidential!”
Hearing Elulu's response, everyone nodded as if it was only natural, though they couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed.
Because of Xia De's frantic quest-grinding over the past month, some curious souls had kept track: so far, he had completed 75 E-rank quests, 25 D-rank quests, and 2 C-rank quests, averaging three quests a day.
This made him a rising star in the local Adventurer's Guild. How could anyone not notice him?
Furthermore, he only accepted quests that involved combat and bloodshed. Several times, people had seen him return to submit his quests with blood splattered all over his clothes.
They had originally wanted to call him the “Butcher.”
However, looking at Xia De's handsome face and the chilling aura he exuded, which made people shiver, they felt that a brutal title like “Butcher” didn't suit his temperament.
In the end, someone had come up with the moniker “Grim Reaper.” At that moment, everything clicked for everyone.
They quickly reached a consensus and privately dubbed Xia De the Grim Reaper.
It wasn't that no one wanted to party with him, but Xia De rejected every single invitation. There was even a C-rank adventurer who, failing to recruit him as a lackey, had tried to resort to violence in his anger, only to be crippled by Xia De on the spot. It was that very incident that had made his name skyrocket in the Adventurer's Guild!
“What 'Grim Reaper'? That's way too stupid. No matter how many times I hear it, it still feels so chuunibyou!”
Looking at the display on his screen, Xia De's lips twitched. His toes curled in embarrassment inside his boots, feeling an indescribable sense of shame.
Rate on N.U.
