It had been two days since Hazel had been trying to rid the Town of Fractured monsters. And she believed that she was close to finally achieving her goal. She managed to level up, two more times, making her level ten right now.
Hopefully, by the time she completed her challenge, she would reach level eleven too.
The novice mage sat on her bed with her legs crossed. In her hands was one of the books she got from the magic shop.
As she flipped a page, a piece of jerky hung from her mouth. She wasn’t even eating it but lazily gnawing on the meat out of boredom.
“There doesn’t seem to be anything involving curses or witches…” Hazel muttered.
Hazel was going through the Magic theory book to try and see if she could find anything related to curse mages or witches. After obtaining Decay and Baneful Sickle, she was certainly curious about what witches were like.
However, despite nearly reading the entire book to know more, she couldn’t find anything about them. Which was extremely annoying to Hazel.
“This is just depressing now…” Hazel groaned before tossing the book on the bed in front of her. “I’m not going to find what I want in this book; I can already tell.”
Depressed and annoyed that the book had no information regarding witches or curses, she jumped off the bed. While standing, she reached over for her staff whichwas stationed right next to her nightstand.
This was just in case a Fractured human was nearby and ready to attack her. Hazel could technically cast her spells without the staff, but obviously, the weapon made it easier for her.
With her trusty staff in hand, Hazel set her sights on a new goal; finally finishing the Dungeon Challenge. She spent the last two days hunting and killing any Fractured monsters still roaming around, and she felt that she was close to accomplishing this.
And once she completed the challenge, she only had one thing left to do. And that was leaving the island and exploring this Fractured Dungeon. Considering that there were other large landmasses floating around this purple space, Hazel felt eager to investigate them.
The reason why she had been doing this for two days was because she didn’t want to rush it. She still had plenty of time to spare while in this dungeon. Hazel was still hesitant about remaining in this dungeon for an entire month, but she was also aware of the opportunity given to her.
If Hazel continued to kill monsters and complete dungeon challenges, by the time it was time to leave, she would be very powerful. Or that was what she hoped for. Knowing that there were other players in their respective dungeons, Hazel needed to gain an upper hand to survive in her new world.
Speaking of which, Hazel was curious about the other world that was being merged with hers. That and how different her planet would be now that it was made of two of them.
Could her dorm still be standing? What about the café she was at or even her house? And what kind of species was Hazel going to be encountering from the other world?
Were they going to be human-like her, or some kind of fantastical race like Elves or Dwarves? Or maybe even…demons.
Hazel shook her head in an attempt to get rid of those thoughts. Elves and Dwarves were one thing, but she did not want to deal with demons. Then again, she didn’t know what the demons were like, so she couldn’t be prejudiced toward them.
As for Elves and Dwarves, she couldn’t determine what they were like either. Her only knowledge regarding them was from pop culture like games and movies. Some of the main characteristics of Dwarves were that they were master inventors, they were short, and had thick beards.
Aside from the latter, Dwarves were highly recognized for their ingenuity and building skills. They were master forgers, capable of building powerful weapons and items from flaming swords to earth-shattering gauntlets.
Not only that but they were also considered fierce warriors. Known not just for their skills with tools but also for wielding weapons themselves into battle.
Elves, on the other hand, were beautiful, intellectual, snarky, and possessed a superiority complex.Though, that was only some elves, depending on the species.Honestly, to Hazel, Elves gave off two different personalities which were either forest protectors who guard the woods from intruders or snarky forest nobles who believe they were superior to everyone else.
Either way, Hazel wasn’t sure which was she preferred. Then again, dealing with a snooty know-it-all elf who believed that they’re better and superior to you sounded extremely annoying and aggravating.
However, if Hazel was going to encounter either race, it would be wise of her to hold her judgment until she actually met one. Who knows, maybe they would be her allies in the future. If the other world actually contained either of them.
Putting those thoughts aside for now, Hazel continued her goal of ridding the town of Fractured monsters. She scoured the area and searched through every street, back alley, and building, killing all the Fractured humans that were in her field of vision.
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As Hazel continued her fierce excursion of the Fractured monsters, she began to notice that their presence within the town had been declining rapidly. It got to the point where she barely encountered hordes anymore and mainly stumbled across a single Fractured human every so often.
After a while, Hazel started to believe that the Fractured Humans were terrified of her and were hiding away.Hoping that the boogie man known as Hazel Thatcher, the cursed mage couldn’t find them and would go someplace else.
Hazel scoffed at this train of thought, realizing how ridiculous it was.
“These things barely feel anything, both physical and emotional…” She muttered to herself.
Fractured monsters were hollow husks of their former selves. They’re not even living. The Mana Overload that fractured the world merely corrupted their vessels, making them act feral and rabid. They were essentially like wild animals, reacting by instincts whether that was attacking prey or seeking it.
Of course, there were some exceptions like the Fractured humans that possess classes. Even though they were bound by their animalistic nature, these zombie-like creatures still retained some of their sentience, acting in a way they used to when they were still alive.
But even that had limits, which Hazel noticed during her fight with the Fractured classes like the Warrior and Rogue. Despite somewhat fighting like when they were living, there were moments when their animalistic side would take over. Like when the Rogue chased after Hazel, despite it being a trap.
If that Fractured Rogue was human, it would’ve known Hazel’s plan and could’ve easily avoided it. But, instead of doing that, it simply continued chasing after her, ignoring common sense and focusing on the hunt.
Reminded of this, Hazel could hardly believe that the same monsters that she feared were now terrified of her. And honestly, it seemed like complete nonsense in her eyes.
Strolling down a street, Hazel stopped in her tracks. Her ears then perked up, picking up the sound of groans and snarls nearby. Gripping her staff, the novice mage speed walked over to the source of the noise, feeling a sense of eagerness as she made her way toward her next prey.
As she got closer, Hazel’s eyes trailed over to a building next to her.It looked like a normal yet abandoned shop just like the rest of the buildings around her.But, something told her that this place wasn’t all that vacant at the moment.
With a suspicious gaze, the novice mage stalked closer to the building. She then peered her head over to the window, taking a peek inside to see if her hunch was right. And after looking through the window, her suspicions were proven right.
Inside the building were around a dozen or more Fractured Humans huddled together in the center.None of them moved an inch and simply stood there motionlessly.If it wasn’t for their ominous and unified groaning, Hazel would’ve mistaken them as Statues.
Taking a moment to count them again, the novice mage realized that these were the remaining monsters within the Town. If she killed all of them,her dungeon challenge would finally be completed.
Out of curiosity, Hazel mentally pulled up her challenge to check her current progress.
“Sweep the Town!”
Difficulty: Easy
Objective: Rid the Town of the Fractured
Progress: Fractured Monsters within Town Killed [78/90]
Reward: +7 Free Points and an Uncommon Loot Box
“I’m almost done,” Hazel muttered with a small grin.
Looks like she was correct regarding their numbers and her progress. Which meant these Fractured humans were the remaining ones within town. And once they were dead, she’d finally get her reward after spending a couple of days hunting these monsters.
Since there were only twelve of them left, Hazel believed that using Baneful Sickle along with a barrage of Mana Bolt should get the job done. And since they were within a confined space, she would be able to take more of them out with a single attack compared to if they were spread apart.
Formulating her plan, Hazel stalked over to the door and cautiously turned the knob. Pushing the entrance open, a loud and long creaking sound was heard, putting the novice mage on edge due to the noise.
Hearing the loud creak, the horde was immediately alerted by the sound as their chorus of snarls and groans got louder and more feral. Hazel froze for a split second out of fear. But, she hastily shook her head and steeled her nerves immediately after.
There wasn’t a lot of time, and she had to get this job done or else she was done for. Taking a deep breath, Hazel held her staff tightly before rushing into the building. As soon as she did, her weapon was raised toward the horde in front of her.
A malicious purple energy materialized in front of the staff. It violently shifted and pulsed while slowly condensing into something. Moments later, its shape was finalized, taking the form of a menacing violet sickle that radiated cursed energy.
As soon as its transformation was complete, Hazel fired the baneful sickle toward the Horde. The sickle spun around like a disk before tearing through the Horde with ease. The Fractured humans were no match for the cursed spell as their bodies were severed into pieces.
As the baneful sickle eviscerated the horde, the sound of snarls and groans immediately ceased in an instant, leaving only the sounds of their severed bodies crashing on the floor. A moment later, their bodies cracked then burst into bright purple fragments and dispersed into the air.
Hazel was greeted with a beautiful violet light show within the building. This lasted several seconds before all of the lights faded away, leaving the room in darkness. The only source of light was coming from the window, as the ambient lighting from space peeked through the glass.
Then it happened.
[Level 2 Fractured Humans has been defeated!]
[Level 3 Fractured Humans has been defeated!]
[Level 3 Fractured Humans has been defeated!]
[Level 4 Fractured Humans has been defeated!]
[Level 2 Fractured Humans…]
[You have leveled up! You are now Level 11!]
[You have completed a Dungeon Challenge!]
[You have been rewarded Seven Free Points!]
[You have been rewarded an Uncommon Loot Box!]
Hazel smiled as her vision was flooded with notifications. Not only did she achieve her goal and complete the Dungeon Challenge, but she also managed to get to level eleven in the process. Which meant she earned even more free points to invest in her stats.
While admiring her achievement through her notification panels, a familiar wooden crate materialized before Hazel. It was the Uncommon Loot box from the challenge.
Mentally dismissing the panels, Hazel set her sights on the loot box before her. Her lips then curled into a sly yet eager grin.
“Looks like it was time to check out my rewards,” She declared with a zealous tone.