My Alt Account Became the World's No. 1 Hunter
Chapter 27: Eastern District Gate Challenge (8)

Chapter 27: Eastern District Gate Challenge (8)

The forest arena flickered into view like someone slapped a cheap VR filter over his eyes. He barely had time to plant his boots on the damp moss before the first wave shimmered to life — four goblins, hunched over like they’d just crawled out of a bargain bin horror movie, each one brandishing a rusty blade that might as well have been a butter knife.

Zero cracked his neck once to either side, exhaled through his nose, and let the grin stretch under the cracked helmet. He could practically feel the dumb chant "Zero drip! Zero chance!" somewhere behind him on the plaza screens.

"Let’s see who’s dripless now, you sons of good mothers," he muttered, eyes flicking between the closest goblin and the one fumbling with its dagger near the back.

One heartbeat later, he was gone, boots scraping moss, the Aged Blade Fragment flashing like a jagged piece of moonlight. The first goblin didn’t even manage a proper squeal; its head went one way, body the other. He pivoted off the carcass, boots sliding smooth, and popped up behind the second, a short sharp stab right between the ribs, clean enough that the thing didn’t even slump forward until he was already on the third.

By the time the fourth goblin noticed its friends weren’t squealing anymore, Zero was behind it, blade hooked around its neck like the girlfriend you wished you had.

He flicked the blood off the Fragment in one lazy arc, boots scuffing over the moss as he checked the bodies for anything worth pocketing, but more importantly, the system pinged, which he didn’t expect at all.

[EXP +3]

[EXP +3]

[EXP +3]

[EXP +3]

The numbers stacked up in the corner of his vision like candy. He blinked, half-choked on a laugh that stayed buried in his throat. ’Wait... wait, I can gain EXP here? The other guys didn’t get squat. So is another dev perk, huh? Just for mweeee????? Thank you, System-Chwan!"

He flicked his system panel open on instinct, eyes scanning the bottom line as it ticked up:

[ALT SYSTEM — USER PROFILE: ZERO

Level: 10

EXP: 14 / 100]

Zero smacked his lips inside the helmet, grin wide enough that his cheeks ached. "Sensational," he whispered, eyes already darting to where the next shimmer of Wave Two coiled behind the trees. "Next."

The air went heavy for half a second, that weird hush right before the Gate spat out the next batch of meat. Zero adjusted his grip on the Aged Blade Fragment, bouncing on his heels like he was about to spar with invisible mosquitoes. The shimmer ahead split open and four wolves slunk out and they in fact, bigger than the goblins and leaner too, with patchy fur that reminded him way too much of the last time he’d almost got his forearm turned into chew toy confetti.

He tilted his head under the cracked helmet, squinting at their scrawny frames. "Hold up... these look just like the Fangwolves back in that Tier 1 Gate," he murmured, voice half-buried under his helmet. "Same busted ear, same crusty mane. Bet these guys are worth, what, ten each? If that’s the case, then gimme that dev-tier lunch money pwease!"

One of the wolves snapped its jaws like it understood the insult, which was lowkey cute. Zero vanished forward before it even got a chance to flex its neck. The first wolf barely twitched before the Fragment kissed its spine, splitting it down like a rotten log. The second turned to run, but he was already there, boots scraping moss, blade hooking around its throat in a neat little arc that sprayed a mist of red across the root he used for leverage.

Third one tried to leap for his shoulder, but he can’t lie the wolf looked adorable with how it looked like it was going for a hug. He ducked under it, let it sail stupidly past, and split its ribs open from behind. The last one didn’t even have time to snarl, Zero just rammed the Fragment through its skull from the side like he was popping a soda can open. Four bodies, four seconds. The clip farming is CRAZY with this one.

The system pinged sweetly behind his eyes:

[EXP +10]

[EXP +10]

[EXP +10]

[EXP +10]

Zero let out a breathy laugh, the helmet muffling it into something halfway between a cackle and a wheeze. ’Holy f*ck, forty more exp just for showing up? This is like punching toddlers for lunch money. The other rookies are probably crying over scraped knees and I’m out here collecting free-level coupons. Am I actually loved by someone that’s not just my family and friends?!’

The moss barely had time to settle over the bodies of the wolves before the next shimmer warped the clearing. He bounced the Aged Blade Fragment lightly against his shoulder, blade tip glinting under the Gate’s weird not-moonlight thingy. The air smelled like old iron, churned soil, and the rumble that came with it practically spelled out "mini-boss time" child like letters.

A shape lumbered forward through the flicker — broad-shouldered, its hunched back draped in mismatched leather scraps strapped together with what looked suspiciously like frayed rope. The thing dragged a crude axe behind it, the blade’s edge scraping a shallow groove through the damp earth as it advanced. Its breathing rattled like someone trying to gargle a box of nails.

Zero tilted his helmeted head, squinting at the thing’s uneven stride. ’Oh hey! A hobgoblin! Let me see... axe, check. Dead eyes, double check. Big enough to pretend it’s scary on camera, triple check!’ He shifted his weight, boots pressing into the moss as the mini-boss lifted its weapon with all the drama of a circus strongman.

"Alright big guy, show me what ya got," Lanz called out, voice muffled under the helmet but dripping with glee. The hobgoblin snarled, eyes narrowing as it lumbered closer, axe swinging back for a diagonal chop. The swing arced down with all the speed of a half-drunk uncle at a backyard barbecue. Zero blinked once, then barked out a short laugh that bounced around the inside of his cracked visor.

’Wait. You swing slower than the last one I fought when I was level nine. Did the system crank up MY Gate difficulty on that run just to watch me sweat? This cheeky motherf*cker.’

The blade came down. Zero was already out of the way, boots sliding sideways through the mulch as he ducked under the swing. He pivoted behind the hobgoblin’s knee, Fragment blade angling low as he carved straight through the thick tendon just above the crease. The thing roared, weight tipping forward like a felled tree. It scrabbled to drag the axe back around, but Zero wasn’t about to give it the courtesy of a fair second chance.

"Thanks for playing," he muttered, hopping a half-step forward to plant his boot on the creature’s back, pushing it down into the dirt with a dull thud. He slammed the Fragment down into the back of its skull with just enough force to hear that voluptuous crunch through his glove. The creature shuddered once, then sagged.

A single ping — bright and f*cking satisfying — cut across his vision.

[EXP +20]

Lanz flicked his wrist to clear the grime off the blade, the system window sliding open like a friendly grin:

[ALT SYSTEM — USER PROFILE: ZERO

Level: 10

EXP: 74 / 100]

He could feel the laugh bubbling in his chest, sharp and petty and f*cking perfect. ’This is what I like to call, free real estate, baby. Literal rent money with goddamn training wheels.’

He flexed his fingers around the Fragment’s hilt, eyes already tracking the swirl where the fourth wave was starting to twist open like a gift bag waiting to get shredded. "Next."

Two hobgoblins this time appeared, broad and lumbering like the last one but with mismatched scrap armor that might’ve looked intimidating if they hadn’t brought six scrawny goblins tagging along behind them like unpaid backup dancers. The goblins were practically drooling, rusty blades twitching in their bony hands. The hobgoblins just stood there like security guards about to get fired on live TV.

Zero bounced on his feet, Fragment blade balanced against his shoulder as he cracked his knuckles one by one. ’Alright, let’s go viral,’ he thought, the grin under the helmet wide enough to hurt. He flexed his fingers and called up that smooth tug in his chest, the faint flicker of Phantom Stride syncing through his legs.

One second, he was there, the next, he was just gone, boots scraping moss as he flickered behind the closest hobgoblin. The Fragment carved through the first goblin’s spine before it even squeaked. He pivoted, popped up behind the second, and let the blade slide through its throat in one quick jerk. The remaining pack barely had time to squawk before he was weaving through them like they were those motherf*cking practice dummies nailed to a floor.

Rusty blades clanged uselessly against each other as he ducked, spun, and hooked the Fragment around a goblin’s ribs, flicking it out just in time to let another one practically impale itself. The two hobgoblins lunged at him together, which was brave, but he dropped low, Phantom Stride kicking in again as he swept between them and cut through both tendons like he was pruning weeds. One stumbled, knees buckling under its own bulk. Zero spun behind it and buried the Fragment in its skull. The second swung wildly, but all it caught was air before he jammed the blade under its collarbone and finished the job.

The system window lit up in a delightful spam that made his grin widen behind the helmet.

[EXP +3]

[EXP +3]

[EXP +3]

[EXP +3]

[EXP +3]

[EXP +3]

[EXP +20]

[EXP +20]

A ping sounded through his head. He didn’t need to check, but of course he did anyway. Duh.

[Level Up!]

[ALT SYSTEM — USER PROFILE: ZERO

Level: 11

EXP: 32 / 110]

[Skill Unlocked: Crimson Slash]

[You have gained 3 Additional Stat Points]

Zero barked out a sharp, incredulous laugh. ’WHAT THE FUUUUUUUUCKKKKKK!!! This is better than attending class on time!!! Wait, no, that’s too far. But maybe... well, it depends on the class.’ He tapped the corner of the window, eyes lingering on the new skill name. ’Should I try this skill out right now? Nah... nah, I’m not gonna reveal it yet. Imma use it when I need it.’

He flipped the Fragment back into ready position, boots settling into the groove the last hobgoblin’s head had carved into the moss. "Next wave, please!" he exclaimed, voice bubbling with giddy venom.

End of Chapter 27.

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ALT SYSTEM — USER PROFILE: ZERO

Level: 11

EXP: 32 / 110

Next Reward: 10 Available Stat Points

Global System Tracking: DISABLED

World Rank Association: UNLINKED

Stats:

STR: 8 | AGI: 8 (Affinity) | VIT: 3 | DEX: 1 | INT: 7 | WIS: 0

[Available Stat Points: 3]

[Derived Stat — MANA: 35 / 35]

Skills:

[Crimson Slash Lv. 1] (NEW)

[Phantom Stride Lv.1]

[Blade Control Lv.1]

[Parry Timing Lv.1]

[Reflex Sync Lv.1] (Passive Skill)

[Combat Awareness Lv.2] (Passive Skill)

[Skill Fusion Menu: Active]

[Dev Tree: Tier 0 Access Granted]

[Developer Node – Fusion Core Anchor: Active]

[Skill Slot Available — Unassigned]

Equipment:

Aged Blade Fragment (??? Rarity) (Bound)

Goblin Dagger

Spiked Boar Tusk Shard

Lightweight Chest Padding

Boots of Basic Mobility

Fingerless Gloves (Basic)

Starter Cloak: Faded Black

Training Ring (+1 VIT)