Hop.
Hop.
Huff.
Huff.
[Participant: ------] has successfully defeated one of the Five Expanse Apex Guardians, overcoming insurmountable odds and claiming victory against the Flood Hare, Master of the Tides.
In a distant part of the Expanse, near a breathtaking lake of crystal blue and emerald, green, a girl stood, barely able to remain upright. Her breaths came in ragged gasps, her body battered and torn from the battle.
Before her, the Flood Hare who’s fur resembled the lake lay motionless, its once-fluid, graceful form now still.
The battlefield told the story of their struggle. Patches of grassland were submerged under shallow pools of water, craters littered the landscape—evidence of the relentless exchange of power.
Vines, thick and unruly, coiled around the fallen beast, their presence unnatural, their purpose clear. They had erupted from the earth mid-battle, constricting, piercing, tearing through the Flood Hare’s defences.
The girl, though victorious, swayed on her feet, exhaustion pressing down on her like an unmovable weight. It was evident—she had taken on the Apex Boss alone.
And she had won.
However, she was anything but pleased.
Just before the announcement of her arduous victory, a similar message had echoed across the Expanse mere seconds before she landed her final strike.
[GLOBAL ANNOUNCEMENT]
Attention all participants of the Expanse.
A historic event has occurred.
— The first Apex Boss has fallen. —
[Participant: XXXX] has successfully defeated one of the Five Expanse Apex Guardians, overcoming insurmountable odds and claiming victory against the Zephyr Monkey King, Master of the Gale.
Hidden Condition Cleared:
? Defeated an Apex Boss without external assistance.
? First to defeat an Apex Boss.
? Offered mercy to an Apex Boss.
[Participant: XXXX] has earned the title: [Stormbreaker] — One who stands unshaken before the wrath of the storm.
The winds of the Expanse whisper his name.
For those who seek strength—know this.
The Apex have begun to fall.
And the hunt has begun.
It had been just a matter of seconds. That was all it took.
She had put in everything—her blood, her exhaustion, her strategy, her will. She had given everything to claim the title of the first to slay an Apex Boss.
And yet, by the cruel trick of time, it had been stolen from her.
Her jaw clenched as she stared at the notification.
[Flood Hare: Level 8 (Mutated)]
[Force Alignment: Flood Force]
[HP: 0/2000]
The spear in her hand—woven entirely of vines—slowly unraveled as she collapsed onto the ground, the last of her energy finally spent.
“All this work… just to make sure I got the first-clear achievement…” she muttered, staring blankly at the sky, her voice thick with exhaustion.
Her green eyes, large and piercing beneath slightly too-big, tilted oval glasses that never quite fit right, dulled with deadpan resignation.
“…And now it's gone to waste. Like, come the fuck on—”
[Participant: XXXX has declined the first-clear reward for an Apex Boss. As you achieved it second, the award has been granted to you.]
Her pupils constricted.
She stared at the system message.
Unblinking.
Expression frozen.
Slowly, she adjusted her glasses with one dirtied, trembling hand, processing the turn of events.
“…That works too, I guess.”
Her hands immediately moved to claim the reward, and in her grasp appeared a seemingly unremarkable, dark crystalline shard. A faint hum resonated from within, a pulse so subtle it was almost imperceptible—almost.
To the uninformed, it was nothing but a rare mineral. A trinket.
To her?
It was everything.
She had been trained her entire life for this.
This was a key item—a piece of the puzzle she had been searching for.
First Clear Reward: [Worldstone Fragment]
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Hidden Effect: A fragment of the original Worldstone, said to be a remnant of the very foundation of the Expanse itself. Holding it enhances comprehension of Force Alignments, accelerates Aether progression, and allows insight into the deeper laws governing Aether manipulation.
Additional Use: Those who understand its true value can use it as a key to access a hidden dungeon, an ancient ruin, or a deeper tier of Expanse mechanics that remain locked to others.
Her fingers tightened around the shard.
Her mind raced.
"Who would just throw this away?" she muttered, brows furrowed in disbelief.
Then, she recalled the other notification.
[Participant: XXXX has successfully defeated the Zephyr Monkey King, Master of the Gale.]
Her eyes widened slightly.
The Zephyr Monkey King.
It may not have been the strongest of the Apex Bosses, but it was, without a doubt, the most difficult.
The rewards from it should have been invaluable.
And yet—someone had declined the First Clear Reward?
That alone was insane.
But the implications behind it? Even worse.
She wasn’t just a normal participant in this trial.
She was born for this. Trained for this.
And the probability of another one of her kind existing? Let alone on Earth of all places?
"Mathematically impossible," she murmured, her mind churning with calculations. "Not just improbable—impossible."
She fixed the loose scarf wrapped around her head, her fingers brushing against the fabric as she exhaled sharply.
No use worrying about it now.
She pulled up her Status Screen.
[Status Screen]
[Name]: Silvie Nicole
[Class]: Locked
[Force Alignment]: Vine
[Level]: 8
[HP]: 23/150
[Aether]: 10/200
[Force Progression: 30%]
“That hare almost took me out,” Silvie sighed, shaking her head.
Her eyes flickered back toward the Worldstone Fragment in her palm.
She would find out who declined this.
Because if they were like her—
Then this game had just changed.
Kei sat cross-legged on the ground, deep in thought, as the Zephyr Monkey and Fangcub rested nearby.
His body was still battered, but that wasn’t what occupied his attention. He could feel something—changes—occurring deep within him. Not just physically, but mentally.
His rewards had granted him a boost to Agility and Will.
At first glance, +2 Agility seemed like a small increase. But the difference was immediately noticeable.
Every movement felt sharper, quicker—like his body had shed a layer of resistance. His limbs responded the instant he willed them to move, reacting without hesitation. His reaction time had increased to a frightening degree, almost as if time itself had slowed slightly whenever he needed it to.
The weight of his own body felt lighter, his footing more sure, his center of balance unshakable. The subtle shifts in the air, the wind brushing against his skin—he could track it perfectly, almost anticipate how it would move before it even did.
If before, movement felt like a reaction to the world, now it felt like he was part of the flow itself.
But Agility was nothing compared to the effect of his Will Stat.
Kei exhaled slowly, his fingers brushing against the dirt beneath him.
+2 Will.
It should have been insignificant. A drop in an endless ocean.
And yet…
For the first time, he felt it.
Not just a concept, not just an abstract number on a status screen—Will was something real.
A weight. A presence.
It was not a measure of simple determination.
It was something far greater.
It was the sheer force of his existence pressing into the world itself.
A mental weight that didn’t just reside in his mind—but extended beyond it.
As if his very thoughts carried presence, as if his intent could bleed into the environment and influence it.
The air felt denser around him.
Not in a suffocating way, but in an aware way.
As though reality itself was acknowledging him—turning toward him because his Will demanded it.
His eyes half-lidded, he focused inward.
Will is not just resilience.
It is not just strength of mind.
It is the power to impose intent upon the world.
The moment he understood that—
The air around him quivered.
Not with wind.
Not with Aether.
With his presence.
Kei clenched his fingers into a fist.
His Will was layering itself onto the world—a command, an imprint, a demand that reality itself listen to him.
“…So that’s what it is,” he muttered.
It felt like the world was yielding to his request. Freely offering its aid to him.
Kei exhaled slowly, letting the sensation settle within him. His thoughts were clearer than ever, his body lighter, his presence more tangible—as if the very air around him acknowledged his existence in a way it hadn’t before.
He murmured to himself, “That was beneficial. Gives me a better idea of how to progress with my strength…” He sighed, rolling his shoulders. “Too bad the rewards don’t really seem like much.”
Taking a moment, his gaze drifted toward the Zephyr Monkey. It was still tending to its wounds, licking its fur as it sat on a nearby rock.
Kei tilted his head. “I’d probably have gotten more if I killed it.”
The words were casual. Thoughtless, almost.
But to the Zephyr Monkey?
A full-body shiver ran down its spine.
It snapped its head toward Kei, only to see his eyes—glowing faintly, sharp, calculating.
And for a brief moment, there was a look.
A look that held nothing but pure greed.
For material wealth.
For progress.
For growth.
The Zephyr Monkey’s breath hitched.
It nearly had a mental collapse on the spot.
Had it truly survived? Or had it just delayed the inevitable?
What kind of monster had it lost to?
A primal fear settled in its bones as it subtly edged further away from Kei—eyes wide, fur bristling, ready to flee at the slightest hint of danger.
Sighing, Kei tossed a few pieces of cooked hare toward the Zephyr Monkey, the charred scent of well-seasoned meat wafting through the air.
"Don't worry about it, Zeph. I won’t do anything to you." He stretched his arms behind his head, leaning back slightly. "Take it as an apology for stealing your treasure. Right, Hachi?"
"Woof!"
Hachi, curled up next to him, barked—more in acknowledgment than actual apology.
The Zephyr Monkey eyed the offering suspiciously before hesitantly reaching out. It sniffed the meat, then took a cautious bite.
Its pupils dilated.
Its jaw slowed as it savored the taste.
This… wasn’t bad.
Actually, this was really good.
It took another bite, its caution melting away as it devoured the food.
Kei watched silently for a moment before sighing again.
Then, without warning, he dug his fingers into the barely-healed wound on his arm, reopening it. Blood welled up instantly.
Ignoring the dull pain, he let a few drops drip onto the remaining food.
"Try this. I want to see something."
As he spoke, he barely had a second to react before—
"DAMN IT, HACHI! GET OFF ME, YOU BASTARD!"
The Fangcub lunged at him, tackling him to the ground, desperate to lick the blood dry.
"Stop, stop! I wasn’t talking to you!" Kei wrestled with the cub, rolling over the dirt as Hachi clawed and wriggled, trying to get another taste.
Meanwhile, the Zephyr Monkey observed, eyes flicking between them and the now blood-soaked meat.
Curious, it cautiously lifted the piece and took a bite—
KRIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKK!!!!
A piercing shriek echoed across the clearing.
The Zephyr Monkey froze, eyes going wide, body seizing up—
An overwhelming sensation flooded its entire being.
Power.
Nothing like it had ever experienced before.
The strength, the energy, the sheer potency of what it had just consumed—
The ginger was nothing compared to this.
In an instant, it completely forgave them for stealing the treasure. Hell, if it meant getting more of this, it would’ve handed over the ginger itself.
Still struggling on the ground, Kei groaned, Hachi practically drooling all over him.
"STOP SCREECHING AND HELP ME, DAMN IT!"
