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By now, my field of vision was already beginning to darken at the edges.

I bent my knees as I got ready to reach the surface in go.

Huh?

But suddenly I realized that I couldn\'t move my feet.

Looking down, I saw that my ankles were tangled in underwater weeds.

I hastily bought my spear out and slashed it to cut the weeds.

(Congratulations, Host! 10 Essences from Hollow gutweed have been added to your Character Profile!)

Seeing the notification, my eyes widened.

No way...

But before I could move, another weed held my ankle.

I slashed again.

My vision was thinning at an alarming pace.

(Congratulations, Host! 10 Essences from Hollow gutweed have been added to your Character Profile!)

I again felt something on my feet and I attacked again.

(Congratulations, Host! 10 Essences from Hollow gutweed have been added to your Character Profile!)

As the weeds continued to hold me down, I tried to attack them to the best of my ability.

Slowly but surely, I was getting away.

Damn it, I need to move fast.

Instead of taking them out one by one, I slashed them all at once, killing them quickly and freeing my ankle.

I was free!

I immediately swam upward and, within a few seconds, emerged from the water, gasping for air.

"Ugh... Ugh..."

I didn\'t waste any time and dashed to the lake bank.

When I reached the edge, I crawled out of the water and lay down on the ground.

"Ugh... I almost drowned."

I should have taken them all out at once instead of one by one.

If I had, I would have gotten out of the water much sooner.

"Dammit, my head," I muttered in frustration.

Anyway...

For now, I needed to rest and catch my breath.

Panting heavily, I lay still, letting my body recover from the ordeal...

As I lay there, I remembered something.

Oh, right, how much essence did I get from all those kills?

I quickly pulled up my system and checked the notifications page to find out.

(Congratulations, Host! 5 Healing Potions (Iron) have been added to your inventory!)

(Congratulations, Host! 50 Essences from Hollow Gutweed have been added to your Character Profile!)

(Congratulations, Host! 5 Monster Cores (Iron) have been added to your inventory!)

Alright, so 50 essence points here and 30 there, making a total of 80 essence points.

Not bad, especially considering what could\'ve happened if I had messed up.

But no point dwelling on that now.

Then, I looked at my essence points and began to pondering something...

Isn\'t this like some kind of infinite glitch, where I can keep earning more essence with hardly any effort?

I mean, I could probably rack up another 1,000 just by repeating the process.

Yeah, by doing absolutely nothing

Oh, wouldn\'t that be incredible?

But hold on!

Is this lake only filled with weed monsters?

That\'s what\'s making me suspicious.

Even though I went deeper and didn\'t find anything else, there could still be something lurking, right?

But I quickly pushed that thought aside as my greed started taking over.

So much essence, so much potential

Imagine if I could actually upgrade to platinum rank with this!

Who knows how many weeds are down there?

After mulling it over for a few more minutes, I made up my mind to go for it.

Once my body had recovered from all the stress, I quickly got to my feet, ready to dive back in.

The idea of diving back in wasn\'t just temptingit felt almost essential, like how food is crucial for every living being.

I couldn\'t miss out on this chance.

I tightened my grip on my daggers, feeling their weight steady me, and took one last look around.

For one last look, I glanced at the clear water.

From this vantage point, I could only make out the location of the weeds.

Everything was quiet, with only the gentle ripples of the water and the sound of my breathing.

It was now or never.

With a final, I crouched down and dove back into the lake.

The cool water rushed over my skin, and for a moment, it felt refreshing, washing away the exhaustion from my earlier struggle.

As I descended deeper, that familiar sense of dread began creeping back in.

I could feel the weeds waiting for me, as if they were lying in wait.

The memory of their tight grip around my ankles was still fresh, but this time, I was prepared.

When I reached the lakebed, there they were, swaying gently in the current like ghostly fingers ready to latch onto anything.

It was as if they were aware of my presence, knowing exactly what I was there to do.

\'Alright, let\'s do this,\' I whispered to myself, the words barely audible in the water.

I quickly began slicing through the weeds, collecting essence with each cut.

Notifications popped up in my mind, each one confirming another successful harvest.

(Congratulations, Host! 10 Essences from Hollow Gutweed have been added to your Character Profile!)

The essence points were adding up faster than I ever expected.

My body moved on autopilotslashing and collecting, over and over.

More, more, more...

But...

Hmm?

Just as I began to feel triumphant, the lake seemed to shift around me.

The water was still as cold as before, but something had changed.

I felt a strange pressure building in my ears.

I paused and looked around, trying to see if something was coming.

No-

Then, I felt a subtle tug at my ankle.

My heart raced.

Who?

I glanced down, expecting to see another vine of Hollow Gutweed.

Nobo-

Instead, I saw something much larger and more solid.

A shadow moved beneath me, too swift and too smooth to be just a plant.

What the...

My blood ran cold as I realizedthere was something else down here, something that had been watching me all along.

Damn it...

I quickly kicked my legs like a fish and started swimming upward.

I didn\'t even bother trying to figure out what kind of creature it was...

But from its massive shadow, I could tell it had to be at least mid-Gold rank, maybe even Platinum.

Since it was in the water, it definitely had the upper hand, while I would be at a disadvantage.

I had no intention of fighting a losing battle.

I avoided looking down, and for a moment, I considered using my skill, but I changed my mind when I realized there was no one nearby.

Where did it go?

I glanced to both sides but couldn\'t spot it.

Still, I didn\'t stop.

Within another ten seconds, I burst out of the water and jumped onto dry land without even checking what it was.

Thank, it didn\'t chase me, or I would have been in serious trouble.

***

I stood up and looked out over the lake, focusing on the water\'s surface.

I carefully scanned the area, trying to spot the shadow that had appeared earlier, but it was nowhere to be found.

The creature must have gone invisible again.

I pushed the uneasy thoughts away and opened my character profile.

With a quick tap, I brought up the notification panel to check my recent rewards...

(Congratulations, Host! 40 Healing Potions (Iron) have been added to your inventory!)

(Congratulations, Host! 400 Essences from Hollow Gutweed have been added to your Character Profile!)

(Congratulations, Host! 40 Monster Cores (Iron) have been added to your inventory!)

Only 400?

Damn, I was expecting at least 800...

Was I really that slow?

Ugh...

With a frustrated sigh, I turned my gaze toward the dense jungle ahead.

I was currently deep within a danger zone, and staying here would be a serious challenge.

Hunting in this area wasn\'t just risky; it was almost suicidal.

It would probably be wiser to head back to my own zone while I still could.

I was also running out of time.

I glanced at my smartwatch and saw that it was already 6 p.m.

The sky was painted in shades of orange as the sun slowly sank toward the horizon, casting long shadows over the landscape.

In the fading light, I could just barely see the outlines of two moons rising, though only small parts of them were visible through the twilight haze.

So beautiful...

It was just like one of those anime scenes where the protagonist proposes to his crush and either gets a yes or a no as an answer.

After admiring the scene before me, I set off to return to the moderate areas.

***

After walking for another half hour, I stopped when I heard some noise.

Hmm? Is that the sound of swords clashing?

It sure sounded like that.

I usually avoided fights, but the noise grew louder as I approached.

Still, I wasn\'t going to investigate until I heard a cry that sounded familiar.

I knew that voice.

Who did it belong to?

Why did it sound so familiar?

Curiosity got the better of me, so I moved closer to the source of the noise and discovered something unbelievable.

When I reached a tree near where the sounds were coming from, I peeked around it...

Ohh, I never expected to see her here.

In front of me, three people were fighting.

Out of the three, I recognized one of thema woman with long brown hair.

She had stunning crystal blue eyes, a small yet perfectly shaped nose, and a well-balanced face.

Her flawless white skin and doll-like features made it easy for anyone to be captivated by her beauty.

Her figure was well-developed, with every aspect in perfect proportion.

It was Mira...

Yes, the future heir of the Lapele family.

I didn\'t recognize the other two; I had never seen them before, not even in the illusion world.

One of them was a man of at least 30 years old, and the other was a woman of a similar age.

The man, tall and imposing, had a rugged look.

His short, messy black hair and sharp brown eyes gave him a tough appearance.

His muscular build was visible under his worn armor, and he wielded a bow.

His serious, focused expression showed he was an experienced fighter.

The other fighter was a woman with striking features.

Her sleek, silver hair fell straight down her back and contrasted with her dark, almost violet eyes.

Her outfit was both stylish and practical, blending lightweight armor with flowing fabric that allowed her to move swiftly and gracefully.

She expertly wielded a pair of curved daggers, demonstrating both agility and precision.

I used my appraisal skill on them and discovered their names: Lian Hephsus and Tia Ebdrodia.

But the most surprising thing was the monster they were all fighting.

"What on earth is that?"