On my way out of the Adventurers’ Hall I received a harsh reality check. There were two parties arguing with each other.

“Watch where you’re going, dumbass.”

“You bumped into me! Who are you calling a dumbass anyway?”

“Do you know who the Tyrant guild is?”

And that sentence caught my attention. I stopped in my tracks and turned around. I could feel my teeth grind together and my blood burned hot.

The voice was familiar, and it wasn’t just that. I would never be able to forget his face. It was the Tyrant member who singlehandedly shot down my entire party. He was standing there without a scratch on him.

This is how it is… I told myself. Strength is everything. It was broadcast directly in front of me very clearly. The man he bumped into simply bowed in apology as soon as the name Tyrant left the shithole’s mouth.

I watched him with fire burning in my eyes. The archer walked away with his full party, a smile across his face. Everything was his fault, all of it, and yet nothing happened to him. He didn’t even seem phased in the slightest.

Honestly, he probably got a reward for his report. They probably praised him repeatedly for his valiant actions and ability to escape the Rainbow Vulture. That thought only made me more pissed off, more infuriated.

My own self-pity accounted for absolutely jack shit. No one, not a single person, cared about my dead party members. If I went and reported that guy now, no one would even believe me. I knew the reason clearly. I was weak and insignificant.

My mood was rock bottom when I returned to the inn. The only thought in my mind was that of getting revenge and how fucked this world was. I had taken my own words too lightly. I wouldn’t be able to shake a hair on the Tyrant guild’s head: I needed to get stronger.

Revenge wasn’t just for me though. I made a vow to each of my fallen party members. One day I’d have justice.

There was also my brother to think about, and then enchanting as well. I needed a plan.

I spent a week visiting the Adventurers’ Hall every day. Of the ten people in Arturii named Ajax, not a single one sent message back. There was also a new problem with my enchanting progress: changing class had actually sent me backwards.

Sitting in my room at the inn or on a bench in the Adventurers’ Hall was getting me nowhere at all, but the more I thought about moving on the more it hurt. I wasn’t the information gatherer. I wasn’t the planner. I wasn’t the decision maker. That’s how I felt.

Reality didn’t care how I felt. I was alone now, and every single role was mine to undertake. No one would get me moving but myself.

I needed to go level up and so I visited the Adventurers’ Hall again. It was possible to see the missions each of the ten people called Ajax took and I decided that I might as well go looking on my own. Leveling and finding my brother: two birds with one stone.

If in the end I never found him, at least I would make some progress somewhere. It was completely possible he had never left Eastrath and was living comfortably there, too.

I read over the information listed on the sheet.

The players called Ajax were spread out all over different areas of North Maledith. It was going to be much more difficult to find even a single person than I expected. There was one area though that had an Ajax and stuck out like a sore thumb: the Hidden Jungle.

“Can I have a Hidden Jungle contract?” I asked a clerk. The contract from earlier had expired, having only lasted a month.

She passed a contract over the counter, “The next trip is in two days.”

I walked out of the Adventurers’ Hall with a bubbling excitement. Not only was I going out to level…I was going alone. This could either be the best or worst idea I’d ever had. My desire to join a party was absolutely zero, though.

I spent a lot of time thinking about why I had received the new class Soul Harvester. The prompt had come when something inside of me had broken. Whether a result of my having come back from near death, or having Marcus within my mind, or as a result of my having lost everything, it certainly wasn’t a reward from leveling or gaining stats.

Was it smart to level alone? I was absolutely positive it wasn’t, but I was a unique case. The miracle fruit provided me with such a huge stat boost that I was an anomaly. To all appearances thirty was my level, but my stats painted a different picture.

Current EXP: 84550/99000 LEVEL: 30 Soul Harvester Formidable

HP: 1652/1652 MP: 582/582

STR: 27

AGI: 21

DEX: 35 +5

VIT: 30 +5

INT: 54 +24

Available: 0

With Energy Shield as a buffer to my health, I could take considerable damage. The Lunar Brooch + Mana Scythe would help me maintain my MP. Potions and Patient Reaper would help me sustain my HP.

Out of curiosity I had tested using Mana Scythe the same day I got it. A bluish aura rose up the Mana Pulsing Rod before a scythe half the length extended from its tip. The way it moved reminded me of flames.

It was absolutely menacing looking. The more mana I put into it the darker it grew in color. I had yet to test it on a monster though.

Immediately after leaving the Adventurers’ Hall I visited an alchemy shop. I ended up spending over 50k Zeny on potions. I needed enough HP and MP potions to survive. My next stop was to pick up some food.

I spent the entire remainder of the day preparing myself for the journey. All in all I spent 100k Zeny to ensure I was absolutely prepared to go. That included fresh camping equipment, enough food for three weeks of travel, and the potions needed to sustain me in emergencies.

The east gate wasn’t nearly as packed as I had been expecting. I guessed the drop off in numbers made sense since the last known sighting of the Rainbow Vulture was the Hidden Jungle. It was the perfect hiding place. I didn’t worry about the monster though, mainly because I didn’t care so much about my life as I used to.

In any case, I felt that the chance of it sticking around the Hidden Jungle or that I’d encounter it again even if it had was miniscule. My goal was to gain some levels and hopefully mark off this Ajax if I ever managed to find him. I set my expectations low.

The guide this time was someone else, but they followed the same protocol. We lined up single file for a stamp and did so once again just outside the jungle. There were no rats and snakes sneaking in for a free meal this time.

The party ahead of me disappeared into the jungle and I followed closely behind. I pulled my rod from my back and cast Mana Scythe using 30% of my maximum mana. It was 175 MP to cast, but the Mana Scythe wasn’t a one-time use.

As long as I willed it the scythe would remain atop my rod indefinitely. It would only disappear if the connection between us broke. So long as I didn’t drop the rod then I wouldn’t need to recast it. Basically, I should only have to cast it just once per day.

I started to hack and slash the underbrush as I walked through the dense undergrowth. As of that moment, I had absolutely no destination in mind. My plan was to move forward and only that. The scythe cut the underbrush in front like weeds. There was almost no resistance at all.

Nothing around me looked any different, and yet everything was. There was a respect demanded from the scenery around me. I could only depend on myself.

The sounds I considered interesting now sparked a sense of caution. Steven wasn’t here to tank. Isabelle wasn’t here to heal. I was alone.

Despite that, my feet moved forward one step at a time. I eventually came to that little stream where it all started. There was no Slithereen Anomaly waiting at the bank. I followed the same path as before.

The city in the canopy was still there, but there wasn’t a single monster in sight. I knew it was like this, but I wanted to look anyway. It brought me a feeling of closure.

I didn’t climb up the nearest vine but instead turned away and started walking even deeper. I needed to carve my own path forward. There was no point in hiding in the safety of the jungle canopy.

The sounds around me grew more intense. The crickets no longer sang but instead screamed. It was a constant beating against my eardrums. I finally encountered my first monster.

Blood Monkey LEVEL: 32 BEAST DEMON

HP: 5318 MP: 20

STR: 40

AGI: 20

DEX: 35

VIT: 25

INT: 7

A carnivorous monkey that loves the taste of blood.

The blood monkey let out an ear-piercing howl and bared its fangs in my direction. The two black eyes it turned towards me looked almost lifeless. Its blood-red fur looked sharp, almost as if every hair was a needle.

How long had it been since I dealt with a monster alone? It was back on Earth, after reaching the safe-zone. My experience in combat had been night and day since then though.

How should I deal with this? That thought crossed my mind immediately. Was I meant to fight in melee combat as my new class or should I continue fighting as a caster? I racked my brain.

Unfortunately, the Blood Monkey didn’t give me any time to decide. It placed one hand on a nearby trunk and then used that to fling itself in my direction. It was half my size, but the muscles bulging on its tiny frame displayed a terrifying innate strength.

I had no intention of letting it grab me at all, and so I side stepped its leaping attack. This was the perfect chance to give Mana Scythe a test run. I would fight this monkey with nothing but Mana Scythe.

Both my hands gripped the Mana Pulsing Rod as I hardened my resolve. I needed to know where I stood currently. Was I weaker or stronger than this cannon fodder? I rushed towards the Blood Monkey and slashed out.

The scythe sliced through the air and underbrush before brushing past the monkey’s arm. I didn’t feel a single thing but there was a blood splatter. I knew the blade was sharp, but this was unexpected.

A two inch deep gash opened on the monkey’s forearm. These monsters were much more resilient than normal. Not only was their skin tougher, their fur usually acted as a barrier to attacks.

I can do this…Seeing the blood melding into its fur boosted my confidence. I pushed forward and started to hack and slash as the monkey jumped back between tree trunks. It was clear that the injury had panicked the monster and that it had lost its will to fight.

This was just wasting my time. This monkey was too weak to provide any real measure of my current ability. I broke my own rule and cast shackle to lock it in place. The brief second it was restricted was enough. My scythe came slicing directly across its neck.

I stood over the dead body and then cast Harvest Soul. A peculiar feeling washed over me as a tangible cloud floated from the Blood Monkey’s body and entered into my hand. I suddenly felt fuller.

Current EXP: 86550/99000 LEVEL: 30 Soul Harvester Formidable

HP: 1653/1653 MP: 418/583

STR: 27

AGI: 21

DEX: 35 +5

VIT: 30 +5

INT: 54 +24

Available: 0

This was my first harvested soul. I gained 1 HP and 1 MP and no other gains to my stats. Killing the enemy with Mana Scythe granted me 20 MP. There was also the EXP I gained: 2,000, all of which came to me. This amount was more than I had expected.

The EXP gain was something I had overlooked. Leveling by myself would grant me considerably more EXP per monster. If I could kill mobs quickly and efficiently my leveling speed would be as fast as killing elites in a party.

Regardless of if I was meant to fight in melee or not, there was no doubt I had options. It was entirely possible to mix up my combat style. Heck, I could even do both melee or ranged at the same time. I was lacking in practice currently though to really appreciate the boundaries of my abilities.

As I continued to walk I had a peculiar feeling. My senses felt even more acute than before and I realized something or someone was following me. Their stare was locked directly onto my neck.

This prickling sensation kept growing stronger and stronger as I moved deeper in the jungle. The environment around me never changed. The same noises were all around me and nothing stuck out as unordinary. Yet I couldn’t shake this feeling.

There was a predator viewing me as prey. Whatever it was, it definitely wanted to eat me. The best way to get it to reveal itself was to present an opening, give it a chance, and so I did.

I crouched down on the floor and started fiddling with my shoes. My neck was fully exposed for whatever it was waiting to strike. Move already! It was so overly cautious. I was about to stand up and keep moving when it lunged out. Needless to say… it wasn’t what I was expecting.

Predator Chameleon LEVEL: 34 BEAST EARTH

HP: 7437 MP: 55

STR: 30

AGI: 15

DEX: 15

VIT: 40

INT: 3

A Chameleon adept at hunting wild game.

I had been expecting a panther, or a jaguar or some other form of cat. Instead a Predator Chameleon the size of lion sat in front of me. Its body continuously morphed and changed colors. Occasionally, I could see its figure and other times it simply was see-through like glass.

A long tongue dangled from its mouth that was anything but pleasant to look at. There were short and hollow spikes all over the tongue, no doubt for sucking blood.

Its tongue suddenly shot out like lightning in my direction. The speed was much faster than I was expecting and Energy Shield flickered in my view. I was just a split second too slow in raising my rod.

The tongue collided with a part of my hand and those hollow spikes managed to dig into my flesh. I had almost forgotten how painful taking a hit was. The pain shocked me awake. Those little suckers were engorging red as it was trying to suck my blood.

I’ll be taking this! I swirled the Mana Scythe with my other hand and just as the blade was coming to chop the tongue clean off it retracted like a rubber band and disappeared into its mouth.

The Chameleon started to lick its lip in ecstasy. This was the perfect chance to try out Patient Reaper. It hurt to use it this spell so early as the skill was costly, but I had some health I needed to recover.

Patient Reaper: Drains 2% of your target’s health per second. You receive 10% of that damage as life.

Cast time: Instant

MP Cost: 85

Distance: 2 Meters

Duration: 15 Seconds

Targets can only be cursed once.

I concentrated on the Chameleon and cast Patient Reaper. A ghostly and dark shadow hovered around the Chameleon like a menacing, ghostly Death, waiting to take its life. My life suddenly started to climb every second. The amount wasn’t much, merely 15 HP per second, but over 15 seconds that was more than 200 HP.

The reaper hovering behind the Chameleon seemed to make it agitated. It writhed back and forth as if there was nothing it could do to remove that ghostly shroud covering its body. This was my chance. I cast Cremation and then rushed forward.

Fire burst forth from the earth and caused the Chameleon to dodge to one side. I was there waiting with Mana Scythe. I slashed out and dug a deep gash through the side of its body. Guts immediately started to pour from the slash.

I was ready to strike out again when suddenly the Chameleon died. My Patient Reaper had been above its head stealing away its life force. That spell had dealt the finishing blow. There was an obvious downside to Patient Reaper.

Once the target died, no more health could be leeched. The fight hadn’t lasted the entire 15 seconds of the spell and I had only recovered somewhere around 175 HP. There was good news though. That was enough to replenish the HP lost from my hand wound.

I checked my skills to see that both Patient Reaper and Mana Scythe could continue leveling.

Patient Reaper: 10/500

Mana Scythe: 20/1000

Something else that became apparent was the downside of Mana Scythe. While it had contributed to the Chameleon’s demise, I didn’t receive the 20 MP. It seemed I needed to get the killing blow with Mana Scythe for this. It did gain a point of EXP towards the next level.

I wasn’t entirely self-sufficient, unfortunately. I needed more MP and MP regeneration. I could replenish the HP I lost in a battle, but my MP had no real way to increase besides natural regeneration and Mana Scythe. 20 MP per battle was not enough to cover the costs.

Patient Reaper suddenly faded from the Chameleon’s corpse and I walked over before casting Harvest Soul. Another glob of misty substance floated up and into my hand. I checked Harvest Soul.

Harvest Soul: 2 HP: 2 MP: 2

That was how it was displayed in my skill list. Two souls gathered so far and a total of 2 HP and 2 MP gained. It occurred to me that perhaps elites and even bosses would provide even more HP and MP. Logically, the stronger a monster, the stronger their soul… at least I hoped so.

For the first time in over a month I was feeling good. Fighting in melee combat like this was feeding that adrenaline rush I desired so much. In some ways it was even more fulfilling. I could ‘feel’ the result of my actions.

There was a weight to my rod and Mana Scythe that standing back and casting spells didn’t provide. I could only see Cremation burning something, or Glacial Spike piercing and freezing a mob. It was a sort of detachment that melee didn’t have.

There would be a very long journey to even replenish the 500 HP and 200 MP I lost while changing classes. Despite that, I was incredibly hopeful for the future. I was also incredibly close to my next level, then I’d get to see if there was any increase to my scaling per level.