Chapter 15 – Friends Or Not Yet?

“Oscar, use fire!” Maximus roared as his Thorn Whip lashed outward, snapping toward the four-meter-long dark green tarantula that spat acid-soaked webs at the trio.

Oscar activated his new skill, flames erupting along his spear as he weaved between the streams of thick webbing, which hissed and bubbled as they struck the ground. As he moved, he thrust forward, igniting the webbing still clinging to the monster’s legs.

“Lead it here!” Felix shouted as he etched an icy glyph into the ground, frost spreading outward in jagged lines.

Maximus reactivated his Thorn Whip, the vine coiling tightly around one of the spider’s front legs. Paralysis poison seeped into its body as he triggered Bear Claws, muscles bulging as he yanked with brutal force.

As he dragged the creature closer to the trap, Oscar darted in and slashed across its flank, leaving deep, sizzling wounds where flames bit into chitin.

With a primal roar, Maximus pulled the spider directly over the glyph just as the vine snapped apart, making him fall to the ground.

The rune detonated in a surge of freezing mana, encasing the spider in a thick, crystalline prison of ice.

“It won’t hold for long!” Maximus shouted as cracks had already begun to spread across the frozen shell. “Back away!”

He stood and summoned his staff, finishing the final motions of his spell as power gathered at its tip.

“Nature’s Wrath!”

A beam of emerald fire erupted forward, searing through the ice and obliterating half the spider’s head in an explosion of frost, ichor, and burning green light.

Skill Leveled Up: [Thorn Whip (F) Lv. 12]

Skill Leveled Up: [Nature’s Wrath (E) Lv. 8]

You have defeated: [Acidweb Tarantula Lv. 9]

Battle Tokens earned: 145

“Anyone level up?” Maximus asked, a hint of disappointment in his voice. He had been waiting to reach level fifteen to see what new options would unlock.

“Nah, but it stands to reason, don’t it?” Oscar shrugged. “That spider was a lower level than us, no matter how dodgy it looked.”

“Wait… So, the level of the monster affects how fast we level?” Maximus asked, eyes widening slightly as he thought back to his earlier gains.

“Yeah, exactly, after a bit, fighting low-level monsters becomes a total waste of time.” Oscar nodded. “It’s also the system’s way of poking us to go and fight something stronger.”

“I see… That’s good to know,” Maximus murmured. “Anyone want the corpse?”

“No,” Felix replied simply.

“Take it,” Oscar added with a casual shrug.

Maximus stepped forward, carving out the core with practiced efficiency before storing the massive, headless spider.

“That storage of yours is bloody insane,” Oscar said, unable to hide a trace of envy as he chuckled.

“Let’s go. We’re halfway there.” Maximus said, tone firm as he turned toward the road ahead.

Without further delay, the trio continued toward the next village.

***

On their way to the next village, they fought three groups of goblins, all around level five, and as expected, none of the trio gained even a single level.

Finally, as night began to settle over the First Plane, they reached the next settlement, Shimmering Stone. Named after its rocky walls, it was the first proper fortification Maximus had seen in the planes.

“Who goes there?!” one of the guards on the wall shouted.

“Alright, mate! We’ve come from Resting Bench, heading up towards the Wildlands. Any chance of a spot inside for the night?” Oscar called up, his natural charm already taking over; If he could, he’d talk the hind legs off a horse. Maximus thought as he chuckled.

“Where are you from, then?” another guard shouted back.

“Manchester, why?”

“Haha, you absolute beauty! Oscar Jones is that you?” the guard burst out laughing. “Get the gates open, they’re sound!”

The sound of chains scraping echoed as the gates slowly creaked open, allowing them inside.

Within the houses were similar to what they had seen before, but the settlement was nearly twice the size of Resting Bench and far more populated, with dozens of participants moving about.

“Wilson, you absolute muppet! What are you doing here?!” Oscar shouted as he rushed forward, pulling a black man wearing rugged gear into a tight embrace.

The man held a strange weapon, wooden in make, with a long, metallic pipe fitted to its front.

“Been here about a month, I’d say. Me and a few other lads fancied our chances deeper in, to get a bit stronger. You know how it is.” Wilson replied with a grin.

“Eh… I bottled it, mate. Spent two months in the beginner bit like a knob.” Oscar admitted, scratching the back of his head.

“Well, you were always a bit of a shite-bag,” Wilson smirked. “Come on, let’s get a proper drink.”

Before Maximus or Felix could respond, Wilson dragged Oscar away.

“I’ll catch up with you later, boys!” Oscar called out over his shoulder.

Maximus watched them go, then turned slightly. “Felix… What was that weapon he was carrying?” he asked quietly.

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“Seriously?” Felix looked at him, confused.

“It’s called a rifle,” he continued after a pause. “Some classes specialize in modern weapons powered by mana. But they rely heavily on ammunition… Unless they can generate mana bullets themselves, which is rare.”

“I see…” Maximus nodded slowly.

Felix stepped closer, too close. His eyes sharpened. “How about you tell me the truth for once?” he said quietly. “Who are you… Really?”

Maximus stiffened slightly, forcing a chuckle. “What are you talking about? I’m Maximus, from Earth, same as you.”

“And let me guess, you don’t remember your country or city either?” Felix pressed, disappointment creeping into his voice.