Derek turned his attention to the lottery draws.
" I still remember I have that Random Skill Upgrade Token." He remembered he had gotten a random skill upgrade token from a bonus draw, but he had yet to use it. Honestly, he was scared of getting any trash skill from the system, so it was better to use the random upgrade on his current skills, as that was a better and safer option.
[Do you wish to use the Random Skill Upgrade Token?]. A screen appeared before Derek with a thought. He tapped on the yes button.
The screen flashed with a red light, then countless balloons and confetti appeared, filling up the screen.
[Congratulations, your skill Quickstep ( F-rank ) has been mightily upgraded to Faststeps (F+)]
Derek smiled bitterly, " All this for the same F rank ?"
Faststeps (F+ Rank)
Type: Movement – Active
Mana Cost: 6 per activation
Cooldown: 3 seconds
Description:
An improved version of Quickstep. Boosts your speed for a short period, allowing for faster dodging and more fluid movement in close combat.
Effects:
Increases movement speed by 35% for 5 seconds.
Enhances agility slightly, improving dodge accuracy.
Can stack with momentum for a minor bonus evasive distance.
A refined dash technique. Still basic—but a good foundation for a true movement skill.
Derek closed the window and nodded. "That's more like it. I can work with this."
He turned back to the lottery wheel and pressed the Draw button again. The screen shimmered with a silvery light.
[System Lottery: You have obtained 1x Bottled Mineral Water (Uncommon – Recovery Item).]
"…Seriously?" Derek muttered, looking at the plain bottle that materialized in his inventory. But when he checked its stats, it wasn't too bad.
Bottled Mineral Water
Type: Recovery
Grade: Uncommon
Description:
Water enriched with trace elemental energy from a stable dimension. Refreshes stamina and mildly accelerates minor wound recovery.
Effects:
Restores 10% Stamina over 5 minutes
Slightly enhances natural healing for 10 minutes
Tastes clean and crisp
An adventurer's basic carry. Better than tap water, worse than a potion.
"Alright. Might keep me alive a little longer." Derek shrugged and went for his final draw.
This time, the wheel pulsed with a faint blue glow before landing on a silver icon.
[System Lottery: You have obtained E-Rank Item – Short Sword: Night Fang.]
Now that was more like it. He had prepared a lot of magazines for the guns, but he had failed to anticipate that before he could be halfway through the magazines, the Glock was already lying in the Inventory, with the barrel half melted. He seriously doubted the Machete in his inventory would prove useful against the tough hides of the monsters. The sword came at a good time, with Adaptive Combat, he was sure he could learn how to use it in no time.
Short Sword – Night Fang (E Rank)
Type: Weapon – Light Blade
Durability: 75/75
Attack Power: Moderate
Weight: Light
Special Trait: +5% Speed when equipped
Description:
A basic yet well-balanced short sword forged from blackened alloy. Compact and easy to handle, it slightly increases the user's attack speed and movement fluidity when wielded.
A standard choice among rookie hunters. Sharp, reliable, and built for close combat.
Derek equipped it instantly, testing the weight with a few quick swings.
"Now we're getting somewhere."
He had new skills, a real weapon, and a good start. All in all, he had a productive haul.
He swung around in practice, trying to get familiar with it.
The wind shifted.
It was subtle at first—just a whisper of heat that kissed Derek's skin. Then came the scent: sulfur, scorched meat, and something else.
Derek froze mid-swing. His newly equipped short sword—Night Fang—hung in his grip, still gleaming from a practice cut. He glanced up the slope of the bone hill he'd been training beneath, eyes narrowing.
The sky above the ridge had begun to pulse. Not with light, but with thick, writhing shadows, blotting out the last rays of dusk. Then came the sound.
Clink.
Drag.
Clink.
Derek felt his heart leap into his throat, or at least that is what he felt.
They were like the manifestations of death itself—tall, lean figures shrouded in thick, rotting black robes, their outlines barely holding shape. Their bodies were not flesh and bone, but shadow and smoke, constantly shifting beneath the cloaks, as though something terrible was writhing inside, struggling to be born.
Chains floated around them—not carried, but orbiting, suspended in the air like iron serpents coiled in mourning. Each chain ended in jagged bone hooks, clinking and twitching with unnatural life. They didn't walk—they glided, an inch above the ground, trailing cold mist that turned grass black where it touched.
Their heads—if they had heads—were hunched forward, wrapped in shadowed veils that screamed silence. No face. No features. Just a faint, wet breathing sound, as if the night itself were exhaling through rotten lungs. The other parts of their bodies were hidden beneath the dark robes, but Derek could feel the warmth of molten flesh hidden beneath.
Then one of them stopped, raising a single arm. The sleeve of its robe pulled back, revealing only a cage of floating ribs, hollow and full of smoke. A low groan echoed across the field as the chain around its body snapped forward—
CLINK.
The bone hook buried itself into the dirt just two feet from Derek's stance, hissing with frost.
[Alert: Hostile entities detected nearby.]
[Designation: Nether Revelers – E-Class Threats.]
[Count: 3]
[Objective: ELIMINATE before they breach the village perimeter.]
[Failure to intercept will result in death.]
Derek's eyes snapped open, He didn't have a choice; it was kill or be killed.
No one else would stop them.
He gritted his teeth, sliding Night Fang into a reverse grip. "Guess it's time for a field test."
One of the Revelers snapped a chain toward him, the bone hook digging into the dirt just meters away. It let out a warbled screech and began to roll toward him like a melting juggernaut.
Derek didn't wait.
[Skill Activated: Faststeps]
His body surged with light speed, the world blurring as he shot left in a sudden burst. The hook missed him by inches, embedding into the bone wall behind him.
He countered hard, slashing across the molten creature's side. The sword dug in halfway, but not deep enough. Its flesh sizzled and tried to absorb the blade.
This thing's regenerating... even from that?
He leapt back just in time to avoid a second hook.
The other two Revelers were descending now, flesh dragging and bubbling with heat. All three were beginning to encircle him.
He couldn't outrun them forever.
[New System Prompt Available.]
Side Mission – Descent of the Revelers
Objective: Eliminate all Nether Revelers before they attract more nether beings, you don't wanna meet their entire family now
Time Remaining: 13 minutes
Reward: +80 EXP | +1 Mystery Box (D-tier)
Derek exhaled. "As expected of an E-class monster drop."
He switched his grip and ran forward.
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Author's Note :
A gift a day keeps sorrows away, if you have been entertained by the novel so far, drop a review and a gift, Thank you advance, this chapter is still dedicated to our noble daoist who dropped the powerstones and golden tickets, thanks a thousand.