Kit woke up the next morning feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. The faint light of dawn had just begun to seep through the trees. Mars was already awake, admiring the colours of sunrise.

"Can we practice sword forms this morning?" Kit asked, "I was too tired last night." Kit had wrangled a promise from Mars yesterday for him to teach him sword techniques each day.

"Of course," replied Mars, "We can start with the basics. Let's go over your grip first; I noticed yesterday that you weren't always using a two-handed hold. Your current sword is designed for that."

Mars proceeded to teach Kit the proper way to hold the sword and then they moved on to practicing a downward strike. As Kit swung the sword, Mars corrected his form. Before long, Kit was covered in a thin layer of sweat, after an hour Kit felt like he needed a shower.

"Alright, that's enough for today. Go take a shower - you stink," said Mars jokingly.

"I can't help it if there's no deodorant here," grumbled Kit, "Who knew this simulation would be so realistic that we could actually smell sweat? And you only notice because you already took a shower this morning." Complained Kit.

"Haha, fair point. But don't worry - the soap bar is a combination of deodorant and soap so it should help with our smell problem."

After his refreshing shower, Kit wondered how Iris didn't complain about their odour. He also remembered that Snowball had gone missing last night but he later found him curled up asleep in one of the camp chairs. Kit made a mental note to give Snowball a bath later.

While Kit was in the shower, Mars had already packed up the camp except for the chairs and shower. It took no time at all to pack up the rest, then they were ready to leave.

"Mars, can we add ingredients we need as destinations on our map? That way we can find them more easily," suggested Kit.

Mars thought it was an excellent idea and they added monkey brain nuts and pink crunchy loaf to their map. Kit was pleasantly surprised when the locations of golden trees and a large patch of nut trees appeared on the map.

"Great job, Mars! We can gather both ingredients on our way," said Kit with excitement, "I should also look for an alternative to buying pears in town, so we don't spend too much money."

Kit had fashioned a makeshift sling from a large piece of material Mars brought along, using it to carry the sleeping Snowball on their journey. When Kit asked why Mars had acquired this random piece of material, he simply replied, “You never know when it might come in handy.” As it turned out, Mars was right.

After strolling leisurely for a while, they reached the edge of a grove.

Ding!

[CAL]

[Map Found: Apelop Grove.]

Rewards: 50 EXP

Kit and Mars looked ahead at the dense grove of trees, noticing multiple Apelops perched among the branches. The atmosphere felt ominous, with minimal light and chatter from birds and insects adding to the menacing aura.

"Looks like this might be tough," Kit said, disappointed that they wouldn't be able to harvest in this area.

"We can handle it. We'll lure them out one by one," Mars replied confidently. "Plus, it'll give you a chance to practice your new grip and downward strike."

"But where should we leave Pint and Snowball?" Kit asked.

"Pint can stay at the edge of the grove, and we can hang Snowball off his neck," Mars answered.

"You really think Pint will let us do that?" Kit gave Mars a sceptical look.

"We won't know until we try," Mars shrugged.

Kit handed over his sling to Mars, who proceeded to sling Snowball over Pint's neck without any resistance from the creature. Kit had assumed they would need some beer bribery, but apparently not.

"Alright, let's go get an Apelop for you," Mars grinned maniacally as he pulled out his throwing knives and charged towards the first target. His movements were fast and fluid, graceful even, showcasing an impressive level of skill. Kit couldn't help but be surprised each time he witnessed Mars' prowess in battle. He moved like a dancer, if dancers wielded weapons instead of performing on stage.

Mars quickly caught the attention of two Apelops and dispatched one effortlessly before bringing the other to Kit. As he prepared for the fight, Kit felt nervous about living up to Mars' expectations. He had managed to kill Apelops before, but there was usually a break in between fights for him to recover. Today was different; there were more enemies and less time for rest.

Kit could feel his nerves and adrenaline mixing together, causing his hands to tremble slightly and sweat to form. He glanced over at Mars, who seemed to be enjoying himself immensely. Kit hoped that one day he could look at fights the same way.

Mars was definitely an adrenaline junkie, and he loved fighting. If Kit wasn't here, he probably would have charged into the grove without a second thought.

Once Kit took the attention of the Apelop, Mars stepped back to give him some advice. "Don't just dodge, attack!" he shouted.

"It's easier said than done when he has six arms!" Kit replied, struggling to land hits while evading the creature's attacks.

-40 damage

-42 damage

-53 damage

"You're doing good, but try to increase your hit rate. Don't dodge as much or you'll lose too much stamina," Mars encouraged.

Listening carefully to Mars' advice, Kit increased the speed and frequency of his strikes. He could feel a noticeable difference in his agility and flexibility, making it easier for him to dodge attacks without feeling weighed down. The cooking skills he had acquired had definitely improved his fighting abilities and control over his sword.

Together, they continued to take down Apelops in the grove. Kit was starting to sweat from the intense effort, but Mars had already taken down three Apelops by the time Kit had finished one. There was a clear gap in their skills, with Mars being able to observe Kit's movements between killing multiple Apelops.

Realising he needed to work on his skills if he wanted to keep up with Mars in the future, Kit was more determined than ever to practice every day.

As they moved deeper into the grove, they discovered an assortment of mushrooms and herbs along the way. While Mars would clear the Apelop, Kit would collect any fallen monkey brain nuts. By the end of their journey through the grove, Kit had levelled up twice and was now a level 8.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

He noticed that the further they went into the grove, the stronger and more intelligent the Apelops became.

"Hey Mars, do you think there will be a boss in this grove? The Apelops are getting higher levels and seem more advanced," Kit asked.

Mars' eyes shone as he flashed Kit a mischievous smile. "I hope so. These guys are getting a little boring."

"I have a feeling you'll get us into some sticky situations just for entertainment," Kit remarked.

Looking at their map, they realised they were almost in the centre of the grove. "We should slow down now that we’re close to the centre," Kit suggested.

"I'll sneak ahead and see if there are any different-looking Apelops," Mars said, disappearing into the trees.

He returned shortly with an excited look on his face. "Yep, there's definitely a boss up ahead. It's three times the size of a normal one!"

Kit couldn't help but feel nervous about facing such a formidable opponent. But Mars seemed confident they could take it down.

"Can we defeat it?" Kit asked.

"Of course, it'll be a piece of cake," Mars replied with a smirk.

But Kit had a feeling this boss battle would be anything but easy. They finished off the remaining Apelops in the area before heading towards the massive creature, keeping a safe distance as Mars observed the area.

Kit could see the massive form of the boss Apelop from his position, its rough skin and enormous hands resembling large watermelons. The spikes on its back glistened with a sticky liquid.

“This is going to be a blast,” laughed Mars.

“Are you sure we can handle this, Mars? I only reached level 8 today. Here, let me show you, my stats.”

Kit

Level: 8

Class: Swordsman

Sub class:

Money: 43 silver 404 bronze crowns

Restaurant capital: 45 silver 209 bronze crowns

Free points: 16

Culinary points: 42

Health: 270/2700

Stamina 20/20

Magica: 60/60

Experience: 1605/7500

Attack + 19 (30)

Speed + 55 (5)

Intelligence + 56

Agility + 112 (5)

Defence +13 (5)

Weapon: Beginner Sword

Clothing: White apron

“No worries, he’s only level 30. Your agility is pretty good now, so your dodge skill should be able to handle it. Just stay focused. I’ll deal most of the damage; you can attack when you see a chance.” Mars confidently assessed.

“How do you know his level?” Kit wondered if he could get the same ability as Mars, he felt it would come in handy.

“I used Identify.” Mars gave Kit a strange look. “Wait, you haven’t been using that on the monsters?” Mars raised an eyebrow questioningly.

“Oh man, how did I not think of that? I feel silly now,” Kit blushed.

“You’ve never played any games before huh?” Mars looked incredulously as Kit.

“No, my mom thought they were a waste of time, and when I moved in with my sister, we couldn’t afford them anyway. And even if I had the money, my phone is too old to support most apps. Beside I only wanted to play CAL,” replied Kit.

“That explains a lot. But it might actually work in your favour since you have no expectations or limits from previous game experiences. CAL is completely different from its predecessors.” Mars looked Kit up and down, nodding to himself. “I think we can get you to level 10 with this monster. Are you ready?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be...wait, what happens if one of us dies? Where do we meet back up?” Kit felt a moment of panic.

“We won’t die, but if we do, it’s okay. We should respawn back in Sweet Meadow. We’re still within the respawn field for that area,” explained Mars.

“What?” this concept was alien to Kit, what even was a respawn field.

“Each area has a designated respawn field. You’ll respawn at the nearest stone arch to where you died.” Mars patiently explained.

Kit nodded in understanding, “got it.”

“You ready now?” Mars lifted a brow in queries.

“Um...yeah?” Kit could feel his heart racing and his palms getting sweaty. This was starting to become familiar. He focused on the massive Apelop and used his Identify skill. Information flooded his vision instantly.

[King of the Apelops]

Swift Feet, Level 30.

HP 5,000

“What in the world! How are we supposed to DEFEAT it? My health points are only at 270. I’m going to perish.”

“Stay optimistic,” replied Mars calmly.

With that, Mars retrieved his throwing knives. This time, however, there was a slight variation. The blades in Mars’ grip began to emit scorching flames. With a swift toss towards Swift Feet, the knives erupted into a blaze of fiery red.

The blast of fire upon impact caused Swift Feet to let out a loud cry of agony.

With a loud cry, Mars swung his sword and dealt 500 damage to Swift Feet. Kit was impressed by his speed and skill as he continued to deliver attacks at an astonishing rate.

- 105 damage

- 150 damage

- 300 damage

- 500 damage

"Are you even human? How are you able to do that?" Kit couldn't believe how effortlessly Mars was defeating their opponent. But there was no time to dwell on it - they were in the middle of a battle.

"Come on, Kit! Don't let me have all the fun!" Mars called out, urging Kit to join in.

Kit snapped into action, leaping over the shockwaves created by Swift Feet as he approached. He was grateful for his increased agility, thanks to his cooking skills. Without it, he doubted he would have been able to react in time.

As he neared Swift Feet, the giant creature roared and slammed four hands onto the ground. A wave of force rippled through the dirt towards Kit, but he managed to jump over it and land on his feet with surprising grace. His heart raced as he charged towards Swift Feet, ready to take him down.

Raising his sword to the sky, Kit then brought it down with precision towards one of Swift Feet's hands. This time, something felt different - he had complete control over his movements and his sword sliced cleanly through flesh as he removed the hand from its arm.

- 85 damage

Ding!

[Skill learnt: Advanced beginner Swift Strike]

Player delivers a swift decisive strike to inflict damage on his target.

+ 40 Attack

+ 5 Defence

Kit's vision was temporarily obscured by the warm blood spraying from the severed hand covering his face. He quickly wiped it away, feeling a wave of nausea wash over him from being coated in bodily fluids. "Well done, Kit," Mars encouraged, "but don't lose focus now. Keep attacking."

Kit pushed through the stickiness and focused on fighting Swift Feet. He dodged its attacks and managed to land a few hits with his sword, each time causing a gush of blood to erupt from the creature's body. Meanwhile, Mars was taking most of the hits from Swift Feet.

It was difficult for Kit to keep up with the intense speed of the flying hands, but he managed to inflict some damage - 85 points at a time. His heart raced with fear, knowing that one hit from this giant Apelop could kill him.

Sweat dripped down his face as he struggled to maintain concentration. He glanced at Mars and saw that he was grinning maniacally and laughing. A mixture of sweat and blood entered Kit's eye, causing it to water and blur his vision.

He blinked rapidly, trying to clear it, but it was enough of a distraction for Swift Feet to land a hit on him. Kit tumbled backwards from the force of the blow, feeling excruciating pain in his left arm as it collided with the ground. He quickly drank from his water bottle, grateful that he had refilled it before their journey began.

As he chugged the water down, he felt his shoulder start to reposition itself uncomfortably back into place. The healing effects of the water dulled the pain and restored his health back to full capacity.

Gritting his teeth against the discomfort, Kit stood up determined to keep fighting alongside Mars. He didn't want to be a burden or let Mars down. With renewed determination, he went to joined the battle again.

Kit stared in disbelief at the chaos unfolding before him. The once tranquil Mars was now a tornado of destruction, with Swift Feet at its centre, brandishing his sword against the onslaught of flying hands.

The ground beneath them was slowly turning crimson with blood. Mars moved with nimble grace, easily evading every attack from the huge creature. It was like watching a slow-motion battle, with Swift Feet unable to land a single hit on his opponent. Suddenly, Swift Feet let out a piercing scream and collapsed onto the ground.

Ding!

[King of the Apelops, Swift Feet Killed]

Rewards: 15,000 experience, 1 silver crown

4 x King Apelop Hides

Ding!

[Congratulations, you are now Level 9]

Ding!

[Congratulations, you are now Level 10]

Mars stood next to the giant dead Apelop with a wild grin on his face, “That was fun. Right Kit?”

Kit could only shake his head, his thoughts consumed by fear and survival during the intense encounter. "Fun? Mars, I was just trying to stay alive. That hand nearly killed me." Kit's heart was still racing from the adrenaline of the battle.

"You were fine. I told you it would be easy." Mars seemed oblivious to Kit's feelings, still bouncing with excitement.

But for Kit, it hadn't been easy. If Mars hadn't been there to help, he would have been defeated before the fight even began. The weight of this realisation settled heavily in Kit's heart. He couldn't keep relying on his friend's strength; he needed to improve his own fighting skills or he would become a burden.

Determined not to fall behind, Kit vowed to work harder and keep up with Mars. Meanwhile, Mars was still grinning from ear to ear.

"The second-best part is yet to come," he exclaimed.

"Second?" Kit questioned.

"The loot." Mars pointed down at Swift Feet lying on the ground, and a wooden chest next to the Apelop's feet.

Kit felt a surge of excitement at the sight of the treasure chest. He eagerly joined Mars by its side, both of them filled with anticipation for what they would find inside.