The Ursagon shook off its daze, snarling louder this time — a sound that vibrated through Ren's bones. Its eyes locked onto him with a burning, primal fury. The vines covering its bark-like armor writhed like angry snakes.
Ren rolled his shoulders, unfazed. "Okay, buddy. Let's get this over with. I've got a nap waiting."
The beast lunged, faster than something that size had any right to move.
[Threat Level: Extreme]
[Hostile Intent Detected]
Ren barely tilted his head to the side. The Ursagon's claws whistled past his ear, close enough to rustle his hair.
[Lazy Dodge Activated]
[Agility +5]
"Close one," Ren murmured lazily.
The Ursagon wasn't done. It twisted, swinging its tail around in a blur of thorns and bark.
[Incoming Attack: Wide Sweep]
Ren exhaled through his nose. He leaned backward just enough to let the tail whoosh past his face.
[Lazy Dodge Activated]
[Agility +5]
The beast snarled, enraged. Its attacks were getting faster.
Aria was staring from the edge of the clearing, sword half-raised, her mouth open in shock. Garth groaned from the ground, still trying to push himself up.
"You just gonna watch, or are you gonna help?" Ren called over his shoulder.
Aria blinked, shaking herself out of it. "What am I supposed to do? It's level 30!"
Ren gave her a thumbs-up without looking. "Moral support. Cheering helps."
The Ursagon roared, charging again.
[New Skill Unlocked: Tactical Procrastination]
Delays enemy action by 1.5 seconds. Success rate increases with sarcasm.
Ren blinked. "Huh. Neat."
The Ursagon's charge… stuttered. It was like someone hit pause on the massive beast mid-sprint. It stumbled, confused, its paws skidding across the dirt.
Ren grinned. "Wow. Even the universe supports slacking off."
Aria stared, wide-eyed. "That shouldn't be possible."
Ren shrugged. "Most things I do shouldn't be possible."
The Ursagon shook off the delay, roaring loud enough to rattle the trees. It slammed its paws into the ground — hard. The earth quaked beneath them.
[Warning: Earthquake Slam Incoming]
The ground buckled. Aria stumbled, Garth fell flat with a grunt, and even Ren felt his footing wobble.
He frowned. "Yeah, I'm not dealing with that."
[Skill Activated: Nope.]
Ignores environmental hazards.
The tremors stopped. For him, anyway. Aria and Garth were still struggling to stay upright while Ren stood there, perfectly balanced, looking vaguely bored.
The Ursagon blinked at him, its glowing eyes narrowing.
Ren sighed. "Alright, big guy. Let's wrap this up. I'm missing my afternoon laze-around."
[New Skill Unlocked: Passive Aggressive Strike]
Deals bonus damage when you'd rather be doing literally anything else.
Ren tilted his head. "Sure, why not."
The Ursagon charged one last time, all muscle and fury. Its maw opened, showing rows of jagged, thorn-lined teeth.
Ren didn't move. He didn't need to.
[Passive Aggressive Strike Activated]
A wave of force erupted from where he stood, slamming into the Ursagon like a runaway carriage. The beast's charge stopped dead. Its eyes bulged as it was blasted backward, smashing through three trees before finally crashing into a boulder. The stone shattered on impact.
[Critical Hit!]
[Forest Warden Beast — Elder Ursagon Defeated!]
[EXP Gained: +7,200]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
Ren stretched, groaning as his joints popped. "Well, that was inconvenient."
Aria stared at him like he'd grown a second head. "Inconvenient? You just destroyed a Level 30 monster by accident!"
Ren smirked. "Nah. That was mostly on purpose."
Garth groaned from the ground. "I hate this guy."
[Quest Updated: Solcrest Bound]
Optional Bonus: Arrive with new party members.
Reward: ???
Ren stared at the notification. "Optional, huh? Tempting, but…"
He glanced at Aria and Garth — one still gawking at him, the other half-dead on the floor.
"...Yeah, alright. I guess you two can tag along."
Aria blinked. "Wait, what?"
Ren smiled lazily. "Let's go to Solcrest. You guys can carry my stuff."
Aria groaned, shaking her head. "You're unbelievable."
Ren yawned, stretching. "Yeah. I get that a lot."
As they walked — or stumbled, in Garth's case — Ren noticed something glowing from the shattered remains of the Ursagon.
[Rare Drop Detected: Ursagon's Thorned Heart (Epic)]
He wandered over, picking up the strange, pulsating green crystal. It felt warm in his hand, humming with power.
[Item Acquired: Ursagon's Thorned Heart (Epic)]
+20 Strength, +10 Vitality, Regenerates 2% HP per second
Ren squinted at it. "Huh. That's probably important."
Aria raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
Ren pocketed it. "No idea. Looks cool, though."
She sighed. "Of course you'd say that."
Ren smirked. "A hero's work is never done, Aria."
He tilted his head. "Unfortunately."
---