Steven really hadn't expected this.
He had just barely set foot in Ursus, less than half a day since leaving Rhodes Island, and he had already encountered something so bizarre that he didn't even know how to describe it.
He hadn't provoked anyone. He hadn't done anything wrong.
Was it because he had somehow offended the heavens, bringing bad luck upon himself?
Otherwise, how else could he immediately run into a monster attack the moment he arrived?
Or maybe…
Was Terra really as hopeless as Kal'tsit had implied?
Has this world already reached a point where monsters roamed freely like stray dogs?
Frowning, Steven turned back to inspect the pile of minced meat that was once the monstrosity he had just slain.
He wasn't sure whether it was because [Yamato] was just too sharp, or if the creature simply had paper-thin defenses, but cutting through it had felt no different from slicing tofu.
Hacking it into tiny chunks was just a precaution, he didn't want some disgusting thing like this pulling off a revival stunt.
No matter how ridiculous its regeneration abilities might be, there was no way it could recover from being chopped into bite-sized pieces, right?
Luckily, his concerns were unnecessary.
Just as he had predicted, this monster was nothing more than a terrifying sight, it had no real power to survive an attack like his.
The bloodshot red eyes that covered its body all bulged wide open, as if they refused to accept this outcome.
But ultimately, they burst, dissolving into pools of dark, putrid blood.
The behemoth that had once swelled like a tank had now shrunk down into nothing more than a tattered sheet of skin, surrounded by a vile-smelling puddle of pus.
Disgusted, Steven grabbed a random branch from the ground and poked through the leftover remains.
Surprisingly, he actually found something useful in the mess.
[Dismembered Limb of a Stray Collapsal]
No WAP (World Acknowledgement Point) gained.
Which meant that this thing wasn't part of the game's main storyline.
That alone was enough to kill most of Steven's interest.
He had heard Kal'tsit mention the term "Collapsal" before, but the cryptic woman had been tight-lipped about what it actually was.
All she had told him was to be cautious, though she reassured him that with his abilities, even in Ursus, encountering one wouldn't be too big of a problem.
That look on her face…
Steven had a feeling it wasn't that she didn't want to say more, it was that saying too much might trigger something bad.
Weird.
Could it be that the more you talk about these things, the stronger they get?
At least, from what he could see, this monster was hardly impressive outside of being grotesquely disgusting.
Honestly, it was even less threatening than those funny-looking Sea Terror he had encountered in Iberia.
Then again, maybe it was just a byproduct of some transformation process, rather than the actual Collapsal itself.
After thinking it through, Steven realized that this was probably just a trap left behind by whatever ate the grizzly bear.
If anyone tried tracking it, they'd have to deal with this nasty surprise first.
But now, another question lingered, who was hunting this "Stray Collapsal"?
And more importantly, what exactly does a real one even look like?
Feeling excited for what was to come, Steven couldn't help but smile.
Now this—
This was fun.
This was the kind of entertainment he could never experience on Rhodes Island.
After all, that place wasn't exactly the setting of some detective drama, it wasn't like he was living in the world of a certain death-magnet elementary schooler (Detective Conan), where murder cases popped up every other day.
Cozy, peaceful days were nice and all, but Steven still felt that things were much more interesting when a bit of violence was involved.
Unfortunately, he hadn't been able to face the Collapsal in person.
A bit of a letdown, really.
Surveying the chaotic mess he had left behind, Steven picked up the dropped item before pulling a flint and steel out of his inventory.
Who knew if this thing could still infect other wild animals?
For the sake of the environment, the cleanest solution was to burn it all down.
As for whether that would interfere with whoever was tracking the Collapsal…
Well, too bad.
Leaving the scene intact might even lead them back to him, and that wouldn't be fun at all.
With a casual flick of the flint, flames sprang to life, devouring the blood and pus on the ground.
Soon, the entire area was engulfed in fire.
Only when everything had been reduced to ash did the flames die out.
Sometimes, Steven couldn't help but wonder—
This flint was just a flint, yet it could burn endlessly, even on stone and dirt.
What was it even using as fuel?
It didn't seem to give a damn about the laws of thermodynamics.
Then again, considering the floating buildings and perpetual motion machines in Minecraft, it was probably pointless to dwell on such things.
Instead, it was better to go home and figure out what this drop was good for.
Tracking down the Collapsal would be far too much effort, especially for something that didn't even give him any WAP (World Acknowledgement Point).
If it happened, it happened.
With that decision made, Steven stuffed the dropped item back into his inventory and left the area, striding lightly toward his simple wooden cabin.
<+>
Hours later—
A group of mysteriously dressed figures emerged from the edge of the forest, standing over the charred remains of the battlefield.
Each of them was abnormally tall, their faces completely covered by strange, respirator-like devices.
Thick, hose-like tubes coiled around their faces, resembling facehuggers, while the bizarre machinery on their backs emitted steady, rhythmic breaths.
One of them finally spoke:
"The scent ends here. Someone triggered the Collapsal's trap and fought it."
Despite the area being burned beyond recognition, these figures still managed to analyze the scene, piecing together the sequence of events.
Collapsals didn't use fire to destroy evidence.
Which meant that someone else had been here.
Someone who didn't want to be identified.
And given how thoroughly the area had been cleaned up, it was clear that whoever fought the Collapsal had won.
The one standing at the center—seemingly their leader—fell silent for a moment, then made the most rational decision given the circumstances:
"Report this to our superiors. Our primary target is still the Stray Collapsal. The other party is not our concern. We only need to document their presence."
Eliminating any trace of the Collapsal's pollution was now their top priority.
Any other side events that might interfere with the mission could be investigated later.
"Understood," one of the black-clad figures responded, crouching down to inspect the faint traces left behind.
"Based on the residual scent, the target escaped eastward. It's been feeding constantly and laying traps along the way."
The tracker then pointed in a completely different direction from where Steven had left.
Just as their leader had said, neutralizing the Collapsal came first.
If they allowed it to keep feeding and recovering, the consequences could become disastrous.
Without another word, the group of black-clad figures took off, swiftly pursuing their true target as they disappeared into the frozen wasteland.
<+>
Steven had no idea that if he'd just waited a few more hours, he could have met those interesting individuals.
Instead, he was preoccupied with something else—
Something far more important.
His worst fear had come true.
Someone had visited his home.
More precisely—
They hadn't entered his house, but they had stopped by his potato field.
Steven stared at the patch of missing crops, the soil clearly disturbed by some kind of digging tool.
With a sigh, he pressed a hand to his forehead.
His carefully grown potatoes had been dug up, and—worst of all—they hadn't been replanted!
For any Minecrafter, this was the kind of grievance that usually called for immediate retaliation.
But...
The so-called "thief" had been surprisingly polite.
They had only taken a small portion from one corner of the field, leaving the rest untouched.
Not only that, but as if to apologize, they had left a basket—one full to the brim with a variety of wild mushrooms—right by his front door.
So technically, was this even theft?
Or had they just bartered with him without asking?
Steven suddenly found himself at a loss.
Back in Minecraft, when playing on servers, if someone passed by and harvested their crops, as long as they replanted them, most players wouldn't mind.
This situation wasn't exactly the same, but it wasn't the same as some griefing brat ruining everything either.
And honestly?
It was fascinating that in a world this harsh, someone still had enough decency to be this considerate.
He had a feeling he'd be meeting this potato thief again soon.
Picking up the basket of mushrooms, Steven weighed it in his hands, his conflicted expression gradually shifting into a smile.
A few potatoes in exchange for a whole basket of mushrooms?
That wasn't too bad of a deal, was it?
Guess tonight's dinner is chicken and mushroom stew.
<+>
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