They farmed geckos with precision, undeterred by the unending rain. First, one at a time, until Sakura got used to using her spells, and then in multiples of twos and threes. When he timed it right, Edge could herd them close together so that Sakura could blast all of them at once with her [Firebomb]. It was risky for Edge as he was as much running from a firebomb as he was from geckos, which could pose a problem in future skirmishes. Luckily, so far Sakura had good aim. The scenario where she couldn’t use her spell properly, and he had to face two or three mobs at once . . . He and Daphne might be able to handle the geckos on their own, but it would be a close thing.

The constant level of danger made increasing his throw skill that much more important to the group. While Sakura’s mana recovered, he and Daphne would take on the lizards one at a time. So far, the system he devised worked almost perfectly. They even managed to clear out an entire gecko nest in one go. It was a great surprise to find that the nest held exactly one dozen eggs.

At some point, gloomy day had become night, but it was hardly dark. The game was meant to be played at night too, it seemed. There was enough moonlight, even without a moon, to easily see by. They had stayed out hunting much longer than he intended. The dark rain clouds rumbled with the occasional burst of thunder, though he saw no sign of lightning.

Edge revelled in their successful hunt, panting and dripping a mix of sweat and water. His clothes were long since soaked through, and he was splattered with mud from a dozen falls. There was something about the exertion of the life and death game that left him feeling satisfied. He was fast approaching [Level 2]. It was so close, he could almost taste it. A few [Tiny Fang]’s had dropped as well. “Ke, ke, ke.” They earned more crystals tonight than they had in the two previous days combined. For the first time in a long time, he felt genuinely good. “You both look tired.” Why was it only his job that required so much running and mud? Both girls were still pristinely yellow in their rain coats, and dry besides.

“You’re one to talk, Mr. eyebags,” retorted Daphne, missing the sarcasm.

“I will continue for as long as you need me,” stated Sakura.

Why was Daphne scowling? “Let’s do it again. There’s only one nest left anyway,” offered Edge.

“Okay, my [Firebomb] is up.”

“I’m ready too,” Daphne blurted, not wanting to lose to Sakura.

After a short rest, Edge circled the final nest at a steady jog, setting the distance before loosing a barrage of stones. The geckos charged at him, but he stoically finished a lap around them, grouping the geckos close together. His agility and speed had both risen one point, since the start of their hunting, which meant that he was now a little faster than the geckos, even passing through the long slippery grass. More importantly, it meant that it was possible to raise your stats with repeated actions and training. He may even try to do some push ups before going to bed tonight. The geckos snarled at him with their rows of pointed teeth, and Edge smiled right back at them like a lunatic. A loud thunderclap snapped Edge out of his childishness. When did he start to forget that his life was on the line?

The four nest guardians all shared the same fate as their predecessors, when a [Firebomb] exploded between them, erupting in a fiery radius and culminating in a tiny mushroom cloud. That was the last of them.

“La la la,” Daphne sang out the old Final Fantasy victory tune, while posing with her hands splayed out in opposing directions. Eugene was a little surprised she knew the song.

“Another dozen eggs here,” waved Sakura, as the last nest faded from existence.

[Your Observation has increased: 7]

The pond boiled with bubbles, rippling in the rain.

“Run!” Edge warned without the slightest hesitation.

Sakura spun to face the disturbance, bouncing backwards on her toes in panic. She turned to sprint away with her hands pushing aside the tall reeds near the pond’s shore, as an enormous green lizard marched out of the unknown depths. It was a hulking beast on four legs, only slightly resembling the smaller lizards.

Above its head floated a red banner, [Gecko King].