Area: Star Land – The Land of Endless Light
Characters: Tristan, Daran, Rose
"Back to square one, huh?" Tristan muttered, brushing leaves off his shoulder as they emerged from the portal. The bright plains stretched wide ahead of them, endless in their golden glow. "How are we supposed to find a Flashing Serpent here?"
"Isn't this where the Star Monkeys live?" Daran added, scanning the tree line.
Rose turned to them with an amused grin.
"Flashing Serpents feed off two energy types—light and lightning," she explained. "They hunt Star Monkeys to absorb light energy. But lightning? That's much harder to come by."
She pointed to the sky, which was cloudless and burning with midday sun.
"They can't summon their own storms, and lightning's rare here. So they conserve that energy—use it only for defense or to trigger storms when conditions are right. But if another Flashing Serpent tries to steal their stored charge, things get... ugly."
Tristan frowned. "So they hunt around noon?"
"Exactly," Rose nodded. "And it's almost that time. If we're lucky, one will show itself soon."
They moved through the brush quietly, crouching low in the golden grass. Ahead, a small pack of glowing Star Monkeys clambered across crystal branches, their bodies flickering like starlight.
Suddenly, Rose pointed ahead.
"There."
From between the trees slithered a large creature—twisting and gleaming like a living prism. Its scales shimmered with lightning pulses, flashing blue and white with every movement. It moved with brutal grace—two powerful legs tipped with hooked claws that carved into stone like soft bark.
It was massive. Nearly the length of two full-grown men.
"The Flashing Serpent," Rose whispered. "This is where your training begins."
She looked to Tristan first.
"You can use that system of yours—the one that guides your style."
Then to Daran.
"And you? I'll guide you myself. It's time you learned how to really use that bow."
Both nodded.
Tristan exhaled and summoned his weapons.
"Instinct Blade. Twin Rose Sword… come to me."
The weapons shimmered into his hands, both pulsing with faint light.
He took a stance and activated his system's Dual Blade Style. An interface lit up in his vision, showing precise footwork, angles, and strike patterns. Each movement was diagrammed, his posture adjusted with guiding lines.
The serpent hadn't noticed them yet. It was stalking one of the Star Monkeys—creeping in low, its scales crackling softly as it charged its body with ambient energy.
Tristan didn't wait.
He surged forward.
The system told him to lead with a diagonal slash—but his body hesitated. Too slow.
I'm not fast enough yet.
He adjusted, shifting mid-strike and slashing low. The serpent twisted, dodging with fluid speed. Lightning sparked through its scales as it readied a counterattack.
I'll have to fight smart, he thought, blades up. Even if my body can't keep up perfectly yet… I'll do what I can.
The serpent charged—its body glowing like sunlight made solid, surging forward with blinding speed.
If Tristan hadn't had the Instinct Blade, he would've already been dead.
The blade flared, reacting, and he just barely sidestepped the creature's lunge.
It's fast. Too fast.
The blade only reacted as quickly as he could move—and even with boosted reflexes, that wasn't enough.
Thankfully, the gloves he wore amplified everything.
<~~><~~><~~>
Stat Boost (Equipped – Enchanted Gloves):
STR: 15 → 35
AGI: 20 → 40
INT: 14 → 34
<~~><~~><~~>
But the serpent was evolving mid-combat.
It twisted its body mid-run—its shimmering diamond-like scales retracting, then jutting outward like blades. Each scale slashed through nearby trees, carving cleanly as if through butter.
It wasn't just fast—it was destructive.
And it was gaining on him.
Tristan ducked low, diving under a spiraling arc of slashing scales as the serpent gave chase, cutting a swath through the forest behind them. Dodging was getting harder. Instant Attack wasn't triggering—he couldn't find an opening.
Alright then… let's try something else.
He skidded to a halt and raised his second weapon.
"Twin Rose Sword—engage!"
A burst of red and blue light pulsed from the blade.
Four mirrors appeared in a tight circle around the serpent, each one rimmed in glowing rose petals. As the beast turned, confused, the reflections struck—dozens of layered slashes cutting through its body from all sides.
<~~><~~><~~>
Ability Activated: Twin Rose Slash
Mirror Count: 4 / 40
Status: Body + Soul Hit
Result: Heavy Knockback
<~~><~~><~~>
The serpent screeched, scales cracking as it staggered back, driven away from its charge.
That worked, Tristan thought. It's a good emergency counter.
"LOOK OUT!" Daran's voice cut through the forest.
Tristan whipped around—just in time to see an arrow fly past his shoulder.
It struck something behind him. Something he hadn't even seen.
The air shimmered. A second serpent uncloaked, its scales distorting light.
Let me guess… "There's another one I can't see?"
Daran and Rose both nodded.
Tristan exhaled sharply, gripping his blades.
A small chill crept into his spine. He hated fighting things he couldn't see.
"Don't worry too much, hun," Rose said casually from behind a tree, arms crossed. "I can easily take care of them if things get dire. This is training—not a life-or-death fight."
That helps… a little.
Still, accidents happened.
Tristan readjusted his stance and nodded to Daran.
"Take the one I can't see," he said. "I've got this one."
<~~><~~><~~>
Quest Received: Slay the Flashing Serpents
Objective: Eliminate both active Flashing Serpents in the area.
Status: 0 / 2
<~~><~~><~~>
A system prompt appeared before Daran, pulsing in the corner of his vision.
So this is official now...
He tightened his grip on the Green String Bow.
"If it's a quest," he muttered, "then maybe these things are more important than I thought."
He looked across the clearing toward Tristan, who was keeping the first serpent busy. With a deep breath, Daran turned and began slipping into the tree line.
I'll lure this one away… and figure out how to kill it.
Rose's voice came softly behind him.
"An archer keeps their distance if they can't handle close combat," she instructed. "In a situation like this, move through the shadows and watch for blind spots. Patience wins fights."
He nodded silently.
They shifted carefully through the brush, weaving between tree trunks and low-hanging crystal branches. The serpent—still cloaked in shimmering light distortion—struck its surroundings with violent precision. Deep craters marked its path. Its claws carved into the earth and trees like hot blades through wax.
Daran reached out his hand.
"Green String Bow… come to me."
The weapon materialized in his grasp with a soft flicker. He narrowed his eyes, adjusting his aim.
"Ability: Life Trace."
A wave of green light pulsed from the bow, surrounding the invisible serpent in a faint aura. It wasn't just for tracking—it let him read the creature's movement, almost like studying a pulse.
"It's the scales," he whispered to himself. "They're its only real defense."
He watched carefully as the serpent began to shift again—its scales retracting in a fast pattern as it readied a strike.
They open up when attacking. That's the window.
He moved to position for a clean shot, drawing back slightly—until Rose called out again, her voice firm.
"Wait, Daran."
He froze.
"There's something you haven't noticed yet," she said. "Tristan figured it out earlier—because he was up close."
She pointed toward the coiled shape of the creature in the clearing.
"When the scales retract," she continued, "lightning sparks underneath. If you're too close, those sparks will ignite mid-strike."
Daran's eyes widened.
"You need to provoke it from range—make it feel threatened enough to release its lightning early. That's when you shoot."
Sounds simple when she says it... Daran thought grimly. But it definitely doesn't feel that simple.
He looked around the area, searching for a better position.
Maybe from higher ground?
He spotted a twisted set of trees nearby—tall, jagged things with crystal-veined bark. Something about them didn't look quite right.
"System: Analyze Surroundings."
To his surprise, it worked.
And it confirmed his suspicion.
Up close, the trees looked ordinary. But within the bark… they shimmered faintly.
<~~><~~><~~>
Material Detected:
Wood Type – Alexandrite Core
Internal Structure – Water-chambered veins
Properties – Conductive, highly reactive to lightning
<~~><~~><~~>
Daran stared at the readout, then looked back at the serpent.
These things are conductive. That thing's cutting through trees made of gemstone wood and water like it's nothing.
Daran tightened his grip on the bow.
The fear was creeping in.
The serpent can absorb lightning… and I'm surrounded by trees filled with water?
He glanced around the shimmering forest, heart racing. One wrong move could electrify the entire area. He needed space. Distance.
Is there somewhere safer to lead it? Somewhere dry?
He opened his system map.
A topographical overlay hovered in front of him, displaying different regions of Star Land. The terrain was divided into six zones. Their current location—the Star Monkey Grove—was rich with crystal trees and water-veined flora.
But just beyond the grove…
A rocky outcrop. Sparse vegetation. Minimal cover, but no conductive materials either.
That could work.
He let out a frustrated sigh.
"Rose…" he called out quietly.
She turned toward him.
"Is there a way to lure the serpent toward the rocky area just outside this zone?"
Her expression changed.
What had been calm and focused now turned stern—almost wary.
"No," she said firmly. "It's best not to go there."
Daran frowned. "Why?"
She glanced at the treetops, then back toward the shimmering horizon.
"My brother's little pet lurks near the outer regions," she said. "I noticed it when I saved you and Tristan before."
Her tone darkened.
"It's not like these serpents. It's growing—hunting constantly for stronger prey. It's already absorbed power from multiple beasts."
She met his eyes.
"You're not strong enough to face it. Not yet."