Night fell upon the dead forest, but the darkness brought no quiet. Instead, it amplified every gruesome sound—the distant growls of contaminated beasts, the whistle of wind through bare branches. For An, the darkness was an ally.
He sat in a rock hollow, a safe distance from the Corpse-Flesh Demon Flower's cave. The cold, silver moonlight illuminated the items he had laid out before him: four glass vials filled with eerily glittering Demonic Energy Crystals, some dry moss, and a coil of flammable, resin-soaked vine he had found. This was his laboratory. And he was preparing to build a bomb.
He did not act blindly. He poured all seven crystals onto a clean cloth. He closed his eyes, focusing all his remaining mental and spiritual energy, and activated Deep Analysis on the entire cluster.
[Deep Analysis Complete]
[Spiritual Qi Structure: Multiple unstable sources of negative energy. Capable of causing a resonance reaction if activated simultaneously.]
[Trigger Point: A strong impact or a sudden energy shock.]
[Optimization Suggestion: Arrange the crystals in ascending order of size to maximize the resonance effect.]
A cold smile appeared on An's lips. "Maximize the resonance effect." The System was speaking his language.
He carefully arranged the seven crystals in one of the empty glass vials, the smallest at the bottom, the largest at the top. He stuffed dry moss into the gaps to keep them in place. Finally, he wrapped the resin-soaked vine around the mouth of the vial, leaving a short length as a fuse.
The weapon was ready. It wasn't a firebomb, but an energy "bomb," designed to poison the enemy with its own food.
He tucked his dagger into his belt, held the vial firmly, and began to move towards the cave. He moved like a ghost, his Guerrilla Tactics skill helping him glide between the rocks without a sound. As he neared the entrance, he could see the shambling figures of the Frenzied Zombies patrolling aimlessly. They were the first line of defense. He needed a way past them.
Hiding behind a boulder, he looked to the opposite side of the cave entrance. He picked up a large stone and, with all his strength, threw it against a distant rock face.
CRASH!
The loud noise echoed in the night. Immediately, the entire pack of zombies, including those deep within the cave, were drawn to it. They growled and charged towards the sound like a swarm of moths to a flame.
The cave entrance was clear.
An wasted no time. He darted from his cover, sprinting towards the cave mouth. The thick stench of rot assaulted his nostrils, but he ignored it. He stopped at the threshold, just close enough to see the twitching Corpse-Flesh Demon Flower in the center.
He used his iron dagger to make a small cut on his palm, letting a drop of blood fall onto the tip of the vine fuse. Then, he channeled the smallest wisp of spiritual power into the drop of blood.
Sizzle...
The fuse began to burn, creating a small spark and a thin trail of smoke. He only had a few seconds.
He took a few steps back, gaining momentum. The Rock Throw (Awful) skill flashed in his mind, but he ignored it. This wasn't a throw based on skill, but on calculation. He aimed for the rock wall above and slightly to the left of the flower, calculating the trajectory so the vial would fall right at its base.
He threw.
The glass vial soared through the air, drawing a perfect arc in the darkness. It hit the rock wall...
CLINK!
...and fell directly into the pile of black soil right beneath the Corpse-Flesh Demon Flower.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then, a wave of pitch-black energy, invisible yet tangible, suddenly erupted from where the vial had shattered. It wasn't an explosion, but a dead silence, a pulse of negative energy so concentrated it was suffocating.
The Corpse-Flesh Demon Flower suddenly shriveled as if it had been burned. The massive Demonic Core at its center pulsed frantically, its black light flickering chaotically. The fleshy petals began to rot at a visible rate.
SKREEEEEE!
A silent scream, a scream of energy, echoed in An's mind. The flower was dying.
The zombies on their way back suddenly froze, then convulsed and collapsed to the ground, the red light in their eyes extinguishing. Their energy link to their host had been brutally severed.
Inside the cave, the massive Demonic Core began to crack. Black light leaked from within it like blood.
CRACK... CRACK... BOOM!
With a dull thud, the Demonic Core shattered into hundreds of smaller black crystal fragments. The Corpse-Flesh Demon Flower convulsed one last time before wilting, dissolving into a pile of foul-smelling black sludge.
Silence enveloped the forest. The cold, putrid air from the cave entrance vanished, replaced by the crisp night air.
An stood there, panting, sweat pouring down his back. He had succeeded.
And then, a flood of notifications appeared, more numerous and rapid than ever before.
[Quest 'Investigate the Southern Forest Contamination' Complete!]
[Reward: 30 silver coins, 50 Guild Reputation Points.]
[You have gained 500 EXP]
[LEVEL UP!]
[LEVEL UP!]
[Current Level: 7]
[You have performed an act that defies the conventional rules of combat and power levels.]
[You have received the Title: Rule Breaker]
An stared at the last notification, his yellow eyes wide.
Rule Breaker.
He looked at the fragments of the Demonic Core glittering in the cave. He hadn't just completed a quest. He had proven something. In this world, strength wasn't everything. Knowledge, analysis, and a bit of calculated madness... that was his true path.